The Diego Diaries Part 3
by arctapus
Summary: This is the story of Ratchet and Ironhide's prank war which goes global and intergalactic. It is essentially a humorous/dramatic love story. This is the third part because the second part is giving me fits for uploading just like part one. How's that for a crappy summary?
1. Chapter 1

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 10

=0=On the street

Barricade and Stilletto walked through the crowds which unconsciously parted to let the malevolent duo pass by. They were heading for Club Cybertron, their usual hangout.

The rescue was winding down, the few real reminders remaining including the mass of ships being hauled or rolled away to be junked, recycled or refitted for reuse. The atmosphere of the city was bright and electric as newbies hurried about the business of going to new work, looking around or recovering. Some of them were just reunited with long lost friends and families.

Barricade paused and watched a moment, a silent Stiletto beside him. He watched the happiness, relief, surprise and excitement with a critical optic. He saw it, felt it to some small degree but he didn't join it. He couldn't. The idea of all of it was clear. The feeling though was beyond his ability to capture for himself. Turning at last, he walked into the club and headed for the bar, Stiletto following.

-0-In a Dojo at the Cultural Center

The corner where they had placed a seating area was filled with mechs taking their ease between katas and routine workouts. Some of them were younglings who had grown up in the Circle of Light movement and were either immersed in the philosophy and mores of the lifestyle or wanted to be. Lon who was a high caste mech who had asked to be a Watch officer following the fiasco with Prowl sat beside his hero, Drift. That worthy was explaining tactics of their martial art. "You give against attack and use their energy against them. Deflect, give, work for the moment when you can use their strength against them," he said, "making it their greatest weakness."

Lon nodded taking every syllable to spark. The mechs who sat here included Springer, Kup and Fury, a Circle of Light mech who had known Drift at the colony where he had reformed himself. They were filled with stories, wisdom and shared it. It was so utterly fulfilling that he had broken from the others and joined without a backward glance. His genitors and brother, all of them working in an engineering firm that designed and detailed the schematics of the housing towers were at first surprised. He was high caste albeit kindly raised in his attitudes. The Watch job took a bit of getting used to but now they were proud of him. They pointed out to others his Day/Night Watch and Autobot tattoos as well as his newest one depicting his acceptance into the Circle of Light. Sitting with these mechs, listening to them and learning, he felt more needed and peaceful than at any other time in his life.

-0-Sparkling School

She sat on the floor propped up with pillows. Her affect was exhausted and weak, her aura sickly light. She had come in on an earlier wave but was still struggling to recover. She had been too close to a blast from an attack and even though her ada tried to shelter her from the concussion she had been grievously wounded. An arm and leg were lost, both on the same side. She had been in a delirium of pain and fading energy for three orns before their group merging with another stream of fleeing refugees brought some medical attention. Once here, they had watched as Ratchet stabilized her, attached joints for replacement limbs and worked out her recovery and surgical schedule.

She had been in Infant ICU for orns and orns before it was decided to reattach limbs. Her hip accepted her leg. That had been the easier of the two. The protoform at that attachment was greater and clear of infections or defects. Her arm wasn't so lucky. They had two surgeries to attach it and there was rejection both times. It would take a longer period of rest and treatment before a perfect storm of protoform and healthy exostructure would accommodate her replacement limb.

She sat on the floor propped up with pillows watching as Laret held a ball up for her to see. She looked at it and smiled, looking from Laret to the ball. She reached out with the one arm she still had and patted it. Dropping her arm exhaustedly, she looked at Laret. She smiled again and tweeted softly. Laret smiled and leaned in kissing her tiny helm. "My little darling El. You are so very beautiful. Did you know that? Did you know how much you are loved?"

The baby listened to her, her little optics bright with life and joy rather than pain and the ghost of death. She was smaller than she was going to become, weaker than any small new creature should ever be allowed to be and gentle in her manner and outlook. She was a very sweet little bot.

Laret put the ball down and gently lifted her into her arms. Cuddling her in the soft blanket she had been sitting on, Laret rose up and walked toward the pool. She would sit in it and hold El in her servos. The tiny botlet would be encouraged to move her limbs and exercise. When that was finished, she would have physical therapy with Mr. Roto as well as a specialized meal of infant energon with supplements designed to spur her protoform regeneration.

Laret would attend to her, caring for her carefully. When all of that was accomplished, she would sit in a rocker holding El as she hummed and sang softly lullabies from Cybertron that her own ada once sang. She would sit and rock the infant for a long time before finally tucking her into her little crib in the infant nursery nearby.

-0- Also nearby

Sunstreaker walked from the studio with a small image that had been commissioned by a mech who wanted to give a personalized gift to his bond. He had asked for a picture of his bond painted with the images of Central City in the background. The big buildings of that town, landmarks to the locals were detailed behind him with the usual precision and flare that had made Sunstreaker one of the most sought after painters on Mars.

He walked to the City Hall and entered taking an elevator to the fifth floor. A short walk to the planning department and the painting was delivered to an ecstatic mech who had a dinner date at the Bistro, a restaurant just opened in the Autobot City Business Plaza nearby. Sauntering out, Sunstreaker walked to the Medical Tower and went up 49 floors. Stepping off, he walked to Ratchet's office. Pausing at the door he grinned. "Hey."

Ratchet looking up from a flickering monitor, a pile of datapads before him grinned at his biggest oldest son. "Hey, Sunshine. Pull up a chair."

He did and put his peds on the coffee table before him. Ratchet sat back and grinned at him. "You look contented."

"I delivered a commission."

"That's awesome. I imagine the image is flawless."

Sunstreaker smirked. "Can it be other?"

"Ah, the artistic temperament," Ratchet said with a grin. "What's on your agenda?"

"I thought I would bother you a while, then Atar. How's it going with Flint?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Good," Ratchet said. "It was always a sore spot for your atar that his uncle was a traitor. We should have known better. Alor and his family were the best bots you could ever meet. By the way, have you met him?"

"No," Sunstreaker replied. "I don't know if Sideswipe has. Bluestreak mentioned him."

"We can eat lunch then and I'll introduce you. He looks so much like Alor that it must make Ironhide's optics twirl."

Sunstreaker nodded. "I can imagine."

"I want you to know that I put in for a code reader and analyst to the Employment Office. I am seeing interesting things in your CNA and Hound's. I need more experienced optics. I saw on the list a couple of bots with that skill."

"That's good. You might be able to isolate this problem?" Sunstreaker asked.

"That's the plan," Ratchet said. A beep sounded and he turned punching a button on his console. "Ratchet here."

"Ratchet, this is Blondi. I have a couple of mechs who can do analysis on the data that you specified. One of them is already attached to the energon committee and the other one you might not want."

"Who is it and why, Blondi?" Ratchet asked curiously. He glanced at Sunstreaker a moment. Sunny looked at him equally curiously.

"The analyst is a high caste named Turquoise."

Ratchet thought a moment. "I don't know him."

"The Wreckers do. He's the bond of a troublemaker on a ship in the migration and his son, Burnoff was the youngling that started the fight with you and Prowl over the insult to our little Kaon."

Sunstreaker stiffened. Ratchet glanced at him, then looked at the monitor. "Have they applied or did you take this from intake information, Blondi?"

"Intake information," she said with a smirk. "He's a nervous little mech from what I see here and rather nice. But Copperton is overbearing and you might not want that problem."

"I need a code reader. Can we switch with the energon committee?" Ratchet asked.

"I asked them and they said nope. They like their new worker and he likes them. Sorry, Ratchet. What do you want to do?" Blondi asked with a smirk.

Ratchet vented a sigh. "Send him in, Blondi. We'll see how it goes."

Blondi smirked. "Want me to send some Wreckers too?"

"I might," Ratchet said with a smirk of his own. The line cut and Ratchet sat back. "Well, we get to see what a slagger's genitor looks like."

Sunstreaker grinned a humorless grin. "We will."

"You're going to see what your atar is up to. I want you to go and tell him we are meeting up for lunch. Get that brother and bond of yours too. Round up my genitors and we can meet everyone at once."

"Where do you want to eat?" Sunstreaker said rising.

"How about Club Cybertron?" Ratchet asked.

"Sounds good."

"I'll make the reservations. You go spend time with your Uncle Flint," Ratchet said with a grin. "Nothing like family, Sunstreaker."

"If you say so, Ada," Sunstreaker said with a grin. He turned and ambled out heading for the elevator and depot station in the subfloor where he could catch a train car and ride to the armory in the Fortress nearby.

-0-In a tower

Turquoise shut off the monitor and turned to Copperton. Burnoff sitting nearby watched his ada with concern. "What do I do, Copperton? It seems I am employed."

"I don't like this, Turquoise. You need to rest and get on your peds again before we even discuss whether or not you will pursue a career again," Copperton said worriedly. "I don't ever want you to feel you have to work again. I will take care of you. I will take care of all of us."

"Perhaps I should talk to Ratchet. I might be able to work from home. Would you be amenable to that option, Copperton? I would like to be helpful if I can be. Perhaps this is about an important project," Turquoise asked his expression anxious.

"I will go with you. I want to meet this Ratchet and find out what is going on here," Copperton said flusteredly. He looked at Burnoff. "Do you know this mech?"

"After a fashion," Burnoff said. "Don't tell him about me."

"Why not, son?" Turquoise asked, his frown deepening. "You are our son. We're proud of you. It pleases me to tell others about you."

"Ratchet and I don't get along. He has a short temper and doesn't tolerate mistakes in others," Burnoff said.

"Well then, that solves that issue. I won't be having you work around such a bot, Turquoise."

He looked up at Copperton. "I think I should at least talk to him, Copperton. What if this is important?"

Copperton looked at his bond, the smaller mech the absolute center of his well being and happiness. He wavered, then nodded. "We shall both go," he said holding out his servo. Turquoise gripped it and stood up wearily. They turned and looked at their son. "What will you do, son, while we're away?" Turquoise asked anxiously.

"I have errands, ada," he said rising himself. "I want to go and take care of them. Then I'll meet you here for dinner."

They both nodded walking out together heading for an elevator. When they parted, two went east walking to the Medical Tower while one went west heading for Quarry 5 and a meet up with the foreman that would run his sentencing for the next decaorn. All the time he took to reach the quarry was put to good use. Burnoff settled two things in his processor. The first was a plan to prevent his genitors from finding out about his escapades so far in the colony and the other was deciding what spectacular thing he would do to prove his quality to Barricade. By the time he reached the road that led to the foreman's shack in the quarry he had his optics on the thing he needed to make his splash loud, large and colorful.

-0-Leaving an elevator on the 49th floor

They stepped out and walked to the door of a large brilliantly sunlit office that proclaimed 'Ratchet, Chief of Medical Services, Autobot and Civilian, Autobot City, Mars' on the window beside the glass door. The bot inside looked up from a pile of work nodding. "Hi."

A big bronze bot stepped inside followed by a bot with another exquisite paint scheme. They paused in front of the desk. "I am Copperton. This is my bond, Turquoise."

Ratchet nodded, then remembered the conversation. "Ah, Turquoise." He looked at the quiet bot standing beside the big obviously high caste mech who was defensive from the moment he entered. "I am told that you are a very gifted analyst. I have a code problem and need an analyst who can read as well as organize information to find a problem hidden in the data."

Turquoise nodded, then Copperton cut him off. "What exactly do you want my bond for? I don't approve of Turquoise working at the moment. He's had a very difficult time and needs to rest."

Ratchet leaned back in his chair and scanned the little mech. Considering the data, he looked up at Copperton. "I don't read anything out of sorts in your bond. Fatigue perhaps but good health, no protoform wasting. Nothing too worrisome."

"I don't approve." Copperton felt a servo on his arm. He looked at Turquoise who was looking up at him.

"Copperton, we should find out what the need is. Perhaps it is important to the colony and if I can help I should." He looked at Ratchet. "What kind of code?"

"We have a medical problem. It would appear that some of our soldiers who are carriers have a glitch in their programming that is heightening their emotional states and causing difficulty. We need to find the exact spot where this is occuring so we can find a fix for it."

Turquoise nodded. "Then we would be reading CNA."

Ratchet nodded. "That would be correct."

Turquoise looked at Copperton. "I can do this."

"You need to be home resting. We haven't had a stable place to live in eons. I want you to be stronger, Turquoise."

"Then perhaps I can do this work at home?" Turquoise asked looking at Ratchet.

"I don't see a problem. We can link your terminal into the datafile or send it to you over the IntraComm wireless network," Ratchet said.

"That would be nice. I can work at my own pace and rest when I feel tired." Turquoise looked at Copperton who looked uncertain. Then he relented and nodded. "Alright." He turned and looked at Ratchet. "I want you to understand that Turquoise is still struggling to recover and if it looks like an imposition I will ask him to stop."

"You would have no opposition from me. I am not a slave driver," Ratchet said.

"Perhaps," Copperton said coldly. "But I do hear that you are violent and I don't want that for my bond."

=0=TBC

2012 (9) edited


	2. Chapter 2

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 11

=0=In the CMO's office, Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet leaned back in his chair staring at the big bot looking at him coldly. The anxious bot standing beside him looked shocked. Placing a servo on Copperton's arm, Turquoise looked at him. "Only One … please."

Copperton looked down at the mech that was the only thing that could reach him no matter his state. "You will not be in any danger nor will you ever experience violence."

"I see," Ratchet said.

Copperton looked at Ratchet. "And what do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Who wants to experience violence or be around it? Primus knows that members of your caste seldom do," Ratchet said. "You outsource that to the rest of us."

"You have a reputation of violence."

"You're right. I am violent," Ratchet said nodding.

"There. You admit it," Copperton said folding his arms across his chassis.

"Of course," Ratchet said nodding. "I've been a soldier for millions of years. I have done the work that you and yours can't be bothered to do. You start the wars and mechs like me have to finish them. I have to go into battle, run into fire fights to save wounded, stand ankle deep in spilled energon trying to put back together mechs and femmes that your actions and policies put into harms way. I have done that for millions of years. It marks you. You don't suffer fools as easily. You don't take slag from anyone, ever. You don't put up with pompous buffoons either. You need to tell me what you have done to help the war effort besides sending mechs and femmes to die."

He looked at Ratchet. "I worked hard in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doing the work assigned to me."

"You never enlisted. Has anyone in your family served in the military? Or is that too low brow for you? You might have to put something into jeopardy fighting the bad guys. So much easier to stay behind the lines and formulate opinions. You don't have to get your servos dirty or maybe get your aft shot off."

"My bond is the son of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Cybertron. Turquoise and I both served Cybertron."

"Conveniently from behind the lines," Ratchet rose from his chair surprisingly calmly. "The code error I am reading was caused by unrelenting war. Our soldiers have always shown violent tendencies from time to time. They drink, fight often among each other and some of them are hair triggered. My sons are among the most violent mechs of all but they have extenuating circumstances," Ratchet said looking directly at Turquoise. "There is a problem borne out of eons of war that is causing our soldiers who are carriers to be intensely violent if they feel even abstractly that their sparklings are in trouble. They have a glitch in their programming that causes this and we are trying to isolate it so we can formulate a treatment. That is where a code reader and analyst comes in. You can do something directly good for our soldiers, their bonds and sparklings by doing this."

Turquoise nodded. "I see."

"Then there is a danger in this city," Copperton said. "What has been done to prevent this from causing harm among the general population?" he asked.

"We are working on the problem as fast as we can. The code is enormous … billions and billions of strands of numerals with the breaks hidden like straws in a haystack. The carrier-soldiers are aware of this problem and self monitor."

"That's ridiculous," Copperton said. "The chances of them becoming violent are a clear and present danger. What does Prime have to say about this?"

"He is aware." Ratchet looked at the big bot and fought the usual reaction that aggressive high castes always elicited in him. Turquoise was needed and seemed a more reasonable bot. He would stifle his urge to kick Copperton in the slats for his soldiers.

"I will have to talk to him. I have a number of issues that I wish to discuss. There is the matter of the murder of Kudon for instance."

Ratchet looked at him and shrugged. "That has been adjudicated. The situation is settled."

"How did he die? I was told a mech killed him for slandering a sparkling. Surely that is bunk. What really happened?" Copperton asked.

Turquoise put his servo on Copperton's arm. "Please, Copperton."

He looked down at his bond. "I need to know."

"He slandered a sparkling that belonged to a highly devoted carrier who had served on the front lines of the wars of our nation for the entirety of his life. Kudon made the big mistake of flying straight into the problem I'm trying to solve and he didn't come out the other side in one piece."

"He was murdered for slandering a sparkling?" Copperton asked.

"He was killed because he was struck by the ada of a sparkling that he slandered. He died because he had never taken care of his spark chamber defect. Surely if you were his great good friend you knew about that. Right?" Ratchet stared at him calmly, the fires in his spark banked in the shimmering need to protect Sunstreaker. The idea of that bot being as small as Orion and left alone with his brother in a youth center flooded his processor. It came to him unbidden and he steeled himself to protect a bot who had never been protected.

"I can't believe this is what happened. What are you not telling me?" Copperton persisted.

"I haven't told you that Kudon was a slagger who didn't do a hard thing in his life that someone else wasn't assigned to accomplish. I didn't tell you that he never risked a damned thing for the survival of our world. I also didn't tell you that he broke Prime directives trying to resurrect the caste system here. He should have been in the brig, not roaming the streets trying to foment rebellion."

Copperton looked at Ratchet silently, then turned. "I will talk to Prime. Turquoise?"

The anxious little bot looked up at him. "I wish to stay and see about this project, Copperton. The sooner its safer here the better."

"I don't want you to stay here with this mech," Copperton said.

"I will catch up with you. You go ahead and I will come after. I would like a nice walk." Turquoise smiled and patted Copperton's arm.

The big bot looked at Ratchet. "I will be back."

"The door is open," Ratchet said nodding.

They stood as Coppetron walked reluctantly to the door. He looked at his bond. "Come shortly. I will look for you if you don't."

Turquoise looked at him and nodded. They watched him leave. Turquoise turned and looked at Ratchet. "I am sorry for that. Copperton has exquisite manners but this whole business has made us forget the right behavior with others."

Ratchet shrugged. "Everyone is entitled to their opinions here. He will find out this isn't Cybertron and the old system is not coming back." Ratchet paused and pulled a datastick from the console behind him. "This contains all the data that we are using to search for the solution to our problem."

Turquoise held out his servo and took it. "I will read it and see what is there. If you don't mind, I would like to do it from home and help my bond."

Ratchet nodded. "I will ask data processing to send the equipment that you need. Do you have space in your apartment to set up a work station?"

He nodded. "I do."

Ratchet grinned. "Then we're in business."

Turquoise nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face. "We are."

-0-Armory

Sunstreaker walked in pausing at the door of Ironhide's office. Grinning, he watched as the big bot pushed datapads. "You look like you're actually doing something."

The big bot looked up and sat back. "Some of us actually have a real job."

Sunstreaker walked in and sat on the couch along the front wall of windows. "I just finished a commission. Some of us actually have two jobs."

Ironhide grinned. "What brings you down here?"

"Ada wants us to have lunch together. He wants his genitors and Flint to get together at Club Cybertron."

"Sounds like a plan," Ironhide said nodding. He looked at the chronometer on the wall. "Why don't we get everyone together and meet old mech there? It's nearly lunch time."

Sunstreaker nodded pausing to send a message to Bluestreak and Sideswipe. They pinged back and he stood. "Sideswipe and Blue are heading for the Club. Let's get Flint. Where is he?"

"He's at the dojo," Sunstreaker said. "He knew Drift from before and he wanted to deliver personal messages to some of the mechs there."

Ironhide stood up and they turned together walking to the door and beyond. By the time they were on the sidewalk heading for the club Flint was walking from the dojo with Springer, Kup and Drift followed by Lon. They also headed for the club to join the party.

Ratchet stood on the street outside the medical building waiting for his genitors to join him. He had walked from the building pointing out the Fortress where Copperton was bound. Ratchet watched that mild bot heading out. It was a find to have him on the team in spite of the situation with his bond. That bot had pushed every button but Ratchet had kept it in. He needed Turquoise on his team. The rage circulated in his tanks contained by his dedication to the mechs who needed him so much. Later he would do something about the inferno in his processor.

His genitors appeared and waved. He waved back sublimating his irritation to spare them. They could read him like a book. When they arrived he was smiling and becalmed. They turned to walk to the club together. The sun overhead was warm and the city's energy was awesome.

-0-Club Cybertron

Sideswipe and Bluestreak walked into the club and paused by the bar to chat with a couple of bots. There were tables being assembled in the dining portion of the club for their party. Overhead on the monitors, IntraComm 4 was playing the infant football games from the orn before in the sports arena.

Kup, Drift, Springer, Flint and Lon walked into the room pausing with Sideswipe and Bluestreak. Chuckling over a joke, they stood together enjoying each other's company. Out on the street, Ironhide and Sunstreaker waited for Ratchet and his genitors who were coming. They basked in the sunlight as they waited, the sounds of laughter reaching them through the open door of the club. When Ratchet reached them they turned and walked inside.

Sitting at a table in the dining room watching the ballgame on the monitors overhead, Stiletto and Barricade sipped highgrade and ate bar food.

=0=TBC

2012 (9) edited


	3. Chapter 3

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 12

=0=Barricade

He sat at the table enjoying the football game playing overhead on the wall's many monitors. Cheers sounded when the play was good and sympathetic groans when the play went badly. The Altihex Attitudes were playing the Martian Marauders and the game was surprisingly good.

Barricade enjoyed it, finding the atmosphere in the club home like and comforting. He spent time here everyday and had never acted to jeopardize things. He was smarter than that. Sitting in a cell all day long every day for the rest of his life was out of the question.

Stiletto enjoyed the game as well, the little kids amusing and surprisingly scrappy. He was less careful about his demeanor and was prepared to do hard time in the brig to muster his standing among the few in the city that might be persuaded to be an aft with him. He also was determined to raise his stature before Barricade who he knew was no fool. Barricade had led the most feared, treacherous road crew on Cybertron and had an earned reputation as a killer and criminal.

The sound of laughter, the sound of the Cybertronian languages in the room, the comfort of the cultural markers that made life here so familiar were welcomed by the two but they had no stake in protecting it. They were criminals and the only thing they put first were their own interests.

They couldn't be different if they wanted to try.

-0-Outside

Optimus Prime stepped out of the Fortress with Prowl heading toward Metroplex District. As they did, a large bot was heading their way, his exquisite paint scheme heralding his status before he even opened his mouth. He walked briskly and passed several Autobots, jostling one as he did. Jolt paused and steadied Hot Rod as the bot staggered into him. Blur turning to watch the bot glanced back at Hot Rod. "Nice."

Hot Rod watched the big bot approach Prime and glanced at Blur. "Fragger." He turned and began to walk toward Prime and Prowl who stopped when the stranger came to them.

"Optimus Prime, I am Copperton. I would like to speak with you about a number of issues of importance to me," Copperton said.

Prime nodded. "I would like to do that, Copperton but I am due at a dinner right now. If you call the Ops Center or my office, you can arrange for a meeting time that is mutually agreeable."

Copperton looked at Prime, then a slightly smirking Prowl. "Hello, Prowl."

"Hello, Copperton. I wasn't aware that you were in the migration. How is Turquoise?" he asked.

"Not himself yet. He had a very difficult past few years. Our son was separated from us and we were unclear if he was still alive. Right now, I want Turquoise to rest."

Prowl nodded. "He may. We have time for the debilitated to recover. Have you sought employment?"

"I want to discuss that with you, Prime," he said looking at Optimus who nodded. Then he looked at Prowl. "Are your genitors here?"

"They are. Miler is a mathematician with Sciences and Venture is the colony's head economist and economic planner."

"That is good news. We will be looking them up," Copperton said.

Prowl nodded. "They are joining us for lunch. I will tell them that you both are here. I am sure they will want to renew acquaintances again."

Copperton nodded. "I hope you do," he said. "I will make that appointment, Prime." He nodded respectfully and huffed onward toward the Fortress. They watched him go.

"That bot is still pompous. I had hoped the high castes would learn humility from this experience," Prowl said as they turned and walked onward.

"They will," Optimus said. They continued onward and arrived at the Club right behind the others, Miler and Venture hurrying from their apartment in Vos Tower to join them. The four entered as well.

-0-Inside

A large group of bots stood talking and laughing in the bar as Optimus, Prowl and his genitors entered. The hoo-hah increased with much joking and laughter. Miler grinning from audial to audial stood with his arm linked through Venture's. The atmosphere was fun, unbridled and relaxed. In all their years on Cybertron, they had not been around circumstances like this. Their life was formal and frankly as dull as dirt compared to life here among all manner of castes.

Venture joking with Ratchet who stood beside Sunstreaker laughed and Miler was gratified. It was as if solid useless weight had been lifted from their lives. Bluestreak standing next to Sideswipe who was bantering with Hot Rod and Blur turned grinning at Miler. "This is going to be slow going inside. We've picked up a few more bots."

Miler chuckled. "I'm good."

Hot Rod was bitching about high castes, his group having decided to go to the Club with Prowl and Prime. The youthful energy of Jolt and Blur was a lovely contrast to the older more solid energy of Kup, Springer and Drift. Lon standing with them nearly sparkled with contentment. He was here in good stead in the company of veteran mechs at arms. He was accepted even as a high caste into the company of solid, smart, amusing, brave, decent mechs and he had never been so content. He was never more proud of the tattoos on his shoulders, the job he had undertaken to do for the good of all and the idea that he was welcome.

Ironhide stood with Flint introducing him to the mechs closest to him. They traded shots with him, good natured "I had you in my sights once, you slagger"-type commentary. He gave back good natured shots as well. Tall, handsome, black overall with white and silver accents, he was an amazing specimen of military bearing and confidence.

An Autobrand glowed on his shoulder. He had chosen to put it there and it announced his quality along with the crest of the city of Praxus and the seal of the Prime of Cybertron. Once there when he was just another battalion commander in the regular army, they had been removed to prevent Megatron's ire. Now they were back and proudly worn by a mech who was surrounded by family and friends in a bar like the one on Cybertron, the bar where they had celebrated Ironhide and Ratchet's pre-bond seemingly eons before.

The bartender came out and smiled. "You can come in now. We pushed tables together."

The group slowly turned and walked in, the families massed with the others as all entered the big dining room. The monitors played as the bots entered. "Look. Sunspot's game is on," Miler said pointing to the monitors.

Everyone paused, then hilarity ensued. They took seats, pulling more chairs and tables together. The entire group finally sat, the waiter bantering with them as they began to make their orders.

"Look, Ironhide. There's that intercept Sunny did," Ratchet said watching as their little mech grabbed the ball and ran several yards before being tagged. "What a nice interception."

"He did a great job," Ironhide said. "Little mech has skills."

Tie Down nodded. "That was such a great play. He's a great little wing."

"He is," Ravel said proudly. "You must come to the next game he plays, Flint. You will be amazed at what a great little wing he is."

Flint grinned. "I will. I also hear Kaon has a great team."

Bluestreak nodded proudly. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are stars on the team."

"I watched the game last night. Damn fine teamwork," Flint said looking at the two.

They grinned wolfishly and nodded, inordinately pleased. "We intend to beat Praxus in the championship," Sunstreaker said.

Hilarity ensued.

Sitting nearby watching, Barricade's expression didn't betray a thought. Flint, a regimental commander who he had actually admired as someone with few scruples and the right focus was sitting with the Prime and everyone else as if he were family. It was disconcerting. He pondered an answer for the strangeness.

Stiletto watched them too, his optics focused on the handsome winger with spunk. Obviously, that winger had a lot of pull in the colony. He was sitting with senior Autobots in a crowd of friendlies. It was disconcerting. He pondered an answer for the strangeness.

When drinks came, they settled in and turned to watch the rest of the game. As he did, Bluestreak noticed the two 'Cons sitting nearby. Barricade was fixated on Prowl. Stiletto was watching Blue with a slight smirk. He raised his glass to the winger and sipped it.

Bluestreak felt himself freeze, coldness suffusing his circuits. Fixing his gaze on the monitor, he decided to ignore the pair. Sideswipe sitting beside him slid his arm along the back of Blue's chair. :What?:

Blue didn't look at him. :What?: he asked.

Sideswipe looked at him, then followed Bluestreak's line of sight. He looked across the room and fixing his gaze upon Stiletto's. He stared at the 'Con as two plus two began to equal four.

=0=TBC

2012 (9) edited


	4. Chapter 4

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 13

=0=Club Cybertron

Sideswipe slowly arose, a look of intense anger on his face. Blue grabbed his arm and pulled. :Sideswipe, no:

Sideswipe looked down at Blue. :What's going on, Blue? Why does he look at you that way? He has to know you're with Sunny and me:

:I don't know. He's just an aft. Sit down please: Blue tugged on his arm and he slowly sat. Sunstreaker peering around Tie Down's shoulder looked at them. :What's going on?:

:Nothing, Sunny. Let's have a nice lunch. Everyone is here. This is Flint's first time to relax and be with the family. Please, let's enjoy ourselves:

Stiletto glancing at Barricade noted a slight smirk on that worthy's face. "What?"

"Nothing,"Barricade said sipping his drink. "I'm watching football."

Stiletto looked back at Blue admiring the impeccable colors and luminous shine of his armor. The mech was a looker and as he stared at Blue, Sunstreaker put it together. Rising, staring at Stiletto with his 'game face' Ratchet grabbed his arm. "Sit, Sunstreaker."

"Blue?" Sideswipe asked leaning closer to the distressed winger. "What the frag is that aft staring at you for?"

"Nothing. It's nothing, Sideswipe. Really," Bluestreak said glancing at Prowl. "He just stares and really, it's nothing."

"Then he needs to know he can't," Sideswipe said rising again. "You are with us. No one can touch that."

Sunstreaker stood and so did Ratchet. "No fighting. None. We are here to welcome Flint into the family. That aft is a troublemaker. I can't believe that you two would allow him to control you like this. You all go home together and he goes home to nothing."

"It wouldn't be their place to do anything, Ratchet."

They all looked at Venture who was sitting next to Flint with an expression of intense irritation. Venture stood up and looked at Stiletto who sat watching with slight amusement. "You are bothering a member of my family. That isn't allowed."

"Is that so?" Stiletto asked. "What did I do?"

"You have disturbed the peace in my family and I won't allow it. You either step back or there will be consequences."

"Venture," Sunstreaker began before the winger turned to him.

"Sunstreaker, I am senior mech in our family. It is my duty to defend all of us." He turned and looked at Stiletto. "Either withdraw from further contact with my family or step outside and face me."

It was intensely quiet in the room as everyone paused to watch. Stiletto smirked chuckling. "You will do what? Fight me?"

Venture nodded. "That is right."

Prime started to stand but Prowl caught his arm. Looking down, he paused. Prowl shook his helm slightly and Optimus sat. :What is going on?:

:An honor fight. You can't prevent it. It's complicated: Prowl said over their internal link.

:Praxian custom?:

Prowl nodded. :It is:

:Venture is going up against a serious criminal, Prowl:

:My atar is no fool. This could end Stiletto's threat. He bothered Bluestreak and provoked a bond. This has to be done:

Prime looked at Venture and considered his dilemma. If he put end to this now, Venture would pursue it somewhere else. If he allowed it here, he could end the problem of Stiletto once and for all and protect all involved.

Maybe.

Sitting back, he waited like everyone else.

"Are you going to stand down?" Venture asked calmly. Miler watched him without visible emotions. The twins looked at each other, then Venture.

"Venture, we can handle this," Sideswipe said rising again. Blue jerked on his arm trying to pull him down, then Sunstreaker rose, his war face in evidence.

Venture looked at them. "I am head of the family. This is my duty. You will defer this to me."

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, sit," Ironhide said standing himself. They looked at him hesitantly, then slowly sat. Ratchet turned and looked at Venture. He was waiting calmly and Stiletto was staring at him doing the math. For a moment it was still, then Stiletto stood. "All right. Where?"

"Outside. Now," Venture said nodding to the door. He turned and began to walk that way. The guards with Barricade looked at him and he stood too turning to follow. The room almost as one watched Venture as the entire family and the bots with them arose together.

"Venture, you shouldn't do this. He's a dirty fighter," Sideswipe said with concern.

"This is our fight, Venture," Sunstreaker said.

"This is mine. This is an honor fight. Bluestreak, you understand my responsibility and why this is happening do you not?"

Bluestreak nodded. "I do."

"Then maybe you can explain it to me," Sideswipe said with irritation as he watched Venture turn to leave.

"Praxian customs, Sideswipe," Blue said gripping his arm as he turned to follow.

It was if a fever had broken as the entire establishment stood up heading for the door. Through the bar they poured out onto the sidewalk beyond, Prowl, Miler and Prime plowing through the throng to get to the front.

Venture was standing in the street facing Stiletto. That bot watched Venture who stood silently, servos balled into fists, his tension evident in his wings. The crowd moved around the pair, traffic on the street halting. Ironhide and Ratchet moved to stand on the curb, Bluestreak, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe pausing behind the two. Wreckers and soldiers, civilians and all the friends of the family crowded around them.

Kup and Springer stood near to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. :Kup, if those two make a move take out Sideswipe. You're closer to him. I'll grab Sunstreaker: Springer said quietly.

:Gotcha, kid: Kup stuck his stogie in his mouth stepping close to Sideswipe as Lon and Drift moved into the space between the two front liners and the street.

"What now?" Stiletto asked.

"You either stand down from my family or we fight. Honor demands that this occur." Venture stood slightly to one side, his expression calm, his manner steely.

Stiletto shrugged. "I'm not agreeing to anything. I wasn't aware that there was a law about looking at good looking mechs."

"There is if they are in a trine-bond with my grandsons-in-law. It's my duty to protect my family. Either stand down or let's do this," Venture said.

"Then I guess we do this," Stiletto said with a smirk. He stood a moment, then moved closer, his fists coming up as he sought out his first blow.

Miler stood with Prowl watching intensely as Venture turned to face the 'Con as he moved slowly around. It was quiet and tense as others walking by or working in shops paused to watch as well.

Stiletto moved slowly around Venture, the big bot turning with him. Venture watched Stiletto closely, his data programming working through the battle possibilities. Sounds not normally heard over the activities of the city and her people were discernable in the intense quiet.

Ratchet watched Venture move, his optics focused on first him, then the tightly wound Stiletto. Across the circle that surrounded the two combatants, Payload and Scar with their bonds as well as Bulkhead and Tyro watched. Bulkhead slammed his fists together as he watched the two circle each other.

Lon who had moved to the side with Blurr, Jolt and Hot Rod stood quietly watching the spectacle play out. He was surprised that this was happening. He didn't know what an honor fight was but the adults with Prime did. Prime must too because he was allowing it and so was Prowl. He looked around the crowd at the mechs standing watching. He felt the same thrill again that he was in the company of seasoned warriors and stand up mechs all. They let him come too, asking him along and it still felt amazing. Glancing to the side, he saw Bluestreak's strained expression. Turning back, watching the mechs in the middle, he felt rather than saw the fist that lashed out. He could almost feel it as it struck metal. The crowd winced at the blow landed and the bot struck staggered backward. Then he threw his own punch.

Bluestreak flinched as he watched Stiletto punch Venture out of nowhere. Venture gave with it stepping back to turn slightly, the energy flashing through him. Lights sparkled, then he forced himself to clear his thinking. Eons of sublimating his feelings and attending to the moment no matter how dull, deadly or ridiculous it was came into play.

Venture swung his arm, his servo straightened like a blade and caught Stiletto under the chin. The blow was like a sledge hammer and the 'Con was lifted off his peds. He flew backward and staggered, stepping back until he got himself into control. Shaking his helm, he looked at Venture with new optics. The mech had tricks. But he thought to himself before stepping forward that he had eons of war and a brooding hatred of high castes to carry him through.

Venture watched and turned with him, his arms relaxed, his ped work loose and expectant. He was ready to pivot, press forward and back in the blows to come. And come they would.

Stiletto swung on Venture's face missing him. The big winger leaned back, then inward laying a punch into Stiletto's chassis. Stiletto felt it and stumbled backward. Another punch landed on his face, then a blow to the chassis dropped him. He sat on the ground a moment, then rose up again.

Venture had stepped back waiting for Stiletto. He had organized several set pieces for his defense as he watched Stiletto. All of them required speed and finesse. He had not fought or even sparred in a long while. Stiletto was a professional and used to fighting. It would be difficult to win but he was determined.

Stiletto rubbed his chin and grinned without mirth. "You have some skill. That was unexpected. You're a high caste fragger. You expect front row center always and you don't care about the lives of anyone else."

Venture paused. "You were right once. I didn't know what anyone else lived like. I existed in my own prison. I did what I was taught to do. But not anymore."

"You can't change anymore than I can," Stiletto said. "We are what we are."

"You would be wrong," Venture said. "Look around you. There is no caste system here. You are the one who is the outlier. The rest of us are redeeming ourselves here. If you had the wit you thought you had you would reform too."

"You judge me," Stiletto said. "You who never had a hungry day. You who never had to wait for anything. You have a lot of gall to judge me."

"I don't judge you," Venture said. "I don't judge anyone. I work for everyone here. I want everyone to have a life they choose."

"I chose my life," Stiletto said. "No one tells me what to do. Not you, not Prime, not anyone."

"And Megatron? Did he or did you run because you didn't listen?" Venture asked.

Stiletto stilled. "Are you going to fight or talk?"

A punch flying out of nowhere slammed into Stiletto's nose structure followed by a flurry to his chassis. When Stiletto staggered back leaning forward in a daze, Venture took his helm in both servos slamming it down on his knee. Stiletto dropped like a rock. It was silent a moment as Venture stared at the 'Con who was laid out cold. "Talk would have been better."

For a moment no one said anything or moved, then the guards with Barricade stepped forward and tapped him with a ped. One of them called for the Day Watch as the group turned to Prime. He was staring at Stiletto, then looked at Venture. "Is this over?" he asked.

Venture nodded. "Honor is satisfied. It's over."

Prime nodded and looked to the Day Watch officers who were coming through the crowd. "This mech needs medical attention. When that is taken care of let him go."

They nodded and turned picking Stiletto up. The walk to the hospital in Metroplex would be short. Glancing at Venture, Prime paused. "Do you need medical attention, Venture?"

"No," Venture said.

Ratchet scanned him. "You're going to be sore later but you are fine."

Bluestreak and the twins stood together watching. Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe. The two were unaccustomed to having someone defend them, particularly a high caste mech. It was all new. Bluestreak walked to Venture and hugged him. "Are you alright?"

"I am," Venture said hugging him back. "All is well again."

They turned and walked back in followed by everyone who had been watching including a couple of passersby. Sitting down at the table together, they watched the end of the game on the monitors and ate their lunch amid great hilarity.

-0-Later

"What do you think?"

"I don't know."

Pause.

"Venture has some skills."

(grin) "He does. It wasn't circuit su but it was something."

"I was listening to Atar and he said every Praxian is taught self defense in school. The honor fighting is a big deal I guess."

Sunstreaker nodded. "It makes sense."

"Stiletto could have killed him," Sideswipe said. "Prowl and Ironhide knew what he was doing. I wonder what Prime thinks about it?"

"I don't know." Sunstreaker glanced at the clock on the wall nearby. "Blue is off duty."

Sideswipe rose and nodded. "We still dismantle Stiletto at the first opportunity."

Sunstreaker nodded. "Goes without saying."

They both walked out the door of the studio heading toward Ops Center to meet up with Bluestreak.

-0-Later

"We need a servo signal or something, Prowl," Optimus said as Prowl walked into his office with a stack of work.

Prowl grinned. "We probably should," he said. "My atar has some moves don't you think?"

"He does," Optimus said with a grin. "I will remember that."

Prowl snorted. He grinned as he dropped the datapads on Prime's desk. "He would chew off his own servo before he would ever lay a punch on a Prime."

"Then I have an edge against him ever invoking against me?" Prime asked as Prowl turned to go back out.

Prowl pausing turned to look at his Only One. "Nope," he said with a grin.

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (9) edited


	5. Chapter 5

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 14

=0=Later that day

They sat at the computer and watched the data. Venture had gone to the Trigger with Miler, both of them happy with the company of the other. As it milled forward to a conclusion, Miler glanced at his bond. "How do you feel, Ven?"

"Sore," Venture said with a slight grin.

"I would hope so," Miler said. He looked at his bond. "You were brave, Venture. I am so proud of you. It could have been a terrible thing, that fight."

He nodded. "I know. But you know how it is. I am eldest and the younglings are mine to safeguard. I can't be having Bluestreak bothered by someone like this mech."

"He has very capable bonds, Ven," Miler said leaning against Venture's arm.

"They are very capable. I don't went them to kill anyone. It was terrible enough I am told when Kudon died."

Miler nodded. "That was a very sad thing, Ven. Sunstreaker is a good boy. We must make sure that the twins don't get into any trouble over this. You must take them in servo, talk to them and help them understand that acting on impulse is going to be trouble for them."

Venture grinned and nodded. "Do you think they would listen to me?"

"Invoke," Miler said with a chuckle. "That will get their attention."

Venture chuckled himself.

-0-The Studio

They sat together waiting for Bluestreak who had gone to the rest of his shift. They had retrieved the infants ahead of that and they were playing on the floor in the sunlight. The little femmes were sitting on a blanket in a sunbeam dollies in servo and smiles firmly on their faces. Nearby holding onto the front of the couch, Kaon stood smiling. He patted the couch and looked at his sisters, the two pausing from time-to-time to smile back at him.

"Bluestreak kept slag from us," Sideswipe said lounging on a chair. "That isn't going to happen again."

"Babe can firewall now," Sunstreaker said as he looked at a canvas. He turned it around and around trying to find the angle that would catch and spark his inspiration. He looked at his brother. "We're supposed to defend each other and this slag passed right over us."

Sideswipe nodded and reached down stroking Kaon's cheek. The infant stilled, smiling in that face splitting way all infants have in every dimension everywhere. Sideswipe grinned and nodded. "I know. Venture took care of that. What do you make of that?"

"I think we need a manual," Sunstreaker said putting the canvas down. He picked up a black pencil and began to design his picture. "Praxian family customs are coming out of the woodwork. We need intell."

Sideswipe snickered. "I agree."

A sound nearby alerted them to the door opening. Bluestreak peeked in and paused. "Are you two mad?"

"Not at you," both said together.

Bluestreak smiled in spite of himself.

-0-Elsewhere

Scar walked to the edge of the line peering into the molten hell of the smelting pit. He had enjoyed his lunch at Club Cybertron and in particular the floor show. Venture had wiped up the floor with Stiletto, a mech he had seen from time-to-time in service to Megatron. A member of Turmoil's crew and a bad aft from before the war even started, Scar had found his footing here. He had found peace in his life and a family. Before this place, he had thought about families as sentimental distractions. They were things that the weak craved. He himself was an island, solid and untouchable. He had been a fool.

He had been abysmally wrong.

In this city, he was a mech with a family, a beautiful apartment and he had the esteem of his fellows. He was a working mech that was consulted on the jobs that he worked. He had knowledge that was sought out. The amazing thing regarding this was that it was constructive, rather than distructive. Here he built things, created for the public good and make a place for the love of his life, his bond, Arlot and his tiny daughter, Beju.

Arlot worked in the hospital. He was part of the systems management team who made sure that what was needed for the hospitals and aid stations was there. It was technical and exacting requiring a great deal of knowledge about medical procedures and equipment. He was a college graduate.

That part had been amazing. A college graduate took a look at the gnarled gizzled bot standing uncomfortably before him on a blind date, tongue-tied, uneasy and decided that this was his mech. The scars across his face which he once wore proudly shamed him then. Arlot had helped him get them eased.

Just eased.

"You need to keep some trace of them," Arlot had said. "They are a part of you that you need to remember. They also are a part of you and I love all of you, Scar. I would hate to have you become someone else."

He had stared at Arlot with momentary confusion, then it came to him. Arlot loved him. He loved every part of him. It wasn't a love of what Scar had done before. It was what he was now that was crystal clear. Arlot loved him without reservation. It was incredibly liberating. It began the road back to himself and his obligations to others.

The bonding had been the highlight of his existence until the separation of his daughter. That was the greatest moment of his life. Beju was named for his own ada at the insistence of Arlot. The first time he held his daughter it had finished the process for the big bot. The mechanism that had been among the last to give his oath to Prime from Turmoil's crew was bonafided in his loyalty and devotion.

When he did, there was no looking back. He became a sire, a bond, a working mech, a student in a construction program, a member of a union and crafts guild and a citizen of his city. From time-to-time, he would make an appointment with Prime and haltingly, he would attempt to express his sorrow and regrets for the actions of his life.

Prime would listen and they would talk about redemption, about the power of love and hope. They would talk about the surprisingly emotional power of fatherhood. He would leave those meetings with a lighter spark and an even deeper sense of his own desire to work for the betterment of all of them.

He felt the roiling heat of the molten metal against his armor. It felt great. He had been in construction before the war, spending his small earnings in the bars where he fought anyone who offended him even if they didn't. Now he expended his effort to build up wherever he could what he used to scorn. He even was an assistant line coach on a micro-mini-con football team.

Life was great.

Tonight, they would go out with Payload, Caro and Mars to celebrate some of the last orns of Bulkhead's 'freedom' in his pe-bond with Tyro. Until then, he was busy smelting old ships and making steel for new ones. The afternoon would fly by.

-0-Habitat

They sat together talking at the dining table as they ate lunch. Some of them had been on the street during the fight and the soldiers had the task of explaining things. Epps had checked in with Springer after the fight and relayed the news. "One of the ex-Cons, Stiletto who fired on a ship in the last migration has been harassing Bluestreak. He transgressed on Praxian customs so Venture, Prowl's father took care of business."

"Was it a ritual action?" Sheila asked.

"Honor fighting takes care of bullshit," Epps said.

"I have to interview Prowl," Sheila said nodding. "Maybe he will introduce his father to me."

"Ask," Niall Graham replied.

"I will," she said with a nod.

-0-In the Autobot City Business District

They stood in the open plaza inside the enormous building waiting for their guide to come. When he did, they showed him their data wafter. He read it and smiled. "Follow me. I will show you your commercial space."

They turned following the mech walking past businesses that were already there. The main concourse was filled with light from the transparent steel that formed the building. When they reached an empty business front it was across from the food court restaurant which had become a meeting and hang out place for younglings. It was down from a water feature that filled the space with soft sweet sounds of running water.

Their guide turned to them and smiled. "Here we are."

They looked at the space, then him. "Oh, Rali. This can't be the space is it? It's so big."

He grinned. "It's the one for you. Come inside and I will show you around your new shop."

Tie Down and an awestuck Ravel followed him inside.

-0-In the CMO's office

Ratchet looked at the data on the screen. It showed that the protocols for infant protoform wasting was working for all but a handful of infants, elders and adults. Those who were under served had begun a different plan of treatment and that would require time and data to evaluate. Turning and sitting, he looked at the mountain of work before him. He vented a soft sigh and set an internal timer. He would work until it was time to fetch the younglings.

-0-Ironhide

He walked to the train tracks that led from the hub under Aerie Hill. Pausing, he watched as an automated train pulled into the station. Mechs waiting for it unhooked the heavily laden cars and shoved two empty flatbeds into line behind the engine. He stepped up on one of them and the train began the journey back to the main terminal under the Fortress.

-0-In a painter's studio

"You really slag my aft, Blue. We're a team. We work it out together. He has to know that you're with us and we're with you." Sunstreaker looked at Blue with a pissy expression. He stood at his easel drawing something only he knew, the light streaming in from the late afternoon sun.

"Sorry," Blue said as he sat on the couch enveloped by Sideswipe's arms. The little femmes were tweeting together in a language only they understood while Kaon sat with them smiling. "I just didn't want either of you getting into any trouble. The last trial nearly did me in."

"Don't change the subject," Sunstreaker said glancing at his bond with a slight frown.

Blue grinned. "So you like being on trial for fighting?"

Sunstreaker shrugged. "Some things are essential. Like breaking Stiletto's aft."

Blue shook his helm. "You're hopeless."

"For some things, yes," Sunstreaker said leaning into the canvas to tweak some imperceptible mark or two.

Bluestreak glanced at Sideswipe and rolled his optics. Sideswipe chuckled. "I'm with him."

-0-In the Autobot Business Center

They entered the glass doors of the space and paused. Inside, there was a counter with computers at one end for transactions. The inside door led to the work spaces where they would make the tools that had make them famous on Cybertron. There were machines to bend and shape metals. There were furnaces where they could combine metals for specialty tools.

Their guide explained how they could order the metals that they needed from the Foundry Exchange, a depot set up to supply retailers and crafts businesses with the things that they needed. There was everything they needed to do their job at a level they couldn't have imagined on Cybertron. The space was immaculate and would stay so because they were wired that way. It was also enormous. They could have put their shop and apartment on Cybertron into this space and still have room left over.

Rali looked at them enjoying the awe on their faces as they struggled to understand their good fortune. He was the guide from the City Hall Office of Development and part of his job was to show new business entrepreneurs where and how they would work. He gave them all the good news. He loved it.

Tie Down looked at Ravel. "Ravie, this is wonderful. We need to tell Ratchet."

Ravel nodded and looked at Rali. "We must. But I don't know, Tie. How can we have this space? It must be incredibly expensive."

Both mechs looked at Ravel and smiled.

-0-CMO's office

A rap on the door caught Ratchet's attention. He looked up and smiled. "Hi. What have you two been doing?"

Tie Down and Ravel stepped inside and smiled. "You should see what your atar did, Ratchet," Ravel said with a smile.

Ratchet looked at Tie Down. He smiled and nodded. "Come. See."

Several minutes later...

Ratchet stood in the commercial space and turned slowly. "Oh my. This is great. You got approved."

"You know about that?" Ravel asked with surprise.

"Ultra Magnus told me," Ratchet said with a grin.

Ravel smiled. "Do you know the city manager, Ratchet?" he asked.

"You could say that, Ada," Ratchet said as he enveloped his sweet little ada in his arms.

-0-Later that night

Sheila's-Blog/The-Martian-Chronicles

Today was fabulous. I got to spend time observing the Autobot Guardians. I can't find adequate words to describe what it feels like to be in the company of sentient beings that are as tall as 6-800 feet. They have internal proximity sensors that tell them where we are. There isn't much chance of being stepped on by one of them.

Silverbolt is just about the nicest individual I know. He was a low altitude shuttle on Cybertron and has a height phobia. That may be hard to imagine given that he's an Aerialbot but its true. He is the bond of Omega Supreme. They are a larger variety of flying mechanism. Omega is 680 feet tall, three times taller than Silverbolt.

There was an altercation this morning outside Club Cybertron. I asked about it and was told that some of the city-states and castes had their own cultural expectations and rituals. The city-state of Praxus has several, some we are already familiar with such as naming ceremonies for sparklings. They also have honor fights. When someone harms another in a family, their patriarch steps up to restore honor in what is almost always a ritual fight. It's usually a patriarch too. The femme population is so tiny as to be a neglible figure in the total group.

I am going to be posting more observations and findings as I learn more. There is so much to learn that I could live here forever and not even scratch the surface. Tomorrow, I am going to be going to Ceres in the rubble belt between Jupiter and Mars. It divides the inner and outer planets and is the largest asteroid inside the solar system. They have a number of installations there that enhance communications both inside and outside the solar system. Its also a ship depot. Then we will go to each of the forward bases on the moons of Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter.

**I CAN'T WAIT!**

I will let you go. I wish you could be here. I am in awe of this experience. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. I will try and blog in real time. Goodnight, Earth.

Sheila Conroy

Astrobiologist

Autobot City, Mars

=0=TBC 2012 (9) edited


	6. Chapter 6

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 15

=0=At Paramount Studios, Los Angeles, California

They began to gather their gear for the documentary. Some of it would be used in the next few days to shoot the opening sequence for the now television reality series featuring Autobots called Wreckers and front liners. They had gotten approval for a series from the Autobot high command, a move that had surprised them. Apparently Optimus Prime liked the idea of their closest allies understanding something about the forces that were protecting Earth and all her peoples.

In thirteen hours an Autobot plane would be landing at the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo where it would off load several Autobots. They would include Kup, Springer, Drift, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe among others to be named. They would also have a handler, Warren Roberts who would be landing at Los Angeles International Airport and be taken to the studio by N.E.S.T. officials.

They had secured studio space and had designed an opener for the series that would portray the bots in a light that would showcase not only their deadly menace but their personalities. Lighting had been designed to create an affect that would be mesmerizing. As they worked here, Jazz worked to get their subjects ready over there.

-0-Over there

It was getting onto the end of shift when the chosen approved participants gathered in the Fortress's Flight Center Briefing Room, the former Medbay/Hospital. They filtered in and sat waiting expectantly for their briefing. Kup, Drift and Springer sat together, Kup absentmindedly champing on his stogie. The twins entered and sat down behind them. The door opened and numerous others walked in and sat down. Sandstorm, Inferno, Topspin, Smokescreen and Arcee sat in seats near the front which allowed room for the rest who came in behind them.

Hot Rod, Bumblebee, First Aid, Blur, Jolt, Scar, Nitro, Heva and Revo walked in followed by Payload, Bulkhead and Perceptor. They sat and chatted quietly, twenty-two of the smartest toughest veteran Autobots and former 'Con soldiers who would be the featured players in the series. It would be filmed here and around the solar system as the humans augmented by students and the professionals of IntraComm followed them through their day.

The door opened again as Optimus and Jazz walked down the steps to the platform. Optimus turned to look at them. "Thank you for coming on such short notice. I am aware that Bulkhead is due at a dinner celebrating the end of his pre-bond."

The room erupted in guffaws and congratulations for a moment as the big bot grinned and gave it back. When it quieted down again Optimus spoke. "We are going to be going over the plans forwarded by the film crew and director to ensure that nothing breaches security nor offends your personal privacy. You were all asked to consider this and I thank you for agreeing to volunteer. I believe it will be a good thing for the populations of Earth to see something of what we bring to the table in terms of our military acumen and the quality of our soldiers. Thank you for being a part of this endeavor." He looked at Jazz. "Jazz will brief you about what will be required of you. You will have the chance to withdraw from this project at any point in the filming and I am delighted to include former Decepticons into the mix." He nodded to Jazz, then turned walking out, the door closing behind him.

Jazz grinned. "First of all, IntraComm will be a part of this so that we can help, explain and intervene if necessary for security, safety and personal taboo reasons.

"We are going to be sending seven of you to Earth so that they can make the introduction to the series. Tomorrow, I want Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Kup, Drift, Scar, Nitro and Springer at the airfield. Cosmos will take us to the Los Angeles Air Force Base where Warren Roberts will meet us. We will then drive in convoy to the studio in Hollywood. We will go to the Paramount Studios to make the introduction film. I have included the twins because they are twins and front liners. You are also more well known than most of us. I also included Drift as a Knight, Springer as a Wrecker, Nitro for the Seekers and Scar for the former 'Cons.

"What we need to do is go in and get out. I will be there as interface between us and the humans. We are representin' the city, our units and our species. We all know how to behave. Right now, let's go over what they want to do."

Jazz would spend two joors outlining the plan and answering questions. Then they would break for dinner and downtime. The seven who were going would be getting themselves spruced up. All of them but Kup that is who didn't care. He would watch Drift and Springer get a buff with a shine and give his usual guff.

Such was the Tao of Kup.

-0-That evening

Ratchet stood with a sparkling in arms as he watched the mechs from the Foundry Exchange. They had come with supplies, all of the necessaries to make steel implements that his genitors had haltingly asked for.

"Look, Atar," Ratchet had said. "You need to ask for what you have to have to do the job not only well but comfortably. It's all good. The Exchange supplies the crafts and guilds. Your products will be the payback. Mechs and femmes will come here to place orders. You make the tools and have them ready for your customers. You can make more and put them in the cases here so that mechs coming in can get what they want. The idea is not just to get great stuff out for everyone. Its to preserve your talent. What a poorer world this would be if you never made any of your tools again. You had them in museums on Cybertron. It's time for you to wow everyone again."

Ravel looked up at Ratchet and squeezed Orion's little ped. That botlet leaned down with his arms out. Ravel took Orion and cuddled him. "This is so wonderful. I don't know if I can recharge tonight, Ratchet. We fired up the furnace and the smelter. It is so much better in quality than the one in our little shop. Everything is so beautiful and new, so big and bright. I am so happy, Ratchet." He looked up at Ratchet and smiled.

Ratchet smiled back. "Then all that matters has been achieved. You don't have to work everyday. You can manage a schedule that will be just right. You don't have to work yourself to death here."

"We will be working everyday, Ratchet. You know us. We have to make our way," Tie Down said stepping to one side as big mechs muscled raw materials into the back room and placed them in their appropriate bins. "We don't want to be useless. But we are not going to be doing that when our turn in the schools comes up. Did you know that I am going to be an aide in Sunspot's room once a decaorn for a couple of joors?"

Ratchet grinned. "No. But I'm not surprised. Our little mechs need all the good examples and teachings they can get."

"We love them, Ratchet," Ravel said snuggling Orion. The little bot clung to his grandada grinning broadly, his optics looking at a shiny implement going by in a box held by a big mech from the Foundry Exchange.

Ratchet grinned. A shout at the door drew their attention as Sunspot ran in gripping Ratchet's leg in a hug. He looked up and smiled. "What are we doing here, Ada?"

"This is your grandgenitors new store," Ratchet said with a grin. "This is the first day of their new store."

Sunspot looked around and smiled. "Wow. This is so pretty," he said. He looked up at Ravel and Tie Down. "Do you need help? I can help you. You tell me what to do and I'll do it."

Tie Down and Ravel looked at each other, then Sunspot. "That would be wonderful, sparkling. Maybe you can come to the store sometimes and we will teach you how to make tools just like we did your ada."

Sunspot looked up at Ratchet. "Can I?" he asked.

"Of course you can," Ratchet said nodding.

"Awesome!" Sunspot said with a smile. "What can I do for you, Grandatar?"

"Come with me, Sunny. Let's go see how things are going in the work room," he said taking Sunspot's servo. They turned and walked into the backroom, workroom and warehouse part of their shop.

"Have you eaten?" Ratchet asked as he hauled Praxus out of his carry hold.

"We did. Earlier," Ravel said swaying gently with Orion as he lay on Ravel's shoulder humming to himself.

"How long are you going to be here?" Ratchet asked.

"When they finish bringing in the rest of the equipment and supplies, we will check the furnaces and smelter before going home. I think if we have a nice sleep, tomorrow will be easier."

"If you're tired you don't have to go in. Take time to get yourself up to this, ada," Ratchet said.

"We will," Ravel said. "We will have to take our time to get the furnaces and smelter up to our standard. Then we have to season the work tools so we can make them do what we require."

Ratchet grinned. "You're going to rule. When the soldiers find out you're making tools again expect tool kit orders to go through the roof."

Ravel grinned. "That would be so nice, Ratchet."

"Good," Ratchet said with a smile.

-0-At the trine's apartment

"I want to know."

"Blue, relax," Sideswipe said buffing his leg. "Don't worry about it."

"I do. If you try and do any revenge slag with Stiletto I will pummel you myself." He stood arms crossed staring down at the two who sat working on their shine and finish.

Sideswipe looked up at him and grinned. "You know we'd only like it."

"You're cute when you're mad, Babe," Sunstreaker said reaching over to buff Kaon's nose structure. The little bot smiled at his ada and laughed. Moving closer, he toddled over to Sunstreaker and grabbed his leg. Sunstreaker smiled as he leaned down kissing Kaon's helm. "He looks good."

"I buffed him before you got here," Sideswipe said.

The femmes were watching them from the floor, their little blue optics shining with interest. Uraya tweeted softly, the adults glancing down her way. She smiled ginormously.

"When they make this film thing, I wonder what they want?" Sideswipe asked. "I wonder if they want to know about families and sparklings."

"They can film our sparklings. They're so slagging beautiful they deserve fame," Sunstreaker said as he buffed the inside of his arm. "Those humans need to know what slagging awesome sparklings these three are."

"I think the humans already know," Bluestreak said sitting down on the floor with the infants. They looked up at their atar and smiled. "I think they know what beauties you are."

"I wonder what they expect us to do with this filming thing in California?" Sideswipe asked.

"Who cares? I'm not surprised I was included," Sunstreaker said in his usual oblivious way. "We're going to be stars." He looked up and grinned. "Semper fi."

Sideswipe smiled. "Frag, yeah."

Bluestreak grinned and looked at the femmes. "Your ada and atar are going to be stars. What do you think?"

They looked up at him, their tiny forms attentive to his voice. They smiled and tweeted.

"They agree," Sideswipe said with a smirk.

"Frag, yeah. Semper fi, right Uraya?" Sunstreaker asked as he scooped up Iacon. The little femme grinned at him and patted his nose. Sunstreaker smirked. "I'll take that as a yes."

-0-Later that night

"I think its going to be so good for them," Ratchet said. They had just put the sparklings down and the three of them were kicking back as they waited for the Hourly News to come on. Flint was sipping a cup of energon 'tea' and enjoying the moment.

"I agree," Ironhide said. "It will keep them busy."

Flint nodded. "I think I'm going to order a tool kit for my weapons. I always wanted to have one by them."

"I'll let them know," Ratchet said.

"What does a mech do to get their own housing?" Flint asked glancing at Ratchet. "I don't want to wear out my welcome."

"Don't worry about that," Ratchet said. "It's not like we frag much anymore."

Ironhide snorted. "Speak for yourself, old mech."

"I am," Ratchet said with a fake pout. "Poor me."

Flint snorted and smiled. "This is good. I feel like I'm at home."

"Good," Ironhide said. "If the time comes that you want a place of your own we will get you one. But until then, you can stay here. You are welcome for the duration."

"Thank you, Ironhide. I appreciate it," Flint said nodding. "I am enjoying your company. I enjoy the infants."

"They are pretty spectacular," Ratchet said nodding.

The scene on the screen changed as Lim-Lee appeared with the music and background of the Hourly News. They turned up the sound.

"Good evening, Autobot City. This is Lim-Lee with the news at 2100 hours on the Terran military clock. Tonight, we are going to be taking you to the Autobot City Business Plaza for a tour of some of the new businesses there and others that have been open for some time. We also have updates on the construction in the new housing projects, the expansion of the air field beyond the housing and warehouse/workshop district of the original field and an update on the schools by Herling, Director for Education for Mars."

She began and they listened to the broadcast. There were fourteen new businesses including Ratchet's genitors that kept space with ten others. By the time the commercial space was completely taken up, there could be forty businesses available for the public. It would take time for it to be so but the future looked good for crafts mechs and other entrepreneurs.

Ratchet rose and walked to the berthrooms listening for the sparklings. Sunspot was recharging. Orion was standing up and was tucked back in again. Praxus was playing with his digits as he lay in his crib staring at the ceiling. Ratchet peered down at him and the infant paused grinning. Ratchet leaned in and kissed him. "Go to recharge, hoodlums."

Ratchet turned walking to the living room to sit. The news played on and the pleasant evening continued. By the time they turned off the monitor, the air field was hosting the return of one flight of Seekers back from patrol just as another one was leaving.

-0-Outside

She peered around a corner and grinned. Hurrying along in the shadows, Sadee paused by a large expansion of the Business Plaza. Taking out an air brush, she looked at the wall. Looking around once more, she began to tag the wall with her own impressive talented take on the Autobrand. By the time she was finished the security cameras would be routed to the Day/Night Watch station down the road nearby. In the morning as she waited in line to go to school, a mech would be waiting for her with a grin.

Busted again.

-0-On a NASA blog that night

"Tonight, the sky is clear and the stars overhead compete with the satellites and Seekers who are coming and going on patrols. The city is filled with lights, the atmosphere calm and peaceful. I like the city at night. The hustle and bustle are over and things are slower.

"I spent the day listening to Perceptor try to explain space bridge technology to me. They can open a singularity, a hole in space and time to send messages, individuals and even ships through to exact points on the other side of the galaxy and back again. I would like to be a party to that, taking a trip to the other side of time and space. I wish I could tell you how this happens. I don't really. I am a good physicist and understand a lot but the physics they understand is out of my league.

"I am going to Charon, a moon of Pluto tomorrow. I am being allowed to accompany a shuttle taking supplies. Charon is an interesting satellite. There are five moons but Charon is the biggest. It is an ice ball and has no atmosphere, is completely uninhabitable and yet there is a forward base there. It is manned by Wreckers and front liners, shock troops that can step out and fight instantly.

"I am going to one to see what the mechs do. There will be ships passing by when I do because crews will be out checking the arrays that monitor the system out fifteen light years. There is a big earth type planet fifteen light years from here around a big volatile star named Gliese 876. I am going to ask if there is a way to go there to look at this world which is about twice as big as Earth and rocky. Maybe I can bring back a few souvenirs.

"I wish you could be here to see this. Good night, Earth. I have to go out early. I will post pictures. Tonight, I downloaded images of Perceptor and Wheeljack, their work spaces and students. Enjoy!

Adios, amigos,

Alejandro Lopez

Habitat, Autobot City, Mars

=0=TBC 2012 (9) edited


	7. Chapter 7

NOTE: Readers have been identifying themselves as soldiers since I started writing this story. I have always enjoyed that because this is at heart a military story. I am dedicating this thread about the soldiers and their lives as a 'platoon' to all of the readers who are soldiers or their families. No matter what country you are from or what nation's army, this story is for you. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

=0=And now, back to the story in progress

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 16

=0=Magistrate's Court the next morning, Autobot City, Mars

She sat on a chair in the courtroom, her attorney by her side. She stared at Barron who stared at Semi, her attorney. He had volunteered to represent her. Again. Her genitors sat in the seats directly behind both Semi and their daughter, their demeanor suffused with mortification of a magnitude not measurable. Semi looking down at his client repressed a grin. He had a lot of love for this energetic wayward femme. She reminded him of his own son, Chipper.

"Sadee, what are you doing in here again?" Barron asked in a stern tone that did not match the mirth he felt inside.

She looked at him, her sweet little face alternating between remorse and amusement. "I was painting again."

"You were. You were defacing the Business Plaza this time," Barron said.

"I know. I just saw the wall with the light coming through it. I used translucent paint and made the Autobrand just so. When the light came up this morning I was thrilled." She smiled, then stared at the ground aware of the disapproval wafting through the air from her genitors just behind her. "It was beautiful."

"It was," Barron said nodding.

She looked up surprised. "You like it?"

"I do," Barron said.

She beamed.

"I ordered it removed."

Her expression faded.

"You understand the idea of private property don't you, Sadee? Even though the Plaza is owned collectively by the colony you don't have permission to put your pictures anywhere you want. Do you understand? I thought we went through this already last time."

She nodded, her forlorn demeanor tugging at everyone's spark.

"I know you are a good femme. You're young and filled with enthusiasm. Art appears to be your great pleasure."

"It is," she said looking up. "It wasn't until art classes here in school that I found out I have talent."

"You have it. Lots of it. But you are wasting it this way, Sadee. What are you looking to accomplish? Being the first little youngling in your class to be in the brig?" Barron asked.

Her genitors looked ill as they listened. One of them raised his servo. "Sir?"

Barron looked at the mech. "Yes?"

"Uh, if our little daughter ends up in the brig, I volunteer to do her sentence. We can even take turns so one of us can take care of Sadee."

It was silent a moment. Then Barron nodded. "That is very noble of you to offer. Do you understand what your ada just did, Sadee?"

She nodded, her optics focused on the floor. Looking up, a miserable expression on her pretty face, she nodded. "I do. Thank you, Ada." Her voice was tiny and regretful.

"Semi?" Barron asked.

"The images are being removed. She is doing exemplary work in the Youngling Intermediate School. She is well liked with many friends and is a good little youngling, sir," Semi said with a slight grin.

"Then you have investigated our proposed course of action and have the affirmations of all involved?" Barron asked.

He nodded and grinned. "I do."

"Very well," Barron said. "Sadee, you are guilty. The films show you doing the graffiti and no one else. This is your second offense. We are very disappointed in your behavior and the fact that you let down your genitors when you said you would behave."

She looked at them and nodded, then turned a face filled with misery to her genitors. They looked at her equally miserably. "I'm sorry, Ada, Atar. I'm sorry."

"We know, Sadee. We just want you to behave," her ada said.

"Sadee, this calls for a behavior plan that you must follow. If you don't, I will put you in the brig for half an orn. Imagine, a youngling like you with a jail record," Barron said sternly. The room was chilled with emotion. "I want you to promise to the court and to your genitors that you will not tag again and that you won't break your promise."

She nodded. "I promise," she said looking at Barron, then her genitors.

"Then, youngling, I want you to apprentice yourself to the Art Guild. I also want you to enter a mentor program that the Guild supports for younglings with talent. You will work in the mentorship program which will allow you to watch, learn and produce art under the supervision of the Guild's artists. You will not be allowed to wander the city at night and draw on walls. Do you understand me?"

She looked at him a moment and then smiled. "I get to paint with real artists?" she asked with astonishment. "Like Sunstreaker and the others?"

"You will. Unless you prefer the brig?" Barron asked with a slight grin.

"Oh, I would love that! Not the brig, I mean. I ... I want to learn. I want to make art. I heard that the humans like our art. I want to have a show of my art in New York City!"

Barron chuckled and looked at her. "Not if you're in the brig."

"I won't be. I just want to paint," she said looking from Barron to Semi and her genitors.

"Very well. Your case is held in abeyance. Get through the probationary period and your record will be wiped clean. Mess up, little missy and you will see the blank walls of the brig." Barron smiled. "Case closed for now."

Semi stood and looked at his client. "Come on to a conference room and we will explain how this works." He looked at her genitors. "We need to talk."

They nodded and stood up almost sick with relief. "Thank you, your honor. Our youngling is a good femme," her ada said.

"We know," Barron said with a grin.

They walked out and the room was silent for a moment. Barron grinned and pulled the file for the next case. Drunk and disorderly. It would be a colorful day in Magistrate's Court.

-0-On the airfield

They gathered, the crew heading for California. They were buff, handsome and ready to rumble. Gathering with them were Epps, Lennox and Graham. They were going along too as backup to Warren Roberts. Cosmos was kneeling as he chatted with Kup waiting to transform and carry them to Earth. The sun was bright and the city hummed. The siren signaling school beginning filtered through the weak atmosphere.

Prowl walked to the gathering datapad in servo. He paused and they turned to him. "I see you are all here. I want Scar and Nitro to know that you will be fine. I got a word from bonds that you were nervous. I hope you understand that everyone on Earth will see your Autobrand and know you are with us."

"If not, your bonds will come over and kick tailpipe," Springer said with a grin.

Nitro grinned. "He would."

A moment of hilarity ensued, then Cosmos transformed, the moderate sized shuttle settling on his gear as his hatch opened and the ramp came down. They turned walking upward, the twins trading slag with Prowl, then the hatch closed. Almost without effort, Cosmos rose and flew into the darkness of space with ease. When they were gone Prowl turned and walked back to the fortress.

-0-Somewhere over Ohio

Warren Roberts sat in his seat looking out the window. He took first class for the comfort and privacy. His face was nearly as famous as Ratchet's and the continuous interest in the Autobots made it impossible to sleep in coach. His New England upbringing has been frugal and giving in to upgrades almost seemed sinful. That is, it did until he actually flew first class. From that moment forward it was a necessity.

He had negotiated this movie into a series when the scope the producers had outlined appeared too big for a single film. The idea of a series showing the bots, their lives and work was considered a good thing. Humans would learn about the bots and see how necessary they were to battle the foe they all faced.

He would be there to ensure that the mechs were treated right and not exploited. Confidential conversations over the relay system with Optimus, Jazz and Prowl had established the ground rules and what was go or not. He would enforce the rules at his end, Prowl and Jazz on Mars. It was all good. He enjoyed the company of the extraordinary beings that were his great good fortune to know. That a large number of them were friends was the icing on the cake. Settling back, pulling his eye covers on, he slept like a kitten all the way to California.

-0-Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California

They had big security at the studio as well as still photographers to take as many angles of the bots as they could. They had set up the corner of the huge sound stage with the intention of casting shadows to create an illusion. Seven Autobots were coming and everyone was on pins and needles. In less than two hours, the entire first cadre was coming.

-0-Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segunda, California

Cosmos set down as gently as could be and the soldiers, airmen and N.E.S.T. officers waiting were impressed. Most of them had not been this close to the aliens and this was a first hands-on experience. The hatch opened and the ramp slid down, the dark insides quiet for a moment. Then movement was seen and cars began to appear. A yellow Lamborghini followed by a red one rolled down and moved toward the group of humans watching entranced.

A big yellow and green Top kick pickup truck followed as a white Ferrari with red accents rolled down after. A green and gray Top kick came next followed by two Cybertronian ground vehicles that resembled trucks but unlike anything seen on the Earth until now. Nitro and Scar had chosen ground formats but had stayed with the familiar while on unfamiliar ground.

They paused together. Then Warren Roberts stepped out of the crowd walking to the lead car. Leaning in, he chatted a moment then walked to Kup and entered. Kup drove around the others and they followed, all of them heading out toward the road together. It would take about an hour and a half to arrive at Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue.

-0-At the store

Ravel opened the door and walked in followed by Tie Down. The two paused a moment, then walked to the back. The smelter and furnace were on track. The bins lining the wall nearby were filled with the raw materials to do what they did best. It was silent for a moment, then Ravel looked at Tie. "I am ... I don't know what to say, Tie. Look at this place. We never had such a nice workplace. Not even when Ratchet managed to get us the last place we had."

"I know." Tie looked around. Then he heard the door open. Walking out and pausing, he looked at a mech. Ravel came behind him and stopped.

"Hi. I was wondering if I could order a tool kit for my blaster," the youngling mech said. "I'm in the Home Guard."

"Oh," Ravel said smiling. He looked around, then walked to the computer. Turning it on, he blinked. There was a program already on that would meet their needs. A long conversation between Ratchet and Venture had led to a personally derived program that would take care of everything they required. "Why don't you tell me what you need and we can make it for you." The youngling complied. He wouldn't be the last. Word was getting around. RTR Tools was back in business again.

-0-Paramount Studios, Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

The guard post at the studio saw them coming and alerted the crowd waiting nearby. Jack Mellar, the director and Aaron Belcher, the main producer of the production hurried over. Kup pulled up and Warren Roberts leaned out. They chatted a moment, then Mellar and Belcher entered.

"Gentlemen, let me introduce Kup. Kup, this is Jack Mellar and Aaron Belcher."

The two men stared at the Autobot emblem on the steering wheel. "Hello?"

"Are we clear to go? My mechs are in the road."

They blinked.

Moments later ...

They pulled up in front of the sound stage that had been set aside for them. The humans stepped out including Graham, Epps and Lennox. Will Lennox patted Kup's hood and the magic began. By the time that Kup was fully transformed, he was standing before them stogie in servo. He stared at them with a gimlet optic. Then he bit down on his stogie. Looking at Lennox, he shrugged. "What now, youngling?"

Jack Mellar and Aaron Belcher were in love.

=0=TBC 2012 (9) edited


	8. Chapter 8

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 17

=0=California

They looked up at him, a giant green and gray Autobot. He was staring down at them with a stogie in his mouth, his expression confident and no nonsense. "Uh … we were going to film an opening sequence to the films we're going to be making with you. We would need your bots to transform so we can see them and plan out this process more."

Kup stared at him for a moment, then looked behind him. "Autobots, transform."

The sound of metal moving and steps being made as vehicles came apart and began to rise filled the air. All of the bots began to reshape into humanoid forms, pausing when they had made the last shift. All of them stared down at the humans with fierce pride and a bemused optic.

The humans looked upward and then at each other. Kup looked at Lennox who was grinning. "We're transformed. What the frag now?"

Aaron Belcher turned and nodded to the giant door of the sound stage that was slid open. "We need you inside. We would like you to identify yourselves to us if you may. Some of you we already know a little. Some of you are new."

Kup nodded and looked back. "Those two are twins. Sunstreaker is the yellow one and Sideswipe the red." He looked at Springer. "This youngling is Springer. He was and still is chief of the Wreckers and is head of security of Mars and the colony. That youngling," he said nodding to Drift, "is Drift. He was a holy terror as a Decepticon back in the orn. Now he's a Knight of Cybertron, Autobot and a follower of the Circle of Light." He turned the other direction and nodded toward two silent 'Cons. "This is Nitro, a Seeker and reformed Decepticon. This is Scar, a former Decepticon and all around maniacal slagger until he saw the light."

They snickered and the two ex-'Cons smirked. "Speak for yourself, old mech," Scar said.

"That is amazing. Two Decepticons, a bunch of front liners, the Wrecker chief, a Knight and you," Mellar said looking up at Kup.

The big bot considered that, then leaned forward slightly looking down at the humans looking upward with ginormous grins on their faces. "You coulda done worse. I'm a Wrecker and front liner. Forgot more about fightin' than these sparklings know. Ask Megatron."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-On Earth

Agent Simmons walked into the office for the day's snooping. He was tracking a traitor. Even the thought of that word made him wince. As demented as he was sometimes, all he did was for the country.

Even when it wasn't.

Mostly.

But it was.

Usually.

He entered his office and sat stewing slightly over the notion that he had no concrete evidence of hacking, stealing or all around traitoring. All around him there were Sector 7 personnel working hard at their jobs. He sat and looked at them wondering who was the one. It was surely one of the people he was watching that was the traitor. He had to find them so he turned and leaned into his computer working madly to find the one. Then he would smack their ass.

-0-Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California

They walked into the sound stage and paused looking around. Mostly it was empty but for a lighting and camera set up in front of a wall that appeared to be made of grayish-toned corrugated steel. Aaron turned and looked at the group. Then he nodded to Sunstreaker. "Perhaps you can come first," he said.

Sunstreaker glanced at the others and nodded. "What does that mean?" he asked in his deep masculine voice. He stood before them in his skate mode. It was a ferocious incarnation, one that could change easily to full peds. The same was true of his brother who stood nearby, his arms folded over his chest, a smirk firmly on his handsome face.

"Come with me," Mellar said turning to walk to the set up.

Sunstreaker glanced at the others then followed pausing by the lighting and camera crews. Staring down at the director, Mellar explained what he wanted. "We want to make a really moody noir opening to this series. That means we want you to stand against the wall, perhaps leaning on it with your shoulder. Then we turn down the lights and play those," he said pointing to spotlights neaby, "across you. It will be a beautiful effect."

Sunstreaker looked at him doubtfully. "If you say so." He tuned and rolled to the wall pausing. Looking down, he waited.

"Turn sideways to the wall and look at me down here. We're going to hit the lights and the spotlight will play over you. Just look in this direction and we'll try a take."

Sunstreaker looked at Mellar watchimg as he walked back to a monitor and called down the lights. The room became dark, the light from the big door eliminated when they came in by grips sliding them shut. He stood silently and then a spotlight flashed on. It was turned toward him and slowly played over his body. He looked at them adjusting his optics. The light moved across his body slowly, shadowing him as parts appeared and some disappeared. It was sinister and moody, accented his alien beauty and made him look ferocious.

Mellar halted the shot and replayed it. They all huddled around the monitor of the playback including the three soldiers and Warren Roberts. "Wow. That was beautiful." He turned and looked at Sunstreaker. "How about you kneel on one knee and looked down at me?"

Sunstreaker looked at him and then the others all of whom were watching with night vision. He smirked slightly and complied kneeling down. The spotlight played back and forth over him slowly panning to expose his face, his big frame and his incredible beauty.

They would continue for several hours pausing to reset the staging differently for each bot and group of bots. They would be posed separately and together. Scar would appear menacingly alone and in tandem with Nitro as the Decepticons in the mix. Kup would appear by himself facing the camera, stogie in his mouth, his big arms crossed over his chest. Kup looked unshakable, his gaze direct and his demeanor solid. Posed with Springer, it was a nice contrast. Kup, older and unflappable, stoic, stern visage firmly in place was a contrast with Springer's affable good natured poise. Both looked like they could flatten you with a single step of their big peds. They were more accessible than the two Decepticons who read as guarded.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe as twins were posed together and alone. Standing with pride together, then one standing, the other kneeling, they went through the gamut of possibilities. Their personalities became clear in the process. Sideswipe was more mellow natured, more accessible, more open and funny. Sunstreaker was the opposite. He looked more dangerous and gave that vibe. They were amazing together and the lighting effect was perfect to express their dangerous personalities.

They paused as the film crew went over the shots. They were gathered together looking at the quality of their work so far. The bots were lounging around the place, some kneeling and talking together, the others standing in small groups. Scar and Nitro stood together watching two still photographers take images of them. :These insects make me nervous: Scar said.

:They do. The soldiers are alright: Nitro said agreeing.

:They are. But they're soldiers: Scar said. Nitro nodded. As they stood together a man and woman came up to them. They looked down. The humans looked up. "I wonder if we can ask you some questions please?" the man said.

Nitro nodded. "Alright."

"What is your name and what do you do now at Autobot City?" he asked. The woman with him had a tape recorder in her hand to take his words down.

Nitro glanced at Scar, then looked at the humans. "My designation is Nitro. I am Master of Munitions for the city."

"What is a Master of Munitions?" the man asked.

"I supervise the creation of all munitions for the city and the army. I design special ammunition and rockets. I am responsible for making sure that the soldiers and Seekers have what they need."

"You're a Seeker?"

"Yes," Nitro said.

"It is our understanding that the Seekers were Decepticons. What made you change sides?"

Nitro considered that as images of his bond and his wonderful daughter came into his mind. "I had a family to protect. I couldn't stay in the Decepticons and keep my family alive. I also wanted a leader that didn't lie and made me proud. Optimus Prime does that for me."

"Did you know Megatron?"

"I saw him. I spoke to him. I didn't know him better than that. Few do," Nitro said.

"What is your name, sir? What do you do at Autobot City?" he asked looking at Scar.

"I'm Scar and ... I was a Decepticon. I, uh worked in a hunter group. My group defected and I liked what I saw. It was better than the Decepticons. Prime keeps his word."

"What do you do now?" he asked as he noted 'hunter group' on his note pad.

"I work in construction. I'm a boss on site. I have a bond and a daughter too."

"How did you get your scars?" he asked with a minimum of tact. "Is that why your name is Scar?"

"My name **is** Scar. I got these marks from a fight with a Reaper."

"You got those from a Reaper?" Nitro asked with surprise.

Scar nodded. "Deathbringer."

"How did you manage to walk away in one piece?" Nitro asked.

"I faked death," Scar said. For a moment they chatted, then looked down. The two humans were looking up at them both with something a bit between appalled and awestruck on their faces.

"I won't ask you what a Reaper is," the man said.

"Good move," Scar said. Nitro nodded. Neither smiled. The two humans moved on shortly after.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl sat reading intell as Ratchet ambled into the room. Pausing to look at the winger in his element, Ratchet pulled out a chair and sat. "Hey."

"Hey. What brings you here? I thought you would have some doctoring to do," Prowl said relaxing slightly.

"All is well," Ratchet said. "My magic servos have done their job."

Prowl snorted. "Is that so?"

"It is," Ratchet said with a grin. "Any news from the 'platoon'?"

"Just the odd remark from Bluestreak," Prowl said. "They're keeping Blue informed."

"I hope Nitro and Scar come through in one piece. They looked pretty nervous this morning when they left," Ratchet said with a grin. "By the way, who put this list of 'playas' together?"

"Jazz and Optimus," Prowl said.

"How can you leave the Master of the Army out of the equation?" Ratchet asked. "I would think that the awesomeness that is Ironhide would be included."

"Do you want me to do that?" Prowl asked.

"Not really. I just want to be on the record when the slag hits the fan. If it does," Ratchet said.

Prowl snorted and grinned. "I will remember that."

"Do. By the way, RTR Tools is back in business."

Prowl glanced up sharply. "Really? I better get my order in now then. I lost the tool kit they made for me way back when."

"I would suggest it," Ratchet said proudly. "The genitors are working already to fill some and its only the first day of business for them."

Prowl did. And one for Optimus too. Christmas Surprise was now covered at the winger's house.

-0-Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California

They stood watching as Springer and Drift made the desired poses for the director. They turned this way and that. Springer knelt while Drift stood. It was all eerie, evocative and sexy. Then Mellar turned. "I would like to have Scar, Drift and Nitro please."

Springer stepped away as the two big bots joined Drift who stood with his characteristic smirk firmly in place. Springer walked to Kup and paused next to the twins who were joking over everything about the process. "I guess they got tired of my beauty."

The twins snorted. "You say that in our hearing? What's wrong with you?" Sunstreaker said with a wolfish grin.

"Yeah," Springer said smirking at Kup. "What the frag is wrong with me?"

Kup took the stogie out of his mouth. "You asking?"

"Nope," Springer said with a grin.

"You younglings are too vain for your own good. I'm the sexy one."

Hilarity broke out. The director turned to hush the group, then changed his mind.

"That director mech ... I think he wants us to tone it down," Springer said looking at the group who had turned back to the task at hand.

"Frag him," Kup said champing on his stogie. "We're the slagging stars."

"We?" Sideswipe asked with a big grin. "You got a 'Con in your subspace, old mech? Sunny and I have the star thing covered."

Kup tuned and looked at Sideswipe with the 'slagging little recruit, listen up' expression on his face. "Fragging younglings."

Hilarity ensued.

=0=2012 (9) edited


	9. Chapter 9

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 18

=0=Elsewhere

He trudged to the work site for orn two. He was digging gravel for the footings of the new towers they were building for refugees-to-come. It was backbreaking, dull and hard on his finish. He had orns to go here before his sentence was completed. His genitors thought he was working at a desk job. He didn't tell them where but they weren't hard to fool. His ada was engrossed in a medical problem for the CMO and his atar was busy looking for allies to make trouble among the high castes even as he struggled to find work 'worthy' for himself to do.

Reaching the dig site, he paused staring at pallets from the armory. They were filled with blasting materials that were used by sapper teams to blow up veins of rock too strong to be excavated. He looked around noting that no one was paying any attention to him or the pallets. Stepping over to lean on one marked 'detonators-extreme caution', Burnoff pretended to inspect his ped. Using his peripheral vision, it was clear he was not being watched. With that in mind, he reached inside and drew away three unopened boxes of detonators and three large boxes of explosive plastique.

Safely tucking everything into subspace, he smirked to himself. Rising, stretching, he walked toward the path that led to the dig site below. He did so with a light step in his peds and a smile on his face. This orn would fly by as he considered what he would do with his good fortune later.

-0-Melrose Avenue, California

They knelt around the sound stage answering questions from the production team. Warren Roberts, Robert Epps, Will Lennox and Niall Graham walked around the room listening, checking some questions and re-translating others to the bots.

The filming of the opening and closing sequences had been finished so now they were refining their databases around which to plan their shooting. Sunstreaker, Nitro, Scar and Sideswipe were bonded. Springer, Drift and Kup were bachelors. Kup and Springer were the senior officers in the group and even among the other fifteen soldiers that were on their filming roster. They would fulfill the 'C.O.' and 'Exec' roles in the group. The others would be the 'troops'. If they could include more senior officers it would only be for the good. Their profiles of Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet were pretty clear and would be an awesome addition to the overall vision if possible.

"What part of life in the city is the most important to you, Nitro?" a man asked.

"My family is the most important thing to me. The city and our population is next. I will defend the city. This colony and this solar system is something I would die to defend," Nitro said quietly. "This is our last stand. Our resolve is absolute."

"What drew you to the Decepticons, Scar?" another man asked the big scary-looking former Decepticon nearby.

"Our system on Cybertron wasn't fair or just. We had no way to do anything more than what our caste doomed us to do. There was no reason to obey the laws or be a citizen when there was no justice. I got into trouble early on and kept at it. It felt like justice to kick tailpipe and steal from the high castes. I liked to fight and found out I was good at it. The Decepticons offered a way to get even and I took it. I was good at creating mayhem. I had an outlet. That's what it was all about. Getting even."

"But you changed."

Scar nodded. "I did. We were part of a refugee migration. Our group captain got sideways of Megatron. Megatron didn't like side projects and Turmoil had a lot of them. We had to run. There was a termination order on us because of that. We came to the colony armed and fought with Prime.

"When it was clear to us that we were going to be blown to the Pit or worse, abandoned in space as exiles upon the order of the Prime without resources to go anywhere else we had a mutiny. We surrendered and ended up in a prison camp on Mars. It had been built by Decepticons that had switched sides. They were humiliated that Turmoil had fired on the civilian ships in the migration, had built the prison to help Prime and as a step to show their solidarity with the colony.

"While I was there it became clear to me that this was not the life I wanted. I wanted more. It was the same as it was in the beginning when I was a youngling who had nothing and no hope. I wanted a life of my own choosing and Prime offered it. He also offered someone who was honorable to follow. I admire him. I came to admire him greatly. I would serve with him in any capacity he asks of me. I want to have a life for my bond and our daughter. She goes to school," he said with great pride. "I was never allowed to do that. She will go to University and become someone. That is why I am an Autobot and a citizen with allegiance to the Prime." He raised his arm and the Autobrand gleamed in the lighting. "This is my pledge."

Nearby, two men were interviewing Kup, Drift and Springer. "You are the oldest Autobot here right, Kup?"

The big bot nodded. "I am the senior Autobot here. I predated Unicron."

Drift smirked. Springer snorted. "He did. Kicked his tailpipe didn't you."

"I did," Kup said champing on his stogie, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest. "Unicron whimpered like a three-legged targ every time I came around. It was like that time on Sandrohan," he began.

"Ah, Sandrohan. You gonna tell them about the smelting pits?" Springer asked with a grin. "I like the part about the smelting pits. Don't you, Drift?"

"I do," that handsome bot said nodding.

"What are smelting pits?" the men asked.

"Well, think of it as a lava pit where you put your enemies when you tire of them. Imagine melting down to slag," Kup said. "Not a good place to go. Went there anyway. Had a job to do."

"You did it. You were awesome," Springer said nodding. "That's why you're so old. No one got ya yet."

"Won't either. Fragged Unicron. No one wants to take a shot."

"I did."

Both looked at Drift. He grinned. "I took a shot at you on Prian IV."

"How? I don't recall that. I remember Prian IV. What a Pit that was," Kup said considering the white bot with a gimlet optic.

"I was the sniper in the tower."

Kup looked at him for a moment without comment. Then he took his stogie into servo. "You were that fragger? Good shooting."

"Thanks," Drift said with a smile.

"Missed though," Kup said putting his stogie back into his mouth.

"I did," Drift said with a chuckle.

"Unicron missed too," Kup said absently.

The humans just watched with awe.

-0-RTR Tools

They worked side-by-side in a shop that could only be imagined in their dreams. It was beautiful and filled with all the tools, equipment and space they could ever need. A total of ten orders were before them. The Construction Union had asked for several large tools and some small ones. The Home Guard were starting to come in and request tool kits for different kinds of weapons. A femme had come in to order a wrought iron wall sconce that was a traditional home ornament on Cybertron. Her genitors were working on their apartment and she wanted to recreate something they had back in Polyhex.

The order from Prowl for two kits, one for Prime and one for himself was given pride of place. Not only would it be perfection it would also be beautiful. Quotations from the Chronicles and famous poems would be detailed into the finish with an almost religious zeal.

It was all good.

-0-End of shift

He walked from the pit after putting his shovel on the rack. A trip through the public shower rack at the Guild Hall nearby would be had, dinner with the genitors and then a solitary evening spent planning and organizing his decision. Soon everyone would know about it and he would prove to Barricade that he wasn't just a youngling with a chip on his shoulder and an entitlement problem. He would be a player. His tread was light as he walked toward Metroplex and the Guild Hall.

It was all good.

-0-School

They were let out, genitors coming from all over to get their children. Lines of infants waiting for the Community School teachers to come get them until their genitors were off shift stood patiently happily chatting together. Others waited for their coaches to take them to football practice. It was busy, happy and filled with good energy. Ratchet waiting for Sunspot held Orion and Praxus. They sat on his arms and grinned patting him as they told him about their **AWESOME** day.

"**ADA, GOOD ME. I GOOD ME. PAX GOOD. PAX ME. GOOD ATAR. GO ATAR, ME? ADA FLY. ADA FLY ME GOOD. TOTO LOVE ORION. ORION LOVE EMEE. HAN BAD. GOOD ME, ORION. Hi," **Orion said with a ginormous smile.

The last breathy softly spoken word always cracked Ratchet up and he laughed at Orion. The little bot smiled back and looked with bright optics at everyone around him. It was nice to be with his carrier, to be happy to share his day, to be the center of attention. No baby anywhere could want more.

Praxus looked at Ratchet and patted his chassis. "Ada."

"Praxus."

"Ada good. Pax love Ada."

Ratchet nearly fell over backwards.

-0-Shortly after

"Frag."

"I almost did a back flip. Ironhide. Baby? Ada love Praxus."

The infant who was sitting on a table in the rec room in the Fortress examining his 'belly button' looked up and smiled brightly. "Ada."

"Ada love Praxus. Atar love Praxus."

The infant looked at Ratchet, then Ironhide. He smiled at both. "Atar."

Ironhide felt his optics misting. "Praxus."

The baby looked at his sire and smiled. "Atar. Pax love Atar."

Ironhide nearly slid off his chair.

-0-Nearby

"I think we have a practice to watch, Tie. Sunspot is supposed to be with his team in the school arena."

They both checked their schedule planner and nodded. "We better go. Sunspot will want us there," Tie said. They tucked everything in for their away time and walked to the door. Keying in a short note about being gone for an infant football practice into the window message monitor, the grandgenitors shut their door and walked off together for the Autobot City Youngling Sports Arena to watch their grandsparkling be a 'slagging good' wing for his team, the Altihex Attitudes.

It was all good.

-0-At the airfield four joors later

Cosmos set down on his gear and slid his hatch open. As the ramp slid to the ground, bots were walking off. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe rolled down pausing at the bottom for Kup. That worthy walked off trailed by the others and when they gathered at the bottom they all turned to go to the Fortress for a debrief. The humans rolled off on their segways heading for the Habitat to check in with the scientists some of which were on trips to forward bases.

When they were clear, Cosmos transformed and turned to walk to the complex where the giants lived. He would be off duty for three orns.

-0-On a ship to the forward base on Charon

Sheila Conroy sat by a window and watched with awe as Saturn shimmered nearby. They were flying past heading for the farthest important celestial body in their sun's radius where a forward base filled with intrepid soldiers held all their safety in their own servos. They were shock troops that could be deployed to fight in the regions far from home to slow down or prevent sneak attacks or invasions by the enemy.

The moons of Saturn flashed past, some of them only noticeable by their shadows on Saturn. The rings were beautiful and all was silent. The image burned into her brain as she took pictures for the nightly upload to Earth on her blog. Neptune appeared, a beautiful planet with a tilted axis and ring system that was unknown until fairly recently. The many moons could be discerned until they passed from view speeding onward. Uranus was farther away in orbit and thus out of view so she waited for Pluto. She didn't have to wait long.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"The images are beautiful," Jazz said as they sat together reviewing film.

"They make the soldiers look resolute, especially Kup," Prowl said.

"Some of them look dangerous," Optimus said. He put down the datapad. "I like the idea behind this but I won't allow this to become salacious. I don't want this to become something it isn't."

"I agree," Jazz said nodding. "I think the capable and maybe even dangerous aspects of this are good to a degree, Optimus. I want the humans to have confidence but not to fear anyone."

"Agreed," Optimus said. He glanced up as Ironhide walked in and sat. "The images are good so far," he said handing the datapad to the big Autobot. Ironhide looked at them and nodded. "Looks moody and dangerous."

"It does," Prowl said. "We do get final approval no matter what so if it goes off the rails we can put a stop to it."

Prime nodded. "Agreed." Prime looked at Ironhide and grinned. "You look pleased with yourself."

"Praxus has new words," Ironhide said proudly.

"He has a good bad example with Orion," Optimus said grinning. "What has he said now?"

"Praxus said, 'Pax love Atar'," Ironhide said as his optics misted.

They all sat and had a moment together.

-0-That night

He sat in his room in the apartment he shared with friends and began to assemble his message to the colony. Borrowing a friend's identification to cover his tracks, he found out how to make bombs on the Teletraan III secured database. They were easy to assemble for maximum effect and he did. Stuffing them into his subspace, he stood and walked to the door. Listening, he waited until it was clear and slipped out heading to the elevator and beyond.

It would be a short walk to the places he wanted to attend to and when he was finished, he slipped back into his apartment and his room to wait.

He wouldn't have to wait long.

-9-TBC edited

2012 (9) I see my Uncle John in Kup and I am using his military self and his dry crazy funny humor to help fill out Kup. My uncle was a great man, a marine from WWII, as funny and goodnatured as Kup. He looked fearsome and was hilariously funny with his cigar and his gimlet eyes on the smartaleck younglings in our family. But he was brave, squishily warm and a lovely man. RIP, John Paxton. You were and still are my hero. :D


	10. Chapter 10

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 19

-0-At the Autobot City Business Plaza

Cybertronian steel was the hardest non-naturally occurring substance known relative to the rest of the universe. It was even harder when rendered transparent and thus it had been used in construction all over Cybertron since its perfection in the middle of the Golden Age. The windows of every building in the city were made of transparent steel, the shiny surfaces seemingly glass-like in its brilliant reflectivity and translucence .

The Business Plaza had been designed to allow the maximum amount of light to enter the facility to give it a spring-like feeling of daylight and warmth that the planet outside couldn't guarantee more than half of the year. Inside, it was beautiful, bright and lit from stem to stern. All three levels of the facility got maximum daylight from the totality of its design. Transparent steel formed every outside surface of the building.

Along the walls where joins were made, a thin strip of copper with carvings of images both abstract and not, words of poems, prayers to Primus and the names of cities and city-states added to the Cybertronian feel of the great space. Over one million square feet of room was contained under the roof.

As it stood, the night sky overhead was clearly available to the few who were still inside. Several businesses were still working even if not open to the public. A bakery beginning to make the next day's wares, a fabrication and hardware store doing inventory and RTR Tools were still inhabited and working.

Ravel sat at the counter working out the orn's statistics. In the first three joors of operation they had ten orders for tools. By the end of the day, there were fifteen orders from soldiers for weapon tool kits including two from Prowl and one from Flint. There were two requests for wrought iron home fixtures and nearly three dozen orders for specialized construction and electronics tools that they were especially famous for creating.

The tool kits would be their usual extraordinary type. The handles of the implements would be ergonomically designed steel grips that would be smelted to appear copper, silver and gold. The long shafts of most and the specialized tips would be made of transparent steel. No one who ever lived on Cybertron had ever made more exquisite tools nor any more beautiful than Ravel and Tie Down of Iacon.

In the back room, Tie Down stood watching as the transparent steel began to float to the surface of the smelter. His molds were waiting and he wore his face mask, his fireproof apron, standing with fireproof mitts and tongs ready. The molten metal was nearly there.

It was quiet, the Hourly News played on the monitor in the other room and they were together. Tie Down would never be more happy.

-0-'The Energon Basket'

Rampage walked to the ovens and looked through the transparent steel window at the trays and trays of confections baking inside. He had pulled three towering carts full of 'cookies'. He was experimenting with shapes here as well. His apprentices had formed the 'batter' and 'dough'. Then they pressed out the forms with 'cookie cutters' made from steel in the shapes of animals from Earth.

Salmons, bears, dogs and cats were especially popular with families, children and most everyone else. He had molds designed to look like Dinobots and Grimlocks were the first to go everyday. The cookies baked on the top racks as below that 'loaves of bread', 'cupcakes', 'pies', differently designed items that resembled meat products and several distinctly Cybertronian foods cooked as well. He was cutting edge. He couldn't make enough to satisfy demand and his influences were both native and human in origin.

He was contented beyond belief.

He was also one of the master chefs at the new technical school opening at the University that taught trades and professions. He was a master chef on the faculty, his classes conducted both there and at food service centers around the city. He was incredibly in demand for catering, for food ideas and parties.

He was in his element.

Finally.

-0-Nearby at the Autobot City Hardware and Bolt Store

They picked up boxes of nuts, bolts, lags, washers and other hardware that the Foundry Exchange had dropped off before closing. They could have left it for morning but they were going to be doing bids for the airport and they wanted their wares out on the shelves so they could sit and figure out what they would write up.

Two hundred pound boxes were set on the work table to be divided up into their bins by the owner, Twinset and his bond, Caliper. Their younglings, Bon, Rolee and Tinset were working on the inventory. They were going to college, learning trades related to their genitor's store. They wanted to become general contractors and build the city too. Their genitors would have the store to provide hardware and they would learn to be electricians, builders and architects. They had their dream. They had it since the Fall and now it was real. It was wonderful to work together as a family to fulfill it.

It was all good.

-0-At the Prime Residence

Optimus Prime stood on the balcony holding Spirit in his arms. The little mech had his arm around his atar's neck and they talked together about the scene all around them. The lights of the Fortress, the airfield and Aerie Hill beyond were amazing.

Inside working on their homework, T-Bar and Rambler sat at the table. Prowl worked with T-Bar on his math, a harder subject for him than reading and writing. Rambler was excelling, doing advanced placement work in all the subject areas.

On the floor nearby chewing on a dollie, Miracle stood leaning on a chair. Sitting nearby reading a book, watching him with one optic, Venture sat waiting for Miler to arrive. That worthy had just called to say he was coming from Sciences. They would spend a little time with the family, then walk home to their own apartment in Vos Tower. The evening would be wonderful as usual surrounded by children and grandchildren in the penthouse at the top of the world.

-0-At Club Cybertron

Inferno and Red Alert sat together lifting a brew and chatting about their off time soon. They were close, very close and the idea of going off exploring the Vallis Marineris, the largest crevice yet discovered in the solar system was going to be delightful. Red Alert was a tightly wound slightly oblivious bot. It was there exploring the ravishing landscape that Inferno hoped to clue the tense red Autobot in.

Sitting nearby sipping high grade and looking bored, Stiletto and Barricade put in the time. Soon they would be going inside for the evening. For the two security chiefs, it wouldn't be too soon. As they sat watching the pair and chatting, Scorponok wandered in followed by his guards joining Barricade and Stiletto.

The night was quiet, the company first rate and all was well.

-0-At Aerie Hill

Starscream sat watching the film, one of the early flights of humans. The primitiveness of the flying devices was almost unbelievable. Sky Warp who was sitting beside him, his arm around Starscream's shoulders chuckled throughout the presentation. Starscream looked up at him. "I could out fly those things as a sparkling."

"We all could," the purple bot replied. Thundercracker sitting nearby rocking a lap filled with dozing hatchlings nodded. "I don't know how those insects defeated Megatron and The Fallen."

"Don't forget they had him in custody for eighty of their years," Starscream said with a smile. "I wish I had seen it. What a joy it would have been."

"He deserved it," Thundercracker said as the film ended. "What do we watch now?" he asked Sky Warp who had the control.

"We could watch that western series Ironhide recommends or something called 'Taxi Driver'," Sky Warp said checking the listings.

"Sounds like a shuttle service," Starscream said sipping his high grade. "How fun can that be?"

"I don't know. Jazz found it interesting enough to include in the archives," Sky Warp said looking down at Starscream who had cuddled into him making himself comfortable.

"We could read a book," Thundercracker said with the ghost of a smirk.

"Oh drear," Starscream said with a chuckle. "'Taxi Driver' it is."

Sky Warp made it so.

-0-At the bosom of love

Ratchet sat on the couch after tucking in sparklings. Sunspot was sitting on Flint's lap while he read his nightly book out loud. Ironhide was looking at a datapad filled with 'slag I should have done earlier if the sparkling hadn't been talking so much'.

That one.

The night beyond the windows was beautiful, filled with lights and stars. Occasionally a ship would lift off and another land. Seekers streaked in and out, a sight few Autobots ever tired of seeing.

Now.

Ironhide picked up his magazine datapad and noted that Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Gun Digest, Arizona Magazine, The New York Times evening addition and a local publication, Sparklings Digest had been delivered. Ratchet would be glad about Sparkling Digest he thought.

Life was good.

-0-Bumblebee and First Aid

They stood in the darkness talking together, finding in a corner of Metroplex Arcade a lover's paradise. They were well into it when a Night Watch mech stepped onto their sensor grid. They paused and stepped farther into the darkness. The mech walked past and they relaxed turning to each other once more. Then the mech was back. "I see you," he said with a grin. Then he walked on. They stood vibrating with surprise and loathing, then they dumped that slag and went back at it again.

-0-Hot Rod, Blurr and Jolt

They ambled into the Club Cybertron taking a seat at the bar. They got high grade Praxian-style and looked around. Most of the bots there were either bonded already or out of the question. Hot Rod shook his helm. "Looks dead tonight."

"How can a bot get a frag around here? Do I have to glue a bunch of shanix on my face?" Jolt asked.

"Yes," the other two said in unison.

"Maybe you can cruise along with me, Jolt," Blurr said with his usual flippant vanity. "I don't appear to have your problem."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-In the bosom of love

Sunspot lay on his berth, three adults looking down at him. "I was so glad you could come see our practice, Uncle Flint. Grandada and atar were there too."

"I was too, sparkling," Flint said tucking the infant into his quilts. "You are a good wing."

"I watched the film this afternoon. I will agree," Ratchet said nodding.

Ironhide nodded too. "You need to go to sleep, sparkling. School comes soon."

He smiled and nodded. They kissed him and stepped out leaving only the night light on. Walking to the living room, Ratchet paused. "I'm going to check on the genitors. They said they would be staying late to make some transparent steel."

They two nodded and sat turning on a movie called 'Patton'.

"Alright," Ironhide said as he watched Ratchet go. They turned back to the movie once more.

It was slagging awesome.

-0-Outside

He walked along the street toward the Business Plaza. There were bots out and about in the relatively warm late spring evening. -40 degrees felt good against his armor and he walked along light at spark that his genitors were happy at this point in their rehabilitation. They had not been at home which meant they were still working. He would have to make sure that wasn't a habit.

He passed a few bots, a Night Watchman or two, then turned to follow the street past residential towers to the Plaza. The light glinted off the roof of the Temple as he walked with great joy to the big double doors of the building.

-0-Temple Sanctuary

The oldest priest stood before the Allspark offering his evening prayers to Primus and The One. The atmosphere as he did changed. The peace that had been present all day sharply turned. He paused and looked around noting that the others were into their meditations. Turning, heading out of the room, he walked up the broad stairs to the upper level. Walking to the door, he paused at the entrance and looked out. The city was magnificent and all appeared well. It was disconcerting.

-0-Club Cybertron

"What do you make of that hot-headed kid?" Stiletto asked.

Barricade shrugged. "I've seen his type too many times to be worked up about it."

Stiletto nodded. "One can hope."

Scorponok kept his own counsel.

-0-On the way

Sheila Conroy and five other scientists rolled off a shuttle making their way through the hustle and bustle of the evening at the air field. They were emotionally drained from their journey to other planets. Dinner and a long talk would be had before getting on their blogs for NASA and the humans on Earth. They turned toodling toward the Habitat hitting the main road as they rolled on the sidewalk toward the Habitat. They turned toward their home and disappeared from view of the street.

-0-Nearby

Omega and Silverbolt sat on a carefully shaped steel reinforced dirt mound that bordered the habitation area of the air field. It had been built to provide a place for the giants to sit. They were waiting for Kappa to come to join them for a nice evening chat. The sky overhead was beautiful and the two enjoyed the quiet of the moment.

"You have to go to Earth tomorrow?" Omega asked.

"I do," Silverbolt said. "My turn in the rotation."

Omega nodded. "You should dump the duty on your brothers. Pull seniority," Omega said smiling slightly.

"Don't tempt me," Silverbolt said with a laugh. "Diego will be a nice duty. At least I come home after the shift."

"I would be very displeased if you didn't." Omega looked toward the habitation hangars and noted Kappa walking toward him. She was one of the family who was closest to Omega and he loved her company. Behind her Xantium and Gamma followed.

"Looks like a family affair," Silverbolt said with a smile.

"It does," Omega said with his own.

That is when the night sky turned into fire.

=0=TBC 2012 (9) edited

Google Taxi Driver. Shanix is money bots used on Cybertron.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Chapter 11**

The Diego Diaries: Game Changer 20

=0=Autobot City, Mars

And that is when the night turned into fire.

Prime felt it through the floor and turned to spot across the transparent windows of the penthouse a fireball rise into the sky on the other side of town. A rumble and sound of a torrent rather like a massive explosion could be heard. Then sirens went off all over the city. He was moving before he could intellectually understand that, his instincts honed over millennia kicking in, making him move toward the danger. Prowl had arise and turned looking at his father who stood shaken. "Take care of the sparklings. We have to go." He then turned and made for the door right behind Optimus.

Venture stood rooted watching them, then turned to the infants. They were frozen, fear and surprise on their faces. Miracle burst into tears standing with his dolly and the others then moved rushing to cling to their grandatar. He knelt and gathered them into his chassis, his processor finally kicking in. **:MILER! WHERE ARE YOU!?:**

-0-On the street

They ran out of the lobby and turned, the flickering light of the fire noticeable in jittery shadows on the walls. Running across the hallway to ask the young couple inside to watch the infants, Flint and Ironhide ran for the elevator. They reached the ground and paused long enough to get a bead on the problem. Drawing their weapons, they ran toward the inferno on the other side of Metroplex.

-0-At the same time

"Metroplex to Ops Center."

"Ops Center here."

"I am endangered. The fireball is intensely hot and it is dangerously close to my main energon lines. It is imperative that this area be secured. If they rupture I will have to move and it will endanger everyone in my superstructure. I will be forced to signal an evacuation in two breems if this isn't secured."

"Roger, Metroplex. Stand by." The duty officer turned as Prowl ran into the room. "Sir, Metroplex is about to rupture his main energon line. He expects to lift off in less than two breems if the fire isn't cut off in his sector."

Prowl nodded. He moved to Communications and pressed a button. "Fire Services, this is Prowl."

"Fire Services, here."

"We have a code red at Metroplex Control Center. Get there and secure the energon line before it explodes. He will have to move if it isn't locked down."

"On it," the mech said. Prowl turned and walked to Teletraan III. The reports were coming in and he began to read them formulating a defense for the city.

-0-On the street

Ironhide and Flint ran toward the Plaza, other Autobots joining them. The back of the building was ablaze. The majority of the building was intact but it was evident that some of the things inside had been blown against the wall in the explosion. The structure itself was not damaged on first glance. The forensic engineers would have to figure out what needed work. Right now, that was the last thing on their mind.

The doors to the building had been blown open and they stood wrenched outward. Rushing inside followed by Flint, Hot Rod, Blur and Jolt, Ironhide ran for RTR Tools. There was smoke everywhere so they switched to infrared. Pausing beside The Energron Basket, Ironhide directed aid for Rampage and his apprentices. Running forward, he reached RTR Tools.

The door was open and the place filled with smoke. Subbing his guns, he ran inside and around the counter. Ducking under the cloud of smoke that was everywhere, Ironhide could see Ratchet. He was kneeling beside his atar, Ravel sitting dazed nearby. "Ratchet!"

"Ironhide, help me!" Ratchet said. **"GET MY ADA!"**

Ironhide rushed to Ravel and picked him up. Turning, he handed the little bot off to Flint. "Take him. I'm going to help Ratchet." Flint took Ravel and turned leaving through the smoke and sirens. Turning, bending down, Ironhide looked at Tie Down. He was awake and dazed. "Is he alright?" Ironhide asked, his voice sounding like someone else's.

Ratchet glanced at him and nodded. "We have to get him out of here. His arm is injured and he got a blow to the helm from flying tools."

Ironhide nodded and moved slipping his arms under the smaller mech. He groaned and settled into a dazed silence as Ironhide arose. Turning to follow Ratchet, Ironhide carried Tie Down out of their shop.

In the mall, Autobots and medics swarmed. Rampage looked bloodied, energon coating his arm. Ironhide would later find out it was an apprentice's. Rampage had acquired it pulling the youngling out from under a heavy piece of equipment. Prime was standing in the middle of the chaos listening to intel and giving orders. A family that ran the hardware was being led out of their shop, their limps and dazed expressions comforting even if infuriating. They were at least alive.

Heading outside, Ironhide walked to a stretcher and lay Tie Down on it. Ratchet moved to stablize his atar even as Flint stood holding a rattled Ravel in his arms. "Ratchet?"

Ratchet paused and looked at Ironhide. "Comfort him, Ironhide. I have to help my atar."

Ironhide nodded and turned walking to Ravel. Taking his servo, he leaned in. "Ravie, just relax. You and Tie Down are okay. There was an explosion in the building."

"Oh," Ravie said looking at him with bleary optics. "What about the smelter and the machines in the store? They have to be shut down, Ironhide. I don't want them to blow up and hurt anyone."

"I'll do it, Ravie. You just don't worry. We have it covered," Ironhide said. He turned and caught Inferno's attention. That big bot was supervising a fire team. "Inferno, there are machines running in RTR Tools that should be shut off or they will explode."

Inferno nodded and turned directing a mech who raced inside the building post haste. At the same time Rampage came limping out beside a stretcher carrying an apprentice. He looked horrible and so did the other two younglings with him, all of them students in the tech program for food services. They passed on, then Prime came out, a grim expression on his face. "Ironhide, make sure the building is cleared. We have a potential explosion on the lines that lead to Metroplex. If we don't lock it down, he will have to move. I have to evacuate all his districts."

Ironhide nodded and watched Prime hurry off. Turning to Flint, the two entered the building and began an exhaustive search. When they were finished, everyone had been removed.

-0-The Habitat

They had sat around the table discussing the day's adventures both here and on the way to far flung places when the sky erupted in flame. Startled and jolted by the rolling convulsion beneath them, they all turned and watched as the fireball that had just announced itself rose into the air in a violent malevalent blossom.

"What the fuck?!" Lennox said rising from his chair. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know. Come on," Epps said turning to go.

Lennox nodded and turned to the table of people starting at him with traumatized expressions. "Stay inside and don't go out unless we come for you or an Autobot order comes to leave. Get your gear in reach. It is code yellow as of now. Do not and I repeat do not try and contact Earth until we know what is happening. Do you understand?" Lennox said looking at the twenty scientists that stared at him pale and shaken. They nodded.

The three officers headed for the exit and the chaos beyond. They watched them go, then Lauren Taylor, a biologist from Australia said out loud what they all feared. "Do you think we're under attack?"

-0-Around the city

The sirens going off were the signal for everyone in the city to reach for their monitors and stay tuned. An emergency message tuned to the internal call frequencies of every adult in the city was penned and sent by Prowl: "This is an emergency. A pipeline rupture has occurred near the Business Plaza. We are asking that you stay inside as your presence would hold back the emergency teams working to lock down the problem. If you are at work, stay there. If you are at home, stay there. If you need to move an Autobot team will be there to help you. If you are moved go to the Sports Arena and stay there. We will have teams there to assist you. Keep the lines clear. IntraComm will be following and updating the situation. If you haven't reported to work yet stay home. Anyone causing a disturbance will be brigged. Thank you for your cooperation."

-0-Aerie Hill

Starscream, Red Wing, Cloud Burst and Thundercracker lifted off flying swiftly to the airfield. Transforming as they landed, they turned and walked to the Officer of the Day who had just come on duty. "What is the situation and how can we help?"

"Sir, the situation is FUBAR and Prime is at the site."

Starscream nodded and the four turned hurrying down the highway toward the furiously burning site across town.

-0-Jetta and the boys

They stood at the edge of the disaster, the heat of the fire uncomfortable on their armor. The Disaster Response Team was gathered around.

"We have to kill the flames or Metroplex will have to get up and move. They are evacuating the District right now but we want to prevent a real disaster. Payload, organize a crew to bulldoze the area to kill the tendril fires over that way." He pointed to the rivers of fire that were burning furiously from the continuous feed of energon from the big main that had ruptured. The sound of it burning was astonishing. It was as if ten thousand freight trains were gunning their engines all at once. Jetta turned to the Fire Control Team. "We need to extinguish the fires. Have you gotten to the shut off valves?"

"They're melted, Jetta. We cut off the flow from the Central Main at the plant and eventually it will die down when it burns off but not before it causes damage to Metroplex,"

"Frag," Jetta said looking up at Metroplex. "We need to smother the fire. What do we have that kills energon fires?"

"Not much. We have to smother it with everything. Dirt. Supressant. All of it," Inferno said.

"Do it," Jetta said. "Now. Deliver it with Seekers if you have to. But do it swiftly."

Inferno nodded and turned rushing off into the flickering eerie darkness beyond. Jetta turned to the rest and they began to plan a defense of Metroplex.

-0-Nearby

They came out of the darkness moving around the arena as they ran toward Metroplex. They saw the flow of citizenry heading toward the arena as the towers and businesses of Metroplex began to be evacuated.

Jolt and Hot Rod stood in the street watching as hundreds of bots and infants flowed out of buildings. All of the dozens of highrise towers of the Metroplex District were being emptied. Nothing but lives were being evacuated. They streamed out, some carried, some being helped to walk along. Soldiers were posted at each building, numbers of them going up to help the residents leave.

Light from the fire threw long shadows and the residents showed the strain of terror that they had thought they had left behind. The crying of babies, the sobbing of adults regressing to other more terrible times could be heard over the tumult and the amplified commentary of the soldiers who were directing individuals toward the arena.

As each building was inspected and emptied a large red X was drawn on the door and it was locked. The press of bodies in the street, one side of which was kept clear for flatbed trucks evacuating those who were too small or infirm to leave on their own was tremendous. But the crowds moved as orderly as they could.

Overhead, they began to hear ships flying in. The Seekers came in low and dropped suppressant onto the fire coming as close to it as they could. They flew in one after the other barely making a dent. On the ground, all of the mechs who could manage dozer and heavy equipment alt formats were hard at work pushing sand and rock toward the fire. They were building a fire break between the raging inferno and the footprint of Metroplex.

That worthy was in constant contact with Prime who was nearby directing the rescue and the embattled rescuers who were laboring enmass to save their comrade. Hundreds of bots moved through the eerie terrifying shadows and twisting pulsating tendrils of light thrown out by the fires.

Bulkhead and Payload shoveled dozens of yards of dirt and sand into the buckets of mechs who were transformed into dump trucks and haulers. They filled them along with dozens of other enormous heavy duty bots, the endless lines waiting for their turn.

Nearby digging in the ground with their bare servos, the Guardian bots loosed soil and crumbled it frantically in their effort to save their brother. They were too big to scoop it into the trucks and the suggestion to drop the dirt directly on the fire was denied because the ground they would have to cross was compromised. If their weight stood upon it, more underground infrastructure would break and the fire would escalate.

They worked diligently as they listened to Metroplex and the increasingly strained tone in his voice. The heat was having consequences now and it was problematic how long he would be able to stay where he was. The Seekers screamed in dumping fire suppressant upon one of the most combustible liquids yet found, the burning energon.

-0-Nearby

The soldiers stood on their segways watching with shock and fear as the District evacuated. Hundreds of bots hurried by, shouting, crying, looking back with intense fear. It was a terrifying sight and for once they understood completely everything they needed to know about these people.

This was the Fall writ large before them. This was what it looked like when your life, your city, your world was dying in front of you. This was what it looked like to lose everything, to run for your life, to have no place to go. Younglings ran alongside their genitors, some of them barely able to keep up. Elders were helped along by their adult younglings, their grandsparklings and soldiers.

Medics helped mechs that looked old and ill. The two old feisty mechs that they saw playing games in the courtyard of the Fortress every day hobbled by holding up a very elderly femme between them. It was appalling, frightening and organized. Soldiers were everywhere encouraging everyone along, helping those that were in peril.

It brought tears to Will Lennox's eyes. He watched them with fear and horror, aware that he could offer nothing to help them. He was a detriment to the moment. All of them were. So they stood on their segways and watched, tears in their optics as they watched the flow of suffering pass them by.

-0-At the arena

The priests stood in the gateway as the crowds came into the arena. Hundreds of citizens from the housing projects beyond the affected area were waiting to help them come inside and rest. The injured, old, infirm and mentally distracted were taken to the center field and settled among the medics waiting there.

The priests and their accolytes greeted everyone, comforting them and showing resolute compassion to all. It made a difference and they stood helping as best they could. Alpha Trion, evacuated from Vos Tower joined them in their effort and would stay with them until the end.

-0-Trine

Sunstreaker put the twins in his hold and turned to the living room. Kaon was being wrapped in blankets and stuffed into Sideswipe's hold. Blue, himself in tears came from the berthroom with more blankets. "Are we all ready to go?"

A grim Sunstreaker nodded and took Blue's arm. Glancing at Sideswipe, the three turned and walked for the door. Exiting, they took an elevator down and when they walked out onto the street, the last Autobot searching Polyhex Tower would signal to the guards at the door. They would draw a red X and another building would be sealed.

-0-Prime

He took the intell as it came, his comm link with Metroplex constant. The sweeps of the buildings were ongoing and as each one checked in with Prowl it was an inch closer to saving the big bot. He had already vowed to Prime that he would not lift off his pad until everyone was out. His own sensors were helping to direct the evacuation even though the heat had now begun to burn him.

The crowd flowed onward as Seekers began to fire suppress Metroplex himself. They screamed in, their cargos splashing on the ground. Nearby standing with horror on her beautiful face Kappa watched her brother suffer. All of them felt it, all of them watched helplessly as their giant size prevented rather than aided the effort.

Prime stood stoically watching as the last group of residents were moved toward the highway, stepping off Metroplex's pad at last. "Metroplex, are you clear?"

A sensation of agony was felt over their link. "Affirmative. I am lifting up and moving, Prime. Please stand clear," Metroplex told him.

Prowl who was listening in as well sent the message to everyone. "Clear the area of Metroplex District. Clear the area. Expect lift off. Be clear. On the count. Five, four, three, two, one. You are go, Metroplex."

Prowl stared at the monitor, the agony of his bond warring with his own. Then it happened. A gigantic organism began to rise, pilons, lines and other attachments falling away. He rose upward becoming Metroplex, the only bot in all creation that was feared by Megatron and Tryticon alike. The pacifist, the gentle giant who loved the company of children, the warrior who hated war beyond expression but served his beloved Autobots and Prime anyway staggered into his root mode. He was said to be the one who could end the war on his own by the mere killing of Trypticon. Yet he sought only peace. He rose upward and as he did, a deep bellow of pain erupted out of his mouth.

When he rose up fully, the energon lines that were his life support ruptured and burst into flames.

-0-TBC

2012 (9)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Chapter 12**

* * *

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 1

=0=Autobot City, Mars

He rose up crying out to the universe as the lifelines that supported his greatness snapped and broke free. Energon flew everywhere bursting into flames in the intense heat of the fire that roared forward. He looked around at the ground, his sensors sweeping in all directions. Then with infinite care, Metroplex placed his peds onto ground that wasn't compromised by habitation. Stumbling forward he cleared the space allotted to housing and industry moving farther forward before kneeling down, placing a mighty servo onto the firm ground. He was surrounded by his siblings, Kappa sitting and allowing him to lay his helm onto her lap. He settled down, the rumble of his immense bulk flowing outward through the ground and air like waves on a pond.

The humans felt it, the rumble of the ground, then it passed. As it did an enormous explosion occurred, a fireball rising into the heavens again. Watching with dread, they saw it rise, flames licking at the sky, then it diminished.

Sirens were sounding, mechs running away as well as toward the fires as they did their jobs fighting the blazes. They now could see armed soldiers as well as armed Night and Day Watch mechs appearing, standing as if appointed to the places they waited. Seekers screamed downward from the dark smoke obscured heavens dumping great loads of liquid fire suppressant. It didn't seem to help much they thought as they stood silent witness to a great tragedy.

In the arena gathered together in groups, mechs and the odd femme sat together helping each other, watching each others infants as they scanned the sky with dread. Seekers were flying but not against them. Fire was burning but their city was still here. They looked around themselves and counted their blessings even as they struggled with fear and the emerging horrors of other orns.

The medics and doctors moved among them, orderlies carrying energon and blankets. Infants were bedded down. Elderly were wrapped snugly, other younger bots taking them into servo. They knew the drill. Too many of them had already been through it. But this time it was different. This time they had solidarity and the ability to defend themselves. Among the great throng were former Decepticons working side-by-side with the Autobots and civilians they used to hunt. Seekers were risking their lives to put out the fires and their Prime, their very great Prime was directing the rescue.

The priests and acolytes moved among the people, comforting, reassuring and listening to their terror, sorrow and fear. They sat with some, joked with others and complimented and blessed sparklings, younglings and the sick. The horror raged around them but they contributed to the sense of safety that the arena and the proximity each together provided. In the din of the moment, here and there was a sense that it was going to be alright.

-0-Prime

He stood beside Metroplex watching as Ratchet scrambled up the steep face of his neck. Gripping special handholds that weren't easily visible to the normal optic, Ratchet pulled himself up servo over servo until he reached the Guardian's helm. Pausing, transforming a digit, he removed a panel and entered a code. When he did, the immense bot relaxed. He seemed to melt into the ground as the pain receptors in his processor were overridden. Ratchet resealed the panel looking down at Optimus. "We can begin work on him now. I disconnected his pain center."

Prime looking nearly ill with relief nodded. "Alright, Ratchet. Tell me what you need and we'll get it."

Ratchet climbed down, walking slowly along the now relaxed Autobot. When he had gone all the way around deep scanning him with the specialty programming for mechanisms of this size that he carried internally as basic equipment, Ratchet paused by Prime. "He has burns on his right side. They are all over the place now because he changed from city to root mode. We are going to have to take the outside paneling off to replace a lot of stuff. I need Specialty Fabrications online now as well as the armor division of Medical Fabrications. We will need big panels to replace his burned armor. That will require the steel mills to lend their facilities and biggest strongest workers. We can use the formulations for armor there but we need space to manipulate and roll it out."

Prime nodded. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I need every Seeker medic I can muster. This is going to take strength. I need the heavy duty bots on call for the transfer of his new plating. I need to remember to train one of the Guardians in more than rudimentary first aid."

"Will he be alright?" Optimus asked, his voice edgy with concern.

Ratchet consulted his data. "I believe so, Optimus. He won't be able to reform his city mode for a few orns but he will be back in shape shortly. Right now, a rebuild and rest are in order. I would hate to think what would have happened if the explosions had actually reached him."

"You and me both," Optimus said shaking his helm. "I will be back. Coordinate with Prowl all you need and he will make it so."

Ratchet nodded and as he turned Optimus called out. "What happened to your genitors?"

"They got blown into things. They will both be fine," Ratchet answered.

Prime looked relieved. "I'm glad."

"So am I," Ratchet said nodding. Then he turned and began to make the plan for the removal, repair and recuperation of the biggest Autobot of them all.

-0-At the site

Inferno and Red Alert directed the fire control teams as they struggled to master the flames. They were dying down a little, the energon flow disruption at the source slowly taking care of the endless burn. It was bitterly hot, heatwaves rolling off them like waves on an ocean. The Seekers had dampened the ground under their peds with chemicals that would have to be removed and control burned for safety sake at some point.

They stood together on Metroplex's pad, their view of the disaster unobstructed. His site was ruined. It would take a while to repair everything that was there to support him. The ground between that site and the half ruined Business Plaza was a roiling boiling firestorm.

Inferno consulted programming coupled with the constant feed of information from Ops Center-Engineering and the city manager office to determine that in three orns the burn would die off from lack of fuel. Then they could commence the two next steps that demanded doing. First, they would begin the forensic study regarding the cause of the fire and secondly, they would begin the long laborious cleanup and rebuild so that Metroplex would have his home back again.

-0-In an apartment in Tower 18 some distance away from Metroplex District

He looked out the window standing beside his ada watching the mayhem unfold. For a moment he was terrified, not expecting the amount of damage that he was seeing. Then he became numb. Feeling drained away as he watched the Seekers slam in and fly out, some of them getting singed as they tried to drop retardant on the crux of the fire.

The fireball had been exciting for a few moments, then the totality of his actions sunk in. It was as if a Decepticon force had slammed the city and for a moment he knew that he would be hated like Megatron if anyone ever found out he was responsible. Bravado warred with a deep pulsating fear and as he stood at the window watching with his ada his father entered, his energy and expression filled with concern. He hurried to the window looking out with them. "This is horrendous."

Burnoff nodded and looked at his father. "Prime let this happen," he said.

His father looked at him sharply. "This catastrophe trumps politics. We need to do our part to help. The rest comes later." He looked at Turquoise. "I'm going to the arena. I would like you both to stay here. I will do what I can and I would prefer to know both of you are safe."

Turquoise nodded. "This is a terrible thing, Copperton. Please call if there is anything I can do."

Copperton nodded. "I will be in touch with you. Give me the peace of mind to know you are both safe and out of harms way." With that, he turned and walked back out the door hurrying as fast as he could to the muster station at the edge of the airfield to see what he could do to help.

-0-Laret and Neo

They sat reading to their daughter when the rumble rocked them for a nanosecond. The flash of light in the windows got them to their peds and they hurried to look outside, Fifi held tightly in arms. "Oh, Neo! What has happened? Are we under attack?"

The message from Prowl reached them internally at that point and they looked at each other. Laret turned on the monitor and Gen-O appeared in the field giving commentary to the studio.

"The fireball is over 450 meters high according to preliminary estimates. It was caused by a ruptured energon line that feeds into the Business Plaza and indirectly into Metroplex himself. There are teams on site that are working to build a fire break between the blaze and our mighty Metroplex.

"Jazz who is acting as information officer for this disaster told me earlier, Lim-Lee, that the Business Plaza appears to be intact with notable damage in the rear of the building. Part of the problem is city departments store things there, some of them highly inflammable. Even though they were in fireproof vaults, the explosion that caused this fire damaged them and they exploded. It caused a concussion blast that blew the doors open to the Plaza, doors designed to withstand gale force winds.

"There were three businesses still in operation at the time of the explosion. They were The Energon Basket, Autobot City Hardware and Bolt Store and RTR Tools. Casualties were light according to Jazz. There were relatively minor injuries among some of the mechs inside and they were taken to the Medical Tower hospital for treatment. Other than a few cuts and bruises along with slight concussions, they appear to be going to recover fully.

"The Information Center has released names of the injured. They are Rampage and two of his apprentices, Detron and Bio. His third apprentice was unharmed. The others hurt were Twinset and his bond, Caliper who have superficial wounds from flying bolts and their younglings, Bon, Rolee and Tinset who also suffered from minor injuries. Finally, the remaining injured were Tie Down with an injured arm and concussion and Ravel, who suffered a concussion as well. All-in-all, given the size of the disaster and its force delivery, we all were incredibly fortunate.

"The wounds to Metroplex are still being measured. CMO Ratchet was not available for comment but delegated a preliminary statement through his information officer, Gypsy."

(Cut to a blazing inferno and a slight but resolute femme standing with Jacx)

"Gypsy, what can you tell us about the condition of Metroplex?"

"CMO Ratchet has authorized me to say that he received burns on his right side superstructure that will require surgery. His pain receptors are off line so that he can be stabilized. Energon Control is going to be injecting energon into his lines via tanker and will do so until his condition merits other possibilities."

"Is it true that Metroplex stayed in his city mode even while experiencing burns to allow residents to leave without harm?"

"Yes," she said blinking back tears. "Metroplex is a hero. He didn't move until everyone was clear. I live in the District and I cannot thank him enough for his love of us. We all owe him a lot of gratitude, love and appreciation."

"His prognosis then?"

"It's good. CMO Ratchet expects a complete recovery. What it will take is a few orns. Metroplex heals better when he's in city mode. His systems can focus on healing his body and not on maintaining his upright posture. We expect our good bot to recover fully."

"Thank you, Gypsy. This is Jacx at the scene with Medical Information Officer, Gypsy. Back to the studio."

The scene cut back to Lim-Lee who continued to report the news. Everyone was asked to stay home. Anyone with a particular skill needed was called to report to the command station in front of the Fortress. Most of the remaining citizens of the city, the 170,000 who still had homes remained inside watching from their windows and looking at their monitors as the devastation continued to unfold.

-0-Emergency earlier

Ratchet had left nearly a joor earlier but not before he had stabilized his genitors and seen to their placement in a recovery ward. Distributing the labor among the doctors on duty, he turned running for the roof and a runabout which would take him to Metroplex who was kneeling and in the process of settling his enormous superstructure onto the ground.

Every Seeker doctor and doctor-in-training flew to the field and gathered around Ratchet as he began to outline the process they would take in getting the big bot back on his platform. Kappa listened as she cradled Metroplex's helm, tears running down her beautiful face as she sat quietly, her anguish enormous and all-encompassing.

"We are going to have to cut the burned armor off but we need to have a few passes by Seekers to drown it and lower the temperature. Right now, its compromised and the possibility of causing him pain taking it off without cooling it is great. Starscream is organizing the overflights and when the temperature of his surface armor is below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, then we can move." A sound caught his attention and he looked up. "Here they come. Everyone move back. **KAPPA! THEY'RE GOING TO DOUSE HIM TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE! YOU MIGHT WANT TO STAND BACK!" **She shook her helm and when the water cascaded down it hit her too.

-0-The Arena

The three soldiers sped to the arena rolling to a stop near the ramp that would take them to their special sitting area. The entire center of the facility was covered with bots lying down, sitting and standing. Some were in real distress, their memories rising up in the flames. Others bore more visible scars of war, handicaps that shown on the outside.

The elderly were grouped there. The two feisty old mechs one of whose name Lennox remembered, Ramcharger were with a tiny femme of what seemed to be an inexplicably advanced age. She was bewildered and they sat with her holding an energon cube as they tried to project confidence for her sake. All around them medics and adult offspring tended to the elders, the babies, the huddled youngling infants and the somber older sub-adult younglings.

All around the arena seats held individuals and family groups. Friends from the same floor and strangers that were only known passing through the lobby of their building huddled together keeping each other cheered up. Mechs walked among them stopping to chat, stopping to collect data to help match up families again, stopping to hand out energon and blankets. It was well in servo.

:This is fragged: Epps said shaking his helm.

The other two nodded.

:Am I the only one who sees a bombing here?: Epps ventured.

The other two shook their helms. :No: Lennox said grimly.

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth

John Fulton listened grimly and nodded. "If there is anything that we can do, Prowl, I hope you know to call upon us."

"Thank you, Colonel. Your discretion is requested," Prowl said, his visage filling the screen.

"You got it," Fulton said. The big winger nodded and the line went dead. Fulton sat a while mulling over the news. "Frag," he said to no one in particular.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Chapter 13**

* * *

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 2

-0-On the scene

Ratchet stood on the thigh of Metroplex looking for the joins. His armor was extraordinary and highly polished. He magnetized his peds to Metroplex's armor to walk over the slightly curved rise. Reaching a place where the schematics signaled a major join, the armor beneath his peds was burned and brittle. The heat required to burn Metroplex's specialized armor was intense. Having transformed into root mode, patches all over his right side and some inside his structure were among the burned sections. Had he remained in city mode, all of them would have been centralized together. The change actually made it easier to remove the ruined parts because they were smaller now.

Kneeling, scanning the area both on the surface and below, Ratchet transformed a digit and began to cut the armor off. Below waiting to catch it, a long line of Seekers stood. The armor would be heavy and large. The bots needed to manage this had to be big. Most of those were fighting the fire.

He cut along the join line and watched it slide back, unhitching itself from the underpinning. Ordinarily, this would be a relatively easy operation but some of it was melted to the undercarriage. It would have to be lasered gently and removed small bit by small bit. It would take a while.

-0-In the bosom of love

They sat on a couch side-by-side. Orion, Praxus and Sunspot sat silently staring at their caregivers. A young couple, mechs who worked in data processing sat on the chairs across from them. No one spoke. Each side watched the other.

"What do we do, Boson?" one asked.

"I don't know, Hardee," he replied.

They sat and each group stared at the other without speaking.

-0-Nearby, one floor up

"Venture!"

The door opened, Miler entering frazzled and upset. Venture sitting on a couch holding a fussy Miracle with three other bots sitting silently next to him looked up. "Miler!"

Miler entered walking to the couch kissing each child, then his bond. "What's happening? Are we under attack?"

"No," Venture said. "There was a pipeline rupture behind the Business Plaza. No one was hurt very much. Tie Down and Ravel were among the injured but it was minor. IntraComm said it was so."

Miler looked at Venture with a shocked expression. "That's terrible. Ratchet must be crazed."

"I can only imagine."

"What about the sparklings? Should we go get them?" Miler asked worriedly.

"That might be a good idea. I can only imagine how they jerryrigged their sitter problem," Venture said.

"I'll go get them, Ven," Miler said rising.

"I'll help you, Grandada," Spirit said getting up. He took Miler's servo and walked out the door with him.

It was silent a moment, then Rambler looked up at Venture. "What's happening, Grandatar? This is not good is it?"

"Don't worry, Rambler. Your atar has everything in order. It is only a matter of time," Venture said.

-0-Downstairs

Miler knocked on the door and peeked inside. "Hello."

The two mechs sitting on chairs looked at him with hopeful expressions. "Hi. We're watching the sparklings."

Miler looked at the infants sitting in a row on the couch, their silence as abnormal as the events outside. He grinned. "I came to take them off your servos."

They glanced at each other in relief and rose. "They were good sparklings. We didn't mind doing it but we don't have experience with babysitting."

"They were nice, Grandada," Sunspot said helpfully. He looked from Miler to the two relieved nervous mechs. "Thank you."

The two mechs grinned. "Thank **you**, Sunspot," they said nearly in unison. They watched as Miler walked over to pluck sparklings up settling them in his arms. Spirit took Sunspot's servo and the group turned smiling. "Thank you for helping Ratchet and Ironhide," Miler said.

They smiled and nodded watching as the little group walked out of the apartment. When they were gone, the pair looked at each other. "They just sat there without making a sound," one said. The other nodded. "It unnerved me. I think we should wait a little bit before going to the Temple for a spark."

The other nodded. "I think so." They turned and walked out closing the door behind them.

-0-Starscream and Prime

They stood on the edge of Metroplex's pad watching as the fire crews battled the blaze. It was shrinking due to lack of fuel and the relentless assault of water, retardant and dirt that was being dropped, shoveled and sprayed at the base of the flames.

"This is suspicious, Prime," Starscream said as he watched.

Prime nodded. "We need to comb through this."

"We have two Seekers that are experts in forensic evaluations of unsafe structures. They also have a very good grasp of what constitutes bomb damage because of it. I offer them to you."

"I accept them," Prime said nodding.

"I will bet you good high grade that a high caste is behind this action," Starscream said.

"I would take it but I think you're probably right," Prime said with a nod.

Inferno walked out of the smoke and darkness pausing before the two. "We have scanned the pipelines underground and they are running on empty. It should die down pretty fast now. We will try to preserve the scene but we have to put out the stream fires and it requires suppressant."

"Try and be careful. We need to know what caused this," Prime replied.

"Oh, I can tell you already. There are blast holes all along the back wall of the Plaza. One of them went off next to the energon transfer station and caused the rupture. Someone either didn't know better than to do that or didn't care. I will bet my reputation on this being a bombing," Inferno said.

"I think I agree with you, Inferno. But keep this to ourselves for now. I don't want anyone to be afraid," Prime said.

Inferno nodded and turned heading back to run the show. They stood watching him until the fires were brought under control.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl stood at the comm station and watched the intell coming in. There were several streams. Three were from the city and one was the early warning system in space that signaled the coming of refugees. They were way off and since they now had space bridges, there was more room to maneuver. Urgency was lessened greatly.

Turning, he listened as several runners gave him updates. Giving them orders, he turned as they took off heading out into the city to ensure that the displaced families would have a place to stay. That was the biggest issue now. All of the halls and open spaces as well as willing citizens who were ready to take mechs and families in were investigated.

By the time the emergency was stood down everyone who was displaced had a temporary place to stay. When Metroplex was once again settled on his pad they would be allowed to go back to see what had happened to their apartments and settle back in. Their belongings couldn't be vetted. The swiftness of his transformation probably ensured that their possessions such as they probably were had been crushed, smashed or bent. That was the one drawback to living inside a sentient being.

-0-At Metroplex

Entire sheets of the big Autobot's armor slid down his body and were gripped by Seekers who stood waiting. They were being stacked on flatbeds to be carted off. Since it was original Cybertronian metallic armor, it wouldn't be discarded. It would be smeltered and used to finish the smaller areas that demanded attention but the rest would be created anew. The formulations of armor on alien planets without proper metals had been difficult and both sides had struggled in the beginning about what to do.

However, Wheeljack and Perceptor along with Ratchet and some of the great metallurgists in the Autobot Army had developed a reformulation of materials and the smelting process that allowed armor to be made that was as strong, flexible and amenable to transformation as their own. It had saved many a bot over the vorns. It would save this one too.

Wheeljack and Perceptor studied the discarded armor measuring it with devices to see what they could gather in the smelting process that could be reused. Most of it was still good. Turning, discussing the process with the Master of Metallurgy who was there to gather the armor and assist in its re-fabrication, they came to a plan together.

Trucks began to rumble off heading slowly to the industrial plant farthest out in the city radius. It was the biggest steel fabrication plant and the only one with the space to handle the panels that would be required to cover Metroplex on his recovery. They would be driving off to the smelters for joors.

-0-Nearby

Sunstreaker and Bluestreak followed by Sideswipe walked into the apartment pausing as they looked at the floor. Orion and Praxus were sitting on Venture's chassis, the two grinning down at their shirt tail relative as he lay flat. They looked up at the twins and smiled. **"LELLO!"** Orion said loudly.

Sunstreaker snorted and looked at Venture. "Sucker."

Venture grinned. "Says you."

Miler walked from the kitchen where he was showing the little mechs a treat he used to make for Prowl as a small youngling. They were stirring something pink in bowls and smiling broadly. "Sunstreaker. Blue and Sideswipe. Where are our babies?" he asked with a smile.

"We know where Prowl gets it," Sunstreaker said pulling the twin-lets out of his chassis. Kaon was also retrieved and all were placed on a couch.

"What do you know about things, Sunstreaker?" Venture asked as Orion pressed his nose structure happily and painfully against the big winger's chassis.

"Not much. They have the fire about under control. Metroplex is getting help. All of us are homeless. Nothing but the usual," Sunstreaker said moving to the window. Below the activity was still brisk and the lights at the arena were on full blast.

"You can stay with us," Rambler said from the kitchen. Sideswipe peered around and grinned. "I get your berth."

Rambler laughed. "You can recharge **with** me," he said with a grin.

"Done deal," Sideswipe said turning to walk back into the room. "We would like you to watch the sparklings. We can help. They're moving refugees and we can carry slag."

"We will," Miler said grinning at Kaon. He bent down and picked him up cuddling him. "Ask us something hard."

"We will," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "We'll be back." With that, the three turned and walked out.

Venture looked up from the floor and smiled. "When are the cookies done?"

"I can help you, Uncle Miler," Sunspot said getting up from the toys he was playing with.

"I sure could use the help, Sunny," Miler said with a grin. The two turned walking into the kitchen and cookies were had later.

-0-At the arena

Mechs walked through the mass of bots looking for particular ones. They were grouping bots with friends and family to thin the herd of homeless individuals. Some of the elderly would be spending their homeless periods in wards in the hospital. They would be given a good safe place to stay and help would be nearby. Nearly 223 of them left with soldiers.

A huge space was opened at the Labor Council Hall in a building underground that served as the meeting and office space for guilds and unions both construction and crafts-oriented. Measures were taken to make a comfortable space for 1,500. There were other spaces being readied elsewhere as they sought to find space for nearly 5,000 individuals.

Ops Center was in talks with the Housing Authority to open spaces in the new construction but that would require fixtures and furniture as well as final electrical wiring for electronics and appliances to be made. Just the furnishing aspect would take longer than the estimation of Metroplex's recovery time.

It was perplexing.

-0-At the scene

"Metroplex, can you near me?"

Giant optics illuminated. "I hear you, Doctor."

"Where do you hurt? **Do** you hurt?" Ratchet asked as he stood near the giant's face.

"I do not feel pain. Thank you for that."

"I am glad, Metroplex. I am going to be removing armor. You will feel tugging, maybe a bit of a twinge here and there but the pain magnitude will be infinitesimal. We are going to be rebuilding your injured areas and putting you back together. We are smelting your replacement armor now."

"Will it be up to combat standards?" he asked.

"It will. We are reusing your old armor and making the durable stuff that we use for everyone in this condition," Ratchet replied patting the bot's cheek.

He nodded. "Thank you." He paused a moment. "Doctor, when can I return to my pad and expect my residents back?"

"I think in three orns. You will be able to transform but some of your systems will be off line waiting for the welds and de-fragging of software to finish. You will be recuperating and we will expect that you take it easy and mind the doctors."

He smiled slightly. "I will."

Ratchet nodded. "Thank you, Metroplex for being an inspiration. I wish you could know how much we admire and love you."

The big bot looked at him. "It is I who love and admire everyone. Children play in my park. Families live in my towers. I have been so lonely for so long. I am happy here. I am sorry that there will be destruction of property inside. I tried to minimize it. I think there will be only so much damage. I miss my residents."

"They miss you too. Don't worry about stuff. Those are things. You let everyone get out safely when it hurt you to do that. You are my hero," Ratchet said.

Metroplex looked at him a moment and then nodded slightly. He off lined his optics and relaxed. Kappa who held his helm looked at Ratchet. "Thank you, Ratchet," she said.

"Thank you, Kappa for finding us. This would not be a Cybertronian city without all of you," Ratchet said. "I will do my best for our boy here."

Kappa nodded. "And he will do his best for all of us."

Ratchet nodded and looked at the big bot lying quietly before them. Then he turned and grabbed a tool kit before beginning his climb to the top of Metroplex's hip where a burned panel was waiting for him.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	14. Chapter 14

NOTE: I wish to thank everyone who lives and breathes who reads this. You are awesome. I am going to be adding pieces right and left because Metroplex wants to go home. Slave driver. :D :D :D A shout out to the following for your comments, suggestions and all around awesomeness: Guest (you little minx(s) you :), Balrog Roike, Kami Count D, Starfire201, panthothenate, hobbitstown, Elita-2, firebird234, jarofhearts, NekONekO, optimusprime101, Kaekokat, Phoenyx Starr, Ninja School Dropout, Maraluch, ancaraiii, Novamyth, lockdownthegunner, Cry4Me, Zeng Xiao Long Sunstar Crystal, leoness, Mia, Nokoken, Sesshykiss13, Skyenha Marisa, Diora-Raven, Le-AwEsOmE-One and everyone who reads this. HUGS to you all. You are wonderful, all of you.

=0=And now, back to the story in progress

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 3

=0=Near Metroplex, behind the Autobot City Business Plaza, Autobot City, Mars

Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, Flint and Starscream stood back watching as Inferno worked in consultation together with the forensics team to examine the blast holes in the highly burned wall. The enormous arc of wall, all of it solid stone was blasted and crumbled both from fire and heat as well as the concussion of the explosions. Very little of the rudimentary bombs still existed. A chemical trace had revealed that they were of the same configuration as the detonators and plastique the sappers used in the quarries and at the energon mines. They left a residue the way nearly all explosives do and the blast pattern was easily comparable to the ones left by mine demolitions.

The ground they stood upon had been scanned and traces of plastique were detected in minute amounts. The soil was blackened and globs of hard crunchy glassy material fused together in the heat crackled under their peds. They scanned, talked, turned and looked, took samples and did their investigation. When it was written up, it would be clear that ten bombs had been pressed against the wall, two of them close enough to Energon Substation 6 to blow the Pit out of everything and everyone in the vicinity.

The security system that had been in place was blown to smithereens but had been adequate enough to record some of the angles needed. It was being scoured by Wheeljack and Perceptor. A report of the damage to individuals had already been forwarded by Gypsy who was information officer for Ratchet and coordinator of the medical report that would be issued. Preliminary indications were that Metroplex was the most injured. The three groups inside the Plaza had scrapes, bumps and Tie Down with a damaged but repairable arm the most injured.

The building itself was another story. Long cracks ran from the back of the transparent ceiling that had begun halfway through the structure to the front indicating the concussion that had swept through the building. The indoor walls and ceilings of shops had saved the lives of all concerned buffering them from the blast as it ripped through and flung the doors open at the front.

The wall in back was in danger of collapse, the steel beams inside the stone walls the only reason the building hadn't fallen. Things kept inside weren't as lucky. Volatile liquids and solids used by the city and various construction groups were stored in vaults in the half million square feet that had been set aside for municipal use. There were also storage spaces for antiques, artifacts and other irreplaceables for the Museum. Large shelves were also set aside for personal belongings of individuals who had valuable artifacts and acquisitions that would benefit the city, yet had no space in their apartments. There was also extra servers placed there to take the daily data output of the city for analysis and download to other computers including the massive set up under Ops Center for Teletraan III.

All of that had been damaged. The volatile fluids and solids had ruptured in containment vessels inside their vaults exploding outward causing concussive damage. Crafts Guilds and other experts were already volunteering to examine things to begin the tedious hopeful process of restoration. Ash and liquids dripped and filtered out of the gaping wound on the building. Ash puffed with each pedfall. When the team finished discussing their conclusions, bagging everything they had collected, they turned and walked to Prime and his group, a tall Seeker named Cirrius speaking for them.

"We have collected samples, sir, that we found on the site. There isn't much left from the explosion but we have found residue that indicates plastique explosive and detonators that are in keeping with those used in our quarries and mines. They were placed at equal distance apart, spaced to create more havoc than whoever did this might have sought. We are of the opinion that given the amateurish quality of the bombs that this is someone making a point.

"Given that they were the most simple constructions possible, we believe that the intent was not destroying this building completely but making a statement. The two that were closest to the energon substation were in our opinion placed by an amateur that didn't know what he was going to be starting. We have samples that we will give to Wheeljack and Perceptor. They detail the device and will allow us to track the materials to the exact batch of elements used to make it.

"The building is at this moment unsound and until it's braced we would not recommend anyone going inside to retrieve things. The chemicals and solids that the city stored inside blew up when the first concussion hit them. Because they were contained themselves, their force of destruction was less than it would have been on open shelves. The servers inside are destroyed. The vaults containing the inventory of artifacts and objects for the Museum are compromised. That material will need expert handling if it is to be restored.

"Structurally, the part of the building less affected by the blast is sound. We suggest that a structural analysis be given the entire site. The shock of the blast blew the doors open in the front. We also agree that without the strength of the building design creating completely individualized stores and shops, the blast would have killed the mechs that were there when it went off. We will prepare a full report and forward it to you if you wish."

"I do, Cirrius," Prime said. "Thank you, all of you."

They nodded and turned walking to where Wheeljack and Perceptor stood taking measurements of their own. Prime watched them a moment then looked at Starscream. "We have a bomber among us. We need to check the security tapes." He turned and watched as Ironhide and Flint walked across the broken surface of Metroplex's pad toward them.

"Prime, what's the word?" Ironhide asked as they paused with the group.

"We have a bomber," Prime said.

"Did the security cameras catch anything?" Ironhide asked.

"Perceptor and Wheeljack are checking now," Prime said.

"How is Metroplex?" Flint asked.

"I don't know. Let's go find out," Prime said turning. They walked together toward the area beyond that was open space. Metroplex was lying on his side with a swarm of technicians, doctors and electrical engineers climbing over him. Others were standing below waiting to go up as some were coming down. It reminded him of a book Prime had seen on Ramblers' reading list, 'Gulliver's Travels'. Stopping near a pallet of parts and devices that were waiting to be installed, they looked up. "Ratchet," Ironhide called out.

After a moment, Ratchet looked down. "Ironhide."

"Come down here, mech," Ironhide called out.

Ratchet grinned and turned calling out to someone to do something they could barely hear over the sound of welding and drilling that was going on above them. Then he turned and began to climb down dropping down onto the dirt with a thud. "What?" he asked with a grin.

"How is he?" Prime asked. Beyond them gathered around Metroplex, Kappa, Xantium, Gamma and Zeta stood watching with concern. Walking toward them with Silverbolt, a solemn Omega appeared. He paused with the others and they looked at Metroplex who was lying quietly, his optics off lined.

"We have removed all the damage. Some of it had to be cut off. Metroplex stayed to make sure everyone was safely out before leaving. That caused burns. He was burning when he was waiting. I cut his pain receptors. We have removed all his ruin and now are replacing it with not only new stuff but upgrades. It's going to take two more orns but we should be done by then. The longest part of this is getting his armor plating from the foundries. It will be a quick install when it comes but waiting will be the part that's hard. I would like him up and back on site as soon as possible. He will heal better in city mode because his systems will be focused on repair rather than maintaining his stature."

Jetta made his way around the pallets filled with parts and came to stop in front of Prime. "I was just told that the forensic investigation is over. We can begin rebuilding Metroplex's pad now if you order it, Optimus."

"I do," Prime said nodding. "Can you give me an overview?"

"We have to excavate the pipelines and remove them. We will replace all of it with harder materials and insulate it so that if there is a burn or blow, it will help suppress any fire. We have to take the saturated earth out and burn it in the kilns at the brick plant. The energon is a contaminate. Once that is replaced, we can rebuild the pad itself. We have the proper grade soil and gravel found in the foothills near Aerie Hill. We will truck it in and stockpile it to utilize once we move this bad stuff out. We won't hook up the feed lines from the energon mainline until he sits again and we can do it without haste. We want to make sure that the infrastructure is up to it."

Prime nodded. "What is the time line?"

"Give us two orns. Then we can seat him again. We're rebuilding the foot to his specifications once more. We also want to allow the borders to be groomed and the streets and highways to mesh more properly than before. We have a new type of asphalt to use here that is stronger yet has the ability to stretch."

"Thank you, Jetta. I will leave it to you. If you need anything, let us know," Prime said. The handsome black and red bot nodded and turned hurrying off to make it so. Prime watched him go then turned to Ratchet. "Is he awake and lucid?"

"He is. He's resting. He doesn't feel anything we're doing and I'm going to make sure he reintegrates all his structure before turning his sensors back on again," Ratchet said.

"Good. Thank you, Ratchet. I would suggest that you pass this off when you can," Prime said. "What do you have? A decaorn or less to go?"

"Seventeen orns," Ratchet said.

"Don't overdue," Prime said rather fatherly.

Ratchet grinned. "Yes, dad."

They snorted at each other and grinned. Turning, walking toward Metroplex's face, he paused before the enormous bot. Looking up, he nodded to the others. "How is he, Kappa?"

"Much better, thank you, Prime. He is not in pain and he's resting," Kappa said with her intense yet delicate voice.

"I'm glad. I won't awaken him then," Prime said as he started to turn to leave.

"Prime," Metroplex said his optics coming online.

"Metroplex. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I'm resting my optics," he said in his deep masculine voice.

"I am sorry, Metroplex that this happened to you," Prime said with a spark-felt tone.

"It was not your fault, Prime."

"Did you see anything that would help us find out who did this?"

Metroplex was silent a moment. "I reviewed my data. I did not see anything that direction but I wasn't looking I'm afraid. I was watching children in the park. I am sorry, Prime."

Prime nodded. "Given a choice, I would choose the children too."

Metroplex grinned slightly. "They are wonderful. I look forward to hearing and seeing my residents again. I miss their company."

"They miss you too. They are waiting for you. I want you to not hurry back. You must be well, Metroplex. All of your residents are housed for now. They all want you to be well," Prime said.

He nodded slightly. "I will do my best."

"You sat in a fire burning and being hurt while everyone was evacuated. You were a hero, Metroplex. You always do your best," Prime said as the others nodded.

He opened his optics and looked at Prime. "I am happy here. I was so lonely. I was alone for so long because of the task I was given ... the one I told you about when I first came. When I heard you call I came without hesitation. I do not want to be alone again. I missed my siblings. I missed the company of my Autobots and our people. I am contented here. I am honored to serve you again, Prime."

Prime reached over and patted Metroplex's face. "We are so glad you are here. It didn't seem like home without you and your siblings. We will take care of you now. Just rest and come back to us well."

Metroplex nodded and closed his optics. Prime looked at Kappa and the others, then nodded. He turned and walked back to the pad where he got the final word on the plan to re-seat the giant Autobot once more.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Chapter 15**

* * *

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 5

=0=Nearby

They stood on their segways watching the situation. The soldiers had allowed them to come to the site when the fires were put out. Black burnt soil stretched out across the gigantic expansion of Metroplex's footprint. Holes where lines and conduits were placed gaped open, their darkened soil smudged with copious amounts of still blue energon. The fire crews were doing the mopping up and piles of burned soil, bits and pieces of the stone wall that had been expelled by the blasts and other debris were being removed and piled up for hauling away.

Inferno who was running the show had paused long enough to give some guarded information about the situation. There was an explosion and energon lines had ruptured. It required the evacuation of the Metroplex District and temporary resettlement of the residents elsewhere. Metroplex had refrained from transforming until everyone was out, thereby accruing burns to his person that were being treated. They would rebuild his pad, he would return when he could and his residents would be home as soon as possible. Then he left to help with the clean up.

They stared across Metroplex's flat footprint and watched as techs, medics and others worked on the enormous prone figure of the giant. Other giants sat and stood around him, their grim faces telling the tale. The sky overhead seemed gray and the atmosphere of the city low. Epps stepped on it puttering toward Metroplex, the other soldiers behind him. The scientists after glancing at each other sped off to catch up.

-0-Around the city

"There was an explosion. My bond laid that infrastructure for Metroplex. It was perfect. Metroplex requires and deserves perfect. There wasn't a flaw. Something happened."

"Do you think someone blew it up?"

"I don't know. I just know my bond is an exacting mech. It was laid down correctly."

-0-City Hall in Exile, Labor Council Hall, Industrial Park 1

Ultra Magnus stood with Jetta at a schematic drawing table as they went over the rebuild for Metroplex. All of the ruined debris and piping would be removed before the noon hour. The electronic infrastructure would take more time. They expected it completed and ready for the critical circuitry and other installations around dark. They were using different alloys in the fabrication of the conduits making them fireproof and stronger. They would be a test of Wheeljack and Perceptor's genius.

"When can he move back to his platform, Jetta?" Magnus asked his right processor mech.

That bot thought a moment and looked at Magnus. "We can have the platform ready by mid afternoon tomorrow. We want everything to be plug and go. Before, we had his automatic systems help us but we can't be sure this time. Ratchet told me that they will be occupied with his recovery for about six or seven orns. This makes it a manual join."

Magnus nodded. "Take who you need. Talk to Reef at the mustering hall. He will know who is expert at this sort of reintegration project."

"Already did," Jetta said with a grin. "He has the teams in place."

Magnus nodded as he stared at the schematics. "Good. Good work, Jetta."

-0-Nearby

He stared at the data and considered the short term plan ahead. They had arrived at the point where a trip through the Trigger was at hand. A swift meet up in the Expansion with an assessment of the situation was on the books. So was the film of the soldiers, some science tradeoffs with Earth, the traitor in Sector 7 and a new migration. The Business Plaza wasn't the only thing blown to the Pit.

Their plate was never empty but this felt excessively full. Turning, he began to organize the possibilities. The Trigger had to be addressed. The Expansion was on Prime's mind constantly. He was clear that the individuals there were Cybertronians. The omens and meditations were clear. Prowl sat and began to formulate the next few orns, what would occur and when. They had a lot of things to do and on top of it all, they were also searching for an bomber.

-0-Metroplex

He climbed down from the big bot walking to where his face lay cradled in the lap of Kappa. Looking up at her, he smiled. "You have been here for a while, Kappa. You might want to trade duties."

"I don't mind, Ratchet," she said, her voice as feminine as her stature was intimidating. "How is he?"

"He is coming along fine. The replacement of damage is ahead of schedule. We have our best bots on this. By tomorrow morning he will be fit again. The part that is going to take a bit of time is his replacement armor."

"It will be up to his standards? He sets a very high standard for his armor, Ratchet. He does not shirk his place in battle and few of us can handle such enemies as Trypticon."

"I know. I don't know anyone who can handle Trypticon and I hope I never have to see it," he said nodding. "His armor is at or exceeds his specifications."

"I am glad," she said nodding. "Thank you."

"It is my honor."

"He misses his residents. He expresses all the time the contentment he feels being here and having such a peaceful life after all that we have been through," she said.

Ratchet nodded. "My sons and grandsparklings live in one of his towers. I know how much they miss their home. There are few who aren't going to be happy about being home again with him." He grinned and nodded, turning to walk across the empty pad currently being inlaid with infrastructure designed to help him function in city mode. Spotting the humans watching nearby, he walked over to them and knelt. :Hello, Niall. Boys: He looked at the others. :Hello massed scientists of Earth:

There were chuckles and smiles. Then Sheila Conroy moved closer. :Ratchet, how is Metroplex?:

:He will recover just fine. He's the toughest Autobot of them all, bar none,: Ratchet said with a grin. :He's also one of the two largest Cybertronians that exist who function in the real world:

:He's about a half mile tall isn't he?: she asked.

:Just a bit taller than that. He is a Guardian and they don't tend to be small. But among them, he is the King Kong:

Epps snorted. :When will he be back in business?:

:He will be able to seat himself in a day or so, then recovery will take longer but he's in good shape for a bot his age and I don't expect problems:

:"Where are Sunstreaker and the trine staying?: Lennox asked with a grin.

"I heard they were camping at Prime's house: Ratchet said with a chuckle. :That should be fun:

:Where are your sparklings?:

:Sparklings? Do I have sparklings?: he asked with a huge grin.

They chuckled. :I hear you have a femme in the pipeline: Lennox said with a grin. :When?:

Ratchet looked at him for a moment. Pausing to troubleshoot the question with Prime and Ironhide, they came to consensus:

Prime- "Up to you, Ratchet." ...

Ironhide- **"WHAT THE FRAG!? NO!? SLAG THEM! THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW *SLAG*, THE FRAGGERS! NO!"**

Ratchet smiled and leaned closer. :Less than seventeen orns:

:Damn. We'll still be here. Will you do the ceremony? The city is a bit bigger than usual: Niall said with a grin.

:Same as usual: Ratchet stood up and grinned down at the little crew. :I will talk to you later: With that, he turned and ambled onward heading for Prime's house and the World of Sparklings (tm) that had taken up residence there.

The humans watched him go, then the scientists turned as one toward the humans. :What ceremony?: they said almost in unison.

-0-The Prime Residence

He stuck his helm inside the door and grinned. "Well, isn't this cute. They didn't give you too much trouble did they?"

Miler who was holding the femmes in his lap grinned. "We're used to difficult sparklings, Ratchet. We raised Prowl."

"I would love to hear those stories. It really helps a spark to unburden themselves to a sympathetic audial and I promise not to record a single word. Maybe," Ratchet said with a big smile.

Hilarity ensued.

Half a dozen sparklings turned and looked up at the door. Several of them burst into tears and held up their arms. Chuckling, Ratchet walked in picking up Orion and Praxus. They clung to him as he walked to sit on a chair. "Thank you, Miler and Venture for looking after the hoodlums. They aren't easy."

"They were good. We played, ate cookies and made a lot of noise," Miler said as he sat with a femme. Venture sitting nearby held Iacon. "The other mechs are playing around here somewhere."

"Thank you," Ratchet said as the sparklings patted his face to get his attention. "What?" he asked.

**"ADA!"** Praxus said. Then he burst into tears.

Orion looked at him and then Ratchet. **"ADA! PAX?"**

"Yes, Pax is a crybaby," Ratchet said with a smile. Orion grinned madly and lay against Ratchet's chassis as his ada comforted Praxus against his cheek. "They are such a bunch of hoodlums."

"I find them fun. They remind me of Prowl before he changed his tactics," Miler said.

"Tactics?" Ratchet asked with surprise.

"He was a bouncy sparkling, running and playing. Then we began to mold him how we were molded because we didn't know any better." Miler rolled his optics. "I can't believe we could be so stupid as to try to quash our sparkling's spirit like that. Anyway," he said venting a sigh, "he got smarter than us, learning how to challenge and leave us in the dust. He was designed to be intensely smart and he was a fast learner."

Ratchet nodded. "I can see how that might have been a problem."

"He always in the end went his own way. He would be resilient in his opposition and we didn't know what to do about it. He went to University but he wouldn't take physics and math like we wanted for him. He became all of that and more but he worked as a policemech.

"I remember being angry but in some parts of my processor I was proud of him. He went out and took hold of his life. He was tough, our Prowl. I wish I had said so much earlier in his life that I was proud of him. He was such a brick wall that it took the Diaspora to come to my truths about him and about us. This life we lead is a blessing and shouldn't be ours. But it is and I am on my knees in gratitude," Venture said. "This life is a blessing."

"I think so too. Who would have thought that we could have our families back. There are so many who have including me and there are more coming. I got the heads up that a new migration is heading this way and its huge. Then there is the group in the Expansion that Optimus believes is ours. This life is getting to be exciting."

"The bombing. It was a bombing wasn't it," Miler asked with concern.

Ratchet nodded. "Someone making a statement. Optimus will find them. This city is more secure now than it was before. I miss having Metroplex there. It will be a good thing when he's back."

Venture nodded. "I know."

"Your office is in his city administration sector isn't it," Ratchet asked.

He nodded and grinned. "I can't wait to see the wreckage."

"He has the capacity to transform and minimize the damage inside of himself because he is designed to be a city residence mechanism. I hope and expect that there will be less damage than you think," Ratchet said.

"I hope you're right. I left my personal computing device in there," Venture said.

"Your left processor," Miler said with a grin.

He nodded. "I also have a lot of pictures and video of the younglings and Miracle on it."

"That's why I store them inside my personal databases," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Point taken," Venture replied with a grin.

-0-Outside

The lights overhead came on and the ones brought in from the mines illuminated the area as they worked. Digging up tons of earth, they transported it out. It would be taken to the brick factory where it would be burned. Toxic waste ended up there to keep the precincts of the city pristine. Large piles of culverts waited insertion into the ground connecting the gigantic mechanism resting nearby with his life support system below ground.

Jetta stood nearby with Elita-1 sipping energon as they watched the process. It was getting dark outside but the progress was doing well. The debris and soil had been cleared. The heavy digging andinfrastructure building was underway.

"How long are you going to be here?" Elita asked.

"Probably all night," Jetta said. "I think I want to see how this goes. They might need some revisions or something."

"You hate not being present at things don't you," she asked with a grin.

He looked at her and shrugged. "I'm hopeless and you knew that going in."

"I did," she said with a chuckle. "I'll keep you company."

"Good," he said. They stood together in the spotlights and watched as the pad began to take shape.

-0-That evening

They walked to the residence together riding up the elevator alone. "Then we're in agreement on the agenda?" Prowl asked looking at his ubiquitous datapad.

"I think so," Prime said leaning wearily back against the wall. "I will be glad to hear from Wheeljack and Perceptor on the tapes."

Prowl nodded. "I agree. When we get the bomber we can assess threat more fully. I don't know whether this is a single individual or a group but I would lay real shanix on betting that it was done by a high caste."

"I wouldn't take the bet. We have to do something about that and make it clear that the system is over. I think a convocation is in order at some point."

"I think you're right," Prowl said as the elevator stopped. They stepped out and walked to the big doors of their apartment. Entering, they paused. Infants were everywhere, younglings either playing with them or with each other. Nearby reading the local newspaper, 'The Autobot City Daily News' on a datapad, Venture looked up. "Hi."

"Hi," Prowl said moving in to scoop up Iacon. He cuddled her then turned to his father. "You have a few extra infants I can see."

"Yes. Isn't it glorious?" Venture replied as Miler leaned around the corner with a smile.

"Won't get an argument with me," Optimus said scooping up Uraya.

-0-In a hospital ward

"How do you feel?"

"I feel good, Ratchet. My helm doesn't hurt now."

"I'm glad, Atar. How does your arm feel?"

"It's a bit sore. How is the store?" Tie Down asked.

"I haven't been inside yet but the front of the Plaza is in good shape. The back is full of holes," Ratchet replied.

"Who would do such a thing, son?" Ravel asked with a worried expression.

Ratchet took Ravel's servo, one that had only known hardship and work until now. He squeezed it, the servo that had given him love all his life. "I don't know, Ada but don't worry. Ironhide and Prime are on the trail."

"Then it will be alright," Tie Down said turning to look at his bond. "Don't worry, Ravie. Our Ironhide will find this mech."

Ratchet just sat and grinned.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	16. Chapter 16

NOTE: Sorry this was posted late. I took a nap. :D

=0=And now, back to the story in progress

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 6

=0=That night, Night Watch, Autobot City, Mars

They walked their beats, all of them 'tenderized' to the notion that their city had a destructive force living in its precincts. A bomber had almost destroyed half the city with their attempt. That unknown had almost done what Megatron and Trypticon had never accomplished, kill the mighty Metroplex. That had been startling and the effort to ensure a repeat didn't happen was first and foremost on everyone's mind. Only the most preliminary information had been released outside of the investigation itself. There had been a rupture in the energon lines under the Metroplex District conduit system. That part was true. The rest was held under wraps as to not compromise the investigation.

The evening was quiet now that major excavation and removal of debris had been completed. Welders and other techs swarmed over the huge pad as culverts were rolled into place, their lines sealed with immense care. This was no ordinary construction project ongoing. It was the lifeline of their greatest soldier. It had to be perfect.

Again.

-0-Around the city

He stood at the window staring at the highly illuminated deeply depressing site where Metroplex had settled. It was empty now but for the construction that would allow reattachment of support and reassembling of residents back into their lives. He had studied intell all day and was awaiting the analysis of the deeply damaged images pulled from what was left of the server that had been first stop on all security data from that part of the city. It had been clobbered by a flying stone and the heat of the fire had melted half of it. Only a couple of scraps of data had been saved leaving Wheeljack and Perceptor to slice and dice it down to the last possible pixel.

He had managed information sent to IntraComm. No one was to know about this as a bombing yet. The population had too much of that already and their sense of peace and security mattered. The experts would sift through the debris and in the end they would find their mech.

Or femme.

He turned and looked at the table in their apartment. It was piled with disks that he was 'borrowing' from Earth to add to the rotation on the show and the music programs that were highly popular in the city. He would sit and do that until Mirage got off shift, then they would go out to the club for a late night drink and dance.

Jazz walked to the table and began to pirate music for his listeners.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ratchet entered the apartment and grinned. "Where are the hoodlums?"

"In their berths," Ironhide said as he patted the arm of the chair next to his. Ratchet walked over and sat. They grinned at each other. "How are the genitors?"

"Doing well," Ratchet replied. "Atar will need a touch up on his arm."

"Sunstreaker will take care of it. By the way, the twins are crashing at the studio. Blue and the babies will be at Prime's house," Ironhide said.

"That's good. I was there earlier this afternoon. Miler and Venture are champions. They took all the sparklings on as well as the younglings."

Ironhide nodded. "That's a lot of younglings. How do you feel?"

"I feel good," Ratchet said. He squeezed Ironhide's servo. "Less than seventeen orns."

Ironhide nodded. "The early intell says we're going to test the Trigger in the next two orns. I may be going. I will probably be going."

Ratchet nodded. "Well, that will be in the ballpark of Metroplex's recovery. I expect him to be ready for the re-seat about dark tomorrow."

"That's good. The city needs to get back to normal. His residents are champing at the bit."

Ratchet nodded. "Where's Flint?"

"He's out with friends. He ran into someone he knew from the old neighborhood. He'll be back later," Ironhide said.

"That's good. I wonder if they're bonded," Ratchet mused.

Ironhide shot him a severe optic. "Is there no possible chance for you to be normal?"

Ratchet looked at him and shrugged. "Nope."

Ironhide grinned in spite of himself.

-0-At the Temple

He walked in looking around the big open space that greeted everyone who came to the Temple. There were a number of mechs in the place, all of them sitting or standing here and there. They were meditating in the silence, the soft energy of the relics below suffusing the space with warmth and peace.

He continued onward down the wide terraced steps until he reached the bottom. Turning and bowing to the AllSpark, he looked around. The priests were there, two of them looking at a protoform held by the mechs who were seeking a spark. It lay in a velvet lined box and was the format of a tiny mech. He listened and watched discreetly.

"We will be here just before you come in. Gypsy will send a member of her team to oversee and take you to the hospital in the Medical Tower to check the infant and to help you with the first few orns. There are also a number of things that you will be given to support your infant."

They nodded listening with intensity to the priests as they outlined the process of their sparking. The AllSpark would be asked, then it would be up to the artifact to access the Matrix for a new perfect infant. As the conversation continued, he saw the one he wanted. Moving around the small conference, giving them privacy for their great expectation, Copperton walked swiftly toward the room that contained the Matrix Flame. He stepped inside and bowed to the artifact. The mech he followed turned and paused. "Copperton."

"Gravitas. I would like to speak with you," Copperton said.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They sat together compiling the intell, checking it against the schedule to work out the details of the next few orns.

-0-Hollywood, California

"I just got off the phone with Warren Roberts. The trip is put on hold for a few because of something going on at Autobot City."

"What?" Jack Melcher asked.

"He didn't say. He said it would only take a couple of days but it can't be helped. He said that the Autobots have final say."

"This sucks," Melcher said sitting back in his chair. The documents and plans laying on the desk in front of him signaled the effort made to design a step for every possibility. "Will he call us? I'm packed."

"He will. We just have to wait."

"Oh great," Melcher said.

-0- At the studio

They entered and threw down their gear on the floor near the front window. They had just left the in-laws and were here to spend the night. The sparklings were going to be nestled in the makeshift berths that would be their lot for now with Kaon sharing with Miracle. Miler and Venture would stay with Optimus and Granny until their apartment in Vos Tower was back online. The Granny remark had led to an avalanche of comedy and retorts before they were nearly chased out of the Residence. Bluestreak would stay with Optimus and Prowl to get the infants to school in the morning. There were plenty of couches in the huge space.

Sideswipe paused by the window and looked out at the lighted area where Metroplex and their family by extension lived. "I'll be glad when Metroplex is back and we can go home."

"I wonder how much slag was broken," Sunstreaker said nodding as he walked over and stood by his brother.

"Ratchet said he's capable of not breaking things when he transforms because he's a bot designed to be a residence mechanism."

"I hope so," Sunstreaker said. "I don't want Kaon and the girl's stuff to be broken or messed up."

Sideswipe nodded. "Metroplex has bearings."

"He does," Sunstreaker said. "Big ones."

They stood watching the activity beyond, then as one turned and walked to the door to the great outside. They would stand and watch, occasionally helping as the work crews went through the incredibly complex task of getting a bot the size of a city hooked back up to his life support systems.

-0-Later that night

He crept in and made his way to his berthroom. He had spent the evening in Club Cybertron trading stories with old friends who were from the old neighborhood. That is, the neighborhood where he was stationed in Capital City back in the orn. It had been wonderful and the atmosphere had reminded him of Maccadam's Old Oil House. That worthy bot and his worthy bar were fond memories.

He walked into his room and paused staring out the window. His soldiers were scattered around the city making their way and rebuilding lives. He himself would be a soldier keeping to his chosen profession. It was what his family did. Turning, stretching out on his berth, he drifted into recharge.

Outside, the city crept that much closer to normalcy again.

-0-In the habitat

"So Ratchet will be separating a sparkling in seventeen days," Sheila said as she sat with Niall Graham.

"He will," Niall said.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I don't know. We've never seen it. We just see the end product, the sparkling," Niall replied.

"Do you think Ratchet would let one of us watch?" another asked.

He looked at them. "I don't know. I would think that would fall into the area of taboo and frankly, I'm not sure I would want to watch."

"Your wife is a doctor," Robert Epps said with a smirk. "Don't tell me you're getting squeamish."

"Why don't you ask? Ask Ratchet to see if you can watch," Graham asked. He grinned and rose walking to the coffee pot for more.

"All of their interesting stuff is taboo and off limits. I would love to go into the Temple," Sheila said with a grin. "They are the most fascinating folks I've ever seen or heard of before."

"You can say that again," another said.

The hatch opened and four more scientists entered. They sat and chatted about their trip to Ceres. It almost seemed like a normal thing to do.

For humans living among aliens in their colony on Mars.

-0-The next day

The sun broke the horizon, long shadows falling across the ground signaling the start of another day. The pace of the city began to gather as individuals and families arose to go through the familiar motions of their morning. The Night Watch crews headed toward their stations and substations to exchange duties with the Day crews. Passing bots heading for home, food or jobs, they crossed the city as they closed the circuit on their beats.

In apartments all over the city, bots dragged themselves out of bed, went about breakfast and got their infants together for school. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe lay sprawled on couches in the studio, the sunlight filtering through the windows. They didn't wake up. They slept on. The night had been spent chatting with Jetta on the site. They had also walked on the beat with Drift and Springer before pausing once more at the site of their home. When they finally went to the studio for recharge, the night was nearly over.

-0-At the Residence

Bluestreak sat with the three sparklings arrayed on the dining room table before him. He was spooning energon baby food into their mouths. One after another, they opened their little mouths and took their breakfast. Rambler, T-Bar and Spirit sat on other chairs watching. Miler had Miracle and was in the kitchen getting his breakfast ready.

"Do you do this every morning, Blue?" Spirit asked as he drank his breakfast.

"I do. Sometimes Sunstreaker will do it. Sideswipe usually cleans things up. We all work together," Blue said with a grin.

Prowl walked in with his cup followed by Optimus. They sat and watched the tiny infants as they tweeted and smiled. Turning, smiling at her grandatar, Iacon held out her arms. Optimus put his cup down and picked her up. Kissing her cheek, he held her in his servo, sliding his arm over when it was her turn to take a spoonful. It was a peaceful contented morning.

-0-In the bosom of love

**"PRAXUS."**

A squeeing infant stopped nearly toppling over. Peering around the corner of the master berthroom, Ironhide impaled him with an optic. "Come here."

Praxus stood looking from Ratchet to Uncle Flint, then his atar. His smile faded as he stood uncertainly clutching his servos together. Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "You wilted the sparkling."

"I'm going to pat his butt if he doesn't come here," Ironhide said stepping out and scooping Praxus up. "Come on, little mech. Time to empty your trap door." He disappeared back into the berthroom. A second later wailing began.

Flint who was watching looked at Ratchet and grinned. "This is like deja vu all over again."

"He was a pill too?" Ratchet asked as Orion walked over and tried to climb up. Ratchet put him on his lap.

"He was," Flint said with a grin.

Praxus ran out straight for Ratchet gripping his ada's leg as he stared up at his old dad, a look of tearful defiance on his face. "Ada. Bad atar. Me, good."

"You've been talking to your brother again haven't you," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Ironhide came around the corner and looked at Ratchet with two sparklings staring back at him. "Your turn, Orion. Don't give me trouble." He walked over, plucked the little black bot up and disappeared into the berthroom once more. Wailing commenced loudly.

Ratchet looked at Flint and grinned. "Makes you want one doesn't it."

"No," Flint said with a chuckle.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Chapter 17**

* * *

NOTE: Thank goodness for good optics among the readership finding the boo-boos. I was half asleep editing that last part before posting last night. Bless the readers! LOL!

=0=Here we go...

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 7

-0-In the bosom of love

"What the frag is that?"

"I got it at The Infant Center, Ironhide. Grab Orion and put it on him."

(Walk. Glom. Grab. Grip.) "What now?"

"Put the rig on him."

(Grip. Slip. Snap.) Tiny blues stared into big blues, the two giving each other the stink optic. **"ATAR!? WHAT ME?"**

"Ask your Ada."

(Severe optic shot at both from Ada brings them both into submission) "Ironhide, put him down and slip knot Praxus."

(Severe obedience follows as one botlet sets down and another achieves liftoff) (Grip. Slip. Snap) "There. You both look ... interesting. What the frag is this supposed to do, Ratchet?"

"Those are harnesses and these are leashes," Ratchet said holding up two long leads. "You clip it on their harnesses and they can't get away, rather like you and our bond." Ratchet stood with a dazzling smile and two leashes.

Ironhide looked down at his two rather dapper botlets and up at Ratchet again. "Why do they need leashes, Ratchet?"

"Because, Only One, these two are going to start earning their keep. They are going to walk to school."

It was silent a moment, then Ironhide almost sniffled. "I can carry them."

Ratchet shocked for a moment grinned. "You can. When they get tired."

Ironhide stood looking at Ratchet silently his angst writ large.

"They will get tired. They will need their old dad's guidance and strength a long time, Ironhide."

He nodded and looked down at the two. "When you get tired, tell me."

They looked up at him, then each other. Then they began to explore their harnesses and bellybuttons. Ratchet grinned. Ironhide shook his helm. Flint smirked. Sunspot stared at them. "Purple is a Decepticon color, Ada."

Everyone looked at the earnest little bot who was staring at the infants. "Oh. I will look for other colors. They were just the prettiest colors in and they didn't have a large choice."

"It's alright," Sunspot said looking up with a smile. "I like purple."

Ratchet snorted and grinned. "I like little botlets that like purple. Are you ready to roll?"

He nodded and patted his book bag. "I am."

Ratchet stepped forward and hooked up the botlets. Handing the lines to Ironhide, he headed for the door. Pausing, looking back, he smirked. "Last one to the elevator is a rotten targ." Then he stepped out. The dash would be intense but Ironhide would be the one wandering in last with two little bots enjoying their first taste of (semi)freedom of their short statured lives.

-0-On the way

Ratchet walked alongside Flint as they meandered toward the school tower nearby. Behind them, a leash in each servo Ironhide held his infants in check as they toddled along fascinated with every rock, lump of dirt or passing creature they met. The image was hilarious Ratchet thought as he peered over his shoulder. A giant Autobot with a fierce visage was following along behind two very tiny bots who were his image. That one of them, bar his three shiny yellow bands was his twin was funny enough. That the other one was a Ironhide double also bearing his ada's paint scheme was doubly so.

Bots passing by smiled at the tiny walkers who paused and looked up smiling back. Praxus ever the sweetnatured baby held his arms up to everyone who paused to exclaim over them. He had never known a bad orn and he acted accordingly. Orion staring at the cobblestones that made the path paused here and there to try to pry one up. Putting down a dollie, working hard on a stone, he paused and looked up. **"ATAR!?"**

Ironhide who was enjoying himself to a ridiculous degree shrugged. "Nope."

Orion would look from his atar to the stone to his brother and then walk on dollie in servo. It took a very long time to reach the front door of the school building before they were scooped up and carried inside.

Flint walked into the elevator with his nephews and rode upward. Stepping off, setting the infants down, he followed them with a big grin as they wandered in the general direction of their line. Standing in line himself, Han watched them coming. Frowning strongly, he gripped his dollie and waited.

Orion looked at the walls, floor, ceiling, the bot next to him and his brother. Staring at Praxus, he walked into someone's leg and tipped over falling on his back. Looking down, Revo blinked. He leaned down to help Orion stand up. The little bot looked at him and smiled ginormously. Revo smiled back. "Sorry, baby."

Han was watching and frowned. Walking closer to his atar, he hugged the big bot's leg and frowned at Orion. That little bot looked at Han and frowned too. **"HAN!"**

Everyone stopped and stared down as two tiny bots squared off. Han looked up at his atar who looked down at him with a quizzical expression. Then Han stepped forward and slapped at Orion. His tiny servo bounced off Orion's nose structure, such as it was. Orion blinked and stepped forward slapping at Han. Connecting with Han's nose, he stepped back and looked around uncertainly. Various adas and atars watched in horror, then moved to intervene.

"Don't."

They paused and looked at Flint. "Let them settle it here," he said quietly.

The two infants looked at their genitors for an uncertain moment, then each other. Identical frowns formed on equally adorable faces and they waded into each other. Orion walked to Han and slapped at his face. He missed and Han blinked surprised. He swung his fist at Orion and connected, his tiny servo bouncing off Orion's cheek.

Backing up slightly, rubbing his cheek, Orion frowned deeper. **"HAN! HAN BAD!"** He walked forward and planted a hard one on Han's belly. They stood looking at each other, then dollies hit the ground. Both gripped each other and shoved back and forth. **"HAN BAD! ORION ME!"**

Han shoved hard and backwards they went. **"BAD! YOU BAD!"** Han said, his first words ever. His astonished genitors stared down at the tiniest, most short-statured titanic battle of the millennium they had ever observed. Their little bot's first words weren't ada or atar. They were throwdown taunts in a micro statured brawl in the lobby of their school.

It wasn't exactly what they had hoped for.

Ironhide on the other hand stood rooted to the floor mentally sending battle directions to his little pugilist. Ratchet shifting from ped to ped in utter dismay was silent. Flint knelt watching to make sure they didn't hurt each other and waited for the little brawl to end.

"**BAD! YOU! NO!"** Orion hollered as they staggered around, each of them clamped onto the other. Han added his own loud commentary as they waxed and waned over the floor.

The other genitors had gathered to watch, their sparklings staring at the two with solemn expressions. Laret, Roto, Neo and Herling stood behind Flint watching with doubtful expressions. The only sound heard was the shouting of the tiny bots shoving each other back and forth.

Orion connected his servo against Han's face. The slap could be heard. Ratchet winced. Ironhide nearly passed out. Flint tensed to intervene as Han's balled fist connected with Orion's nose. He stepped back and watched as Orion blinked rubbing it. Then the little black Autobot stepped forward, his servos in fists. **"BAD YOU! BAD, HAN, BAD!"**

Han's cute little face scrunched up in a scowl. **"YOU PFLLLT!"**

Both bots paused a moment staring at each other. Then Orion grinned, a chuckle coming out of his little pie hole. Han staring at his arch enemy paused and watched. He stood a moment, then began to chuckle. Orion stared at Han, then he looked at Flint. Pointing at Han, he said, **"HAN?"**

Flint nodded. "Friend."

Orion looked at his uncle struggling to understand. Flint leaned in and kissed Orion's helm. Then he leaned over and kissed Han's helm. That little bot looked up at the big black Autobot, then Orion. He pointed at the tiny black bot and said, "Me Good?"

Flint grinned and nodded. "You both are good. Be friends. No more fighting."

They both looked at him, then Han picked up his dollie. Orion looked around and found his. Turning, he held it up to Flint. That worthy kissed it with a smile. Orion smiled. Ratchet looked relieved. Ironhide was on the edge of tears. Heva and Revo looked weak in the knees.

It was another day at the Sparkling Day School in Autobot City, Mars.

-0-Outside a short time later

Ratchet walked across the groomed immaculate pad toward the now sitting format of Metroplex. He was an enormous robotic mechanism, his shadow alone throwing itself past Fort Max. He was surrounded by his siblings who chatted together as they watched the teams working to set up for a manual join. When he reached Metroplex he paused beside Goldwing. "What's the status of our mech, Goldie?"

"He's ready to move to his pad. What will have to happen is manual joins. They have the infrastructure ready for him. He has to transform and sit down. Then they can go inside to make the attachments."

Ratchet nodded. "Good. Metroplex!" Ratchet said leaning back as he looked upward.

Metroplex looked down, then leaned in toward Ratchet. "Doctor."

"How do you feel today?" Ratchet asked as he scanned the big bot lightly. It all appeared good.

"I feel well. I would like to transform and allow my residents to come back. I will be repairing what is broken in my city structure. I wish I could be more sure about all of their belongings."

"Metroplex, you don't have to worry. No one cares about that. They just want you to be well so they can come home again. You were missed terribly."

"I missed them."

Prime and Prowl crossed the pad walking to stand next to Ironhide, Flint and Ratchet. Looking upward, he smiled. "Metroplex, you look much better. Are you well?"

"I am," Metroplex said smiling slightly. "I am ready to go home."

Prime nodded. "We have cleared the area for you to move. I was told that Jetta and the engineering department have told you what they have done to help you. Do you feel ready or do you need more time?"

"I am ready," Metroplex said.

"Then you are clear. We have removed anyone and anything that might impede your transformation. We will move away and give you free reign. Please, take your time," Prime said. They all turned and hurried to the edge, moving back toward Fortress Maximus and the Temple. Nearby at the Habitat, the humans gathered. They hopped on their jalopies and buzzed out finding a space to watch nearby to Ratchet and the others. As they did, an amazing thing began to happen.

Metroplex began to transform.

The humans watched as the massive robot they saw sitting begin to rise. Around him stood five others, the Supreme models that were siblings to Metroplex. The humans stood on their segways and watched as he carefully and in a measured way began to rise upward into the sky. He was so massive they had to crane their necks to see him when he finally stood up straight.

They didn't know that he was a bot who was so tall that air flights were curtailed during this process. They didn't know that his weight was so extreme that he had to place a ped and wait before placing another one so that the ground tremors could settle because structures and individuals could be harmed otherwise from the mere tremors of his peds. They had no idea that his demeanor was of such a kind soul that his favorite company was children. He loved their innocence and peacefulness. War had nearly driven him to destruction and when he stepped away it was in self defense.

Here in this city he had found the most peaceful personally fulfilling setting for himself that he had known since before the war. His beloved Autobots and civilian Cybertronians lived in his buildings. He could feel their contentment and watch them play. He knew them all by name and could tell when they were happy or sad. There was very little sadness in his environs. He worked hard to provide a safe happy domicile for the five thousand who called him home and in return he had a purpose that was fulfilling and healing. Now he was headed back to his life and he was filled with joy.

Looking down, sensors on full, he took a step and put a ped down. the tremor through the ground was felt by all and when it subsided he began again. It would take ten steps to cover the ground and turn to position himself. It would take an entire breem to do so safely.

-0-Nearby

"I can't see the top of him."

"I know. I saw this on television when he arrived back when but that didn't do it justice."

"That is a living being. I can't believe it. It is a city, a ship and a robot. I am in awe."

"All of that and sweet rides too," Epps said with a grin as they all stood together watching the awesome show unfold.

-0-Metroplex and Jetta

:You are go. You are positioned optimal, Metroplex:

:Affirmative, Jetta. I am go: At that, the bot began to reshape his body to become something other than he was. He did it slowly and because of it the process was more clearly seen by spectators who had begun to gather around the edges. Some of them were residents watching as their benefactor began to remake their lives again.

He began to decrease in height even as he began to spread out in mass. The sound was mechanical, the rise of towers and buildings beginning to grow even as his helm disappeared into them. He would be near the City Hall, a command center beneath street level which would be approachable by anyone who needed to speak with him or to manage any part of his superstructure.

By the time he was flush with the ground, the towers were still climbing. They were intact outwardly but inside, one couldn't be too sure. Only the residents would be able to tell that story. When the sound settled, the mechs standing around hurried forward to begin the manual linkup of the giant. Standing nearby, chatting with him over their own personal channels, the Guardian Supremes and Fort Max kept their brother company.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Chapter 18**

* * *

NOTE: This if you add Diego Diaries 1 and 2 is part 800. :D

Hope it makes sense. I am doing this while listening to a phone call and a tv show. Multitasking at its worst. :D :D

=0=And now, back to the story in progress

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 9

=0=At the site

The dust settled and the city finished its long upward spiral as the familiar skyline of Autobot City began to return. As they stood watching it was astonishing how much it had been missed during Metroplex's absence from city mode.

The sound began to diminish until there was only a low hum, the sound of internal devices and fixtures in residences coming into shape and solidity. His electrical systems were part of that, the giant enormous outlay of lights, outlets and other features to both run his systems and promote the features of his residential and commercial superstructure making themselves known once again.

The light glinted off masses of windows in the towers that filled the city with shape and structure. The streets were back, lined and super clean. Sidewalks returned, storefronts and businesses as well. The City Hall appeared and the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital was nearby. It was possible to look into lobbies which gleamed brightly, their welcoming interiors waiting for their mechs, femmes and sparklings to return.

Above the City Hall snapping in the late spring breeze, the colors and emblem of the Primes could be seen on poles and in windows of personal and public residences. It was obvious that Metroplex was intent on restoring things the way they were down to the smallest details.

The street lights came on and so did those of commercial businesses. Lights on top of the towers that signaled their height or some function located there also sprang on. The clubs and Mall lights and signs came on signaling that the space was ready for their occupants.

Prime and Prowl stood together, Ratchet, Ironhide, Flint and Jazz nearby. They watched and Prowl counted down the list of functions as they checked off on the datapad that he held. The hum of activity continued, then at last stopped.

Prime turned to Prowl who looked up and nodded. "He's done the hard work. Residents can go inside and reclaim their homes." Behind and all around them mechs and humans clapped and cheered their delight.

Prime nodded and paused comming Ops Center. The signal for those to return was a long siren. It had been broadcast on the Hourly News that one long blast meant all could return. As he stood, the siren at Fort Max sounded, rolling through the city. Even before it shut off, bots were coming out of other places heading for their homes.

"That's us," Sunstreaker said as he leaned against the wall in the rec room. Bluestreak and Sideswipe stood turning to go. Sunstreaker drained the cube in his servo and rose, following. The mechs who were not on duty were heading toward Metroplex, all of them anxious to go home. They had bunked everywhere and with anyone who had the room.

They walked down streets and turned their own corners, heading for the towers that were home. Some paused to chat with the leadership. Others waved and walked onward. The trine paused with Ratchet and Ironhide, moving as mechs walked past.

"When will Miler and Venture go home? We can help them if they need it," Bluestreak said.

"The elders are going to be taken over to their apartments with someone who can help them if they need it. We don't want them to have a hard time," Ratchet said.

"We can help," Bluestreak said looking at the twins. "We can put things back together."

"I will remember that," Ratchet said. "Do you need an assist?"

"I don't know. We're going now. Do you want to come?" Blue asked.

"I will," Ratchet said slipping his arm through Sunstreaker's. They turned and fell into the migration heading for Polyhex Tower.

"I miss you living across the street, Ratchet," Blue said following along behind. "It was fun looking over and seeing Orion licking the window."

"That bot takes after his atar," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "He had it out with Han this morning at school."

"He did?" Sunstreaker asked looking down at Ratchet sharply. "What happened?"

"I had them on leashes and harnesses. Remember? I showed them to you before Metroplex went down. Anyway, he was walking in and ran into Revo's leg. He fell flat on his aft. When he got up, Han slapped him. Then it was on."

"I wish I had seen it," Sideswipe said chuckling.

"Can do," Ratchet said as he sent the film to all three. It was quiet a moment as they watched. Then two grins and one worried expression appeared. "Herling, Nova, Roto and Laret were watching. Flint controlled it. They got a lot done. Maybe they will get along now."

"I don't know," Sunstreaker said. "He's a slagging martial artist."

Ratchet snorted. "That's my boy."

They continued onward to the tower. When they got there they waited until an elevator was free, then went up to the trine's floor. Stepping out, they walked to the door and paused. After a second of bracing themselves, they opened the door and stepped inside. For a moment, there was just silence. Then Sideswipe shook his helm. "Metroplex is a slagging wonder of the world."

The room was in disarray but nothing was broken. It was scattered around, things falling out of cupboards and furnishings out of place. Pictures and paintings were on the floor but didn't appear to be damaged. Bluestreak walked to the berthrooms and when he came out of Kaon's room, he was carrying a bent little 'trophy'. It was a gift from his grandatar who considered him a 'champion grandsparkling'. Venture had given it to him after seeing images of them in a magazine from Earth. "This is the only thing I found that is damaged."

Sunstreaker took it into servo and looked at it. "I can fix this."

"Good. You do that and I'll sit here. My old ada once said any job that doesn't have a straw boss is no job at all." Ratchet said moving to a couch, shoving it back into place. Tossing the pillows back on top, he sat and grinned. "Don't let me slow you down."

Bluestreak chuckled. "You're hopeless."

They turned and began to straighten out their apartment. When they were done, Bluestreak would send a message of thanks and gratitude to be home for the family to the command center of Metroplex. His would be among thousands.

-0-Temple of Primus

"Copperton, what can I do for you?"

Copperton looked at him with surprise. Gravitas was wearing a cowl, green for acolytes and stood quietly in front of the Matrix Flame. He had been staring at the Flame perhaps expecting an inspiration from The One when Copperton had entered. Loathe as he was to interrupt Gravitas, he was the first of the Councilors that Copperton had found to speak with. "I would like to talk to you."

Gravitas nodded and they walked out to an empty alcove nearby. Turning, dreading what Copperton might want to discuss, he put his most neutral expression on and waited. "I am here to listen, pilgrim."

Copperton listened to the formal expression and nodded. "I am here to speak," he returned in kind. Stepping closer, he considered Gravitas. "I am surprised to see you as an acolyte, Gravitas. I would expect you in a more influential and leading occupation."

"I am on a journey," Gravitas said. "It is my desire to serve in a manner that is humble and pleasing to The One."

Copperton considered that. "I have not run into any of the others. I am told that Templar, Eronus and Vras are here as well as Neo. I am also aware that Kudon was slain."

"He was. That was settled by the Prime. Neo represents elders on the Council and Templar, Eronus and Vras are acolytes along with me. We in fact as an act of contrition began this Temple with our bare servos."

"Act of contrition? What are you talking about?" Copperton asked surprised.

"It is a long story," Gravitas said.

"I have time. I would hope you would tell it to me," Copperton said uneasily.

Gravitas looked at him a moment. Then he shook his helm. "You are here to restore the system."

"I am concerned about the way life is here especially in light of Kudon's murder and the suspicious explosion. I believe that the system allowed order and progress which is preferable to this chaos," Copperton said.

"No. The system allowed privilege and social stagnation. I was so blind, Copperton. It took exile on the satellite of the third planet of this system before it came to me that I was a fool."

"What are you saying?" Copperton said startled. "How can you say that? You, the one who was so sure, so relentless? What are you saying?"

Gravitas looked at him. "I am saying, my friend, that I was wrong. We were all wrong."

Copperton looked at him. "Is this the consensus opinion of everyone here?"

"I would say so. I am sure there are those who haven't gotten the message but they are few, Copperton. We have agreed to do better here. We have taken on responsibility for each other. Understand, Copperton. The system is over."

Copperton stared at Gravitas for a while, then with a curt nod turned and walked from the alcove, across the great floor and up the steps. He didn't look at the AllSpark or the Well. He walked to the door and left the Temple disappearing into the city once more.

-0-City Hall

Ultra Magnus stood in his office after cleaning up the mess. Very little had broken. The systems inside residential mechanisms had some fail safe programming to prevent total destruction of contents should they transform in a hurry. The entire building was jumbled but staff were working goodnaturedly getting things put back together.

They were expecting another migration and the effort to absorb a great number of bots took a lot of coordination. The housing construction alone drew on dozens of individuals and city departments. They would have to have a meeting to update the number of apartments they would be able to field. There was also the need to be ahead of the school situation by having more floors of classrooms ready for students before they arrived.

Jetta peered in and rapped on the doorjamb. "Hey."

Magnus turned. "Jetta?"

"The relink is finished. Metroplex is hooked up and when his systems are optimal again, he will be back to normal."

"Good. Did they give you the go ahead to start a structural analysis of the Plaza?" Magnus asked.

"I'm going to Ops Center now to find out. I'll let you know," Jetta said. "Anything you want me to tell them?"

"No. There's a meeting later this afternoon to discuss the situation and maybe there will be some news about who did this and how," Magnus said. "Be there, Jetta. We will probably need your expertise."

He nodded and turned heading out. By the time he reached Ops Center others were gathering too.

-0-Sparkling Day School

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. We can try."

"Alright." Neo holding Han walked to the sandbox and gently placed the little bot in front of Orion who was patting the sand with a small spoon. Orion didn't know for a moment that he wasn't alone. Then he did. Han who had been sitting staring at him warily leaned back slightly when Orion saw him. They stared at each other silently, then as one threw sand at each other.

The sand flew and then it stopped. Orion sat and brushed at his face. "Fpleh," he spit, wiping sand out of his mouth. Han who had been doing the same thing paused and laughed. "You bad!" he said as he sat cackling.

Orion staring at him with a frown looked at his sandy servo. "Pleh. Pflt." He brushed his mouth. "Han bad."

Han looking at him laughed. "You bad."

Orion looked up. "Han bad. **ORION ME."** Then he laughed. **"HAN** **BAD!"**

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Chapter 19**

* * *

NOTE: Information on Transformers: Prime ***NO SPOILERS*** TF: Prime is absolutely astounding this year. If you live in a country where the show isn't playing yet, go to hubworld or to youtube to see the episodes sooner. Put Transformers Prime in the search engine at youtube and be happy. I got goosebumps at the end of the new episode. What a great show. There was talk that there would be no fourth season. Apparently there will be. Third season is already filmed. A theatrical movie is also being mentioned. Huzzah! Life is good. :D :D

=0=And now, back to the story in progress

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 9

=0=In the Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

They sped down streets weaving in and out of the traffic as they made their way to the Mall of Metroplex. Entering, they pulled to one side and watched as business mechs and their staff began to rebuild the business center. There were no broken windows inside, something surprising to see.

Outside The Bakery At Metroplex, Rampage was discussing the day's plan with his bakery manager. Inside, it was evident that the machinery, furnishings and materials to make their products had taken a ride when Metroplex had stood up. They were cleaning, replacing, moving and getting things back into order.

"Let's go to the drugstore. I wonder what happened in Breezy's shop," Epps said. They turned and sped onward pulling up before the glass doors and windows of the pharmacy. Entering, pulling up around the front desk, Epps called out. "Breezy!"

A youngling Seeker paused picking up things and looked over his shoulder. His handsome face burst into a smile and he arose, bowing slightly. "Robert Epps! How are you? It has been a few orns since last we spoke."

Robert smiled. "I know. We were off planet for a few visiting the forward bases. How is your situation here? I don't see much broken."

Breezy nodded. "I know. Metroplex is an amazingly good bot. He has systems that protect his internal configurations because he is also a residential mechanism. I was not surprised that this is so remarkably light," he said gesturing to the remaining mess around him.

"He sat in the fire and didn't move until everyone was out. That is remarkable," Antonio Lopez said.

"Not if you knew Metroplex," Breezy said. "He is the most wonderful mech. His kind are guardians in every sense of the word. They protect us and our world without reservation. Metroplex is one of the best sparks you will ever meet."

"Given that you are so far, I think I have to know more about Metroplex," Sheila said to her favorite Seeker bar none.

He grinned and bowed. "You are too kind, Miss Sheila. You should go to see Metroplex."

They looked at him blankly. Then he grinned slightly and told them how.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl sat at the conference room table chatting with Ratchet who had just left the trine's house. "Just one bent thing and the house contents strewn about. That's a miracle."

"Metroplex is one of the most complex mechanisms I've ever worked on. There are still things about him that I'm finding that are beyond our current knowledge. He's complex in a way that makes complexity seem simple. If you know what I mean."

"Sort of," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "If you say so, Ratchet. I hear Orion had a brawl in infant school. And pray tell, what are you going to be doing to keep a once and future bad boy in line?"

Ratchet snorted. "You're spoiled with your mechs. Miracle might be a ticking time bomb."

"As if," Prowl said with a chuckle. "Do you suppose this will lead to détente?"

"Depends. Both sides have their own agendas and no one is talking. Han is as hardcore as Orion. Right now, it's anyone's guess. But I will tell you, I thought Ironhide was going to pass out," Ratchet said with a laugh. "I was beside myself but Ironhide was on the edge of oblivion. Did you get the film of the brawl?"

"I got it, thanks," Prowl said with a snicker. "I showed it to Optimus and he grumped that he wasn't there."

"He can take my place next time," Ratchet said with a grin.

The door opened and bots began to come inside to take their places around the table. Ironhide followed by Flint walked in and sat on either side of Ratchet. Starscream and Thundercracker entered and sat as well. Wheeljack and Perceptor, Jazz, Mirage, Springer, Drift and Kup along with Red Wing entered and found their seats. Prime came behind them and walked to his seat at the head of the table. Sitting, he looked at Prowl and nodded. "We need to discuss the bombing and sort through our data."

The door opened again as Inferno and Red Alert walked in. "Sorry." They sat down rolling out a map and stacking datapads. As they did, Magnus and Jetta walked in apologetically. Prowl grinned. "Perhaps we need to reconvene in the intersection of the Fortress."

Jetta chuckled as he sat down, his datapads before him. "Sorry, Prowl. We hurried."

"Is this everyone?" Prime asked with a smirk.

Prowl glanced at a datapad and cast a caustic optic around the room. "Yep."

"Very well," Optimus said sitting back. "Commence, please."

Prowl looked at Jazz. "You begin please."

Jazz nodded. "We, that is Mirage and I along with Blaster combed the scene and pulled the servers. They were pretty damaged so we took the data and gave it to Sciences. The scene was damaged beyond the usual blast damage because stone ricocheted throughout the blast radius beatin' everything there to death twice over."

Optimus nodded. "Then you have information recovered."

Jazz nodded. "Sciences can speak to that. We just pulled it and passed it on. Suffice it to say, the bombs created major havoc but I don't think it was to do more than that. No one should have been in the Plaza at that time. The bomber could have hurt more durin' business hours but they chose closin' time."

Prime nodded. "Thank you." He looked at Inferno and Red Alert. Inferno leaned forward and began. "The bombs had the concussive force of a Seeker run due to the many devices and created a line of breakage along the back wall that has put the building's structural integrity in question.

"The fires were very destructive undermining the foundation along the wall by its heat and intensity. We will have to shore up the entire structure and dig out the foundation. It will require a new one as well as a rebuild over half the building. Jetta will have the details."

They turned to the big black and red mech. "We have done a structural integrity survey of the building and we will have to rebuild the sections from mid building to the rear of the structure. It will require tearing down the affected parts, rewiring the building and replacing all of the systems for the entire building. Since the systems control sections were along the back wall, the entire building's functional systems were fried. The businesses inside will be off line until that's repaired. We can allocate workers to do this once the building is shored up and the damage then taken down and out."

"What is the time line, Jetta?" Prime asked.

"I would say two orns to shore up the structure, three to dismantle the damage and five to six to replace the missing building sections themselves. It could take an orn or two longer depending on how it goes in the dismantle. We can only give estimates."

"Then my genitors will be out of business for a decaorn?" Ratchet asked.

Jetta nodded. "At least that long, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded. "I will let them know."

Jetta nodded. "The City lost a lot of its supplies and other items in the blasts. Servers have been destroyed and a lot of irreplaceable things were damaged. We have asked the University and Museum to do a survey to see what can be restored or conserved. It is a sad thing for that part of the inventory in the warehouses."

Prime nodded. "Thank you. I know you and all concerned will do your best." He glanced at Springer. "What do the forensics reports tell us thus far?"

Springer looked at his datapad. "We have detected the remains of ten small bombs. Small in size but big in concussive force. They were plastique devices with simple detonators attached. They were placed rather close together due to the number of bombs used and that is why this has been so damaging. We gathered the scraps together for Sciences. There have been tips checked out by the Night and Day Watch about mechs hanging around the area but they didn't pan out. Most of them were younglings fooling around and courting. We checked the alibis of our usual troublemakers and they all checked out. The remark most often given is if this is a crime then this is a high caste tantrum and nothing more."

Prime nodded. "Anyone of interest or are we back to square one again?"

"There are suspects who are not fond of the way things are here," Springer said. "They have gotten into fights over the caste system in the clubs and some of them are unfriendly as the Pit on their jobs and around the city. But that is what we have so far. We're still seeking evidence."

Prime nodded and looked at Wheeljack and Perceptor. "Anything?"

"We concur with everything said so far regarding the bombs. They appear to be made from materials used in the quarries and among the blast teams. They were from a batch of plastique made three months ago and released to the sappers ten orns later ending up in this event somehow. The configuration of the materials and the elements added to tag that batch for identification for quality control confirm it. The detonators were made in the main armory and released as well at the same time. The materials were supposed to be used to remove a lot of really hard rock in the new housing construction sites to the west of the city. There is no record of them being signed for nor was there a recording of it since we don't use security cameras on construction sites," Wheeljack said. "The count made after the blast showed enough plastique and detonators unaccounted for to make bombs of this magnitude. I don't believe there is any more material out there left over to cause more trouble.

"We have salvaged the server given to us from Springer and Drift. It was heavily burned and very much in critical condition. We pulled the data out and tried to rebuild it but we couldn't beyond two partial images." Perceptor turned and punched the keyboard of the computer behind him. The monitors flashed and an image was on them. "This is the first image. We have a picture from the security cameras nearby of a mech standing against the wall. He is gray with white highlights. He has wings as you can see in this corner," he said pointing to a notch emerging from the burned edges of the image.

"This image has very few identifying characteristics about it. We were worried that the color had been compromised by the fire but the full color spectrum analysis we made revealed that the gray is his normal color." He paused and touched the keyboard. Another image appeared. It was larger and clearer. It showed a mech walking away. His body from his right shoulder down to his ped was rather clear but the rest was burned and missing including his helm. "This shows a wing tip here," Perceptor said pointing to the image. "This is also a chevron on his arm, a white one. Analysis of his paint scheme indicates a very expensive finish and armor of high quality. This is a high caste mech. A gray winger with a white chevron on his right upper arm."

They were silent a moment as they sat staring at the image. Then Prowl sat back tossing his stylus down. Prime looked at him. "What?" he asked.

"I remember that paint scheme," Prowl said quietly. "I will never forget it."

Ratchet leaned forward. "Spill, detective," he said.

Prowl sat a moment looking at the image, then Prime. "Optimus," he said forgetting protocol on the job, "this is the mech that insulted Kaon. I kicked his aft for it, he and six others with Ratchet in the rec room."

"We did? I don't remember. I was off my processor at the time," Ratchet said.

Prowl looked at him. "Ratchet, you might have been but I am a detective by training and profession. Or at least once I was. I would not have missed a thing no matter how crazy it was and I concede it was. That is the mech that called my Kaon a low caste loser. I would never forget that. Ever."

Jazz rose and walked to the computer inputting information. Then he pressed the enter key and they looked as the monitors showed another image. A sullen looking mech appeared on the screen with his personal data along side. They sat and read it, staring at the image silently, then Prime leaned back. "He's the son of Copperton and Turquoise."

"Oh slag," Ratchet said. "I have Turquoise working on the carrier-soldier problem reading and analyzing code. He seems rather nice. Copperton seems like a fragger."

"We need to pull this mech in and talk to him," Springer said looking at Prime.

"We need to have our evidence in order," Prime said. "Where does he work and does he have access to these materials? Is he alone or are there others involved? We need to have firm evidence that points to him or we have to wait to gather it."

Jazz turned and went through a larger search on their suspect. He paused as he read it. "He was brought in on the assault and battery with you, Ratchet."

"Oh right. I forgot. Things have been busy lately," Ratchet said.

Ironhide sitting quietly shook his helm. "You worry me, Ratchet."

Ratchet grinned, then looked at Prime. "The paint scheme on this mech is a very expensive gray with a white chevron on his arms. He has wings. Pretty damning I would say."

Prowl nodded. "It is. I think we have enough to pull him in for questioning. Jazz, run a schematic search based on the paint scheme of this mech's armor on our entire population."

They sat and waited as Jazz did the search. After a moment, the screen flashed three names. Jazz pressed the keys and three images appeared. Two were variations of most of the keywords and one was as close to the suspect as possible.

"This one is a mech that is gray and has wings. He is a middle caste mech, Optimus. No chevrons. This mech," he said enlarging the next picture, "is a low caste mech with chevrons and wings. His scheme is light blue. Light enough it appears to fall into the color spectrum that I chose for the search." Jazz pressed keys and data came onto the screen. "I compared this color against the one supplied by the spectrum analysis of the data from the destroyed server. They aren't the same." He pressed more keys and another image appeared. "This is the last mech. He had the same color scheme, it's extremely high quality and he is a high caste mech."

"What's his name," Prowl asked knowing already.

"Copperton," Jazz said turning and looking at the winger. "He is the atar of the suspect, Burnoff."

It was silent a moment, then Prime sat forward. "I think we need to bring Burnoff in for a chat," he said. "I want him brought to the other big conference room and left alone for a moment. Prowl, you have the most experience in interrogations. You were the detective. I want you to do the first interview."

Prowl nodded and glanced at Drift and Springer. "Bring him in," he said quietly.

The two arose walking out without a sound.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)

ODD NOTE: There is a McDonald's commercial about a hotel concierge who is asked to bring food and coffee from a McDonald's restaurant across the street to a client's room because the hotel promised to do good works for the guests. The only reason that I noticed this was that the concierge sounds identical to the voice of Prowl in the Transformers: Animated series. It was so strange and so close that it might be the voice actor. :D Yes, I see Transformers everywhere. :D :D :D

* * *

**Chapter 20: Chapter 20**

* * *

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 10

=0=At a work site

They walked along heading toward the dirt road that ran around the rim and downward to the bowl of the quarry that was being used for the new housing projects. There were two, both near to each other and around the edges of the great basins housing towers were rising.

They passed the boss shacks as well as the demolition and detonator containment vaults that had been brought to the sites as per Prime's orders. There was no way to steal explosives now. The site was busy so they headed to a foremech to get the location of Burnoff. He wasn't at home. Sensors tuned to his transponder frequency had shown him to be working in the quarries.

Pausing to get the youngling mech's exact location, they continued onward. There were mechs standing beside a small truck shoveling gravel from a big pile into the bed. They walked forward and stopped next to Burnoff. He turned and paused looking at them warily.

"Burnoff?"

The mech looked at them. "Maybe."

"We want you to come along with us. Prime wants to speak to you."

He looked at them a moment, then set down his shovel. Turning without expression or comment, the three of them walked back toward the city.

-0-Later, in a conference room

Burnoff sat by himself having come along without comment or obstacle. The room was empty but for two chairs and a table. He felt cold waves of fear cross his circuits filling him with an unaccustomed dread. These were not the impressions he had expected. He was scared down to his peds and sitting here in this room waiting for something to happen didn't help. He worked to school his expression into something neutral.

The door finally opened, Prowl walking in carrying a datapad and a bland expression. The room's clear glass walls had been dialed down with pigment changing their translucency. The two inside saw beige colored walls surrounding them. The mechs standing outside the room could see through the tint but not be seen by either Prowl or Burnoff. They could stand, watch and hear it all without detection.

Prowl sat staring at the pad which he had placed in front of him. When he glanced up at Burnoff, the cold police mechanism was looking, not the bond, ada, son and friend. The machine shown through light blue optics, the extraordinary foe of Megatron who had been courted, then hunted for his abilities. 'Capture, not kill' was always the bounty on Prowl and as he sat silently before the youngling it was clear that he was formidable and ruthlessly cold when the occasion called for it. "I am Prowl. I am sure you remember me."

The youngling sat quietly, nothing betrayed on his face.

Prowl considered that. "You are Burnoff. You were assigned to the construction site to work off a probationary penalty assigned to you by the Magistrate's Court concerning assault, battery and public disturbance. Correct me if I'm wrong."

The youngling just stared deciding that not reacting was the best and only course of action he had. Answering nothing, doing nothing, that was the best road he had to take.

"No? Then let's continue. You have a poor adjustment to the city. Apparently, you are an aficionado of the caste system which was emphatically described to you when you arrived as outlawed by order of a Prime Directive. Yet you went out of your way to make trouble bringing disrepute upon yourself in your zeal to remedy Prime's order."

The youngling shifted slightly, his second wind returning after the initial fright. He met Prowl's gaze levelly. He said nothing.

"You had a reasonably decent attendance at your employment but your attitude was abysmal. Your sentence placed you in a quarry construction site with access to explosive materials and detonators. Two orns later, an array of explosions tore open the Business Plaza and destroyed the controls of the energon substation that fed not only the Plaza but Metroplex nearby. It necessitated the evacuation of Metroplex, an action that required him to be sedentary even while the fires burned him.

"Fortunately, no one beyond Metroplex received more than minor injuries. There has been an uptick in those seeking medical attention for stress, bad dreams and other emotional upsets brought about by this event." He paused and looked up at the youngling. "Stop me if I bore you."

The youngling didn't reply.

"We were left with a severely injured mechanism in Metroplex, a heavily damaged civil and commercial building, destroyed infrastructure, five thousand individuals that had to flee their homes and stay elsewhere, five thousand individuals that are still repairing their homes since returning and lots of questions. I would like you to answer a few of them. Where were you when the bombs behind the Business Plaza detonated?"

Prowl looked at the youngling with his coldest most professional optic. He had no idea that the very image of that expression was one of Barricade's favorite things. The youngling didn't answer. "I have asked you a question."

"I know my rights. I don't have to say a word. I invoke."

The words hung between them. "You can. It is your right." Prowl sat staring at him without blinking.

The youngling looked back. "What? I invoked."

"I am aware of that."

"I want representation."

"You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not saying a word. I have invoked."

Prowl looked at him. As he did he spoke to Optimus. :He has invoked. I imagine you have counsel waiting...:

:I do. I'm sending him in: Optimus said. He turned to Blackstone. "You may go in. He invoked."

Blackstone nodded and turned walking around the corner to the door. Opening it, they watched him enter. "Prowl, I have been appointed counsel to Burnoff."

Prowl nodded and rose, taking his datapad into servo. "I will be outside. I have questions."

Blackstone nodded and waited until Prowl left the room before sitting. He looked at the wall for a moment.

:Blackstone, I am discontinuing the audio. You will remain on visual for security reasons: Optimus said to him internally.

Blackstone nodded toward the walls. :Thank you, sir: He turned and looked at the youngling. "I am Blackstone, lead attorney in the Colonial Public Defenders Office. I have been appointed counsel to you."

The youngling nodded but he said nothing.

"There have been serious accusations lodged against you. I want you to understand that anything we discuss is privileged and no one, not even Prime can ask me to disclose it. I want to ask you some questions and read the charges you will be facing if you are indicted in the preliminary hearing that will either find or not an indictment against you based on the evidence. Do you understand?"

Burnoff nodded.

Blackstone sat a moment and when there was nothing more forthcoming, he picked up the datapad that Barron had handed to him in the corridor and began. "You have been accused of placing explosive devices on the back wall of the Business Plaza in order to destroy the building and cause public harm. In the process of doing so, you put into danger at least 5,000 of the inhabitants of the Metroplex District and that mechanism himself. You have been accused of disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment, willful depravity of life and limb and other charges to be made in future including the possibility of attempted murder and reckless homicide. I need to know what you have to say about this."

The youngling looked at him. "Nothing. I'm saying nothing."

Blackstone looked at the silent youngster and considered his affect. He seemed oddly calm, like a person so utterly shocked that they had no highs or lows left. There was a flatness in the youngling that was unnatural. Having seen him in the courtroom getting lambasted for his past indiscretions, Blackstone knew he wasn't this way normally. He was crushed under the moment and his fear. "I am going to be representing you. I also have access to more attorneys to help defend you. But I need you to talk to me and know that whatever you say, I can't tell anyone for any reason. The privilege between you and me is absolute. Even Prime cannot order me to tell him what you and I talk about. I will entertain the brig before I do. Do you understand?"

He nodded silently.

"Please wait here, youngling," Blackstone said standing up. He walked to the door and exited, rounding the corner to where everyone stood. "Ratchet, can you scan my client? I think he's in some sort of shock."

Ratchet turned and subbed a device. Calibrating it, he pointed it at the youngling. Perusing the finding, he turned to Blackstone. "He is in shock."

Blackstone nodded. "I was afraid of that. I may have to wait to talk to him." Turning to Prowl, he met that worthy's gaze. "I won't allow my client to speak with you or agree to be interrogated at this moment. It would be against his best interests."

Prime nodded. "Very well. We will have him taken to the brig and housed alone. Ratchet? Does the youngling need medical attention?"

Ratchet subbed his meter again. "No. Just silence and a cube. His genitors however may need it I can imagine."

It was silent a moment. Prime turned to Springer and Drift who stood nearby with grim expressions. "Will you please escort Copperton to my office, Springer? Drift, please go and find a priest." The two nodded and turned to go. "Ratchet, I want you in the meetings. I am going to have Turquoise called to come to the meeting but not tell him why. You might be needed."

Ratchet nodded grimly as Prime turned walking toward the corridor that led to his office. They watched him go. Ratchet turned to Prowl and smirked slightly. "You are one cold hombre, Prowl. I think I have ice clinging to my prong."

Prowl snorted. "I was going easy on him because he's a kid."

"Oh crap," Ironhide said with a grin. "Remind me never to truly piss you off."

"All of you might remember that," Prowl said with a self-satisfied grin. He turned following after Prime.

They stood silently a moment, then turned to watch as Blackstone explained to his client the new reality. By the time his genitors finally made it to Optimus Prime's office, he would be sitting in a wing of the brig by himself, an untouched cube of energon sitting on his berth bunk next to him.

-0-Moments later at the Office of the Prime

Copperton entered, Springer standing in the doorway as the older mechanism walked to Prime's desk. Ratchet stood on one side of the room next to Ironhide and Prowl stood on the other. Prime sat on his chair behind the big desk. "Prime. What is the meaning of this?"

"Copperton, I would like you to be seated," Prime said as a priest appeared in the doorway with Drift. "Chevron, welcome. Please come in and have a seat."

The second oldest priest smiled and nodded respectfully turning to take a seat on a couch. Copperton nodded respectfully to him and turned to Prime. "Well? I am here."

"Please, sit," Optimus said.

Copperton looked at the chair and sat down slowly, his unease rising as he did. He looked at Prime warily. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, a tone of uncertainty in his voice.

"We asked you here to discuss the matter of the bombing of the Business Plaza and the resulting chaos and injury that followed."

"Are you accusing me of that?" he asked with surprise.

"No. We are accusing your son, Burnoff of doing it," Prime answered quietly.

Copperton looked at him for a moment, then sat back with an incredulous expression on his face. "You can't be serious."

"I am very serious. Your son has been arrested and is in the brig. We have appointed counsel for him... Blackstone who is a remarkably good and honorable advocate."

Copperton stood slowly and looked around the room. "My son. He wouldn't do such a terrible inexcusable thing. How can you arrest my son? This is about the system isn't it. You are targeting my son because of the system."

"Your son is in the brig because he placed bombs on a building and caused all the resulting chaos. He is in the brig because of his belief that the system needed restored," Prime said quietly. His tone was firm, his resolve steely. Everyone in the room felt it including Copperton.

"My son wouldn't do this to our own people," Copperton said. "We are Cybertronian. He wouldn't hurt Metroplex or anyone else."

"The evidence is pointing to him, Copperton," Prime said. "There is no one else."

"You chose him to be the one," Copperton said.

Prime looked at Prowl. "You gave the file to Blackstone including the images?"

Prowl nodded.

"I have reserved the secondary conference room for you to discuss this matter with Blackstone. I have asked Chevron to come to attend to you and Turquoise. I asked Smokescreen to take Turquoise to that room when he arrives here. Ratchet is here also to assist you through this. He is on call day and night for you and Turquoise."

Copperton looked at Prime with an expression of complete lack of understanding. He stood rooted to the floor, flags of confusion blooming all over his processor. He looked around himself pausing on Chevron. That worthy sat staring at him with deep concern on his face. Reaching out, he took Copperton's servo. "Copperton, I think it would be good for us to go to that room and wait for Turquoise. We can help you there, right Ratchet?"

Ratchet nodded solemnly. "Yes."

Chevron rose and pulled Copperton toward the door gently. That bot looked shocked and near to tears. Chevron put his arm around Copperton's shoulders. "If someone would be so kind as to show us where to go, I think it would be helpful to go speak with Blackstone and get more information."

Ratchet turned and nodded. "Follow me, Chevron," Ratchet said as he walked to the door and out.

When they were gone, Prime leaned back in his chair. "I feel sick."

Prowl nodded. "I don't think you are the only one."

No one else said a word. Their grim expressions said it all.

-0-TBC

2012 (9)


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Chapter 20**

* * *

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 10

=0=At a work site

They walked along heading toward the dirt road that ran around the rim and downward to the bowl of the quarry that was being used for the new housing projects. There were two, both near to each other and around the edges of the great basins housing towers were rising.

They passed the boss shacks as well as the demolition and detonator containment vaults that had been brought to the sites as per Prime's orders. There was no way to steal explosives now. The site was busy so they headed to a foremech to get the location of Burnoff. He wasn't at home. Sensors tuned to his transponder frequency had shown him to be working in the quarries.

Pausing to get the youngling mech's exact location, they continued onward. There were mechs standing beside a small truck shoveling gravel from a big pile into the bed. They walked forward and stopped next to Burnoff. He turned and paused looking at them warily.

"Burnoff?"

The mech looked at them. "Maybe."

"We want you to come along with us. Prime wants to speak to you."

He looked at them a moment, then set down his shovel. Turning without expression or comment, the three of them walked back toward the city.

-0-Later, in a conference room

Burnoff sat by himself having come along without comment or obstacle. The room was empty but for two chairs and a table. He felt cold waves of fear cross his circuits filling him with an unaccustomed dread. These were not the impressions he had expected. He was scared down to his peds and sitting here in this room waiting for something to happen didn't help. He worked to school his expression into something neutral.

The door finally opened, Prowl walking in carrying a datapad and a bland expression. The room's clear glass walls had been dialed down with pigment changing their translucency. The two inside saw beige colored walls surrounding them. The mechs standing outside the room could see through the tint but not be seen by either Prowl or Burnoff. They could stand, watch and hear it all without detection.

Prowl sat staring at the pad which he had placed in front of him. When he glanced up at Burnoff, the cold police mechanism was looking, not the bond, ada, son and friend. The machine shown through light blue optics, the extraordinary foe of Megatron who had been courted, then hunted for his abilities. 'Capture, not kill' was always the bounty on Prowl and as he sat silently before the youngling it was clear that he was formidable and ruthlessly cold when the occasion called for it. "I am Prowl. I am sure you remember me."

The youngling sat quietly, nothing betrayed on his face.

Prowl considered that. "You are Burnoff. You were assigned to the construction site to work off a probationary penalty assigned to you by the Magistrate's Court concerning assault, battery and public disturbance. Correct me if I'm wrong."

The youngling just stared deciding that not reacting was the best and only course of action he had. Answering nothing, doing nothing, that was the best road he had to take.

"No? Then let's continue. You have a poor adjustment to the city. Apparently, you are an aficionado of the caste system which was emphatically described to you when you arrived as outlawed by order of a Prime Directive. Yet you went out of your way to make trouble bringing disrepute upon yourself in your zeal to remedy Prime's order."

The youngling shifted slightly, his second wind returning after the initial fright. He met Prowl's gaze levelly. He said nothing.

"You had a reasonably decent attendance at your employment but your attitude was abysmal. Your sentence placed you in a quarry construction site with access to explosive materials and detonators. Two orns later, an array of explosions tore open the Business Plaza and destroyed the controls of the energon substation that fed not only the Plaza but Metroplex nearby. It necessitated the evacuation of Metroplex, an action that required him to be sedentary even while the fires burned him.

"Fortunately, no one beyond Metroplex received more than minor injuries. There has been an uptick in those seeking medical attention for stress, bad dreams and other emotional upsets brought about by this event." He paused and looked up at the youngling. "Stop me if I bore you."

The youngling didn't reply.

"We were left with a severely injured mechanism in Metroplex, a heavily damaged civil and commercial building, destroyed infrastructure, five thousand individuals that had to flee their homes and stay elsewhere, five thousand individuals that are still repairing their homes since returning and lots of questions. I would like you to answer a few of them. Where were you when the bombs behind the Business Plaza detonated?"

Prowl looked at the youngling with his coldest most professional optic. He had no idea that the very image of that expression was one of Barricade's favorite things. The youngling didn't answer. "I have asked you a question."

"I know my rights. I don't have to say a word. I invoke."

The words hung between them. "You can. It is your right." Prowl sat staring at him without blinking.

The youngling looked back. "What? I invoked."

"I am aware of that."

"I want representation."

"You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not saying a word. I have invoked."

Prowl looked at him. As he did he spoke to Optimus. :He has invoked. I imagine you have counsel waiting...:

:I do. I'm sending him in: Optimus said. He turned to Blackstone. "You may go in. He invoked."

Blackstone nodded and turned walking around the corner to the door. Opening it, they watched him enter. "Prowl, I have been appointed counsel to Burnoff."

Prowl nodded and rose, taking his datapad into servo. "I will be outside. I have questions."

Blackstone nodded and waited until Prowl left the room before sitting. He looked at the wall for a moment.

:Blackstone, I am discontinuing the audio. You will remain on visual for security reasons: Optimus said to him internally.

Blackstone nodded toward the walls. :Thank you, sir: He turned and looked at the youngling. "I am Blackstone, lead attorney in the Colonial Public Defenders Office. I have been appointed counsel to you."

The youngling nodded but he said nothing.

"There have been serious accusations lodged against you. I want you to understand that anything we discuss is privileged and no one, not even Prime can ask me to disclose it. I want to ask you some questions and read the charges you will be facing if you are indicted in the preliminary hearing that will either find or not an indictment against you based on the evidence. Do you understand?"

Burnoff nodded.

Blackstone sat a moment and when there was nothing more forthcoming, he picked up the datapad that Barron had handed to him in the corridor and began. "You have been accused of placing explosive devices on the back wall of the Business Plaza in order to destroy the building and cause public harm. In the process of doing so, you put into danger at least 5,000 of the inhabitants of the Metroplex District and that mechanism himself. You have been accused of disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment, willful depravity of life and limb and other charges to be made in future including the possibility of attempted murder and reckless homicide. I need to know what you have to say about this."

The youngling looked at him. "Nothing. I'm saying nothing."

Blackstone looked at the silent youngster and considered his affect. He seemed oddly calm, like a person so utterly shocked that they had no highs or lows left. There was a flatness in the youngling that was unnatural. Having seen him in the courtroom getting lambasted for his past indiscretions, Blackstone knew he wasn't this way normally. He was crushed under the moment and his fear. "I am going to be representing you. I also have access to more attorneys to help defend you. But I need you to talk to me and know that whatever you say, I can't tell anyone for any reason. The privilege between you and me is absolute. Even Prime cannot order me to tell him what you and I talk about. I will entertain the brig before I do. Do you understand?"

He nodded silently.

"Please wait here, youngling," Blackstone said standing up. He walked to the door and exited, rounding the corner to where everyone stood. "Ratchet, can you scan my client? I think he's in some sort of shock."

Ratchet turned and subbed a device. Calibrating it, he pointed it at the youngling. Perusing the finding, he turned to Blackstone. "He is in shock."

Blackstone nodded. "I was afraid of that. I may have to wait to talk to him." Turning to Prowl, he met that worthy's gaze. "I won't allow my client to speak with you or agree to be interrogated at this moment. It would be against his best interests."

Prime nodded. "Very well. We will have him taken to the brig and housed alone. Ratchet? Does the youngling need medical attention?"

Ratchet subbed his meter again. "No. Just silence and a cube. His genitors however may need it I can imagine."

It was silent a moment. Prime turned to Springer and Drift who stood nearby with grim expressions. "Will you please escort Copperton to my office, Springer? Drift, please go and find a priest." The two nodded and turned to go. "Ratchet, I want you in the meetings. I am going to have Turquoise called to come to the meeting but not tell him why. You might be needed."

Ratchet nodded grimly as Prime turned walking toward the corridor that led to his office. They watched him go. Ratchet turned to Prowl and smirked slightly. "You are one cold hombre, Prowl. I think I have ice clinging to my prong."

Prowl snorted. "I was going easy on him because he's a kid."

"Oh crap," Ironhide said with a grin. "Remind me never to truly piss you off."

"All of you might remember that," Prowl said with a self-satisfied grin. He turned following after Prime.

They stood silently a moment, then turned to watch as Blackstone explained to his client the new reality. By the time his genitors finally made it to Optimus Prime's office, he would be sitting in a wing of the brig by himself, an untouched cube of energon sitting on his berth bunk next to him.

-0-Moments later at the Office of the Prime

Copperton entered, Springer standing in the doorway as the older mechanism walked to Prime's desk. Ratchet stood on one side of the room next to Ironhide and Prowl stood on the other. Prime sat on his chair behind the big desk. "Prime. What is the meaning of this?"

"Copperton, I would like you to be seated," Prime said as a priest appeared in the doorway with Drift. "Chevron, welcome. Please come in and have a seat."

The second oldest priest smiled and nodded respectfully turning to take a seat on a couch. Copperton nodded respectfully to him and turned to Prime. "Well? I am here."

"Please, sit," Optimus said.

Copperton looked at the chair and sat down slowly, his unease rising as he did. He looked at Prime warily. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, a tone of uncertainty in his voice.

"We asked you here to discuss the matter of the bombing of the Business Plaza and the resulting chaos and injury that followed."

"Are you accusing me of that?" he asked with surprise.

"No. We are accusing your son, Burnoff of doing it," Prime answered quietly.

Copperton looked at him for a moment, then sat back with an incredulous expression on his face. "You can't be serious."

"I am very serious. Your son has been arrested and is in the brig. We have appointed counsel for him... Blackstone who is a remarkably good and honorable advocate."

Copperton stood slowly and looked around the room. "My son. He wouldn't do such a terrible inexcusable thing. How can you arrest my son? This is about the system isn't it. You are targeting my son because of the system."

"Your son is in the brig because he placed bombs on a building and caused all the resulting chaos. He is in the brig because of his belief that the system needed restored," Prime said quietly. His tone was firm, his resolve steely. Everyone in the room felt it including Copperton.

"My son wouldn't do this to our own people," Copperton said. "We are Cybertronian. He wouldn't hurt Metroplex or anyone else."

"The evidence is pointing to him, Copperton," Prime said. "There is no one else."

"You chose him to be the one," Copperton said.

Prime looked at Prowl. "You gave the file to Blackstone including the images?"

Prowl nodded.

"I have reserved the secondary conference room for you to discuss this matter with Blackstone. I have asked Chevron to come to attend to you and Turquoise. I asked Smokescreen to take Turquoise to that room when he arrives here. Ratchet is here also to assist you through this. He is on call day and night for you and Turquoise."

Copperton looked at Prime with an expression of complete lack of understanding. He stood rooted to the floor, flags of confusion blooming all over his processor. He looked around himself pausing on Chevron. That worthy sat staring at him with deep concern on his face. Reaching out, he took Copperton's servo. "Copperton, I think it would be good for us to go to that room and wait for Turquoise. We can help you there, right Ratchet?"

Ratchet nodded solemnly. "Yes."

Chevron rose and pulled Copperton toward the door gently. That bot looked shocked and near to tears. Chevron put his arm around Copperton's shoulders. "If someone would be so kind as to show us where to go, I think it would be helpful to go speak with Blackstone and get more information."

Ratchet turned and nodded. "Follow me, Chevron," Ratchet said as he walked to the door and out.

When they were gone, Prime leaned back in his chair. "I feel sick."

Prowl nodded. "I don't think you are the only one."

No one else said a word. Their grim expressions said it all.

-0-TBC

2012 (9)


	21. Chapter 21

NOTE: Guest, you are adorable. Thank you for the lovely remarks. I wish I could adequately express the joy I get in writing for everyone who reads this. You come from all over the world. You are all adorable. :D :D :D Heads up: We are in a period of unpredictable weather. There is flooding in towns around me although I am above the water line and there are hurricane-fast winds blowing. We have had a couple of very short power outages. If you find me missing a day, the lights are out in a wind storm. I will get into a canoe and paddle somewhere to post if I have to. :D :D :D

=0=And now, on with the show...

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 11

=0=Near the conference room in Ops Center

Ratchet stood outside watching through the walls as Blackstone sat with Copperton and Turquoise explaining the charges against their son and what he was prepared to do in defense. Holding both mechs servos, Chevron sat between them listening as well. He would remain with them throughout the ordeal and beyond it offering them solace and comfort. Once taking on a situation, a priest would follow it to the bitter end.

Burnoff was out of the room, taken to the brig at some point in the conversation with Copperton in Prime's office. He was sitting in the brig awaiting a decision that would affect his life forever. It was sad, infuriating and complicated. This sort of thing was difficult for Ratchet who had a habit of seeing both sides of a situation. As a doctor, he was inclined to be that way having his views abetted by the cold reality that he usually was the only mental health medic on the scene of wherever they were and that things seldom turned out to be totally black and white.

This was a youngling mech just past the cusp of school age. If he were human, he would be about eighteen or nineteen years of age. His processor because of his youth was not fully developed so that according to the mental health classes he had attended and the school of hard knocks he had graduated, it was sometimes not in the realm of possibility and reality to expect a mech his age to think very well through things. Emotions were more easily accessed in their processors than logic and reason so they often were the driving force behind dangerous and highly stupid actions. Human infants driving drunk, texting, fighting, setting homeless people on fire and doing other highly dangerous stupid activities were mere examples. Being barely above the waterline of childhood, bobbing rather cluelessly in the sea of endless adulthood, sometimes child-adults didn't do things according to smart thinking.

That felt the same way now. To expect some immature youngling to be able to do good critical thinking, especially those raised in a bubble like too many high caste mechs and femmes he had met and attended to professionally often ended this way in his experience. Genitors usually were in denial, filled with anger or rarely, even intense guilt. Younglings were dumbfounded that they had feelings other than what they thought they would have once the deed was done. Instead of power, satisfaction and arrogance, they felt regret, remorse and fear. He had seen it over and over. Part of his job in Iacon was to intercede in the ruinous actions of the younglings of high caste officials and army officers. This was not his first catastrophic moment of high caste reckoning. With luck, it would be his last.

Footfalls nearby sounded and Ratchet turned. "Hi, Jarro. We have a situation." They stood together talking and arranging the first of several mental health evaluations for a dazed and frightened youngling mech in the brig. Ratchet would also set up appointments for his terrified and utterly crushed genitors.

-0-El Segundo Air Force Base, California

They stood on the tarmac all of them nearly trembling with excitement. There would be ten leaving, three of them the director/writer, producer and head of cinematography. The others would be camera crews and technicians, all of them chosen for their guts, skill and ability to be proficient in more than one needed task.

Jack Mellar saw it first, the gleaming ship slowly coming down through the sky. "Hey! Here it comes!"

Cosmos, himself a gleamingly white shuttle with a glorious Autobrand on his side slipped through the atmosphere and landed within twenty feet of where they stood. It appeared to those on the ground that he just sat down and he essentially did. A slightly goofy nerd, Cosmos has taken to setting down without using the length of a runway. He enjoyed watching the expressions on those who saw that he didn't require runway to stop.

The humans on Diego Garcia were used to this. They were more likely to climb on board and swap gossip than to admire the skill it took to land a bot his size nearly at standstill. So he showed his quality to others, making impossibly wonderful landings and soaking up the attention given to him for it. It made his nebbish and slightly off beat day.

An air force ground crew walked up and began to take up their stuff. They took some themselves and followed a sargent to the ship. Walking up the ramp, they entered and were instructed where to sit and what to do when they arrived on Mars. N.E.S.T. soldiers were going with them to help with the filming and three who were there now helped them into their gear. It was waiting for them here and they would receive instruction beyond what they had been given already to impress upon them the two cardinal rules: 1. Don't go out without someone checking your rig and seeing if the internal display read green for all clear. 2. If you could not be sure that all was go, then you didn't. Nothing you would miss going outside was worth a short and brutish death in the uncompromisingly harsh world of Mars.

They would also review all the rules and training they had already had from N.E.S.T. and Warren Roberts's office. That worthy and his staff were already on Mars having their monthly update coordinated catch up and poker games with the City Hall staff and various friends in the hierarchy. They would also living in the dedicated housing unit at the top of a tower in the Mare Tranquilitatis. They would have their own rooms in a complex that shared all chores and communal living spaces. Word was given to claim a room right away. The rooms already claimed would have names on the doors. Special emphasis was given to leave the living spaces of the soldier femmes and other humans who went to Mars routinely strictly alone.

When the ramp came up and the hatch closed they were in gear, buckled into their seats and staring at each other with an almost ill happiness. When Cosmos cleared the ground and made his way into the darkness of space, some of them looked sick to their stomachs. A light green light went through the hold as Cosmos detected that and scanned them. Then he spoke. "If you are going to throw up, do it in the bags under your seats." It was a slightly nerdy voice, young and intense.

"Are you Cosmos?" Jack Mellar asked pulling a bag out from under his seat.

"I am. You are Jack Mellar. I was wondering something."

"What is that, Cosmos?" Jack asked as he held the bag next to his mouth. His excitement had begun to collect in his gut. It would be a miracle if he made it to the next planet without puking.

"Why don't you have any aerial mechs in your movie?" Cosmos asked just as half the passengers threw up in their sacks.

-0-On the street of the Metroplex District

They walked to their homes, some of them just coming back. The elderly had been organized and assisted not only by their families but by members of unions and guilds who had taken time to come by off shift to assist. The temper of the district was one of relief and anxiety. The fact that Metroplex had been harmed was bothersome to a high degree to many. Home was eagerly embraced and many stayed in recovering from a terrible scare and a few orns berthed wherever around town.

Ramcharger and his partner walked toward the Fortress, their home in order and their game boards in arms. They had held court in the Fortress courtyard since they arrived and were a much beloved fixture there. It had been destracting to the nth degree to have this happen and Rampage especially felt the hit. His ada, a tiny ancient femme who had worked hard all her life had been harmed by the upset. He had made sure she rested in the hospital and when all was over, he had taken her to his apartment in Vos Tower and settled her back into her life.

As one of the oldest femmes around who was not an Autobot warrior of Elita-1 and Arcee's venerable age, she spent her orns enjoying 'her shows' on IntraComm, teaching several Cybertronian craft skills of which she was probably the last practicioner known to eager younger bots and telling her story to the archivists from the Museum's Talking History Project. She was back in her element, feeling pretty good and happy to be home. He himself was headed for the courtyard and table 2. There he and his partner would sit, canes nearby in case battle called. They would play and chat until evening came.

All would be well in their world.

-0-Arriving in Autobot City, Mars

They landed softly, the hatch and door moved appropriately. The group inside had attached their face masks and double checked with themselves and the three N.E.S.T. soldiers. They gathered their gear and lined up. Stepping out, Jack Mellar had pride of place in stepping down first. He was the mind behind the project and everyone conceded this honor to him.

They paused and looked around. The sky was bright and the city looked the same as before. They had no idea that Metroplex who sat gleaning in the sun had been injured and missing from action for several orns. They just knew they were on Mars, the city and its activity was astonishing and if they died right now they were ahead of the game.

Standing nearby watching, Jessie Landon, over for the weekend and Will Lennox watched with bemusement. "Hey." They all looked toward the two. "Do you have all your gear off Cosmos?" Lennox asked.

They looked at each other and nodded, turning toward him. "We do," Mellar said nodding.

"Good. Come with me. I'm Will Lennox and this is Jessie Landon. We will take you to the habitat and get you settled in. Then we will give you the lecture and tour.

Understand?"

They all nodded. "What about our other gear?" a crewman said watching as a bot put their things into a metal box he held in his servo. Their gear looked like toys in his servo.

"They'll bring it. Come on. It's a long walk to Mare Tranquilitatis," Lennox said as he turned with Jessie and began to leave.

The humans gathered their things and hurried to go. One of them paused and looked back at their transport. "Thank you, Cosmos," Jennie Abbott said to no one in particular.

A smile seemed to greet her and a voice replied. "Thank you, Jennie Abbott."

She smiled and turned running to catch up with the others. Cosmos watched her go before transforming and walking to the hangars beyond.

-0-In a classroom in the Youngling Day School

Sunspot sat working through the math problems before him. He had to figure out the circumpherence of Mars, some distances from Autobot City to various landmarks on the planet and some formulas that required memorization. Silverbow who was his study-buddy sat with him, the two working out the algorithms together. Math wasn't Silverbow's forte. She was artistic, rather creative in her writing and a strong reader. Spelling was her best academic area. Sunspot on the other hand was great at math, could write very creatively but struggled sometimes with reading. They were perfect partners in education for each other.

Sitting nearby working on a science project involving the identification of a tray of Martian rocks, Spirit and T-Bar worked together. They were science fiends and excelled in anything servos on. Building, taking apart, digging in the dirt to find strata or rocks was something they excelled in. When Beachcomber had come to the room to demonstrate a selection of strange minerals including diamonds bigger than his fist, they were in bliss.

Spinner sat in a group nearby reading as an enraptured Muster listened. A youngling studying to be a teacher, the mech spent half his day with his mentor teacher, Mr. Terradive learning the ins and outs of teaching infants with deficits. He was determined to become a special education teacher and work with the downest of the out. It was like a religion to him. They were reading Harry Potter together.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

Muster smiled and nodded. "What do you think Dumbledore means, Spinner?"

She looked up at him and thought a moment. "I'm not sure. I think he means that goodness can happen if you look around. When we came here I was so afraid. I was sick and so were my genitors. I didn't think we could ever be happy again. But now I am. I get to come to school. My genitors like their jobs and our house is so nice. I am a goalie on my football team and we are having fun. I think I can see good things now."

Muster looked at her and nodded. "I'm glad, infant," he said around his emotion. "Let's keep reading. Then we can let Kip start at the bottom of the page. Alright, Kip?"

She smiled at him, the smallest infant in the room. Nodding, she grinned happily at Spinner, her best friend. "I get to read after you," she said with excitement.

Spinner smiled gigantically. "I know. This is fun!"

The others in the tiny group nodded happily and Spinner continued onward. Muster sat with enormous pride and love for his little students, a universel feeling of teachers in every universe in every dimension everywhere.

=0=TBC

2012 (9) I noticed something odd with this computer, my tiny little Acer. When I type the cursor sometimes jumps around. If you see a letter sitting on the end of a word or some place where it doesn't belong, that is why. Technology really doesn't like me. :D :D :D


	22. Chapter 22

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 12

=0=Autobot City, Mars, out and about

Sunstreaker walked with Sideswipe to the airfield. The news that the filmmakers were in town was announced during The Hourly News that morning. They would be followed around by filmmakers according to their plan so both headed for Ops Center to get the word on their assignments for the next few decaorns. Crossing the street, they headed for the Fortress, a moment of sass with the old mechs playing games again in the courtyard and a short chat with Prowl in Ops Center.

Ratchet walked to the Medical Building from the Temple, the weight of Copperton and his family on his processor. Jarro had gone inside the conference room earlier and chatted a moment assuring the family that they would have help through their terrible ordeal. Turquoise had been distraught, Copperton numbed. They would have access to mental health assistance for the foreseeable future. Their son would be going through a series of mental health examinations to determine his condition and the possibility that he was impaired and not responsible for what he did.

Ratchet had stood behind Jarro as he sat with the pair, Chevron holding Turquoise's servo. Blackstone had told them of the charges and what he was going to be doing to represent the youngling. It had been agreed ahead of time by all parties as requested by Blackstone that the identities of the individuals involved would be held from the media given the nature of the crimes alleged.

"I don't know what to do, Copperton. I don't want to see anyone. I don't want to look at anyone. If this is true, then what will we be able to do to make amends?" Turquoise asked distraught.

Copperton looked at his bond, at the smaller mech with the warmest spark he had ever known. Turquoise was his world, that and his son, Now he couldn't comfort the mech. "We will go home and rest. Prime said he would conceal our identities, Turquoise. Don't worry. I will protect you."

Ratchet's tanks curdled as he listened. Transforming a digit, he gave an injection to both. "This will help you cope. I will be able to arrange for anxiety measures for both of you to help you."

Copperton nodded. "What now?" he asked to no one in particular.

"I think it might do you some good to come and stay at the Temple," Chevron said gently.

"Can we?" Turquoise asked with great anxiety. "Will we be able to do that?"

"I think it is necessary," Chevron said. He rose and gently tugged Turquoise to his peds. Copperton joined him and with Ratchet's assistance, they all walked toward the Temple. It was a long misery-laden journey and when they reached that sacred space, they entered and walked down to the lower levels below the sacred artifacts.

There were living quarters in the lower levels for the priests and their students. There were also quarters for those who needed or wanted to come to the Temple to contemplate or recover from events in their lives. They walked to a room with a pair of berths. Turquoise lay down on one and off lined his optics. Copperton sat on the other and stared at his bond with fear and despair.

Chevron spoke softly to them, then turned to Ratchet and Jarro who had followed along. "I think if you could stay a moment Jarro, we can leave them to their rest. Ratchet, thank you. I would like to call upon you if needed."

"You may, Chevron. Thank you," Ratchet said nodding. He turned and walked out leaving them to the tender care of the calmest nicest mechs ever created on Cybertron. He walked up the stairs and paused halfway across the floor. A couple of mechs stood with another priest, Collee before the pusating light of the AllSpark. The light of the Well was also pulsating as it grew in intensity.

A spark was being requested from the Well. He had not seen such an event since he was a doctor at the hospital in Iacon. He had been in Simfur with a friend and as they visited the Temple, the event had happened.

Family and friends were gathered around the would-be genitors, all of them hushed and illuminated in the soft blue light of the Well. The AllSpark was slowly revolving, electrical flashes crossing its beautiful surface. It drew Ratchet closer and as he did the electrical feeling of expectation grew.

He could see the tiny protoform lying on the top of the wall that surrounded the Well. It lay in a box on soft material that had protected it since it was created by the protoform builders in Specialty Fabrication-Medical. Nearby watching with a smile was Cleery, a femme from Gypsy's team. She was here to affirm that the infant was well.

Collee stood slightly bowed before the Well softly chanting prayers to Primus and The One that a new life could be obtained for worthy genitors. Those two were standing side-by-side, servos gripped and looks of fear and anticipation on their faces. Ratchet stepped closer to watch more fully and then it happened.

The soft blue-green light of the Well swelled and suffused the room so completely that everyone's optics shut down to prevent optical overload. It was a living thing, the light and it embraced them gently, holding them closely for a brief second.

At that moment, there was nothing wrong in the world. There had never been anything wrong anywhere at anytime and for a brief second they were one with the Matrix. The love that suffused them, the peace that enveloped them was astonishing and then it was gone, the light settling back into the brilliant beauty of the Well itself.

For a moment no one moved, then the priest reached down and lifted the infant. Holding him a moment, blessing him with the prayers all infants received at birth, he turned and held out the little format to his genitors. They stood as if disbelieving, then reached forward taking the infant. After a moment it cried out breaking the spell in the room. They clapped, all of those present and Ratchet as well as the little family celebrated their new infant.

The atmosphere was wonderful and other mechs and femmes in the Temple came down drawn by it. The crowd gathered to see the new infant. Ratchet when his turn came smiled. "Good thing you aren't from Praxus."

They laughed. "Crystal City."

"Lucky you," Ratchet said with a grin.

The little party continued for a moment and then Cleery turned to the new genitors. "We need to check the infant and give you things to help you."

They nodded and turned to the priest. Bowing deeply, they turned and bowed equally deeply to the AllSpark and the Well. They then recited the few lines of poetry they chose for the moment. "Across time, comes love. Across time, comes the future. We are temporary hosts to both. We ask the blessing of The One on our moment. Until all are one."

"Until all are one," everyone present said in reply. Then the little party turned and carried their bounty toward the door and the Youngling, Sparkling and Femme Hospital in Metroplex for a check up and a short introduction to the multi-faceted world of sparklings.

Ratchet walked out feeling better than when he had come in.

-0-In the swimming pool at Sparkling Day School

He floated on his back, his arms and legs splayed wide as he drifted here and there on the placid surface of the warm water. Roto sitting in the deep end grinned as the bitty bot touched on him. A digit pressed against a ped produced a smile and a gentle momentum away. Orion floated along the surface, the water an extraordinarily soothing texture against his armor and he loved it. Swimming was one of his most enjoyable moments in a day chocked full of teachings, play, naps, snacks and caustic optics to mechs who were not unhappy to return the feelings in kind.

The detente was still in progress and had its weak and strong moments. They were **SUPER** competitive. Dollies were deeply scrutinized and compared in the spheres of influence they occupied and all around cautious regard was the order of the day.

Reaching under Orion, Roto lifted him slightly, bobbing him in the water. The little mech screeching with laughter nonetheless held his form and didn't sink.

This time.

"You're getting better, boo boo," Roto said with a grin. He leaned back against the edge of the pool and considered the 'weekend' coming up.

Dinner and dancing tonight with Terradive, his pre-bond.

Check.

Then the next orn they would go to the cliffs of Olympus Mons and gather rocks for Terri's geology test for his younglings in a few.

Check again.

That would be followed by hanging with their group at the Club, going to see the last four episodes of Transformers: Prime at the theater and intense all-night facing to unwind.

Checkmate.

He looked down at Orion who had drifted back his way, a ginormous twinkly smile on his funny little face. Roto snorted and tickled Orion with a digit on his belly. That little bot sunk and stood up sputtering. He looked up at Roto with a fierce expression on his cute little face. **"TOTO! NOT ME! ME GOOD!"**

Roto picked him up and kissed him, hugging him tightly. "You are, you little marauder. I love you." He looked at Orion who stared back listening and trying to understand.

"Orion love Toto."

Roto looked at this, his first little assignment, the baby whose study had clinched his counseling degree. "Toto loves Orion."

Orion smiled. **"TOTO GOOD! ORION *LOVE* TOTO!"**

Roto laughed and hugged the little bot rising from the pool. He cocooned the baby in a warmed towel and turned walking from the pool. As he did, he passed Laret who was walking in with Han. Orion spotting his nemesis grinned. **"HAN PFTLT!"**

Han looked at Orion and laughed loudly. **"YOU PLFLT!"**

They both cackled all the way to the pool and the rocking chair. So did their handlers.

-0-In the habitat on the top of a tower in the Mare Tranquilitatis

They entered and paused looking around at an astonishing sight. The entire shared living area of the habitat created for long term habitation by soldiers, civilians that were associated with the Autobots and their families covered more than 20,000 square feet. There were sitting areas all over the place and near the wall of windows that wound around the entire floor, a kitchen and dining area could be found. Around three sides of the building were individual rooms for residents. They were large, had a sitting and sleeping area and private baths. They had a desk with work space and a large monitor on the state-of-the-art computer that came with it.

"Go and find your rooms. Rememer, if a name is on it, you can't go inside. We don't use locks here. We are on the honor system. Anyone who breaks that rule will get punched." Lennox grinned at them. "I'm not kidding," he said kidding. Sort of.

They looked at him doubtfully, then turned and walked to the residential part of the habitat. Moments later, thirteen human filmmakers were gathered in the living room sitting around the 'fire pit' that occupied the main 'discussion' area. Sitting nearby, listening as well were the five N.E.S.T. Soldiers who were along to help.

"This is the place you will live. You will be expected to police the area at military standards. The habitat is designed to be comfortable to human standards. This is different than the Habitat Dome where the scientists live. This is a private residence for friends and family of the human group considered family by the Autobots. Anyone in that group can hitch a ride from Diego or go to one of four air force bases that Autobots regularly fly into to catch a ride no questions asked.

"Everyone on that list has a room here, loves this place and takes care of it. Make it sloppy, you will hear from us. This is your home when you aren't working or sightseeing. You are encouraged to wear your gear with your mask hung on the racks by the door. Your name is there. Put your mask in the right place. As we have already said, make sure the mask you take is yours. It is designed just for you.

"We eat when we want. Clean up after yourselves. We recycle here. You will find out about that when you use the kitchen. Some of you will be off world at times. Others will be here. All of you are responsible for each other. You are a team. You will act like one and be responsible for each other.

"Some of the places here are off limits for a reason. Don't try and be a smartass by sneaking in where you know you don't belong. You will be shipped home and the project might be cancelled. Breaking a rule or taboo isn't worth ending your visit here. This is one of the best places to be that I know of.

"You cannot communicate with Earth without it passing through the censors. You are a new commodity and they don't know if you are trustworthy. You could be spies for all we know. Be aware that when you send an e-mail or have a phone conversation over the IntraComm link up with Skype, you will be on a 30 second delay. If you post even accidentally anything compromising, you will be censored. That is the way it is."

"Are you censored, Major Lennox?" a tech asked.

"No. None of us regulars are. We earned trust. You might if you work at respecting them, obeying the few rules they have made for you and never fucking around. They are good mechs and femmes but this is no vacation in the Gobi. You can die here in less than a minute, a terrible painful death. Don't do anything that will get yourself dead and when they tell you something, obey immediately. They are aware of our fagility and go to great lengths to keep us safe and well.

"And I can't stress enough that you don't ask about Prime. There are security reasons that his identity is protected. We don't disclose. You won't. It is a violation of a Prime Directive if you do and you will be subject to their penalties if you do. Good luck getting out of that. Any questions on that simple taboo?"

There were none. They talked for a while and when the sun began to set, they stood and looked down as the city began to light up and the nightlife of Autobot City began once again.

-0-A few joors later

They sat at a table in Club Cybertron, half a dozen school teachers and some friends from data processing joining them. The music was great, the food and drink spot on. After a long 'week' of work, the 'weekend' had arrived. The city had begun to schedule work shifts and official activities such as school on a 'work week and weekend' model to allow families time to be together. Even through the schools weren't in session for three orns because of the 'weekend', Community Schools programs were going great guns to help those who still had to work or wanted to go and play without infants once in a while.

It had just been implemented with much input from citizens, businesses, work groups and officials through the official city page on the Community Bulletin Board. The official count against the idea was 12. The count for the change was still being tabulated it was so huge. It passed. This was the first 'weekend' of the rest of their lives and judging from the amount of activity in the clubs, restaurants and malls of the city, it would be a hit.

After much discussion and troubleshooting of shifts, work schedules, infant care problems and general disbelief that a weekend was even possible, the schedule as primed to the Martian cycle was declared to be a 'weekend' of three orns followed by a 'work week' of twelve. It worked out more or less quite well given that there were 686+ orns in a solar cycle on Mars, an equivalent of 1.88 years on Earth.

It was a work in progress.

To great and rising acclaim.

Except for 12 bots.

The slaggers.

Prime and Prowl walked toward home where all of the infants and in-laws were waiting. He looked at the happiness surrounding him, a great improvement over the dread and stress of the past few orns and grinned. "Do you remember Six Lasers Over Cybertron?" he asked looking down at Prowl.

That worthy smirked. "I do. I even went on some of the crazier rides once."

"I never did," Prime said rather wistfully. No lower caste ever could but he didn't vocalize that part.

"I wish you could have," Prowl said his smile fading.

"One of these days maybe we can build it here," Prime said with a grin. "I'll go with you then."

"Done deal," Prowl said slipping his servo into Prime's arm. They both disappeared into the crowds on the street.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	23. Chapter 23

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 13

=0=In the bosom of love

"And that is what Roto said, Ratchet."

"That's wonderful, Ironhide. That little bot is getting to be a real trooper. He usually sinks. Now he can float all over the pool" Ratchet grinned at Orion who was sitting on the floor stacking his blocks and shell casings. "That bot is a caution."

"He is," Ironhide said sitting nearby in his chair, Praxus sitting on his lap chewing on one of his atar's digits. "Little mech is going to set the world on fire."

"Don't get him around matches, Ironhide. That's one of my deepest fears," Ratchet said with a grin. He took the last datapad and put it on a shelf behind him. His 'paperwork' was over and he was **FREE! FREE! FREE!** Walking to his chair, he sat down and grinned at the sparkling trying to stack rounded shapes on top each other. "That is one inspiring sparkling. He's trying to stack rounded shapes on top of each other."

"He's persistent," Ironhide said proudly. "Doesn't know round can't be stacked but he's keeping at it."

"Make sure he knows walls aren't doors, Ironhide."

Ironhide thought a moment and looked at Ratchet. "Ha-ha, Ratchet."

Ratchet grinned.

A rap on the door brought all optics toward the sweetly smiling helm peeking inside. "Hello."

"Hi, Ada," Ratchet said. "Come in and rest your peds."

Ravel stepped in followed by Tie Down. They cooed over the infants who warbled up at them and then sat down. "What lovely babies you are," Ravel said.

"How do you two feel?" Ironhide asked.

"We feel good, son," Ravel said. "Tie needs a touch up on his armor but all in all, we are well. It's very nice to be home again though."

"You won't get your shop back for at least a decaorn. You will have to relax and enjoy until then," Ratchet said. "I could use the company in the office."

"We will come by, Ratchet, if you need us," Ravel said reaching down and picking up Orion. He hugged the little bot and sat him between himself and Tie. "Where is Flint? Is he settling in well?"

"He is," Ironhide said. "Right now, he's out with friends. There are a bunch of civilians here that he knows, that he helped a long time ago when he was on the Rim."

"That's very nice," Ravel said looking down at the little bot looking up at him smiling like a happy face button. Ravel smiled and leaned down kissing his little helm. Orion hugged himself he was so pleased.

"We're going to be going through the Trigger, Tie and be out of the system for a few joors. Depending on the scene at the other end, we might need you to help with the sparklings. Bluestreak and the twins are going to do the heavy lifting but knowing you're around will be a good thing," Ironhide said.

"We would love to help you," Ravel said with a smile. He looked at Ratchet. "Should you go, son? You are running out of orns before the femme comes."

"I was asked by Prime to come," Ratchet said. "It won't be too long and we'll be back."

Ironhide nodded. "It won't take us long. We're going to assess the signal we got from the messag-send through the small gate. Prime is convinced that our people are there and we need to get them. Prime is Prime. He would know."

"He would," Tie said. Ravel nodded emphatically. "He would, that one."

Ratchet merely smiled.

-0-In the club

They walked in and sat with their group ordering food and drink. Miler and Venture had the sparklings because it was their 'date night' with the babies. They were free to play on this, the first 'weekend' of the rest of their lives. The place was full of happy groups, some in the bar and some here in the restaurant. The music was just right, the lighting was better and the place was packed.

"What did you find out about the human filmmakers?" Cliffjumper asked leaning over Bluestreak's shoulder. "And did you ask them why I wasn't included?"

Sunstreaker snorted and looked at the little mech. "They picked the ones who would do the job, Cliff. Tall ones."

"Oh, ha ha, Sunstreaker," Cliff said sourly. He turned back to his friends and sulked. "Fraggers. They need to have a mini-con in the mix. Someone like me. I need to talk to these idiots."

Laughter from Sunstreaker's table greeted that and the two groups settled into their own conversations. Nearby, sitting on the bench along the wall Nitro and Revo watched the funny folks. They were waitihg for their bonds and having a drink. The strangeness of being where they were, with who they were had worn off some time ago.

"Cliffjumper might get into trouble tonight. He's tossing them back one after the other," Nitro said with a grin.

Revo smirked and nodded. "It could get interesting. He seems to have a death wish provoking Sunstreaker."

He nodded. "What do you think about being filmed?"

Revo shrugged. "I don't know. I talked to Heva about maybe the family getting filmed in the middle of this; he waxes hot and cold on the idea. Frankly, I don't know what that will feel like but the final version has to pass Prime. I trust him."

Nitro nodded. "Me too. Here they are."

The bonds appeared and they waved, rising and walking to a nearby table. The small group sat and was soon joined by others, civilian neutrals, Autobots and ex-Cons alike. It was a great start to a great evening.

-0-Bumblebee and First Aid

They sat in First Aid's office talking. He was off shift in a breem and they were going to be meeting the trine and others in their social group at the Club. Bee sat with his peds up on First Aid's desk tossing a steel ball back and forth in his servos. It was a tiny model of a Cybertronian football.

"How much longer?" Bee asked.

First Aid paused by his computer and turned grinning at his beau. "I'm done already."

"Make an executive decision and let's go."

"Give me a few minutes, Bee. Something might happen if I go early," he said shutting down his computer monitor.

"Yeah. I might have to drag you out of here by your nose," Bee said with a chuckle.

"If you put it that way," First Aid said as Bee stood. They turned and walked outside heading for the club and their friends.

-0-Out there

"What do you want to do, 'Jack?"

Blackjack stood before the computer reading the message that had been sent to them the same way the first one was. It as from Prime, carried the right codes and identifiers and an almost impossible to believe message that he would come the next orn to talk.

"I think we should meet him and see what's happening. I'm too scared to believe its truly him but everything checks out."

Alor nodded. "I know. The night messages are in and everyone is ready to go in a moment's notice."

"Good," he said glancing over at his bond. "We have to be ready to leave and blow the settlements to the Pit right away."

Alor nodded. "We will," he said quietly.

-0-At the theater

Mechs and an accasional femme sat in the back row and waited for the last four episodes of season one Transformers: Prime to play. The theater was filling up and they watched chatting quietly together as they waited for 'One Shall Fall' and the three part 'One Shall Rise'.

Mimi's genitors sat with Bleu's, both couples having a night out. The infants were with friends who were considering a sparkling of their own. There was nothing like servos on for such a life changing decision. They sat in the front row to get an unobstructed view of the show. By the time they were settled the room was filled and the lights went down.

The show would run continually until it was finished and they would leave to make room for the crowded second showing. The reviews would be stellar.

-0-In the private apartment

They stood next to the windows staring with telescopic lenses at the activities outside. Surprisingly intimidated, they decided to spend a moment surveying the sights beyond their aerie. Considering that an actual aerie existed nearby, they focused their scopes on the Seeker enclave several miles away. They could see the massive building that curved around a manicured central space that appeared to be a public area.

They could see Seekers arrive and leave the structure that appeared to be over a dozen terraced levels high. With the addition of more Seekers, the building was constructed upward to accommodate them.

"Do you suppose we can go there and maybe see Starscream?" a tech asked.

"I don't know," Jack Mellar said. "We're going to have to do this in a way that doesn't offend anyone. I feel kind of small and intimidated here."

The tech nodded. "I couldn't wait to get here and now I feel sort of afraid to step out especially now that its getting dark."

They stood and watched the goings on outside their windows. They wouldn't venture out until the light of day.

-0-Prime Residence

"Then we're go tomorrow?" Miler asked as he helped clear away the dinner clutter.

"We are," Prowl said nodding. "Optimus asked Ratchet to come along as well as Ironhide. I think he wants Ratchet along when we find out who is leading the ghost ships."

Miler nodded. "I really liked Alor and Blackjack. They were good mechs."

"I only met them twice with you. I don't have a clear image of them," Prowl said. "I just know they were extremely well liked and decent."

"They were. Are," Miler corrected. "I think its a good idea for Ratchet to be along. This is going to be a tremendous shock to Ironhide."

Prowl nodded, finishing his clean up. He turned and looked at his ada. "The Trigger is optimal?"

"It is. It is go at every level," Miler said.

"Good," Prowl said nodding. "Then we will be ready in the morning to send the team through."

"As ready as we can ever be," Miler said turning and following Prowl back into the living room and the family that he had come to love with his whole spark.

-0-In an apartment in a nearby tower

They sat on the couch holding their new sparkling. The Well had granted their wish and now they sat together looking at the little botlet lying in their arms wrapped in blankets they had gotten at The Infant Center some time ago. When they had made their decision, they had gotten an apartment with a room for a sparkling. They had gone nervously into The Infant Center and gotten things that they thought a baby might need. It was awfully sweet to the manager who had taken the awkward nervous pair into servo.

"He's wonderful," Trapezoid said looking at the infant in his arms.

"He is," Seven said nodding. "Look at his little servos. Have you ever seen servos that small before?"

"No," Trapezoid said with a faint grin. "I'm sorta nervous. Are you?"

He nodded. "Yes."

They sat staring at their son for a moment.

"Do you think he needs to eat?"

"No. He's just laying there. I think he might need to sleep."

"We should put him in his bed."

"What if he cries?"

"I moved it into our berthroom."

"Good thinking."

(Silence a moment as two nervous newly minted genitors stare at one drowsy little sparkling.) "He's awfully cute."

"He is. He's a good sparkling. He hasn't made a sound all night."

Pause.

"Do you think that's normal, Trapezoid?"

"I think so. Cleery told us that he would be tired and sleep a couple of orns really well."

"She did say that."

Silence.

"Are you nervous too?"

"I am."

Silence.

"Should we call someone?"

"I don't know, Seven. How about we put him in his little crib and see what happens."

"Good idea."

Two big bots rise very slowly and tip-toe to their berthroom. Walking inside, they awkwardly tuck their son into his blanket lined little crib. He immediately falls into recharge. They stare at him silently for a moment.

"He's perfect," Seven whispered.

"He is. This was a good thing, Seven," Trapezoid said with his own whisper.

"He's going to sleep a while."

"Maybe we should too."

"I think so."

They stood a while and then both moved to the berth and lay down. They would stay awake all night listening. Their son would sleep uninterrupted all through the night.

-0-In the bosom of love

"Ratchet."

"What?"

"You asleep?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Ratchet?"

"What, Only One."

"Flint is doing really well isn't he."

"He is. Getting a good circle of friends, impressing Prime with his knowhow … all in all, a good start."

Silence.

"Ratchet?"

"Hmm?"

"You aren't doing any matchmaking are you?"

"Nope."

"You wouldn't lie to me?"

"Nope."

Silence.

Ratchet?"

"What?"

"Why aren't you meddling with my uncle?"

Pause.

"I thought you didn't want me to do that."

"I don't."

"Well?"

"I just wondered what you thought might be wrong because you weren't."

"Weren't what? Meddling?"

"Yes."

Pause.

"You don't want me to meddle. I don't. Then you wonder what is wrong with your uncle because I'm not meddling. That about it?"

"Yes."

Pause.

"You worry me, Ironhide."

Pause.

"Ironhide?"

"What?"

"Do you want me to match him up with someone?"

"No."

"Then why bring it up?"

Pause.

"Because I can't recharge."

Pause.

"So, because you can't recharge, no one can?"

"Yes." (grin)

"You need therapy. I'll schedule you with Jarro tomorrow."

Pause.

"That rhymes."

"What does?"

"Tomorrow and Jarro. Rhymes. Sorta." (grin)

Pause.

"You worry me, Ironhide."

"I see it as keeping a bond fresh."

"So … I'm stale?"

Pause.

"Good night, Ratchet." (grin)

"Good night, Only One." (grin)

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	24. Chapter 24

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 14

=0=Apartment 24, Floor 24 in the 'Sea of Tranquility' (Mare Tranquilitatis)

"**ORION!"**

Ironhide snorted out of the washracks and looked into the living room. A tiny wet bot with yellow arm bands ran as fast as he could for his grandatar. Tie Down sitting nearby gripped the little bot as he stood in front of him, his arms held up. **"ATAR! ORION ME! HI, ATAR!"**

Tie down laughed and hugged the little bot, rising and glancing at Ironhide. "I can bring him in, son."

"That's alright, Tie. That little marauder has to learn the house rules," Ironhide said crossing the room.

Orion looked at his atar with alarm. Gripping Tie Down's face in his servos, he began to babble his concerns. **"ATAR BAD! ME ORION! ME RUN! GO ME! I ORION GO YOU!"**

"You bet you will, you little goof ball," Ironhide said taking the infant into his servos. Turning and thundering back into the berthroom, he finished washing Orion's armor. The racket was loud and Praxus sat staring worriedly at the door. He looked up at his grandada who sat holding him and enjoying the hoo-hah in the other room.

"This is always very funny, Tie," Ravel said with a chuckle.

"I think so, Ravie," Tie Down said grinning as he sat on the chair by the window.

Ratchet came out of the infants' rooms and glanced into the berthroom. "How's it going, Ironhide?"

"**FINE!"**

Ratchet snorted and walked in caressing Praxus's helm. "You look shiny."

"He was a good little mech," Ravel said with a smile.

"At least one is not going to kill me," Ratchet said with a grin. Ironhide walked out of the berthroom holding a scowling little mech peeping out of a white towel coccoon. He was handed off to Tie Down.

"Are you two going to be alright?" Ratchet asked. "I know this is an odd day. The second day of 'weekend' and all, but the twins will be over shortly and Blue later. Please call them if you need them. We shouldn't be gone long."

"You're going to some other part of the galaxy and you make it sound like a stroll to a show," Tie Down said with a grin.

Ironhide grinned. "Could turn out to be just as much fun," he said as Ratchet walked to the door. He followed and they stepped out leaving the two alone with the sparklings.

Orion looked at his grandatar from his white towel swaddle and smiled ginormously. **"ATAR! GOOD ME, ORION! PLAY?"**

Tie blinked and looked at Ravel. "I think we have some new words, Ravie."

Ravel chuckled. "I think we do."

-0-On the road to Ops Center

Prime and Prowl stepped out of the Fortress and walked toward the air field where Omega stood waiting for them. On the way they crossed paths with Ironhide and Ratchet. Prowl as pre-arranged with Prime paused with Ratchet to 'discuss something' with the bot as the other two continued. Prowl watched them walk on and turned to Ratchet who stood looking at the tense winger curiously. "What?" Ratchet asked.

"Ratchet, dial down your emotional subroutines for a moment. I want to tell you something and I don't want a scene or something."

"What?" Ratchet asked frowning slightly. "What's going on?" He tensed. "What happened to the twins?"

"Nothing," Prowl said. "It is a very good thing but I want it private for a moment. Trust me."

Ratchet looked at him and then complied. "Alright. Shoot."

Prowl nodded. "I want to tell you that we're going to meet the leadership of the ghost ships in the Expansion. Face to face, that is."

Ratchet nodded. "That makes sense."

"Ratchet," Prowl said, "when Optimus sent a trial message to them, they sent back a single word. It was 'ebony'."

Ratchet looked at him for a moment while that percolated into his processor. "Ebony … that's Blackjack's designation in the code book."

Prowl nodded. "It is. He confirmed it through the next message. We're going to see him and because he's there, Alor will be too."

Ratchet shifted from ped to ped absorbing the information without the help and hindrance of emotions. The sound was rattling around without the fury.

"Ratchet, firewall the slag out of that information so that Ironhide won't know it. Then dial back up. I don't want Ironhide to wonder what's going on with you."

"You've known how long?" Ratchet said as he began to compile a rigid medical information-style firewall for the information.

"Since the first message sent," Prowl said watching.

Ratchet paused and slowly dialed up his emotions. When they were at a level that felt normal, he nodded. The two turned and walked to the ship waiting nearby for them both.

-0-The Trigger Command

Miler sat at the Engineer's station working through the programming that would automate the bridge and keep it open until the keyword he alone would control shut the big violent anomalie down. Turning, glancing at Wheeljack who sat with Perceptor at the Control station, Miler nodded. "We are ready, 'Jack."

"Thank you, Miler," Wheeljack said. He called the Flight Tower in Fortress Maximus. "Flight Control, this is Trigger Control. We are go. Please advise Omega and clear them for liftoff."

"Trigger Control, this is Fort Max Flight Center, we copy and have Omega on go."

Wheeljack looked at the big monitor nearby, the one trained on Omega. That worthy slowly arose and soon disappeared into the darkness of space. Three other giant monitors turned on and one of them showed Omega transiting the planet in orbit.

"Omega Supreme to Trigger Control."

"Trigger Control, Omega. This is Wheeljack. We are going to ask you to enter the sled," Wheeljack said referring to the long arms of the device that concentrated, focused and transmitted the energy that would allow the singularity to open and remain that way.

"I copy," Omega's voice said as the screen showed him moving to the device and entering. "Trigger Control, I am in place."

"Good. Hold a moment, Omega," 'Jack said running his digits over the keyboard. A slight tremor signaled the processor-blowing energetic forces gathering down below in the energy chamber. When they reached the right intensity, they burst forth along the long arms flowing outward in a tight beam into the space ahead of their orbit. When that was achieved, the Trigger's thrusters kicked in and it held its place in orbit. Mars continued to rotate but the Trigger stayed firmly in place.

Ahead of it, the four streams of energy crossed and a singularity was born, space erupting into a giant malevolent blossom. It was massive and made a tunnel that ripped through time and space opening widely at the destination. All that Omega had to do was fly straight in and they would be there.

So he did.

-0-At the other end

A flotilla of five ships waited in the darkness, their mirrored surfaces reflecting the star light and glowing energy around them. Blackjack and Alor stood on the command deck of their ship, their crew sitting around them on station watching the eruption of a sight they had never hoped to ever see.

Behind them scattered over 12 planets and 1 moon, over 110,000 Cybertronians, 1,500 Autobot as well as ex-Con soldiers and 324 Seekers waited for the word to go. They had been removing signs of their identity since the first communication from Prime.

The word had been given and they put into effect a plan that had been in place for a few generations of bots. Gather everyone into working groups. Take everything that had to come and load it into giant freightliners. Everything else had to be defaced, destroyed or buried. Habitations were heavily mined along with work places and other buildings. Everyone packed their gear and all things that needed to be taken along and loaded them on the cargo ships.

Right now, they were on standby. Every single individual was accounted for. They were sitting and standing on ships waiting for the General to say the word. Seekers flew in orbits around each world protecting it, scanning it and waiting.

Alor had received the reports given one by one from all of the centralized stations for each planet's population. No one and nothing would be left behind. When they were gone, there would only be a mystery and a big smoking pile of rubble. He turned and walked to stand beside Blackjack, the terrifying enigma of the space bridge glowing on the window before them. "I am so nervous."

"You and me both," Blackjack said grimly. "This is a moment I never thought would arrive."

Alor nodded as they stood watching a ship they never expected to see again muscle out of the energy vortex and jet toward them. "Omega."

Blackjack nodded. "This is the Prime, Ali."

Alor nodded, slipping his servo into Blackjack's squeezing it gently. Blackjack squeezed back.

-0-On the other end

They stood in the hold looking out the porthole windows as Omega gathered speed and shot into the glowing green-blue of the singularity. Inside, they watched as unfathomable amounts of energy worked to hold open the very fabric of space. Slipping through with an almost unbelievable ease and smoothness, they found themselves on the other side almost without noticing the passage of any time. They shot out into darkness and almost immediately detected the presence of five glistening ships.

"Prime, we are not alone," Omega's deeply masculine voice said.

"I know. Scan them, Omega and seek the response," Prime said. Standing next to him was a tense Prowl, an expectant Ironhide and a pensive Ratchet.

"They have confirmed. What are your orders?"

"Come within traversing distance, Omega," Prime said turning and looking at the group. "I'm going over first."

"I'll go with you," Ironhide said.

"No," Prime said. "Wait here and I will call you over." He looked at Prowl. "You are in command, Prowl."

The winger nodded and the three watched as Prime walked to the hatch door and rapped on the bulkhead. It opened and Prime pushed off into the darkness of vacuum. The hatch closed and the cabin repressurized. Prowl turned and watched Prime glide through space as he made his way.

"Prime shouldn't be going by himself," Ironhide said. "Don't know who is over there and what they intend no matter what he may have been told by them."

"I wouldn't worry, Ironhide," Prowl said quietly. "Something tells me this is going to be just fine."

They stood watching as Prime reached the ship and magnetized to its hull. The hatch opened and the light inside flooded out. He moved and slipped inside as the hatch slid shut. The ship was beautiful, long, sleek and arrayed with deadly weaponry. It had polished almost mirror-like sides that were faceted like a glitter ball. The sheets were enormous and together they reflected the light, making it hard to see the vessels. Even the sensors on board Omega struggled to hold them in focus. Obviously, they had deflector technology to help them remain inscrutible.

Prowl considered that making a note to talk to Perceptor and Wheeljack about studying and perhaps using it themselves. It kept everyone bad out of here along with their firepower all these vorns. It couldn't hurt to see if it would be a help for themselves.

-0-Inside

He stood in a bright light, his optics having difficulty dialing to the right level of opacity. Then the light faded leaving him nearly blind as he struggled to adjust. Several dark figures stood facing him, big figures of both mech and Seeker. They came into focus and Prime recognized all of them.

The biggest most commanding entity of the group stood staring silently at him, then knelt, bending his knee and his helm before the moral, political, religious and ethical center of their species. The others followed, the silence of the room almost oppressive. Prime looked at them and shifted. "Please, friends … rise."

They did, each of them reflecting some of the disbelief, hope and fear they all felt on their faces. "Optimus Prime," the big black bot said with an almost reverential whisper. "I did not hope to ever see you again."

Optimus nodded. He extended his servo which the big Autobot gripped. "Words can't describe the joy I feel seeing all of you again, Blackjack."

-0-On Omega

Ironhide paced as they waited, a silent and tense Prowl watching him go back and forth. There was no news yet but that in and of itself was good.

"Ironhide, he will call us shortly." Ratchet looked at his bond pacing. "Relax."

"I should be there. I am his bodyguard and his brother. I should be there. What if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen, Ironhide," Prowl said.

Ironhide stopped and turned casting a gimlet optic at the tense winger. "Really. You know that?"

Prowl shrugged slightly.

"What are you not telling me, Prowl?" he asked with that bulldog set to his jaw. "You're hiding something." He glanced at Ratchet and then Prowl again. "Both of you are. What is going on?"

Ratchet glanced at Prowl.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	25. Chapter 25

NOTE: This took a bit of doing since the power went out a moment during a big wind storm. If you ever see a missed day, the power went out. :D

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 15

=0=Out there

"What the frag is going on?" Ironhide asked. He knew Ratchet like he knew the inside of his own optics. There was something off about the moment. He stared at both of them and then turned marching to the hatch.

"Ironhide!"

He turned and looked at Prowl who stood as officiously as he could. "Prime said wait."

"Either tell me what you're holding back or hang his order." Ironhide glared at both of them.

:Better tell him: Ratchet told Prowl.

"Alright. We contacted the leadership out here and they told us who they were. They are Cybertronian soldiers protecting Cybertronian civilians with Seekers, ex-Cons and Autobots."

"That I guessed," Ironhide said nodding.

Prowl glanced at Ratchet. Ratchet stepped forward and rested his servos on Ironhide's shoulders. "Ironhide … I guess I will just tell you. The code word back from the first send was 'ebony'."

Ironhide stared at Ratchet, then Prowl and Ratchet again.

-0-Across the way

"What is the situation here?" Optimus asked.

Alor handed Prime a datapad. He studied it carefully. "You have 110,000 or more to move."

"I know it's a lot," Blackjack said worriedly. "We removed populations from danger and brought them here to save them. We don't know how many you can take but none of us here will leave until and if everyone else goes first."

Prime looked at him and nodded. "We can take them all. Now if they are ready."

The group stared at him a moment, then Blackjack shifted slightly. "All of them?"

"Yes," Prime replied. "Everyone. When can they go?"

Blackjack stared at him a moment and then glanced at the others. They were as stunned as he was. "They can go now. I … I just have to say the word."

"Then get ready to say it," Prime said. As he did, the hatch sounded as if someone had magnetized to it. Before he could take even one step the hatch slid back and a bot entered followed by two more. They magnetized and the hatch slid shut, the ship automatically represurizing.

Ironhide looked at the group until he found the two he wanted. He stared at them, at the two who had haunted his dreams for literally millions of years. They stared back, unable to do more. Ratchet stepped closer and looked at Ironhide. "Ironhide … are you alright?" he asked.

The big bot stared at his genitors, his entire being suffused with shock and emotion. Across the space clutching Blackjack's arm, Alor stared with disbelief at his son. "Ironhide," he whispered. He stood a moment clutching his bond, then he lurched forward gripping Ironhide's face in his servos. "Ironhide!" he cried as he stared at his son, looking at his face, his body, his optics.

Ironhide enfolded his ada in his arms. He gripped Alor as tightly as he could. "Ada," he whispered.

Ratchet stared at them a moment, then looked at Blackjack. "Blackjack," he said painfully.

That bot looked at Ratchet and blinked. "Ratchet?" he asked in a pained voice. "Ratchet?"

Ratchet nodded and walked to him gripping him in a hug. Huge arms enfolded Ratchet.

"Atar!"

They turned and looked at Ironhide who was holding his ada. "Atar, you're alive!" Ironhide said tearfully. "You are alive!"

His father stepped forward pausing in front of his son. Reaching out his servo, Blackjack gently touched Ironhide's shoulder, the one that bore the glyph of his own name. "Son," he whispered.

Ironhide turned and gripped his father, hugging him tightly. Alor glanced at Ratchet, blinking. "Ratchet. Oh Primus … Ratchet?" he asked incredulously.

Ratchet hugged Alor tightly. "Ali, I'm so glad you made it. Ironhide has missed you so much. He always thought it was his fault that you were stuck in Praxus and he couldn't find you."

"Oh Ratchet … you were stuck outside of Vos and Simfur. We all knew it. We just ran," Alor said. "We ran and prayed."

"I should have known that this whole thing was you and 'Jack. I should have known," Ratchet said with a chuckle. They looked at Blackjack and Ironhide who clung to each other tightly. "We have to get all of you out of here. Now."

Blackjack paused and looked at his son. "Ironhide, I missed you. I never believed you were at the Matrix. I never allowed myself to believe it. But I never allowed myself to believe I would ever see you again. That was too much to hope for."

Ironhide nodded as he wiped his optics. "It's all okay now. We came to get you and bring you to the safest place for our kind to live in the galaxy."

"Where?" Blackjack asked. "Prime said we can come, all of us. We can come now. Ironhide, we're protecting 110,000 bots of all kinds."

"You say that like it's a problem," Ratchet said with a grin. They all turned and looked at the smiling bot.

"Ratchet, what the frag happened to your paint scheme?" Blackjack asked with a smile.

It was the right remark for the right moment.

-0-The Trigger Control

"This is Trigger Control, Prime."

"Wheeljack, we have a situation. We have 110,000 bots that have to come through now. They are ready and their ships can come through as you order it. Prowl is coming back with the runabout and will handle the reclamation at your end. I am going to have the schematics of the migration sent. I want you to organize the situation for maximal re-entry."

"Affirmative, Optimus. We're waiting," Wheeljack said as he turned and whistled loudly. "Get ready for incoming," he said as everyone jumped up and ran to their stations.

-0-Prime and the Migration

He turned and looked at Alor. "If you send the data the Trigger team can get the ball rolling."

Alor looked at him a moment clearly attempting to sort out the possibilities in that simple statement. Then he turned and walked to a computer punching in the data. He looked at Prime. "Do you want it just sent through?"

Prime nodded. "Please."

He looked at the button a moment and pressed it. The data shot out flashing through the tunnel of energy that ended in safety.

-0-Trigger Command

"I have it," Perceptor said. He rose and with datapad in servo walked to the work table nearby. They began to organize a migration of a group that would increase their current population by one third.

-0-Out there

Prowl stepped into vacuum and headed for Omega. He entered and after a moment, the huge mechanism swung around and shot into the vortex disappearing inside. When he was gone, Prime turned to Blackjack. "We need to send for your ships. Perceptor will arrange them. Prowl will have the colony waiting for them. Let them know it's time to go."

Blackjack turned and nodded to Alor. That big bot turned and began to send the messages that would raise from the many worlds where they waited all the hopeful individuals of the exile. By the time Wheeljack sent his plan through to Blackjack's ship, the ships were beginning to gather in the darkness.

-0-Prowl

He stood in Ops Center calling down the rescue. Bots pausing in their 'weekend' activities hurried to their stations all over the city. He calmly issued orders as Jazz gave the word on The Hourly News. It played on a monitor nearby.

"We have just received an emergency call from Prime regarding a migration that will be coming in to us in about a joor. We sent Gen-O to see Jazz, the Information Officer for the Senior Command to give us the latest and to ask what if anything the colony can do to help."

(Cut to Ops Center)

"This is Gen-O with Information Officer, Jazz. Jazz, what can you tell us about the situation?"

"We have a migration coming that tops about 110,000 individuals as well as a large number of soldiers and Seekers. They were discovered near the Benzuli Expansion and will be reclaimed through the spacebridge."

"That is a lot of bots, Jazz. How can we help?"

"We will be needin' civilians to come out to assist in gettin' our new mechs to their accomodations, health care if needed and through the process. Just like before, we will be needin' you to come. They will be here in roughly one joor," Jazz said. "Out in the usual place, that is where we will need ya."

"Has Prime released any information on the configuration of the group? Where they might have come from on Cybertron?" Geno-O asked.

"We don't have a great number of particulars yet to release but will soon. Prowl is getting the hard stuff done before we get to the details. I am sure there will be friends and family in this group just like the others and it will be posted on the Community Home Page under the Bureau of Refuges. Check later today or tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jazz. Back to the studio with Lim-Lee," Geno-O said to the camera.

Prowl turned back to the main screen of Teletraan III. On its massive surface the icon of the space bridge vortex gleamed, details of information rolling across in neat lines. As he watched, the first surge of ships began to come through.

-0-At the apartment of RvI

Bluestreak entered the apartment and nodded to Ravel and Tie Down. "Ravie? Tie? I am being called up to help in a new migration that is coming through the Trigger. Apparently they were ours on the other side."

"Oh my," Ravel said as he stood in the kitchen making sippie cups for infants. Orion, Praxus, Iacon, Uraya, Kaon and Miracle sat on the floor watching him with ginormous smiles and great expectations. "What can we do to help, Bluestreak?"

"Well, I am hoping you can watch the sparklings for a bit longer until Venture can get off at the City Hall. He's got to go back later but he's coming to help you until the twins find out if they are needed yet."

"We can do that," Tie said looking up from the floor where he sat with the sparklings.

"Are you too tired?" Bluestreak asked taking sippie cups from Ravel and handing them to sparklings.

"No," Ravel said walking and sitting on a chair. He reached for Iacon and sat her on his lap. Holding her cup, he smiled. "How can this be tiring?"

Bluestreak snorted and grinned. "Ask the twins," he said.

-0-Out there

They watched the first group go through disappearing into the energy cone almost immediately. Beyond them more ships arrived, all of them gathering in the darkness as ordered. It was silent a moment, then Ironhide looked at his father. "I want both of you to have Ratchet give you a check up," he said glancing at Ratchet. That big bot started and then raised his arm. A beam of light hit Blackjack running from helm to ped. Then it scanned Alor.

Ratchet checked the preliminary data and looked at Blackjack. "There's a couple of things that need repair, 'Jack. We can schedule it when we get there. Ali, you seem to be in good order. Mostly."

"Good. You will be taken care of when we get there," Ironhide said. "I don't want an argument either."

They both looked at him, their son, their only child and felt numbness settle into their bodies. They had last heard from him when he was telling them to flee. He himself was leading a group to meet Prime at Simfur. The Prime was going to launch the AllSpark into space, so dire was the situation.

They were home trying to organize an evacuation of civilians in Praxus and the surrounding area when the strike came. It was almost unfathomable even for soldiers of their experience. They ran from their house calling for everyone to run for the airfield. Death rained down upon everyone and even though they managed to save a lot of lives and flee too, leaving was the hardest thing they could do.

Nothing could be done for Praxus. It burned with the fury of napalm. They had to find the refugees and lead them to safety. They did. They found a place with dangerous energy and built a sanctuary, rescuing as many as they could find and giving them shelter.

They did it with 1,500 soldiers and more than 320 Seekers. They made everyone who dared to venture their direction pay dearly. That was their lot in life until a moment unguarded when a message streaked through space and landed on their steps.

"Who are you? - Prime"

"Ebony."

In the blink of an optic, the world was changed and where there once was duty and the moment, now there was hope and a future. Their beloved Ironhide, their son was before them and it was dumbfounding. "You won't get an argument out of us, Ironhide," Blackjack said to his son. Alor nodded silently.

-0-On the ground

They came down out of the sky, gleaming ships that shown no sign of combat. They landed as instructed and emptied as well. Lines of civilians waited and officals taking information flitted throughout the mass of returnees. They asked about Prime and were told he was on the other side helping them to return. They stood and stared transfixed at the sight of Cybertronian towers, Cybertronian bots of all manner and size and most of all, the Temple.

They walked through the process and were guided to their new homes, a quarry turned habitat that could hold their entire migration. They would come and come, joors would pass before the last five ships would come through the aperture and the giant deadly blossom was allowed to collapse.

By that time, there were small lines of individuals, all of them dazed, some confused, others deliriously happy moving toward their new future together. When the last five ships landed Prowl, Jazz, Springer, Kup, Drift, Starscream, Thundercracker, Jarro and Barron would be waiting to greet them.

When Prime walked down the ramp followed by Ironhide and Ratchet, Blackjack, Alor and their command crew, all of them would be stepping out into a new world.

-0-Far away

Across twelve planets and a moon or two small and large explosions commenced. The last thing that Alor did before the ships turned to run for safety was to set the detonator charges. All of the settlements, all of their effort would be vaporized. Nothing would be left in one piece. Anything that could identify them was either destroyed or packed up in a cargo hold. When the dust settled there would be nothing to tell the Decepticons or anyone else that the ghost ships of the Benzuli Expansion had been Cybertronian.

It would remain the mystery forever.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	26. Chapter 26

NOTE: The lights went out again. We are having a series of huge storms passing through on their way to dump on someone else and the wind between them is major. :D

=0=And now, back to the soiree in progress

The Diego Diaries: Part 16

-0-In the ship watching others go into the vortex, earlier

There was a steady stream of ships flying swiftly for the vortex. They entered with a splash effect and disappeared. They would exit almost immediately extraordinary distances away, gathered to the collective bosoms of thousands more, some of whom would be surprised by the discovery of friends and family among the newbies.

Alor turned and looked at Ironhide. He was standing by his atar, his arm protectively around the big bot. They were watching a screen that fed information to and from the ships. Prime was with them and they discussed the situation in soft tones. Alor glanced at Ratchet who was leaning on the wall watching everyone. "It's amazing to see you again, Ratchet. I can't find words to say how much."

Ratchet grinned. "We weren't told about you until just now. I feel what you feel," he said.

Alor walked to a bench along the hull and sat patting the space next to him. Ratchet walked over and sat leaning against the wall as wearily as Alor. "What is the colony like?"

"It is huge. It was Prime's decision. We were helping a species on the next planet over who had Megatron and the AllSpark in their custody without knowing the danger."

Alor sat up and looked at Ratchet sharply. "Megatron? The AllSpark?"

"There is a long story behind everything but understand. Prime killed Megatron once. The AllSpark revived him. He came again with The Fallen and Prime killed that bot, chasing Megatron away. We haven't seen him since but we have had a few problems with his machinations. We have the system buttoned up tightly and receive refugees as they come. The 'Cons are driving them off their worlds and toward us. We think … maybe … that he's going another direction for now but we are pretty convinced its only a matter of time."

Alor nodded. "We have not seen or heard of him for a very long time. We worked hard to make it punative for anyone to come our way. That way we could gather and protect our population."

"We do the same. We have a lot of Decepticons coming in and thousands of Seekers. Starscream and his trine were the first ones to cross over," Ratchet said.

Alor looked at him. "Starscream."

Ratchet nodded. "Starscream was dying. Megatron had nearly beaten him to death. If they had not come to us, he would have gone to the Matrix."

Alor nodded. "It will be an interesting world we go to then?" he asked with a grin.

Ratchet thought about the infants, the family in all its extended glory and smirked. "You have no idea."

Ironhide glanced over his father and looked at Ratchet. :Don't tell them about the sparklings, Ratchet. Let it be a surprise:

Ratchet smirked and nodded slightly. Ironhide turned back to the job at servo.

-0-Venture

He hurried down the corridor and paused at the door. Opening and peering inside, he smiled. Tie Down was covered with sparklings. He was laughing as they patted and tumbled over him, pausing long enough to hug each other and then resume their game of climbing all over grandatar. Ravel who was sitting nearby rocking the femme-lets smiled. "Hello, Venture. Welcome."

Venture entered and stood smiling down at the infants. "I got here just in time," he said sitting down to join in on the fun.

-0-Ops Center

"I think it might be a good idea to help with the infants," Prowl said. "Right now, its smooth. You can help Ratchet when he gets here." Prowl paused and then nodded toward a conference room. "Come with me a moment."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe followed Prowl to the big conference room entering and closing the door behind them. They turned to Prowl who stood before them pensively. "I have a surprise for you. We didn't tell Ratchet and Ironhide until now because we weren't completely sure."

They both nodded. "What?" Sideswipe asked.

"Ironhide's genitors have been recovered," Prowl said.

It was silent a moment. Then Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe. "This could become slagging awesome."

Sideswipe smirked. "Fragging awesome."

Prowl merely looked relieved.

-0-Out there

"We haven't seen Megatron this way. His people began to stop coming because we made it painful. There are a lot of dangerous aliens here and we made a space for our own," Blackjack said.

"What about the refugee movement? What do you know about the Circle of Light and the Knights of Cybertron?" Prime asked.

"We have had them come and go. Dai Atlas is searching for anyone who is lost and building a huge network out here. The last time we talked he was heading for Cybertron. He had heard that you were somewhere doing something but no one had any information," Blackjack said.

Prime nodded. "He's on Cybertron and he's building a network there to overtake the planet when the moment is right. He's been there only for a short time but we have more information about Megatron and the problems on Cybertron with Soundwave because we went there ourselves."

"We are ready to serve, Prime," Blackjack said. "We want to assist in anyway we can to achieve your goals."

"You are most welcome. I think you will be pleasantly surprised about Autobot City," Prime said nodding.

"Autobot City," Blackjack said. "I like the sound of that."

Ironhide snorted. "You will love the city. We have Zeta, Kappa, Gamma, Omega and Xantium Supreme, Fortress Maximus and Metroplex as well," Prime replied.

The bots in the room just stared at Prime and then each other. Alor grinned. "I can't wait to get there."

"You will get a nice apartment, Ada. Everyone lives well there. There is no caste system allowed," Ironhide said.

Alor nodded. "That is wonderful news. It needed to die a long time ago."

Ratchet nodded. "We still have the odd slagger but they don't get much traction. We also have five of the six Councilors."

"Oh great," Alor said rolling his optics. "Neo too?"

"Neo is a changed femme, Ada," Ironhide said. "You will love Laret and Neo."

They glanced at each other, then their son. "I will have to see it, Ironhide," Alor said with a grin.

A signal beeped and a crew mech turned looking at a panel. "Sir, the last grouping of ships have passed through."

Blackjack nodded and looked at Prime. "We are yours to command, Optimus Prime. All our people are through the bridge."

"Then take us in too, General," Prime said with a smile.

He nodded and turned to his pilot. "Rem, take us through the vortex."

The mech nodded and turned his digits flying. The ship gathered itself, the others moving closer around it. Then as one, the five jumped forward and disappeared inside the funnel. As they did, the aperture collapsed and chased the ships all the way through to the other side, dying away into the darkness when they flew out, the gigantic figure of Mars filling the monitors overhead.

-0-On the ground

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood on the tarmac watching the crowds moving toward the city with the gear that they could carry and their utter shock at what they were seeing. They were gathered up by lines of civilians who were eager to help them. They stood doing what everyone in the colony did, searching the crowds for anyone who they might know.

:Sunstreaker:

He paused. :What, Babe?:

:Did you hear?:

:About Ironhide? Yeah:

:We have to keep it a secret until they get home:

:We know. Where are you?: Sideswipe slipped into the conversation. :What's up, Babe?:

:We're talking about Ironhide and his genitors. We can't tell anyone, Sideswipe:

:We won't. Who has the sparklings?: he asked.

:Tie and Ravel have them. Venture should be there now. Miler is supposed to come when the Trigger is shut down:

:Where's Sunspot and the little mechs?: Sideswipe asked, moving to let a number of younglings pass with their genitors.

:Community schools:

:Where are you, Bluestreak?:

:City Hall. I have to help manage the ships that are coming through. They are going to be evaluated for inclusion in the fleet. I have to identify and route them into the system:

:When do you get off?: Sunstreaker asked.

:When Prime gets back I'm getting off. If you see them coming, let me know. I want to meet them and be there when they see the infants: Bluestreak said.

:We will: Sunstreaker said.

Behind them watching with intense interest, Sadee the Tagger watched the big mech who had been chosen by the Art Guild and the Magistrate's Court to be her mentor.

Sunstreaker on the other hand didn't have a clue.

-0-Out of the storm

They flashed out of the vortex and it disipated behind them as the Trigger cut the energy to fuel it. The scene in front of them was astounding. A line of ships still orbited but the number was shrinking. They would peel off in groups of three or four, falling into the atmosphere toward the planet below.

The surrounding space was filled with activity and devices, some of them ships, others satellites and communications platforms. Some ships were coming up from the planet to be flown to Ceres, the largest asteroid in the inner planetary ring. Its 900 square mile surface had become the default ship tie down and repair station.

The Trigger glittered in front of them, a massive spacebridge of the type that had once graced the skies of Cybertron. The only thing missing was Trypticon and the three moons that had been a fixture of their growing up. Prime turned to the pilot. "Follow instructions. I have asked Flight Control to give you priority."

Rem nodded. "Yes, sir," he said as the instructions came over the flight computer. He turned the ship and began to descend. The newcomers walked to the portholes to watch as the sky cleared and the city could be seen. Towers stretched into the sky dotting the area. They were more numerous to the newcomers than any other place they had seen short of their home world.

"This is impressive," Alor said moving to stand next to Ironhide. He slipped an arm around his son and his bond. Ratchet watched nearby and grinned. It was all good. The ship continued until it came in for a landing, moving toward the group waiting to greet them.

-0-On the ground

The hatch opened and they walked out stepping down on the firm soul of a new paradigm. Prime walked to the group waiting and turned. "Blackjack, Alor, I want to introduce you to some of the senior staff. You remember Kup," he began.

Kup pulled his stogie and grinned. "General, where the frag have you and the bond been? 'Bout time you came, you slacker."

Blackjack snorted and grinned. "You would know, you slagger," he said gripping Kup's servo. In turn, they were introduced to the others. "This is an amazing sight. I am assuming that our people are being taken into servo?"

"You would be right," Jarro said with a grin. "We have done this a few times."

"It looks like it," Alor said with a grin. "You will understand our shock. We were in the mix a few moments ago and now we're here with you and our family." He looked at Ratchet and squeezed his servo.

Standing nearby watching with intense expressions, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were burning up the link between them as they waited for Bluestreak to catch up.

:Frag. He looks just like his genitors: Sunstreaker said.

:He does. But on them, it looks good: Sideswipe said with a smirk.

They both snorted and laughed. Ratchet spotting them waved for both to come over. Pausing to wait for Bluestreak, they did. Ratchet looked at Ironhide and shrugged. :Do you want to do the honors?:

Before they could, Blackjack saw the younglings. "I can't believe you two are still alive," he said looking at the twins.

Sideswipe looked at Ratchet. "You didn't tell them did you."

"Not yet," Ratchet said with a smile. "I will let your atar have the honors."

Ironhide glanced at his genitors. "I want to tell you something," he said.

They turned and looked at him. He looked at the twins, then Ratchet. "I want you to meet Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They are ours."

"Yours?" Alor asked curiously. "What do you mean, son?"

"We adopted them. They are ours," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet. :Jump in any time, Ratchet:

Ratchet grinned. :You're doing a great job, Ironhide:

He smirked and looked at his genitors. "You're grandatars." He glanced at Bluestreak. "This is Bluestreak, Prowl's youngling. He survived when downtown Praxus was destroyed. He's bonded with the twins."

Bluestreak smiled. "I am so glad to meet you."

Alor smiled and turned to hug Bluestreak. He looked at the twins. "This is going to be fun," he said.

"You don't know the half of it, Ada," Ironhide said with a grin. "I think it might be instructive for you to come to our apartment for a moment."

Blackjack and Alor looked at him. "Instructive?" they asked nearly together.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	27. Chapter 27

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 17

=0=On the way to Mare Tranquilitatis

They walked toward the Fortress and stopped inside getting an update on the proceedings. Everything was going like clockwork because this was a fit, healthy and well organized migration. They were going through the processing in record time because their information had been sent ahead. They could be planned for, organized with settlement and family civilians housed in the same towers.

The Seekers were absorbed by Starscream's element and the soldiers housed in either bond or bachelor apartments. All of it was smooth and well in servo. Turning, walking outside, Prime and Prowl, Ratchet, Ironhide and his genitors followed by the trine headed for the apartment towers beyond.

"Over there is the Metroplex District," Ironhide explained to his genitors that walked on either side of him. "This is the main housing area for most of us until they began to build the towers."

"This is terribly impressive," Alor said glancing here and there. "Terribly impressive."

They passed bots everyone knew and more they didn't. One was a family from the newest migrations who were going to the Temple to see the AllSpark and give thanks. Turning, watching them walk toward the beautiful building whose roof could be seen over what was declared a 'human ally habitat' whatever that was, they shook their helms. "Impressive," Blackjack said.

Ratchet grinned.

They continued, Prime and Prowl following along with grins. "That is the Cultural Center, Ada. That is where a lot of the arts are centered and the Museum of Cybertron is housed there. The twins have their art studio there."

"They are artists?" Alor asked glancing at them over his shoulder.

"Sunstreaker is," Prowl answered. "Sideswipe has other attributes." He grinned. "We haven't discovered them yet but there's always hope."

Hilarity ensued.

They made their way to the Mare and paused. Pointing, Ironhide gave a brief summary of the layout. "That is the Medical Tower and beside it is the educational building. The Sparkling and Youngling Day schools, the Youngling Intermediate School and the University of Autobot City is housed there."

"Everyone goes to school here?" Alor asked with a smile. "That is so wonderful, Ironhide."

"They do," Ironhide said almost giving the secret away. He caught himself and glanced at the others all of which were smirking. "Let's go up. You should see the view up there."

"Do you live up high?" Alor asked taking his son's servo into his own.

"The 24th apartment on the 24th floor," Ironhide said.

"The penthouse belongs to Prowl," Ratchet said with a grin. "He rules from above."

Prowl smirked as he walked past Ratchet entering the building. "That's right. All sparklings are mine. All younglings are mine."

Hilarity ensued.

It was an amusing ride upward and when they reached the right floor, the door opened and the twins nearly fell out into the corridor. Walking down the hallway, they made their way to apartment 24, pausing outside as they waited for Ironhide to have his moment.

He turned and looked at his genitors who looked at him fondly. "Ada, Atar, I have something else I never told you. Wait here a moment."

They nodded and glanced at the others are Ironhide opened the door and leaned inside. Footsteps inside could be heard and then Flint stepped out pausing as if hit by a baseball bat as he stared at his brother and brother-in-law. It was intensely silent a moment, then Flint embraced Alor. They stood together holding each other, then Alor stepped back looking at his brother with tears in his optics. "Flint! You're here too?"

"I came with my battalion a few orns ago, Ali," he said. "I didn't know you were here."

"We just got here. You defected?"

"I did," he said. "I brought the batallion and our refugees. We had to go. Soundwave and Megatron figured it out."

Alor nodded and hugged him tightly. Flint turned and gripped Blackjack's servo tightly. "'Jack, what the frag?"

Blackjack laughed aloud. "I don't know how it can get better than this."

Everyone looked at each other and grinned.

-0-Inside

Tie Down and Ravel sat with the twins as the other sparklings played on the floor. Miler had arrived just before and had helped straighten out the apartment and get the sparklings settled. Miracle, Kaon and Praxus sat on the floor talking to their dollies. Orion was under his 'fort' aka the kitchen table talking to himself and poking at his toes.

The laughter outside the apartment was smile-making as they waited inside for the great unveiling. Flint had come to the apartment and helped them with the infants. Everyone but him was aware of the arrival of Blackjack and Alor, so they waited with great excitement for the party to arrive.

Ironhide peered inside and grinned. They grinned back. He pushed the door open and stepped in front of the view. "There are some inside that I want you to meet. First, there are Prowl's genitors, Miler and Venture. There is also Ratchet's genitors, Tie Down and Ravel."

"Ironhide! They're inside? I can't believe they made it," Alor said as he stood beside his brother. "They made it. Prowl! I'm so happy for you!"

Prowl grinned and nodded. "Ratchet and I got lucky too. But that isn't all is it, Ironhide."

They all looked at him. He grinned. "This is one long story, Ada, but there are sparklings now. Ratchet and I have sparklings."

They looked at him for a moment with an uncompromising gaze and then each other. They looked back at him silently.

"Ratchet and I had a prank war. Ratchet won that war. The prize was a sparkling. Then we had another and in a couple of orns we get another one. Right, Ratchet?" he asked nervously as his genitors stared at him silently.

Ratchet snorted. "Get one to show, Ironhide. It might help."

Ironhide startled and nodded. "That's a good idea." He turned and disappeared into the apartment. When he came back Praxus was sitting on his arm. The tiny bot was smiling gigantically as he patted his atar's face. Ironhide paused and waited, watching as his genitors looked at the baby.

"Oh my," Alor said glancing at Praxus. "He's spectacular. He looks just like you, Blackjack. You and Ironhide." Alor looked at Ratchet and smirked. "In Ratchet drag."

"He's gorgeous," Ratchet said with a grin. "That sparkling is one of the most handsome babies in the colony."

Alor took him into his servos and kissed Praxus's cheek. He settled the baby in his arm and turned to Blackjack. "Isn't this a beautiful baby."

Blackjack nodded. "He is wonderful. I like his paint scheme," he said grinning at Ratchet. "You are a real character, Ratchet."

"I try," Ratchet said with a grin. "Do you want to see the others?" he asked.

They looked at him and then Ironhide. "Others?"

Seconds later …

They sat in the living room, all of them comfortable with extra chairs brought over from Tie Down and Ravel's apartment next door. Prime sat on a couch, his arm around Prowl who held Miracle on his lap. He was chewing on his own digits, a Red Alert dollie in his other servo.

Sitting on the floor with the tiny femme twins, Bluestreak handed them chew toys. The little girls sat together smiling at everyone as they gummed copper colored rings. The twins sat around the table together as Ravel, Tie Down, Miler and Venture sat on chairs here and there. Sitting in front of the window on a couch, staring at the infants scattered all over the room Alor and Blackjack sat dazed. Ironhide sat on a chair next to them and Ratchet leaned against a wall, his arms crossed and a smirk firmly in place. "Try it again, Ironhide."

Flint who leaned against the kitchen counter grinned. "It takes a bit of practice, Ali."

"This sparkling is Praxus. He's our second oldest. That sparkling with Prowl is Miracle. He's the first Prime infant ever born. That is Kaon who is the oldest sparkling of the trine. The little femmes are Iacon and Uraya and they are the trine's babies too. That bot under the table is Orion. He is our oldest and the first sparkling born among any of us in eons. He was separated on Earth, the third planet over where we keep an embassy and base on an island called Diego Garcia."

It was silent. The two glanced at each other and then Ironhide. They nodded. The sound of running peds caught their attention and when the door opened several younglings entered pausing as they all looked back at Ironhide and the familiar strangers. He looked at the infants, then his genitors. "Uh, there are a few more to tell you about too."

Seconds later …

Sunspot sat on his Grandatar Tie's lap staring at the new 'grandgenitors' who had appeared out of nowhere. That the two of them were so remarkably like Ironhide had made him uncharacteristically silent. On the floor standing beside Ravel, Orion stared at the strangers with the amazingly familiar faces. He looked at Ravel and then Ratchet. **"ADA!"**

"What?" Ratchet replied.

"**ATAR ME?"** He turned and pointed at Blackjack. He looked at Ironhide. **"ATAR! WHO YOU?"**

"Ah, new words," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "And new therapy possibilities in the years to come."

"Ironhide, that baby talks," Alor said, his optics enormous as he stared at the tiny botlet.

"He's high end. Does a lot of first things well," Ironhide said proudly. He leaned slightly forward. "Orion. Come here."

Orion looked at his atar for a moment, then he stepped out walking to him boldly dollie in servo. Ironhide picked him up. "Orion, grandatar," Ironhide said glancing at his own father.

Orion looked at Blackjack, then Tie Down and Venture. He pointed to them. **"ATAR!"**

"Yes, they are," Ironhide said. Then he pointed at Blackjack. "Atar too."

Orion looked at the big bot, then Ironhide. **"ORION, ME! GOOD ATAR!"** He pointed at Venture. **"GOOD ATAR?"**

Ironhide nodded.

Pointing at Tie Down: **"GOOD ATAR?"**

Ironhide nodded again.

Pointing at Prime: **"GOOD ATAR?"**

Ironhide nodded once more.

Pointing at Sunspot, smiling until his face nearly cracked and fell off: **"GOOD ATAR?"**

Ironhide snorted. "You're a hoodlum."

"He's just like you, Ironhide," Alor said holding out his servos. Orion stared at him and then held up his dollie.

"According to the world as Orion understands it, you have to worship the dollie," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"How?" Alor asked.

"You kiss it," Ravel said with a smile. "He's very sweet with his dollies."

Alor smiled and leaned inward kissing the dollie. Orion snorted and smiled. **"GOOD ATAR!"**

"Ada," Ironhide said.

Orion looked at Ironhide for a moment, then held up his dollie. Hilarity ensued.

-0-A short time later

Miler, Ravel, Ratchet, Alor and Prowl walked out of the elevator heading for the Mall of Metroplex. Dinner was to be had and 'only the best stuff, Ratchet' would do on the first night of the rest of their orns. The others were bogged down with Prime discussing the 'fragging universe the way out there' and the twins and Bluestreak were managing the multitudes of smaller mechanisms that littered the floor and filled Sunspot's berthroom with lots of loud happy noises.

They themselves volunteered to forage and as they wandered down the rather crowded streets heading for a crowded Mall, Prowl and Ratchet had already sent on their orders for pick up.

"This is extraordinary, Ratchet, Prowl," Alor said looking around. "I almost feel like I'm back home in Iacon and Praxus. Sort of," he said with a smirk.

"We built underground until Optimus had a premonition that it was time to build up," Prowl said as he walked alongside of his ada. "I'm glad. Living underground is a real hardship."

Ratchet nodded. "I agree," he said as they turned and began to walk down the main street of Metroplex District. When they reached the Mall, they walked inside and after a while of looking around showing Alor the possibilities, they turned and walked back heavily laden.

As they neared their tower, they paused and let a number of families walk past heading as they were 'out to see the town'. Alor looked around and paused. "What's that, Ratchet? Is that a sports arena?"

Ratchet snorted. "Keep up, Ali. That's only one of two," Ratchet said as he stood out and led the way. Alor followed as did the others, grins firmly in place.

They wandered into the tower and went up. After a bit of hoo-hah, dinner was served to the masses as tales were recounted, sparklings exclaimed over and passed around and a tiny Seeker youngling repeated this week's memorized poem and the one from the previous week to great acclaim. Two red and white mechlings did the same to great applause while an older one recited the Gettysburg Address because they were 'studying great documents as works of literature, Atar' Rambler said to his misty-opticed father. Prime nodded. "I can see that, son."

The conversations continued until the infants wilted from sleepy-opticed ennui. Prime and Prowl gathering reluctant mechlings from the great game in Sunspot's room excused themselves with Miler and Venture. When they left the twins and Bluestreak gathered their little garden together and with a lot of jokes and no small amount of insubordination exited the room.

Everyone stood at the door and then Ratchet turned. "Do you want to go home too, Blackjack and Alor?"

"Not until we help you put this place to rights," Alor said rising. Between Tie, Ravel, Alor and Ratchet, they managed. Of course, Ironhide and Blackjack who sat by the window 'supervising' took full credit. Sunspot watching the hoo-hah chuckled and looked at Ironhide. "You are so funny," he said before being lifted into Blackjack's arms.

"Prowl gave me the number to your apartment, Ali. You live in this building," Ratchet said.

"That is so nice of him. He has grown up to be quite a wonderful bot," Alor said rising.

"He has. He's a great ally against Ironhide and Prime," Ratchet said with a grin. "Follow me. By the way, there's room for you, Flint if you want to bunk with your brother. You can stay here forever but Prowl wanted you to have an option."

He chuckled and nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet."

Ratchet turned and walked out of the door into the corridor. The others followed, some carrying sparklings. Sunspot skipped ahead of them. "Where are we going, Ada?" he asked happily.

"Right here," Ratchet said pausing two doors down. He turned and opened the door pushing it back. "After you," he said with a grin.

Alor snorted and walked in followed by Flint, Blackjack and the rest. The lights were switched on illuminating a beautiful apartment with copper and silver appointments. The arrangement was typical, the size nice and the view spectacular. "Wow." He turned and looked at Ratchet. "Convey my compliments."

"Convey your own," Ratchet said with a grin. "You are on the Senior Autobot staff and we have a wrap up meeting in the morning over everything. You'll get to meet the civilians and other officers that run the city."

Alor nodded. "Oh joy. Staff meetings." He grinned.

"Ours are fun," Ironhide said. "We even got suggestions for Orion's name at one."

"Yeah," Ratchet said. "I was rather partial of toilet snake if I say so myself."

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)

1,084,170- word count in Harry Potter Series

1,831,430- word count for Diego Diaries and its corollary story, The Chronicles of Orion (That little story stands at 22,000+ words. So far) :D :D :D

:D :D :D :D Context. It is everything. :D :D :D :D

Huggles, Muggles. ;)


	28. Chapter 28

NOTES: One of the things that interests me about writing is finding out what the other guys are doing when someone else is center stage. Telling the tale of everything and everyone makes for me a universe that you can live inside of and enjoy more fully. :D Hugs to all. Shout outs to everyone. Here we go...

=0=And now, on with the soiree

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 18

=0=That evening

They stood at the window and looked out, the three together at last. "This is extraordinary, 'Jack," Alor said shaking his helm. "What an achievement."

Flint nodded. "They started with the Fortress building it stone by stone."

"How do they manage to feed everyone? Consider what is required to fuel the Supremes, Fort Max and Metroplex?" Alor asked. He looked at Flint. "This is a miracle."

"It is," Flint said. "They found that this was a planet that had been seeded with energon eons ago by Seeker drones. They found out accidentally that the planet is more than 40% energon."

Blackjack glanced at him. "Amazing."

"It gets better," Flint said. "It's Class A and Class A- grade."

They were silent a moment. Blackjack shook his helm. "You don't have to have much raw ore to distill a mountain of energy. No wonder the dinner was so good tonight."

Alor nodded. "I have only had class A energon when I was a youngling."

Blackjack nodded. "I know," he said. "This place is buttoned down."

"Out fifteen light years," Flint said. "A fleck of paint can't fly past without being mapped."

Alor looked around. "This is a wonderful space. There's a berth for you, Flint. We would love for you to stay here."

"I think I might. Praxus can have his bedroom back."

"Those are wonderful infants," Blackjack said. "We're grandparents." He grinned. "I like that they have the city's infants using traditional words. Grandatar. How wonderful is that?"

Alor nodded. Then he blinked. "Ironhide said Ratchet is going to separate in a few orns."

They stood looking at each other, then Alor headed for the door. Stepping out and walking briskly to the group standing in front of Tie and Ravel's door, he paused. "Ratchet … did Ironhide say you were separating another sparkling in a few orns?"

Ratchet grinned.

Moments later over tea...

They sat at the dining room table sipping 'tea'. Ironhide had corraled the sparklings and they were now in bed. He was sitting on the couch going over the datapad that held Sunspot's homework. When it checked out, Sunspot got kissed all around and went to his berth. Ironhide followed and tucked him in. Walking out, he collapsed in a chair next to the window. "Done."

"Apparently you aren't. You glossed over the news that a sparkling is due in mere orns," Alor said shooting his son a gimlet optic.

"Uh," Ironhide said. "We are expecting a sparkling in three orns. Just so you know." He grinned.

Alor smirked. "Just so we know," he said. "Tell me about this new sparkling and how do Praxian customs work here. That is, if you are observing."

"We are," Ratchet said squeezing Alor's arm. "Ironhide decided he wanted a femme to take care of him in his decrepitude. So … we tied one on and viole! Here we are."

"Ah," Alor said. "That's how we got Ironhide."

"Ada! What?!" Ironhide said incredulously.

"I cannot tell a lie," Alor said with a grin. "We actually overenergized and got sparked. We don't regret it but it wasn't planned."

"Neither was Praxus. Nor this one. I want them, don't get me wrong. But we didn't plan either of those two," Ratchet said.

Alor nodded. "They are wonderful. They go to school in the morning don't they?"

"They do. We'll come get you if you want to go and see," Ratchet said.

"We would love it. I am also very happy to have Flint with us," Alor said. "I hope you don't mind."

"We don't," Ironhide said. "Enjoy."

He would.

-0-Later that night

"When are you coming to recharge?"

"Soon, Ali," Blackjack said. "The view is mesmerizing."

"It is," Alor said moving to stand beside his bond. "This is more than anything I could have imagined when we left Cybertron. This is a gracious city with amenities. They are open to everyone. It's wonderful."

"It is," Blackjack said. "The meeting in the morning will be interesting. Neo is a member for the elders."

"Ratchet told me that we would like her now. I hope so. I want peace here, 'Jack," Alor said moving a chair to the window. He sat down and watched as Blackjack did too. "What do you think about the twins being grandsons?"

"It will be interesting," Blackjack said. "I remember them very well."

-0-Long ago in Iacon

He saw them, two young mechs who were standing in an alley way watching him. He had no idea of how old they were but it wasn't much. They had 'the look', a lean and hungry affect that told him all he had to know.

Orphans.

They were orphans living on the street making their way through the swamp that poverty and homelessness made of the dreams and ambitions of mechs caught in an unjust system. He turned and looked, taking a step toward them. The red and black youngling slapped the other's arm, turning to leave. The yellow and black bot looked at him, defiance in every line of his beautiful body. The red and black bot grabbed his arm tugging him. Only then did he turn and follow, the two disappearing from sight. He stood a while looking down the alley, wondering about the two. He had heard that there were twins around. They were that rare that seeing them was considered of interest.

-0-Now

"They were just scrambling younglings. I always wondered about their beginning. I think they were from Kaon. I didn't see them again until I heard that they were in the army defying gravity and common sense. They appear to have turned out alright," Blackjack said.

"Ratchet and Ironhide are a good influence," Alor said resting a servo on Blackjack's arm. "That is a good thing."

Blackjack nodded. "I don't know that we will find much here that isn't a good thing, Ali."

Alor nodded.

-0-Down the hallway

They went about their evening routine, Ravel checking the injury that Tie had incurred during the blast. It was nearly healed and Ravel was relieved. "That is good, Tie, that you're healing so well. Ratchet is a good doctor."

"He's a great doctor, Ravie," Tie down said turning off the light in the washrack. "I sure enjoyed the evening. Alor and Blackjack are such good bots."

"I'm so happy for Ironhide. He was such a good sport when we came here. He was happy for Ratchet," Ravel said walking to the berth and sitting.

"Ravie, Ironhide loves you. He was happy to see us too." Tie down sat on the berth and lay back settling in for the evening. Ravel lay back and snuggled against him. "I love Ironhide, too. My Ratchet is happy. That's all that matters."

Tie nodded. "I agree. Goodnight, Ravie."

"Goodnight, Tie," he said quietly.

-0-Elsewhere

"You seem pensive."

He looked up at Prowl and sat back, tossing his styllus on the desk. The lights outside the windows of the Residence office were bright in the velvet darkness of the gathering evening. Seekers took off and returned, work went on all over the city and the airfield and still the streets had pedestrians going here and there. "I suppose I do."

"Your genitors?" Prowl asked walking to stand behind Prime. He settled his servos on Prime's shoulders pooling heat in them. He felt the big bot relaxing into the soothing sensation and felt better.

"I don't wish to seem petty or self centered," Optimus said.

"For wanting your genitors? Since when will that ever fit those descriptors?" Prowl asked. "There is preliminary data to conclude that there are a large number of families and friends reunited from this migration. There are more coming. We also have data from Cybertron that has names and so forth. We are scanning it but it's taking time. You must have hope."

"Did you ever expect to see your genitors?" Optimus asked pulling the winger into his lap. Prowl settled and considered the question. "I didn't. But I didn't allow myself to think about it. It sort of fell into the category of 'don't ever ask, you might not like the answer'."

Prime nodded. "Me too."

"I feel that things are going to work out, Optimus. I don't know why. It is completely illogical but I feel hopeful. Maybe it's because of the family. I am happier than I have ever been in my life. Maybe its that."

"I don't know," Optimus said hugging Prowl. "But I do know you made me feel better."

Prowl grinned slightly. "Mission accomplished," he said.

-0-In the bosom of love

"Do you think they need anything?"

"I don't know, Ironhide. You can go ask if you want to."

"I don't want to disturb them." Pause. "They really liked the sparklings."

"I saw that. But then, they were rather awesome sparklings. Who couldn't enjoy them? I love how they loved on Sunspot too, Ironhide. That little bot needs all he can get."

"He does. He did a good poem too didn't he? I was proud of that. And Rambler … that is one smart little bot. Said that

Gettysburg speech like a pro."

"He did. He's a wonderful little mech. He's blazing the trail in the school system for the babies. He's a brave little bot going to school in classes with older younglings."

"He's that smart." Pause. "How long did you know they were here, Ratchet?"

"I was told by Prowl when we were walking to the ship. They wanted to make sure it was them."

"I can see that." Pause. "You ready to recharge?"

"If you are. You look tired."

"I am. Took a bit out of me to see them. I wish Prime could know what this feels like."

"Give it time, Ironhide. He named his son Miracle after all." (Grin)

"He did. The slagger." (Grin)

-0-Far away

They walked down the street maintaining a low profile. They were used to avoiding optics and displaying a meek mild affect. It was easier to stay alive that way. Reaching the corner to wait for their transport, they noted their shadows were in place. They always were escorted, everywhere they went shadowed. From the beginning of the Fall, they were meticulously cared for and protected.

Their side had lost the war but their spirit had been unbowed. The Autobots who stayed behind had maintained survelliance of the planet and protected those that they could. When the Fall came, the two had emerged from their home and tried to run. Reaching the corner, huddling in the burning rubble, they found big mechs taking their servos and leading them away.

They had run for miles and were hidden. When the dust settled they were taken to a medic and their appearance changed. Their transponders were altered and their identity buried for the duration which seemed to stretch out forever.

Now they were just another bonded pair working hard in the steelmills, living in a tiny apartment in the Jumble for the '**GOOD OF THE EMPIRE'**. Or so the posters said. They stayed together, worked hard and did their best. No one would be allowed too close. There were mechs watching who would make that foolish effort costly.

No one could know who they were. The propoganda possibilities and the danger it would mean to the Struggle if they were to fall into the wrong servos were beyond calculation. They had to be protected at all costs. So Kestrel and Tag walked together shadowed by a member of the guard that had protected them from the beginning.

No one would be allowed to know the identity and whereabouts of Optimus Prime's genitors.

No one.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)

=0=Notes on Rambler's recitation:

Abraham Lincoln is considered the greatest of the American presidents. He was also considered the most amazing writer and if you read his letters to families during the Civil War and other documents, you can see why. The Gettysburg Address was made after a battle in the Civil War that turned the tide of battle and was enormously costly in lives. It is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of American public life. Rambler recited it. Here it is:

**The Gettysburg Address**

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

-0-

He gave the speech on the battlefield where the fight had been held over three days. It is located in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I included this speech for the obvious reference for those readers who aren't familiar with it and because I hear Optimus Prime in his words. =Me.

-0-


	29. Chapter 29

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 19

-0-In the bosom of love

"Are you ready?"

"Nope."

"Sunspot, help your old dad please."

Sunspot who was sitting on the couch with his book bag in his lap smiled brilliantly. "I will, Ada."

"Of course you will. You're that kind of awesome," Ratchet said grinning. He himself was putting the breakfast stuff away, his optics focused on Orion who was making his stand under the table. Sunspot slid down and walked over, his helm barely touching the tabletop above as he went under. "Come on, Orion. Atar has to wipe your face," Sunspot said. Orion smiled brilliantly and took Sunspot's servo. The two turned and walked to the berthroom together.

Smirking at the sight, Ratchet finished and gathered harnesses, leashes and book bags. Tossing them onto the chair by the door, he walked to the berthroom too. Praxus stood on the stool that they used for the infants fussing as Ironhide wiped his face and servos with a wet cloth. "Quit whining," he said with a grin. "There. All beautiful."

Praxus looked up at him uncertainly. Then he smiled. Ironhide set him down on the floor with a kiss. He turned and grabbed Orion. The struggle for dominion began on cue. **"ATAR! OW!"**

"I haven't even begun to wash you, Orion. Hush," Ironhide said noting the new word in his personal internal file called **"MY SON IS SLAGGING AWESOME-ORION!" **It was in the same general database as the other two: **"MY SON IS SLAGGING AWESOME-SUNSPOT!" **and** "MY SON IS SLAGGING AWESOME-PRAXUS !" **He had made room for another to commence shortly: **"MY DAUGHTER IS SLAGGING AWESOME-? (Ask Sunspot for the name in five orns)!"**. He took the cloth and began.

Orion sputtered as his atar wiped his face. **"OW! ADA! COME ME! OW!"**

Ratchet snorted. "Maybe I should call sparkling protective services."

"Maybe I'll let ya," Ironhide said with a grin. The sounds of a rap on the door and it opening could be heard so Ratched looked over his shoulder. Blackjack and Alor entered smiling at the infants standing with Ratchet. "Good morning. Don't all of you look lovely," Alor said.

"You got here just in time. Ironhide is going to empty Orion," Ratchet said with a grin. The two picked up Praxus and Sunspot, then joined Ratchet in the doorway.

Ironhide had finished Orion's face and servos. He set him on the stool a moment to sputter and fritz, then gripped him gently around the belly. He tilted the baby, looking for the panel on his thigh that would activate the valve that led to his holding tank for waste materials. Tapping the cover, he input the two number infant code inside and held him out over the refuse water hole in the floor. A stream of light blue-gray energon bled off, pattering into the gutter as Ironhide gently shook the infant to get the last drop of stuff from the once-every-five-orns procedure.

Orion held on to his atar's big servo with both of his own, outrage informing his features. The small hose nozzle that Ironhide inserted to spray out the tank didn't help and he let his atar know it. **"ATAR! BAD! ATAR, ME OW! ADA, COME ME! OW, ME!"**

The laughter that this brought from those less used to his hilarity didn't exactly help either. He burst into tears and wailed. Blackjack and Alor standing rooted to the floor in surprise looked at each other. "Oh 'Jack. That poor little baby."

"Slag that," Ironhide said closing the valve hole and the panel afterward. "This little hoodlum doesn't need sympathy," Ironhide said wrapping him in a towel. "He does this every time."

"What about him doing it for himself, son?" Blackjack said as they turned and walked to the living room.

Ratchet and Ironhide looked at them a moment. "Let him do it himself?" they both asked at the same time.

-0-On the road to shangri-la

They walked along catching up on this and that, Ironhide and Blackjack holding one leash each. Sunspot sat on Ironhide's big arm listening and adding the odd comment as the two bots chatted. Alor walked with Ratchet. "This is wonderful. I got a call this morning from Herling. Apparently, they want me to teach music at the University."

"How lucky for the University," Ratchet said. "Are you going to do it?"

"If it can be worked around my military duties and my pleasure at being a grandada at last," he said nodding.

"You can take time off, Alor. We have that much depth now," Ratchet said as they both peered back at the caravan. Orion was explaining a paving stone to a kneeling deeply enraptured Grandatar and Praxus was showing a handful of sand to his atar. Alor and Ratchet grinned. Sunspot who had been placed gently on the ground was searching for a rock to give to Praxus.

"They are quite a picture," Alor said.

"They are," Ratchet replied with a chuckle. "Add to that the grandsparklings, the shirt tail relatives with the Prime and we have a full house."

"That is what makes this place precious to me," Alor said. "We have had experience with sparklings in the settlements. But not on a personal basis like this. It is still a dream, Ratchet. And now we can be here when we get the next one."

"I'm counting on it. Ironhide needs someone to catch him. He's very ... emotional."

"Good heads up," Alor said with a smile.

The group behind them got going in the right direction and they were on their way again. By the time they reached the school tower, they were part of a large migration of bots heading toward school as usual or school for the first time, adults and infants alike.

-0-Moments later upstairs

They walked off the elevator with infants galore joining the line for the babys' classrooms. As they did a room granny turned and froze. Neo who had a newly separated mech in her arms looked at Alor and Blackjack who looked at her with surprise. Glancing around a moment, she gathered herself and walked toward them. "Blackjack and Alor, I am so delighted to see you." She looked shaken, her voice reflecting her uncertain energy.

"Neo, I hear you help take care of our grandsparklings," Alor said nodding. "Thank you for that."

"It is my joy, Alor. I love this school and working here. I am so happy. Laret and I have a daughter too, an orphan."

Alor nodded. "I'm glad for you," he said sincerely. "Did you come on a migration?"

Neo nodded. "That seems so long ago just like all the rest. I don't like to think about such things. This is a new world and a new chance. We love it here and we support Prime 100%."

Alor nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. This is a new chance for everyone."

Neo nodded as Laret came to them, a worried expression on her face. "Alor, Blackjack ... what an amazing surprise. Ironhide must be so happy."

"I am," Ironhide said peering around his father with a grin. "I suppose you want the sparklings."

"You have **that** right," Neo said with a grin as she plucked a widely smiling Orion from his grandada's arms. Kissing him soundly, the group watched as Laret and Neo took the sparklings to their door and disappeared inside.

Alor glanced at Ratchet and Ironhide. "Will wonders never cease?" he asked with a smile.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Upstairs moments later...

They stood in line with Sunspot as the doors opened and classes entered. They followed him to the door where they paused together. Alor and Blackjack knew Terradive from across the great divide of war. That he was the uber dedicated teacher of their grandsparkling nearly made their optics fritz. When the chat was done, promises made to be 'show and tell' in the near future just like his previous grandgenitors were they turned and left.

The ride down was amusing and the short walk to the street even more so. The sun was bright overhead and the city humming with activity. The City Hall and its allied substations held lines that extended outward as bots came forward to find employment and other city amenities that would help them become useful as well as fulfilled. Here and there, a flash of the ally from the third planet could be seen blazing away on their segways. It was an interesting sight among a plethora of them and by the time they entered the courtyard and then the Fortress, they were mingling with the other members of the Senior Autobot/Community Members Committee.

Moments later...

The last straggler entered and sat hurriedly as Prime leaned toward Prowl at the head of the table discussing something quietly. When the door was finally closed Prime turned to them and they began. "Welcome. We have new allies in our struggle and I will leave it to Ironhide to introduce them to those of you present who don't know who they are."

Ironhide grinned proudly and nodded. "Thank you, Optimus," he said looking at the others. "This is General Blackjack of Praxus who commanded the First Batallion since its inception during the Golden Age. This is Alor, Commander of Intelligence for the Autobot Armed Forces and the greatest musician and composer Cybertron ever produced."

"And they are Ironhide's ada and atar in case you didn't notice," Ratchet said with a great big smile.

Hilarity ensued.

Jazz chuckled. "I think we made the connections, Ratchet."

"So you noted the resemblance?" Ironhide asked with a smirk. "Too much handsomeness for some of them, Atar."

Blackjack snorted and grinned, an action that belied his usually stern visage.

"You won't get an argument from us," Alor said glancing at Ratchet who snickered. "Nope," that wiley bot said.

"I am delighted to have you on staff and your citizens and soldiers in our army," Optimus said. "We gained over 1,500 seasoned warriors and more than 300 veteran Seekers. That doesn't even count the asset that 110,000 citizens offer to us in skills and servos on. I am also happy to know that there is beginning to be the reuniting of families and friends long lost. Thank you, Blackjack and Alor for your leadership and your preparation for this return. It would have been very difficult if not impossible to have that many new citizens come to us in this condition."

"It is our honor, Lord Optimus," Blackjack said formally. "We are incredibly happy to be here, to be united with our family, to be in an authentic Cybertronian city and cultural setting. Our younglings and sparklings will now know what that means as they grow up. Our adults and elders will be able to return to a setting that has only lived in memory. We are humbled to be here."

Ironhide listened to his father with incredible pride. His old mech was a stand up bot with colossol respect and admiration for tradition, the chain of command and the Prime they all served. He also held the unshakable belief that Optimus Prime was the one prophesized by the Chronicles. Ironhide felt immeasurable happiness at the presence and respectful reception of his genitors and it washed over the bond to Ratchet.

Ratchet, no slouch in the genitor-admiration category watched Ironhide's expression as he listened to his atar and ada pay their respects to the leader of their faction and the only living duly appointed official leader of their species. Ironhide's happiness was enormous. That meant his own was too.

"Thank you, General. I accept your service," Prime said nodding. He sat back pretty happy himself and then turned the meeting over to Prowl. They began on the housekeeping stuff before veering over into the pending and dangerous items.

"Barron, what is the status on the court docket?" Prowl asked.

"We have to hold a Prime Hearing on Retro. We have to settle the status of Sentinel and the Senators. We have to work out what to do with our longterm recalcitrant slaggers ... Blind Spot and Turmoil for instance. And the last most recent case, that has to be held. All of the other things are being handled in Magistrate's Court."

"I would like to appoint Semi to the court as judge. I agree with your analysis of his qualifications," Optimus said.

"Thank you, sir. I will inform him," Barron said nodding.

"Please make an appointment with Prowl and we will schedule these cases. I would also like to talk to you about a convocation regarding the caste system."

He nodded. "I will do that, sir."

"Please extend my appreciation to the legal community here. I would suggest that you scan the newcomers for more legal personnel. I know you want to build up the Public Defender's Office and make legal expertise available to all in both civil and criminal cases."

"I will," Barron said deeply pleased. "Thank you, Prime."

He nodded and glanced at Prowl. "Starscream, your update please," that bot said.

He nodded and began. "We have 320 seasoned veterans to add to the air force, Prime. There are a number of needed specialties including half a dozen teleporting mechs, some who are extremely skilled in subtrafuge, spying, technical invasion tactics and stealth. I can give a greater definition of what that includes if you wish. As for the housing situation ... we are doing fine. We do have plans into the Planning Department at City Hall about extending the habitat further. We would like to keep the original structure at twelve stories.

"Our hatchling population is rising and the impact on the schools will have to be addressed. I would also like to include in the school programming a class on teaching infants to fly. We have mechs in the University who will be graduating at some point and they have been working on a pre-flight and beginning flight program. We feel that is missing at this moment with the few resources we have being unevenly utilized."

"That is a spectacular idea, Starscream," Herling said with a smile. "We must talk."

Starscream nodded and grinned his usual sly smirk."It is isn't it."

Hilarity ensure.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	30. Chapter 30

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 20

=0=Staff Meeting

"Thank you, Starscream," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "That was very edifying."

"Of course it was," Starscream posited back at his winger-sparring partner in crime.

Turning a bemused optic on Ratchet, Prowl nodded. "Doctor," he said drily.

Ratchet grinned back. "Well, I would say if all our migrations were as sound as this one I would be out of business. There are full medical histories of everyone already being processed for download into the medical section of Teletraan III. All of the chronic conditions are under care and managed. Infants to come and those already here show no signs of protoform wasting which is a great comfort. We have several types of this medical condition that are under study. Our standing protocols are not makng the progress we had hoped for among some of our previous arrivals. There are two doctors in this new group that are researchers. They have already been requisitioned if that is the proper word to work on developing better treatments.

"Our new elders are in good condition. All of the migration will benefit from the high grade of energon present here and I expect that their conditions will be optimal in mere decaorns. All in all, very good stuff."

"When are you separating?" Neo asked leaning forward with a grin. "We who worship at the sparkling altar wish to know when our new goddess is due."

Ratchet snorted and smirked. "Two or three orns. Minimum."

"This will be a femme, right?" Jazz asked with a grin.

"Ironhide needs a daughter to rub his old peds in his dotage," Ratchet said with a grin.

"You can't make me feel bad, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a big grin. He glanced at his genitors. "He tries, the slagger but you would think he would have learned by now."

"That you are shameless?" Alor asked with a smirk.

"You have it," Ironhide said with a smug grin. "What the old slagger needs I have."

Hilarity ensued.

"What about the ceremony? I am assuming that you will have the usual amenities and observations," Optimus asked.

"We will," Ironhide said glancing at his genitors who nodded and grinned.

"The city is now over 300,000 individuals. What are you going to do about the naming ceremony on the steps?" Mirage asked curiously.

"We'll name on the steps. Anyone who wants to come, can," Ironhide said. "We'll deal."

"So will traffic," Jazz said with a chuckle.

"Small thing," Ironhide said with a smirk.

"So … what is the color of this feminized version of Ironhide, Ratchet?" Optimus asked with a chuckle.

Hilarity ensued.

"Shall we offer names? Last time we did it got interestin'," Jazz said with a laugh. "I still think toilet snake is worthy of considerin'."

"You would, you slagger," Ratchet said smiling. "However, I have standards, sort of and anything relating to toilets is out."

"How about Bingo?"

Everyone looked at Nova. He grinned. "I hear its a fun game."

"How about Triscuitt? I hear its a tasty snack."

"Bluto. Just because you obviously got that I hear and ended up sparked."

"That's blotto, Blaster," Jazz said laughing.

"Oh. Then Blotto to commemorate your great love," he said with a chuckle. "Though, I still like Bluto better."

"Bambino. Self explanatory."

"I like Prowl. That's a good name, right Ada?" (seriously)

Miler nodded with a smile at his serious, oblivious son. "I think so, Prowl."

"What about you, Atar? Prowl is a good name."

Venture grinned at his serious, oblivious son. "I love Prowl. It is mysterious."

"See, Ratchet. Mysterious." (seriously)

"I have to hand it to you, Prowl. I am favoring your name a bit," Ratchet said.

Pause. "You are?" (hopeful surprise)

"Yes, actually, I am," Ratchet said. "Prowler is a name in the running for the next one."

It was silent a moment.

"Next order of business?" Optimus offered helpfully.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-In the Cultural Center

Lon walked down the open central space of the Cultural Center on his way to the dojo. He was learning quickly what he had to know to be a fully functional Knight and Day Watch officer. He hung out with the mechs he worked with absorbing their wisdom, their experiences and their confidence. They were unafraid of what they were called upon to do and it showed in their easy amusing manner no matter what the circumstances.

He had come to nearly worship Kup, that older bot taking him into servo. He regaled the youngling with his stories, taught him the skills that made him one of the older soldiers still surviving after a lifetime of frontline war service and all around bar fighting. Drift and Springer were also on his list of those he must emulate at all costs. They were kind, helpful, patient and most of all, they liked him.

They liked him in the way that authentic individuals only could. There was no artifice in them. They were who they were and they liked him back. He was The Rookie, The Kid. They took time with him, sparring, teaching, correcting and treating him with a bemused dignity that he had never felt before. It was intoxicating and he spent as much time with them as he could manage.

Entering the dojo, he smiled and walked to where Kup and Springer sat watching Drift work out his moves with his swords. Sitting beside them, exulting at their smiles and nods, he turned his attention to the sight before him, one of swift elegant moves almost faster than the optic could follow.

It was a worthy distraction from his distress at finding out Burnoff had bombed the Plaza. He would keep the secret but it would be a sad empty spot in his spark for a long time.

-0-At the studio

Sunstreaker stared at the canvas considering his next move. He didn't notice that the door had been opened and a small figure was peering inside. He looked at the problem and considered solutions. That absorbed him completely. It would take a snicker to catch his attention. Turning, glancing at the door, he paused. A small femme holding a box stood in the doorway looking up at his brother. Sideswipe towered over her and he looked down at her grinning. Glancing at his brother, he shook his helm. "You have been surveilled and you didn't notice."

Sunstreaker frowned at Sideswipe. "In your dreams," he said. He looked at the little femme who was staring at him with a grin. "Hi," she said.

He looked at her and nodded. "What do you want?" he asked.

"I'm Sadee," she said. "I'm your apprentice."

-0-At the meeting

"We are able to accommodate the younglngs and sparklings with a plan for the sparkling school. We are going to be moving the swimming pool to a new floor and expanding it," Herling said.

"Orion can float on his back," Ironhide said proudly. "He doesn't even sink much."

"Unlike you?" Jazz asked. "You swim like a rock."

"Unlike you?" Ironhide asked shooting him a caustic optic.

"I can imagine," Jazz continued, "that the latest model of Ironhide will be a good swimmer some orn too?"

"She will," Ratchet said with a grin.

Optimus sat grinning listening to the insanity. It seldom went otherwise and for the first time in his long Primeship he felt the urge to indulge. Seldom in the past did humor play a part in their long travail. Since coming here, since settling, the pleasure of sitting in a staff meeting and listening to the commentary was something he looked forward to. "Ahem."

They all turned and looked at him. "Just a moment, Prime," Ratchet said leaning in toward Jazz. He paused and grinned. "Oh yes. We're at a staff meeting." He sat back to general snickering.

"Thank you. Now where were we? Ah yes. The sparkling pool," Optimus said with a grin.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-At an artist's studio

They stood looking down at her, a tiny femme holding her painting kit. Her genitors had marched her to the local art supply store right after her hearing and sentencing in Magistrate Court asking for and getting the help of the staff to put together a 'painter's kit or something' as they held to the letter of the decision. They were now in the hallway waiting, their tanks churning as their little femme walked uncertainly into the studio of her 'mentor-artist', the mercurial and dangerous Sunstreaker.

"Hi. I'm Sadee and I'm your student," she reiterated to the big yellow and black Lambo.

Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe who stood looking down at the little femme with a big grin on his handsome face. "Looks like you have another femme, Sunstreaker."

He nodded. "I remember now." They stared at each other until Sadee moved past him and paused beside his canvas. "That is awesome."

Sunstreaker smirked. Sideswipe grinned. "I think she hit the right opening note."

Sunstreaker turned and considered the tiny femme with the spanking brandnew painting kit. "What do you know about art?"

"I tagged all over the place. I want to learn everything. I think I'm good at what I do. I just need someone to help me." She turned and looked up at him with her sweet face and her guileless manner.

Sunstreaker nodded. "Alright. What do you suppose the problem is with the image I'm making?"

She stared at it a long time and then she told him,

-0-Meeting

"And that concludes the business report, sir," Camo said laying his datapad down.

Everyone in the room stared at him with a polite seemingly attentive expression. Ratchet however was thinking about redoing Praxus's room now that Flint moved out. Flint was thinking about helping redo Praxus's room now that he had moved out. Ironhide was wondering what sort of munition tiny femmes preferred and how long it would take before the two came to consensus. Blackjack and Alor were marveling that the colony already had interplanetary trade agreements. Jazz was planning his show with Blaster over their intralink. Revo was writing lesson plans in his helm for flight school in the University, Nitro was daydreaming about Cybertron, Mirage was replaying sex tapes he had of Jazz from his 'sexy faces in the middle of interfacing' file, Starscream was arguing with Thundercracker about dinner, Nova and Herling were discussing genitor-teacher conferences upcoming, Neo was discussing with Laret Fifi's 'dance' lesson that evening in their living room as they helped their daughter manage the physics of walking and Prowl nearly alone was taking in every word that Camo said.

"Thank you, Camo," Optimus said leaving the stored video of his children for a moment. "Venture?"

Venture nodded and with Ultra Magnus and Blondi, he began to outline the fiscal plan for the colony for the next quarterly period. Everyone else gave him face time but nothing more. Behind the facade, awesomeness continued.

-0-Studio

She stood beside him working on a canvas on a small easel. He worked on his own glancing down from time to time as she began to pencil sketch a picture that would be **AWESOME!**

"I want to do something abstract, Sunstreaker. I want to make a montage of colors and interspersed in them I want Autobrands. I want them in certain colors to represent different phases of our long flight from Cybertron. I want them to speak to the inner most part of us that longs for home."

He stared at her for a moment. "You weren't born on Cybertron."

"Nope," she grinned. "But this is metaphorical."

Sideswipe struggled not to chuckle as he sat on a couch nearby. Glancing at Sideswipe, Sunstreaker nodded. "Show me."

He had helped her set up, examined her nice little kit and they began.

-0-Outside

Bluestreak walked to the studio and paused. Outside the door of said studio two mechs stood. That is, one stood and the other leaned into the door, his audial pressed against it. They seemed tense.

"Hi."

They startled and nearly jumped out of their peds. Looking at Blue, they looked at each other. "Hi," one of them said.

"Can I help you?"

They stood a moment in conversation together, then wilted slightly. "We are Sadee's genitors. She's inside and we were hoping it was going okay. She has … uh, community time to … um, serve." He looked mortified and so did his bond.

Bluestreak grinned. "Do you want to go inside?"

They looked at each other, a furious internal conversation going on. "I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't want her to think we're spying."

"Which we are," his bond said with a slight smirk. "She's a good little femme but she's impulsive and does things without thinking. We're hoping this helps her."

"She came to the right place. Sunstreaker is a great artist. I'm Bluestreak, his bond."

They shook servos and Blue asked them to come in again. They demured though it was obvious they wanted to anyway. "I'll tell you what. Go for a joor and come back. I'll go in and watch. When a joor is up, I will come out and tell you how it's going."

They looked almost sick with relief. "Thank you, Bluestreak."

"No problem," he said watching them turn and leave down the hallway. He himself opened the door to go inside. He would stay there for a joor and then exit, walking to the main floor where he would find Sadee's genitors tensely waiting for the news.

It would be good.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	31. Chapter 31

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 21

=0=Studio in Cultural Center, Autobot City, Mars

He knelt beside her watching her brush strokes. They were sure and deft. She really knew what she wanted but he could see things that needed discussion. Layering paint was still a mystery and so was content arrangement. But there was also something free and sure about her statement and he liked it. She would be easy to teach. He wouldn't have to undo layers of 'things'.

Bluestreak and Sideswipe lounged on the couch watching the two. "Sadee."

She paused and looked at Sideswipe, a look of exhileration on her face. "What?" she asked in her perky little voice.

"Why aren't you in school?" he asked.

"Because my genitors wanted me to get started. They have been trying to get me here for a while but you are in and out so much," she said turning back to her easel.

Sunstreaker shrugged. "We're front-liners. We're on call to protect the city and everyone in it."

"That's why you're both so awesome," she said leaning into the picture to put a touch of umber *just so*.

He looked at her, this little ball of energy who had nothing on her mind but being herself and he smiled slightly. Glancing at Sideswipe, he matched that bot's smirk. Bluestreak grinned. :Now you know what Iacon is going to be like someday:

:Frag, yeah: Sunstreaker sent back. :Just as slagging amazing: He turned back to his student and watched as she did her art, made her few mistakes and created a piece she would call 'Destiny'. She would dedicate it to her genitors and her new instructor, Sunstreaker 'who is just so *awesome*, Ada!'

-0-At the meeting

They worked through the agenda, collecting all the updates and slag that was routinely gathered in such a grouping. As they did, new intell was released from Data Processing in the City Hall. Magnus presented it. "We have 309,257 citizens living here. We have enough housing either in use or ready to be used for 500,000 precisely at this time. More will be made available in Phase Four of the construction.

"In the professions, we have thousands if not tens of thousands of mechs and and the few femmes among us that are skilled workers to augment the present work population that we field. The army stands at 7,500+ duty soldiers with a Home Guard at least 15,000. The Air Armada is now 4,789 and growing. A number of our Seeker population which are not going to be professional soldiers serve in the Home Guard Air Wing both as last line of defense fighters and medics. They are about 367, most of them youngling mechs or conscientious objectors like Breezy and his clan.

"We have scientists, doctors, teachers, a clutch of 23 lawyers and 2 with judge experience, several dozen architects and literally more mechs with entrepreneurial experience that we can count. I imagine that the business community will expand exponentially when they get a bead on the local markets and the local demand.

"We have commercial pilots, specialists in communications, space and on-world telecommunications, robotics as well as energy and material conservation specialists. There is going to be a depth to our skills databases that is heartening.

"Right now, we added 1,200+ new younglings and sparklings to the schools. Herling touched on that already. It could come about that if the population keeps growing that our policy regarding all of our people attending school will necessitate opening another tower just for education. I also have been getting requests for spaces for guilds and crafts to open tech schools and shops to train younglings and adults in their relevant skills. The demand is growing faster than our current programs allow. We have to consider the dearth of technical and vocational educational opportunities beyond our apprentice programs. We have a big demand and its growing."

Prime nodded and looked at Herling. "Will you make the appropriate surveys and recommendations, Herling? We can take it up when you have completed the needs assessment."

He nodded and grinned. "I never thought I would have such worries to attend to. I am extremely happy to do this. Nova and the committee can help. We will have the meeting tonight, Ironhide, if you are free."

He nodded and glanced at Ratchet. "I am free aren't I?'

"Go. Be free," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"Are you on a school committee, son?" Alor asked with surprise.

"I am. So is Sunstreaker," Ironhide said proudly. "We take our genitoring seriously."

"He does," Ratchet said nodding. He smiled. "Big phony."

Hilarity ensued.

"What about the good of the order?" Prime asked as he slouched comfortably in his chair, his sense of well being teetering off the scale.

"I think we did it all," Mirage said. "I congratulate everyone."

"Suck up," Jazz said glancing at his partner with a smirk.

"Ha." Mirage grinned back.

"Any requests for the afternoon show?" Jazz asked. "By the way, Alor, we would love to interview you at some point. Blaster and I have a show on the IntraComm that features music and we have been playing yours overtime since you got here."

Alor grinned. "Thank you, Jazz. I would be honored."

"Should be the other way around, I think," Ironhide said with a smirk. "Not often you get to interview the greatest musician that Cybertron ever produced."

Hilarity and many raspberries followed including noogies from his ada.

"I think everything is in servo," Prowl said leaning back with a grin. "The next adult football game is in four orns. Iacon and Praxus will play again soon. And of course when that happens Iacon will lose. Again." He grinned at Ratchet. "Loser."

"Whiner," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"Adult football?" Alor asked with surprise, his enormous sports itch rising to be scratched. Its intensity was only trumped by that of his bond, both of them **FANATICAL** Praxus Science fans.

"We have two stadiums. One for the infant league and one for adults. We have six teams and in the end, because it is inevitable and because Primus loves me best, Praxus Science will take the first Martian Adult Football Championship. Thus endeth the lesson," Prowl said before a fussilade of abuse and catcalls nearly drove him under the table.

-0-On the way out

They meandered out, chatting and laughing. Neo made a beeline for school along with Nova while Herling discussed a short agenda with Ironhide for the Educational Committee meeting that night in the big conference room in the school tower. "If you can alert Sunstreaker, Ironhide, I will tell everyone else. I see them all during the orn."

Ironhide nodded and grinned as Nitro paused smirking at him. "If you are through," the big Seeker said.

Ironhide snorted and looked at his genitors. "This is the Master of Munitions. He's a former 'Con who saw the error of his ways. He also has a slagging fine daughter."

Nitro snorted and grinned. Holding up his forearm, he nodded to Ironhide's genitors. "You will know us by our sign."

They stared at the reddish orange Autobrand glistening on his armor. "I have seen those all orn. I wondered why they were placed so," Alor said.

"There's a great story to it," Nitro said. "We built a prison and showed our less friendly Decepticon refugess our quality." He glanced at Ironhide with a smirk. "Tell them about the prison riot some time."

They both stared at Ironhide. "Prison riot?"

"It was my finest hour. I ended up in the brig. So did Ironhide. He hit Magnus in the face. You had to be there," Ratchet said wandering out and pausing beside them.

At that moment, Breakdown and Knockout rounded the corner heading for Club Cybertron for the Cybertronian version of a beer. Pausing, staring at Blackjack and Alor with surprise, Knockout gathered himself together. "Well, you never know what you're going to bump into around here."

"I'm surprised you weren't scrapped before now, Knockout," Alor said.

"He can be. Just say the word, Ada," Ironhide said, his optical ridges narrowing.

"Ada?" Knockout said glancing up at a mildly wary and even more amused Breakdown. "Frag."

"Alor, Blackjack, this is my assistant, Breakdown," Ratchet began.

"You have a Stunticon for an assistant?" Blackjack asked with surprise.

"I do and he's a slagging fine one," Ratchet said with a grin.

Breakdown felt the warmth of Ratchet's approval. He nodded slightly to the big red and white bot with the fake chevron. Ratchet grinned and looked at Knockout. "And this is Knockout. He leaves me speechless."

"Oh funny," Knockout said folding his arms over his chassis as he pouted, knowing full well it made them appear sexy. He looked at them and shook his helm. "It would be our luck that you two are his genitors," he said nodding to Ironhide.

"Don't forget it either, you little slagger. I won't be so generous as Ratchet if you ever push me," Ironhide said.

Breakdown snorted and looked down at Knockout. That bot frowned. "You're not supposed to laugh, you slagger."

Breakdown snorted again and nodded to Ratchet. He turned and walked across the Rec Room for the door leaving Knockout behind. The little red bot watched him and then frowned. "Breakdown! What the frag?" He looked at Ratchet and glowered, "You are a very bad influence on him."

"Scat before he finds another bot to frag," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Knockout shot him a dirty look and walked away gathering his tattered dignity around him. Blackjack shook his helm. "What a slagger that one is. The other? Your assistant.

Ratchet nodded.

"Then there must be something to him," the big bot said watching as Knockout exited the building.

"We have two of his brothers in the brig," Ratchet said slipping his arm through Blackjack's. They turned and headed toward Central Hub and the Armory below.

"Two? Which ones?" Blackjack asked as they climbed the three small steps and turned to an elevator. They entered and as the door began to come together, Ratchet told him. The doors closing cut off the big Autobot's laughter.

-0-Down below

They stood in the Great Armored Room, the main munitions construction room where 20 mechs worked making the weaponry of the day from the list on a large monitor overhead. Some of them were youngling Decepticons and some were civilians who worked making munitions in refugee settlements and on Cybertron. Holi who was Ironhide's right processor greeted them. He praised her and she grinned, patting Ironhide's arm. "He's a big pussycat. I love working here."

"Your bond works here too and I don't suppose that has anything to do with it," Ratchet teased.

"Nope," she said with a big smile. "Cordie runs the train system that delivers things and brings things in."

"Train system?" Blackjack asked, evidently pleased.

Ironhide grinned. "Wanna go for a ride?" He didn't have to ask twice. The four would spend the next three joors taking trains here and there all over the city as Ironhide explained the armories, hubs, depots and other arrangements that had come from his own fertile imagination.

It would be glorious.

-0-Medical Building

"That wasn't funny, Breakdown."

"I thought it was. You need to dial up your sense of humor, Knockout."

The smaller bot looked at his Onliest Only One and frowned. Things hadn't been normal since they came here and the idea that Breakdown might not need him made a spot in the middle of his spark flutter just thinking about it. He walked over and looked at the chore Breakdown was doing. They had had a 'beer' at the Club and gone on duty together. They were on the same shift now and even though every other orn he was in the emergency room, he still spent most of his work time hanging with the bot shooting the slag and getting the check list done.

It was awesome until it wasn't.

-0-Studio

They sat together looking at a large roll out datapad upon which examples of art glowed with great beauty. Most of them were Cybertronian but Sunstreaker had begun to download images of human art that appealed to him. Sadee sat on her servos and knees scrutinizing the images as Sunstreaker explained them, showed how different techniques had created them and otherwise mentoring the perky little femme.

"These are pretty nice," she said pointing to two impressionist paintings that were side by side. "I really like these."

Sunstreaker nodded. "You know, humans go on and on about what makes great art and what doesn't. They sort of have a fragging circular firing squad about it. I know what appeals to me and what I like. If I said that around some of the human critics, they would laugh at me."

"Only once," Sadee said looking up at him with a big smile.

He snorted and grinned at her. "Slag yeah," he said as they touched the screen and new images appeared.

Sideswipe and Bluestreak lounging nearby reading and playing video games inside their processors merely smirked.

Sunstreaker was enjoying himself. Bluestreak was catching up on his stories and both of he and Sideswipe were tied in Level 7 of the Cybertronian dual player video game, 'Frag The Decepticons'. All was perfect in their world.

-0-Nearby

They came out with the soldiers taking their first foray into the daytime world of Autobot City. They were shown how to find the bots they had been given permission to follow. They had no gear with them at the moment. Today, they would go out into the city and learn it. Today, they would be able to put details to the grid map they had designed to locate places quickly.

Will Lennox stood on his segway, the others huddled around him. They were listening as he gave them the layout of the land. "Behind me are the housing districts. They house the great quantity of citizenry that live here. We are over 300,000 bots so I'm told. All but 5,000 of them live in the former quarries. The first quarry, Mare Tranquilitatis was named in a school contest. The kids name things around here.

"The center of the former quarries are common spaces for all. To the left of me is the Metroplex District. Metroplex is a sentient being and he is to be treated with absolute respect. He knows when you come and go. Understand that. He doesn't intrude but he is aware of his body and what happens inside the environs.

"Beyond is the Autobot City Business Plaza. It is a major business venue but it has been closed for a few orns. It had an explosion."

"Orns?" someone in the crew asked.

"Days. Remember, the day here is about a half hour longer than on Earth. The times you want to contact Earth because it is say, noon, here … it could be midnight there. Beyond Metroplex is the Industrial area and over there," he said pointing to the dome of the Science Habitat, "that is where the scientists here live. We live there when we come here with new people but we have our own quarters in the tower where you all are. See the bigger dome farther on?"

They turned and nodded.

"That is the Temple. You are forbidden to go there. I can't stress it enough. That is sacred space. Only Optimus Prime can tell you if its okay to go there."

"Can you? Go there, I mean?" another crew member asked.

Lennox nodded. "We can. We have free run of the city. We have their trust. You don't. It could end your project if you decide to be a smart ass and break the few rules that they gave you to follow. They are not negotiable." He turned slightly. "That is the Fortress, the first building here and a great deal of it and the city extends underground.

"The airfield is four times bigger than the last time a human group came here. They are amazing builders and make incredible structures swiftly. Beyond the city are two arenas. The one you see over there," he said pointing, "is the first they made and now its for the schools. Beyond that is the municipal arena and it sits 200,000. If you continue beyond it, you will end up at Aerie Hill, the Seeker enclave."

"Will we be able to go there? I would love to meet Starscream," another said, the rest nodding.

As he listened, Will, Bobby and Niall watched as a massive mechanism walked beside another heading toward the City Hall. They were talking together, every so often one or the other chuckling. Glancing at each other, the soldiers smirked. "I don't know about that," Lennox said as Starscream and Optimus Prime passed by, nodding to the soldiers are they did. "Starscream is sort of the reclusive type, don't you agree?" he asked looking at Niall and Bobby.

The two grinned and nodded back. "I would say that," Niall agreed with a chuckle.

The other humans didn't have a clue.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	32. Chapter 32

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 22

=0=The Cultural Center

They rolled off the elevator heading across the vast expansion of floor space toward the Dai Atlas Dojo. They passed the busy main entrance of the Museum of Cybertron which occupied a great deal of the third floor and all of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh as well. Word was out that a special building would be created for the museum with fireproof vaults after the tragedy of the explosion at the Plaza and resulting damage to its storage space dedicated to Museum inventory.

The doors were wide open in front of the huge dojo, an altar-like stone carving with its various unseen objects stood underneath a rack of swords, both practice and edged. They couldn't see more than that from their vantage point below. They merely followed the soldiers as they skirted the mats, heading for the back of the space where the mechs hung out.

They were speeding to an area set aside for conversation and companionship. Couches and chairs were arranged in a circle and they were big and comfortable. Doors leading to places inside the dojo were closed. One could only speculate whether they were locker space, office space or a hidden bar.

The conversation going on, centered as it was on catcalling Drift as he instructed Lon and three other younglings on the art of sword play ceased as they pulled up. Everyone smirked down at the humans with the exception of Kup. He merely slowly turned the stogie in his mouth with a servo as he took the measure of the midgets before him. He had no idea how much they loved him.

"Kup! What the frag is up?" Lennox asked smirking at a bot he had come to love himself.

"Nothing, youngling. What are you insects doing buzzing around. Might get swatted if you don't watch out," he said as everyone settled in for the bullshit. "You do know that Cybertron has insects."

Lennox, who had heard something like it once when Kup was on an epic binge, nodded. "You mentioned it once when you were incoherent."

He looked at Lennox, a man he really liked and shrugged. "It must have been amazing."

Snorts went around the room and Springer kicked his ped. "Don't go telling them about the bugs. They might not recharge if you do."

"All the more reason," Kup answered. He sat forward and peered down at them. "You're awfully small. Tell me, Mr. Movie Maker, what makes you lose recharge at night."

"Getting stepped on," Jack Mellar said.

Kup sat back. "Won't happen."

"Your proximity sensors," Mellar offered. "They tell you where to step."

"Nope," Kup said looking at his stogie a moment. "Squishy is hard to wash off."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Moments later as they spun out into the street again heading for another place filled with memorable characters.

"I think Kup is awesome. We need to build the show around him."

Another agreed. Mellar nodded himself. "He's pretty awesome. So is Ironhide. So is Springer. He and Drift have a thing I bet you. Dollars to donuts, there is something going on between those two."

They sped onward unaware that they were heading for Aerie Hill.

-0-Some time later

They walked in and sat finding a table after the mid-orn rush. Ordering for everyone, Ironhide turned and looked at his genitors. "Well, so far … what do you think?"

"It's brilliant. All of the stuff underground is brilliant. The train system is genius," Blackjack said unaware that all of it was designed by his son.

Ironhide basking in the goodwill nodded. "We worked hard to start it and now we have enough mechs to have weekends and four shifts in some industries instead of two and three."

Blackjack nodded. "That is the test of a system. If it can function without destroying the worker bees, then its worthy."

Their food arrived and they sat together eating as Ratchet tracked his genitors. They were at the schools. He ate contentedly. They were having lunch with Sunspot and the little mechs. All was well.

-0-In a conference room

He sat on the table watching as **MR. TOTO!** got ready to assess his language and pre-reading skills. His overall intellect was topnotch and his readiness on the cusp for starting things his size bot didn't normally do until older. But this bot had been in school from an early age, had older genitors and lots of attention from bright interesting individuals. All of it was a recipe for advancement.

Settling, smiling at his prey, Roto began. "Orion."

The little bot looked up from his **FASCINATING** ped and smiled, his blue optics twinkling. **"TOTO!"**

"We need to talk," he said holding cards in his servos. He held one up. It was a picture of a ball. "Ball."

Orion stared at it, then Roto, then the card. Pointing his digit at the picture, he looked at his teacher. **"TOTO?"**

"Ball," he repeated holding the card up.

Orion stared at it a moment and smiled. **"BALL!"**

Roto smiled and nodded squeezing the baby's ped. "Good, Orion." He held up the card. "Ball."

"**BALL!"**

Putting that card down, he held one up. It was Ratchet. "Ada."

"**ADA!"**

Grinning, he began to hold up cards and pronounce words. "Atar."

"**ATAR!"** (Grin)

"Red."

Pause. **"RED!"**

(grin, ped squeeze) "Green."

Pause. Intense concentration. **"GO!"**

Pause. "Green." Card gets closer.

Pause. **"GREEN!"**

(Grin) "Awesome, sparkling." (New card) "Blue."

Pause. Intensity. **"BLUE!"**

Shuffles cards. Holds one up. "Ada."

"**ADA!"**

"Atar."

"**ATAR!"**

"Ball."

"**BALL!"**

"Green."

Pause. **"GREEN!"**

"Red."

Pause. **"REEP!"**

"Red."

"**RED!"**

Roto sat back and grinned. Orion could repeat the word. The trick was if he could look at the card and remember when they were shuffled. Then the next step would be to say them without a prompt. But that was for later. Roto sat forward and held an easy card. Orion looked at it, at Roto who looked back with a hopeful expression and then the card. **"ATAR!"**

Roto grinned and held another. Orion studied it. **"BALL!"**

Then Roto continued.

"**RED!"**

"**GREEN!"**

"**ADA!"**

"**BALL!"**

It was a perfect score.

-0-Outside

Next to the room outside the door, a group of student teachers, new teachers learning the Autobot City program and aide-trainees watched through the one-way window. The little bot was cute as a button and obviously advanced for his age. His loud voice was much remarked upon. Neo holding a file with information tried to answer questions.

"This baby is Orion, the first separated son of older genitors. We are finding that this can be a good thing because they tend to be very wanted infants and get lots of attention and care. He is the first sparkling separated in the garrison and the first baby that almost all of the soldiers had ever seen. He had early education, a doting atar who took him everywhere he went and lots of mechs to help.

"He is high optimal in his design and hasn't learned to moderate or to adapt to his high optimal features yet. He's very loving and sweet but he has to be supervised during play with others because of his great strength. He can easily hurt others. He is also independent and he can be willful but not often.

"His pre-readiness for all levels of his development is in the upper 5% of his age group. We expect that he will be a very good student. He will have the example of older brothers and genitors that value education."

They nodded and turned to watch again.

-0-Inside

"Car."

"**CAW!**

Pause. Take notes: 'R and ending sounds are weak'. "Car."

"**CAW!"**

Pause. Take more notes. "Kite."

"**KIPE!"**

Kite."

**"KIPE! KIPE!KIPE!KIPE!"** He paused smiling ginormously, his little blue optics twinkling. Then he held up his dollie.

Roto grinned and leaned in kissing the dollie. Orion shrieked with laughter and fell onto his back, splayed out, cackling madly. Roto grinned and pulled him up. "Goofball."

"**GOOBER!"**

Roto paused to take notes. "Never truer words spoken, sparkling," he said with a chuckle.

-0-Outside

"He is certainly exuberant."

"He is," Neo said fondly. "He's really a good little spark. He just has so much inside."

"He does," a teacher said with a grin. "He would make me deaf in a week."

Neo grinned.

-0-Inside

Roto held up one ball. "One."

Orion looked at it.** "BALL.**"

Roto blinked. "Good, Orion. Ball."

"One ball."

Roto nearly fell out of his chair.

-0-Aerie Hill

The ride out was long but not uneventful. The closer they got, the more interesting the scenary. There were Seekers flying in and landing on terraces as they transformed to walk into their dwellings. Others were standing on balconies talking, some holding hatchlings. Others were stepping out and jumping into the air. Before they could hit the ground, they transformed and jetted away. It was an astonishing sight.

"Does Nitro live here?" Jack Mellar asked.

"No. He has an apartment on a tower with open access to the roof. His bond isn't a Seeker." Lennox looked back. "That isn't very common. Neither is trine bonds among the grounders. But it happens. They don't live in Aerie Hill because his bond is conventional and so is their daughter."

It was silent a moment.

"You guys really know your shit don't you," a tech asked.

Niall grinned and looked at him. "Easiest thing in the world. You just have to earn their trust."

They toodled onward, drove all over the vast complex, had their first view of a hatchling and drove back several joors later. The sun was high in the sky by the time they got back to town.

-0-Wrap up

They sat in a conference room with Neo and Roto. Orion was off doing his usual stuff and now was the time to talk. He checked his data and sat back looking at the expectant faces. "What we have here is a well loved little mech who has a lot of attention and expectations. He has a lot of adults in his life and two other little brothers that dote on him. And he dotes on them.

"He's well developed in the language areas and all his pre-reading and pre-math readiness exceeds expectations for his age. His inability to make some sounds like the 'R' and hear and speak ending sounds is part of his developmental level. He may exceed some things but the development that isn't yet you can hear. He's smart and can be headstrong. His genitors dote on him but they are very concerned that he behave, have manners and treat others with respect. They aren't pushover parents.

"Because he's high optimal in construction, he has some difficulty with his behavior and it leads to imposed limits with others to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone accidentally. It is hard on him that this is so but that is the way it is. He also is going to be acquiring a sister in a few orns so his behavior will change with that adjustment."

"Are you clear on whether he mimics or really understands the names of things you show him?" a teacher from the new migration in the process of certifying to Autobot City's program asked.

"That is what we will have to ascertain over the next few orns. Having as many opportunities for him to name things that match his word list will be the test. Make no mistake, this little bot has a big vocubulary for a tyke his size."

"How do you keep from not hugging him constantly?" a young mech training to be a teacher asked.

"I don't even try," Roto said with a grin.

-0-Club Cybertron

They sat shooting the slag and when they rose to leave, Ratchet left them outside the Club door. Heading out to the Senior Center in Vos Tower, he would spend the afternoon shooting the slag and playing card games with his genitors. No one would page him for an owie. All of that would be Knockout's problem.

-0-Emergency room

"What happened to you?"

"I dropped steel on my ped," a big limping bot said moving to sit on a medberth.

"I can see that. Looks crushed. I may have to replace a few of your toe digits."

"Whatever. Hurry up, Doc. I have a date in a few moments."

Knockout looked at the slightly dirty mech with a tough finish and a tougher constitution. "I suppose you're getting laid tonight."

The bot smirked as he lay back, offering a better look at his ped. "Slagging right."

Knockout looked at him and rolled his optics. "Frag," he muttered as he looked at the ped and began to work. "Frag," he would mutter until he was done.

-0-After school

Bluestreak and Sideswipe walked from the elevator that took them from the youngling school to the sparkling floor with four happy mechlings in tow. Pausing in the lobby with other genitors, they began to collect infants. Kaon and Praxus were handed to Sideswipe and he kissed them stowing Miracle into his carry hold. A basket of femmelings was next for Bluestreak and then Orion walked out with his harness and leash. Roto handed it to Bluestreak who looked down at the ginormously smiling little black bot.

"He has improved his vocabulary a great deal. He can even say your nickname, Bluestreak," Roto said leaning down and smiling. "Orion," he said. He knelt and pointed at Bluestreak. "Blue," he said.

Orion listened to him intensely. Then he looked up at Bluestreak and smiled ginormously. **"GREEN!"** he said and held up his dollie.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	33. Chapter 33

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 23

=0=CMO's Office, Medical Tower of Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet sat plowing through data when Sideswipe and Bluestreak wandered in with their load. Orion who had walked all the way on a short leash looked perturbed and when he saw his ada said so: **"ADA! WIPE, BAD! WIPE OW ME!"**

Sideswipe snorted and dropped the leash bending down to unfasten it from his harness. Leaning into the tiny bot's space, he grinned malevolently. "Hush, spud," he said unsnapping the baby.

Orion backed up, a weak smile on his face. Turning, he ran to Ratchet who picked him up and set the baby on the desktop. Looking at Sideswipe from the safety of his ada, he frowned again. **"WIPE! BAD! ADA?"**

"What, Orion?" Ratchet asked encircling the infant with his arms.

"**WIPE BAD! HE BAD!"**

They looked at him a moment and Ratchet smiled. "He has new words."

"Look, Ada," Sideswipe said setting one femmelet on the table. "Orion, how many?"

Orion looked at him a moment, the miff still in place and then he thought. Pointing at Uraya, he looked up at his brother. "Wipe?"

"How many?" Sideswipe asked again.

Orion looked at Uraya. "One."

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet commed Ironhide over their bond: **:IRONHIDE! ORION HAS NEW WORDS! THE LITTLE SLAGGER CAN COUNT!:** "That's very nice," he said with a calmness he didn't feel. He fooled no one.

Sideswipe turned and plopped Iacon down beside her sister. "Orion … two," Sideswipe said. He pushed Uraya toward him. "One," he said. Then he pushed Iacon. "Two."

Orion looked at Sideswipe listening hard, then he looked at the infants who sat smiling at him, their little immature wings searching for information they were too new to gather. "One," he said pointing at Uraya. He looked at Iacon, then Sideswipe. Pointing at her, he grinned. **"TWO!"**

Everyone stood ecstatic, then Ratchet snorted and chuckled. "What?" Sideswipe asked.

"What if he thinks that those words are their names?" Ratchet asked pulling all three in and smothering them with kisses.

"Oh," Sideswipe said with a chuckle. "Never thought of that."

At that moment, several big bots filled the doorway and jammed up. Alor shoving the bots with him backwards entered and grinned. "What?" he asked with excitement.

Ironhide, Blackjack and Flint entered, their faces expectant. "He can count?" Ironhide asked in astonishment.

"Sort of," Ratchet said looking up at Sideswipe. "Show them."

He smirked and did.

"**ONE!"**

"**TWO!"**

Ginormous smiles were had by all. Sideswipe took Orion's little book bag and pulled out a stack of cards. "Apparently, these are his vocabulary words. Roto seems to think he knows these words and can say them."

Ironhide took them and looked through the stack. Looking at his little doppelganger, he pulled a chair over and sat. "Orion."

Orion looked at his atar and smiled ginormously. **"ATAR!"**

Everyone grinned.

"Look," Ironhide said holding up a card. Orion looked at it intensely. **"BALL!"**

When the mist receded from his optics, Ironhide continued.

"**GREEN!"**

**"BLUE!"**

**"DUCK!"**

**"ADA!"**

**"ATAR!"**

**"RED!"**

**"DOG!"**

**"MOON!"**

**"NO!"**

**"YES!"**

"**LELLO!"**

Snorts greeted that one.

"Roto said some sounds he isn't old enough to say. Something about his development or something. Others he can start but the endings are off," Sideswipe said.

They all nodded as they stared with fascination at the little bot poking his 'bellybutton' on the tabletop.

"Orion."

"**ATAR!"** He smiled at Ironhide and another card was shown. He stared at it intently. **"KIPE!"**

"**SHOE!"**

"**CHAIW!"**

"**NAMA!"**

"Nama?" Blackjack asked.

Ironhide looked at the card and read the definition on the back. "Apparently it is a fruit thing eaten by humans. It's called a banana."

"Oh." -everyone.

"Continue." -everyone.

"Continue, son," an enraptured Alor said softly, his optics fastened on the astonishing little runt before him.

"**RUG!"**

**"BUG!" **(grin)

"**MUG!"** (Loud cackle)

**"PFLUGGG!"** (Hysterical laughter as a small bot tipped over in joy)

Grins all around as hysterically cackling little bot is lifted back up. Card gets shown. Twinkling optics look at everyone in the room as a little pug face nearly cracks from the size of his smile) **"LUG!"**

"**LEAF!"**

**"BLACK!"**

**"PED!"**

Ironhide looked at the next card. He was back at the beginning. "That's the lot."

They sat and stood staring at the little bot who was **UTTERLY PLEASED** with himself and **BASTING** in the total attention of everyone in the room. "That bot is a caution," Blackjack said reaching down, picking him up. "You are a caution, just like your atar, sparkling."

"He was like Orion?" Sideswipe asked.

"He was. Same noise level. Same cute ways. Same smarts," Alor said rubbing Orion's back as he lay against Blackjack's shoulder. "You do know that having him do this too many times too long actually wears them out, the processor energy is so intense."

"I will remember that." -Ironhide and Ratchet at the same time.

Hilarity broke out.

-0-In the Tower Habitat

They sat around the table eating dinner and planning their strategy. There were 12 of them who would be doing the heavy lifting here. They would do the editing for each episode using the facilities at IntraComm's production facility in the Cultural Center. It was temporary headquarters until the big facility being created west of the Business Plaza came on line. That would be state of the art and contain not only technological facilities, but studios and creative departments to support any kind of broadcast show or movie anyone wanted to make. Once the edited episode was finished, the censors would review it, show it to the Prime and if it passed, IntraComm would download it to Earth. The networks that would show it worldwide would then receive it like any other program.

Which it wasn't.

"I think we need to do a non-specific first three episodes, just showing all of our cast in brief snapshots of their day. Then we can focus on individuals, perhaps teams like the twins or Springer and Drift. The bonds can come later. We can also find out who is in relationships short of bonds and feature them.

"I also think we can sneak in shots of others like Jazz who is awesomely cool," Aaron said as everyone nodded, "and Ironhide. I thought I saw Ratchet go into a tower in the Metroplex District. We can hunt him down. Also, I think the giants deserve some love too. Metroplex might make an awesome interview in the least."

"We will have to check with Jazz," Leonora Huttle, the scheduling boss/production manager/all-around do-it tech said.

"That's your job, Lenora," Aaron said with a nod. "We have to do this right. We don't want to be sent home because someone fucked up. I will personally hang you if you are the one."

"Or you," James Hogan said. He was the sound director and technician. He was going to coordinate with the Cybertronians about using their music for the ending credits of each show.

They all grinned. Except for Belcher. Producers seldom had a sense of humor and he was no exception.

They sat and planned for the next day's shoot. They would be following Drift, Springer, the twins and Kup. They would be shadowed by the human soldiers and Cybertronian technicians from IntraComm who would be filming too. They would use a composite footage for their shows that would be labeled as such. It would be interesting to see if the human perspective would be any different from the Cybertronian. Aaron and Jack were fully prepared to think outside of the box.

-0-On Io

He stood in the doorway staring into the death spiral all around him. The frozen surface of Io pockmarked with the chemical outcome of geysers spewing detritus hundreds of feet into the air called to him and he hesitated for a moment. This would mark him as only the second person from Earth to step here. Niall Graham and himself, Giovanni Antelli would be the only two humans to do such a thing.

With a smile and deep sense of gratitude, he stepped down onto the frozen surface of a violent and unforgiving world, one torn into volcanic instability by the gravitational pull of Europa and Jupiter herself. He stepped forward and looked around. The ship was behind him. The darkness of space surrounded him. Jupiter filled the sky before him. The dark storm, the Great Red Spot swirled on its terrible surface and he watched it transfixed. This was an impossible dream for a human.

A tech from Autobot City stepped down behind him and gently lifted him with his servo. :Come on, Giovanni. Let's get to the router: The big tech, a civilian mech named Holder walked across the dessicated surface until they reached a small structure with a red beeping light on top. Setting Antelli down on the top of it, he opened a panel and began the scan for defects that was required every ten decaorns. Antelli looked at him. :Do you ever get tired of this, Holder?:

:No: he said. :I have lived in and out of space all my life but I don't ever get tired of it. How can you?: he asked looking up at the sky which was entirely filled with Jupiter. :This is astonishing.:

"It is. I am astonished as well: he said with his beautiful Italian accent, :that this suit protects me. I can see from my meter that there is an awful brew of radiation out there all around us.:

:There is. This satellite will some day die because of the gravity and radiation of Jupiter. Seems a shame, really: he said as he tweeked a setting here and there.

:I can't even find words to describe this to anyone. We have to write something to Earth every day about what we do and see. How do you describe this to anyone who isn't here?:

Holder paused and looked around. :You do the best you can, Giovanni:

He looked at Holder and grinned. They would stay where they were for another joor before turning to go. The next stop would be the Proxima Centauri Deep Space Array out in the Oort Field. Giovanni would stand by a big porthole window on the shuttle and watch as Holder drifted out to inspect it. The massive array was one of four now that monitored space out fifteen light years. What he knew was awesome. What he didn't know would scare him.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl stood at Teletraan III and watched as the glyphs from the Proxima Centauri Deep Space Array arranged themselves in neat rows. They told of the migration that was coming, itself a known. What it also told was of a large flight of Decepticon ships that were coming from another direction. They were not coming directly their way. The group was stopping in the same place each time. They had been monitoring three waves of similar sized groupings. All of them came from the general vicinity of Cybertron. All of them stopped in the same place.

Prowl looked up as Prime reached him, reading the glyphs silently. "This is interesting," he said drily.

"They have concluded their third wave," Prowl said. "The signatures are unmistakeable."

Prime nodded. "They are building a base. Soundwave has something in his processor."

Prowl nodded. "Do we go out and take a peek?"

"Plan for one. I want only alpha teams, the enhanced Arks and stealth all the way. Whatever they are doing, we need to know but I don't want them to see us."

Prowl nodded. "I am on it."

Prime nodded, turning to walk to the center table to sit and plan a stealth strike. That didn't count pending business as well as a giant migration nearing the point where they would go out on a bridge to meet it, Ratchet's separation, several requests from Earth for hearings over this and that and the big finale, Rambler's award ceremony for maintaining the highest grade point average in his class.

The last one made him grin.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	34. Chapter 34

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 24

=0=Later that evening

Sunstreaker paused on the street and looked down. Pausing themselves as they looked up, two humans smiled. "What are you following me for?" the big Lambo asked in his scary deeply masculine voice.

"We want to film you," one of them said nodding his head to the camera-bearing man standing on the back of his specially extended hopped up heavy duty segway.

Sunstreaker looked at them considering what he had gotten himself into, then grinned slightly. "Lucky you," he said as he turned and walked onward. He was in ped mode, a more leisurely method of travel than skates which were his preferred battle mode. Putting them squarely on his sensors, Sunstreaker headed for the studio to study Sadee's after school additions to her newest canvas, "Whirlpool".

The little segway followed him all the way there.

-0-Ratchet and his genitors

They walked along the street heading for the grocery store. Tie Down and Ravel seemed to be recovered. Turning down the street, entering Metroplex District, they chatted about this and that as they passed their time until the Plaza reopened. The two elders had stood in the roped off area watching as big mechs shored up the building and removed structural damage.

Their store was in the front and as soon as the building was sound again they would be able to go inside. Nothing would run because the building's plant was shot. However, it would be nice to go inside and straighten things up, assess the situation and organize for business when it opened.

Entering the Mall, itself busy with grateful patrons, they walked to the grocery store and got what his genitors needed, something good for the breakfast meal. They were recharging longer but the habits of a lifetime were hard to break. Breakfast was essential. It was also early.

"Are you energizing properly?" Ravel asked as they wandered back out heading for home.

"I am, Ada. Are you both?" Ratchet asked as he walked alongside of them carrying their little basket of goodies. "How do you feel?"

"I don't have anymore aches and pains, Ratchet," Ravel said. "How about you, Tie?"

"My arm feels rather well thanks to you, Ratchet. My processor doesn't hurt anymore either," Tie Down said.

Ratchet grinned. "You both better stay in one piece. I didn't wait all this time for you to come here just to have you fall apart."

"We won't," Ravel said looking up at his son. "We have too many sparklings to help you take care of."

"Remember that," Ratchet said with a grin. They walked onward heading for the cobblestone path that would take them to their tower and home.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They stood around Teletraan III studying the data that was flowing in from the far out arrays. It spoke of a growing presence in space that could be of consequence to their security.

"I wonder what Soundwave is up to here?" Jazz speculated. "What about the idea that this is a fall back position for him if Megatron comes back unhappy?"

They mulled that over. "That could be a reason for this. I think we need to go there and reconnoiter. If that is so then Megatron might be closer to us than we know. Either way, we will have to go and see for ourselves," Optimus said.

Prowl nodded. "We have to do so with great stealth," he said.

"We can help you there. We honed stealth skills, both in ships and with our Seekers to come and go in all manner of circumstances, sir," Flint said. "We would be honored for the opportunity to gather intell for this problem."

"We will include you. Prowl is putting together the mission. I would like you to discuss with him ideas and participation," Optimus replied nodding.

"I will," Flint said.

Ironhide grinned at his uncle. "You're not going without me."

"Or me," Blackjack said. "With your leave, Prime," he said glancing at Optimus.

"I don't have a problem. You have to convince Prowl," Prime said with a grin. He looked at the intell. "We need everything that we can detect about this. We also have a migration coming that needs to be addressed. Tomorrow, we will have a military staff meeting to address this and a few other issues."

They nodded. The conversation continued onward.

=0=At the studio

He walked in and paused, studying the intense little figure of his student looking closely at her canvas. He didn't notice that the segway followed moving to a place in the room where they could film but not be intrusive.

"Hi." She smiled up at her mentor, a spark melting affect on the tall front-liner. "You came."

"This is my studio," Sunstreaker said with a smirk. He stared down at her, this little powerhouse of goodsparked energy and knelt. Looking at her canvas, he nodded. "This is better. There's organization that the optic can access almost immediately."

She nodded. "I took your suggestions and sketched all night. Here," she said walking to her little paint box and pulling out a drawing datapad. "These I did last night."

She held it for Sunstreaker as he looked at the dozens of little sketches, some of them facets of Sunstreaker's own body and face. They would discuss the images, the scariest member of the 'Platoon' and the tiniest perkiest little femme possible.

It was dynamite footage.

-0-At the school

Ratchet stood in the foyer of the Sparkling Day School waiting for the infants to be let out. He had delegated some of his duties for the day and wanted to do something that he usually never did.

Get the infants from school.

Knockout had turned out to be a bit better than adequate. He wasn't much for bedside manner but he did the job. Another orn was added to his work schedule by Ratchet himself. That would help the wiley bot to learn discipline and stay off the street. Or so he hoped.

Genitors waited around him, some of them chatting with the big medic. When the doors opened, babies were carried out or they toddled. Sky Warp entered the lobby and walked to Ratchet. "How are your genitors?"

"They're well, thank you, Sky Warp. It was more scare than harm," Ratchet said.

He nodded. "Good." The hatchlings came through the door, an aide herding them along and when they saw their atar they squeed. Running quickly, they grabbed Sky Warp's legs and hugged him. Looking upward at him with giant smiles, the Seeker leaned down and rubbed their little wings. "Ready to go?" he asked.

They babbled at him, their happiness infectious. He gathered them up and with a nod to Ratchet, turned and walked to an elevator to go home.

Ratchet turned and watched as a chattering little black bot walked out on a leash. He was waving his arms and talking to Mr. Roto who was having infant release duty today. Carrying Praxus, he walked to Ratchet and handed the little mini-me to his ada. "Hi, Ratchet. They had good days. I hope you keep track of Praxus's words. He's starting to pick up because of Orion I think."

"I will," Ratchet said as Bluestreak stepped off the elevator and walked to the pair. "Hi, Ratchet," the winger said leaning in and kissing Praxus. That little bot smiled and reached out for Blue. Blue kissed him again and smiled as his infants came out of the school. Neo had Kaon in arms and the femmes in their basket. She handed them over.

"They were so good," Neo said. "Kaon is starting to speak. Roto has scheduled him for an assessment of his speech for tomorrow."

"That's wonderful. I will make a list," Bluestreak said nodding. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will be ecstatic."

Neo smiled and nodded. "The little girls love the pool. They sit on my servos and pat the water. They're just so sweet."

Bluestreak looked at his daughters and grinned. "You are so good."

"They are," Neo agreed as an elevator opened and the little mechs along with Sunspot boiled out laughing and running.

"Hi, Ada!" Sunspot said with a big grin. "I had a good flying lesson. I flew to the Aerie and back."

"That is tremendous," Ratchet said. "That is a very long way to go for a little jet like you."

"I loved it! I didn't forget one thing! I transformed and flew there and back!" he said looking up at Ratchet with an enormous smile.

"Sunny is a good flier," Spirit said looking upward too. "He's a good flier and transformer."

"All of you little mechs are spectacular," Ratchet said with a grin. "How about a treat at my house?"

The agreement was deafening as they all turned and walked out heading for the tower and home.

-0-Later that night

They sat in their chairs watching the television as a locally produced program played. It was a love triangle that had students from the drama class at the University acting the parts. 'City Air' was highly rated and closely followed by the local population.

IntraComm was in discussions with Earth about broadcasting it since a scientist inadvertantly mentioned it on their blog. It was doubtful if Prime would approve because of the romantic content and the possiblities that taboo subjects -'facing, romance and the like would become general knowledge to the humans.

Bonds were reasonably understood in the context of their 'male' dominated society. Their mech-mech relationships were accepted as 'their ways'. What Prime wasn't probably going to release was information beyond generalities because of the invasion of privacy and the opportunities for ridicule it might unleash.

When it concluded, Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "What's the word on going out and checking on Soundwave's little scheme?"

"We probably will. There's a military officer meeting tomorrow at Ops Center to discuss the situation," Ironhide said. "I think Flint is locked in and maybe Atar."

"Sounds good," Ratchet said with a grin. "I suppose you'll go too."

"We have a bridge. Anyone can go no matter what's going on."

"True, that," Ratchet said.

The sound of infants laughing, three little mechs in Sunspot's room was the soft music playing under the sound of Pa Cartwright saddling up to ride the range on 'Bonanza'.

-0-Around town

Sunstreaker walked to his home, Sadee dropping off heading toward her own. She was a funny little femme and he liked her. She was her own bot and that mattered to him. He hoped as he walked along that his own girls would be the same. He didn't want them to suffer fools anymore than he did. He paused at the corner of the highway waiting for traffic to pass. He looked down. The camera crew was still there. "I'm going home."

They nodded. The lights changed and they watched as he transformed to skates leaving them in the dust. In seconds, he was gone. They watched a moment and then the camera was stopped. "This is getting interesting," one of the two said.

The other nodded.

-0-Night

The Night Watch made their rounds heightened by the Plaza incident earlier. The usual suspects were rounded up, their carousing notable for its affability most of the time. The moons overhead continued on their way, Phobos making its fourth revolution that orn and Deimos making its first full rotation overhead.

The city was filled with light in the housing districts and happy times in the cafes and clubs. Bots walked here and there going about their business, some stopping for directions from the officers on the beat. It could have been any city on Earth.

-0-The next morning

They walked to the Fortress after dropping off the infants for school. The senior Autobot portion of the Community Committee was gathering to discuss the rising mystery of Soundwave's newest moves. The day was filled with activity. The sounds of construction from the area of the Plaza was heartening.

Walking into the Fortress, entering the Ops Center, they traded sass and overnight information before gathering in the conference room. Sitting around the table, Jazz, Mirage, Ironhide, Blackjack, Alor, Ratchet, Jetta, Wheeljack and Perceptor waited.

"How is the filming going, Ratchet?" Mirage asked with a smirk. "I hear the twins are being followed day and night. That should make Sunstreaker feel validated."

Ratchet snorted. "Like he needs it," the big white and red bot said. "They're following about five of the soldiers so far. I don't know what their plan is but they're having a good time with Kup and Drift."

"You left out the star of the show," Springer said as he entered and drew a chair. Kup and Drift followed, the two sitting as well. At that moment, Prowl and Prime entered and everyone turned to the problem at servo.

"We need to discuss a problem we've been tracking for a while. Prowl has the details," Prime said nodding to the winger.

Prowl nodded. "We have been tracking Decepticon activity in a sector far from here for some time. It is at the extreme range of our arrays but after adjustments we were able to detect some information that concerns. It would appear that three or more migrations from Cybertron have all deadended in the same area. We don't know if he's building a base, preparing for invasion, making a fall back space for himself or what. For all we know, he could be dead and this is Megatron's doing."

It was silent a moment, then Blackjack looked at the monitor overhead that showed the data. "I wouldn't put it past Soundwave making a fall back position. He always has an escape hatch."

Prime nodded. "It might be a good idea to renew our acquaintance with the resistance on Cybertron to see what's happening."

"Then you're considering a two prong exercise," Alor asked.

The mastermind of their own resistance, the Prowl to Blackjack's Prime, he considered the possibilities. "Go to Cybertron and check out the new anomalies."

Prime nodded. That was when Ratchet's helm hit the table top.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	35. Chapter 35

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 25

=0=Big Conference room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"Ratchet?"

Ironhide stood up quickly his chair bouncing off the wall behind him. He watched as Ratchet grabbed the other side of the table's edge and squeezed. A low groan filled the room and then it was gone. "Ratchet!" Ironhide touched him gently.

"I'm okay," Ratchet said to the middle of the tabletop before sitting up. "That smarted."

"What's happening?" Ironhide asked.

Alor stood up gathering himself. "Ironhide, help Ratchet up. He's going to separate. Right, Ratchet?"

"You are right, Ali," Ratchet said standing up. He turned to Ironhide who looked rooted to the floor. "You might have to carry Ironhide, Blackjack. He doesn't do well during these things."

"Ironhide, we are going now," Blackjack said sternly even though his insides were quivering like a bow string.

The acorn didn't fall far from the tree.

They turned nearly as one and walked to the door, Ratchet walking out with a smile. Following, the entire crew crossed the Ops Center heading for the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital in Metroplex Administrative District. It was bright and balmy as they strolled along, Alor on one side, Ironhide on the other.

Prowl walked with Prime, their digits laced together. "This is opportune."

"How so?" Prime asked.

"I don't know. But it feels opportune," Prowl said absently.

Prime looked down at his pensive winger and got it clearly and simply. Prowl had 'the look'. They walked on together following a cheerful Ratchet, a stunned and fearful Ironhide and a determined Alor.

-0-Nearby

He skated in and looked around spotting his brother in the corner sharpening his swords. Speeding over, he paused. Looking at the cameraman nearby, he switched to Cybertronian Standard. "Hey. Ada is separating."

Sunstreaker glanced up sharply. "He is?"

Sideswipe nodded. "Bluestreak is already there. So is just about everyone but Tie and Ravel. We have to get them and bring them over."

Sunstreaker nodded and rose slipping his seven foot swords into his wrist sheaths. He slipped them in and out a couple of times noting the heightening of interest in the cameramen. He then turned and transformed into wheels, the two heading out together madly. Watching them go, the segways turned and hurried after, both teams following Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. The dojo became quiet once again.

-0-At the apartment

"Have you got what you need, Grandada?" Sunstreaker asked.

"I do, son," Ravel replied with a smile. "How nice of you to come get us. I don't know where the hospital is."

"We'll get you there," Sunstreaker said following Ravel to the door. Sideswipe and Tie Down were already heading to the elevators. Soon they would be on the street walking to the hospital, two segways filled with cameras following. Behind then, three segways filled with soldiers were hot on their trail.

-0-The Hallway, Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital, Metroplex Administrative District

They walked down the corridor toward the open door of the emergency ward and the group lounging both inside and out. Ravel paused and peeked around the corner. "Ratchet!"

"Ada!" Ratchet said motioning his genitors inside. They came to him and they hugged. "The boys brought you here. How do you feel?"

"We feel good, son," Tie Down said. "We want to know how you feel?"

"Sore when the pains come but otherwise, I am just fine," Ratchet said. "Ironhide on the other servo ..."

They all turned to look at the grim faced Autobot standing between his genitors. "You can't make me feel bad, Ratchet," he said grumpily.

"Aw, I'm not, Ironhide," Ratchet said. "Why don't you come over here and hold my servo."

Ironhide walked to the berth and took Ratchet's servo. He stood rubbing it, his fear obvious, his indifference to that public fact complete.

A shooting pain went through Ratchet and he hung his helm biting the sound that struggled to emerge. Ironhide gripped Ratchet's servo, his anxiety intensifying. Then it passed and Ratchet relaxed. He sat with plugs in his neck and helm, data rolling on the monitor overhead. Gypsy who was managing the separation looked at him with a smile. "This might be very fast, Ratchet. Third time is the charm."

"That's good to hear. I don't want to squish Ironhide's servo," he said pausing his optics on Prowl. That worthy was leaning against the counter by the door, Prime's arm around him. "Third time."

Prowl snorted and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. All of them are mine. All of them."

Hilarity ensued.

A sound drew attention and Prime peered out into the hallway. Standing on their segways arguing together, three soldiers held off two cartloads of filmmakers. He leaned back in and nodded to Prowl. "Appears there is a problem in the corridor. I would deal with it but ..."

Prowl nodded and turned peering out. "William Lennox, what is happening?"

"They want to go inside and film. We told them that the hospital was a permission-only situation," he said looking upward.

Prowl nodded. "It is. You don't have it. Any questions, gentlemen?" he asked looking at the filmmakers.

"Uh … no, sir. Prowl is it? We fully understand."

Prowl nodded. "You may go. Your subjects will be about later."

They nodded and turned speeding off. Prowl looked at the soldiers. "Do you want to come inside?"

"What's happening?" Niall asked curiously.

"Ratchet is separating," Prowl said smoothly.

They looked at him, then each other, then Prowl. "I thought that was taboo," Epps asked with surprise.

"For them. You're family," Prowl said turning and disappearing into the room.

The men looked at each other and then the door. "Do we go? What the hell is it like? I got enough nightmares," Epps said.

It was silent a moment, then the three drove inside the door together.

-0-Inside

"Well, well, look at you!" Ratchet said looking down at the floor. "So you want to see a separation?"

"No," Epps said.

Ratchet chuckled. "Stay if you want. I promise not to step on you."

They looked at Prowl and nodded. He reached down and set them nearby on a shelf where they could watch. Putting the segways on another one, Prowl turned back to watch himself.

Ratchet moved to lie back and when he did, Ironhide cupped his helm in his servos. Leaning down, kissing his mech, Ironhide nodded. "You just relax."

"You too, Ironhide."

"I will," Ironhide said. He glanced at his genitors who were standing with Ravel and Tie Down. "Do you want a chair, Ada?" he asked.

"No, son," Alor said. "I'm fine. I think I need to stand. This is very nervous making. It's been a long time since someone in the family was separating."

Ravel nodded. "I think Ratchet's separation was the last family event I can remember." He smiled. "He was such a cute lively little sparkling."

"Ironhide was the same way. These two were doomed to bond," Blackjack said with a chuckle.

The room was full with many more in the corridor. Jazz and Mirage, the trine, Springer, Kup and Drift stood with Prowl, Prime and the family genitors.

"Where's Sunspot, Sideswipe?" Ratchet asked as he felt a pain building.

"He's in school. We'll get him when the femme is here if you want," Sideswipe said as he stood behind Bluestreak, his powerful arms around the winger.

"That's good. Thank you, son," Ratchet said off lining his optics for the screamfest building. When it came, Ironhide looked pale. For a big black mechanism with very few highlights, he looked gray. Blackjack walked over and stood beside him resting a servo on Ironhide's back. "Steady on, son," he said quietly, his military bearing and intestinal fortitude taking over.

"I hear that Sunny gets to name this one and do the reading at the ceremony," Prowl said smirking slightly. "Brave of you."

Ratchet chuckled. "I have faith. He's been writing his speech for a decaorn now."

"Have you read it?" Tie down asked curiously.

"No," Ratchet said. "We told him to speak from the spark."

"Then it will be wonderful," Ravel said as he stood at the end of the berth rubbing Ratchet's peds.

Everyone grinned.

"How will you hold it, Ratchet?" Alor asked with a slightly worried tone. "Where do these happen?"

"The first one ever was on the steps of the Fortress with Orion. Then the next one was there with Praxus. Miracle had his at the stands for Christmas Surprise," Ratchet said.

"Christmas Surprise?" Blackjack asked.

"A human holiday that we observe," Prime said with a slight grin. "The humans helped the sparkings feel better one year."

"You get to be Santa," Prowl said with a smirk. Venture and Miler stepped inside just then looking around at everything for a second. Then Miler looked at Prowl. "What is Santa and who gets to be him?"

Hilarity ensued.

Two screams later …

"Ironhide, this year we need to have Halloween," Ratchet said.

Pause. Initiate. Access internet. Search: Halloween. Noun, definition, examples. End access. All optics turn to Ratchet.

"You want all of us to dress up as ghouls and such, then go and 'trick or treat'?" Prowl asked.

Ratchet snorted. "You make it sound awful. And its mostly about the infants. Imagine Miracle as a pumpkin."

Several pause to access the relevant data. Others stand silently thinking about how to make a sparkling into a pumpkin. Various grandadas figure it out and internally do a cartwheel over the cuteness. Nearly all buy in.

Especially Jazz.

"That sounds like a good thing for the younglings. It could be a nice break in the routine, Ratchet. You can organize it," Prime said.

Prowl looked upward. "Truly?"

"You can be his second," Prime said with a grin.

Prowl blinked and then glanced at Ratchet. "Ha. You see? In the end, they ***are*** all mine."

Hilarity and intense catcalling ensued.

-0-Down below

Cheelie walked along the corridor to the vault down at the end of level three. It was the secured site for protoforms. When Metroplex transformed, it ended up somewhere about shoulder level in the robotic format of the mechanism. They had built down three levels before he had been burned and even though it had held up when he moved, it bore the scars of fire and collapse. The vault had been tunneled out, secured and its contents checked. The corridor was being rebuilt to reach it and would be finished soon enough.

Unlocking the door, he walked inside, the lights springing on. Walking down the room passing little boxes stacked in rows, she found the right one. The room was filled with boxes of protoforms awaiting their occupants.

On a shelf nearby were emergency protoforms for anyone who was without their own designs. They were troubleshooting anything and everything. Thus, they were ready for anyone's crisis. She took the little box and walked out shutting the door. It was a short walk to the elevator and a shorter ride upward. The little box's contents would soon be in use.

-0-Out in the city

"**HEY!** Guess what?"

"What?"

"Ratchet is separating."

"Oh my. What kind of Ironhide do we get to see this time?"

-0-In a quarry...

"Payload, Ratchet is popping."

"That's awesome. Maybe I can get Carro to go take a peek. He's just around the corner."

"Do."

:Carro:

:What, Only One:

:Ratchet is separating. What can you go and see?:

:I don't know. Let me to look:

Moments pass. :He's separating:

:We know. What can you see?:

:I can't see through the crowd:

:See what you can do. I would like to know:

:I will, Only One:

Payload looked at Bulkhead and grinned. "Let's start a pool."

Bulkhead grinned. "You're on." He turned and walked to the crew that were finishing their break. "Guess what. Ratchet's separating. Who wants a bet on what the sparkling is?"

"What's the choice?" Scar asked with a smirk.

"Mech or femme, Ironhide or Ratchet," Bulkhead said with a grin.

There were no takers.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	36. Chapter 36

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 26

=0=On a berth in a hospital on Mars

He laughed and looked at Prowl. "Whiner."

"Loser."

"I'm still ahead of you. Five sons and a daughter."

"Look over your shoulder, Ratchet, always. I'll be there." Prowl grinned at his ada. "He's delirious."

Miler snorted. "I can see we failed in supplying you with a brother."

Much mockery and catcalling ensued. The soldiers up on their shelf grinned. Some of it was in English and some in their own language. But the intergalactic language of humor was easily understood.

Then Ratchet howled.

The Cybertronian equivalent of everyone's spincters tightened as the howling lasted could also be understood across species. When it died away, they relaxed. Ironhide looked faint, Alor and Blackjack strong and sincere. On the outside. Prowl considered how soon he could purloin the newest newborn around as Prime considered how much he loved everyone in the room and hallway beyond. Family was still a remarkable experience to him.

Wheeljack and Perceptor walked into the room and paused with Gypsy. They conferred for a moment, then turned to the protoform container pulling the lid off the box. They pulled back the soft blankets that protected it and began to scan the form's structural integrity. It was perfection.

Turning and nodding, they stepped back to watch with everyone else. The three humans were at eye level with the big scientists. Lennox reached over and rapped on Wheeljack's helm. He startled and turned, smiling. "Hello, boys."

"Hey, Wheeljack. What's going on and what's going to happen? We're in the dark here. All we've seen is yelling and laughing," Niall Graham said.

"That's about most of it. Soon the sparkling will emerge," Wheeljack said.

"Oh," Epps said. "Which end and will you give me the heads up to shield my eyes?"

Wheeljack snorted. He was aware of human birth. It grossed him out equally. "It comes from his spark chamber and there's nothing even remotely comparable to the abomination you are used to." He shuddered visibly.

"You and me both, brother," Epps said shaking his helm.

"Ratchet?"

They all turned to watch and listen. Gypsy was talking to Ratchet.

"It's time to do this now. Are you ready? Are you uncomfortable in any way?" she asked.

"I am. Sort of," Ratchet said as he lay on the berth, his optics online.

Ravel and Tie Down stood holding servos as other family members stepped closer. Cleerie came out with screens and with the catcalls and groaning in full force from all present, she screened Ratchet from everyone who wasn't family. Peering over the partition, Sideswipe smirked. "I don't know why you're whining. You know this sparkling is going to be a femme version of Ironhide."

Hilarity ensued.

It was silent a moment, then Gypsy leaned in toward Ratchet. "We're going in now, Ratchet."

He nodded silently.

On the shelf, Lennox and Graham stepped closer, a reluctant Epps following. They stared as Gypsy tapped Ratchet's chassis. The front slid apart and a brilliant light streamed out. They stared at it for a moment. "Wheeljack," Lennox whispered. The big bot turned. Lennox leaned closer.

"That light … is that Ratchet's spark? His … soul?"

Wheeljack thought a moment, then nodded. "It is. That is his essence. From that source comes sparklings. Of course, its not the only way but its the process Ironhide and Ratchet use."

"How does it occur?" Epps asked equally quietly, his eyes riveted to the swirls of light streaming from Ratchet's chest.

"Their method requires merging sparks, Ironhide's and Ratchet's," Wheeljack said, then he paused. "You are aware that this is enormous trust in you here."

They nodded, "We do, Wheeljack," Niall said. They turned and watched together.

Gypsy had the glowing gloves on her little servos and she turned looking at the infant that was resting in the tumult on Ratchet's spark. "Here we go, Ratchet," she said raising and then lowering her servos into Ratchet's spark chamber.

Ironhide stared at the tiny spark which he could just barely see from his vantage point. All of the family crowded around watching in the darkness of the room. Beyond, everyone waited silently for the sound that meant another pug-faced infant was safely in the world.

The infant sensed the warmth of the gloves but shrank back a moment into Ratchet's spark. Gypsy stood stoically on her little stool, her servos as still as possible. As she did, a tendril broke off and touched her. Ratchet tensed and bit back the pain. The tendril affixed itself and waited, its little silvery light pulsating.

"One down, Ratchet," Gypsy said encouragingly. "Come, baby. We want to love on you," Gypsy said. The infant complied, another snap signaled another tendril. Ratchet flinched and waited, the fading closeness of the little spark almost a tearful thing.

"Two more to go, Ratchet," Gypsy said. She stood a while, the soft sounds of machinery the only sound. Then the infant removed itself from Ratchet, jumping to the gloves with a little leap. Ratchet groaned and pulled his knees up a moment before slowly relaxing.

Gypsy stood a moment holding the little format. "Look at this little beauty," she said holding her servos up.

The silence of the room was broken by soft murmurs and a softer sob. Then Gypsy turned and climbed down, walking to the table where the protoform lay on a blanket. The humans standing directly overhead looked down, their breath held expectantly.

Gypsy's team held the little format a moment angling the tiny chamber so that the sparkling would make the jump. She moved her servos into that space and waited. The sparkling sat a moment and then drawn by some unidentifiable force, a tiny spark of light leaped into the chamber and embraced the core. It flashed and the format gained its color and design.

They stared at it, all of them as Gypsy checked it over. Then it made a sound, a soft sharp cry that broke the spell. The family smiled as laughter and congratulations filled their space. Beyond the screen, relief and cheers rose up as well.

Cleerie scanning Ratchet closed his chamber and Ironhide helped the big bot sit up. Removing his own plug-ins, Ratchet looked at Ironhide and nodded. Gypsy wrapping the baby in a blanket turned and smiled. "Who gets her first?"

"Her grandgenitors," Ironhide said. "Ravel and Ada, can you come here?"

Both bots looked at each other and came to where Gypsy stood with a blanket wrapped bundle. Ironhide gently took the baby and held it out. "Here. You two are first. Then Tie and Atar," he said.

"Here, Ravie, hold her," Alor said slipping an arm around the smaller mech. "I'm next."

"Are you sure, Ali?" Ravel asked taking the infant. Alor nodded and they both looked at the baby. "Oh, what a beautiful little femme."

The grandgenitors held the infant first, then the others. By the time it reached Ironhide again, it was fussing. He looked at his daughter, sniffing her to memorize her special essence and then turned holding her out to Ratchet. He took the baby and looked at her with a big grin. "Six, Prowl," he said glancing at the barrier.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Moments later

The crowds reluctantly left along with everyone who wasn't family. They stood together as Gypsy made the last measurements and added the final data to the computers. "Do you want to stay over, Ratchet? You have a houseful," she asked.

"Thank you, Gypsy," Ratchet said rising. "I think my own berth is calling me."

They made their thanks and turned walking past the barriers to the door with a completely swaddled infant in Alor's arms. He walked out proudly with his first and only grandfemme. The short walk to the tower was made and they entered the apartment.

Bluestreak and the trine were already there. "Come here, Ratchet. We've been busy," Bluestreak said.

"Oh oh," Ratchet said with a grin. He followed Blue to the last berthroom in the apartment that had been set aside for the little femme. Entering, he paused. "Ironhide, come in here." The big bot entered and paused. "Who did this?" he asked.

"We all did," Alor said. Everyone gathered at the door as Bluestreak explained the set up. The closet had built-ins and all the necessaries were there in the shelving spaces. A white dresser with a top for caring for her was against a wall that was dominated by a beautiful picture of Praxus painted by Sunstreaker. Curtains hung from a rod that matched the dresser for creamy whiteness.

A crib was by the window and lined with soft blankets, a new dollie of Ironhide and a quilt to cover her with. Blue reached into the dresser and pulled out a small white bag that was filled with soft fur-like material. "This is a bag for the baby. You put her in and fasten this. It is a sleeping bag with arms." He turned it around and there was a loop in the back. "You can hang it on a hook. Even if she's in it. It's a big deal among some of the older Seeker clans. This way you can take your hatchling along and hang them up nearby while you do things."

Ratchet smiled. "Ada, we need you to make a nail for Ironhide's office now."

Hilarity ensured.

"Thank you, younglings. There are not better younglings anywhere than here," Ratchet said. Ironhide nodded. "I agree." They walked back out sitting in the living room, watching the infant slowly being passed around among the adults.

Sideswipe smirked. "A femme version of Ironhide." He lay the femme on his lap and unfolded her blankets. She was entirely black with a couple of spots of color. Her right arm bore a braid of red and white. On it was a single yellow flower. Her finials were delicate but identical to her father. Silver insets near the finial gave definition to her tiny face. She was incredibly cute. He held her up and looked at her tiny wings.

"Ironhide wanted a winger," Ratchet said grinning. "So we have the first winger in our family ever, right Atar?"

Tie nodded. "We have never had an information model before. What an exquisite infant, Ratchet. What a beautiful design."

"We try," Ratchet said smirking slightly as he recognized the tiny indications of disgruntlement that others were handling his sparkling in the hulking format of Ironhide who sat beside him.

"So cute," Sideswipe said wrapping the baby and passing her onward.

"When do we get Sunspot?" Blue asked.

"Any time. I already cleared it with Terradive and Herling," Ratchet said.

Blue arose and turned heading out. They sat admiring the infant for a moment. "How do you feel, Ratchet?" Ravel asked.

"I feel a lot better," Ratchet said. "I can do cartwheels now."

They snorted. "You are a caution, Ratchet," Blackjack said with a smile. "What a great orn this is. We have so many blessings."

"We all do," Ironhide said.

"Three femmes," Sunstreaker said. "Three."

"We need pictures and portraits, grandson," Ravel said to Sunstreaker. "When they are all old enough, I would like a picture of all the infants including Prime and Prowl's little mechs and sparkling. There must be fifteen now, right?"

It was silent a moment. "There is Praxus, Orion, Sunspot and this femme," Sunstreaker said, "plus Sideswipe and me. That's six. Then there is Kaon and the twins. Nine. Add in Bluestreak, Miracle and the three little mechs, you have fourteen."

"Close," Ravel said.

The door opened and Sunspot ran inside pausing before Ratchet. "Ada, are you alright?"

Ratchet hugged him and nodded. "I am great. Do you want to see your sister?"

He smiled almost lethally and nodded. The baby was handed back to Ratchet and he held her so Sunspot could see. Pulling back blankets, Sunspot looked at her for a moment. Glancing up, smiling, he chuckled. "She looks just like Atar," he said.

"But on her, it looks good," Sideswipe said.

They laughed and the infant opened her optics. Staring upward, she seemed to watch Sunspot. He grinned. "She's looking at me."

"She is," Ratchet said. "Remember, you can't tell anyone the name, Sunspot. That's your job to do in the ceremony."

He nodded. "I finished the speech."

"You are awesome," Ratchet said.

Sunstreaker reached out and scooped the little mech into his arms. Settling him, he grinned at Sunspot. "You can tell me her name. I won't tell anyone."

Sunspot looked at Ratchet and Ironhide. They grinned and shrugged. Sunspot smiled and leaned up. Sunstreaker leaned down and Sunspot whispered it. Sunstreaker looked at the little mech. "You sure?"

He nodded.

"That's great, Sunny," Sunstreaker said with a slight grin. "Good choice."

"What did he tell you?" Sideswipe asked.

"Don't tell him, Sunspot. It'll be our secret."

Sunspot nodded and grinned. Settling into his brother, they sat and passed the time before phase two happened and the toddlers were ready to see the new addition.

-0-Outside of Club Cybertron

They pulled over to let bots go by. It was silent since they left the hospital. Niall looked at the others. "That was some psychedelic experience. We can never tell anyone."

"We can't," Will said. "That's how it's done. When that form turned color I almost fell off the ledge."

"You and me both," Epps said nodding. "What a strange thing."

They nodded. "Where are the film crews?"

They looked around. "We better find them."

Everyone turned and sped toward Mare Tranquilitatis.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	37. Chapter 37

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 27

=0=In the bosom of love

They sat around the room, the infant now carefully tucked into her daddy's big arm. She looked at him with her tiny blue peepers, her little pug face examining the most important mech in her life.

Thus far.

Ironhide looked down at her. "She's really a cute little thing, Ratchet. She's looking at me."

"I can see that," Ratchet said pausing in his conversation with Tie Down. "She likes her old dad."

He grinned. "Her old dad likes her," he replied, his optics riveted upon her.

The door opened and infants toddled inside. Orion and Praxus walked in on leashes and Kaon with his sisters appeared with Bluestreak. Sideswipe unhitched the babies and they stood staring around at all the adults.

**IT WAS AWESOME.**

Orion smiled enormously at his doting grandgenitors, turning in a circle slowly. Praxus walked to Alor and looked up at him. The big bot smiled and held out his servos gathering the infant into his arms. "This sparkling makes me laugh every time I see him. I know you said there was a story behind this paint scheme."

"Ironhide had a dream that he was a red mom van … a car without any sex appeal that is used to haul human younglings around. He was chasing a medic that looked like me," Ratchet began.

"You were slagging sexy in the dream, Ratchet. Red and white is really a good color for you," Ironhide said with a grin.

Ratchet snorted. "The dream Ratchet had a chevron. So I got one."

"Does it do anything?" Alor asked with a knowing smirk.

"Nope," Ratchet said with a laugh.

Alor laughed out loud. "You crack me up. Is there anything he can ask that you won't do?"

Ratchet thought a moment and then shrugged. "Nope."

Ironhide grinned, the warmth of their bond going both ways. "Putty in my servos, Ratchet."

Scorn ensued.

Orion seeing the center of attention slipping away did what all babies everywhere do when they find themselves sidelined. He clapped his servos and smiled. Everyone looked at him and smiled. **"ATAR! ME, ORION! LOVE ATAR!"**

Ironhide snorted and grinned. "Come here, Orion."

The infant looked at him and marched right over. Pausing, he looked at the bundled infant in his atar's arms. A delicious delectable morsel had presented itself to him and he blinked. "Atar?" he asked pointing at the baby.

"Orion, this is your sister," he said leaning slightly forward.

The baby looked at the infant with a laser focus. He reached out and touched her tiny servo. Smiling, he looked at his atar. "Atar!"

"This is your sister and you have to be careful. You can't hold her and you can't touch her without someone around you." Ironhide glanced at Ratchet who nodded. "Even Ada wants you to be nice."

Orion leaned in and looked at the baby. Leaning farther, he kissed her arm. Leaning back, he looked at his atar. Ironhide grinned. "Good, Orion. That was nice."

Then he grabbed her tiny ped.

Insanity ensued.

Moments later...

There were several crying in the room and several more that wanted to. Ironhide held a wailing Orion. Ratchet sat holding a weeping femme-let. Sunspot sat pressed against Sunstreaker who looked gray. Everyone had hovered out of their chairs when Orion gripped the little femme's ped. A high pierced squeal from the femme startled everyone.

Handing her to Ratchet, they watched as the big medic examined her. "She's fine. I think he just scared her."

She wept as if her little spark was broken and finally settled, Orion who was on his atar's lap staring at her through his own tears. He leaned back and whimpered. It was happening all over again. He just wanted to play. Ironhide rubbed his little helm. "You don't know your own strength, spud."

"Atar," he said softly. "Orion, ow me."

Ironhide picked him up holding the limp tragic infant like a wet sack of flour. "You'll learn. There's no other way we can go." He settled the infant against his shoulder.

"You will have to be alert, son," Blackjack said.

Ironhide nodded. "I know."

They settled back and the evening came on them, dinner being brought in and company being kept. When it was dark outside, they began to beg off and leave. The short walk down the corridor for some was made with escort, Ironhide walking along with each of them. When he came back it was down to the twins and their infants. Sitting down, lifting Sunspot into his lap, he looked at Ratchet. "How do you feel, old mech?"

"Good. You?" Ratchet asked.

"Better." He looked at Sideswipe. "How is she?"

"Recharging," Sideswipe said looking down at the infant in his arms. "She's a pretty cute little pug-nosed baby and quiet. My kind of infant."

"Mine too," Ironhide said with a grin. "How's it going with the filmmakers?"

"Fine," Sunstreaker said. "They follow us everywhere. I don't know what they want or what they're doing but as long as they get me right I don't care."

Ratchet grinned. "They should get your good side on the screen?"

"There are only good sides, Ada," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

Scorn and hilarity ensued.

-0-Some time later

They walked out of the tower and headed toward the Metroplex District. The evening was coming on, the night life beginning to arise. Crossing the street, they noted that the filmnmakers were back. Pausing, the twins waited for them to catch up. Staring down, they waited.

:Hi. I thought we'd never catch up with you two: one of the humans said. He stood on his segway while the cameraman filmed.

The twins glanced at each other and then looked down again. "We were busy," Sideswipe said. "Where have you been?"

:Looking for others to film: one of them said. :We've been all over the place for a while:

The twins nodded. "We're going home now."

:You won't be out again?:

"No," Sideswipe said glancing at Sunstreaker. They nodded and turned heading for the barn so to speak. The humans watched them go.

"I want to know more about those little bots with them," one of them said. "And that other bot with them … Bluestreak? I want to know more about him."

"We need to go back and check the footage," another said. With that, they turned and sped off heading for the tower where they lived.

-0-In the apartment

"She's really little," Sunspot said. "Smaller than Uraya and Iacon."

"She is," Ironhide said as they sat together staring at the femme in his arm.

"I have a great name for her," Sunspot said. "Ada told me to find one in my spark. I think I did."

Ironhide grinned. "We'll call her Tiny until you tell us, Sunny."

He looked at her. "That's a cute name."

Ironhide smirked. "Keep the one you settled on, son. Don't let anything change your processor."

Sunspot snuggled closer to Ironhide's chassis. He reached for the baby's servo and held it. The tiny digits were incredibly small. "She's really cute. I love her."

Ironhide squeezed his son. "I love her too. I love all of you."

Sunspot smiled. "That's good," he said quietly. They sat and watched the baby while Ratchet dozed nearby.

-0-Prime Residence

"I wonder what Sunspot is going to name her?" Spirit asked to no one in particular.

"We will find out in two more days, son," Prime said. He sat on the couch relaxing after the antics of the orn. Prowl was somewhere and Miracle was toddling around T-Bar and Rambler who were playing a game. They were good natured about the infant's participation and Optimus enjoyed the sweetness of their efforts to keep the baby from toppling over their puzzle.

Prowl walked into the room and paused. "You look comfortable."

"I am," he said patting the couch.

Prowl walked over and sat on the couch putting his peds on the coffee table along side those of Optimus. "This is comfortable."

"I think so." It was quiet a moment. "How long will it be before you glom that sparkling?" Optimus asked with a smirk.

"About 17 seconds after the name is announced," Prowl said with a grin. "I can't wait. I love sparklings."

"So I noticed," Optimus said. "I want you to know that I don't not want a big family," he said in a soft voice. "I do."

"I know," Prowl said nodding. "When things die down a little bit perhaps."

"Done deal," Optimus said with a nod. They sat together and watched the younglings play.

-0-Venture and Miler

"I see them," Miler said looking over his shoulder at Venture. "They're home."

Venture walked to the window and looked out, to the left and down. The living room of the trine was filled with light as the family came into the apartment. They watched as Kaon ran madly around the room and paused in front of the window. He put his little servos on the window and patted it.

They watched as Sideswipe crept up and grabbed him, the little infant smiling enormously as they turned and walked out of sight. Miler grinned. "That is one happy little sparkling."

"He is. But then, look at the love he lives with everyday."

"He has a lot of adults loving on him," Miler said nodding. "That new baby is going to be something else. Another femme. Ironhide is smitten."

"He is. But who wouldn't be?" Venture said as they stood together watching the nightlife and the change of shifts by Seeker squadrons as several returned and several blasted off to fly their routes.

-0-Tie Down and Ravel

"That baby is so wonderful, Tie," Ravel said stirring supplements into his 'tea'. He turned and handed a cube to Tie Down. "We are so lucky. I just love those infants."

"You and me both," Tie said waiting as Ravel joined him on the couch. "In two days, we will know her name."

"I like Praxian customs, Tie," Ravel said. "They bind families together I think."

They sat and discussed the orn as the bright light of Phobos glittered in the sky as it made its fourth revolution of Mars.

-0-Blackack and Alor

He came from the berthroom refreshed from a shower. Sitting on the chair next to Alor, he watched the silenced screen of the monitor for a moment. "How do you feel, Ali?"

"Numb," Alor said squeezing Blackjack's servo. "I think that is one of the greatest orns of my life. We got here in time to see our granddaughter separate."

"I'm still trying to assimilate it," Blackjack said nodding. "Ironhide is a good atar. I am so proud of him. I hear so much from others about how he manages the infants. We did something right, Ali."

"We did a lot right, 'Jack." Alor grinned at the hulking center of his life. "I can't tell you how pleased I am that she takes after Ironhide. Ratchet is a good looker but Ironhide's face on that tiny femme … it makes me ecstatic."

"You and me both," Blackjack said with a grin. "Ratchet takes after you, Ali."

"That's probably why we hit it off so well," Alor said with a grin. He unmuted the television and they sat together listening to The Hourly News on IntraComm.

-0-In the bosom of love

The mechs were in their beds tucked in for the next orn. Ratchet and Ironhide stood in their berthroom staring down at the bassinette that the trine had made for the femme until she was 'old enough for Ironhide to let her have her own room, Ada'. That had led to a lot of comedy.

The little bassinette was filled with soft blankets and was next to Ironhide's side of the berth. "We gave in to the inevitable," Sideswipe had said with a smirk.

Ratchet held the infant as Ironhide made her nest 'just so'. He had fed her through the feeding tube that he still had in his wrist. "Are you ready for her, Ironhide?"

"Yep," he said turning and peeling back her blankets. He took her gently and lay her on her tummy. She fussed a moment and then relaxed. A soft blanket covered her and she was back into recharge. They stood staring down at her. "Do you think she needs anything more? Or maybe she has too much?"

"She looks comfortable." (Grin)

"I think so too, Ratchet." Pause. "I could stand here for a while in case she needs something."

"You could." (Bigger grin)

"I won't go into recharge too deeply. She needs feeding. I set internal alarms for that," he said glancing at Ratchet. Ratchet nodded with a grin. He looked at her, his tiniest little sparkling. "She's a good sleeper."

"She is." (grin)

"I think her color scheme is brilliant. Sorta feminine and the like."

"I think so." (grin)

"You go to the berth and recharge, Ratchet. I'll be with you in a minute. I just think I'll watch her just in case."

"I will." (grin) Ratchet turned and walked to the berth settling back.

Ironhide glanced at him, then turned the light off. He stood watching his daughter, his sensors tuned to Ratchet and his three little mechs. The only light was from the hallway where a night light threw a slight illumination into the room.

It was quiet a moment.

"Ratchet?"

Ratchet turned his helm gazing fondly at the hulking shadow standing over a tiny bassinette. "What, Only One?"

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"You can't. Can't be done."

"Okay."

It was silent a moment.

"Ratchet?"

"What, Only One?"

"Don't tell anyone." (grin)

"I won't." (grin)

It was silent for a long time as Ironhide stood sentinel over the tiniest newest Autobot of them all.

=0=TBC

2012 (9)


	38. Chapter 38

Note: Just a short note to let you know my hard drive died last night. I have replaced it and will slowly recompile my massive pile of massive stuff. :D What a drag. **BACK UP YOUR SLAG!** -end of public service message. (I did, but do it anyway. You just never know).

=0=And now, back to the slagging story. :D

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 28

=0=In the bosom of love

The usual subroutines whirled as the flashes and boots of a million tiny bits of the mechanism called Ratchet went through their usual machinations in order to bring online sentience to the slagger sprawled on the berth. It was a miracle of engineering that had become a living thing, something one couldn't really assemble, something that 'was'. His optics revved into life and he blinked.

The ceiling was familiar. The room was nicely dark. That meant the windows were dialed down. He was in his own berth, on the side with the sweet spot that was **'MINE, SLAG IT, IRONHIDE!'**

That one.

He luxuriated a moment and then by habit checked in with a tiny spark of energy that circled his own. The idea of it was stupendous, that a bit of energetic light carried a sentience that would blossom over the eons into someone loved and loveable. He didn't think about it very much. It did occur to him when they first made their presence known but after that, no. It wasn't there. Then he remembered.

The miraculous concept of a soul shaped energy burst that existed without more than the usual daily intake of energon was a miracle as well. Everything that Ratchet was or ever would be was encased in the blazing inferno in his chest. All that his daughter was resided there. Then she left, ignited another astounding construction and would reside there, her identifying designation still a secret.

He looked at the wall where the bassinet resided. He sat up slowly and peered over the edge. It was empty. Laying back, he dialed into the energy of the one who shared his spark.

That in and of itself was one of the biggest miracles of all. They had separate identities yet shared one together. They had merged their sparks, their souls and became together something completely new out of what had been the old. The warmth reached him and he smiled. :Ironhide:

:What?:

:Where are you?:

:Coming back home:

:Did you take the sparklings to school?:

:I did:

:I suppose the baby is with you?:

:She is and she's a slagging fine traveler:

(Grin) :I see. Get here:

:You alright?:

:Yep:

:Okay:

Ratchet sat up and rose walking to the wash racks to stand under the water. It ran over him, the frame that had carried him through hell and back again. It had seldom failed him, this protoform. It was strong and resilient just like him. It was also desirable.

The humans once asked him what constituted beauty among their kind. They were halting but interested and Ratchet had considered that. He looked at them and because he was a doctor and had an analytical program that sorted aliens for him, he knew that all three men were very handsome by the standards for their species. He considered that as he thought how to tell them what constituted beauty and desirability among their own species.

He wondered if he told them that he was considered very good looking, even desirable, what they would believe. He knew it was a matter of world view what they considered lovely and ugly. He was aware that he was considered a rather funky bot among some humans, that his smile was 'sweet' and his manner 'fun'. He also had read comments about his 'ugliness' and his 'unbelievably weird looks'. He didn't take offense but he didn't dwell either. Such was the learning curve among other species. The slaggers.

He was Ratchet, a good looking desirable mech among his own kind. He had always had mechs on the line and was always considered fun and smart. Ironhide had been deeply smitten the moment they met and he himself had considered that big black bot the handsomest mech that ever was produced by Cybertron.

He had that blind spot you see. He shared it with Alor.

However, he knew what was what among their kind and explained it to them. They stared at him a moment and nodded. He knew they couldn't make that leap and see him and bots like Blue, Mirage, Drift and Bumblebee for the handsome, good looking mechs they were among their own kind. They could see the affable good looking handsomeness of Springer and the good-natured understated but compelling masculine beauty of Jetta. They could see the beauty of the femmes. But Ratchet? Not so much.

It was too much to expect and Ratchet didn't. He just knew one mech was all he would ever need. That and the little mechs and femme that bore his likeness. He was good to go.

The door opened and Ironhide walked in proudly carrying his latest little bit to cart around on his arm. Ratchet peered out of the berthroom door and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi, Ratchet. We took the little mechs to school. Got lots of compliments about her coming and going." Ironhide grinned and put her gently into the bouncy chair that was once Praxus's. He tucked her in and grinned. "What a cute little femme."

"She is," Ratchet said pausing beside Ironhide. "She takes after you."

Ironhide snorted. "You're demented."

"I am," Ratchet said walking to the sink. He got a cube, filled it with energon from the wall dispenser and added his supplements. Turning, grinning, he looked at the infant bouncing gently on the table. "Did you feed her?"

"I did," Ironhide said standing as he looked down at her. "I was thinking ..."

"You want to take her to work," Ratchet said.

He looked up with the most neutral expression he could manage, which he couldn't. Not to Ratchet or his ada. Or to Prime, the trine, Starscream and once even Megatron. "I thought it would give you a chance to rest."

Ratchet smirked. "Thinking of me every minute."

Ironhide looked sharply at him. "You don't think I do?" he asked in a sultry voice. Sultry for a 25 foot tall front-liner Master of an entire military, that is.

Ratchet grinned. "Sort of crossed my processor. You can't let anyone see her. Your slagging rules, remember?"

"I know," Ironhide said turning. He walked to her berthroom and returned with the little sleeved bag in his big servos. "Uh, how does this work?"

Ratchet took and studied it a moment. Opening the seam in front, he lay it on the table. Taking the infant into servos, Ratchet lay her down on it sticking her little arms into the sleeves. They paused as she frowned in her sleep. "Cute little bossy slagger," Ratchet said softly.

Ironhide nodded. "She's going to rule me, Ratchet. I thought the mechs were bad enough."

"I will pat your servo, Ironhide. Never fear," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He closed the seam and she lay like a tiny doll in a play sleeping bag. A tiny Autobrand was on the front of it. "She looks adorable."

Ironhide nodded and picked her up. He looked at her and then Ratchet. Leaning in, he kissed Ratchet. "We're going to work."

"You can hang her up. The Seekers do I am told."

"I will. There's a nice hook by the door. She can settle in and recharge all she wants."

"That's a capital idea, Ironhide," Ratchet said.

Ironhide looked at the big loopy mech of his dreams and grinned. "You can stay home and recharge. Or whatever."

"What? No lunch date?" Ratchet asked as they walked to the door.

"I'll call ya. Come to Cafe Praxus."

Ratchet nodded and kissed both Ironhide and the femme. Watching as they stepped out, the infant safely nestled in her bag in the crook of his arm, Ratchet closed the door and turned looking around the apartment. "What the frag do I do now?" he asked to no one in particular.

-0-On the way to his mech cave

Ironhide walked along the street bursting with pride. His femme-let was lying in the crook of his arm, a blanket placed over her to protect the secret of her great beauty. He felt an intensity that came with Sunspot, Praxus and Orion for anyone passing by to ask about her. He wanted to show her off too but **!FRAGGING!** Praxian customs kept that from happening.

Mechs and a femme or two congratulated them as he wandered leisurely to the Fortress and when he entered he was jolted out of his good vibe.

"**HEY! HIDE!"**

He turned and walked to the set of tables where front-liners and Wreckers sat 'shootin' the shit' every day as the humans said. Someone pulled a chair and he sat. They stared at him with a smile.

"What's the story and when can we see?" Sandstorm asked.

"She's slagging awesome and you can't see until orn after tomorrow. We're announcing at the same place. Sunspot is going to do the honors."

"That is one fine little mech," Kup said nodding. "He will do a slagging fine job."

"He's been working on the speech for a decaorn," Ironhide said proudly. "He's one smart little writer."

"I remember from Christmas Surprise. Nearly killed us listening to him," Springer said nodding.

"I know," Ironhide said nodding. "He also gets to name her."

"What's he reading in school?" Springer asked with a smirk. "Might give you a heads up on it."

Ironhide thought a moment. "Something called 'Ivanhoe'."

"Sounds human," Drift said shifting to put his peds up.

"It is. They're studying something called 'good literature' in class. The students have to read and understand a number of human books along with our own. He read a passage from a story by Shakespeare that I really love. It really makes me think about a lot of things." He told them the speech from Henry V and they sat quietly listening.

"That is one fine speech," Kup said. "Sort of flowery. But spot on."

The others nodded. "That Shakespeare … he must have been some kind of warrior," Topspin said.

"Must have been. Sure knew how to talk," Ironhide said. He would sit and gas with the boys for a while. Then he would run the gauntlet that was named Holi.

-0-Swanning in the bosom of love

It took only a few moments to police the quarters. He sat down in his chair and turned on the teevee. A soap opera from Earth was playing on Channel 1. Channels 2-9 had a talk show, three sports events, an educational channel, Sesame Street on the Sparkling/Youngling channel and someone talking about how to make energon food on two others. He considered all of those, then switched to the human channels that played on IntraComm as well. Considering there were over 500 of them, he settled in.

The door opened a crack and a sweet mech looked inside. "Ratchet?"

"Ada! Come on in. They're showing 'Cops'."

Ravel smiled and entered followed by Tie Down. Pulling up chairs, they joined their son for the morning. It would be wonderful.

-0-At the Armory

He peeked around the corner noting the relative positions of everyone in the room. Mentally doing the math, he knew he could make it to his office before anyone spotted him. So with a stealth that would astound anyone who didn't know he was bonded to Ratchet for the lifespan of small suns, Ironhide the Nimble hustled his peds to his office. Entering, he paused by his desk and smiled. "Heh-heh-heh," he said quietly peering under the blanket at his daughter. "We made it."

The sound of a door slamming behind startled him. He turned and paused impaled on the smirk of one of the most formidable little femmes around, the redoubtable 'work wife' of his endless orns, his office boss and all-around miracle worker, Holi. "Nice try, big boy," she said with a grin.

Ironhide smiled in spite of himself.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)

This is the speech from Henry V by Shakespeare which is a glorious thing:

This day is called the Feast of Crispian. He that outlives this day and comes safe home  
Will stand a-tiptoe when this day is named  
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.  
He that shall see this day and live t' old age  
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours  
And say, "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian."  
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars  
And say, "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."  
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,  
But he'll remember, with advantages  
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,  
Familiar in his mouth as household words —  
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,  
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester —  
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.  
This story shall the good man teach his son,  
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by  
From this day to the ending of the world,  
But we in it shall be remembered,  
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.  
For he today that sheds his blood with me  
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,  
This day shall gentle his condition.  
And gentlemen in England now abed  
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,  
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks  
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day.


	39. Chapter 39

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 29

=0=In the Armory

He sat working on the endless paperwork that came with being a department head. The datapads were stacked to the ceiling and he was given the word by Holi to do or die. She was also emphatic that if he had to leave that the sparkling would be in good servos with her. And most importantly, she wouldn't peek.

Probably.

He grinned as he sat shooting glances at the peg on the wall that held a precious burden. The Seeker bag was a slagging miracle he thought as he paused to look at the baby. She was comfortably snuggled at the bottom soundly in recharge. She had slid out of her sleeves as well. Sitting back, he considered the changes in the few short years that had passed.

Sunspot and Orion were first. Then little Praxus, an altogether gentle little bot came along. He didn't even know he was missing a daughter until he held his little grandfemmelings, Uraya and Iacon. Those two were sweet, tiny and when they looked at him, he was a goner.

Femmes.

Who knew?

He grinned and got back to work again. The baby just hung around waiting. Literally.

-0-On the street

They followed Drift and Springer who had left the gabfest at the rec room in the Fortress. The two were off duty and so they walked toward the dojo where they spent time off. Lon was learning something life affirming and life changing every orn and today would be no different. He knew moves he didn't know existed and his confidence in his abilities was strong.

They crossed the highway and headed uptown to the Cultural Center. As they passed the door of Club Cybertron, they paused. Barricade and Stiletto were about to enter. The two groups paused, both knowing the other well. Barricade turned and looked at Springer. "Look what the targs dragged in."

"I was about to say the same thing to you," Springer said, his body relaxed, a slight smirk on his face.

"I see you have your frag toy with you," Stiletto added. He smirked at Drift, someone he had known from other more awful times.

Drift stared at him without emotion. Behind him, he could feel the rising ire of his student. Lon was young and still learning. He glanced at the youngling, the single look calming him. Glancing back, he smirked. "I see you managed to put yourself back together after Prowl's atar wiped up the floor with you."

The expression on Stiletto's face was priceless. "Frag you."

"No thanks," Drift said smirking at Springer. "I got that covered."

Springer snorted and grinned, nodding to the smirking Seekers who were the two Decepticons' escorts that orn. They chuckled and prodded Stiletto. "Move it, slag heap."

He turned and glared at the two mechs. "Someday, you will regret that."

"No," the first Seeker said. "I doubt that I will," he said.

Stiletto shot Drift a dark look, then turned and walked inside. Barricade stood a moment glaring at Springer, then turned and followed. Springer grinned. "Mechs have no manners."

Topspin snorted. "You just noticed that?" he asked.

They chuckled and turned walking onward to the dojo and an afternoon of schooling the younglings in the art of war.

-0-In the Sparkling Day School

Orion sat on the chair and listened to the teacher reading a story. He didn't know what it said. He wasn't clear on all the words. He just knew he liked being read to and being part of a group. They were sitting on tiny chairs, all of them learning to sit, pay attention and be in a group. He was terribly happy to be a part of the small ring of sparklings. He clutched his dollie and listened carefully. His teacher's voice was nice and the sound of their language, this time Cybertronian Standard was comforting. His ada sang to him in Cybertronian Standard. It was the main language of their planet, the one where all the different speaking groups found common ground.

"Then the Prime walked to the little mech. "Hello, little mech. You appear to be lost," his teacher read. "The little mech looked at his Prime and smiled. "I am lost, sir. Do you know the way to my house? The Prime smiled and picked him up. "I will take you there." So they walked through the city heading for the house of Rondell's ada."

And so it went, the reader telling how the Prime helped Rondell find his ada. Orion sat transfixed, his little processor listening as hard as he could. It was one of the few times he gave his entire unfettered attention to the task at hand without distraction.

Such were toddlers everywhere.

Nearby …

Praxus stood in the middle of his little play group, a dollie in one servo and a ball in the other. "Pax."

The other sparklings looked at him and smiled. "Pax," the little red and white botlet said again.

Bleu stood up and wobbled a moment, then turned and walked to Pax. He paused in front of him, then leaned in to kiss him. He did and the two howled with laughter. Pax looked at Bleu, his optics twinkling. "Boo!"

Bleu laughed and looked around. Then he leaned in and kissed Praxus again. They both howled with laughter. Mimi standing against a couch watched them, her little winglets fluttering as she laughed. She clapped her servos and nearly fell, grabbing the couch to steady herself.

"Pax!" she said with a giant smile.

Bleu and Praxus turned to look at her. They smiled and toddled over. Pausing around her, they both leaned down and the three hugged. Standing and looked at each other, they smiled. **"EEMEE!"** Bleu said with a chuckle. They hugged again.

Sitting, watching, Laret nearly stroked out on the cuteness.

-0-Cafe Praxus

They wandered in and found 'their table', sitting down to relax. Ironhide followed, walking to the table and handing off the infant to Ravel.

"Oh, my," Ravel said smiling sweetly. "This is such a lovely sparkling. I love her so."

Ratchet grinned. "You will have to be a resource for her. Both of you. They all need that touch."

"We will do that. They are so lovely," Tie Down said with a grin.

Blackjack and Alor came through the door, pausing to check out the room. Spotting their group, they smiled and walked over sitting with the others. "There's that little femme," Alor said. Ravel smiled and handed her to Ironhide who gave her to his ada.

Alor smiled and folded back the soft white bag just a bit. She was recharging and relaxed. "What a lovely sparkling. I can't tell you how happy we were to be here when she came."

"I'm happy you all were," Ironhide said. "She's a slagging good sparkling. She was with me all orn. I had her hanging on a hook by my door."

"How did that work?" Blackjack asked.

"She sort of sagged down and shifted a little. She was really comfortable. I sort of wanted to join her it looked so comfy," Ironhide said with a grin.

"I'll knit you one," Alor said with a smirk.

The lunch went extremely well.

-0-Sparkling Day School

He stood at the edge of the new pool staring at it uncertainly. It was bigger, wider and seemed as vast as the ocean he had grown up beside on Diego Garcia. Mr. Roto sat in the water and held out his servos. "Come on, Spud. Let's go in."

Orion stared at him, his little optics filled with worry. **"TOTO! ME Fly?"**

"Fly … you crack me up," Roto said. "Swim."

Orion looked at him for a moment, then the water. "Fly?"

"Swim." He paused. "Swim."

Orion bent down clutching his dollie and looked at the water. "Me, swim?"

Roto blinked and grinned. "Yes. Orion swim." He reached for the baby and tossed his dollie back to the doorway. Turning him, he lay Orion flat on the water. The infant instantly spread out and lay there floating with a big grin. **"ORION SWIM, TOTO!"**

"You sure can, spud," Roto said leaning back with a grin. It would be an awesome afternoon in the Day School.

-0-Out there

They flew through the night, a convergence of migrations being herded together. They were civilian with Seekers mixed among them. A group that had just joined were Decepticon. They were kept to the side, not allowed in the main body. The few communications between them were about headings and the group's basic cohesion.

The migration numbered in the tens of thousands, the last of a sector of space that had been harassed for a vorn. All of them could hear the Prime. All of them heard the joint message. As they did, Seeker groups joined them, all of the group pooling their resources.

All of them but the Decepticons.

-0-Far away

He stood in the courtyard of his residence considering the situation thus far. His link to Optimus Prime was tenuous. They were building a city that appeared to be designed to hold off the best he might throw at them. It was populous, heavily armed and most of all had a serious air component in the great numbers of Seekers that had sought asylum there.

He himself was caught in a vice of either obeying orders of an increasingly unstable madmech or going his own way. He decided to do both, pulling forces back to the home sectors, working hard to repair Cybertron and to make a retreat for himself and his own forces should Megatron actually get lucky in his quest.

Soundwave wanted him dead. The big mech had nearly destroyed their home world. Megatron never loved Cybertron or he wouldn't have done that for vanity.

Power. Ego. Vanity.

All of it defined the big mechanism and it spelled doom for their world and her people.

Soundwave would save Cybertron. He would rebuild it and under his strict but ultimately benevolent rule it would have a new Golden Age. To do that, he had to protect himself, creating a space where he could play both ends against the middle. He would be here to assist Megatron against Prime. He would have his new space where he could assist Prime against Megatron. However the events rolled out, he was covered.

Those two would kill each other and he would step into the vacuum. He would rise to the top and in the end when the two biggest thorns in his side were eliminated, he would rule.

Simple math.

3-2=1

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl took the latest data and turned walking to the center table where Optimus sat working in the company of his bond and the experts of his command team. It was comfortable and professional. It beat sitting in his office alone. Prowl sat and slid the datapad toward Prime. "Here's the latest intell on both problems."

Prime read it and nodded. "Soundwave is building a base," he said. "The migration is two orns out from a safe retrieval. That would put them out of the longest possible sensor range of Soundwave's project, correct?"

Prowl nodded. "We can get them in two orns and go to see what Soundwave is up to anytime you want."

"Start planning it, Prowl," Optimus said. "I want to have a lot of options."

"You will have them," Prowl said rising. He walked to the communications station and began to make it so.

-0-On Cybertron

They walked to the corner and paused allowing traffic to pass by. It was raining slightly, a strange occurrence that constituted a symptom of the sickness that plagued their once great home world. When the traffic passed, they continued onward to the small flat in the Jumble where they lived.

Shift was over and they had their small cubes of energon, the wages of their labors. The gates of the Jumble appeared in the distance, a wan thing. Others passed, few acknowledged the other and when they reached the gates, they entered. It was a long walk through winding streets to the worn and neglected building that had been home for a while.

They entered and walked up the seven flights of stairs that led to a corridor with no light. Their tiny home was at the end and they entered, locking the door against the night. They would stay inside whiling away the time until the morn. Then it would begin all over again.

Outside, patrols continued as Soundwave made his dominion known. Nearby, hidden in the shadows, the mechs whose job it was to protect the genitors of Optimus Prime settled in. They would do their job orn and night until the day came that they could all join the resistance full force and drive the Decepticons into extinction.

Until then, they sat in the shadows and bided their time.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	40. Chapter 40

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 30

=0=Out there

They flew through the darkness following the civilian migration. They had fled the frontier near to the Benzuli Expansion. They had detente with the ghosts who lived there. It was solved by Decepticons never going near to them. He himself had falsified reports to Command so that they wouldn't know he had decided there was no way to win, thus necessitating his new 'strategy'.

They had gathered together pillaging everything they could from their many bases and fled. Most of the crews came with him, all of them more than aware that the penalties for failure were death. The few that remained would leave later when their nerve and wavering belief that Megatron wouldn't blame them wore out.

He stood on his command deck, a battleship with venerable decorations painted on the side. Kills, all of them. He was called Bon. He was a rather well known hunter-killer and his crews were feared. Megatron had granted him the space around the expansion because he believed if anyone could crack that resistance it was this mech. In the end, the Expansion had cracked him.

He watched the screen before him, the glittering lights of the civilian ships nearby visible to his optics. Flying among them, their arms ready to fire were several hundred Seekers. He had contacted their leader to make a pact and was told to frag off. Megatron had a death order on them and they were fleeing to Prime and Starscream.

There had been an argument about the death sentence but after contacting the civilian migration's nominal commander it was made clear to him it was a true statement of fact. He had gone off line for a few to absorb and consider what that meant for everyone, especially him. It was clear that Megatron was taking no prisoners, that Soundwave or Shockwave or whomever was still in charge of Cybertron had no control over anything.

He had heard of the decimations at the frontier forts. All of the bots there were lined up, every tenth killed on the spot. The level of fear in communications since, the effort among those still in harness high in the extreme told him all he had to know. It was no longer safe to be inside the faction. You could be killed for anything. Some of the bots he had heard murdered were among the most loyal. There was no parsing Megatron's mind now. He had gathered his group and left, making it clear that his command was supreme and that the future of plunder and wandering was bright.

They had followed and his sensors told him that the stragglers were catching up. When their bases were finally checked, there would be no one there at all. He turned and looked at his chair, the command heart of his ship. Walking back, he sat and considered the road ahead. Prime and Starscream would be standing at the end of it. He would have to decide what to do when he got there. He had nothing left. Fuel was getting low and food as well. He would have to see what happened. He just knew one thing for sure. He wasn't going to bow his knee to anyone.

Especially not Starscream and Prime.

What he didn't know was that Soundwave had recalled all the crews in his sector, pulling everyone back to the home space. They didn't need to run. They could have returned home and all would have been good. Soundwave had committed to his strategy and all would have been forgiven.

-0-Youngling Day School

They sat at their tables listening to Mr. Terradive explain the concept of carrier waves. Their physics was geared to their age level. Every level of schooling built upon the last one. It was step by step up the ladder of understanding for the little mechs and femmes of the Autobot City educational system. All of the items of each level of instruction were checked off before a new one added.

Terradive taught impaired and special needs infants as well as those who had not had any education or had emotional impacts to learning and socializing. He was slagging good at it if you asked Ironhide, himself a member of the Autobot City Educational Committee along with of all mechs, Sunstreaker. Whatever the schools needed they got. They merely had to explain what it was and the committee would seek it out. The city would create it and it was there usually mere joors later.

It was a good thing too. The populations of the schools had been through war, starvation and lifelong insecurity in every area possible. This was the first stability and energy that most of them had known in a lifetime of trauma. They were flourishing in the tender mercies of the dedicated teachers, staff and township of Autobot City. For too many in the city, this were their first infant experience. For some genitors, this was the first step back to what they should have been from what they were now.

These infants were the future of their kind. Without them, a single catastrophe could end a species that was among the longest lived of all that were known in the universe. It would have been an abomination. Thus, the effort made for families, infants and younglings.

Terradive's students had five gunshot wounds, three stabbings and 86% protoform wasting shared among them. Three of them were orphans, most had genitors but no real extended families. Only three other students besides Sunspot and Spirit had grandgenitors or related adult relatives living in the city.

They had excelled, all of them finding in the safety of the city and the schools delight in learning. Their genitors attended conferences, enforced sleep times, energized and cleaned their infants, read to them, listened to reading and helped with homework in the safety and comfort of real comfortable homes. They supported Community Schools and worked in the football programs. Whatever was needed, they would try to provide.

Around the city, the infants were acknowledged. Special programs at the museum, the Temple and Fort Max catered to them and their growth. Businesses like The Energon Basket gave cookies to the infants when they came in with their genitors. All effort that could help them was expended and it showed in their growth.

Spirit was fully fluent, excelling in writing and math, socialized to a greater extent though still shy, and making strides in leadership roles. Sunspot was excelling in math, making gains in reading and showed a knack for writing. He was the same sweet seemingly simple infant that had walked off a ship with Ratchet and Ironhide that first day but he was growing. Silverbow was a wonder. She was a leader, an artist with real talent, still deficient in math but growing confident and assertive about life, friends and her family. She after all was lead girl in her family and her brother, Rebel who was crawling now needed guidance.

So did Hound and Trailbreaker as they were finding out to their great amusement.

Terradive who had bonded with Roto was working on an advanced degree with a minor in counseling. His students were delicate in some ways and rock hard in others. He just wanted them to be children. As he stood drawing images of carrier waves and explaining how they worked, he felt the same thrill that 25 little faces were looking at him absorbing his words. It didn't get better than this.

-0-Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Earth

They sat at their stations monitoring the various arrays around the system as well as stations on Earth that measured its overall health. Sitting on the table nearby, the day watch humans lounged. This duty was desirable but usually mellow. They could do things while monitoring their stations and that ran from 'reading shit on the internet' to video games.

It was warm, quiet and 'same'. That is, nothing was going on of note and the bots on station at the Embassy weren't speaking English. Their shift would wander onward until the end. Then they would leave and joy ride around the base with the newest members of the garrison, civilian mechs from the Home Guard that were paired with veterans, all of them here to learn how to work with humans. Joyriding with them on the beaches was just part of the learning curve.

Or so they would tell their commanders if asked.

-0-In the city

Kup sat staring at the film crew that was nearby shooting footage of the dojo and the mechs as they kicked back. He sat champing on his stogie for a moment, then leaned forward. "What are you doing, younglings?"

"Filming background and stock footage," one said. The IntraComm mechs behind smirked slightly.

"Oh," Kup said leaning back. Springer grinned. "They can't get enough of your great beauty, old mech."

"True that. I took a shower this morning just for them," Kup said dryly.

Snorts and derision greeted that comment. Kup merely shrugged. "You're jealous that you don't fill out a chassis this good."

"Yeah," Springer said with a smirk. "That's my great fear."

They sat trading slag and the cameras rolled. The footage would be considered gold. The plan would change. They would move straight into filming actual interactions and not merely set ups for set pieces. Everything the mechs did and said would now be part of the film record.

-0-Nearby

Sideswipe walked to the firing range only peripherally aware of the little segway following him. He had come to discount them as part of the scenery. They were there like the sun and the moons overhead. When he arrived, there were mechs leaving who had practiced their shooting and sighting in of their guns. Slag was traded and Sideswipe was left alone.

He called up a shooting program that would require** HUGE** skill and timing. He would decimate it and then some. When he turned to walk away, the film crew would follow, their respect for the red and black bot several planetary diameters greater than it was before.

Just like Sideswipe planned.

-0-In their apartment

Turquoise sat staring at the screen as data passed by. He didn't see it but he made an attempt to help Ratchet. Sitting nearby staring out the window, Copperton was the picture of desolation. It was quiet in the apartment but for the regular visits of Chevron, the Temple priest. They poured out their heart, their guilt, their sense of failure to that gentle comforting bot. It helped marginally.

They had been raised in their caste as all of their status were. They did what they did for the good of Cybertron as they sat it, as they were taught to believe. They would no more do what their son was accused of than hug Megatron. They loved their people, their culture, their world. They were more than ready to work hard for all of it. What they hadn't taken in account was the toll their system had taken on everyone else.

They had no idea what the level of misery others lived. They had no idea that the good life they lived had come at a terrible cost to others. They didn't know and they didn't want to know. They just knew it was familiar, comfortable and 'the way things always were'. Now, they found out the flip side of privilege wasn't always unrest in others. It was deep in the spark of their only child.

They couldn't begin to express the remorse they felt, the utter desolation inside that threatened their continued happiness forever. Their son had been destructive but they had lit the fuse long ago. They had not given him any sense of obligation to the concept of unity that they in spite of their caste sensibilities had in great quantities.

Now they were paying the piper and there were no words for the utter sorrow they felt. Turquoise huddled in front of the screen watching the data flash past. Sometimes he was able to focus and sometimes not. As he sat there Copperton came to a decision. He commed the one he wanted and was granted a meeting. Turning, looking at the utterly destroyed figure of the single most important bot in his existence, Copperton girded himself for the future.

Whatever that form would take.

-0-A short time later

A rap on the door brought Copperton to his peds. He gathered himself, walking forward and opening it. "Come in, please."

Optimus Prime nodded and entered, the startled optics of Turquoise fixed upon him. Rising slowly, Turquoise burst into tears. Coppertron caught off guard turned and embraced him tightly. Looking at Prime, he nodded. "Please, Prime … sit. Thank you for coming." He turned to Turquoise and whispered. The smaller bot struggled but caught himself. They both turned and sat on the couch, Turquoise leaning against Coppertron. "Thank you, sir, for coming."

"I am happy to be here, Copperton. Turquoise … you can receive help from Ratchet. I can ask him or Gypsy to stop in and help you."

"It won't help, Optimus," Turquoise said tearfully. "It's all a desolation."

Prime nodded. "I know."

"Sir, I would like to talk to you about this matter. I want to tell you that I take full responsibility for the actions of my son and I wish to take whatever punishment you decide to mete out for what he did. Whatever he thought he was doing and for whatever outcome, it is our responsibility. I cannot find words to tell you how sorry I am for this. I know it isn't adequate but it is all I can give. Even if you wish my spark, I give it willingly."

Turquoise looked at him, then slipping his arms around Coppertron. "This is so awful. Copperton, I will do this thing. Let me be the one."

"Turquoise," Copperton said with anguish. He hugged his bond and looked at Prime with deep misery. "If you let me take his punishment, I promise you he will become a good mech. This is our failing. This is the system coming to a bitter end for him because of us and what we did and didn't do for him. Please, let me."

Optimus looked at him in deep thought. Then he spoke from his own spark.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	41. Chapter 41

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 31

=0=In an apartment in the top of a tower in Autobot City, Mars

"Copperton, I cannot accept your proposal."

"Please, Optimus … it is my fault that my son did what he did. I am his atar. I taught him what he knows. I am so sorry. Please let me pay the penalty. In the end, it is my fault."

"We** are** responsible for our children. I know as a father what I want for my sons. I am as sorry for this as you are. But this is your son's burden. I do however have in my powers discretion for anything that happens against the common good during martial law."

Copperton looked at him, a flicker of hope flashing across his face. "Please … I want to do the penalty. I failed my son. I failed him and I should do the penalty."

"He would learn nothing, Copperton. He would only know that his atar was a hero. Who would take care of Turquoise? What would happen to him? He is distraught and needs you."

Turquoise looked at Copperton and then Prime. "Optimus, you are a good mech. You always were. My father didn't agree with you on some things but he respected you utterly. So do I. I am asking for mercy for my son. If there is a penalty to pay, I will serve it. Copperton and I will. I can work. I will rebuild the damage with my own servos. I will apologize to everyone hurt. If you tell me who they are, I will go to them now."

Prime felt a pang of sorrow suffuse him and then he made his decision. "I will make a decision here and now, Copperton … Turquoise. I believe it is your son's duty to make a restitution for what he did. He harmed a lot of mechs. He nearly killed Metroplex. That bot was burned. Burnoff did that. He's personally responsible for that harm."

They looked at the floor, a sense of defeat so complete they almost didn't hear the rest.

"I am exiling Burnoff to the satellite of Earth for a period of two years."

They sat a moment, then looked at him focusing hard. "I don't understand," Copperton said.

"There is a large satellite circling Earth that has a fully functional and habitable station. I am exiling your son there for a period that encompasses two Terran solar cycles."

They looked at him, then each other. "Exile? What does that mean, Optimus?" Turquoise asked as he struggled to concentrate.

"That means, Turquoise, that your son will live at the station by himself for two years," Optimus said gently. "He will be alone but for calibration teams coming every six months to check the electronics. He will not be allowed to contact Autobot City more than a joor once a decaorn. He will have access to food, a place to sleep and a chance to think. He will not be allowed to see or hear from you personally except for that joor the entire time."

Copperton looked at him sorting through the noise in his processor. "All alone."

Prime nodded. "He owes a debt. There will be those that say this is too lenient but I believe in redemption. Your son will either come back a changed mech or not. Anything he does after that will result in punative stasis."

They looked at him and blinked. "I feared that would be the court's decision," Copperton said. "I feared that he would be put into stasis and we would never see him again."

"His crime was severe, the most severe our colony has ever experienced. There is no way to mitigate that. But there is always a chance for rehabilitation. I promise you, Copperton, any further actions on his part when this is fulfilled will result in long term stasis."

Copperton nodded. "When? When will he go and can we see him? Can we tell him what we hope he will do to overcome this shame?"

"We want to know what we can do to achieve the same," Turquoise asked. "I feel so much shame, Optimus. So much hurt. How can I help to make it right?"

"You can work for the colony like everyone else, Turquoise. You can also talk to Neo. She had the same problem. She came to the colony after doing harm in her migration. Talk to her and Laret. They will help you." Prime paused a moment. "I am going to conceal your identities. I don't do that just for you. I do that because I don't want bad feelings and any sense of retribution spreading among those who your son harmed. We have many here who live on the edge of a blade. The less uproar the better."

"How will you explain this?" Copperton asked.

"I will explain it in general terms. Identities will be withheld for the very reasons I said. I don't want anymore trouble from this in future. I also think it might do well to speak with Metroplex. He is the most forgiving bot I know. Having his forgiveness will help you a lot."

They looked at him and Turquoise nodded. "It is more than fair. I am so very sorry," he said as tears slid down his face. "I wish to help. I wish to make amends. I am sorry for this and everything. I am in your debt for the mercy you showed. My son will live to earn it. He will overcome and be a blessing. I promise you, Optimus. Thank you."

Copperton nodded. "You are generous in your mercy, Prime. But then, you are the Matrix bearer and that worthy would not chose someone who wouldn't be magnanimous and wise. I am sorry for everything, Optimus. I am wretched in my sorrow over all the length of my life when I did things contrary to the common good. I am sorry that my son had to pay the price of our thinking and that others suffered too. You are wise and just. For that, I am ever your servant."

Prime listened to the formal apologies and knew they were spark felt. A burden fell from him and he considered the youngling. "I will speak to him to tell him of his sentence and your abject misery. He was the architect of that and he deserves to know. Even though you may feel that you deserve to bear the sentence here, you are not the ones who placed the devices. You can move forward as he can. But you cannot make him do it. It has to come from him." He leaned forward slightly. "It is in my nature to hope."

They looked at him and nodded. "I almost forgot what that meant. I am your servant, Optimus Prime," Turquoise said quietly. He bowed his helm deeply and gripped Copperton's servo tightly. He did the same. Sitting back up, they rose. "Please ask of us that you wish. We will do it with all our strength," Copperton said as Turquoise nodded.

"I will remember," he replied in the proper manner. Nodding to both, he turned and left the room.

They stood together a moment and then sat down exhausted. He would have a chance. Their son would have a chance of redemption. They would too.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

He sat down at the center table, Prowl walking over to join him. Leaning forward, Prowl looked at him curiously. "How did it go?"

"I gave him exile on the Lunar station. Two solar cycles of Earth," Optimus replied.

Prowl considered that. "How will this news be announced, if ever?"

"I don't wish details to be made public," Optimus said. "No more turmoil. Just an announcement by me over IntraComm to explain that it was handled, the guilty party punished and amends are being made. I will explain it."

Prowl nodded and sat back regarding his bond. "You are a good mech, Optimus. I like your decision. I wouldn't have before our bond. I might even have thought it too lenient and soft helmed."

Optimus grinned. "Soft helmed?"

Prowl nodded, a grin on his handsome face. "I was a completely different bot then. Now? I think you are a good mech with a just spark."

"Thank you," Optimus said. "I'm tired of endless retribution. I want this place to have peace and if the population knew, Copperton and Turquoise would never have peace. Their son when he came back would never have a chance to be useful. That sort of unforgiving pointlessness led to the situation we are in. We have to change and grow."

"I agree," Prowl said nodding. "We have to hope that redemption is going to be possible. The old way has to die."

Optimus nodded. "I hope so." He rose and paused. "I have to go deliver the sentence. Could you please call Barron to come? I will have to discuss this with him. Copperton and Turquoise also wish to see him before he leaves."

"Done," Prowl said watching as the big bot turned and walked to the doorway that led to the brig below. One down, several more to go he thought as he turned and made the necessary calls.

-0-Brig

He stood in the conference room waiting for the prisoner. Inferno poked his helm inside and nodded. Stepping out, the youngling mech came inside bracing himself when he saw Prime. Optimus nodded. "Please sit."

The youngling meekly complied, staring at the table top without a word. Prime sat and looked at him for a moment. "Youngling, do you understand the magnitude of what you did?"

Burnoff heard his words but the engulfing fear swallowed his response. All he could do was nod.

Prime considered that. "You could have killed Metroplex. I don't know if you understand that mechanism's life but he is a genuinely good spark. His greatness is so massive there is a legend that if he killed Trypticon, the war would end. He is the only mechanism alive that actually scares Megatron but he is the gentlest of gentle beings. He is weary of war. He loves children. He treasures his residents and he serves me and our Cause without hesitation or fear. He is genuinely good."

Burnoff heard the words and felt an ocean of tears begin to churn. He ducked his helm further, clenching his servos against the flood that threatened. He barely nodded.

"I have made a decision about you and your debt to our mutual society. I have that latitude especially during martial law."

The youngling looked up, his optics filled with genuine fright. He didn't say a word. They wouldn't come but his expression said all he could have said to the mech who held his spark in his servos.

"I spoke to your genitors. They are deeply distraught that their beloved only youngling would do such a thing. They asked me to take your punishment. Your atar especially was grief-stricken and begged me to have your punishment. He blames himself for your actions. He feels the system poisoned you and this was the outcome, the outcome of their sins for raising you to believe what you believe."

That did it. Tears fell and sobs emerged. He held his face in his servos, hunched over and shaking as he cried. He looked at Prime. "No! **I** did this. Not them! They don't need to do anything. I did this!"

Prime nodded. "I know." It was silent a moment. "I also know that the path to redemption is not always an easy one. Therefore, I am exiling you to the sensor station on the lunar body that circles the Earth. You will be exiled there for two years alone. You will be allowed to speak to your family one joor a decaorn. You will be there by yourself to think about what you did. You will be there to consider what a blessing it was that no one died from your thoughtless actions."

The youngling's expression crumpled into tears and he nodded, hanging his helm. "I am so sorry," he said softly.

"I believe you are," Prime said quietly. "I also believe you can learn from this and become a stronger, better youngling. You have the rest of your life ahead of you and a wonderful family. Your genitors are shattered from this. I hope you understand that when you do something, you do it to everyone who loves you."

He nodded. "Can I see them? Are they alright?"

"You can. They will be if you change and learn from this. Your ada wanted to go door to door in the Metroplex District and apologize for this. Do you understand that?"

He burst into tears again, rocking gently as he digested that bit of news. "I don't want him to. Will people know? I don't want them hurt by anyone because of this."

"I am going to conceal your identity and that of your genitors. I don't want that either. I also want you to have a clean slate when you come back. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life fighting public opinion. You have an amazing opportunity to have a chance to come back and start over fresh. No one will tell this tale to anyone else. You have my word."

He nodded. "I don't want my family to suffer. This isn't their fault. I don't want to be afraid for them because of me."

"You have my word," Prime said resting a servo on the youngling's shoulder.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Thank you for that."

Prime nodded. "You are welcome. I believe in redemption. It can only come from you. If you don't learn and there is anything more, I will put you into punative stasis and lock you in the vault below. Do you understand?"

The youngling looked at him and nodded, his tears falling like rain. He sat and gulped, staring at Prime with frightened optics. "I get a chance to do better? I won't be punished when I get back? My family? They will be safe?"

Prime nodded. "Yes. You have my word."

He stared at Prime for a moment, then nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"I know," Prime said nodding. "We are very aware that you are. But your ultimate redemption must come from within. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir," he said. He looked at his servos. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could tell you how much. I don't know what I was thinking. I like this place. It's the nicest place I've ever lived. I'm sorry, Prime. Do you believe me?" he asked, his expression a desolation.

"I do," Prime answered quietly. "I do believe you and think you will change. Be an asset and help your family and our people. We don't have time nor will we ever allow the system to be a part of our lives again. Do you understand that?"

He nodded, wiping away tears. "I do. I'm sorry."

Prime felt a flicker in his spark and he reached out squeezing the youngling's shoulder. "Don't become bitter. Forgive yourself when you can. Learn from this. You are valuable to our colony and our future but no more than anyone else. The system has to die. Now you understand why."

"I do," he said gripping Prime's arm. He looked deeply into Prime's optics. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Prime nodded and squeezed the youngling's arm. "I'm going to get your genitors. They are very sad and all they want is for you to change and come home. Remember, what you do never just affects you. There is always collateral damage." Prime rose, the youngling rising with him, fear and emotion on his face. Walking to the door, he opened it and leaned out. Stepping out, he made way for Burnoff's emotional genitors. They entered and engulfed him, the sounds of tears and wails drifting out into the corridor.

Prime shut the door and turned, a pensive Inferno and Barron waiting. "Barron, I have sentenced the youngling to two years exile on the station on the satellite of Earth. One joor of conversation per decaorn between him and his genitors for now. If you could have the Public Defender's Parole Officer manage his case, I will entertain more talk time in six months. They need also to coordinate with Mental Health the progress of the youngling. He will be alone for two years and if visits from a counselor are warranted, set the schedule and frequency from their recommendations. His family is in tatters as well. That might be a goal of the parole officer to help them mend."

Barron nodded. "I will facilitate it, Prime. I would like to say I salute your sentence. It gives him a chance to make amends."

Prime nodded. "I want the identities of all three sealed. I will make a statement about this to the city but no disclosures. I don't want vengeance problems."

Barron nodded. "Good idea."

"Inferno, I want this youngling on Luna after dark. Arrange for drop off. If you could personally check the station to make sure he's going to be maintained, I would consider it a personal favor."

Inferno nodded. "I will go myself."

Prime nodded. "Thank you. If you could call Chevron here, he can help Coppertron and Turquoise get through this. Thank you all for your discretion."

They nodded and watched as Prime walked down the corridor heading for Ops Center. Inside the room, there were tears, pleas for forgiveness from all concerned and plans for helping their little family get through the ordeal to come. By the time morning came, Copperton would voluntarily be working in a quarry digging gravel for footings and doing whatever Copper, the project boss asked. Turquoise would be working overtime to find the error that would lead to a treatment for the curse of the carrier-soldiers. In time, he would. They would both go and abjectly ask for forgiveness from Metroplex. That great spark would grant it unconditionally. He would also grant it to their son in two years when he would step off a shuttle and walk to the command center of Metroplex, asking with great emotion and remorse for forgiveness on his knees. Until then, Burnoff would be standing by a big window in the station on Luna staring out at the slowly rotating blue world of the human allies. It would be the first of 730 orns that he would.

-0-Later that night, Channel 1-9, IntraComm, no download to Earth or the Habitat

"Good evening, Autobot City. This is Optimus Prime," the grave figure on the screen said. He sat behind a desk in a studio at IntraComm, the insignia of the Primes hanging on the wall behind him. Before him, Jazz directed the transmission, Blaster himself running the cameras as Prowl stood beside them. "I would like to talk to you tonight about the explosion that damaged the Business Plaza and harmed Metroplex.

"The investigation has located the individual involved and he has been retained in custody. All of the evidence was conclusive and the individual involved has confessed. He is deeply, deeply remorseful. I cannot personally stress enough that this is so. He was a young foolish mech who wishes more than anything that he could take back his actions. But he cannot and he knows he has a debt to society that must be paid. I have enacted a penalty that will be paid. The details do not matter. What should comfort all of those who were harmed even indirectly is that the threat has been removed and will not return.

"I know that there will be those among you who wish to know who this mech is. I will not be identifying him to you because of a number of factors. First, he is very young. He will be working on his rehabilitation and he understands the enormity of his debt to society. However, once that is accomplished, it is in my mind that his debt is paid. To have to be always remembered as the mech who did this is punishment beyond the possibility to live productively. There is also his family to consider. I am sure most of the genitors of this city can understand that the actions of their younglings are an impact that can be heavy. They don't deserve the scorn of the city because they are innocent. They didn't do this but they would be shunned or worse because of their son and that would be unjust.

"That is not where redemption can flourish. That is not what we are about. A debt to society had been made. The debtor is paying his penalty. When it is paid, I wish to have a credit to society come back to us. I want that mech to have another chance to become who they should be and not what they currently are. I don't want vengeance to become the self appointed behavior of anyone. We are not what we were on Cybertron. I won't tolerate it. This book is closed.

"I want this colony to reflect the better angels of our natures. I want it to be the place where we can be who we authentically are and not what we were pressured to become under an unjust system. That life is over. Let us rise up together into a better future. For that reason, I am calling a convocation to discuss the system. It is not lawful here. There have been some who wished its return. I disagree. I wish to have a convocation to come to agreement together over the direction this colony will take in future. I have faith in your common sense. I have faith that you can understand that this action has been dealt with fairly and well. Thank you, Autobot City. Good night."

"Cut," said Jazz.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	42. Chapter 42

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 32

=0=In the bosom of love

They stood over his little berth and smiled. "You snuggly enough, infant?" Ironhide asked handing a Starscream dollie to his son.

"I am, atar," Sunspot said from the middle of quilts, soft pillows and dollies.

"You ready for tomorrow, baby?" Ratchet asked as he swayed gently, the femme laying in his arms in a nest of blankets, her little blue optics watching.

"I am. I will read this in front of a big crowd, right?" Sunspot asked.

"You will. You aren't going to be afraid to do that are you, baby?" Ratchet asked.

"No. I want to do this for my sister. I have to help her don't I," he said.

"You do," Ironhide said with a grin. "You will be slagging awesome."

He grinned. "I will try, atar."

Ironhide nodded. "You will. Good night, sparkling."

"Good night, atar, ada. Good night ... sister," he said catching himself before saying her name accidentally. They grinned and kissed him, shutting off the light. His night light on, his windows dialed down, they left him to recharge. Stopping in one berthroom after another, they settled the little mechs before heading for the femme's pretty room.

Ironhide walked to the crib and arranged her little nest. When it was perfect, when her brand new Ironhide dollie was by her little Ratchet dollie, he turned and put her down on her little belly. Folding her blankets, they stood and looked at her with grins.

"There isn't a cuter femme in existence, Ironhide. Look at that little nose structure. Genius," Ratchet said with a smile.

Ironhide snorted. "It is a pretty nose. On her."

Ratchet nodded and turned, the light going off, the window tint dialed down. They ambled into the living room and sat, the monitor playing overhead on mute. "What do you think of Prime's decision and his announcement?"

"It's pure Prime. Mech thinks everyone can be saved," Ironhide said sitting and putting his peds up on the coffee table.

"He is a bit of an optimist. Optimus. Optimist. I guess it was ordained," Ratchet said.

Ironhide snorted. "You just noted that?"

Ratchet thought a moment, then grinned. "Yeah, Ironhide. Actually, I think I just did."

"You worry me, you red aft slagger."

"That never sounds as musical as 'yellow aft slagger'," Ratchet said.

"I like red," Ironhide said shooting a possessive optic at his slightly mad Only One.

"Okay," he said with a chuckle. "I wonder what Sunbeam will name the femme?"

"I don't know. I just hope it isn't Ivanhoe."

"You and me both," Ratchet said as Ironhide turned on the sound for The Hourly News.

-0-In Polyhex Tower

Kaon ran around the room laughing loudly. The twins were sitting on the coffee table on a blanket. They watched him with face splitting smiles. One of them looked at Bluestreak who was sitting on the couch within grabbing reach of them should they decide to fall off. They pointed at Kaon and tweeted softly. Bluestreak smiled and reached out stroking her tiny cheek. "He's having a happy moment. Your big brother is a happy little bot."

They turned and watched him. He saw them and paused, staring at them with a face splitting smile of his own. Walking to them, he looked at them nearly falling over as he turned his face to see theirs. "Pax?"

"Kaon," Bluestreak said getting his attention. "Kaon."

"Pax."

"Kaon," Bluestreak repeated.

He stared at Bluestreak for a moment, listening hard. **"KA-OH!"** He looked at his atar and smiled expectantly waiting for praise. He got it in droves. He was passed around among his three genitors who kissed and hugged him so much that when he was set back on the ground he fell over. The laughter of the twins who watched him was hilarious.

-0-Tower Habitation

They sat reviewing film and discussing the possible plot lines that could develop out of the footage. Reality shows were often scripted, some highly so and even thought they were going with the flow, they were picking out trails to follow for the dramatic and comedic potential they posed. Kup was the hub of the 'Platoon's' wheel, the mechs who were chosen the spokes. His hilarious awesomeness couldn't be denied.

Lenora walked in from spending the day at the school checking with Herling and Nova what would be allowed and what was off limits. Some of the group were genitors and it was obvious that Transformers valued their progeny to an enormous degree. She walked to the table and sat. "Got some news for you."

They turned and looked at her expectantly. "Ratchet has a new sparkling. They are Praxian or at least Ironhide is. So is Prowl and his parents who are here. Its a city-state on Cybertron that was awesomely cool and had a lot of ceremonies and rules for the clans and tribes that lived there. They have a naming ceremony for new sparklings three days after they are born and their family is traditional. They didn't tell me anything about how they are born but they said a naming ceremony for this little baby will be held tomorrow. They were going to have it on the steps of the Fortress but because of who it is, they are moving to the air field. After the ceremony, the parties are epic and will be held everywhere."

"Awesome," Melcher said and then he turned to plan the coverage of this epic day soon to start in a few hours.

-0-Elsewhere

They sat together holding servos by the window staring into the darkness and the forest of glittering towers beyond. It was quiet in their home and they were exhausted in every possible way. Their son was serving the first orn of the sentence that had been imposed upon him by a benevolent Prime. Copperton had worked a shift in the quarry before being gently steered into a job that would require technical skills and less physicality. He had protested vehemently but Copper had been persistent. They had walked to a 'shack' where diagrams and other technical stuff were laying in disarray. He explained that they needed a boss in the shack to keep it straight and help them that way.

He was reassured that it was significant and mattered. Copper discerning great turmoil and sadness in the mech asked him to handle the mess and be a big help here where it was sorely needed rather than outside where things were more covered. Copperton clutching at the message turned and applied himself. Everything was put to order, all the relevant details were being downloaded and sorted as orders were processed in a timely manner. Copperton would never be at a loss for work. His spark would be the main recipient of the effort. He would feel lighter in spirit at the end of the day than when it started. He was doing someone good for the betterment of all. It was tremendously therapeutic.

When he came home Turquoise was busy mapping the error. He had found a fragment of it and was designing a search mechanism to hunt for more as he worked further along the endless road of numbers on his way to a cure. He didn't notice Copperton a moment and then he did. Turning, he paused. Dust was layered over the spectacular paint scheme of his armor while scratches on his servos showed his determination when he labored out in the quarry. He was tired and it showed. Rising, Turquoise flung himself into Copperton's arms. They held each other, then stepped back. "Copper, are you alright?"

"I am," Copperton said quietly. "I am doing something good. I tried to be a laborer. I dug in the dirt with my servos, Turquoise. I was so desperate to help," he said as tears came to his optics. "I felt so clean today, so cleansed even for a moment. I want to serve."

"You always did, Copperton," Turquoise said as tears came to his optics. "We didn't know better. That's not much of a defense but its all I have. You are my hero."

Copperton grabbed Turquoise and held him. "You are mine."

They ate in as they discussed the orn. Speculation on their son was unspoken. In nine orns they would see how he was. They had met with his parole officer and things had been outlined. A processor health worker would meet with him once every two orns for now to see how he was settling in. His parole officer would come once a decaorn to see him. He would be allowed to access entertainment channels for eight joors a day, his choice. He would be taking aptitude tests from his processor health doctor to see what sort of educational opportunities could be applied to his situation. It was possible he could learn a career or two in the time he had. It wouldn't hurt a bit to try.

When they were finished they pushed chairs to the windows and sat holding servos, talking when they felt like it. The mere company of the other was enough for now. Later when the shock was gone and they were firmly in their new reality, then more would come.

Like going outside without feeling shame for instance.

-0-On the air field

They came back after bumping up the feed of the deep space arrays. They could now reach 25 light years with clarity of a type reaching 75%, an improvement of more than 10 light years and several diameters of clarity unknown until now. The installation that Soundwave was most likely constructing was 55 light years away. They knew from tests sent through the space bridge captured from the Decepticons. They were testing a new theory that scans could be made swiftly and without detection by micro singularities. Open a tiny timed singularity for a nanosecond and do a burst scan. It would enter in a restricted form and once reaching the other end burst forth spreading out 180 degrees to take a snap shot of the area before folding back and racing the aperture collapse back to base.

They had done this 5 light years from the location they had preliminarily detected as the end zone for the Decepticon base as already known. The burst had shot past the predicted sight more than 3 light years before collapsing just as fast. If anyone on the Decepticon end of things detected it, they would not be able to distinguish it from a random gamma ray burst or a hail of ionized particles from a passing comet. It would be considered and dismissed due to its brevity. Any longer and they could detect a sensor scan.

The static deep space sensor arrays had been beefed up to allow detection in the local area. It would also allow transmission and reception of messages from their side as well as any incoming migrations. It was in the first test of these new enhancements that they had detected the size of the Decepticon contingent in the new migration.

It was big.

-0-Next morning

Prowl had scanned the overnight file from the Residence. Finding a number of seriously important issues, he turned to Optimus. "Only One," he said peering into the wash racks that belonged to the younglings, located off their bedrooms. "I have to check the overnight. New stuff."

Optimus who was soaping up a giggling Miracle as Spirit held the wash nozzle, T-Bar a soapy brush and Rambler a towel turned and grinned. "You would leave me in my hour of need?"

"Yes," Prowl said with a grin as he snapped a few 'Polaroids' with his camera. Subspacing that ever present device, he grinned and turned. He would grab a cube on his way to Ops Center. They would all gather there for the ceremony which would be at the air field nearby. As he left, the monitor over the enormous fireplace played 'Good Morning, Autobot City!'.

"And in other city news of interest … today is the naming ceremony of the newly separated sparkling of Ironhide and Ratchet. The ceremony, which is an ancient Praxian custom that introduces a new baby to the community which pledges to support it in its life will be held at the air field to accommodate well wishers. Everyone is invited. Apparently, this little baby will be introduced by her older brother, Sunspot and named by him. How brave of the genitors," the host said with a laugh.

"How brave indeed," Optimus said hosing off his baby. Taking the towel from his oldest son, he wrapped Miracle.

"Atar?"

"What, T-Bar?"

"Do you know what that little femme's name is?"

"No, son. That's Sunspot's story to tell."

They turned and walked into the kitchen for breakfast.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ratchet tossed the sippy cups and cubes in the sink for later. Blackjack and Alor were there along with Tie Down, Ravel, the trine and their sparklings. It was lively and happy. Ratchet thanked Prowl mentally once more for granting them bigger quarters. Ironhide wasn't in view so Ratchet walked to the berthrooms looking for him. He paused at the femme's door and watched with a grin. Ironhide was standing before her dresser looking at little blankets, booties and other feminine things given to them by soldiers and mechs around the city.

"Ironhide," Ratchet said.

He startled and looked at Ratchet. "Come here, mech. Help me figure out what she needs."

Ratchet walked over and looked at the dainties that were their daughter's trousseau. "How about this and this?" Ratchet said choosing little blue booties and a blue blanket.

Ironhide nodded. "I didn't want to be too sexist. Pink is supposed to be sexist, right?"

Ratchet thought a moment and then exchanged the items for pink. "We don't do gender stuff, remember? Pink suits her little paint scheme. You like her in pink. Problem solved."

Ironhide grinned and looked at Ratchet. "Okay," he said. He turned and walked the crib. Gently, he dressed her and wrapped her up in the pink blanket, placing her in a quilt. He tucked her into the crook of his elbow and looked at Ratchet. "We're ready to go."

Ratchet nodded and turned with a smile heading for the living room. Whistling sharply, he got everyone's attention. "Sunspot, you ready to be a star?"

Sunspot looked at him and then grinned. "Yes," he said clutching his datapad to his chassis.

"Then the world beckons," Ratchet said as everyone got up, grins firmly in place as sparklings including Sunspot were scooped up. "Follow me," Ratchet said as he turned and walked to the door.

Everyone did.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	43. Chapter 43

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 33

=0=On the way to the air field

They stepped out into the sunlight of a new orn. There were many bots going to school with their infants. When they saw Ironhide and Ratchet's family walking toward the air field a large number of them turned around to follow. Soldiers were already gathering there along with civilians, Seekers and humans. Near the front of the crowd a heavily laden pair of segways held army femmes who had come in just that morning from Diego Garcia. They shared space with segways filled with human scientists.

The sun was bright overhead as air traffic continued even though a ceremony that was millions of years old was going to be taking place. IntraComm had a film crew out to capture the goings-on for The Hourly News and the **!*JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW*!** which was now simulcast on Channel 5 of IntraComm as well as on radio. It had been switched to that broadcast channel from 3 because that channel had become educational. Even though Blaster and Jazz supplied a lot of history and histrionics, it wasn't considered educational.

They reached Club Cybertron and continued onward, a little family collecting friends and colleagues who paused in their own missions to join theirs. Prime and Prowl walked to the air field together, their infants in servo. They had skipped school to attend and when they arrived, they stood with colleagues, compatriots and friends of eons of struggle. Surrounding them were strangers, newbies to the colony from any number of migrations. Some were homesick Praxians seeking a familiar moment of consolation that showed their dead city and her particular customs weren't forever lost.

When they reached the junction to the Fortress, Habitat and Temple, they turned left and walked along the heavily crowded street to the little platform placed by crews from the airfield. The Guardians were there transformed and chatting, Seekers helm and shoulders some of them above the big crowd stood together. Ratchet walked without a sparkling leading the way as the family came along behind. Miler and Venture caught up and joined them.

Wheeljack, Perceptor, most of the Wreckers, most of the Night Watch off shift, dozens and dozens of Home Guard trained by Ironhide, priests, elderly, younglings and the film crews were there. Sunspot sat in his grandatar's arms clutching his datapad. He looked at the crowd and felt fear. Then he considered his sister's name and felt better. She would in her own way help him to announce her to the world as it gathered before them. By the time they were stepping up on the little platform where a microphone system would broadcast the speech making to all, there were over 25,000 individuals gathered with more coming.

Ratchet moved to one side making space for everyone else. They climbed up, this reclaimed family. Venture stepped down and dragged Prowl, Prime and the infants up rejoining the group. As they stood waiting for Ironhide to announce things, a familiar form wove her way through the crowd. A chuckle rose up as those familiar with other times recognized who it was. A cheer went up as Silverbow ascended the stage and hugged Sunspot. She turned and stood in front of Sunstreaker, Sunspot's servo firmly in her own.

Sunstreaker looked down and smirked. He kissed her helm and looked at Ironhide. "Everyone is here."

A chuckle spread through the crowd as Traibreaker and Hound holding Rebel watched as their daughter showed her stuff once more. No amount of explaining ever convinced her that she shouldn't be there too so they didn't try. Ironhide grinned down at her and turned looking at the others. Smirking, grinning, they nodded. He looked at Sunspot and knelt, the shrouded baby firmly in his arms. "You ready, Sunspot?"

He looked at the crowd and then Ironhide. Nodding without a word, he stepped closer to his atar. Ironhide arose and turned looking at the crowd. "I am Ironhide and this is my family," he said.

The cheer was deafening.

"Thank you for coming to this ceremony to name our daughter and ask the community to share a stake in her growing up. Everyone of our sparklings have had this ceremony and it occurred to Ratchet and I that a most important member of our family needed to be a part of things more than usual. We asked our son, Sunspot if he wanted to do this. He agreed and worked on his speech for a decaorn. He worked hard," Ironhide said pointedly, giving the crowd his 'don't frag with me, recruit' optics. "He not only will do the honors, he will tell you the name he chose for her, his sister. We haven't heard his speech. We don't know her name. This is a first time of us too. Sunspot, come, son and tell us about your thinking on this."

Ironhide stepped back as the crowd erupted to welcome the little bot to the microphone. Jazz stepped forward and adjusted it for the tiny Seeker who looked even smaller than usual. Starscream and his trine, Dirge and his stood on the sidewalk nearby offering the little bot their support. The crowd was peppered with Seekers who were here to help the little bot who had become a mascot among them do the honors.

He looked at them, then his datapad, then Ratchet. Ratchet whose insides were quivering smiled and nodded. :You are my hero, son: he said.

Sunspot blinked and smiled. He turned and began. Looking at his datapad, he began to read. "My name is Sunspot and I am the son of Ironhide and Ratchet, brother of Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Orion and Praxus. I am uncle to Kaon, Uraya, Iacon, Miracle, Rambler, T-Bar and Spirit. I have uncles and grandgenitors. I have new ones!" he said looking over his datapad with a huge smile. He got huge smiles back. "My grandgenitors are Tie Down, Ravel, Blackjack and Alor. My honorary grandgenitors are Venture and Miler. They said they were honorary because they chose me." He smiled and the crowd smiled back. "They are wonderful and so nice. I love them and they love me."

"Who wouldn't?" someone in the crowd called out.

Sunspot looked up and smiled. Then he read on. "I have friends and other adults who love me. Uncle Optimus, Uncle Prowl, Uncle Starscream, Uncle Thundercracker and Uncle Sky Warp are just a few. I also am brother-in-law to Bluestreak who I love because he's so nice."

Bluestreak who was holding Iacon grinned. He nudged Sunspot with his ped and the little bot looked back smiling. He turned back to his datapad and began to read again. "I don't remember my real genitors," he began and as he did the crowd hushed, the mood shifting. "They went away when I was too small to remember. I never had a home after that until now. I was always on my own and always afraid. I was hungry sometimes and other times I was wet when it rained. There was no one who loved me until here. I do remember Mr. Terradive tried to help me. He kept me with him and the other Seekers making sure I was okay. But we got separated after the battle on Earth where The Fallen died and Megatron was hurt. I fought there and ran when it all ended.

"I ran and was afraid. The humans scare me. I am better now but they still scare me. I didn't like being a Decepticon. I didn't like having to be around Shockwave and Megatron. They didn't like me. I hid from them and sometimes they would make me fight organics for fun. They thought it was funny."

The tone of the group was funereal and the Seekers in the group ranged from shimmering fury to revulsion. Starscream stared at Sunspot, the little bot he was helping to recover his identity as a Seeker and his expression was a desolation. Thundercracker looked homicidal. Ratchet schooled his expression to pleasantness and soldiered onward.

"I was rescued and on that orn everything became good. I have a family. I get to go to school!" he said peering over his datapad at the crowd, an expression of pure elation on his little face. The crowd broke into thunderous applause and Sunspot absorbed it for a moment. He looked up at Ironhide who looked at him with deeply emotional optics. He nodded. Sunspot continued. "I have a house to live in, a room of my own where I can hang my badges and pictures. I am on a football team. My brothers are on the Kaon team and they are amazing. They tell me I'm a good wing." He looked up at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They looked at him with intense pride and nodded.

He smiled at them and looked at his datapad. "My genitors told me that we had another sparkling, a femme. I like femmes. They are pretty and nice. Silverbow is my friend. She can draw and run fast. She's on a team too and very fast. I know. I played against her and she outran me twice."

The spell was broken as laughter and applause filled the air. He looked at them and then the datapad. "I am happy now. I never was before. I would do anything for my family and my city. I get to read books. I get to play. I am no longer hungry. I don't have any wounds from combat now." That was a dagger in every spark and heart in the crowd. He continued. "I have responsibilities now. My little brothers Orion and Praxus need me to help them with teachings. My ada told me that I would have to do that so I do. Now my ada told me that we would have another sparkling to help grow up. I would have to help a sister become a grown up. So I will.

"I will be her hero. My family is my hero. They all are. They saved me. I love them and they love me. I have friends here. Our Prime is a hero too. Everywhere I look I see heroes. That made me think. What kind of name is a good one for a sparkling? My genitors said I could pick out her name. Orion is named for Uncle Optimus. Praxus is named for my atar's hometown. What is a good name for a femme I asked. They said a good name is one that you can grow into, one that tells something about life and them. So I am choosing this name for my sister because it tells me what she is to me. She is my hero. This sparkling's name is Hero."

The place went slagging nuts.

When the roar settled, Ironhide stood after hugging Sunspot to him. Sunstreaker reached down and picked Sunspot up hugging him. "Good job, spud," he said. Sunspot hugged him tighter. "I still like the name."

Sunspot looked at him and smiled immensely. "I do too." He lay on Sunstreaker's shoulder worn out from the moment. Ironhide stepped forward as he did. "This is our daughter, the sparkling forever to be known as Hero." He pulled the blankets back and a tiny femme with pink booties could be seen.

Laughter erupted. "Ironhide! She looks just like you!" Jazz yelled.

"She's my slagging daughter. **WHY NOT!**" Ironhide yelled back with a giant smile. "You can't make me feel bad, Jazz."

With that, the crowds stepped forward to see her and touch her tiny ped. When they did, they signified that not only was she a member of the community, but someone they would protect, help educate and guide. It was a win-win.

They streamed up, thousands of mechs and a femme or three. Younglings exclaimed over the baby, elderly too. Thousands of them saw her, the pride of her family and siblings. Ravel and Tie Down stood proudly besides an equally proud Alor and Blackjack. They took congratulations as well, feeling every wonderful moment in their sparks.

She slept mostly, now and again opening a single optic to cast a gimlet stare at someone before falling back in recharge. She was tiny, winged and black armored with delicate detailing and soft pink booties. When the soldiers made their way forward Niall grinned. "I see you have her booties. We got them made from the same woman who made them for the other sparklings."

"Then you're saying they're heirlooms," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Everything we give you is an heirloom," Epps said with a smirk.

"Including slag?" Sideswipe asked to general hilarity.

Sunstreaker stood holding Sunspot who looked down at the humans tensely. The femmes came forward and greatly abused Ratchet for not letting them see the separation. **"THESE SLAGGERS DON'T LOVE YOU LIKE WE DO!" **Jesse said with a grin.

"Sorry, sweetness," Ratchet said with genuine regret. "I'll make sure it won't happen with the next one. Ironhide would be desolate if you missed him."

"You're slagging delusional, Ratchet," Ironhide said to enormous hilarity.

They continued to banter and when the last bot passed by the humans followed them to the Cafe Praxus for the celebration dinner. They would sit on the table top shooting the breeze and fussing with the femme-ling who slept on the table on a pile of blankets oblivious to all around her. The only one with a problem would be Sunspot who sat on Ironhide's lap while they were there.

Some things change slowly. Some things never changed.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	44. Chapter 44

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 34

=0=Later that orn

Ratchet walked into the Tower and ambled to the elevator. As he entered, he looked down. "Turquoise."

The somber optics of Turquoise of Capital City regarded Ratchet. "Hello, Ratchet. You don't mind if I ride up with you?"

Ratchet stared at the little bot for a second, then enveloped him in his arms. When he did, the dam broke and Turquoise wailed his sorrow all the way up to the 49th floor.

-0-On the rounds

Ironhide walked down the train track that run everywhere under the city. There wasn't a place in the city that the tracks didn't reach, every different location accessible to those coming and going. Freight from guns and ammo to furniture, energon and anything else a destination needed was also taken to the dozens of platforms that led upward into the sunlight from dozens of places around the great city.

He was headed for Military Depot/Hub 7 underneath the big towers of the new habitation going up in quarry 5. Tucked safely into the crook of his arm, a tiny botlet looked up at him, her little blue optics searching everything that her focus could reach. She could see the big bot holding her, the flash here and there of a light. The tunnels were well lit to allow pedestrians to make their way on the sidings that lined each side of the tracks.

As he neared the depot, he heard the rumbling of a train coming. Pausing, staring to the corner he waited. The train appeared, a robotic mechanism driving a load of missiles to the depot at Aerie Hill. It rattled past them pulling ten cars filled with deadly but disarmed munitions. When it was past, Ironhide looked at his daughter. "Those are for Seekers. Those aren't like the stuff I've already shown you. Those are way too big for you." He watched her face as she looked at him, struggling somehow to understand what he was saying or so it seemed to him. He grinned and kissed her helm. "Some time soon I'll show you a lot of things and you can tell me what your favorite is. Okay?"

She looked at him and smiled. He looked at her with misty optics. He had missed carrying Praxus around. That has been a bothersome thing for him giving that little sweet mech to the schools. He was determined to have his little femme with him as long as he could. With that, he turned and walked onward.

-0-CMO's Office, Medical Tower

They sat on a couch, Turquoise leaning against Ratchet. He had wept like his spark was broken and then it passed. Ratchet held him, his arm around the smaller bot's shoulders as they sat together in the warm sunlight of the late afternoon. "Thank you, Ratchet. I don't know what came over me."

"Sadness. Depression. Hurt," Ratchet said squeezing the little bot's shoulders. "Don't apologize. This has been terrible for both you and Copperton too."

"It has been a desolation," Turquoise said softly. "I thought this would be the place, that our family would live here happily. Now this. I dream that the city will find out and we will be shunned."

"No one will," Ratchet said. "Prime gave you his word."

He nodded. "I know. I just miss my son. He isn't beyond hope."

"No one is," Ratchet said. "I have two sons who never had a home until now. They were left on their own at sparkling age and it shows still. They are brutal warriors and tough younglings but they are mine and I love them. They are finding their way to another way of thinking every day. Your son will too. He is alone with his thoughts. He will change."

"Do you really think so?" Turquoise asked sitting up, his expression desperately hopeful.

"I do," Ratchet said nodding. "I have been given the charge of looking after his health. I can go see him. I will talk to him too. We didn't abandon him. Prime is wise, Turquoise. He's very, very wise. He knows what he's doing."

Turquoise stared at Ratchet, emotions warring across his face. "He is wise isn't he. He has the Matrix to guide him. The Matrix probably designed this for my son. Do you think so?"

"I know so," Ratchet said nodding. "Have you been to the Temple? Have you asked the AllSpark for an answer to your fears?"

"No," Turquoise said shaking his helm. "I haven't been … I have been embarrassed to go out much. Just coming here was so difficult."

"That's silly," Ratchet said rising. "Come on. Let's go see the AllSpark. Let's see what that venerable force has to say that will give you comfort and hope." Ratchet looked at Turquoise. "Understand, my friend. I have been in the Pit so deep it took vorns to see the sky again. I have been separated from my bond for eons. But never at any time did I not feel there was hope."

Turquoise looked at Ratchet and rose. He leaned into Ratchet's chassis and Ratchet hugged him. "Thank you," he said softly. "I want to believe."

"Then let's go ask," Ratchet said. Turquoise nodded and the two turned walking to the door. They took the elevator and walked from the Medical Tower to Metroplex District.

Turquoise stared at the ground as they walked, shame forming on his handsome anxious face.

"Turquoise, let's take a side trip. I think it will do you good," Ratchet said taking the bot by the arm. As he did, he turned right down the main highway through Metroplex, the one that led out into the hinterlands.

-0-Moments later

They paused at the door that led to the lower levels where the central command center that made up Metroplex was located. Turquoise stood trembling unwilling to go further. "Oh, Ratchet … I can't face him."

"Have you ever talked to him?" Ratchet asked.

Turquoise shook his helm. "No."

"Then trust me," Ratchet said soothingly. "I have." With that, he opened the door and gently gripping Turquoise's arm, he walked inside and the door closed behind them. They were two levels below the ground in the heart of the huge transformed mechanism. Metroplex lit the corridors as they walked to the command core following the diagram on the wall that lent them directions. Their ped falls echoed around them as they walked on immaculate floors toward the inner sanctum. As they did, they met Scamper. He stood watching them come, a tall bot in the range of Ironhide. He was gray, bore the Autobrand on his chest and watched them with optics hidden behind a blue visor.

"Hello, Scamper. I want to speak to the boss."

The bot grinned. "He's expecting you."

"Where are you going?" Ratchet said pausing before the door that led to the command and mental core of the mechanism that formed all around them a vast and complex city. "I haven't seen you out and about in a while."

"I'm on patrol. Then I'm going to the flats and race with the younglings," he said with a chuckle. "I think Metroplex is relaxed enough to let me out."

"Good thing. Nothing worse than a housebound youngling," Ratchet said with a grin. He pressed the latch and the door slid past. "Remember … keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down."

Scamper's laughter could be heard until the door closing cut it off. Turquoise stood tensely beside Ratchet staring at the incredibly complex command center of the titan. All around them stations on automatic programming worked to run his systems. He was colossal, stupendous, the most complex of all the mechanisms living in the city. He was also aware of them. "Ratchet."

"Metroplex," Ratchet replied moving toward the pulsating panel that was the outward face of the internal mechanism. "How are you?"

"I am fine. Thank you for your assistance," he replied.

"You are very welcome. I have someone here who needs to talk to you. He's shy. He doesn't understand your great goodness," Ratchet said. He turned and looked at Turquoise. "This is the most humble bot you will ever know. He is magnificent but he always feels he can do more. That is one of the many reasons that we love him."

Turquoise looked at Ratchet and then the panel of lights. "Metroplex … I … I am honored and humbled to meet you." Turquoise bowed his helm.

"And I, you," Metroplex said. "You appear to be filled with sorrow."

Turquoise looked at Ratchet who nodded. He turned to the panel. "I am here to offer myself to you for whatever punishment you wish to mete out to me. It was my son that caused the explosions that harmed you." Turquoise knelt. "I will do whatever you suggest to make it right. Somehow, there is a way to make it right. Please tell me."

It was quiet a moment. "It is not your fault."

Turquoise looked up. "He is my son. I raised him not to value everyone equally. It is my fault. Children … they don't grow up alone. They become what they are taught. For that, I am abject in my sorrow and wish you to know how terrible I feel. I wish to make amends. Please tell me what you need to feel renewed."

It was silent again. "It is not your fault. Your son is Burnoff."

Turquoise started and looked at Ratchet. Rising, filled with fear he nodded. "Yes. But I am asking for forgiveness and I am ready to make whatever amends you ask for."

"You cannot ask for what you already have," Metroplex said.

Turquoise thought a moment, confusion filling him. "What I already have?"

"I am sick of fighting and recriminations. I am sick of brutality and endless vengeance. Peace begins with forgiveness. I have forgiven."

"My son … ?" Turquoise asked haltingly.

"Affirmative. It is my duty to protect and defend. But it is also my duty to become better and wiser. I cannot do that and hate. And you cannot ask for what you already have."

It was silent. Then Turquoise haltingly walked to the panel pausing before it. He touched it uncertainly and then stepped forward pressing his face against the lights. He stood a moment embracing what he could of the greatest Autobot of them all and then he stepped back. "You have wisdom, Metroplex. You saved my life. I am your servant."

They could almost feel his smile. "And I am yours."

They stood in the beauty of the moment, then Ratchet nodded. "Thank you, Metroplex. You never disappoint."

A chuckle echoed and the good feeling persisted as they turned and walked to the door and beyond. It was a quiet walk to the Temple.

-0-At Depot/Hub 7

He stood proudly as the mechs gathered around him viewed his latest contribution to their effort against extinction. Some were Seekers, a couple were femmes and the rest were mechs, civilian, soldier and neutral.

"What a great little femme," a Seeker said. "It makes me chuckle that all of your sparklings look like you, Ironhide.

Ironhide grinned. "That's Ratchet's psychosis."

"Who conned him into changing his paint scheme?" Sandstorm asked with a smirk.

"You two were meant for each other," Topspin said with a snort.

"Truer words never spoken," Ironhide said with a ginormous grin. "And you can't make me feel bad either.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Temple

They stood before the Well, the AllSpark turning silently above the blue mist covered pool of infinity that represented a pathway to Primus and The One. The room was quiet, the few there sitting in alcoves meditating on their own situation. Ratchet squeezed Turquoise's arm. "Ask what you need."

Turquoise looked at Ratchet and then stared at the great Cube, off lining his optics. He thought about his son, the only sparkling that he and Copperton had undertaken. The Well had been the source after a very long period of failure with merging. They had been thrilled with the infant and he was a good one. They gave him everything they could, more than he needed it would come to appear. They had given him everything but compassion. Empathy. A sense that all were indeed one.

He thought about his son and turned his sorrows outward. /... Great Primus, I come to you with a broken spark. I come to you to ask for forgiveness in my failures and mercy for my son and bond. We are broken. We are abject. Please show us the way back to the light.../

He stood silently and then he felt it, tendrils of warmth that touched his spark. No one spoke but he heard words of comfort, simple feelings of wellness that suffused him. It continued for what seemed forever and he wanted it to continue, but it then began to fade. When it was gone, he opened his optics, staring into the blue infinity before him. He looked up, the Cube turning unchanged before him. It was unchanged but he was. He felt light of spark. His son was still gone but the hopelessness that suffused him had begun to recede. He would come home some day and he would be there to guide him back to himself.

Turquoise reached out and clasped Ratchet's servo. They stood together for a while staring at the Cube in the stillness of the Great Room. When they finally turned to go, Turquoise would leave changed.

-0-TBC

2012 (10)


	45. Chapter 45

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 35

=0=CMO's Office, Medical Building, Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet sat at his desk and relaxed a moment reflecting on the giant mechanism that was settled in the heart of their city. Metroplex was one of the two largest mechanisms ever known among their kind short of the Pantheon. He was as good an individual as Ratchet had ever met. He was smart, brave, dedicated and beloved. He was also humble to the point of self effacing. He never felt he did enough, was enough, had enough to offer. It never occurred to him how much he was loved by others. That he was dedicated to the point of self sacrifice to the Cause, the mechs who served it and especially to the Prime was one of the most impressive and best loved features of his complicated personality. His mere presence gave Autobots a confidence that nothing could defeat them.

:Ironhide:

:What?:

:Where are you?:

:We're at the exchange under the city near Metroplex. Why?:

:I thought I would go with you a while:

:You okay?:

:Yep:

:I'll wait for you:

:On my way:

Ratchet stood up and walked to the elevator. Heading down, he stepped off and exited, following the cobblestones to the highway. He crossed at the light and continued down the sidewalk passing The Paint Box, a new cafe with bots sitting at tables on the sidewalk drinking and eating and a store that made youngling games and toys, both fun and educational. Turning at the big intersection at the main east/west highway, he walked to the Day Watch Station. Entering, he grinned, sassed the younglings on duty and took the stairs downward to the subway where the train tracks were.

He turned and followed them until he reached a platform where Ironhide with the infant stood waiting. Ratchet kissed him and then the infant. "How is your day going?"

"I'm getting work done and showcasing a stellar sparkling. Its slagging perfect. You?" he asked as they turned and began to walk down the sidewalk to the main transfer center two miles away. Trains passed through there, some using track switching or the roundabout turnstiles for continuation toward their destinations. Mechs going to work, some working on the track system, some taking shortcuts to other places waved or stopped to chat and admire as they walked to the Depot/Hub at Industrial Park #4. Climbing the stairs, they emerged into the depot/Hub that served the soldiers who were working in the different plants and foundries.

It was typical of all of them. On one side of the big round room was the depot where the guns and ammo were procured. Mechs and femmes would line up and when their turn came, they would get what they needed from the staff who not only filled their orders, but also kept the inventory for the main armory in the Fortress. On the other side was the repair bay where weapons could be left for repair and loaners given.

In the center of the space was a sitting area of comfortable chairs and couches with a monitor playing football games from IntraComm's Community Schools archives. They stood a moment and then walked to the depot side pausing by the counter. The mech behind the counter grinned. "Coming to check on your bombs?"

Ironhide grinned and nodded. "I am. How is it going?"

"Much smoother," the mech said. "We ironed out the glitches I think."

Ironhide nodded. "I talked to the railroad committee about the problems moving explosives and they took steps to allow straight throughs to the major depots in the system. There won't be any more mix ups like before I think."

"Good. I don't mind getting energon cookies once in a while but I think Rampage isn't looking forward to getting explosives in return," the depot manager said with a grin.

They chatted a bit longer and when the details had been ironed out, they turned walking onward. Down the steps and out onto the sidewalks, Ratchet and Ironhide ambled down the road heading for the next depot/hub. They would do that for the rest of the afternoon.

-0-Around the city

Sunstreaker rolled across the airfield heading toward the Fortress. The little segway that had become a part of the landscape of his life followed. He was 'running' today, taking bundles of this and that to different places. It paid to be related to the S.I.C. He crossed the highway and entered the Fortress rolling into the Ops Center after a short but rowdy traverse across the rec room. Pausing by the main table, he grinned. :Smile. You're on teevee: he said to Prowl who looked up slowly and shot him a gimlet optic. "Want to bet?: that redoubtable winger replied.

Sunstreaker snorted. "What next?"

"I want you to take an electronic device to Charon," he said glancing at the cameras that were focused on the two of them.

"Charon?" Sunstreaker mused. Then he grinned. "I suppose the humans go too..."

"I won't say no," Prowl answered. They stared at each other a moment, then Sunstreaker nodded. "Alright. Where is it?"

Prowl nodded to a counter nearby with a wooden crate. "Take that to the forward base on Charon and get back here. I have more things for you to do."

"Three joors out, three back. Got it," he said rolling over. He picked it up and stowed it in subspace, the cameras rolling as he did. Then he turned with a wolfish grin and headed out to the rec room, the front courtyard and the airfield beyond, the little segway following him in hot pursuit.

-0-Seconds later

They stood on their segway talking to Jack Mellar. He was elsewhere but heading toward their spot at breakneck speed. By the time Silverbolt had transformed and dropped his ramp, that human had arrived and without a by your leave, he led the other segway up the ramp after Sunstreaker. Entering, pulling up, they watched as he sat on a bench along the wall, staring down at them with his dangerous optics. They watched the ramp retract and the hatch close. Mellar gathering his guts drove up to where Sunstreaker sat. "Where are we going?"

"Pluto," he said, the intensity of his gaze daunting to the humans.

"The planet? Pluto, the planet?" Mellar asked with surprise.

"You tell me," Sunstreaker said.

"What? What do you mean?" Mellar asked with confusion.

"I hear it isn't a planet anymore. Could have fooled me," Sunstreaker said, his expression inscrutable and his gaze uncomfortably direct.

They glanced at each other and then Sunstreaker. Turning, moving to the sides of the great ship, they sat and stood on their little vehicles as they waited for something to happen. They would be passing through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter before they would understand that they had lifted off the moment the hull door closed.

-0-Some time later

Jack Mellar drove forward and paused at the divider between the interior where everyone and everything rode and the flight deck. Peering inside, he noted that no one was flying the ship. Glancing at Sunstreaker who sat watching him without expression, he considered his options. Looking into the cockpit he cleared his throat. "Hello."

It was quiet a moment. Then a nice mellow voice answered. "Hi."

Mellar blinked. "My name is Jack. Who are you and where are you?"

"I'm Silverbolt and you're standing inside of me."

Mellar looked at the ground, then the controls again. "You're a sentient aircraft."

"Many of us are."

"Can I interview you on camera?"

"Now?" Silverbolt asked.

"Uh, not if it interferes with your flying."

"Oh."

It was silent a moment.

"Do you mind if I interview you?"

"I don't care. I figured you were thinking about it," Silverbolt said.

"Oh. Can you tell me about yourself? Who you are and all that sort of thing?" Mellar said moving to the side so that the camera man could film better.

"Me? I don't talk about myself much. I'm an Autobot and I fly. We are about the only mechs whose first format is aerial, my brothers and I," Silverbolt said.

"I heard that nearly every Decepticon can fly," Mellar said.

"Most do. The Stunticons don't fly. They don't like it as much as a ground format," Silverbolt began. They would chat all the way to Pluto. Underneath that, Silverbolt and Sunstreaker would exchange snarky commentary as well.

It would be awesome.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Sideswipe rolled in and circled the center table a couple of times, a smirk on his face. "I hear you sent Sunny to Pluto."

"I did," Prowl replied glancing up.

"That's good. Keeps him out of the brig," Sideswipe said as he slowly circled the table.

"What prevents you from sitting down?" Prowl asked.

Sideswipe nodded toward the floor nearby. A segway with humans stood working their tiny cameras competing with the one from IntraComm. Prowl looked at them and shook his helm. "I see you have an entourage."

"I do," Sideswipe said with a smirk. "Do you have anything more for me to do or can I go now?"

"You didn't say 'pretty please'," Prowl said with the ghost of a smile.

"Is that all it takes?" Sideswipe said with a grin.

"This time."

"Pretty please."

"Go."

"Thanks." Sideswipe turned and rolled out, heading for the dojo and all the mechs hanging there. He sped through the streets weaving in and out of traffic as the little segway struggled to keep up. Reaching the Cultural Center, he slowed enough for them to see where he was going. Entering, he went up to the correct floor and down the concourse to the dojo. The segway followed and when he entered, they paused at the door. The mechs in their show were lounging. Other segways were there so they joined them.

Kup watched another 'insect bus' show up and shook his helm. "We're surrounded. I think I know what that Custer feller felt like." He stuck his stogie in his pie hole.

Everyone in the room googled that remark and then grinned.

"Custer got what he deserved," Sandstorm said. "Idiot."

"True, that," Kup said. "I wasn't disagreeing."

"What** were** you saying, old mech?" Sideswipe said flopping down in a chair. Drift, Springer, Lon, Fury and Landmine were sitting with them. Lon sitting next to Fury was orbiting Saturn in his joy to be where he was.

"What I'm **saying,** younglings, is that I am trying not to accidentally squish the squishies here even though I'm surrounded. Wouldn't want Prime to think I'm a slagger." Kup stared at the cameras. "Tiny cameras. Toys. Reminds me of the time old Todd came to the younglings' party with a hand gun on Diego and we grabbed him. Remember, Springer?"

Springer nodded. "Sure do, old mech. You drank most of the high grade when I took him to the bring."

"I probably did. If you're dumb enough to give me the bottle, you're dumb enough to stay sober," Kup said to general hilarity.

"Kup."

All the mechs looked at the segways. Aaron Belcher was asking. "What about that? We only know a little bit. What happened?"

Kup considered that. "Well, it was like this," he said to the general groans and all around grins of all present.

-0-On the road

"So that is what happened."

"That was nice of you, Ratchet, to take him to Metroplex. That bot is a wonder."

"He is, Ironhide. Makes me glad to know he's here."

They walked along amiably and as they did a tiny cry rang out. They paused and looked down in the little blanket. "I think she's hungry."

"We better find a place where we won't get run over, Ironhide." Ratchet looked around and found a pedestrian area set into a wall where work mechs waited for trains to take them out and bring them back from the industrial parks, quarries and work sites. Walking there, they sat. Ironhide pulled his tube out and the infant began to suck on it. "Didn't have to fuss with this sparkling, Ironhide. I noticed that."

"This sparkling is awesome. She does everything the first time," Ironhide said with pride.

"Really."

"That's right," he said with pride.

"***WHAT FIRST TIME THINGS?!***

/... oh slag …/

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	46. Chapter 46

NOTE: What awesome notes lately. I hug you all. Here's another bit of the day of the life of our favorite mechanisms. (Outside of my computer, a mechanical pencil sharpener and my roomba.) :D :D :D

=0=Back to the story in progress...

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 36

=0=On the sidewalk of the boulevard in a city on a planet in rebirth

"So, things are pretty much organized in the armory then?"

"Yeah. We had a delivery problem. Munitions were going to bakeries and cookies to the depots. Not that the mechs complained but the grocery outlets and cafes weren't feeling the love," Ironhide said with a grin.

Ratchet snorted. "I can only imagine," he said as he watched his elders heading toward them on their way to the store. Waving, he caught their attention. They crossed the street against traffic and walked to the cafe.

"Ratchet, Ironhide! How nice to see you," Ravel said beaming at them happily. "We were going to the store. They're letting us back in now. The stores on the other side of us absorbed the worst of the blast, poor things. We weren't so badly harmed that we can't go in and put things to rights."

"Sit. Have a snack and a sparkling," Ratchet said pulling a chair over.

"Oh yes," Ravel said sitting. Ironhide slid Hero toward her little grandada. Ravel enveloped the infant in his arms, kissing her gently. "Ah, my little girl," he said softly. "What a lovely baby you are."

Hero looked at Ravel, her little optics watching the smiling face above her. Tie kissed his digit and touched her face gently. "What a lovely little girl you are."

"I don't want you to overdo," Ratchet said shooting severe optics at his genitors. "You are still getting over the slagging of the explosion."

"I feel wonderful," Tie Down said with a grin. The waiter came and all ordered. As they did Sideswipe came rolling up. Pausing, he looked at the four. "Hi."

"Hi. You came fast," Ratchet said pulling another chair up.

He sat and nodded. "You called. I was near."

"I did. I want you to help your grandgenitors put the store back together. They aren't to lift anything heavier or bigger than a wrench," Ratchet said.

"Sure," Sideswipe said.

"Where is your brother?" Ratchet asked.

"He's going to Charon. He's delivering a component of some kind to the base." Sideswipe glanced at the little segway and the IntraComm intern filming. "You're going to be on teevee."

"I already have been. You forget I am the first and greatest star in this family," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"Senate hearings don't count," Sideswipe said leaning back in his chair as drinks and finger food arrived. "By the way, you might as well speak English. They're going to translate whatever language we use in the footage they make into episodes."

"Lovely," Ironhide said with a smirk. "I suppose I better not say 'frag' and 'slag' too much."

"I would. I am," Sideswipe said with a snicker. "Often. Every other word."

They laughed, They dined. When it was over, Sideswipe would go with his grandgenitors to help them. He would find it intensely enjoyable. They would find him a 'lovely young mech, you are'. All would be good.

-0-Nearing Charon

They had stood at the windows filming and watching as the planets came and went. All around them were wonders. The conversation with Silverbolt had been fantastic and would prove to be great footage. The big yellow front-liner was another subject all together. He was quiet, relatively. His gaze was almost impossible to meet without feeling that a throwdown was being established. Mellar, himself no weak sister found Sunstreaker a challenge. However, he was a man without a lot of internal qualms and so he rolled toward the big mech aware of the laser-like focus upon him as he did. "Sunstreaker, have you been stationed out here?"

"I was with the first group." He leaned back against the bulkhead, his format relaxing.

Relatively.

"Tell me about the Wreckers. I hear they get the tours out here. I hear that only the toughest and best warriors are put out here on duty," he said.

Sunstreaker nodded. "That's true. The Wreckers are a group of warriors that were the last defense shock troops, the go-to-when-all-else-fails mechs. We get the jobs that can't be done. The ones that shouldn't be done. The suicide missions."

"Springer is the Wrecker chief, right?" Mellar asked.

Sunstreaker nodded. "He's the one. There was one before, a legend. But he's dead. You don't last long in the Wreckers. We go through a lot of mechs."

"You lasted. Sideswipe too," Mellar countered.

Sunstreaker looked at him for a long time, enough for the man to shift uncomfortably. He nodded. "We did because we're that good."

"You don't seem afraid of anything. Are you?" he asked.

Sunstreaker thought a moment. The things he feared … the loss of Bluestreak, Sideswipe and his infants, the endangerment of his extended family, the loss of Ironhide and Ratchet's respect, failure in general … all of it surfaced and he pushed it down. "No," he said simply.

"Some among our own kind would find that kind of thinking not normal. Everyone is afraid of something," Mellar ventured.

Sunstreaker looked at him and then leaned in slightly. "You must be among them asking that question."

He shifted and nodded. "Maybe I am," he said boldly.

Sunstreaker leaned back and shrugged. "You probably are." He grinned slightly, something that made the humans feel a ***SMIDGE*** better. He himself raised Mellar up a couple of notches in his thinking for possessing and using ball bearings.

A chuckle over the intercom caught their attention. "That was really stupid," Silverbolt's voice said. His chuckle would lighten the mood as they came within visual range of the largest of Pluto's five moons.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They gathered at the center tactical table. Prowl spread out the rolled up datapad that nearly covered the tabletop. It was big enough to handle any venture they would undertake including those that were on the other side of a space bridge. Perceptor, Wheeljack, Prime, Ironhide, Miler, Springer, Drift and Ratchet moved closer, the infant in Ironhide's arms showing no interest in the pretty light show laid out before them.

"We have a big group coming in and the city is prepared to absorb them. However, we also have a large group of Decepticons flying along with them. We don't have any information about them and we need to find out of they are going to be trouble," Prowl said.

"We should assume they are until they prove otherwise," Ironhide said swaying gently.

Prime nodded. "I want to send a message to the migration and get a chance to find out what is coming," he said as Prowl stepped away to the console behind him. By the time the big winger returned to the line up, Hero was in his arms. Ironhide, glaring at Prowl and looking at his empty arm shot deadly optics to the smirking bot. "What the frag?"

"You snooze, you lose," Prowl said cuddling the infant.

Ratchet snorted and patted Ironhide. "Sold out by a fellow Praxian. Why do tears refuse to fall from my optics?"

"**YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT ME, OLD SLAGGER!"** Ironhide said glaring at Ratchet.

**"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME FOR FIRST TIME THINGS WITH HERO!"** Ratchet replied.

"Oh. Right," Ironhide said turning to Prime who stood with a giant smile on his face. "Where were we?"

Hilarity ensued.

-0-On the ground at Charon

He stepped off, the crunch of the desiccated ground under his ped lost in the emptiness of vacuum. He looked at the men standing in the doorway of Silverbolt. They glanced at each other, then began to file down the ramp. Stepping on the surface of the moon, they smiled at each other.** :WE'RE ON THE FUCKING MOON OF PLUTO!:** Mellar said.

Lenora who was with them looked up at Sunstreaker. :I am in awe that you don't need air:

Sunstreaker nodded. :I know: He reached down and gently picked her up. Looking at the others, he nodded. Then he turned and began to walk to the installation that was nearby, the lights in the big windows signaling habitation here at the edge of oblivion. The men hurried to follow, the intern from Autobot City bringing up the rear. He would be the footage that would count. The others were too overwhelmed to film. In this instance, they would be part of the show.

He reached the building and entered the code that opened the outside hatch. When all were inside, Sunstreaker entered and it closed. He keyed the inside to pressurize and when it did the inside hatch opened. They stepped in to the main room of the fort. It was half lounge and half command center. Below their peds were the living quarters, play rooms and storage for the fort.

Mellar looked around and paused as he saw a forest of legs. Staring up, he looked into the grinning faces of the ten bots stationed there. "Hi," he said.

They nodded.

-0-Ops Center, 3.1 billion miles away from Pluto or 34.1 standard AU's

Miler nodded. "We can do that, Optimus. We can focus a tight beam to send the message through, then time the gate to open wide enough to send the flight through and back again. It won't take very long and even if it registers, they won't have reactive time."

Wheeljack nodded. "Tell us the size of the flyover team, their top speeds … that is, the speeds they have to assume to make a good sensor scan of the cons and migration … we can work out the details with that much information."

"Prowl?" Optimus asked.

"I will calculate it," Prowl said. He looked at Starscream who had just arrived with Red Wing and Cloud Burst, his field commanders. "Who do you suggest for this flight?"

Starscream thought a moment consulting internally with Red Wing and Cloud Burst. Then he looked at the table maps. "I have specialists in a lot of areas, Optimus Prime. I have reconn specialists who can fly through, scan the slag out of everything and return before they can even register what happened."

"I would need them on this, Starscream," Optimus said nodding. "This has to be as fast as we can make it."

"You have them," Starscream said nodding. "Stealth is of the essence. So is security. May I suggest that you arrange for the refit of the prison? Our brig might handle bad aft commanders but the rank and file might need more space to accommodate their numbers."

Optimus nodded. He looked at Springer. "That's your job, Springer."

He nodded. "My pleasure."

"When is this going to happen, Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

"Tomorrow," Optimus said. "I want this done swiftly so we can plan how to bring the migration in without provoking a fight."

They nodded. The conversation and planning continued.

-0-City Hall, Metroplex District

Ultra Magnus sat in the big conference room with the heads of city departments. He had listened in on the planning session for the rescue having been delegated his portion of the process. He would manage the intake and housing portion of the migration once again. His staff were professionals in the management of vast numbers of refugees and this was going to be no different. He would make sure of it himself.

"There is no estimate of the size of the need coming this way. They will do a flyover tomorrow to scan the population and critical areas. Apparently, there are Seekers who specialize in this sort of operation who will do that. What I want to know is, how are things going to stack up if we put together a need of say, 100,000+ individuals?"

They sat together and organized it. It was what they did.

-0-Charon

They toured the base, chatting with the bots there. Sunstreaker had blown their minds pulling the component crate out of his subspace. He shrugged when asked about it and told them to talk to Wheeljack. When all was settled, they turned and followed him across the unholy landscape of the planet toward Silverbolt, Leonora riding on his servo. She felt the power in his hand and considered how smushed she would be if he ever closed his fingers. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

They entered the big ship and began the three hour ride back to Autobot City. They would pepper him with questions, gab with Silverbolt and make their way back from a world they couldn't survive on without their suits toward one that looked like they could.

Mellar logic.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	47. Chapter 47

The Diego Diaries:Chaos 37

=0=Autobot City, Mars near to the air field

Springer stood with Scar who had been delegated the task of expanding and reinforcing the prison. The big former 'Con grinned at the irony of it, this place his first home upon arrival. Having once been a resident, he was considered to be emminently qualified to do the job. "So what do you suppose we should do. We have never had more than 100 or so inmates at a time."

"Well, given that a large unknown continguent is coming, it might do us a bit of good to put the officer corps here and build a larger facility for the enlisted somewhere else. Maybe over that way," he said nodding in the direction past the air field proper. "It could be, Springer, that the number of inmates among enlisted could be huge."

"I was given discretion. Let me check with Prowl," he said pausing. A conversation was held. Permissions were given. "Prowl is on board," he said. With that, they turned and walked down the road that led beyond the city limits. The road continued onward for several hundred miles but they came to a stop a mile and a half from the airfield.

"This looks good. It's flat, looks like there's good rock under the dust and dirt. A wash must have gone through there," Scar said pointing to a long curving depression nearby. "That can be a trench for the electronics and energon supply lines mainlines. We can excavate easily here and build a habitation for the guards over there," he said pointing to a flat rocky table top nearby.

Springer nodded. "Sounds good. Let's go find Jetta and get the plans drawn. The sooner the better."

They turned and walked back chatting about city things, infants and old 'Cons that might be coming that they both loathed in common.

-0-RTR Tools, Business Plaza, Autobot City, Mars

They worked in the warehouse/workroom straightening things, putting things back. The bins had been refilled by Sideswipe who had done it cheerfully, trading gentle barbs with the pair. He had as all the rest become very aware that the toll on the two older mechs during the time following The Fall had been incredibly harsh. Never more than sweet natured and kind, they had become uncertain and anxious. It had begun to lessen but was still obvious in their manner, especially Ravel.

"Where does this go, Grandada?" Sideswipe had asked holding up two heavy boxes of steel rods.

"Right here, sparkling," Ravel had said turning and pointing to a shelf that had a spot just for them.

Sideswipe had put them down and arranged them perfectly. When he turned, he saw Ravel smiling at him. He stood uncertainly. staring down at the little white and blue mech. Then Ravel stepped forward and embraced him. Strong arms gripped him and a soft sigh vented from the little mech. Sideswipe embraced him back, a fierce emotion filling him. "You and your brother are so lovely. We get such good grandsons. I love you, Sideswipe. I hope you tell your brother. You are dear to Tie Down and me," he said quietly.

Tie Down standing nearby grinned and nodded. "You are, grandson."

Sideswipe looked at them with great emotion and nodded. "You are to us too," he said gruffly.

Ravel squeezed him and looked up. "I am so glad you are here to help us. Tie is not really up to lifting things yet."

"Neither of you have to," Sideswipe said looking around. "I can do this stuff." And he did.

-0-At the Place of Incarceration, Inc.

Jetta stood with Grapple as the two worked out the dimensions of the prison site that would be built on this the new location. They had sounded and scanned the foundation of the area and found it adequate. Grapple sketched the design of the facility onto a datapad which would transmit the construction needs to the Foundry Exchange. That locus would then send consolidated orders to the mills, foundries and other work facilities for shipment directly to the site. It would be go in a couple of joors. It would be a good idea. The next orn, a flight would be scanning the bad mechs to see how many problematic figures that would include. Their design was constructed to allow expansion.

-0-Autobot City Central Labor Union and Guild Hall

The request was made and the director of the facility, a mech named Target began to gather workers from rosters and specialty categories to make crews for the prison construction. Scar was overall site director. Bulkhead and Payload would run the two different areas that needed building, the energon/electrical side and the actual facility itself. A call to the Medical Exchange sent a medic with design skills to oversee the sanitation and energon supply side of the building while a mech tech from IntraComm would be available to wire the communications and entertainment side of the prison both for the inmates and the guards.

When he was finished with the design, after Scar and Springer added their own ideas, Grapple finalized it and pushed the send button. It would be routed to the Foundry Exchange, Security, City Hall, Prowl and Prime. All of them had several minutes to add input. They signed off on it without comment and all was go.

By the time that Jetta and Grapple turned to leave, heavy duty mechs were already there moving earth. Scar would direct the construction all night long. His closest friends, Bulkhead and Payload would assist.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"When are you going to give that sparkling back to Ironhide?" (grin)

"Eventually." (smirk)

"I think I saw him hulking outside the door."

"You did." (smirk) He's cute when he hulks."

(grin) "I thought you were compatriots, Praxians all."

"I am. We are." (grin) "I just don't want to see him get too complacent. I want him to remember that there are those among us with skills and no shame whatsoever."

(grin) "I noticed that." (A message lights up the screen) "The prison plan is here. Looks good. I'm going to sign off."

(leans in to study plan) "Put my glyph on it too, Optimus. I think its got all the bases covered."

(nods) "I think so too. Scar is the perfect site boss for this. It will do him good."

(nods) "He has an outstanding little femme."

(grin) "You're hopeless."

(grin) "You can't make me feel badly."

-0-Hulking outside

He paced fuming, pausing now and again to look inside. His daughter was sleeping in her little green blanket and quilt in Uncle Prowl's arms. It was infuriating. It was pausing-making. He stopped. :Ratchet:

:What?:

:Prowl still has Hero:

Ironhide could almost feel the smirk. It rankled. :Well, grow some ball bearings and go get her:

:I would but Prowl outranks me:

:Whoosie. Little femme:

**:YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SLAGGING SUPPORT ME IN MY HOUR OF NEED, OLD MECH! I EXPECT YOU TO DO THAT!:**

(Pause) :Awwww. Want to sit in my lap and suck my thumb?:

(Pause) Sultry emotions pass back over link. :You could do worse, old mech:

(Sultry emotions received. Equally smokin' smokiness returned) :You could too. I'm sitting here at my desk, my peds on top. You should see my long legs ... the legs you like, big boy:

(Pause) (grin) :Is this more of that phone sex talk?:

(grin) :Yep. Say something sexy, Ironhide:

(pause. grin) :I'm standing here all big and mechly. I am **IRONHIDE! DESTROYER OF WORLDS! YOU ARE MINE, OLD MECH! MINE!:**

(ginormous grin) :I am. Come on over and take a look. I'm naked:

(pause. moment of confusion) :Naked?:

(smirk) :I'm not wearing clothes. That makes me naked. At least to the humans:

**:WHO GIVES A FRAG WHAT THE HUMANS THINK!? I AM IRONHIDE! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO'S OPINION COUNTS HERE!:** (pause) (grin) :Naked, huh? You teasing slagger:

(Chuckle filters over the link) :You **LOVE** it:

:I do. I'm on my way. Clear your desk, mech:

:Oh, Ironhide. Hurt me! Hurt me!:

Enormous hilarity washed back and forth over the bond as one miffed monster-sized Autobot huffed his way to the 49th floor of the Medical Tower.

Several smokin' moments and a lot of crashy-crashy later ...

"Do you think I should dial down the tint in the windows?"

"Not yet," Ironhide said as he lounged on the couch, his peds resting on Ratchet's desk. "Let them wonder. Let them consider how we still got it."

Ratchet snorted. "We do," he said in agreement. Grinning, he considered the only slightly mellower mech sitting before him. "You are the mech."

He grinned. "That I am. Thus endeth the lesson."

"You have been watching that movie again ... 'The Untouchables'."

"I have. Sean Connery is my sort of mech," Ironhide said nodding.

"I can see that. He's a lot like you ... older, experienced, sexy."

"I am aren't I," Ironhide agreed smugly. "I don't see you complaining."

"I'm not," Ratchet said with a grin. He sat in his chair, his own peds on the desk. "When are you going to rescue your sparkling?"

Ironhide frowned. "When ... when ***that slagger has his back turned!*** Whenever I pause in the doorway he sees me and I can never grab her when he's facing me."

"You two are such little femmes," Ironhide said. "Go and tell Optimus to spark that mech before his flutter valve rusts shut."

They both howled with laughter. Transformers don't have flutter valves.

The afternoon would pass contentedly. At least for Ratchet.

-0-At the airfield

Silverbolt sat down like a champion and his ramp hit the ground nearly immediately. Sunstreaker rolled off having transformed to wheel mode, an action that nearly caused multiple orgasms in the humans on board. He rolled down, a grin on his face and commed Bluestreak. :Babe:

:Sunstreaker. Where are you?:

:I just got back from Charon. Where are you?:

:At the Sparkling School. Come over:

:On my way: With that, he laid a patch and the little segways nearly capsized to keep up.

-0-At the Sparkling Day School

He rolled off the elevator and transformed his peds, walking to the door of the classroom where Blue and the infants were. He walked inside and paused looking around. Spotting Bluestreak in the story pit, he walked over and sat down. Leaning in, he kissed Blue and sat back. The twins were there and they were sitting up.

Unsteadily but with resolve.

"Aren't they spectacular?" Blue said with a smile. "They just did this now."

"They are slagging awesome," Sunstreaker said leaning down kissing the infants. They looked at him with ginormous smiles. Iacon raised her arms to him and tipped over. Uraya watching burst into laughter, a tiny pretty thing in and of itself. Sunstreaker smiled. "See? Slagging awesome."

Bluestreak just grinned.

The cameras nearby just filmed.

-0-Outside the door of Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Ironhide peered inside, his antsiness a comical thing. He knew Prowl knew he was there. That crafty winger just didn't care. Girding his considerable boy parts, Ironhide marched in heading for where the winger sat. Marching right past, pretending to do something at Teletraan III, he stood fuming on the inside while looking nonchalant on the outside as his** GIGANTIC** whoosie-ness asserted itself. He could feel the amusement Prowl felt about his sudden loss of true grit. He fully intended to grab his daughter but he wiffed the ball. Standing in front of Teletraan III, he could feel the winger's laughter.

Even though he wasn't laughing.

At least, not on the outside.

Turning, they met gimlet optic to gimlet optic. It was a stand off. One big hulking bot staring down a deceptively smaller, deceptively less imposing slagger. Gimlet optics shot out and slammed into each other as the gauntlet was cast and picked up. Sort of. Prowl grinned at Ironhide. "You have anything to say to me, slagger?"

Ironhide almost wiped his peds on the floor like a bull just before they charged, smoke coming out his nose structure. "No," he said as he meekly walked past and out the door. He transformed in the courtyard, drove two miles out of town before transforming again. Then and only then did he bellow to the heavens.

Poor sparkling.

-0-Several moments later

"Do you want another rust stick?"

**"*YES!*"**

Silence.

"All you have to do is walk in and say, Prowl-"

**"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, OLD MECH!"**

"Alright. There, there ...** CHAOS BRINGER!"**

Hilarity would ensue later. Much later.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)

***Flutter valve is part of an old joke in my family that no one remembers anymore. It used to drive my mom nuts when dad would mention it. They were adorable, my parents. Ironhide and Ratchet writ large. :D :D :D


	48. Chapter 48

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 38

=0=That evening in Autobot City, Mars

The humans sped to their Habitat gathering for dinner and conversation. They had been all over the solar system, two of them going out to a forward array. Now was the time to sit and organize thoughts and notes. They sped toward the Habitat as the last lights of day glinted off the golden dome of the Temple.

The street lights were coming on and the city's night life began to emerge. The cafes and clubs began to fill up as mechs got off work and headed for dinner and drinks. The shops began to close as business mechs and femmes got off work to go home. The City Hall closed, the only departments still operating in the Administrative complex the hospital and ESCC, Emergency Services Command Center.

Ratchet stood at the window and looked down watching folks go here and there. Lights illuminated apartments all over the city, from Metroplex District to the four different occupied tower habitations in the former quarries. Two others were under construction in the never-ending quest to have space for anyone who might show up with 100,000 of their closest friends. The airfield was never-ending busy and lights overhead were either ships leaving, coming or orbital objects. He turned and looked at the room.

Lights were on and they gave a warmth to the space that was spark warming. On the floor, Orion stood pointing at something he had made with blocks. Standing in front of him listening intently, Praxus tried to follow his brother's statements. Sunspot sat on the couch drawing on his art pad, looking up now and again to smile at the sparklings.

They were finished with dinner and playing away the joors until they had to go to bed. All of them were happy and content including the femme that was held snugly in the arms of her big old dad. Ratchet walked to his chair and sat down. "Tell me how you got her back from the winged octopus."

Ironhide snorted. "I snuck up on him. Slid her right out."

"You mean Prowl **let** you sneak up on him."

A severe optic shot Ratchet's way. "You don't think I can do that without him catching on?"

"Nope."

"Oh." Ironhide looked down at his daughter and grinned. "She's slagging cute."

"She is," Ratchet said with amusement.

"You did a fine job designing her protoform, Ratchet. She's as cute a little slagger as it gets. I get great reviews on her when I walk around the city. Lots of good compliments."

"That's good," Ratchet said with more amusement. He stared at Ironhide who sat with the tiny infant tucked into his arm. Her little pink bootied peds were draped over his giant arm. She was very small even for a femme baby. At least it seemed to him when Ironhide held her. "You going to cart her around tomorrow?"

"Until we go," Ironhide said.

"Go where?" Ratchet asked.

"Out there."

"The Seekers are doing a flyover, Ironhide. I doubt that you'll be going out there yourself unless you heard something I haven't," Ratchet said. Praxus had turned and saw his opening. Running swiftly, he launched himself on his ada. The big medic picked him up, blew a raspberry on his little belly, then sat him down on his lap. Praxus leaned back and smiled madly. All was now good in his world.

Orion bereft of an audience looked at the four of them and frowned slightly. Tossing down his block, he walked over and patted his atar. **"ATAR! YOU PLAY!?"**

They both blinked at him.

-0-Blackjack, Alor and Flint

They sat at the table dealing cards and laughing. Good high grade, take out from a restaurant and cards. It could have been their living room in Praxus. Outside, the sky grew dark and the lights grew in illumination. The airfield was busy with ships and Seekers as the security and commerce of the city continued onward. Day and night, there was no end to the activity that made the city seem several diameters bigger than it was.

"Poor Ironhide. He's going to have to be on his peds with Prowl," Alor said with a smile. He dropped a card and the other two groaned. "Read them and weep."

"Not yet, mechanism," Blackjack said. "Give me a moment here." He studied his cards and countered Alor's. Alor threw down two more and won. They all groaned again.

"Poor sparklings. You aren't anteing up anything. This is for fun and glory."

They both snorted at him and watched as he gathered the cards to shuffle and deal again.

"This is so nice," Flint said leaning back with his 'beer'. "I have missed you both so terribly."

"And we, you," Blackjack said patting Flint's big arm. "This city is a miracle. Prime is a miracle. I am content here, the first time in eons. My son, my grandchildren, friends and colleagues … no system, no slag. Mostly." He grinned. "Mostly."

"Staff meetings," Alor said with a grin. "We are due to come tomorrow. A run down of the operation and other things. Neo should be there and we'll see."

"You should bury that hatchet, Ali," Flint said. "Eons have passed. Things are over. Everyone speaks of Neo with great affection, even love."

"That is a change, I will admit it," Alor said dealing. "I will be happy to change. I just want to be sure that it is permanent."

They looked at their cards and threw in their bids. Alor grinned and threw in his. "I win," he said with a chuckle. The others groaned and crabbed goodnaturedly. They would play for hours happily.

-0-Trine HQ

They sat in the basin, their tiny helms barely seen over the brim. They were on the kitchen table as Sideswipe gently bathed them. Sunstreaker sat with Kaon on his lap and kibbitzed.

"Tie Down and Ravel are so sweet and kind. They make you want to do things for them," Sideswipe said drizzling water over the tiny femmes' helms. They sputtered prettily and looked up smiling at him. He smiled back. "Cuties."

"They are really nice," Sunstreaker said nodding. "They had a hard time. They won't have one here. We will make sure of that."

Sideswipe nodded.

Bluestreak walked out of the berthroom with towels. He put them on the table and smiled at his daughters. "You are both so cute."

"How else could they turn out?" Sunstreaker asked with a smirk. He got no objections.

-0-Elsewhere

They sat side by side watching The Hourly News. The city was filled with activities, events, places to go, things to see and do. Living in the Jumble their whole life, they had not had opportunities the way some did. They couldn't go to games, see events, participate in the life of their culture and city. There were few greater fans of Iacon United than the two of them but they had only seen one game in person thanks to Ratchet. They were world renowned for their tools and many of them were in museums honored as works of art. They were. But they didn't make the profit of their genius. That was for the expeditor of their wares, the one they had to sell to because the system prevented them from benefiting from their own efforts.

Low castes worked. Others profited.

They worked hard, made exquisite tools, some they had created themselves but they lived in poverty in a hardscrabble neighborhood that was tight knit and proud. They raised their one sparkling into younglinghood teaching him everything that they knew. He was gifted and they spent what little they had on his education, making sure he attended the underground schools that were expressly outlawed. He proved his worth and became the first mech in their families on both sides to attend University.

He became a doctor.

It was astonishing and when they attended his graduation, they had spent what small fortune they had in making a paint scheme for themselves worthy of the event as well as buying Ratchet a gift. It was the camera Ratchet still had and the first image taken on it was his own getting his diploma. They sat in the audience as the doctors were announced and when Ratchet crossed to the stage to be presented, it was a moment they would remember long after everything else was forgotten.

"We can look at the furnaces and smelters tomorrow, Tie," Ravel said sipping his 'tea'. "I think if it's sound, then we can be one step closer to our goals."

"I agree, Ravie," Tie said nodding. "Tomorrow, we get to watch the femmes."

Ravel smiled. "I cannot wait. Those tiny little waifs are so lovely. Maybe we can go to the park. Ratchet told me about something called a 'picnic'."

"What's that?" Tie asked glancing at his bond who sat in the comfortable chair next to him.

"We pack snacks and go to the park to play. Then we eat there," Ravel said with a smile. "I think it would be lovely. We can take that blanket that Ratchet gave us and spread it out. The babies can lie on it and look at things."

"I like that idea, Ravel," Tie said nodding. "We can get snacks at the grocery store or the bakery."

Ravel nodded. He looked at Tie for a moment.. "Don't tell Ratchet, Tie, but I am still surprised that you don't pay for things here."

"I am too," Tie said nodding. "But he explained it. It keeps skills sharp and others alive. Mechs and femmes can work at what they did, like us. Everyone benefits. We all work for the common good."

"I like that. I am glad we can do that, Tie. I wouldn't like to take an apartment like this without doing something to earn it."

Tie looked at Ravel, at the sweet face of the kindest gentlest mech he ever met. "Don't worry, Ravel. I'll take care of us."

"I'll help you," Ravel said looking at Tie with emotional optics.

Tie took Ravel's servo and gripped it as they sat together watching the news as they waited for one of Ravel's 'shows' to come on.

-0-Prime Residence

They walked from the younglings' rooms and entered the living room sitting before the fireplace that showed a beautiful holographic fire. Sitting back, relaxing, Prime glanced at Prowl. "You finally gave Hero up I see. Or do I have to look in your carry hold?"

Prowl snorted. "I felt sorry for him."

"Is that so," Prime said.

"I am nothing if not soft sparked." They were silent a moment, then both burst into laughter.

"That's you. Soft sparked," Prime said gripping Prowl's servo.

"She is pretty wonderful and Ironhide is so easy it should be outlawed."

"I will if you want me to. Outlaw it."

Prowl snorted. "Not on your spark. He's one of the few real laughs I get to have."

Prime nodded. "I suppose you want to talk about another sparkling."

Prowl looked up at him. "Do you?"

"If you do."

Pause. "You never sound enthusiastic, Optimus."

"I think I have a problem putting what I want first."

Prowl nodded. "You and me both. I'm surprised we have a sparkling."

Prime nodded. "I know."

It was silent a moment. "Are you serious about this, Optimus?" Prowl asked moving to sit closer, the big mechanism enclosing him in his arm.

"I am."

"Good," Prowl said with a grin.

The fire crackled on.

-0-In the Vos Tower

Miler cleaned the counter and put the last dishes away. Turning and walking to his chair, he sat tiredly. Venture squeezed his servo. "Sit. Everything can wait."

"Some things," Miler said. He looked at Venture. "Did you know Prowl and Optimus are discussing another sparkling?"

"No," Venture said glancing at his bond. "I hadn't. Are they serious?"

"Prowl always is. Optimus seems to be as well. Or so he told me."

"He told you?" Venture asked.

"We were discussing something and he joked about Ironhide and Hero. Apparently, your son purloins sparklings at every opportunity."

Venture chuckled. "That youngling never ceases to impress me."

Miler grinned and nodded. "He said they were in discussions."

"I put my bet on Prowl."

"No bet," Miler said with a grin.

-0-Aerie Hill

Red Wing stood on the balcony of his apartment. Inside, his bond was working around the space putting things away after a full day of hatchling mayhem. They had four hatchlings and were a duo bond. Most of the bonds on the floor where they lived were trines. He wasn't in one which made him the first duo in his family history. Their four hatchlings were students in the Sparkling Day School, which made them the first in their families to attend formal education.

It was outstanding.

He himself was the commander of Seekers during operations and had lots of responsibility. It was time consuming but didn't cut into family time. He was from a very traditional clan who took their responsibilities seriously. When he wasn't on duty, he was home. His bond walked out, a white mechanism with beautiful green touches here and there. Yellow optics stood out in the darkness. He slipped his arms around Red Wing. "Will you be going tomorrow?"

"I am leading the sweep."

Yellow Tail nodded. "Be good."

"I will," he said as they stood in the moonlight of their new world. The Aerie sparkled in the darkness, lights of habitations and Seekers coming and going were beautiful. They stood outside for a long time talking. Then they walked inside to recharge.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	49. Chapter 49

NOTE: Sorry this took a while. I couldn't stay awake. :D

=0=Let's get right to it ...

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 39

=0=That next morning, Flight Center Briefing Room, Fortress, Autobot City, Mars

They filtered in, specifically chosen Seekers sent their orders by their Commander, Starscream. Standing on the platform, Red wing and Cloud Burst waited in front of the wall-sized monitor that bore the Emblem of the Primes set on the backdrop of the city in real time. Cameras all over the city sent images to the Community Bulletin Board, the schools, security and IntraComm. They were used to showcase the city to anyone who wanted to look without traipsing around themselves.

Big Seekers, sleeker smaller ones and any number of fighter-type mechanisms walked in and sat chatting together as they waited. At last, Jazz, Flint, Blackjack and Thundercracker walked in pausing with Red Wing and Cloud Burst a moment going over the details once more. They then turned and walked to the side standing against the walls to listen.

"If I may have your attention," Red Wing asked tapping the table in front of him.

Everyone quieted and gave it. Red Wing began. The plan would require a number of different kinds of Seeker specialists. The sweeps that would scan for the needed information, their internal configurations designed to take data at quantities and in a range that nothing else sentient could match would go first.

Behind them, one on one with the sweeps, a 'heavy' would follow. They were Seekers of the 'dreadnought' class who were firepower and speed combined. They would be paired with a sweep to provide cover and protection. Behind them in the vicinity of the space bridge vortex, data experts, the 'catchers' would be waiting. They would receive the 'data bullets', encapsulated raw data from the sweeps and shoot it in a more technically accessible format from their internal programming through the vortex to array relays and the Ops Center beyond to facilitate perusal.

It would be a swift enterprise with the element of surprise making their efforts possible. All precautions would be made to protect everyone involved and expedite the operation. As he explained the situation, Red Wing deferred to Jazz for details.

"We aren't very clear on this migration. A message came through in the overnight dump that indicates it is very, very big. They were harassed a long time before bunchin' up to come here. The 'Cons … who knows?" the intell chief said with a shrug.

"We can assume that there 'Cons in the mix are hardcore and won't give it up without a fight," a big Seeker said. "They will of course be sorry."

Helms nodded all around the room and Flint standing beside Blackjack watched with the same fascination he saw on his brother-in-law's face. A big Seeker shifted. "Will we have leave to fire back?" He was a 'dread' and would follow closely a sweep.

Red Wing glanced at Jazz. "We plan for this to be fast but if the migration is too big, it might allow them to recover and shot at ya. You can shoot back in self defense but we hope it won't break out into a shootin' war. Remember, we don't want that."

"Fraggers," the Seeker said.

Everyone nodded. Flint was elated. It was all still new. Blackjack watched the Seekers marveling as well. This is nothing short of miraculous.

They continued onward, refining and redrawing the details until the plan was finalized. Then they sat and talked, all of them on stand by, all of them waiting for the muster. Flint, Jazz and Blackjack walked back out and headed for the meeting of Senior Autobots and Community Leaders nearby.

-0-Moments later

"And so we will be heading out shortly to make the flyover. We need a breakdown of the situation for the reclamation," Optimus concluded. He looked at Ultra Magnus. That worthy looked at his datapad and nodded. "We can house over 150,000 individuals at the moment with the possibility of 100,000 more in a decaorn. We have begun to excavate the satellite town nearby one mile west of our city proper for the new habitation site. It will be where we put the newer arrivals when they come in future and there will also be commercial space built there as well to make it a town proper with amenities. We also have medical and educational designs in progress for that same location. The roads will be paved and double lane coming and going to the site. We want the city and its satellite areas to be as unified as possible."

"This is the third stage of our design plan, Optimus," Jetta said. "With our new population and the skills inherent, we can begin to work and plan strategically for the road ahead. This satellite needs a name by the way as a separate community as Aerie Hill has. I suppose you can manage that somehow. We are calling it the Plateau for now since it resides on one."

"That can do for now. We can discuss that issue when you are ready for residents," Optimus said. "What about expansion of services in that area?"

"We have discussed things with the relevant social organizations and have set aside one tower in the first group as an educational facility. We would assume with a division of placement of students in the public schools that the University could expand downward in the tower it occupies now to accommodate more students and programs. That can be discussed in greater detail as we progress," Magnus said.

Optimus nodded. He looked at Ratchet. That worthy who sat next to a vigilant and wary Ironhide leaned forward. "Our medical tower is a worthy site and will be more than adequate to meet demand short of all out annihilation for a population quotient projected exceeding two million. Right now, we will continue to maintain our headquarters there. But like the medical substations throughout the city, we will build a large one in the new construction. It will be a feeder site like all the others. Femme and infant medicine will continue to be focused in the Metroplex hospital. We are centering geriatric medicine in mine. All of it will coordinate out of my office there."

Optimus nodded. "That sounds fine. I don't want distance to be a factor in survival."

Ratchet nodded. "I agree."

Optimus looked at Ironhide and grinned. "I see you still have your sparkling."

"Slag right," the big Autobot said shooting withering optics at the smirking and rather relaxed S.I.C. sitting across from him. "Mech's got a right to hold his sparkling without sticky digits making grabby motions every time she comes into view."

"I could order you to give me that sparkling, Ironhide," Prowl said with a grin. Ironhide froze, his essential agreement with command hierarchy overtaking his common sense.

Hoo-ah.

Ratchet snorted and looked at Ironhide who was sitting with a wariness that looked like a chubby kid guarding his cookie against a shark and smirked. "Whoosie."

Hilarity ensued.

Optimus shook his helm and grinned. "Item three anyone?"

Everyone smirked, then looked at their datapad. It actually was time for item three.

Nova grinned at Optimus. "I am here for Herling who is handling input into the general design of the new school tower with Grapple. This is what he wanted me to tell you about our educational program. We just graduated 10 engineers, 12 pilots and 20 aerial mechanics in the tech school. They are the first and we are awfully proud of them."

Everyone made proud noises and wished sincere things for Herling and the students with Optimus promising to write letters of congratulations to all of them, thank you, Prowl. Nova beamed. "We also have for the Sparkling and Youngling Day Schools adopted Ratchet's ideas about Halloween."

Pause. Uplink. Initiate search. Halloween, noun. Definition, examples. Downlink. Blink optics in amazement. Glance at each other and gauge personal reactions. Stare at Optimus who was staring at Prowl who was staring at Ratchet who was staring back at Prowl.

"That's … interesting," Optimus said. He looked at Ratchet. "Care to elaborate?"

"It's a childrens' holiday that a lot of adults participate in as well. Children dress up, have parties and trick or treat. It will be fun. They can wear costumes, families can go everywhere, everyone gets visited and they get to see the city. Win-win."

It was silent a moment and then Optimus nodded. "You have my consent. You also are in charge of getting this out there and making things happen."

Ratchet nodded. "You can't daunt me, Optimus. I accept."

Prowl snorted and grinned. Optimus glanced at him. "You can too."

Prowl looked at him and shook his helm. "Thanks, partner."

"Don't mention it," Optimus said with a grin. Ironhide snorted and smirked at Prowl. Optimus looked at him. "I want a written proposal for the Autobot Scouts on my desk by the end of the week."

His smirk faded and Prowl's grin grew. Optimus looked at him. "As his second, I expect for you to help him."

Prowl lost his grin.

Everyone watching enjoyed the show.

-0-A joor and a half later

Everyone filed out but Prowl, Ratchet and Ironhide. The winger looked at them with a gimlet optic. "You two are ruining my life."

"I get to boss both of ya. Life is good," Ironhide said rising with his infant in his arm.

"You just think you do, Ironhide," Ratchet said looking at him with a smirk. "*Autobot Scouts*"

Ironhide gathered his tattered dignity and walked out, his helm held high, his sparkling held close. They watched him and turned to each other. "He's such a big femme isn't he."

"I think so," Ratchet said sitting back with a grin. "So … what do you plan to be for Halloween."

Prowl stared at Ratchet for a while before letting him know. Pointedly.

-0-At the Airfield

They gathered in groups of three. A heavy, a sweep and a catcher stood together in little groups coordinating timing, frequencies and calls. Beyond them, two battleships and three Arks with full soldier complements stood on standby waiting for any call to help. As they did, a shuttle was loading to go to the Trigger carrying the techs, a few officers to coordinate, Miler, Wheeljack and Perceptor to run the show. It lifted off when everyone boarded and was gone from sight swiftly. Overhead, the huge gleaming figure of the Trigger was coming up in orbit and would soon be held in place by thrusters to allow the aperture to open in the proper sustained place. It had been refueled by the plasma chamber via geosynchronous bridge over a course of four orns and would be good for the duration of even a very large and long reclamation.

Red Wing and Cloud Burst after leaving the SA/CL meeting walked with Jazz, Flint and Blackjack to the groups of Seekers waiting. They gathered around the five and got the word.

It was go.

-0-Overhead

Miler, Perceptor, Wheeljack and their techs stepped off the roundabout in the hangar of the Trigger. Walking to the bank of elevators, they boarded and rode up to the top floor where the command center was. It would take them half a joor to bring the big machine up to launch status and a moment or two later to fire up the powerful energy cells to shoot enough power into a fixed location to create a rupture in time and space. When it was locked in a stationary orbit and ready to go, Wheeljack contacted Fortress Maximus Flight Center.

"Fort Max Control, this is Trigger Control, over."

"Trigger Control, this is Flight Control. Are you go?"

"We are go. We switch flight control over to you."

"Affirmative. Stand by." Flight Control called the signal to the masses of Seekers who stood on the tarmac waiting. When they received it, they turned and began an orderly assent in stages to the air. Transforming and blasting off, they began a two circuit orbit of Mars to get into battle formation for the flight through the bridge. When they were ready, so was the Trigger.

"Wheeljack to Red Wing."

"Red Wing here, 'Jack."

"We are opening the aperture and when it is clear to go, I will signal you on three."

"Affirmative." Red Wing signaled the mass to form up on him in the flight pattern agreed upon. Sweeps were in front in a wide array with their heavy escorts. Catchers came behind each of them waiting for the signal. "We are go on your call."

"Affirmative," Wheeljack said glancing at Miler. That worthy looked up at last and nodded. Wheeljack turned and gave the call: "Red Wing, you are go, go, go."

And with that, they went through the burgeoning hell of the controlled rupture in space. It would stay open for their return. The time it would take for them to finish their sweeps on the other side would be of a quick but noticeable duration. When they returned from doing it, almost no time at all would have passed on this end of the equation.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	50. Chapter 50

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 50

=0=In a university lecture hall in an education tower in Autobot City, Mars

They stood quietly, uneasily as teachers, aides and others walked into the biggest lecture room in the University. Taking seats, the educational staff chatted quietly together as the group began to converge. When the last obvious straggler entered and sat, Nova stepped to the front and smiled. "Thank you for coming," he said. 'During the committee meeting this morning with Optimus Prime, we were given the task of implementing a children's holiday that was originated on Earth. It is called Halloween and will be explained by CMO Ratchet and S.I.C. Prowl." Nova turned with a grin. "It is all yours."

Ratchet glanced at the rigid and **ULTRA FORMAL** figure of his sparring partner and all around alibi, Prowl. "Thank you, Nova. Prowl and I are delighted to be here. Right, Prowl?"

Prowl who was facing the audience at almost rigid attention cast a gimlet optic at Ratchet. Then he turned to stare at a spot somewhere on the back wall that only he could see. Ratchet snorting grinned at the crowd. "I will take that as a yes."

A chuckle broke the moment up a second, then everyone returned their collective gaze back onto the red and white Autobot with the fake chevron. "We are going to be doing a holiday that is celebrated among some of the countries on Earth and it is called Halloween, or all hallowed eve. Some of the early civilizations on Earth believed that on the day of Halloween the veil that separates the dead from everyone else thins allowing the spirits of the deceased to come and be among the living. Some considered this scary and others didn't, generating a lot of activities which we can use for our own younglings to enjoy.

"There are a number of traditions involved but we are going to focus on what we think will be fun for our infants and the mechs and femmes of the city. We want to practice Halloween the way they do in the United States. What that means is we allow the children to do crafty things. Carving pumpkins, making a number of images," he said pressing a link on the screen behind him that lit up the gigantic monitor with the images of ghosts, bats, zombies, witches and other scary monsters. He turned and paused. The expressions of shock and amazement on the faces of those charged to educate and protect children would stay with Ratchet forever. So would the ***I SLAGGING TOLD YOU SO!*** smirk on Prowl's face.

-0-Out there

The blossom of the aperture of energy signaling the emergence of a space-time rupture didn't take everyone in the migration by surprise. Many of them had seen one and after the initial shock flashed through them, they watched with tense concern about what would emerge. The flash of Seekers speeding by at almost unheard of speeds was another shock. They came out and flew in a clearly calculated array. Two-by-two they moved spreading out over the mass of ships and mechanisms that were heading toward them. A scan indicated that they were overhead and then gone as quickly, moving with incredible speed and purpose onward.

Three ships in the lead of the migration saw the aperture and signaled to the rest to prepare to launch. Then without a warning, one of them broke forward flying toward an array of Seekers who were waiting in a half circle in front of the bridge. It was a fast ship and when it came close a Seeker broke free and came about, paralleling it before entering the hailstorm of energy, both disappearing together.

The others in the array watched as the formation of Seekers came closer, pausing as if to indicate that they should not move further. Then one of the flying mechanisms broke off and flew swiftly to the first ship before transforming and magnetizing. It walked along the hall to the hatch and rapped on it. The hatch opened and he slipped inside, the door closing behind him.

All along the column the Seekers flew, their speeds intense, their purpose to scan and then when they finally reached the last ships, they turned and began the long trek back. The communication lines of the migration burned with cries for help, for information, for Prime. They filled the entire area with the buzz of despair, hope and need.

The ship in the lead popped its hatch and the Seeker emerged transforming to rejoin its group. As it did, a bullet message was sent from it to the bridge and onward to Ops Center in Autobot City.

-0-In the University lecture hall

"And then, they get to go door-to-door collecting treats. The words they say when the door opens is 'trick or treat'." Ratchet paused, a carefully schooled expression on his face. It was silent a moment. Then a youngling aid leaned forward. "What if no one gives them a treat? Can they expect a trick?"

"No," Ratchet said. He began to explain it more carefully. Prowl merely stood beside him with a grin.

-0-On the safe side of hell

A pair of Seekers were waiting for the ship as it slipped through under escort. When it was picked up, their escort made a hard turn and returned to his job on the other side. The Seekers joined the refugee ship and they began to descend to the ground below. They would be there in seconds.

-0-On the ground

Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Flint, Starscream, Alor, Jetta, Gypsy, Cleery, Goldwing, Blackjack, Mirage, Springer, Drift and Kup stood on the tarmac watching as a relatively well made and well functioning ship came in on approach. Seekers flying with it helped them keep the horizon as the ship settled wearily on its gear, taxiing until it came to a stop before the party.

The Seekers transformed and settled, their weapons online as a ground crew ran forward to hook the ship to small carts and secure it for off loading. The hatch popped with a hiss and a ramp slid down. For a moment there was no movement in the dark interior. Then a small young mech appeared in the doorway holding two tiny terrifiedly clinging little sparklings in his arms. He looked exhausted and before he could take a step medics hurried up and took the infants. He nodded and looked inside, their conversation low and tense.

Another medic took the youngling's arm and gently led him down the ramp as more began to emerge. They carried babies, toddlers and led infants by their servos. The babies were silent like refugee babies often were, all cried out and weary to their superstructure. The older younglings looked ragged and disconsolate, all of them going where they were told without comment.

Gypsy commed for emergency help from the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital, all of it coming in runabouts that would load up, fly swiftly and land on their rooftop to discharge the wan group into emergency care. Prime watched without expression, his insides churning as infant after toddler after youngling emerged. They were gathered by soldiers and medics, by civilians who were working nearby or passing. Overhead, the sound of runabouts could be heard and they landed next to the ship, their hatches opening and personnel emerging. They ran to where Gypsy stood directing the entire affair. By the time they loaded everyone up, there were 32 infants, 15 toddlers, 31 younglings and 4 sub adults in the group.

"Alor, please go and find out what the frag this means," Prime said, his optics never leaving the scene.

Alor nodded and ran forward jumping into a runabout. It lifted off and was gone. The group stood staring at the ship as Jazz climbed in to retrieve the logs. He was inside a while and then stepped out, grim faced and tense. Walking to Prime, the group gathered. "Optimus, these babies have genitors. Their genitors were taken aboard the 'Con's ships for insurance."

Optimus Prime nodded grimly.

-0-On the way out of the University

They rode the elevator down and ambled out pausing as they saw runabouts landing on the roof of the hospital nearby. Prowl froze and commed Prime. Seconds later, he tapped Ratchet's arm. "Come with me," he said as he broke into a run. Ratchet ran along behind him.

-0-Out there

They flashed back, their data sweep clear on the size and scope of the migration. They had calibrated to count ships, estimate numbers on board ships, define which ships were on their last legs and needful of help and to make a general prediction of the condition of the refugees. They also had a number of the ships that appeared to be with the Decepticon contingent. All of it was sent to the catchers who 'unrolled' it, rewound it in a more friendly shape and shot it like bullets into the space bridge. When that was done, the entire contingent of Seekers turned and almost as one flashed into the vortex and were gone.

-0-Tarmac, Autobot City, Mars

Prime listened as Jazz began to retrieve and supply information from the database of the ship he had just downloaded. He gave it in bursts, waiting as his programming deciphered and cleared data. "They are the infants of a half a dozen ships of mechs and femmes who were taken as insurance by the 'Cons." He paused as if to listen. "They managed to leave the infants and others were allowed to gather the children. They were flown in a ship at the front of the migration where they could be taken care of and protected." Pause. "There are fifty or more adults in custody and I would say more. The data is not fully decoded. I need equipment. But suffice it to say, Optimus, these kids are the children of hostages. The migration wanted them saved."

Prime nodded. "Frag," he whispered. He paused as if listening to a conversation. "I have dispatched Prowl and Ratchet to the hospital. I want to know what is going on. Jazz, go and break it all down. We want to know what is happening."

Jazz nodded and turned running, Mirage with him.

Prime turned to Kup and Springer. "Organize a powerhouse force. I want them to be ready and in orbit to go at my call."

They nodded and turned hurrying away.

"Jetta, get the city ready for a retrieval. Have them on standby. What is the status of the prison and the new extension?" Prime asked grimly.

"It is go, Optimus. I will alert Springer to have it manned and ready to operate immediately," Jetta said.

Prime nodded. He turned to Flint. "I want you in charge of the prisons. Have Alor help you. He has experience in riot control if I remember right."

Flint nodded. "Consider it done, Prime."

Prime nodded. He watched as Barron hurried toward them pausing by Prime. "What can I do, sir? I hear there is a problem."

"You can stand by, Barron. We want this done legally. We have a hostage situation and an unknown number of hostiles. We are activating the prison and you need to coordinate with Flint, who I have appointed to manage that situation," Prime said.

Barron glanced at Flint and nodded. "I am your servant, Prime," he said nodding his helm respectfully.

The sound of Prowl running toward them drew all optics and they waited as he caught up, Alor behind him. Pausing, turning to Optimus, Prowl looked at him with grim optics. "There are hunter groups in this mix of Decepticons. Some of the worst. There are also a lot of bounty hunters, freelance commanders and shock troops. They mean business and they brought fire power. The younglings who flew the ship and managed the infants can only tell what they remember around shock, sir. But this is a very, very bad group of 'Cons."

Prime nodded. "Then we must be very, very careful."

-0-Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

The humans, some of them scientists, some soldiers and a couple of film crews jetted into the emergency section of the great facility moving out of the way to watch. Jessie and Aisha spending the weekend on Mars watched gravely as the sound of crying babies and exhausted whining toddlers filled the room. Ratchet was directing the intake and the babies were getting gentle handling. The younglings with them sat dejectedly, a couple crying and others trying to hold up for the younger ones.

Drift was talking to the two oldest who had flown the ship. When he had all the younglings could provide, he turned with a nod to Ratchet and walked out grimly. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had come at the call for medics, assisting as they did all of the little ones. Then the call for soldiers came and they turned to go. The segways followed but the big mechs didn't see them so intent were they to get to the airfield.

:Ratchet!:

He turned and looked downward. :Jessie. Aisha. Hi:

:What's happening? Why are these babies like this?: Jessie asked.

:We have a new migration. It's not going well:

:How can we help you?: Aisha asked.

Ratchet knelt. :Stay back and don't get stepped on accidentally. I'm glad you are here: he said soothingly.

:So are we. We're good to help you. Just say the word: Jessie said with great emotion.

Ratchet grinned. :That's my girls: With that, he turned and got back to the task at hand. When the call came to go himself, he turned and ran as fast as he could to the airfield.

-0-At the airfield

The ships were filling with soldiers, the nonchalance and professionalism of the troops staggeringly impressive to the civilian humans gathered there. The film crews were hard at it recording the event. Soldiers gathered, their gear and weapons in servos. Seekers came to the field and received their assignments from the Master of the Muster. When Ratchet arrived at a dead run, he paused beside the command group. When the word was given, he turned and ran for Kappa who would be the hospital platform for the battle group.

Drift arrived and turned to Prime. "The younglings are in shock but they say the 'Cons joined them late in the group. There are very bad elements, sir. Hunter groups, bounty hunters, late recruits in the war. Most of these troops were criminals in the gangs and rackets before they were forced into service. They are not going to be easily swayed or defeated. The younglings aren't clear on the number of their families taken but it seems to number about 400-450. The migration gathered the children to a good ship but they weren't allowed to put adults with them. The oldest younglings have been doing all the work, care and flying with the assistance over the radio of the lead ships. They sent the babies off, taking that chance because they aren't in a good way."

Prime nodded. They stood together silently grim and then Prime looked around. "Autobots," he said, his gaze holding with Starscream. "Let's roll out."

Starscream nodded and with that, the High Command of the Autobot Armed Forces including the Senior Air Commander, the Master of the Armed Forces, the Second-In-Command of the Armed Forces, a former General and Master of the Armed Forces and the last duly chosen Prime of Cybertron turned themselves toward war.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	51. Chapter 51

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 51

=0=The Muster

The film crews arranged themselves as they arrived from following their soldiers to the airfield. Some of the big mechs had pulled their weapons from their homes, their dojo or their work site. They had hurried to the airfield gathering with comrades as they awaited ship assignment. Xantium stood nearby and all Wreckers were ordered to report who had been called up. They stood with Kup and Springer, relaxed, laughing and calm.

:These fuckers are going for combat. Look at them: Jack Mellar said to no one in particular. They all agreed anyway.

Nearby tethered to small carts to boost her power, the incredible Kappa awaited. Supplies for the hospital were being stowed inside and she accommodated them memorizing their contents to facilitate locating them for use once in battle. Ratchet was inside organizing the arrangement for racks of berths and two surgical stations in the rear of Kappa's vast hold. Gypsy ran up the ramp and paused by him. "I'm going on Xantium."

"Am I surprised and do you have permission?" he asked with a grin.

"No and no," she said smirking. "They are mine and I am theirs."

"Well, remember that Comet, Turbo and Cambo also are yours, etc," Ratchet replied.

She nodded and paused. "Do you really think they will fight?"

Ratchet considered that and nodded. "I think they will."

She vented a sigh and shrugged. "Well, we will just fight back. Wreck 'n Rule."

He looked at the tattoo on her shoulder that said just that and grinned. "One riot, one Wrecker."

She grinned and turned heading for the ramp, disappearing into the gathering and carefully choreographed chaos outside. He considered her loyal good sparked soul. Then he turned and continued to do his part of the problem before takeoff.

-0-On the tarmac with The Hourly News: Breaking News

"Gen-O, I missed speaking to the Prime. He's already boarded Zeta. But it would appear that there is a big problem with this migration. Apparently, and all of this is just preliminary … a large contingent of Decepticons are among them and there may or not be a hostage situation. I talked a moment ago with Chief of Intelligence and Prime spokesmech, Jazz."

(Cut to Ops Center. Mirage is working on data on Teletraan III as Jazz pauses)

"Jazz, what can you tell us?" Jacz asked.

"Not much at the moment," Jazz said. "We have a situation that is still developing in the new migration. We are sorting out what information we have received and retrieved from the situation on site. But not much is known yet about them or their intentions."

"We have been watching the construction of a new prison to the east of the airfield. What is the story there and have you had reason to expect trouble for a while now?" Jacz asked.

"We always expect trouble and when we don't have it, then all is good. Right now, we want to have options. We were aware of Decepticons for some time now. We didn't get a good vibe from these so we decided to boost our options just in case."

"There is a call up going on outside. The Master of the Muster has nothing to tell us. What do you know?"

"We have had a military response available for every migration that has come through. For some, there is shootin' and sortin' out things. For most, there is only a peaceful landing. That is what we're aimin' for here."

"When can we expect more information?" Jacx asked.

"We're not sure. The battle group will go through the bridge and assess things there. The best part of this situation is simple. We have a bridge and a huge professional army. They can't win."

"Thank you, Jazz. Back to you in the studio, Gen-O."

-0-On the airfield

They loaded their ships, three Arks along with the ones already commissioned. Several hundred Seekers heavily armed with rockets, among their numbers boarding specialists gathered with their clan chieftains and bonds, some holding infants in arms. The war cries of their clans rang up into the air, echoing against the Fortress. When they accomplished their emotional solidarity, they launched, most of them straight upward.

Old Seekers, venerable individuals, their tattoos and scars testimony of their long fabled existences standing with their emblematic decorated staff in servo watched proudly as the younglings of their tribes and clans lifted off. They called them out, their ululations rising upward with their younglings. A crowd began to gather and the atmosphere was electric as the flotilla was hurrahed by those who would have to wait for their return.

Tie Down stood on the edge of the tarmac with Ravel watching as the ship bearing their son gathered up to go into battle. They were solemn as they watched. Ravel stepped closer to Tie and looked up. "He will come back just fine. He's a doctor. No one would harm a doctor."

Tie looked down and nodded. "Even Megatron wasn't that stupid. Our boy was never on the kill list, Ravie. He will help all our soldiers to come back."

Ravel nodded. "He is going out with Prime after all. I know he will come back in good order."

"He will." It was silent a moment. "We will have to get the babies shortly. Poor Ironhide, having to put Hero in the sparkling nursery."

"We will take care of them," Ravel said firmly. "She will stay with her atar after this is over. Ironhide is so proud to have her with him. He's a good atar, our Ironhide."

Tie grinned. "He is."

They stood watching the battle group until they lifted off to go. Then they walked back to their store to finish up replacing things back where they belonged.

-0-At the prison

Alor stood with Flint and Jetta as the logistics of the prison were given by the assistant construction boss. Scar, Payload and Bulkhead were with the fleet. They walked here and there, poking this and that as they learned how the prison would function. From the sounds of the inmates coming, they would need all the force they could muster.

"What about isolation?" Alor asked.

Jetta considered that. "I thought the brig was for that."

"It could be, Jetta, but what if they're are too many to put there? We have very bad mechs coming," Alor suggested.

"You're right," Jetta said. He turned to the assistant and began to work out the details on a very high security facility nearby. It would be in order when the battle group came back.

-0-The humans

They stood watching, all of the humans on Mars present. They gathered on top of the storage and shipping crates that had names of places and transport lines from Earth. The view was perfect, safe and all of them watched intently. Many still filmed. Most stood and commented now and again as the battle group gathered.

:So this is what war looks like: Aaron Belcher said. :We never see this. It is never shown on Earth:

:I hate this. What if our bots get killed?: Lenora said.

:They won't: Jack Mellar said.

:How do you know that?: Lenora asked.

:I don't. I just have a feeling: Mellar replied. Then the sound of hundreds of Seekers lifting off all together made conversation moot.

They lifted in groups, hundreds jumping upward and transforming. They blasted off in a flurry of fire, their engine blow back nearly wiping the crates completely clean of humans. Huddling together, hanging on tightly, they rode it out. When they straightened, the big ships began to pull up their ramps. The Arks lifted off with a roar and rose straight up until disappearing. Then the Guardians followed, Kappa, Gamma and Zeta. Xantium followed along with three battle cruisers that looked fast and deadly.

They rose straight up and vanished as well. When they did, the airfield looked empty and the silence was almost painful. They stood staring up a while, then looked around the field. Groups were still working getting ready to receive refugees as the elder Seekers turned to walk back to the city. The humans would stay and watch for a while.

-0-In the upper atmosphere

They climbed finding their designated parking orbit as the flotilla began to form up in battle configuration. Starscream would command the flights from Zeta. Xantium would hold the Wreckers and other shock troops. They would align themselves in battle with the Seeker boarding specialists. Exercises together had honed a close working relationship between the two groups.

The Trigger held its position in space, the energy flow from the sled shooting out to drill the hole that led to the disaster forming on the other end of time. By the time Gamma rounded Mars and found itself alongside the Trigger, Prime ordered Starscream to send in the scouts. A group of very fast heavily armed Seekers broke off and shot through the aperture. When they did, the rest formed up around the Guardians. Prime sat on a bench staring at the center table that held the roll up datapad that would outline the entire procedure. Once they crossed into the end zone of the space bridge, it would reset to that reality from this one. A sound crackled and the scouts reported.

"Sabre 1 to Flight Control."

"Flight Control," Starscream's voice said over the open line. "Report."

"The migration is stopped. The target is arrayed starboard. We detect weapons online."

"Sabre 1, any lights?"

"Not yet, Flight Control."

"Stand by. Flight Control to Prime."

"Prime here, Flight Control."

"They're setting up to fight. I would suggest a power move. Meet their force with our own."

Prime considered that. "I am in agreement. Then we are go."

"Affirmative," Starscream replied. "Sabre 1."

"Sabre 1 here."

"Red Wing, format plan A. Wait for us. You are our optics."

"Affirmative."

"We are go, Prime," Starscream said.

"Go. We are go." Prime sat back as the great vessel accelerated forward and as he watched, they fell into the great energy vortex crossing time and space for war.

-0-Kappa

Ratchet stood at the view port and watched as the ship leaped forward. Goldwing and several medics stood with him as well. The stars smeared and then the energy of the Trigger filled their view. It was greenish-blue for the merest of seconds, then the stars were back.

There was also streaks of energy. The other side was shooting.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"We are working to retrieve our people and contain the menace of the enemy, Colonel, General. Our broadcasts will be heavily censored of any mention of these actions for now. When things are clear and locked down, we will brief you completely.."

"What does the outcome look like, Mirage?" General Glenn Morshower asked.

"We are not allowing the Decepticons to come through the gate without meeting our rather lengthy list of requirements. What is worrisome is the fate of the hostages. We have their children. Now we have to rescue them."

"You do understand that we will do what we can. All you have to do is ask," Colonel John Fulton, commandant of Diego Garcia said. Morshower nodded.

"Thank you both," Mirage said nodding. "That is extremely meaningful to us. We appreciate you both a great deal."

"And we, you," Morshower said. "I hope you keep us updated. We will pray for everyone."

Mirage nodded. "Thank you, gentlemen." A sound of beeping caught his attention and he signed off. Turning, taking a datapad, Mirage considered the information. They had crossed fully over to the other side and apparently were met with bullets. Not a good way to start, he considered. Being stuck here sucked too. He walked back to Teletraan III and sat monitoring the flood of information coming back through the aperture.

It would be a long wait.

-0-Prison

They worked under spotlights digging, building, attaching and firing up. The most serious malcontents would be placed here under greater scrutiny as well as longer proximity to the others. The last thing needed was trouble in a prison. Nothing could touch the last riot and they wanted it to stay that way. Jetta directed the construction from a hastily designed plan with Grapple. It would take joors before they tested the bars but when they did it would be perfection.

-0-In the mix

They came through the aperture, an imposing force with fighters flying alongside big warships like limpet fish on the body of a shark. The Guardians broke to one side and flew toward the mass of civilian ships that were bunched together. When they did, a blast occurred as a Decepticon battle cruiser shot their way out of the wall of civilians who had been their shield. They fired on Kappa, Gamma and Zeta as they did.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	52. Chapter 52

NOTE: Hello, darlings. :D :D :D Just a short message to tell you that the segments are in order but their numbers at the top of the pieces are off. I have 50 and 51 on two of them and not 40 and 41. If I think I can fix it, I will. Don't worry about them. The story is in the right order. :D :D :D Hugs to all notes written by readers. YOU ARE AWESOME! -me

=0=And now, ON WITH IT!

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 42

=0=On the other side of time

They came through the aperture, an imposing force with fighters flying alongside big warships like limpet fish on the body of a shark. The Guardians broke to one side and flew toward the mass of civilian ships that were bunched together. When they did, a blast occurred as a Decepticon battle cruiser shot their way out of the wall of civilians who had been their shield. They fired on Kappa, Gamma and Zeta as they did.

-Ratchet

He stood by the window staring into the darkness. The bright energy of the space bridge immediately surrounded them filling the view port with incandescent light. It rippled and dazzled, then the blackness of space returned. He felt Kappa turn hard left and as he did the sweep of lights as far as the optic could see smeared for a second …

-Red Wing

He shot through the aperture leading half the Seeker flight, splitting them with Cloud Burst who took the other half. The lights of the civilian ships were straight ahead and he veered toward them intending to flash past and run down the side making his half of the encirclement …

-Cloud Burst

He was with Red Wing and then they parted, the pulsing energy of the space bridge replacing itself with the massive tension of the hundreds of mechanisms that parted to go with him. He heard the younger ones, the newest fighters calling out. /... steady, younglings .../ he told them. /... steady .../ …

-Zeta

He held his precious cargo, his beloved Autobots and the civilians who were also aboard to do the work of The One among the suffering. Starscream and Thundercracker sat in his hold directing their part of the rescue plan. The notion at one time would have been unthinkable, the idea of Decepticons and Autobots acting for the common good something he never thought he would see. But it was so and he turned toward the migration as he hurled out with his siblings just as an energy burst stitched his side...

-0-Gypsy

She stood by the window on Xantium, her little medical kit with her name in copper glyphs by her peds. Her children and bond had given it to her when she was named head of femme and infant medicine for the planet. She treasured it. Their images were pasted inside the cover so that each time she opened it she saw their beautiful smiles. She thought of them as Xantium turned left, then rolled. The artificial gravity features of the big mechanism prevented her from being an oil stain on the far wall.

Xantium dived below his siblings as the four big mechanisms began evasive maneuvers...

-Ratchet

"Hang on," he said with a calm voice. The medics with him were veterans of the migration reclamations but not of war. Other than Gullwing on the Zeta, no one on the medical team was a veteran of combat. "Hang on," he repeated as Kappa began to roll and dive at the same time …

-Prime

He felt the great mechanism roll and swerve upward to dodge the blinding light of incoming fire. The massive ship flew upward and rolled again. They watched the breakup of the battle group into evasive maneuvers even as they saw several ships from the migration burn furiously for a flash of seconds and then wink out, parts floating away in the aftermath.

They had been shields for the Decepticons and they had paid a price. At least 12 ships had been destroyed when the Decepticon vessels burst from their trap and waded in against them. Seekers flew in complex patterns swooping in with deadly fire and swooping out before they could have firing mechanisms lock upon their heat signatures.

They rolled again and as they did, Prime looked at Prowl. "At the first moment you can, go to another ship. We can't be caught out on the same vessel."

Prowl nodded, his emotions buried under the fury of his computers locking on every living moving thing beyond the windows and plotting countermeasures for every possible outcome they could expect...

-0-Ratchet

He hung on as Kappa rolled again noting fire incoming. Some of it was close to where he stood so he turned and looked at the others. They stood clinging to the hull looking at him with frightened but determined expressions. "It will be alright. This is Kappa Supreme. She is a genius."

They looked at him and then nodded, glancing at each other as they did. If Ratchet said so, then it must be so …

-0-Red Wing

He arced over the mass of rubble that had been ships and fired on the tail of 'Con vessels raging against the Guardians. The comm traffic was tamped down, the unit commanders holding sway over their members. Most of the flight were grizzled veterans but some of them weren't. They were paired with those who knew what they were doing and the call was for them to fall back and guard a perimeter. No one wanted them killed from inexperience.

They fell back and around the migration for literally miles and miles youngling Seekers hovered, their guns trained forward to the fighting that was brutally continuing around the space bridge.

-0-Starscream

He sat with Thundercracker directing the Seekers through a number of formal patterns of attack and retreat that wore out an opponent and offered a quick 'bleed to death' hope of victory. The younglings were giving the rest of the migration the sense of protection by withdrawing to the perimeter and facing inward against anyone running away. That was the best they could do at the moment. This was for veterans and he itched to join them. "Thundercracker, if you wish to join battle, you may do so."

Thundercracker looked at Starscream and nodded. "I have to go."

Starscream nodded and they paused a moment...

-0-Cloud Burst

He turned in a spiral pattern laying a line of bullet holes down the hull of a three mech fighter. Flying in a tight circle, he came back around and shot them again. They trailed bits and pieces for a moment before exploding, the brief burst of light dying off in vacuum.

/... one fragger down, zillions to go.../ He flew with brutal haste toward the next target, his two wingmechs on his tail...

-Ratchet

"Kappa, are you hurt?" he asked.

"I am injured," her beautiful voice replied. "In my undercarriage. I can feel an energon loss."

"I am on it," Ratchet said. He turned and grabbed a medic kit geared for Guardian mechanisms. He ran to the center of the hold and gripped a hatch handle on the floor. Turning it, it opened and he pulled it back. Down the steel ladder he slid and pausing, the lights flickering, he saw the damage. Someone had shot her full of holes. The darkness of the world outside with the occasional burst of light could be seen through them.

He gripped his kit, magnetized to the floor and hurried to where she was wounded. It would take long tense moments to patch her and ensure that she was sound once more. A rerouting of energon from the emergency tanks nearby would energize the big mechanism for the duration...

-Ironhide

He listened to the Seeker traffic understanding some of it and not others. They were using the two languages they used in combat. One was Cybertronian Standard and the other was their own ancient tongue that he had found out was the clan language of Breezy. That pacifist youngling's clan was deeply respected and because of its isolation from mainstream Cybertronian life, his language was the perfect lingua franca for their clandestine chat. No one outside of Seekerdom knew it, especially Megatron.

**"COME AROUND! NOW!"**

"**I HAVE HIM!"**

"**HE'S ON ME! COME AROUND!"**

"**I SEE IT! HANG ON!"**

It made his tanks churn. It had been a while since they had actually had combat risky enough to endanger anyone on their side. Now they were in the thick of it and he was stuck on the ship as it spiraled about evading the mass of small ships that had billowed out of their cowardly hiding place to attack them.

They sat and listened, fingered their weapons and waited for their turn. For Ironhide vowed, they would have their turn …

-Kup

He sat on a bench against the wall in Xantium, the great Guardian vessel their own favored transport. He bore the Wrecker tat on his giant fuselage and a slightly bored expression on his face. Xantium, he knew was tough, smart and battle tested. He was slagging perfect. The others sat around listening to the radio traffic, watching the flashes outside and leaning with Xantium as he turned, twisted, went up and went down.

"The rate this is going, there won't be anything left for us," Sandstorm said quietly. He glanced at his 'little missy'. "Are you alright, Gypsy?" he asked. Everyone turned to look at the pretty little femme standing utterly still by the window.

She turned and looked at him solemnly. "I am okay, Sandstorm. How are you?"

He grinned at her, 'his' little partner, his femme, their chosen medic. "I'm good. This is not going to be as bad as the last time." He looked at the twins. "Sunstreaker and Sideswipe won't need us to save their afts."

The others grinned as the twins shook their helms. "Where the frag were you when we were fighting the 'Cons single-handedly?" Sideswipe said nudging Sandstorm's ped with his own.

"I was hanging with my medic here," Sandstorm said nodding to the little femme who had turned and was listening, a slight smile on her face. "When everyone else left, Gypsy stayed. She wouldn't go. Little Missy can wreck with the best of them. Check out her tat."

They looked at her and she turned her arm. It was there below the Autobrand and the poem about her children. "I got to have one. Thank you, Kup. It makes me feel better."

"You being here, Little Missy, makes the rest of us feel better." He looked at all of them, then he stuck his stogie in his mouth. Fixing a 'listen up, plebes' expression on his face, he said in his best drill instructor voice. "This little femme has two younglings. She gets home in one piece. No one leaves her and she doesn't leave without one of us."

"That's my job, Kup," Sandstorm said with a grin. "Little femme is mine, right Gypsy?"

She grinned and nodded. "Right," she said with a smile...

-In the migration

The refugee migration was backing up, ships making way for others to retreat. They were massed together, the Decepticons tightening their grip so that casualties would be enormous if the shooting started. The 'Cons had come to the head of the migration and off loaded more hostages into the mass of ships beyond the refugee group. Positioning their fighters and small battle shuttles behind the now empty civilian ships, they waited. Either way things went, they had bartering chips. It was a win-win for them they reasoned in their cold-blooded logic.

When the Autobots came through the aperture, they were ready. They shot a hole through their facade and flew forward determined to inflict enough damage at the start to ensure a better bargaining position later.

The 2200 added hostages … mechs, a few femmes, infants, younglings, sub adults, elderly … they would help too …

-Ratchet

He clambered back up and took stock. His team was grim faced and the frenzy of battle continued. He walked to the window and gripped the wall hanger planting himself as only a medical vehicle could. Glancing at a very young medic on his first frontline duty, Ratchet nodded. "Are you alright, youngling?"

He glanced at Ratchet and nodded. "I am."

Ratchet grinned. "You will get better at this. The first time in battle is scary. Allow yourself your feelings and emotion. It makes the next time easier."

He looked at Ratchet. "How many battles have you seen, Ratchet?"

Ratchet considered that. It was actually possible for him to calculate from his databases the exact number. "Well, I could do the math but suffice it to say, there are suns that were born, lived and died that can't match my longevity in battle."

"Were you ever scared?" The youngling's face was gray but determined.

"I often am. Usually for others now. I am less afraid for me," Ratchet replied. "Sometimes I'm not at all. Just really, really mad. What makes it easier for me is focusing on the soldiers. They need me and I have to save them. I can fight and I'm slagging good at it. When I say something," he said raising his voice as he looked around the great room, "you jump. Do you hear me?"

They all nodded.

Ratchet looked at the youngling. "I am the only one here who is rated for firearms and battle. None of you will be involved in any fighting unless I am down or you have to. I will keep the slaggers out. We need you to be able to help the wounded." He paused as Kappa shuddered and rolled again. "Don't be worried, youngling. You're with me. I will keep you alive to do the job."

He nodded. "Will it ever get easier?"

"Maybe," Ratchet said with a grin. "If you don't want this you can tell me next time. It is not a mark against your courage or mechhood to tell me that. I would rather hear it than scrape your body into a sack because you just aren't cut out for combat."

He nodded and vented a sigh. "I will remember that," he said as a row of fire sliced the side of their Guardian.

Ratchet looked up at the leaking seam and sighed himself. "Oh frag," he said as he turned to get his kit once more. "I'm on it, Kappa," he said as he opened the box to find the things he needed.

"Thank you, Ratchet," a deeply feminine voice said over the sound of her hull torsion.

Ratchet worked with the youngling, talking to him as they plastered the holes in the giant's hull once more.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	53. Chapter 53

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 42

=0=Out there

The melee continued as big ships evaded while dozens and dozens of small fighters gave chase. The space in which that the battle took place began to spread out as the Guardians broke in four directions in order to pull apart their attacking forces. The type of fighters they were facing were a newer type of ship not seen before. They were carried mounted on the hulls of heavily armed vessels commonly used by shock troops or hunter groups. They were mounted on the hull, fastened to the ships like barnacles. It was possible for a single vessel to field up to 60 small fighters. They were flown by either one, two or three soldiers. The triple fighter was the most dangerous because two of the soldiers manned heavy guns. They were fast, deadly and as brutal in combat as their larger counterparts.

The Decepticon fleet was a big one, a large group that had left the Empire for greener pastures. The Empire was in decline in their opinion and they were going to find a better spot to rule for themselves. They were following their leader, a very ruthless, determined, cold blooded killer. He had pulled together more like him and he had set out to find a kingdom. How he did it, whether it was already occupied, it didn't matter. He knew what he wanted and he was prepared to do anything to get it.

It was his entire raison d'etre.

-0-In the mix

The Seekers had destroyed several dozen fighters but they kept coming. Through the aperture came several hundred more Seekers armed with rockets and heavy weapons. They poured into the mix providing cover to the Guardians as they began to form a defensive line in front of the bridge. As the format of defense began to coalesce, five Arks bristling with guns poured through the bridge and thundered directly toward the migration destroying the fighters as they flew. They flew upward and then onward passing over the mass of ships, their sensors scanning the entire structure for Decepticon signals.

Prime sat in Gamma watching the datapad, noting that Seekers were being pulled into Kappa with injuries. He was tense and silent as Prowl directed the ships, offering objectives that were beginning to pay off. The enemy fighters began to pull back and nearly a dozen of them re-entered the migration.

"Ark 23 to Prowl."

"Prowl here."

"Sir, we have about a dozen fighters in the migration as well as seventeen enemy ships scattered about. The entire migration is infected. Over."

"Affirmative. Continue with the plan. Over."

"Affirmative. Ark 23, out."

They sat quietly, both Prime and Prowl scrutinizing the battle flow with Ironhide. It was beginning to pull into stalemate. That is, the Decepticons were finding out that the cost of continuing at this rate was becoming extremely expensive. The lines on the datapad were beginning to set into a pattern with the majority portion of the Decepticon force pulling away to regroup near a broken field of large asteroids.

The migration was utterly quiet, the ships holding to radio silence, either from 'Con orders or because of fright. Prime had no opportunity to know which was which until they went inside that mass to see for themselves. That was Plan C. Right now, Plan A was still being borne out.

-0-Outside

Red Wing disabled a fighter harassing Zeta when the Arks burst through the vortex entering their space at a ridiculous speed. They flashed over the main battle and headed in the direction of the migration. Before they came through, several hundred more Seekers streaked out and began to engage the enemy. The scene instantly became complicated as the battle began to turn toward the Autobots. The fighters began to fall back, bringing the chaos closer to their own front lines.

:Sabre 1:

:Sabre 1 here:

:Don't be pulled in. When they turn to run do not follow:

:Affirmative, Control. Sabre 1 out:

Starscream leaned back watching as the lines began to form up. The fighters were turning, pulling back into the most accurate firing zone of the ships. The Seekers didn't follow but sent their missiles and rockets roaring into the kill zone of the Decepticon front lines. Explosions from hits of ships or countermeasures flared like spots on the surface of the sun. They were brilliant and then gone.

:Sabre 1:

:Sabre 1 here:

:Surround the migration as per plan 3 affective in 2 breems:

:Affirmative, Control. Sabre 1 out: Red Wing said. His indicator light on the datapad turned and flew onward, pulling dozens of Seekers away with him.

:Sabre 2:

:Sabre 2: Cloud Burst said.

:Make a defensive line around the Guardians. Make them pay if they dare to challenge it:

:Affirmative, Control. Sabre 2 out:

Starscream sat back and watched as the dragnet closed around the migration with three sides under their control and one, the Decepticons. :Starscream to Prime:

:Prime here:

:We are drawing the string:

:Affirmative. Stand by:

:Affirmative: Starscream said nodding. He watched as the Arks came around and with the Guardians forming up made a half circle of terrible doom in front of the space bridge aperture.

It was stalemate.

-0-Ratchet

The ship seemed to bend in half as Kappa ducked downward. Outside the windows, the nearly invisible streak of Seekers flashing past chasing fighters seemed surreal to the younglings and civilians inside who watched. They hung on as the great vessel turned slowing to a stop in a mass of armed ships and Seekers. They were arrayed before the space bridge coming together before the migration and near enough to the Decepticon armada to make them pay big time for any foolhardy moves. He turned and looked at his crew. "Get ready. They're coming."

As he sat that, the hull hatch parted and wounded began to arrive.

-0-Stalemate

The fighters retreated to their ships and began to attach to the hulls. Evidently, the pilots and crews entered through a hatch at their attachments because there was no sign of visual activity of crew around the ship or the fighters. Prowl arose, took another datapad and walking to the hull hatch of Gamma. As he did, the great orange hull of an Ark appeared in the view port rising up beneath Gamma like a massive whale. Prowl glanced at Prime and nodded, then popped the hatch. He stepped out pushing off hard, clearing the distance between Gamma and Ark 4. A mech pulled him in and the hull shuttered once more.

He would go to the command deck and assume his duties there. It would not due for both C.O.'s to be caught out on the same ship. When he plugged back in, an officer's conference was going on.

-0-Prime

"We have stalemate. We have to get our people out of here. Any suggestions without drawing this into more fighting than we already have."

"We have shown them firepower equal or exceeding their own. I think we need to find out who they are," Ironhide suggested. "That might help decide what we do here. They have already infiltrated the refugees. This problem is pretty spread out."

"I agree," Starscream said, his voice coming from the speaker system. "It could be that they don't know what they are facing with us. Then again, we don't know who they are either."

"Communication is a first step," Prowl said, his voice coming from the same place."We need to know who we are dealing with."

Prime nodded. "Gamma, put me online."

"Affirmative, Prime," a deeply masculine voice said. There was a pause. "The link is established."

Prime paused a moment thinking through things, then sat back. "Enemy force, this is Optimus Prime, the Prime of Cybertron and bearer of the Creation Matrix. Identify yourself."

It was silent a moment, then a harsh mocking voice was heard. "Optimus Prime ... long time no speak."

"Identify yourself," Prime repeated sternly.

"I am hurt, Prime. *Hurt*. You don't remember me. How about you ask Fortress Maximus about me," he said.

It was silent a moment but Prime knew Prowl was messaging Ops Center on the other end. In a matter of moments, the voice would be playing for Fort Max. The bridge of Ark 4 was silent as Prowl stood at the table near the conn waiting. The message came back and Prowl winced. He sent it onward to Prime. That worthy listened to it and glanced at Ironhide. "Why should I know who you are?"

A humorless chuckle filtered in. "You know me. Word has it that Fort Max and Metroplex are with you. Its easy to see that the Guardians are and a number of Arks. Nice firepower by the way. You know who I am."

"Slagger has an ego problem," Ironhide said coldly. "Needs a slagging."

Prime nodded and settled back considering his next words. "I know who you are. You are trespassing in our zone of influence. You have committed crimes against that sovereignty by attacking and hindering a migration of our people. Withdraw and end this so we can bring them to safety and medical attention."

"And what will you give me if I do?" the voice asked.

"Your life," Prime answered quietly.

A harsh dry laugh greeted that. "You know better than that."

"Who is this fragger?" Ironhide asked glancing at Prime.

"I know who he is," Starscream said over the intra-ship comm line.

"Who?" Ironhide asked.

"He's Overlord," Starscream replied.

It was silent for a moment. "Frag," Ironhide said quietly.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

He sat digesting the news, his irate emotions dialed down. Overlord was harassing their people. He was harassing his Autobots. His ire was stupendous. They had a score to settle. But not now. He knew even as he understood the totality of the situation that the city and the soldiers would come first.

"Max?"

He cleared his helm. "Affirmative."

"We need the data, buddy," Swerve said as he sat at the comm station.

"Affirmative," Fortress Maximus said as he ran the numbers requested.

-0-Out there

"What do I get to go away, Prime?" the mocking voice said. "My life? Really?"

"Give up the hostages, leave this space and we won't kill you," Prime said coldly.

"I like this space. In fact, I think I'm going to set up housekeeping here," the voice said. "I also think I'm going to keep my guests. At least for a while. I've grown to become fond of them."

"Give up the hostages and you can go peacefully," Prime reiterated.

"We don't care about peace, Prime. It's so dull. It's so unprofitable. I want you to understand me."

"And you need to understand me," Prime said, his voice glacial. "If one of the hostages gets harmed, I will personally kill you."

"I'll tell you what, Prime. As a gift to you, I will give you some of the guests. I will give them to you and pull out. I saw a nice place nearby that will make a great base. We're going to be there. How about that? You want refugees? I will give you some," he said and then the line went dead.

"What the frag now?" Ironhide said. "That slagger isn't going to be giving us living refugees is he?"

"I don't know. Starscream."

"Here, Prime."

"Have some of your Seekers ready to fly in swiftly."

"Affirmative." Pause. "They are ready at your command."

"Affirmative," Prime said as they sat staring with foreboding at the screen.

Nothing happened for a moment; then a ship broke free and slowly made an approach. It was a small runabout vessel that made its way toward the Autobot lines. It slowed and stopped about halfway there. Sitting in space, its lights pulsing, a hatch finally opened. Half a dozen small bundles were tossed out and floated away. The hatch closed and the ship turned hurrying back to the Decepticon fleet.

"You have your refugees. We have to go now. We have a base to build," the harsh voice said. Then the line was cut and the fleet began to pull back.

At that moment, a cry came over the intercomm.** "OPTIMUS! OPTIMUS! THOSE ARE SPARKLINGS!"** Prowl shouted over the line.

For a moment, no one moved. Then all hell broke out.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	54. Chapter 54

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 44

=0=Out there

Then all hell broke out.

Starscream slammed his servo against the hatch release and was transforming outside before anyone else could move from their seat or station. He flew as fast as he could streaking past Gamma on his way to open space. As he did, several dozen Seekers were already there, all of them moving to converge on a tiny group of helpless infants who floated alone, their little arms and legs moving in the emptiness of space. There was no up or down, just the vacuum and they struggled to find something to touch.

They had been torn from their adas and atars, taken screaming through a ship to a hatch where they were handed off to a fighter pilot. He had flown out to where he was ordered and with a sinking spark even for a battle hardened wretch tossed the babies into the darkness of space. He paused a moment, then turned and flew backward watching on his sensors for someone, anyone to come get them. It was the lowest thing he had ever done in a lifetime of terrible horrible things.

Even he knew it.

-0-Prowl

He stood riveted to the deck, his optics fixed on the screen above him. Six little wriggling infants were floating in the cold and dark, tossed away like garbage. Nothing he had seen in a very long time had been so disturbing. The sweet faces of Kaon, Miracle and the femmes came into his mind as he watched the Seekers streaking toward them. His spark felt like it had guttered when the data came back proclaiming who the little bundles were.

:Optimus: he said quietly.

:They are rescuing them, Prowl. I will send them to Gypsy: Optimus replied, his own spark fluttering with an agonized surprise at the sight. :It will be alright:

:Their genitors have to be insane with fear right now: Prowl replied as he tried to pull himself together.

:We will get them all back: Prime leaned forward as he watched the Seekers converge on the tiny figures. They slowed, some of them grabbing an infant each as others formed a wall with massive firepower directed toward the Decepticons. When they were tucked into the cockpits of their rescuers, the entire bunch turned and flashed back to Autobot lines.

:Starscream: Prime called.

:We have them, Optimus: Starscream replied.

:Take them to Xantium. Gypsy is aboard: Prime said.

:Affirmative: The group turned slightly heading to the big Guardian with the infant expert. They flew toward it slowing as they arrived. The hatch opened and the bearers of sparklings transformed, floating with a sparkling in their arms.

Gypsy leaned out and took a baby, turning to hand it off to Sideswipe. Another went to Sunstreaker and the rest to four other mechs. Starscream stepped inside and the hatch closed, the atmosphere pressurizing once more. When the atmosphere was present, the infants cries could be heard. They were crying hysterically as they clung to the mechs who held them. Gypsy took a device to scan them and looked at the mechs who held them. "They are terrified, in pretty good condition but hungry."

Sideswipe looked at the little mech he held, then turned and walked to the bench nearby. Sitting, he drew a feeding tube out and cuddled the baby for a moment. It looked at him with a terrified expression and broke into cries of despair and fright again. He sat rocking the infant as Sunstreaker and the others walked up and down trying to comfort the infants.

Kup stood by the window watching, Springer, Drift and Sandstorm beside him. "This is fragged. What sort of fragger throws babies into vacuum? What sort of fragger takes babies away from their genitors?"

"We know," Drift said with a hard expression. "This is Overlord. He is the worst of the worst. You have to look at Sixshot or the Reapers to find someone worse."

"He's a dead fragger. It may take time but he's gone," Sunstreaker said pausing. The little infant on his shoulder had calmed a little but he looked around with panicked optics. He looked at Sunstreaker and tweeted. Sunstreaker cuddled him, patting his little aft. "You will be alright. We'll find your genitors, baby," he said quietly.

"He's mine, that fragger," Kup said quietly. "Mine."

"No. You are mistaken," Starscream said with an ominous tone. "He is mine."

-0-Gamma

"Prime, they are retrieved and being cared for," Gamma said.

Optimus relaxed a moment and nodded. "Thank you, Gamma. Can you give us a conference call? Senior officers and the Alpha teams, please."

There was a pause. "You are live, Prime."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you. Starscream?" he said.

"Here, Prime. The infants are little worse for the wear. They are however greatly traumatized from the whole experience. We need to retrieve their genitors as soon as possible."

"I agree. Do you have access to a monitor?" Prime asked. A rap on the door and the hatch slid open to allow a grim Prowl back inside. He walked to the table and sat across from Prime stowing the rolled up datapad in a tube next to him. Prime nodded. "Starscream says they are safe and being cared for."

He nodded, relieved. "That's good. He's mine."

"You will have to stand in line, Prowl," Optimus replied quietly. The requisite individuals checked in and the focus became retrieval. The first line of rescue would be the ships before them. Twenty-nine ships and small vessels relating to the Decepticons were still in the migration. They would have to be driven off or destroyed. No matter how this went, it would be a bitch.

-0-Ratchet

He moved to the windows and stared at Xantium. The sight of infants flapping around in a vacuum, unable to even hear their own screams tore at his spark. The idea that anyone of them possibly being Orion, Praxus, or any of the others that he knew and loved made his energon run cold. It beat his aft. The wounded Seekers in the ship filled the berths, all of them on energon lines as they were stabilized from wounds they had received from firearms or shrapnel. Two of them were in bad condition while the rest ranged from serious to critical, non-life threatening. The two would be transferred back through the vortex to the hospital on Mars when they were stable enough to do so.

He stared at the ships in the migration, all of them halted, all of them filled with fearful civilians young and old. It was infuriating. This was the worst anything had become in all their rescue efforts. There were nearly 2,500 mechs and femmes, old, young and inbetween in the custody of the enemy. How they would get them back, he had no idea. It would be damned hard. The little babies would not have their families for a while and perhaps never. It burned in his tanks. He stood and watched at the window as the team monitored the patients. For a moment, it was enough and then it wasn't. Turning, glancing at the youngling doctor standing nearby, he nodded. "I'm going to find the babies. Can you manage here?"

They nodded. "We can, Ratchet. Go."

"Call me if you need me," Ratchet said walking to the door. He took a jet pack from the rack and strapped it on. Tapping the latch, he stepped out and jetted off heading for Xantium four ships away. It would take a while. He would get there.

-0-Gamma

"Then the best option we have is testing the 'Cons in the migration by having the civilian ships come forward in groups," Ironhide said in summation. "If they act up, we take them out. If we do it fast and hard enough, the others might pull back. Their battle group is out of easy range now. They're being left behind."

"Why, bothers me, Ironhide," Prime said.

"We have to assume that a lot of the soldiers in this group are unstable personalities who enjoy long odds," Kup said over the comm system. "We get that a lot."

"Could be," Ironhide nodded. "Kamikaze fraggers."

Prime nodded. "I want to have runabouts launched with Wrecker units aboard. I want air support with them and I want them to begin to organize the transfer through the bridge groups of ships. We don't have to monitor the size and configuration with the Trigger. That bridge can take Tryticon through," Prime said.

"What if the slaggers object?" Kup's voice said.

"Then they get removed. Pull back if they try to make a ship part of the moment," Prime replied. "We have to do this inch by inch. There are going to be no shortcuts."

They all agreed.

-0-At Xantium

He magnetized to the hull and rapped on the hatch with his fist. The door slid back and he entered. After the cabin repressurized, he heard it, the wan keening of an exhausted infant. Glancing around at all six babies, he saw that three were sleeping fretfully, two were fighting it and one sat dazed and silent in Sunstreaker's arms. He scanned them and glanced at Gypsy. "I can't remember a time when I was so fragged off."

"You and me both, Ratchet," she said.

He walked to the infant in Sunstreaker's arms and caressed it gently. It looked up at him with dazed optics, then his expression crumpled. He began to cry. Sunstreaker cuddled him gently. "This is fragged, Ada," he said with his game voice.

Ratchet nodded. "I know." He stayed with them until they had to go into the mix, helping them transfer the infants to the Gamma where they would be looked after by the crew supervised by Prowl.

-0-In the mix

The roundabouts were downloaded from flight storage on the Guardians. There were two per ship and eight were fielded. Each carried a pilot, Wrecker crew and support by five Seekers. They consisted of two boarding specialists, two heavy guns and a close combat expert. The configuration of the Seekers ensured that if necessary, a ship could be shot up and shredded by servo in jig time. Add the Autobot frontline heavies, the Wreckers and very little could walk away from encounters.

They gathered in front of the Guardians, Seekers joining with the shipfuls of shock troops, all of them waiting for the word. Kup would have overall command, Springer would lead boardings, all would work in tandem as they had practiced back on Ceres with ships heading for the smelters. They had become exceedingly good at working together both on the ground and in vacuum. The Arks moved off and found position at four corners of the migration which was now sealed off by a long glittering line of Seekers armed to the teeth. When the Decepticons moved off, the Seekers had filled the vacuum. Before escape was rendered impossible, eleven 'Con vessels had slipped out and slipped away. That would leave eighteen ships to deal with.

Kup considered that as he stood on the flight deck of the little ship. "Eighteen of the fraggers were too stupid to leave." He glanced back at Topspin. "Big mistake."

That worthy merely nodded in agreement.

-0-In the migration

They had watched with great loathing the fighting that had erupted right after the space bridge appeared. Their moment of greatest happiness had been eclipsed by the swift arrival of fighters from the Decepticon Armada. They had overrun twelve ships in the lead and carted off the passengers. Lining them up, dampening the reception and transmission of the others, they had lain in waiting. Bursting through the empty ships, the fighting had been impromtu, brutal and astonishingly enough, over. Now they sat filled with dread waiting.

For something. Anything.

Then it came, the deep calm voice of their Prime. "This is Optimus Prime. I am here to take you through the space bridge to a new safe life at a colony that we have secured in a safe system. We will be taking you through in groups. When the indication light for navigation blinks on your console, move forward to the Seekers who will fly you in. Do not be afraid. We are aware that there are Decepticon ships among you. Do not panic. Keep calm. If there is information we need to know, we have three channels open. Call and tell us what you can. We have groups ready to move through the migration to keep you safe from harm. Please have patience," Prime said as the console of the three ships designated to take information lit up.

-0-On a runabout

They all moved forward, eight runabouts and forty Seekers prepared to kick aft and take names. Waiting for them, eighteen ships filled with hardcore sociopaths waited for them to come so they could do the same.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	55. Chapter 55

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 45

=0=On Gamma

They came to the hatch and slipped inside, six mechs carrying the tiny infants, Ratchet following. The hatch closed and the compartment re-pressurized, the sounds of whimpering emerging from the blanketed bundles in arms. Prowl reached for one and cuddled the infant against his chassis. Peering into the mass of blankets that swaddled him, he turned and walked to a nest of blankets and air mattresses that he had constructed in the corner. He lay the infant on his belly and patted him, rising and turning only after he relaxed into recharge. He personally placed the other five and only then did he turn to the mechs.

"Thank you," he said.

They nodded and turned walking the hatch to leave. When they were gone and the compartment re-pressurized, Ratchet turned to Prowl. "Do you need help here, Prowl?"

"We're good, Ratchet. How are the Seekers?" he asked.

"We just sent two through the vortex. They are in bad shape but I feel hopeful. However, you can take them off the active duty list. They won't be sound for fighting again. Lucky slaggers," Ratchet replied with a grin.

Prowl nodded with an expression of relief. He stared at the infants. "We will keep them with us. I can arrange help at the Residence. I want to keep them with me. The sight of them flailing in vacuum haunts me."

Ratchet nodded. "I hear you."

Ironhide paused beside Prowl. "That is a lot of sparklings."

Prowl nodded. "I know."

The sound of cross talk began to filter through the intercom and they turned. On the big monitors, ships were moving forward to leave. A mass of Seekers gathered to lead them inward. When the two met, five Seekers turned and flew for the aperture. Nearly 200 ships of all sizes and makes flew with them disappearing into the maelstrom and safety.

The monitors also showed the location of the smaller ships and their flight cover as they began to advance into the mass of civilian refugees. Turning and walking to the table, they all sat together, their optics fixed on the maps and monitors that were telling the next chapter of the story.

:Goldwing:

:Goldwing here, Ratchet:

:How are things?:

:The two critical cases are already gone:

:Good. How are the others? Do you need me back?:

:We are good. How are the sparklings?:

:They are exhausted and frightened but unhurt:

Ratchet could almost feel the relief. :That is good news. I almost jumped through the bulkhead when I saw that. Do they need homes?:

:Prowl is taking them in. The Residence is huge and there can be care arranged. Thank you for asking. I will tell him you did:

:If he needs help, my bond and I can do that:

:I will tell him, Goldwing. Let me know if you need me:

:Affirmative. Goldwing out:

Ratchet sat back and watched as the little blinking blue lights that indicated the search vessels wove their way into the mass followed by the blinking red lights of their Seeker support.

-0-Going forward

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood behind the pilot as their vessel slipped in and out of the mass of ships. They were being grouped to fly through the vortex. The violent gateway was behind them surrounded by ships and Seekers. The light behind them was enormous and offset by the mass of light through which they flew.

The chatter of the ships was muted, as if the occupants were afraid to make too much notice of themselves. They could see faces in the windows looking out with fearful and hopeful expressions. Sensors indicated that a 'Con ship was ahead and they were moving slowly inching their way.

"Are there any nearby?" Sunstreaker asked as he stood quietly, his swords sliding in and out of the sheaths on his wrists. "Any sign of explosives?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. They are armed and have pretty good fire power but no mines. So far," Twintwist replied.

It was silent as they curved around a ship to make the turn toward the fighter. When they began to make their turn fire flashed past their forward view port. Slamming downward, diving away, they came about hard.

"That was outside. It was firearms," Sideswipe said.

"Slipstream. What do you see outside?" Twintwist asked as he made evasive maneuvers.

:There are mechs on the outside of a ship. They were waiting for you:

"We're coming around to get them. We're letting mechs out," he said making a hard turn around.

:Affirmative. We're tracking them:

Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Mayhem moved to the door, fully armed with jet packs strapped on. The ship slowed and the hatch opened. Jumping outward, the hatch slammed shut and the ship turned away to come around for support.

Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Mayhem activated their jet packs and began to speed forward, their weapons ready. They reached the ship directed by the Seekers who angled among the vessels tracking the two mechs that they had located by heat signature. Anything less cold than -254 degrees stood out even in a mass of ships' propulsion systems. As they did, the faces of terrified civilians could be seen in the windows.

-0-Gamma

"There is a message, Prime, for a Decepticon fighter."

"Put it through, Gamma," Prime said looking up from the map.

There was a pause, then Gamma was back. "You are connected, Prime."

"Thank you," Prime said sitting back, gathering his thoughts. "This is Optimus Prime. Who are you and what do you want."

There was a pause. Then a deeply masculine voice filtered over the intercom. "This is Coldspray. I want to defect. My brother does too."

Prime considered that. "You are with the worst commander of a Decepticon force short of Megatron. You expect me to believe you want to defect."

It was silent a moment, then another voice came over the intercom. "We mean it, Prime. We want to defect."

"Why?" Ironhide interjected.

Coldspray replied. "We say them throw the sparklings out. We don't agree with that. We don't agree with hurting babies. We don't want to be a part of this."

Prime glanced at Prowl. "Impressions."

"Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe he's a set up. I don't imagine that was the first infants he ever saw abused."

Prime nodded. "Why should we trust you? Overlord has killed innocents before."

"We don't. My brother and I … we don't agree with this. It was a hard thing to see, those little babies floating in space alone," his brother said.

Prime considered that. "The sensor range of the Decepticon armada is beyond detecting you. There is a ship nearby. Move to it with your weapons powered down. Stop within two ship lengths from it. I am going to instruct the Wreckers on that ship to board you. I will give them permission to kill you on the spot if you so much as blink. Understood?"

"Yes, we do," Coldspray said. "We know things, Prime. We can tell you a lot."

"Give up peacefully and we'll talk. Do anything stupid and there won't be enough of you to put in a bag," Prime said.

"We understand. Coldspray out."

Ironhide looked at the map and watched as the ships changed direction moving toward the coordinates of the ship where they would surrender.

"Springer."

"Springer here."

"Two 'Cons want to defect. They are approaching you and wish to surrender. Board them and take them into custody. If they do otherwise, you have permission to handle it as you see fit," Prime said.

"Acknowledged. What turned them?"

"The infants," Prime said.

There was a pause. "Affirmative. Maybe they aren't completely hopeless, the slaggers."

-0-Nearby

They flew to the ship behind which two Decepticons were hiding. Seekers gave them directions and waited, their very specific skills on the ready. Sunstreaker fixed to the hull and began to climb over the top toward the other side.

:Sunstreaker. Watch it. They're on the other side waiting: Gunnar said. The big boarding specialist hovered nearby.

:Got it. Sideswipe:

:Sideswipe here:

:Go underneath and distract them. I'm going over the top:

:Got it:

Sunstreaker waited on the hull near the curve at the top. He could feel the movements of others nearby. Then a huge shudder rolled under his peds. Someone had breached the hull and entered the ship. Moving swiftly, he raced to the top in time to see two mechs ducking into the hole they had blasted in the ship. Sideswipe came up behind him just as five Seekers settled on the hull magnetizing. Mayhem joined them.

:Here's what we do: Glory said as he outlined their pursuit as a team. The big Seeker was the close combat expert and they would follow his lead. A scan indicated that 33 individuals were inside and many of them were very young. This was going to be a bitch.

-0-At the surrender

They slid to a halt, two fighter vessels armed to the teeth. Springer stood on the deck of his ship fully aware that his small crew was perched on ships surrounding the 'Con vessels, all of them pointing their weapons at the enemy. Their contingent of Seekers stood on ship hulls, their heavy weapons pointed as well. No one made an attempt to conceal themselves. No one cared. Either they were genuine or they were dead.

Springer glanced at Kup and grinned. "Should we shake them down?"

"Sounds good to me," Kup said.

Springer grinned and nodded. "Get them."

The mechs jumped from the ships and floated over. In moments, the ships were entered and searched. The mechs were turned inside out and when they were finally shoved through the door of the runabout, they were shucked of even the most innocuous item they carried.

"Well, well, well. This is a first. 'Con hunters with a conscience." Springer grinned. "Time to visit the boss. You got anything you need to tell us before we take you there?"

They glanced at each other. Then they looked at the grim faced mechs standing around them. "No," Coldspray said.

"Good," Springer said. "Let's go."

With that, they turned and hurried onward.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They watched from the cargo boxes as the ships settled on the air field. Runabouts from the hospital were waiting with medics and stretchers to take the wounded to the hospital.

"I wish we could be there to film this," Jack UMellar said.

"No you don't," Epps said.

"You're right," Mellar said.

Epps grinned.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)

NOTE: My modem died. :*(

I am finalizing and sending this at a wi-fi place. It might take 2-3 days to get my line fixed so I am going to be hanging out to do this every day. Hugs out there!


	56. Chapter 56

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 46

=0=Out there

They paused at the hull breach listening. The sound of electrical systems snapping and shorting out could be heard along with the sound of peds running. Sideswipe nodded to Sunstreaker, then slipped in sliding along the hull to come to a stop at a junction. Sunstreaker rolled up behind him and they turned to watch Mayhem and Gunnar disappear the other direction. Internal telemetry told them when they were at the same spot on the other side of the ship. :We're go: Sideswipe said.

:Affirmative. Move on: Gunnar said as he stepped forward armed to the teeth, Mayhem beside him.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker moved forward. Ahead of them they could hear and feel the sound of running peds.

-0-Gamma

The hatch slid open and two purple colored Decepticons slipped inside followed by armed mechs including Springer. The cabin re-pressurized and they looked around pausing at they saw Prime sitting at the command area of the vessel. They glanced at each other and walked when prodded pausing before Prime, Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet who sat together around the table.

"You wished to speak to me," Prime said quietly.

They glanced at each other and nodded. "I'm Coldspray and this is my brother, Hardtime."

Prime nodded but said nothing.

They glanced at each other again, then Coldspray stepped closer. "We don't want to be a part of this. I won't say we're clean. We were with Overlord a long time but this… thing he did… throwing sparklings out is not what we agree with. That was low even for us."

Prime nodded. "Tell me about Overlord."

"We were with him when he was a subcommander to our battalion chief. He fought his way up and became a lieutenant to Megatron. We stayed with him because we got to fight and the pickings were easy." He paused a moment. "We grew up hungry. No one gave a frag about us. It was what it was."

Prime nodded. "Go on."

"We were with him when he began to change. It became less about the Cause and more about his own needs. He liked to have everyone's obedience. He wanted complete and utter obedience." Hardtime nodded. "If anyone got out of line, they were beaten to death or wished they were. He liked to have fights staged, fights to the death. It's been going downhill a long time. We aren't the only ones who don't like the way things are going."

Prime nodded. "Why did the sparklings mean anything more than anything else you've done or seen?"

Hardtime shifted uneasily. "They're babies."

Coldspray nodded.

"You've killed babies before," Ironhide said, his tone cold and harsh.

"No we didn't," Coldspray interjected. "We never hurt babies or kids."

"Not where you could see that result, right? You have but never so close to your actual line of sight," Ratchet added quietly.

They looked at him, then the deck. Coldspray turned glancing at the beds filled with recharging babies. "Is that them?"

"It is," Prowl said.

"We were there when they took them," Hardtime said. "Overlord said to bring a half a dozen to the shuttle bay and make it fast. I saw them grab babies from their genitors. It was horrendous. They screamed all the way to the bay. We got on fighters and mingled in the migration so that we could leave."

Prime considered their words and affect a moment, then rose. He towered over them and they stood uneasily. "I want you to go to our colony. I want you to sit down with Jazz and unload every single thing you can remember about everything and everyone everywhere. You hold anything back, I will personally dismantle you myself. Do you understand me?"

They nodded. "Yes, we do," Hardtime said.

Prime nodded to Springer and the two turned with him to go. As they did, they paused beside the infants. Reaching down, Coldspray gently stroked one baby's cheek. He stood up and looked at Prime. "We never saw our genitors after we were old enough to fend for ourselves. They were gone. We don't know how or why. We just know they left and didn't come back. We don't like it, Prime. Not one bit."

Prime nodded. They turned and walked to the hatch disappearing into the darkness with Springer and his mechs. The hatch closed and things pressurized. "Two down and thousands to go."

Prowl nodded. Glancing down at the sleeping babies, he shook his helm. "What a fragged up species we have become."

No one argued with him.

-0-On a ship in stealth mode

They passed mechs and a single femme hiding in alcoves and compartments along the path where they walked. As they saw each group they paused and instructed them to go to the breach and leap outside. Ships were already there waiting to pick them up. Some of the mechs held infants or the servos of small younglings. Some were elderly but all moved as told. By the time they reached the front of the vessel 25 of the 33 were evacuated.

:Autobot:

They froze and listened. :What, slagger?:

A harsh laugh could be heard over the internal comm Line. :Come and get me:

:You want to commit suicide, fragger? You came to the right ship: Sunstreaker replied.

:You and what army, slagger?:

:Why are you still here? Your slagging army left you here. What the frag is wrong with you?: Gunnar interjected.

:Fight me, slagger:

:Let the mechs up front go: Gunnar replied. :Then you and I can go at it all you want:

:Come and get them: the voice said.

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and nodded, turning to go back the way he came. He reached the hull breach and paused to watch the last of the civilians be pulled into another vessel. Nodding to the mechs standing in the door he pushed off and drifted to the hull of a vessel next to the one in play. Magnetizing to the hull, he looked at the Seekers. :We need to go in through the front. We need to breach the cockpit and put the slaggers in the middle. They appear to be held up outside of it and I don't know how much longer they will wait before going inside where the rest of the civilians are hiding. Can you enter with stealth?: Sunstreaker asked.

The two boarding specialists nodded and turned pushing off the vessel followed by Sunstreaker and their heavy weapons partner. The three Seekers and Sunstreaker magnetized lightly onto the hull above the cockpit. Peering downward, they saw the frightened optics of the pilot and the remaining 7 civilians of the ship.

Sunstreaker slid down and pointed to his Autobrand. Then he pointed to the Seeker's. They looked at him, their expressions alternating between terrified and hopeful. Standing among them were tiny younglings, their faces grave and solemn. A fury lit inside Sunstreaker and he looked at the Seekers. :We have to get them out. There are younglings inside:

They nodded and turned conferring silently together. One of them signaled him to move as another boarding specialist slid down onto the cone of the vessel. The two transformed digits and cutting torches appeared. One of them began to slice the transparent steel that made up the forward viewport, the other sliding a slim sharp digit through the cut to hold it. A segment big enough to accommodate an adult was tossed aside as they leaned in and began to pull civilians out. When the last one was clear, Sunstreaker slipped inside followed by two of the Seekers. The other one began to lead the civilians away.

-0-On their way

They sat side-by-side on a ship heading toward the bridge. They hit the center, were nearly blinded by the light swirling in storm circles, then it changed again. They flashed out, the darkness surrounding them. Bright slowly turning orange signaled the presence of a giant globe, the rust colored mass of Mars. Surrounding it were lines of ships waiting to land, other ships in orbit to facilitate that and any number of communications as well as military devices that did work for the sprawling city they could see from space.

Staring out the window, they waited for clearance. It was expedited and they watched as the ship arched over to begin its descent. The city below was an astonishing sight of towers and bristling fortresses both sentient and stone. An enormous air field sprawled out before them, lines of battleships and shuttles, some of them Decepticon and others local in design glittered in the afternoon sunshine.

The landing was gentle, the walk outside short. They stood and turned slowly taking in with a sense of wonder and disbelief an actual authentic Cybertronian city. Vehicles were everywhere doing work. Literally thousands of mechs of all shape and manner were helping refugees. A massive stone fortress bristling with gun turrets stood some distance away. Nearby was the obvious outline of Fortress Maximus and Metroplex in city and fort modes.

Towers of habitation as far as the optic could see sprawled in all direction and one of them thought they could see the Temple of Simfur. He didn't believe it. That venerable facility was destroyed long ago. But something that seemed like it shimmered in the heat of the morning sun.

A pair of mechs came toward them and paused. "They're yours, Jazz. You need help?" one of their guards said.

"No," Jazz said with a mirthless grin. "I doubt they could get very far if they wanted to."

The mechs nodded and turned heading back to their ship and the fighting on the other side. The two 'Cons turned back to Jazz and a mech who they would be told later was named Mirage. "What now?"

"Come with me," Jazz said. "Let's go somewhere and talk." With that, they turned with two utterly amazed mechs in tow and walked to the Fortress and Ops Center's big conference room for a chat that would last six joors.

-0-Out there

They slid through the opening and huddled on both sides of the bulkhead door. On the other side of that slim piece of metal were the three signatures of Decepticons that were picked up on their internal sensors. Sunstreaker looked at the Seekers and they nodded, moving to take their positions.

The heavy gunner, Slipstream stood in front of the window of the cockpit, his rockets pointed straight at the door. On either side of it, Sunstreaker and the boarding specialist, Freefall waited. :Gunnar, are you and your partner in place? We have the cockpit under control. All civilians are evacuated: Freefall said.

:We are go: Gunnar replied.

Freefall nodded to Sunstreaker. He nodded back tuning in to the three desperados on the other side. :Slaggers, we want you to surrender. There are no more civilians on board and you have nothing to gain from fighting. Grow a processor. Give it up and we won't kill you:

:Frag you, Autobot. Come and get us: a harsh voice replied.

They glanced at each other with a moment of disbelief. There was nothing to gain but the 'Cons didn't back down. Sunstreaker nodded tuning into his brother and party at the other end of the divide. :You are delay two, Sideswipe. We are go now. Acknowledge:

:We are delay two: Sideswipe acknowledged.

:We are delay two: Glory, the combat specialist acknowledged.

Turning and glancing at Slipstream, Sunstreaker grinned his wicked smirk. Then he turned and blew a hole in the door the size of a targ. With a war whoop that could only be heard over the internal link between the Autobots and their Autobot Seeker partners, he jumped through the hole, his seven foot blades sliding out of their sheaths as he did.

-0-On the ground

They came in groups of a couple hundred ships. They were fed down to the ground in a constant stream never less than ten at a time. Hundreds of ships were being moved through the bridge and then it stopped. The 'Con ships in the migration were holding things up. They would have to be weeded out and the fighting filtered through the communications speakers of the Ops Center.

The humans had gone there knowing that any information anyone outside of Command would get would be there from friends. Sitting on the center table in little chairs, scientists, soldiers and movie folks watched the well organized almost supernatural precision of the mechs and femmes who worked there.

"What's up so far?" Aaron Belcher asked Lennox as he sat on a couch next to the chair Lennox lounged in.

Lennox shrugged. "Fighting. Ship-to-ship. Sounds like hand-to-hand."

The other soldiers nodded as the movie folks and scientists looked at them with tension.

"You aren't worried?" Michio Yamaha, an astronomer from Tokyo, Japan asked with surprise.

"For the 'Cons?" Epps asked with mock surprise. "Those slaggers are on their own."

Even mechs at duty stations chuckled.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	57. Chapter 57

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 47

=0=Out there

***FLASH***

A frozen tableau appeared. Sideswipe grappling with a mech, Sunstreaker punching another as Glory wrestled with someone else.

Darkness

Struggle was intense everywhere but only peripherally acknowledged as each was consumed by their opponent. Flashes of violet light here and there cast a weird pall as the titanic struggle continued.

***FLASH***

Another burst of weapon fire lit up the room. Sideswipe cursed and fell back, his sword flying up to cover himself. As it did, the blade found its mark and a bright spray of energon shown for the briefest of moments.

Darkness

Sideswipe ducked as the press of big bodies slammed into the wall beside him, the smoking scorch mark of his wound adding the stench of ozone to the already complex chemistry of their tight battlefield.

***FLASH* **

The wounded 'Con was slamming himself against the wall in a frenzy gripping his throat tightly. Energon poured out over his servos and ran down his arm. Sideswipe leaped across the room missing a fist and grabbed the mech shoving him to the ground.

Darkness

Curses and bellows filled the comm. Lines between mechs on both sides blazed, the cursing flailing shouting traveling outward to the ships of the Autobot armada and the speakers of Ops Center. Grim faced mechs on ships, grim faced mechs and men in the Center listened to the sound of titans struggling to best their own determined killers.

Aaron Belcher glanced at Niall Graham who sat in a chair next to him on the command table of Ops Center. "This is hardcore."

Niall glanced at him with a grin. "I can take it that you aren't nor ever were a soldier."

"You got that right. I admire these fuckers but you couldn't get me to go into this sort of shit with them. I would get stepped on right away."

"They're careful," Niall said. "At least the Autobots are."

Epps and Lennox grinned.

-0-Prime

He sat listening to the mayhem over the speakers. Everyone knew that this was Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. The cursing rage, the low guttural voices that never seemed to sound that deep except in battle, all of it was understood by all present as it raged onward. He glanced at Prowl. "What are the others doing?"

"Holding. Everyone seems to be listening to this fight," Prowl said glancing at the layout of battle that was forming.

Prime nodded. They sat together and then the sound ended. It was silent a moment as they listened for the all clear, the codes about casualties and the stand down. They all listened tensely.

On both sides.

-0-Out there

Darkness

They stood over their opponents, the three lying silently on the floor. It was silent, then a headlight flashed on throwing everything and everyone in high relief. The codes were observed.

:We're clear, Command. We are two of three. Standing down and waiting for clearance: Sunstreaker said. He moved to Sideswipe checking the wound on his shoulder. :That was lucky, Sideswipe. It glanced off enough to do little but mar your finish:

:Team Four, come in: Prowl's calm voice said over their lines.

:Team Four, here: Gunnar said as he leaned against a wall to rest.

:Who is injured and should he come in?:

:Sideswipe. He caught a stray plasma beam: Gunnar said. Sunstreaker looked at him and shrugged. :How bad is it, Sideswipe?:

:More a scorch mark. Fraggers marred my finish: he said with a sneering frown.

:Do you need Ratchet or will a field patch be enough?: Prowl asked.

He glanced at Sunstreaker who was already getting the medical epoxy ready. :I'm getting a patch. These slaggers might need a doc. I think there's something else wrong with them:

:How so?" Prowl asked.

"I don't know. I think Ada should look at them: Sideswipe said watching as Sunstreaker smeared the epoxy across the length of his scorch mark.

:Bring them in: Prowl said.

:Affirmative: Gunnar said. :We need to drag them to our vessel. You fly them back and rejoin us. Sideswipe, have your ada look at that too:

Sideswipe nodded as they all turned to pull the three Decepticons toward the door and their ship hovering nearby. In seconds, they were finished and on their way back to Gamma.

-0-At Gamma a few moments later

The hatch slid open and Sideswipe floated over. He was pulled inside by Ratchet who scanned him. "You appear to be sound."

"Thanks," he said grinning. "Where do you want the dummies?"

Ratchet walked to the hatch and peered through the force field that kept out the vacuum. Three mechs hung in space held by Sunstreaker and Gunnar. :Put those two on the hull and magnetize them. I'll take that one:

Sunstreaker tugged his mech inside and once through the force field acquired gravity. He laid the mech on the deck and stepped back as Ratchet knelt to look. The others stepped closer to watch. Scanning the mech, checking him over, he glanced up at Prime. "You aren't going to like this."

"Try me," Prime replied.

"These mechs are infected with dark energon."

It was silent a moment. "That's a myth," Prowl said. "Unicron's blood … that is supposed to be a myth."

"Maybe so but here it is. This is negative energon," Ratchet said. "I don't know where they got it but it explains their behavior. It explains their grandiosity and lack of concern about anything and anyone. This would make mechs throw babies into vacuum without remorse."

"The other two … they weren't infected then," Prowl asked.

"I would say no. I would also say that if this is why the other seventeen ships are here to pick a fight, reason isn't going to be a tactic you can count upon."

Prime nodded. "We have to change tactics then," he said grimly. "We are going to have to eliminate them altogether rather than piecemeal if they don't surrender." He turned to Prowl and they conferred.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They sat in the conference room alone and waited, the interrogation over and their part taken care of. They had spilled everything they could think of. They had held nothing back. They weren't a large part of Overlord's armada, but the number of disgruntled mechs with slowly emerging consciences was growing.

"What now?" Hardtime asked.

"I don't know. What do you think of this place?"

"It's awesome. I expected a military base or something rough. This is a slagging city. Did you see Metroplex and Fort Max?"

Coldspray nodded. "I'm glad we don't owe him slag." He looked at his brother. "What do you think they would say if we asked to stay here?"

"I don't know. I never guessed we would get a chance to get away let alone stay in a place like this. We're hip deep in Autobots. They won't trust us."

Coldspray nodded. "I wish they would."

Hardtime nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "I thought I would lose it with those sparklings. That was the worst thing I've seen in a long time. He just threw them away."

Coldspray nodded. "I know." It was silent a moment. "This is some kind of place. I saw two Decepticons I knew. They had Autobrands on their arms. Did you see the Seekers?"

Hardtime nodded. "I did. They're coming here in droves. Megatron is as stupid as Overlord. The Cause is going to go under."

"We got out in time," Coldspray said nodding. "I wonder what you have to do to stay here?"

"Could you be a civilian and follow rules?" Hardtime asked looking at his brother with a slight grin.

"Would you?" Coldspray asked glancing back.

It was silent a moment. "I would try," Hardtime said venting a soft sigh. Coldspray nodded.

Nearby watching through the tinted transparent steel, Flint, Alor and Jazz watched, listening to the brothers talking. They would also confer.

-0-Out there

They waited where they had been assigned from the beginning of the situation after making sensor flyovers of the migration. Four Arks sat in the four corners of the wide field, their guns trained on their sector of fire to hold out as well as hold in the enemy. Inside the migration, eight small ships began to form up in different areas, all of them moving closer in proximity to the sixteen ships still in play. Overhead, massing in groups were Seekers with heavy arms.

On Gamma, Prime sat waiting. Blaster who had come through the vortex to the command ship sat linking up the lines to all of the remaining 'Con vessels. When it was accomplished, he turned and nodded. "You are go, Prime."

Optimus looked at him and nodded. "Decepticon ships. This is Optimus Prime. I am going to give you some information and I expect that you will listen closely. We are aware that you are using dark energon. We are aware that it impairs your judgment. Therefore, we are going to ask you to do one of two things. You can leave now or you can surrender. If you surrender, you will be treated humanely and given the chance to live in our colony as a citizen. If you refuse and stay, we will destroy you without mercy. I am giving you a few moments to respond. Choose wisely. Your life depends upon your decision."

Then he sat back to wait.

-0-Ops Center Conference Room

They walked in and the two mechs sat up straighter. Sitting, they stared at them, the two staring back uneasily. Alor looked at Coldspray. "We ran your designations and didn't find anything beyond your enrollment in the Decepticons. We even passed your names past Fortress Maximus."

Hardtime blanched. "We weren't part of that. We aren't saying we're good sparks all the time. But we didn't torture or any of that slag. We were fighters and we did slag but not that. It isn't honorable."

Alor sat back regarding the pair. He had heard this sort of thing from bad actors before and it usually meant some rudimentary set of rules were in place. It usually but not always was a good sign. "We know that Overlord is a hell beast. We know he deserves a smelting pit. What we have to understand is if you are trustworthy over the long haul? Will you stay on the side we need you or will someone arriving down the line drag you into slag?"

"No," Coldspray said firmly. His brother nodded. "We're tired. We want to stay here. We like it here."

"There are laws. We're under modified martial law. Prime is the first and last word. We have rules and laws, obligations and limitations. What can you say that makes us believe you won't get over-energized and kill someone? Or you'll settle a score if someone lives here that you have a beef with? What makes you a good risk?"

They glanced at each other, then the three who sat looking at them without an ounce of pity. "You have our word."

Hardtime nodded. "You have it."

For a moment, they had no comment. Then they turned together and began to confer. Alor looked at them with a deliberate expression on his face. "I have had a short conference with Prime and he has given me discretion on both of you."

They sat straighter. Glancing at each other, they braced themselves.

"I am sending you to medical where a device will be placed in your chassis that will detonate if you try and remove it. The codes will be known only to the master computer. This device will track you and if you act up, blow you to the Pit. You will be given a place to live, a job to do and a chance. You will be released from this device when you earn trust. Two former Decepticons have volunteered to mentor you and they will be back when the migration is finished. They are Payload and Scar. Do you know them?"

"By reputation," Hardtime said nodding.

"Rampage lives here," Jazz said. "He's made the change. You can too if you want to."

They looked at him. "Rampage?" Coldspray asked with surprise.

They nodded. "You can have a life here that is good. There is a chance to go to the University, to bond, to have a family. We have schools here for the infants and the system is dead. No one is allowed to bring it back."

They both nodded. "We understand."

"You will be given an apartment in the bachelor tower in the third housing estate. There will be optics on you orn and night. You can take part in the city and do well or you can go into the prison with the rest of the riff raff. It is all up to you," Flint said.

They nodded. It was silent a moment, then Hardtime leaned forward. "We never had no chances. We lost our genitors somehow when we were young. Too young. We never did find out what happened to them. They went to work one day and never came back. I find this all hard to believe but I want it. I'm tired of being alone. My brother and me, we never had a chance. We want one now."

Coldspray nodded. "We do. We will promise."

"Then you get a chance. Don't frag it up," Jazz said nodding.

Coldspray held out his servo and Jazz gripped it. "We promise, my brother and me." Hardtime nodded.

Alor nodded to them and gripped their servos. "Flint will take you to the medics for the device. If you could show them to their supervisor, Flint, I will let Prime know about their choices. When Prime comes back, you have to swear on the Matrix that you will do what you say you will. You know what that means don't you?"

They nodded. "You're dead if you frag with a Matrix."

Flint stood and nodded. "Come on. Jetta is someone who you need to meet. He will help you with the rest."

They stood and for an awkward moment didn't move. Then they did following Flint out of the door. Jazz glanced at Alor who was staring at the door with a quiet expression. "Think they will be okay?" he asked.

Alor nodded. "I do." Then he grinned. "It's nice to win one."

Jazz nodded. "I hear ya."

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	58. Chapter 58

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 48

-0-At the office of the City Engineer

They stood in the corridor outside the big cluttered office of the city's engineer, Jetta of Iacon. Flint was inside conferring with that worthy and the two felt the pressure on them. Coldspray stood stoically as Hardtime paced. :What do you think we'll be doing?:

:I don't know: Coldspray said. They both paused as a tall black winger with red detailing rose and walked out followed by the big soldier, Flint. He paused in front of them and grinned. "Hi. I'm Jetta." He held out his servo and they shook it, both of them in turn. "Come on. I'll get you settled in a place and we'll decide what you want to do for employment."

"What we want to do?" Hardtime asked with surprise.

"Yeah," Jetta said slapping the big mech's shoulder. "Everyone gets a choice here." He looked them both over. "I think we need to get the devices implanted and then redo your finish. That 'Con brand has to go."

They both looked at Flint, then Jetta. "Alright," Coldspray said nodding.

Jetta looked at Flint with a grin. "Got them, Flint. Thanks."

Flint nodded with his own grin. "Glad to do it." He looked at the two new mechs. "Welcome to Autobot City, boys." With that, he turned and walked to the door of City Hall and Ops Center beyond.

Jetta turned to them. "Tell me about yourself," he said turning to go himself.

The two paused and then followed. "We're from Slaughter City."

"I've been there. Tried to organize workers in the smelters. The slaggers in charge used to beat the slag out of us."

"You were an organizer? Those slaggers didn't have a chance," Hardtime said as they stepped out onto the plaza before the City Hall. Steps led to the street and they took them. "The bosses had no time for you."

"We had no time for them, the fraggers," Jetta said with a grin. They walked down the street heading for the Mare Tranquilitatis. "This is the main drag to the housing district and the sports arenas. That one is the first one and now belongs to school sports. The one over there," he said pointing to a bigger gleaming structure, "is the new one where the adult sports are played."

"You have football here?" Coldspray asked with astonishment as he glanced at his equally surprised bother.

"We do. Six teams vying for the Martian Championship. This planet is Mars by the way," Jetta replied with a chuckle. "This is the medical tower and over there are the schools for younglings and babies with the University at the top. We encourage mechs to go to college."

"We can't go to college," Hardtime replied. "We don't have any formal education. We graduated from the school of hard knocks."

"You can go. There are classes to teach adults how to read, write and do the rest. Everyone who says they can't do that always excels when they try. I can imagine you two would be awesome."

They glanced at each other as they followed the big mech into the doors of the medical tower. The Autobrand on the floor seemed to follow them optically as they walked to a bank of elevators. Riding up, they got off at the tech level. When the devices were installed, explained and understood, they dutifully followed him back down to the street level.

Walking in the morning light, the bustle of the city and its citizens enveloping them, they marveled internally together at the homey feel of the place. Jetta explained things as they walked along heading for the Union and Guild Hall where they would find work that was suitable and chosen by the two themselves.

They entered the big hall, itself below street level in the old industrial park from the beginning of the city. Lit with light designed to match a sunny day above ground, they walked through an enormous space with offices and public communications systems along the inside walls. In the center, a large area for lounging and meetings was furnished comfortably. Two huge monitors hung on the wall beside the community area. One showed the slowly rotating views of the city itself. The other was the Community Bulletin Board available for anyone who wanted to use it. Several mechs were sitting together talking and several more were sitting together in a group studying for classes. They walked to an employment office and paused, Jetta peering inside. "Libi."

A pert older femme stepped out and looked up. "What do you want, handsome?" she asked with a slightly impertinent tone.

He grinned down at her and smirked. "I have two live ones. They were with the slag storm coming and they want a new life. They don't seem to have preferences about what to do and they haven't actually told me what they can do so they are going to be yours to dissect."

She turned and looked up at the two big mechs who looked down at her slightly uneasily. "Cute enough pair. You bonded to anyone?"

They glanced at each other. "No," Hardtime said.

"I have two brothers who couldn't find their afts with a flashlight in the romance department. They're good looking nice boys. But they need an older mech in their lives to show them the ropes. I think you two will do." She glanced at Jetta. "You wanna stay and watch?"

"Slag yeah," he said with a smile.

She nodded and looked at the two mechs. "Come on in then. I'll get you sorted out." She turned and walked down the corridor to the testing room where skills, aptitudes and desires were measured for future jobs and training programs.

Jetta looked at them and grinned. "Better hurry. You don't want to keep her waiting."

They startled and turned walking down the corridor. They would spend a joor answering questions, finding out their strengths and weaknesses, their dreams would be measured and their outcomes determined.

Coldspray had an aptitude for electronics and would be placed in the electrician apprentice program for computer technology. Hardtime would have an aptitude for aviation technology and would find himself apprenticed to Roadie to learn how to manage ships and their complex systems.

They would also be set up with her two brothers for dinner that night at Club Cybertron. They would after a few awkward minutes hit it off.

As they walked out heading for their housing assigment in the tower district nearby, they would ask multitudes of questions, be given multitudes of answers by a thoroughly entertained Jetta and by the end of the day, be introduced to their new futures at their work stations.

It would seem to them to be a slagging miracle.

They would never forget what they felt this orn.

Ever.

-0-Out there

Prime sat waiting for answers, the sensors reading no change. Then movement happened as four ships broke off and began to speed away. The Arks tracked them allowing all to pass and when they were off the sensors, there were only twelve more vessels to go.

"Decepticon ships, four of your compatriots have left. I am asking you to go too or be destroyed. We won't allow you to harm anyone here. You are outgunned and there is no point to your actions. Either leave or surrender. You have my word on the Matrix that you will be given good treatment."

There was no answer. Then a message on a low band came through. Prowl turned and looked at Prime. "There is a message coming in on a very low frequency. I don't think the others will probably know that its being transmitted."

"Put it through," Prime said nodding.

"Prime."

"Prime here."

"I am Wringer. I want to defect. Three others do too. We are transmitting on a low band so you can hear us without the others knowing. Overlord is a crazy fragger and we have been trying to leave for a long time. This is the only chance we have had to go so far. Can we leave and come in?"

"You can if you power down weapons and come forward to be boarded at coordinates we give you. If you even pretend to act oddly, give any manner of offense or try to trick us we will destroy you without mercy. Understood?"

"Affirmative," he said quietly. "We can come forward now?"

"Affirmative," Prime said. "We have dozens of guns trained upon you. Don't be stupid."

"We won't," the voice said with a hint of desperation. Then it signaled off.

Prime glanced at Prowl. "Be ready to wipe them out if things get out of hand."

Prowl nodded and turned giving orders to a number of ships that would be near to the rendezvous site. As he did, four ships began to move forward slipping through the vessels that were parked in space waiting to leave, their terrified and tense passengers staring out the view port windows.

-0-Kup

Their ship moved to the rendezvous point pausing alongside one other. The ships that were coming registered their weapons as powered down. Nearly every non essential system on the ships were being turned off as they edged their way forward. Sensors from Arks and the Guardians indicated they were light fighter class vessels without space for hidden bombs or other ordinance tricks.

Preliminary indications suggested that fifteen mechs were crammed on the ships, many more than the vessels required for operation. That information was conveyed to Gamma and affirmed the idea that these were ships desperate to defect and nothing more.

As they came closer, the traffic between the others outlying increased. Prowl turned to Prime. "They are getting upset. Do you call them again? We got four of them the last time you did. Twelve to go."

Prime nodded. "This is Prime. We are asking you to come in and surrender. Overlord has no hope of doing more than harassing us. We will destroy anyone and anything that comes near to us. We have seven Guardians in our fleet and more coming. You will not win. You can power down and come in or we will kill you. Either leave, come in or die. We will give you one breem to tell us. If you say nothing we will assume you don't intend to finish this peacefully. Think hard. Your life depends upon your decision. Prime out." He turned to Prowl. "Are we in position?"

Prowl turned and nodded. "We are."

"Give Springer discretion."

Prowl nodded and made it so.

-0-Springer

He stood on the command deck of his shuttle, a smaller battle version of the earler heavies that had been produced in the shipyards of Autobot City. This one was heavily armed but fast and cornered on a dime. The other runabouts they were using from the Guardians were going to be replaced by these when the order was completed. This was the first to be deployed and he liked it already.

It held a crew compliment of ten. There were four turret guns on the ship fore and aft, jump off places for outgoing teams and lots of speed and agility. It was slagging perfect and met all the specifications that the Wreckers had asked for in helping to design an offensive platform.

"Prowl to Springer."

"Springer here."

"Prime gives you comand. You are go at will."

"Thanks, Prowl. Tell Prime his missus is glad to hear it."

Prowl chuckled over the speakers in spite of himself. "I will. Prowl out."

Springer grinned and glanced at his pilot, Semper. "Mech does have a sense of humor."

"I'm glad to be witness to it," Semper said.

Springer looked at the datapad unrolled on the table beside him. Everyone was in place. "Open a channel to the team, Semper."

"Done," the big mech said.

"This is Springer, god of the hunt. When I say green, blow them to the Pit. Copy?"

A torrent of abuse filled the air ways and then they acknowledged. Kup's voice came last. "Youngling, don't start without us."

"Slag that, old mech. You babysitting? Get the frag back here."

"We're pulling mechs off of ships. When we drop them off and tow their vessels we'll be back. You start the cotillion without us, I will slap your aft."

"You can try, old mech," Springer said with a grin. "I outrank ya."

"This time, youngling," Kup said. "Better wait for me. Might need me to hold your servo."

"Hurry up. The dance is going to start without ya," Springer said as a jolt of fire rocked his ship.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	59. Chapter 59

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 49

-0-Out there

Springer gripped a beam overhead as the ship shuddered. A flash of light filled the view port before the shuttle rolled heading downward toward safety. As they did, Springer looked at his pilot. "Open the channel."

He did and Springer leaned closer to the cockpit. "Green," he said.

Ships around the area let go, their fire supplemented by the Seekers who were grouped in bunches to maximize firepower. The flashes of fire were intense, all of the Autobots unloading at once as per orders. All over the mass of ships poised to defend, guns and rockets poured forth.

Then it ended.

Prime sat watching intently. "Springer, what is the status of the situation?"

"We're looking, Optimus," Springer replied as he stood compiling information. "We have obliterated eight ships and disabled the rest. We need to go through the debris and pull out survivors."

"Do it," Prime said. He leaned back and shook his helm. "This is fragged. They should have left or surrendered."

"In a perfect world, yes," Prowl said quietly. "If they are being affected by dark energon, they had less aptitude to do that than otherwise."

"The dark energon problem will make a lot of things harder, Prime," Ironhide said. "They'll be stupider than usual. You will have to make these decisions even though you don't want to."

Prime nodded. "I know. It's still hard to take." He looked at Ratchet. "Maybe you should get ready for casualties, Ratchet."

The big mech nodded and rose walking to the hatch. Strapping on the jet pack, he then turned and pushed out through the force field. Toodling through the darkness as he moved over the Guardians toward his own ship, he reached the doors of Kappa just in time to help receive the first of the Decepticon casualties.

-0-Autobot City, Mars, that evening

They walked down the street looking at the shops, businesses and places to eat and drink. It was an astonishing sight. No one on their side had ever been able to make anything even slightly similar to this miracle at any outpost or captured city they had ever been part of. It was homely to walk down the street mingling with civilians, soldiers and others. There were strange little aliens who zipped here and there on little machines. They appeared to be organic.

'Watch for them. Put them on your proximity sensors' they were told. They were allies who have helped kill The Fallen and others every time they showed up on the third planet from the sun they all shared. 'Proximity sensors full on forever here. Keep them on.'

They did.

Pausing outside Club Cybertron, they glanced at each other. They were sparkling new, their original colors at last covering their repaired and buffed chassises. Jetta had helped them get an apartment. It was beautiful, brand new and theirs. They had never had a home so beautiful, private and inviting. Two rooms for sleeping, a living and dining room, a kitchen with actual energon delivered from the wall dispenser and holy of holies, a private wash rack. They had scrubbed themselves for the first time in a long while, then followed Jetta to The Paint Box for detailing and armor repair.

It had been amazing to see their real colors replace the dull purple that had been their lot for eons. They had gotten their armor shined and allowed the Autobrand to be applied to the underside of their forearms. It had been a pause giving thing. But oddly enough, only for a moment. They were taken in by the Autobots. This place was opening up their life to include them. It was a small thing to do, to give their allegiance to a once hated faction that had shown both of them such mercy. They were both keenly aware that if the circumstances were reversed, the likelihood would not be the same.

They stood outside the Club and conversed internally, then turned as one to enter. They walked inside and paused at the bar ordering high grade. Looking around, they saw two mechs they knew from the Decepticons. Glancing at each other, both sides blinked in surprise. Then the two mechs waved for Coldspray and Hardtime to come over. Taking their cubes, they both walked over and sat.

-0-Ratchet

He pulled in broken bits of bots, their pieces magnetized to their bodies for easier repair. Handing some off to those capable of handling the cases, he reserved the worst ones for himself. "Make sure you take precautions. We are dealing with dark energon. It will harm you on contact." He had warned them and they made sure that the precautions necessary were taken. Dark energon pooled on the ground glowing oddly enough even in the brightness of the theater.

They had recovered 16 bots that had survived. As many if not more were scattered electrons and protons all over the battlefield. The Wreckers were scavenging among the debris looking for anything that was even remotely data based or alive. Hopefully, they would find intell that would add to the picture Ratchet knew Prowl and Prime were building of the menace facing them.

He worked madly, putting things back together, transfusing bots bleeding profusely and feeling some sort of relief when the energon slowly dripping onto the floor changed from violet red to pale blue. It was a start.

-0-Springer

They floated in the debris looking for anything remotely alive or useful. All of the obvious bots were carted off and the pieces of the remaining deceased were gathered as well. Ships were blown to bits, scattered all over the place. Some of the ships in the migration had scorch marks from the battle on their hulls because of the proximity of the bad guys to their own vessels. Some had breaches in their bulkheads from furiously flying debris. Those were being patched by Seekers.

He hung in space reconnoitering when three presences came to a stop beside him. He glanced at Kup, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. :'Bout time you got here, slackers:

Kup hung beside him champing on his stogie. :Slag, youngling. I told you to wait:

:If I waited for you, there would have been civilian casualties. Slow pokes:

Sideswipe looked at him with a grin. :Slagger:

Springer grinned. :Call me ***Mr*** Slagger. I outrank all of ya:

:For now: Sunstreaker said with a smirk. :You find anything interesting?:

:I found out that a misspent youth sometimes pays off: he said with a grin. :Right now, we're sweeping up. Grab a bucket and help:

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe nodded, moving forward with grins and determination to best each other in the search. They didn't say so to the other, they just did what came naturally. They floated off into the mayhem.

:Prime ordered this and I know he hated to do it:

:Prime believes in redemption, old mech. Can't say I blame him but sometimes you have to do the hard thing: Springer said.

Kup nodded. :Sometimes a slagging is the only way. Mech needed a tour with us. Would have cured him of his ways:

Both of them stared at the debris and then turned to look at each other. They grinned and said 'nah' at the same time. With a chuckle, both moved forward into the debris, fuel and flotsam that once was ships.

-0-Near the front

They came through the funnel of doom as a group and rounded the next batch of ships. Forming a circle around them to keep the horizon level, the Seeker escort led off about 200 more ships toward freedom and safety.

The migration was being assessed now that techs could go through it. Some ships were being sent forward because their civilian complement was needful of help. Others were given numbers to wait for the leaving. Each numbered group would leave in order. All of them were profusely grateful for the arrival of Seekers, techs, their Prime, the intervention of Primus and their all around proximity to everyone else. The gratitude was at nearly lethal levels of emotion.

-0-Prowl

He set the next four groups to move through the bridge, all of them lining up in order of departure. When it was clear that there would be a few moments, he rose and walked to the beds where the babies were lying. Looking down, he peered into the bright yellow optics of a silent waif who lay in his blankets while not making a sound. Reaching down, he plucked that baby up and tucked him into his arm. Returning, he sat and fed the baby with the tube in his wrist panel, the infant watching him as he fed hungrily.

"That is a sweet baby," Prime said looking up from his console.

"He is." Prowl looked at him. "We will arrange help at home. I would feel better if they were with us. Their genitors when they come will be glad their infants were that close to the Matrix."

Prime nodded. "I agree," he said soothingly. The image of babies floating in vacuum, their little arms and legs flailing as they tried to find something firm to grasp would haunt both of them for a long time.

"You can hold them. The Matrix will comfort them." Prowl kissed the little mech. He looked at Prowl, his optics drooping into recharge. "We will find their genitors. I am sick of orphans, Optimus," he said quietly. "I am filled with gratitude for the little mechs but I mourn their genitors every day."

Prime nodded. "I know. So do I."

They sat together making the migration ready as the joors passed by.

-0-Bluestreak, Tie Down and Ravel

Bluestreak tucked Hero into his hold, the tiny waif wrapped in blankets enveloped in warmth that the winger directed to her. A basket of femmes sat in the floor, both looking up at their atar with curious optics. Kaon was already in his arms as he waited for Praxus, Miracle and Orion. Tie Down and Ravel were getting the little mechs and Sunspot. They would make sure that they got to their football practices. They would all meet at the Residence for dinner before delegating the infants for the night.

The door opened again and Neo walked out, leashes in servo and Miracle in arms. Blue put Kaon down and gripped his leash as he took Miracle into his own arms.

"Do you think you can manage this, Bluestreak?" Neo asked with a grin.

"I think so. These three can walk. We're just going to the studio until Venture gets off work. Miler is needed at the Trigger until the vortex closes," Blue said as he took the leashes of the little ones.

They stood looking at each other with ginormous smiles. Then as one they looked up at Bluestreak. Smiling ginormously, they patted Blue's legs. Bluestreak snorted and chuckled. "This is going to be like herding cats."

Neo nodded. "I know that reference," she said. "Let me help you get them into the elevator." She picked up the basket and waited as Blue turned and tugged on the leashes. The infants looked at him and began to wander after him. Sort of. It would take a minute to get them on board.

Neo handed the basket to Bluestreak. "If you need help, call me and I'll come."

Bluestreak chuckled. "Count on it," he said as the doors closed. The ride down was noisy if not eventful. The chatter of the day's activities was a must do first thing for the babies. They told it all, some of it understandable, some of it not. When the doors opened, they wandered out, their amiable dawdling amusing to those waiting to go up.

Blue got them to the door and they stepped out turning to the street and the walk to the Cultural Center. It would take a great deal of time to walk, chat, stop and look at stuff, pause to talk to each other about something, look up at the sky in amazement, pat each other, fall down and get up, spat a little bit, hug each other, laugh uproariously about nothing that Bluestreak could make out, pause by the pathway to the tower where they lived, climb the curb and not fall, fall climbing the curb, laugh at the one falling on the curb, comfort the one who fell whose feelings got hurt, pause long enough to take the rocks out of the femme's basket that the babies put into it, try and follow someone else, tangling the leashes trying to follow someone else, falling down getting tangled up, comforting the 'owies' of the one who fell down, wait for a comforting group hug of the one who fell down, wait for the group chatter and all around check up by the others of the one who fell down, stop for a moment to let one demonstrate skippity-hopping to the others, watch with amusement as the others laugh in great happiness, wait as the others try skippity-hopping too, comfort two babies who fell down face first skippity-hopping, watch as one who can checks out the ones who can't, pause long enough to get the one who goes the opposite direction of the others because they're confused, comfort the confused one, tug them as they pause to look at older younglings passing by, move forward in the same direction, pause long enough for a gaggle of elderly to gush over the 'cute little sparklings!', get them going again, unwind them as they get mixed up going into the Cultural Center doors, get their leashes mixed up around the legs of other adults as they wander behind a fully determined Bluestreak, pause to unwind infants, pause to have the adults involved hug and smooch the 'slagging cute little sparklings!', walk to the elevator, wait for an elevator, get into the elevator, ride up with a lot of sparkling chatter telling about 'stuff', Orion's new word, exit the elevator … eventually, wander down the vast mezzanine, tug infants who want to enter the dojo, make it to the studio, drag them inside by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin.

Unhook.

Plop all the mechs in their little toy area.

Put tiniest femme in her little box bed on the couch.

Put the twinnie femmes in their own little toy area.

Fall on chair. Crash.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	60. Chapter 60

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 50

=0=Out there

They floated amidst the debris searching for anything that might be of value or resemble a body part. They had found a servo and part of a leg. That had been taken to a toxic bin that was anchored against a runabout. Moving through the field, they were aware that optics were watching. Pausing, looking to the side, Sideswipe noticed a femme staring at him, a youngling of a very pretty type. She ducked down and slowly arose, peering at him shyly. He grinned and floated over.

She was part of a large party on a very large ship. There were many view ports along the vast side and out of them many were the individuals watching. He turned his shoulder showing her the Autobrand. She relaxed slightly, smiling shyly. He put his servo on the window and she slowly pressed hers against his. For a moment, she was peaceful. Then Sunstreaker floated up, an arm in his possession. She ducked down.

:Put that away, you slagger. There's a little femme inside: Sideswipe said glaring at Sunstreaker.

He slipped the arm fragment into subspace and watched as the shy little femme slowly rose and peered out again. She looked at them and then raised both her servos pressing them against the glass. They grinned glancing at each other. Then they put a servo each against hers. She smiled at last, brightly and happily.

-0-At the studio

Bluestreak sat reading the Autobot City Daily News on the datapad in his servos as all around him infants played happily. Hero had meeped and drew his attention. She was overheated so he rearranged her blankets, patting the baby back into recharge. The mechs were hooting and jabbering, their happiness almost palpable.

The little femmes were 'holding babies'. They had two dollies and were trying to rock them. They couldn't rock too much because they would tip over. Lying flat, meeping themselves, Bluestreak would sit them back up and they would smiled ginormously. "You two are impossibly cute," he said as he stepped back. They looked at him, their dollies firmly clutched; then back to 'rocking the baby' they went. Bluestreak turned to go sit again and paused. A human femme and a cameraman were paused in the open door on segways. Behind them grinning sheepishly a camera mech from IntraComm waited.

:Hi. I hope I'm not disturbing you: Lenora said.

Bluestreak glanced at the mech behind her and her crewman, then her again. :Uh, I don't think you are:

:May I come in and talk to you? You are in a trine with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Right?: she asked.

Blue paused a moment, then nodded. :Yes. Come in.:

She drove in with her cameraman on the back followed by the IntraComm mech who was named Con. Pausing, glancing at the infants with a smile, she looked up at Bluestreak. :Would you mind being interviewed for the series we're making? We know you have a lovely family and sometimes you go on missions, sometimes not. Could we get your point of view too?:

Bluestreak paused a moment. Then he took a chance. :Sunny. Sideswipe: For a moment there was nothing, then a faint stirring, the kind they always had when separated by great distance. "What?" he could feel rather than hear. "They want me to speak to them on the film. What do you want?"

A surge of emotion reached him and he could tell that a heated conversation was going on. Then it came to him. "Ok. Be careful." He pulsed back emotion they had come to understand was agreement. He turned and looked at the humans who understood what he was doing. He nodded. :It depends on what you want: he said.

:We want your side, Bluestreak. What is it like to be with two of the toughest, baddest, most awesome front-liners in the Autobot Army?: she asked earnestly.

Bluestreak smiled in spite of himself.

-0-Earlier in the habitat tower

"I think we're missing an entire aspect of this situation."

Everyone turned to look at Lenora. She gathered her guts. "I think no one is talking to the bonds of these guys. What about the other side of their lives? What about families and their babies and kids?"

They looked at her for a moment; then Jack Mellar nodded. "Do it," he said. So she did.

-0-Gamma

They were awakening, their piteous cries sparkfelt. Prime held one as he poured over data while others picked up the slack. Prowl held a tiny mech who could be no older than Hero. He was clinging to a dollie that they had given him from the medical stores. It reminded Prowl of images of tiny infant primates on Earth who clung fearfully to dollies when they were away from their mothers. He looked down the compartment toward the door.

Ironhide was holding one in his arm, the infant nearly asleep again under his expert tutelage. A crewmech who was himself an ada knelt by the others and patted them, talking to them softly as they lay fussing slightly. They were tired and in a strange place. They were responding to the kind energy but the familiar one, the energy of parents was not there to comfort them. It was sad but they coped along.

The last few groups were getting ready to go and soon they would collapse the vortex. They would not be done with this space however. They would be back in force. If the enemy was building a base this close to the traditional path of migrations, they would have to not only police it, they would have to figure out how to get their missing refugees back. They wouldn't be abandoning this area any time soon.

-0-Club Cybertron

They sat with two former Decepticons drinking high grade and asking questions. The place was filled with the lunch crowd and it was like any other place on Cybertron.

"We were told it doesn't matter what your faction was if you get along and follow the rules," Coldspray said.

The others nodded. Two more joined them, all of them leaning forward on their elbows to talk quietly above the sound of laughter, conversation and football playing on overhead monitors.

"It doesn't," a mech said nodding. "I was one of the first to defect. I don't owe Megatron or the Cause slag. No one has been on my case here because I was a Decepticon. No one has denied me anything I set out to do because of what I was. Prime keeps his word. You will have to give your oath."

"We know," Hardtime said nodding. "The system isn't allowed here."

"Frag no," another mech said. "That's dead. I hear Prime's calling a convocation about it shortly. We're voting against it. What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Coldspray asked.

"Will you vote for or against it in the convocation?" he asked again.

"Against." He paused a moment. "You mean, we get to vote too?"

"Sure," the same mech said with a grin. "You are going to be living here. Take advantage of this place. For the first time in our lives, we get to do what we want. Oh, and remember. There are slaggers here who are still in the brig at night. Barricade and Scorponok for example. There is also that damned Stiletto. He's a king fragger. Avoid them. Don't get pulled into their slag. Let it go. They're in the can and you are out here. Stay out here."

They nodded.

-0-Ratchet

He walked among the rows of patients getting the worst cases ready to go through with Kappa. The end of the emergencies was over and the line of ships left to go were those without major incidents aboard. Kappa was going to be going through with the next group so Ratchet got ready to leave the ship to go to Gamma and help with the infants.

All of their cases were stable, though three were critical. They would survive he thought gruffly. Slaggers had taken a lot of patching. His handiwork was good and they were young. Just about the best formula for survival a mech could ask for. Turning to Goldwing, he nodded. "You got it well in servo, Goldie. I'm proud of you and the team."

They all paused and looked at him, grinning from the hard earned and well meant compliment. "Thank you, Ratchet. We can handle this through to the hospital. We can meet you there."

"Good," Ratchet said looking around once more. "I'm going to help with the babies."

"What's going to happen to them?" Gypsy asked. She had floated over from Xantium to assist.

"Prowl has commandeered them for now. He's going to keep them together until we get their genitors back," Ratchet said.

They looked at him especially the younger ones. "What can we do to get them back, Ratchet? There must be nearly 2,500 of them in that mess."

"We'll get them back. We have the Matrix," Ratchet said. "We've spun miracles in the past with less." He squeezed the youngling's arm. "You all did good. I'm proud of you. I know it was scary but you didn't fall apart. You are a good team. I will meet you on the other side." He nodded to them and walked to the door donning his jet pack. With a grin, he turned and stepped through the force field to wend his way back to Gamma.

They watched him go. "I will never get used to this," the youngling said. "I don't know how he does it."

"He's done it all his life," Gypsy said nodding. "He loves his soldiers."

They nodded. "You'll get better at it, youngling," Goldwing said. "Don't get used to it. When you do, you die."

The youngling looked at Goldwing, himself the veteran of many battles and nodded. Then they turned back to their patients to wait their turn. When it came, they would disappear swiftly and at the other end, willing servos would be waiting.

-0-Out there

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stowed the last identifiable portion of someone's anatomy that they could find. Kup and Springer were sitting magnetized to Xantium's hull so they turned and glided over. Magnetizing themselves, they stared down at the pair. "Some of us do the work. Some slag off. No justice: Sunstreaker said with a grin.

Springer snorted. :Some lead. Some are led. Get used to it:

:So ..." Sideswipe began sitting next to Springer, magnetizing to the hull. :Do you lead or are you led?:

Springer well aware of what he was saying glanced at the big youngling. :You know I don't frag and tell:

Enormous guff met that remark. Sunstreaker sat beside Kup magnetizing to the broad gleaming hull of Xantium. :Drift:

:What?: that handsome bot answered from somewhere in the mix.

:Tell me something. Do you lead or are you led?: the big yellow Lambo asked with a wolfish grin.

:What?: came the answer.

Sunstreaker looked at Springer with the same grin. :I just checked with Drift. Apparently you are the led:

Enormous slag met that remark.

Drift appeared from over the hull of Xantium walking magnetized to pause beside them. Looking down with a grin, he considered the four slaggers before him. :I am assuming you are talking about our face life. Coming for tips are you?:

Slag was ginormous.

Sitting, relaxing a little, he looked at Springer who was leaning back resting on his elbows, his long legs stretched out before him. :You're supposed to defend me, you fragger:

:You're on your own, Slick: Springer said with a grin. :What's it look like on your side of Fat Aft?:

:Who are you calling fat aft?: a deep masculine voice asked from beneath them with great humor.

Enormous slag followed.

:I think you hurt Xantium's feelings, dumbaft. Slag your own ride home: Kup said with a grin.

Springer smirked and shrugged. :You gotta admit. Compared to Kappa's very nice shapely aft, Xantium is a whale:

Slag was huge including that from beneath their peds.

:So how is it going?: Springer asked his sparring partner and all around frag buddy.

:It's pretty much clear. Fluids, fuel and microbits are all that's left that way: Drift answered nodding over his shoulder. It was quiet a moment. :Any word on how we're going to be getting the hostages out?:

:Nothing so far: Kup replied as he sat chewing on his stogie, his optics fixed on a passenger vessel nearby which was moving forward to get into line to leave. :You can count on us being a large part of whatever Prowl and Prime have in mind. Gonna get them out. Sparklings need their adas:

:Fraggers. When I saw those babies floating out there, I could have massacred an army: Sideswipe said. Sunstreaker nodded. :Imagine that being the girls or Kaon:

:I can't: Sideswipe said.

:We'll get 'em. That's what we do: Kup said staring at the stogie in his servo.

:Frag yeah: Sideswipe said dangerously.

:You go first: Drift said looking at Springer. :I hear you lead:

The slag was ginormous.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	61. Chapter 61

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 51

=0=Through the vortex

They came through, the Guardians blasting through the energy storm, rolling into space on the other end. The majesty of the orange-red planet that they called home turned slowly before them as they fell into their high orbit above a slowly shrinking layer of refugee ships. Some would peel off and go downward guided by Seekers and others would rise from the planet heading to the shipyard and facility on nearby Ceres.

They waited for the call down from Fortress Maximus Control Tower and when it was received, they gently rolled over in a steady downward trend that signaled home was at hand. They touched down at the air field almost immediately stopping as all around them the grind of reclamation and the crush of ships made their disembarkation slow.

Ratchet stood with a sparkling wrapped in a blanket waiting. Ironhide had one in his hold and another in the crook of his arm. Prowl carried one in a hold and the tiniest one in his arms. Prime held the last one in his own hold, the several of them standing at the door for the hatch to open.

The ramp slid out as the door opened and they stepped out into the deep night of the orn. It was busy as everywhere mechs and a femme or two hurried about the business of getting people where they needed to be. Some of the refugees saw Prime as he paused at the bottom of the ramp. They came to him and gave their profuse thanks, their abject grief and the debt they felt they owed him for the sound of his voice reaching them in their deep despair.

They finally were corralled and went onward into a city that had now grown to over 422,000 individuals. They stood in the pool of lights, the ships lifting away and settling down among them as they emptied. When offloaded, they were analyzed as all around them the great operation began to wind down.

Jazz and Mirage walked toward the group pausing with a grin. "You're home."

Mirage looked at the sparklings. "What's this?" he asked.

Prowl glanced at him. "You don't know?"

They glanced at each other. "No," Jazz said.

"Overlord took six sparklings away from their genitors and tossed them into vacuum before pulling back," Prowl said. "Didn't the two 'Cons tell you?"

Jazz looked at them grimly. "No. We didn't get that part. We didn't ask about what was happening out there. We just asked about Overlord." He looked at the babies he could see. "This is goin' to be fragged getting' the hostages back."

Prowl nodded. "We will," he said equally grimly.

The ship before them moved and lifted up slowly, startling the infants who had fallen back into recharge. Holding them closer, they waited until that ship was gone before following Prime as he headed down the highway to the Fortress. "How is the prison?" he asked.

"It's ready to go. The fifteen that were surrendering are there waiting to give their oath. The other two are already settled. They didn't mention the babies," Jazz repeated with a hint of anger.

"That was why they defected," Optimus replied. "They didn't agree with that slag."

Jazz nodded slightly mollified. "Alright. I am assumin' you want to have a meetin' as soon as possible about the refugees? I am also assumin' that since the migration route is now compromised, that will be a topic in hand."

"You read my processor," Optimus replied grimly.

-0-Inside the Ops Center

They walked in and went to their stations gathering the latest intel. Reconvening at the center table, they laid it out. Jazz put down a datapad and looked at Prime. "We have 422,310 in population overall. Of those, 1,200 newbie Seekers and 3,127 soldiers or those with soldier experience. We have Knights of Cybertron, Circle of Light and zillions of civilians.

"We have thousands of ships which are goin' through the processin' routine, databases out the kazoo to analyze and lots of artifacts, some of which have great cultural significance. A lot of different needed specialties and professions are among the newbies."

"That's good. We need to get them organized for the skills databases," Prowl said.

"The situation on the ground is winding down," Mirage said. "City Hall mentions that they should clear the last group in three joors."

Prime nodded. "Any difficult individuals?"

"There were several taken to the hospital for observation," Jazz said. "They seemed to have emotional problems. Jarro and his staff are on it. There are some elderly that needed hospitalization due to health issues that have been neglected. There are schedules for repairs and surgeries for a number of individuals that Ratchet can speak to tomorrow." He looked up. "We are having a meeting tomorrow?"

Prime nodded. "We need to. We're going to have to establish a presence out there and get those hostages back. We're also going to have to police the migration path. We can't have Overlord making this harder than it is."

They nodded. "I'll get the party started for tomorrow," Jazz said to Prowl. "What is going to happen to these sparklings?"

"We're keeping them together," Prowl said glancing at the tiny mech in his arms. "We need to get them back to their families."

Jazz nodded. "Go and take care of them. We'll handle this end."

Prime nodded. "Thank you. I will meet with whoever needs to make the oath if it's necessary."

"They can wait until tomorrow," Mirage said. "They waited until now. A few joors don't matter."

Prime nodded and the group turned walking to the door, rec room, steps, courtyard, and beyond. The moons were passing overhead as they walked along the sidewalk that led to Mare Tranquilitatis beyond. They were greeted by refugees, the odd citizen and soldier as they made their way. Prowl had called ahead for help in setting up for the infants in the Residence. By the time they stepped off the elevator at the penthouse, the sounds of voices could be heard inside.

The door opened and Bluestreak smiled. "Welcome back. We're ready to help you both." He stepped aside as they walked into the giant living room. Venture and Ravel was standing in the room waiting anxiously. Ravel walked to Ironhide and took a sparkling. "Oh my. What a terrible life you have had so far," he said gently.

Ironhide retrieved the baby from his hold and Prime did the same. Bluestreak took that baby and looked at the others. "Come on. I'll show you what we did."

They followed him around the corner to the corridor that led to the rest of the apartment. They walked past the bedrooms of the little mechs and found themselves in one of the two extra rooms for guests. It had been remodeled, the berths removed and six little cribs side-by-side were waiting. They were filled with blankets and dollies.

Bluestreak put his baby down and one-by-one, the others were put to bed as well. They stood and looked at the infants. "This is a huge job, Prowl." Bluestreak turned to look at his atar. "I will help you all I can."

"Where are your babies?" Prowl asked.

"They are being cared for by the neighbors. We need to organize help that can come here and manage them or we need to take them to a place where they can be managed. Daycare or something, like the humans have," Bluestreak suggested.

The sparkling school is pretty good about this sort of thing," Ironhide said.

"That will be a possibility. I think I'm too tired to make a good decision now," Prowl said looking at the little infants who were falling into sleep once again.

"We have to get a start on what we're going to do about Overlord and his menace. He's a bad threat to the migration. We need to have any intel that there is about what is coming," Prime said nodding. "Tomorrow will be a busy day."

"I hate to break it to you, Optimus, but it already is tomorrow," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Then we better break for now," Prime said.

They chatted a moment organizing things and then everyone turned to go. As they closed the door and turned, three little mechs were standing in the living room staring solemnly at their genitors. Then they didn't. They were too busy tackling them.

-0-In the bosom of love

They entered quietly, hugging Tie Down tightly. After brief whispered conversation, hugs and a promise to catch up later, Ravel and Tie left. Glancing into the berthrooms and taking count of infants, Ratchet and Ironhide walked to their own. Collapsing, they lay silently for a moment.

"Prowl has a passel of younglings, Ratchet."

"He does."

"He has a thing for infants."

"He does."

"Mech never seemed to the type."

"He didn't."

"Wonder what the change for him was?"

"Orion."

"Do you think so?"

"Sure, Ironhide. He loved Orion and Orion loved him. It's sort of like a dog."

(grin) "How so?"

"Well, you have unconditional love. They love you no matter how fragged you are. They need you completely. You feel validated in a way no slagging bond or slagger friend could ever achieve with you. Like that."

(grin) "Is that so?"

(rolls over and sprawls in the usual way across his big black love cushion) "Sure."

Silence.

"Slagger is a mystery."

"He is."

"Slagger is a sparkling thief."

(grin) "He is, Ironhide."

"Thought about taking a couple of the sparklings on for the duration myself."

"Ah." (grin) "You have sparkling envy."

(grin) "Probably. You do know what this means …"

"No." (grin) "You need to tell me, Ironhide."

"Slagger has eleven infants. We have six."

Pause. "Eleven?"

"Bluestreak, Rambler, T-Bar, Spirit, Miracle and six new babies."

Pause. "That's fragged. Maybe we can have Sunspot count as two."

(grin) "We might."

Pause. "Slagger cheats, Ironhide."

(grin) "He does. Even when they aren't ours, they're his. Mech is pathological."

"He is." (grin)

Pause. "Slagger needs to get sparked again. Seems pretty mellow when he is. Won't need to steal my femme all the time."

"You still whining about Hero?"

"I hardly had a time with her before we had to leave. Nearly cried when I put her into the sparkling school. A mech can't even carry his little femme around without something slagging them. I got lots of compliments about her. She's slagging awesome."

"You sound like Sunstreaker. He hopes the sparklings get on the teevee because they are… how does he say it? Oh, yeah. 'Slagging awesome'."

"They are."

"Won't get an argument from me, Ironhide."

Silence.

"I suppose I have to take Hero back on again. Little femme needs to have the advantages. What do you think, Ratchet?"

(grin) "She does. You don't even know her favorite munition yet."

"I think she leans to small grenades. Could be wrong."

"Could be." (grin) "Won't be the first time. You got Praxus wrong for a while."

"Little mech likes whatever will fit in his mouth." (grin)

"He does." (grin)

Silence.

"Did I tell you lately thank you?"

"For what, Ironhide?"

"For this. For our new life. For all the wonderful things in it."

"Not lately. You can commence at will." (grin)

(big squeeze and hug) "Thank you, Ratchet, for all the good things we have now."

"You're welcome."

Silence.

"Ratchet?"

"What, Only One?"

"I love you. I love our family. I wish you could know how much."

"I think I do." (grin and big hug)

"Halloween will be fun."

"I know, Only One."

"What do you think the younglings should be. Ratchet?"

"I thought a ghost for Sunspot last year. Now with his pretty colors, I thought a sunflower."

(Grin, snort) "That will be cute. A sort-of-flower-around-his-helm thing?"

"I thought so. We could make the other two flowers or something else too."

"They could go as us."

Hilarity ensued.

"Goodnight, Ratchet."

"Goodnight, Ironhide."

-0-Nearby

He stood at the window staring out into the night. All across the house it was still. He had arisen and walked into the room checking the infants. They were sound asleep. The test would be in the morning when they needed care.

Somewhere in the void desperate genitors suffered. He could feel it in his spark. They would get everyone back. Overlord would pay. Balance would be achieved.

Of this, Prowl made a vow to The One.

The moons traversed the sky, disappearing into the darkness as he stood and watched them go.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	62. Chapter 62

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 52

=0=The next day

"This would go faster if we carried them."

"They can walk, Ironhide. It's about time these slaggers earned their keep."

They walked along the sidewalk, two tiny bots on leashes wandering along behind. Stopping for every new rock, every passing person, every whim that crossed their processor, the entire group was going at a very slow rate. The sun beat down and it was a balmy 20 degrees above zero. The streets were filled with mechs and the odd femme as 100,000 plus newbies made their way around town.

The atmosphere of the city was electric. The air field was busy. The line for The Paint Box was out to the street. The shifts would change in a short time and so they hurried as fast as very tiny short legs could manage to go.

"You sure we can't carry them, Ratchet?"

"Nope. Make them work for it, Ironhide."

They ambled along toward the schools with grins.

The sparklings themselves had no comment.

-0-At the Residence

They stood in the bedroom, Prowl delegating sparklings to teacher aides that had come to help with the baby care. When they were delegated out, he turned and led them to the dining room where they sat at the table and fed the infants from bottles. After a moment of fuss, the infants took to the bottles with gusto.

The little mechs sat at the table eating their breakfast silently, watching as babies overtook their home. Miracle sat on the table, his own sippy cup upturned. He was in hog heaven, the oldest sparkling in the room. Prowl worked to care for everyone even as he organized the meeting that would happen shortly. Prime was in his office going through the over night data dump.

"Ada?"

"What, Spirit."

"Do we get to keep these sparklings?"

Prowl paused. "No, son. We're babysitting them. Their families want them back. We just have to help them until their families come for them."

"Okay," the little mech said.

Prowl vented a soft sigh. "There are families that are very afraid for their sparklings. We have to take very good care of them until they come back."

"They will?" T-Bar asked.

"We plan on it," Prowl said.

He meant it.

-0-At the Ops Center Conference Room

They gathered, all of the many leaders of the many different departments and constituent groups. The overnight expansion of the city was fortuitous and challenging. They housed the newcomers easily but the sorting out of everything else would take time. With every migration, new specialties, skills and workers arrived to make things easier, the possibilities vaster and the life of all better. They would discuss the new potential at the meeting. Leadership and representatives of all the many and ever growing constituent groups, professions, professional organizations and departments sat waiting as they watched the High Command walk toward them through Ops Center.

Prowl, Prime, Ironhide and Ratchet entered taking their places. Ironhide carried Hero and Prowl carried the tiniest little mech, name unknown. Everyone stared at him with curiosity but for Jazz, Mirage, Nova and Herling. They were told the story already. "Where did you purloin that sparkling, Prowl?" Neo asked with a grin.

Prowl looked at it and then the others. "When we were out there we backed Overlord off. Before he pulled back, he threw six things into the vacuum. They turned out to be sparklings."

The temperature of the room plunged to the equivalent of vacuum. For a moment no one spoke. Then Neo flinched and rose slowly to her peds. "What?" she asked in shock.

Prowl looked at her. "They threw six babies into vacuum and left. Starscream," he said looking at the grave appearing Seeker at the end of the table, "flew with others to retrieve them."

She sat down slowly, shock in every inch of her format. "That is ... I have no words."

They looked at the Seeker and he nodded. "Overlord is mine," he said quietly.

Blackjack and Alor shifted uneasily. "What the frag?" Blackjack said. "That slagging fragger."

Prowl nodded. "We are keeping them together at the Residence. We plan on returning them to their families as well," he said with defiance.

Miler turned to his son. "May I?" he asked. Prowl gently passed him over and Miler cuddled the infant. "We will retrieve the others. There are many I am told. I know we will succeed."

Prime nodded. "I intend to make it so. We have a lot of things to do to make it happen. Soundwave will be a part of that. What I need is everyone in this room to raise their right servo." They looked at him and complied. "Swear on the Matrix that whatever we discuss stays among us and is not to be known by others without my permission." They all nodded and gave their assent. He leaned back and nodded. "Thank you. I would not normally take this step but we have a number of civilians among us and discipline of message and behavior have different norms in the civilian world than the military."

"What would you have us do, Optimus?" Magnus asked.

"There is much to do and I am still formulating this for a plan of action. What I want to do is understand our situation here before showing you what I plan to do about both Overlord and our missing people. But make no mistake," he said sitting forward, the full bearing of his dignity as a mech and as a Matrix bearer evident to all. "We will get them back and remove the threat on our borders." He sat back. "Prowl?"

The tense winger took the agenda that had been compiled under his direction by Jazz. "Thank you, Jazz for putting this together. Our first order of business is an overview by Magnus." He sat back and relaxed. Magnus looked at him a moment. "You can call on anyone of us, Prowl. We will help with the babies."

"I know. Thank you," Prowl said nodding. "I will remember that."

Magnus nodded. He looked at his own datapad. "We are still compiling data but the overall population is about 422,310 overall. We have more than 1,200 new Seekers and over 3,100 soldiers or mechs and femmes who have been soldiers once. There are 800 or so Circle of Light members and 56 Knights of Cybertron among the mix. They have identified themselves and have been shown where they can find others in their particular groups. There are mechs that have speciailties that are essential especially in communications and defense. There are a number of artistic individuals, some of whom are preserving their skills as the last practicioners. I highly recommend that they have a chance to teach and train others."

Everyone nodded. "Send me the list as you go, Magnus. We'll see them and get something started," Herling said.

"I shall," Magnus said studying his datapad. "We have over 2,000 younglings and sparklings to educate. We will be opening a tower for just that in the satellite habitation area that we are working on now, Herling. We need to have your input or do you want us to follow the plans we already have?"

Herling considered that. "I would like to have you meet with our education committee, Magnus. I want the teacher representatives there as well as you and the other genitors, Ironhide. They can give insight into any tweaks that might be necessary."

Magnus nodded. "Tell Blondi when and I'll pencil it in," he said. "We have thousands of ships that are being assessed and taken care of. The depot on Ceres is a godsend. We have built as you know facilities there to deconstruct ships, denature toxic materials, smelt a lot of the more specialized and rare materials into reusable ingots and prepare ships to be sent back for refit or total destruction. The energon depot that just opened there is extremely helpful as a refueling station as well as the new housing for those on shift or passing through. All in all, it is a very great thing and I suggest that you visit when you can to see what they have done. It is a great asset to our situation."

Prime nodded. "Please give my regards to those involved." He glanced at Jetta who was sitting next to Elita. "I am assuming you helped shovel the foundations?" He grinned and Jetta did too. "You can assume that," the handsome black and red bot said.

"Our housing situation is holding strongly," Magnus said continuing. "We have accomodated the new arrivals with 42,000 apartments awaiting occupancy. The new habitat area will be residential housing for up to 200,000 new residents. Our workforce has been enhanced by skill workers as well as those who are artistic designers. Given enough time, we can absorb 100,000 new refugees once every nine decaorns without straining resources too heavily. The need for skills such as teachers and other specialists however has to be addressed. We received only 30 educational specialists according to the data this time."

They looked at Herling. "We are graduating 15 new teachers every twelve decaorns. They are immediately mentored with our master teachers to help them become confident and skilled. I would like you to know that Terradive and Roto have finished the master-mentor teacher accreditation programs and they are at the peak of the process in our system. They are invaluable as mentors."

"They are invaluable as teachers," Ironhide added as everyone nodded in agreement. "Mechs are heroes in my book."

"Teaching Orion requires hazardous duty pay," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Hilarity ensued.

"I will have you know mech and little mech walk to school everyday and Orion can paddle in the pool," Ironhide said with affronted pride and such.

"Awesome," Jazz said with a grin. "Orion floats better than you."

Hilarity ensued.

"Right now," Magnus said strenuously steering them back on track, "we are good, Optimus. We can handle the physical placement of the population and provide work for everyone with much left over. We are on track as per City Plan 3.2 of the Master Plan."

"Good," Optimus said with relief. "What about the refugees, Ratchet?"

Ratchet glanced at his datapad. "Less illness over all than most. Most of this group didn't come as far nor were they as badly off as the others. There were some mental cases that are in Jarro's servos," he said glancing at his colleague. Jarro nodded. "Mostly post stress and some having difficulty leaving the only place they found as safe after The Fall and Great Exodus. These are very established colonies in this group. They are being treated. Some were hospitalized due to hallucinations and behavior that seemed to be leading to self injury. They are in custody in the Mental Health Department of the Medical Tower. I am expecting progress from most of them in the short term and a couple in the long. We are doing outreach among the newbies to show them options for any problems of adjustment or grief related to leaving their life behind. We are also going to be evaluating the infants and younglings to make sure they are not overlooked. We also have a small group of elderly who are suffering because the migrations so far haven't returned family they miss. It is in servo, Optimus."

Ratchet nodded. "Right now, we have the usual bumps and boo-boos. We also have a long list of surgeries for the newbies that are going to be performed by the doctors and medics in Medical. We also have a number of doctors and medics training in the schools that will assist. Gypsy told me that we have 120 sparked mechs and three femmes that are in varying stages on the timeline. The protoform department in Specialty Fabrications-Medical will take the orders and create the necessary formats for the sparklings. All in all, they were healthy and lucky. The five 'Cons we captured weren't so much. All of them are in a critical condition in the ICU. They were completely transfused to eliminate the dark energon contamination but that isn't completely clear yet. That stuff is something that can linger. We will have to see. The fifteen mechs who defected with the first two are in good condition and champing on the bit to be free. Nothing too bad. Almost no sign of protoform wasting either. Huzzah." He sat back and grinned at his daughter. She looked back at him with a serious expression. It was vintage Ironhide.

"That's good news, Ratchet. Thank you. Please convey my regards to your department," Prime said nodding. He looked at Jazz. "What do we know, Jazz?"

He leaned forward. "I talked again to Hardtime and Coldspray. They were afraid because of the sparkling incident that they wouldn't be allowed to stay here so they didn't bring it up to me. I informed them of the error of their ways. They told me that Overlord would be low on energon and would likely use the refugees as slave labor to build a base of operation in the asteroids and planetoids nearby the migration lane. They would dig in and do their usual mayhem from there."

Prime nodded. "I imagined they would," he said quietly. He glanced at Starscream. "What is the status of the energon removal in that sector, Starscream?"

The big Seeker shook his helm. "We haven't reached that sector yet, Prime. The debris field shifts and we have been gathering it in plotted waves to make sure that if any energon is found it would be found out there and not closer to us. We work around the clock but have not been able to expand into that territory yet." He paused a moment. "That gives the slagger energy."

Prime nodded. "It does," he said quietly.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	63. Chapter 63

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 53

=0=Conference Room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

It was silent a moment as they digested the news. "Optimus, that slagger is just starting. We can bend this around to our favor if we move," Jetta said.

Prime nodded. "I believe so," he said glancing up at Starscream. "The Seekers have done extraordinary work in removing potential fuel from the servos of enemies. We can congratulate their efforts even as we redouble for the future."

Starscream nodded. "Thank you, Prime. We shall train the newcomers for the task and set them to it."

"Perhaps we can do this more efficiently," Flint ventured. "If we send larger groups out with some heavily armed for security, they can do this more safely than the lightly armed flights that go out now. They could also use the Guardians as the receptacles from the energon they find. They can gather more at a time and haul it back with fire support."

Starscream considered that and nodded. "I agree. We can do much more in the time frame we have and cover more ground with bigger groups and larger vessels to carry what is found."

"I agree," Prime said. "Please make it so, Starscream."

The big Seeker nodded. "We shall."

Prime sat back. "We shall utilize the small bridge to expedite this as well." He looked at Wheeljack. "Would you be able to help them come and go?"

"We can," Wheeljack said nodding. He glanced at Miler who nodded. "Consider it done."

"We can meet after the meeting, Starscream," Wheeljack said. The Seeker nodded.

"Herling," Prime said nodding.

The Director of Education for the entire planet sat forward. "We are assessing the children that came with this migration. We are looking at 987 new students for our schools. We are going to have to stretch our resources and ask for more mechs and femmes to be teachers. We have a group graduating shortly … fifteen of them. There are three other classes in the system. We have the thirty teachers mentioned and will be training them to our system so that they can step in. We will meet with Jetta, Nova and I to look over the new educational tower with Jetta and the committee. I am thinking that we will put the sparkling school alone in the existing tower and have all the younglings in the new one."

"Oh joy. Another move," Ratchet said with a grin.

Herling smirked. "You love it. Admit it." He looked at Prime. "We are growing at such a rate that we need to divide our little ones apart to allow us to provide the right kind of services for them in the best amount of space sharing the expertise we have more efficiently. We will draw up conclusions for our schools and what we plan to do with our staff questions and projections. We will get it to you as fast as possible."

Prime nodded. He glanced at Jetta. "What is the forecast on the new construction? I don't want to be caught flatfooted by a new migration. I would prefer to handle one crisis at a time."

He nodded. "We have 100 towers either under construction or on the planning table. Our goals are the same. We will complete each one unfurnished and enter those apartments into the housing database at City Hall. The Housing Authority is working with us to make the allocation process as smooth as possible. We are storing the fixtures to complete the apartments in the basements and sub floors of the buildings so that when an order comes through, the techs can go and use the equipment there to swiftly finish the living spaces for habitation. We don't want anyone to have to wait or to be uncomfortable. They already are exhausted as it is."

Prime nodded. "An admirable system, Jetta. What about Aerie Hill?"

Jetta glanced at Starscream. "We have continued on the existing building and have broken ground on the next phase of building. The current facility is eighteen stories high, curves more than 9,500 feet and is home to the current population. There is a perfect complementary ridge of land behind the habitation itself that will be highly complementary to the design of the facility that is there now. We are working with the designers, all of whom are Seekers and graduates of the University School of Architecture and Design. They will be submitting plans to the City Planning Commission for finalization shortly. I will brief you on it when it is finished. It will be stunning."

Starscream nodded proudly. "It is. I am well pleased."

"That is good news. We have the luxury of good thinking and willing well trained servos," Prime said.

They continued on the list of topics until they were cleared away. Dismissing the department heads that managed business and other things not necessary to the current crisis, Prime sat considering his options. Everyone sat quietly waiting. He leaned forward on his elbows. "We have to make a base out there that is within striking distance of Overlord. We have to man it with a force that can withstand anything they throw at us. We know that we are dealing with dark energon. But it is clear that not everyone is using it. We had seventeen mechs surrender that had no trace of it in their system," Prime said glancing at Ratchet.

Ratchet nodded. "None."

"Then we build a slagging fortress that will make them cry. Perhaps building it here prefab and taking it through to assemble there in quick time," Blackjack said nodding. "We would need fighting power of a large magnitude until the data regarding the flyover is assessed."

Prime nodded and glanced at Jazz. "We have a final report due in a joor, Prime," Jazz replied.

"Good," Prime said. He looked at Blackjack. "I am giving you command of the forward base. We will design a force to make them think twice about taking you on."

Blackjack nodded. "I would be proud to do it, Prime."

Alor nodded. "I'm in."

"Quelle surprise," Ratchet said with a grin.

It broke the tension.

"There will be an air component, enough soldiers to handle anything they throw at the fortress and ships to take the battle to them," Blackjack said. "Being able to get reinforcements at a moment's notice through the bridge will be brilliant. We can do reconn and force the situation at your command, Prime."

"We can," he agreed. "I also want to bring in another component that is on my processor," Prime said. "This is secret above top secret," he said looking slowly around the table.

"Do you want me to go, Optimus?" Herling asked solemnly.

"No," Prime said. "Your teams do a lot of good for the genitors involved in missions. I would like your input as well."

"I will do my best, sir," Herling said solemnly.

Prime nodded. "Soundwave is building a base close enough to us to reach without too much effort. It is well within the range of his current level of bridge technology. I want to use his uncertainty about his own situation vis-a-vis Megatron and Cybertron to influence what happens with Overlord."

"You don't think they will make a pact do you?" Elita asked.

"Not really," Optimus said. "He fled the Empire. That means it could be equally true he was fleeing Soundwave. No one is as secure as us. Overlord is stuck in space with the possibility of energon around him. Whether he finds and distills it, we can't be sure. Soundwave is either setting up a forward base against us or a fall back base for himself. He is a free player here. I will also say that there is a burgeoning resistance on Cybertron."

"You know about Cybertron?" Venture asked. "Of course you do," he said shaking his helm. "Tie Down and Ravel were rescued from there. I think I'm going senile."

Ratchet grinned. "I can't imagine why."

It was quiet a moment. Then Ironhide shifted slightly. "First order of business, get the energon we can reach out of the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Field. Then, build a fortress in stages to be sent through the bridges to be assembled on a planetoid out there. Put forces together, train for specialized contact, get the communications setup in place and be ready to move when you call the go. That's about it?"

Prime nodded. "Just about."

"Then we better haul aft," Jetta said with a grin.

"When ***don't*** you haul aft?" Arcee asked with a grin.

"Don't ask," Elita said with a grin. "I'll tell no lies."

Slag erupted among friends. Then it subsided.

"What about fort security out there, Prime?" Springer asked.

"It will have to be tight," Prime said. "I'll let you design it. Assign good mechs. We can rotate tours through the bridges to allow you to have time here off duty that isn't compromised by flying there and back. We can also throw an armada or two through the bridges to assist you. We want to pressure Overlord into giving us hostages. We want him to feel it."

"That could be a pretty tall order, Prime," Ironhide said. "If he's compromised by dark energon, he won't be anymore sane than usual."

"We have to do what we can. I don't want the hostages to feel they were abandoned. There are also the new migrations to consider. They will be coming. They won't be harassed. I want to send a message to Soundwave and ask about Overlord. I want to know what he says and how he says it. We can meet up to talk. We can also assess his own position by his demeanor." He looked at Jarro. "I would like you along to read his temperament, Jarro."

"I will do my very best, sir," Jarro said nodding. "I have an assistant that is expert at interpreting body language and speech patterns."

"Good. Include them too," Prime said. He looked at the others. "We must put the safety of the hostages first. We have to pressure Overlord to give them up. We can do that by undermining his command. The two mechs we took in earlier, Coldspray and Hardtime told us they were planning to leave a long time. Fifteen others defected at the same time. They said that things are going downhill and have been a long time. We can undermine solidarity with Overlord by letting them know on their side what is waiting on this side of things. Propaganda is a tool we will use. Again, Jarro, we will be leaning on you as well as Jazz and Mirage for the special ops features."

Jarro nodded. "It will be our pleasure, sir."

"Alright. We need to begin yesterday," Prime said. "Is there anything for the good of the order?"

"We undertook an expansion that increased our population by one fourth. We did it with very little disorder. I think that is admirable," Herling said looking around the table.

Springer grinned. "I meant to tell you that our tagger is a changed femme, our three youngling drunks spent time in the clink last night. They are going to be heavily addressed by the court, I am told," he said glancing at a smirking Barron, who nodded. "Count on it."

"Their genitors will not be pleased. We also had sparklings visit our substation near the Mare. They were incredible. They are welcome anytime," Springer said grinning at Herling who beamed like the sun. "The odd fight, the odd argument … that's about it lately. We have devices on eighty-seven former 'Cons that can come off. We have done due diligence checking them out and they are being model citizens. They are also being policed by former 'Cons as well. That is always a help."

"Good to hear. We have nearly half a million war weary and exhausted individuals. They have had a hard life. It is a miracle that there isn't more upset and unrest than we have," Ratchet said.

"That's true. You haven't been in a public brawl in a few orns, old mech. That's a plus in and of itself," Ironhide said easing his daughter onto the table. Smiling at her, ignoring the catcalls, he unwrapped her as she lay looking up at him. "Now that is a slagging fine sparkling." Grins and compliments attended to his remark and he looked up. "We will arm whoever goes out and build an armory at the new fort out there. We want to have slag delivered by our side with extreme prejudice."

"What did he just say?" Neo asked with a grin.

"I think he's reading the Jason Bourne stories," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"When do we get that sparkling?" Neo asked.

"See ya," Ironhide said wrapping her up and standing, tucking her into the crook of his arm. The rest chuckled and stood, most of them leaving to go about the business of fragging with Overlord.

Ratchet, Prowl and Prime were left. Ratchet leaned forward noting that the infant mech was back with Prowl. "That is a tiny infant. I can't imagine his ada's anguish."

"Don't try, Ratchet," Prowl said. "We're going to get them back. Slaggers."

"From your lips to The One's audials." Ratchet said.

Prowl rose slowly and nodded. "Not a bad idea," he said. "Take a walk with me."

Ratchet rose and looked at Prime. "Something tells me that a trip to the Temple is in order."

"Say hi for me," Prime said with a grin.

All three laughed in spite of themselves.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	64. Chapter 64

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 54

=0=On the road to the Temple, Autobot City, Mars

They walked through the crowds nodding to friends and acknowledging the gratitude of the newcomers. By the time they turned down the cobblestone path to the Temple, humans in the Habitat saw them rounding the structure. Jumping on their jalopies, several headed out to follow.

:Ratchet!:

The big medico paused and looked down. Four segways with four individuals had caught up to them and stopped. Sheila Conway was among them and she smiled up at both. :Hi. How was the migration? We see thousands of new mechs here:

:It went well. We have more than 100,000 new refugees today: Ratchet replied with a grin.

:That's a quarter increase in the city: Michio Yamaha said with amazement. :We watched the return and all the organization. It was tremendous that so many could be moved along so well:

:Thank you, Michio. We are proud of our people and the organization they bring to this whole process: Ratchet said nodding. :We try and bring a machine-like efficiency to bear:

Groans were universal.

:Are you going to the Temple?: Sheila asked.

:We are: Prowl said.

For a moment, it was silent. Then Sheila sighed. :I wish I could come. The feeling that I get when I go past the building is so peaceful:

Prowl glanced at Ratchet who stood staring at him with a slight grin. He shrugged slightly. Prowl looked down at the earnest face of a human he had come to be fond of and shrugged also. :You can come. This one time: With that, Prowl turned and began to walk onward. Ratchet glanced down at the humans and grinned slightly. Then he began to follow. The humans, themselves stunned turned and followed swiftly on their tail.

-0-At the shipyard

Blackjack and Alor stood with Jetta as he began to order the yard bosses to be ready to fabricate a stone and steel fortress that would be designed like the big one nearby standing bristling with guns in the morning sunshine. It was be a large space with enough room and infrastructure to create and raise entire walls and floors in one piece. They would be dismantled and carried into space for reassembly elsewhere. They were good at this sort of thing. The shipyard filled with menacing sleek vessels at the airfield nearby were testimony to their skill and dexterity.

These structures would be mostly of stone with reinforced concrete strong enough to withstand direct hits from rockets. Steel would brace the long walls and funnel all of the electrical, electronic and internal supply lines to their destinations in a manner as safe as if they were buried deeply underground.

The design department of the City Administration was working on the exact schematics of the facility and they were going to be making it three stories tall as well as deep. On the roof would be turret guns with enormous firepower. It would be formidable and a fall back for the garrison that would be housed deeply underground. They would stay at the shipyard discussing things to come for the rest of the morning. The afternoon would be spent going over preliminary blueprints for the project.

-0-Hardtime

He stood in the doorway uneasy and uncertain. The place was utterly busy with mechs and the odd femme going here and there finding, taking, shoving, undoing, putting together, moving, parking and otherwise being busy with aircrafts and parts thereof. He didn't see anyone he had met before. He just knew he was supposed to report here and find 'Roadie'. Looking around, he tried to figure out who that might be. A light tap on his shoulder nearly made him climb out of his peds. He turned warily. A tall youngish winger was standing behind him, a nice smile on his handsome face. "You are Hardtime."

He paused and nodded slightly. "Yes."

"Good. I'm Roadie. I was expecting you. You are me two years ago. Come on in and I'll get you started," he said stepping past the tall uneasy mech. Hardtime followed taking the first halting steps into his new life.

-0-Coldspray

He sat in the union hall rec room cadging his energon and waiting for someone he hadn't seen in ages to come in to talk. That mech had just come in from the migration conflict and had to check in with his family.

Family.

The idea that this individual had family was almost more than he could grasp. A lot of the hardcore mechs he recognized here had families or companionship. Some of them had infants in the schools.

School.

They talked about their kids in school was enormous pride. *Their* kids were in school. *Their* kids were having advantages. *Their* kids would go to University. It was said with pride and defiance. It was as if the listener were being challenged. Just say no. Just say my kid can't do it all.

He understood it.

He and Hardtime had genitors. They were good mechs. Both worked hard. Both did their best. Both provided. It wasn't much but they had a small apartment in a reasonably sound building. They were given apprenticeships in their caste's field and things were looking up.

Then their genitors went to work and never came home.

No one ever told them what happened. The smelters blew up and more mechs were killed than they could account for. That is, what paltry effort was expended to account for them was made to little avail. No one seemed to care much above the families involved. It didn't matter to the moneyed and powerful castes that two youngling mechs were thrown onto the street to make it on their own.

Or not.

The Decepticons were a godsend. Three hots and a cot. For them, it was enough. It also gave them the opportunity to hammer some of their own back. Kicking high caste aft was the greatest pastime of all.

He saw them coming, two behemoths walking side by side. One of them he knew to be the Autobot heavy, Bulkhead. The other was the formidable and bad aft Scar. They paused before him and he looked at them warily.

"Hey, Coldspray," Scar said holding out his servo.

Coldspray gripped it. "Hey, Scar."

The two sat. "This is my buddy, Bulkhead. We're here to talk to you about the way things are here for both sides, 'Cons and 'Bots."

He nodded, glancing from one to the other. "Okay."

"When I came here, I came with Turmoil and Blind Spot. Those dumb afts shot the place up and they boarded our ships. We surrendered and spent time in the prison. The old prison that is, not the new one past the airfield. I was among the last paroled. I was told to manage my manners, obey the laws and do what I wanted. I couldn't believe I could go to college, work at a trade I actually liked and have a family. I have a daughter," he said with great pride. "She's in the sparkling school. My bond is a college graduate." He leaned forward slightly. "I'm going to college in the night school."

Coldspray looked at the biggest, baddest, most gnarly bot he ever met. This was astounding.

"Every few, I have a talk with the Prime. He's helping me see the error of my ways. I have a lot of guilt. He helps me figure out how to forgive myself. My buddy, Bulkhead is my friend no matter what. All the slag? It's over. We have now and the future. I have never in the entirety of my life been happy let alone like this. I am utterly contented. I have a great bond who loves me, a daughter I will do anything for, friends that care about me, a city to protect and help grow and a leader that I respect with my life. Prime, I respect."

Coldspray nodded. "I can see that."

Scar nodded. "You can have the same thing. This city is ours to lose. We defend it with all we got. Prime, he won't waste us. I know about Overlord. He's a king fragger. If you work here, do your part, you will love it. We even have football."

For a moment, Coldspray just looked at him. Then for the first time since coming to the planet, he smiled.

-0-At the Temple

They walked up the steps toward the Temple proper. The four segways followed up the ramp. Pausing at the door, the two bots looked down. :You are entering the Holy of Holies for us. We hope you understand:

They nodded solemnly.

:No one is to know what you see. You must give your word to us here: Ratchet said. :We need to trust you like we trust the soldiers:

:You have mine: Sheila said nodding. The others gave theirs as well.

With that, Prowl and Ratchet turned entering the glyph and image covered building and the massive interior room inside. The humans followed looking up, down and all around themselves as they sped along with Ratchet and Prowl. The light inside was golden and soft. It also felt sentient and the indication that they were also being noticed even as they themselves noticed was not lost on any of the four humans.

Inside, a large cube covered with glyphs turned slowly over a well that shed blue light and a white mist. They were self illuminating and appeared even to the four scientists to be incredibly old and venerable. It was silent like a cathedral as here and there bots sat or stood alone or in groups. What was clearly Temple priests moved among them as another stood by the blue well to address a spark request to The One.

:Someone's getting a spark. Do we kick them out?: Ratchet asked glancing at Prowl.

:No. I want them to see: Prowl said pausing nearby the small excited group of mechs and two femmes. :This is instructive:

Ratchet nodded and peered downward at the segways whose riders were watching with interest. :Swear on your own mothers that what happens here stays here: he said. They all looked up and nodded, swearing all at once over the link.

Then it happened.

-0-Later that evening

They sat together in Sheila's room, the four who had witnessed something extraordinary. A new life, an alien life had been granted access to their reality. Where it had come from, they had no idea. For a moment, they were standing in a very quiet sanctuary surrounded by elements of symbolism and language that they knew even with access were beyond their capability to fully understand. The Temple they had been told was a replica of the one on Cybertron, in the city of Simfur. It was a holy place, the home of their greatest relics and said to be a portal to the gods they knew, all of who it appeared to be real figures.

"That was astounding. I am not sure what it really actually was," Michio said.

Antonio Lopez nodded. "A spark was granted from their god to the protoform through the Well of AllSparks and the Allspark itself. I think."

"I think they might be different entities," Sheila said. "I asked Ratchet and he didn't answer. He seemed uncomfortable to talk about it."

"They all do and we would do well to remember that," Gordon Fowler, theoretical physicist and American citizen from Medford, Oregon said. "This can never be told to anyone."

"We four gave our word. We can't let them down," Sheila said.

They all nodded.

-0-Earlier

Prowl and Ratchet stood watching as did the humans with them. Before anyone could turn, the event began. Light began to rise up out of the Well filling the room and illuminating the AllSpark. Electrical energy crackled across it as the brightness swelled blotting out optics and eyes alike. The warmth of something enveloped them, wrapping its tendrils around everyone in the vicinity. It felt old and wise. If felt comforting and loving. For a moment, all of them were caught in a swell of love and protection profoundly deep and overwhelming. Then it all began to recede. It seemed like forever and it seemed momentary.

They all stood in the white light of love, then it faded. They were back in the Temple. Nothing seemed different but everyone was changed. The small group of family and friends looked at the protoform lying on the wall of the Well. The Priest walked to it and leaned down whispering the words of thanks to The One who had granted new life to their endangered species. Cleerie standing nearby moved closer and scanned the infant. Nodding happily to the Priest, he picked it up. Turning, Chevron gave it to the ecstatic genitors. They stood looking at it, then applause erupted. Everyone in the room began to applaud including, Ratchet noticed, the humans on their segways.

Moving closer, congratulating the genitors, Ratchet and Prowl saw that another wonderful mech was added to the rosters of their resurging city population. Congratulations were given, hugs and pats. Turning at last to the AllSpark and Well, they recited the lines of poetry that they had chosen to commemorate the event. Then the little group turned to follow Cleerie to the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital nearby to check their infant on this, his first day in the real world. Ratchet and Prowl watched them go with grins and contentment. The humans looked up and watched them, the two most unlikely of allies, the two most unlikely aliens they could have ever imagined.

They were both utterly delighted.

Turning without a word, both walked to the door and beyond.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	65. Chapter 65

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 55

=0=In a studio

:What is a trine if you can tell us?:

Blue considered that. :It is a relationship. There is little more than I can say given taboos. It is a bond:

:The two you are bonded with are Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They are incredible soldiers. Are you one too and how do you balance your family? You have children, yes?:

Bluestreak nodded. :We share the duty of the sparklings. As for me, I am a soldier too. I have been a soldier as long as the twins. I am a sharpshooter. I am a long shot. All three of us have been soldiers for as long as the war it seems. We have fought together and apart. We have been hurt and repaired. We have our family and we share duties with them when someone is on assignment and have lots of family to fall back on for support:

:What can you tell me about the twins? What are they like? They seem very masculine and sort of dangerous:

Bluestreak smiled. :I suppose they do to others. To me, they are my bonds. They have been my friends for eons and we know each other well. They are who they are but to me there is nothing to fear:

:You have infants. Is it possible to see them and hear about them?:

Bluestreak considered the request a moment, then turned and reached down picking up the twinnies. :These are our daughters. This one: he said holding up a smiling beauty :is Iacon and this one is Uraya. They are named after cities on Cybertron. The twins are from Kaon, which is the name of our son. Iacon was the city of the Autobots back on Cybertron. We commemorate them by naming our sparklings after them: he said. They sat on his servos in front of Lenora and smiled widely. They were holding their dollies tightly.

:What beautiful babies. They're smiling so big: Lenora said with a smile of her own. :Tell us about them:

:They are split spark twins: Bluestreak said. :Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are split spark twins too. They are two separate individuals with one spark or personality. They are the only twins in the history of our species before these two:

:Only one set?: Lenora asked amazed.

:It's a strange anomaly and not common like among your species: Blue said. :These two are the first femme twins ever born among us:

Lenora stepped down from the segway and walked to stand before them. The twins looked at her and then each other. Tweeting softly, Uraya looked up at Bluestreak. Blue grinned. Sending soothing energy, the baby looked back at Lenora. :They are so beautiful:

:Sunstreaker says they're slagging awesome. His words: Blue said.

:They are: Lenora said touching Iacon's ped. The baby smiled and reached out taking Lenora's hand. Blue pulled her back and she let go. :You might not want to have the really small ones take hold of you. They haven't learned to be careful yet:

:She has a big grip: Lenora said rubbing her hand.

:Did she hurt you?: Blue asked worriedly.

:No. You stopped her in time: Lenora said with a grin. She looked across the room at the fenced-in passel of mechs. :What about those babies? Are any of them yours?:

:One is: Bluestreak said putting the twins down in their play area. He rose and walked past them plucking Kaon out of the group who were pushing little wooden and metallic cars around the floor inside their play area. Stepping back and sitting, he stood Kaon on the floor.

Kaon looked at the humans and then Bluestreak. "Atar?" he asked.

Bluestreak looked at him and grinned. He kissed Kaon's little face. :This is Kaon, our oldest infant. He is the grandson of the Prime and my own atar, Prowl. He is the second infant born in the garrison since we came here:

:He has little wings. They're so cute. They don't mean he can fly do they?: Lenora asked.

Bluestreak chuckled. :No. Our wings are information gathering devices. Some of us have very sophisticated types like Prowl. Some of us are configured for other things. My wings help me in my primary job of shooting the long shots and scouting:

:He's really pretty, Bluestreak. Do his colors mean anything? What about the markings on him?:

:He's another 'slagging awesome sparkling' according to Sunstreaker. His colors are for the three of us. His chevron is a sensor array for him and the gray color is for me. The black and white on his wings are for me. Red and white are for Sideswipe, yellow is for Sunstreaker:

:The markings?: Lenora asked tracing her fingers along the engraved etchings that went down the arm of the infant. He smiled at her, his sweetness evident. She grinned and patted his cheek. Kaon smiled enormously and looked up at Bluestreak. Blue smiled down at him. :Those markings are glyphs, which are the writings of our people. They are his name, our names, his clan, city-states of his parents and his own: Pointing to each, Blue recited them. :He is from Mars. His genitors … parents … they are from Kaon and Praxus and his family name is Venture-Sunstreaker:

:Venture-Sunstreaker?:

Bluestreak nodded. :The twins are orphans. The family name on their side comes from the oldest mech in their family. Since they didn't know their father's name because they were orphaned nearly at birth, they use Sunstreaker for clan and family names because he's the oldest known mech in his family. Prowl is my genitor and we used his father's name because he is the oldest mech. Kaon can also use Optimus Prime's name in the clan/family names because he is my adopted genitor as well as Prowl:

:You are an orphan too?: Lenora asked.

Bluestreak nodded. :You will be hard pressed to find a mech that isn't. Some of us are lucky. Prowl's genitors were rescued and so were Ratchet and Ironhide's. Mine died in a rocket barrage during the war. For a long time, I was the only acknowledged survivor of a city battle that took 2,000,000 sparks. Now there are actual survivors of the barrage turning up here. It makes me feel less terrible:

:Survivor's guilt?: Lenora asked.

Bluestreak nodded. :I suppose so. I don't like to talk about it:

Lenora nodded. :I can imagine. I suppose this place means a lot to all of you. Is this the first home you have had since Cybertron?:

:This is the first safe one. This is the first and I think only place in the Diaspora that is a real Cybertronian city. This is a place that feels like home. We can relax and do things that we did on Cybertron. We can redo the things we got wrong and remember who we are:

:You can regather your culture as well as your people: Lenora said nodding.

Bluestreak nodded back. :That is true:

Kaon looked up reaching for Bluestreak who picked him up and carried him back to the others. The little mechs hugged him tightly and handed over a car that he was playing with earlier. Kaon knelt down and they were off to the races. Walking back, Bluestreak sat and looked at the others. Lenora looked at the babies and then Bluestreak. :The city out there … it is what the cities are like on Cybertron?:

:Very much so. We built upward and lived in apartment towers on Cybertron. We had sports stadiums, factory districts and cultural things. We didn't have an organic world. Cybertron is metallic. This is organic. It is different but beautiful in its own way:

:The twins have a reputation as tough fighters who take chances. Yet, Sunstreaker is a talented and much sought after painter:

:Sunny was a painter on Cybertron before the war. You can be tough and important in the military and still have other sides to your personality. The Decepticons got all the professional soldiers when the clash began. The army and air force went to Megatron with notable exceptions. We, the Autobots were mostly civilians. We had to learn how to fight. That is why we have many professions in the Autobots:

:That is evident. What were you before the war began, Bluestreak:

The big handsome bot looked at Lenora, images of older more terrible times coming to mind. He leaned closer, his optics filled with emotion. :I was a child: he said quietly.

-0-Coming back from the Temple

"I didn't expect that the Well would be granting sparks," Prowl said glancing at Ratchet.

The big lanky doctor smiled. "Good timing."

They crossed the road and walked into the courtyard pausing long enough to gab with the elders gathered there to talk and play games on the gaming tables. Moving onward, they entered the rec room, sassed a number of impertinent youngling mechs sitting around and then entered Ops Center.

Hot Rod grinned. "I like Ratchet. He's not afraid of anyone."

"He frags Ironhide on a regular basis," Jolt said with a wicked grin. "You get over the small stuff."

Roddy snorted. "I could have done without that image."

"You and me both. Deal," Blur said with a chuckle.

Jolt did. Hot Rod won. Blur bitched. It was perfect.

-0-At the center table

They sat down and looked at Barron who was there talking to Prime. He grinned and nodded back. "You're just in time."

"They need us. They truly need us," Ratchet said with a grin. "What's up?"

"I want to have the brig rats released to the prison. They can have a change of scenery," Barron said.

"Which ones?" Prowl asked settling the infant into a box bed on the tabletop.

"Blind Spot, Turmoil and the other three. If Barricade and Scorponok checked in for the night outside, they might free up brig space for others."

"Anyone in particular due shortly?" Prowl asked Barron.

"We have an enemy army nearby. That might require more segregated housing at some point," Barron said.

"I agree," Prime said nodding. "We have to plan for future additions to the prison population. Keep Retro where he is. I don't want anything happening to him. I got the oaths of the fifteen that were in the prison this morning. They are being handled by the former 'Con association."

"Smart move for them to organize a bit. They can help us with assimilation and the newbies will have more familiar mechs to come to with problems," Ratchet said nodding.

Prowl nodded. "I think this is a good idea, Barron."

"Thank you, Prowl." He glanced at Prime. "We need to schedule preliminary hearings for the Senators and Sentinel. Then there is the problem with Retro as well as a convocation."

Prime nodded. "Please submit requests to Prowl. Conditions permitting, we will begin to settle cases."

"Thank you, Optimus," Barron said. "Now I have a request for you to consider." He turned and looked at the doorway. Standing there was a little femme with a portfolio in her little servos. Barron gestured and she came quickly to the table stopping beside Prime. "This is Sadee, our little tagger. She has a proposal for you, sir."

Prime grinned and nodded. "I have seen your work on the walls of the city. Impressive skill, poor choice of canvas."

She cringed slightly. "I know. I'm sorry." She looked up at him hopefully. "I would like to make a proposal. I would like to show my paintings in a gallery in New York City. Please."

Prime glanced at Prowl who smirked slightly. "What work, Sadee?"

She laid her portfolio on the floor and opened it pulling work out and laying it on the table. The first was a charcoal sketch of Sunstreaker. It caught his dangerous beauty to a ridiculous degree. The next three were images of the city in pastels. The last was a group image of Praxus, Kaon, Miracle, Orion and Bleu. They were bending over a pile of little cars chatting and discussing something among themselves. They were a fully colored image with great detail and a lot of life to the figures.

She stood and looked at him with great hope on her pretty face. Prime looked at the pictures passing them to the others. Ratchet looked at the eager little femme. "This is a great image of Sunstreaker, Sadee."

She smiled with great delight. "He's my mentor. Mr. Semi and Judge Barron helped me get into the artists guild and make him my mentor. He's awesome."

They all grinned and looked at her. "You want a showing of your art in a New York gallery. Which one, sparkling?" Prime asked gently.

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art," she said with all the hope and belief that only a youngling could manage who had never been quashed by reality.

Several adults made a swift search of the internet, then turned to look at her. "Nothing like starting at the top," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"Have the guild make a proposal, Sadee. We can have our human representative make some inquiries. I won't promise anything but we will take your request under advisement."

She looked at him with enough joy on her little face to power Trypticon for a decaorn. "Thank you!" she said hugging him. Gathering her work, she turned and started for the door. Pausing to look back, her face filled bright with the possibilities, she nodded. "I will keep painting. Thank you, sir."

Prime grinned and nodded back. "Keep working, Sadee. You have real talent."

She smiled again and turned hurrying out with her bulging portfolio. They stared after her a moment, then turned to each other.

"Ah, youth," Ratchet said. "To be that sweet and clueless."

"I hear ya," Prowl said smirking. "The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Don't anyone tell her."

"My lips are sealed," Ratchet said.

"That will be a first," a voice behind them said. Ratchet looked up at Ironhide and his mini-me daughter lounging on her old pa's arm.

"Ha-ha, Ironhide," Ratchet said relieving him of his daughter. Settling her, he grinned at Ironhide. "He laughs best who laughs last."

"Slag that," Ironhide said sitting down. "Slagger. Stole my sparkling. You'd think Prowl would lend one of his several dozen."

"They're all mine," Prowl said in a low slightly dangerous sounding voice. "All. Mine."

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	66. Chapter 66

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 55

=0=Armory, later that morning

Ironhide stood at the computer bank with Holi working out the logistics of building and arming a fortress that would be on the other side of a space bridge in an area out on the migration trail. He stood slightly miffed as his 'work wife' held his sparkling. He was pretty good at keeping track of his infants. He was a servos-on genitor. He washed all the infants everyday like a dedicated albeit older atar, helped keep them buffed and shined, helped feed them and empty their trap doors once every five or six orns. He played with them, helped Sunspot with homework and served on the Genitor-Teacher School Advisory Committee from the first orn.

Yet, no matter where he went his servos became bereft of sparklings nearly the moment he came within grabby range of nearly everyone he met. Holi was almost as good as Prowl. Prowl on the other servo set the standard. Mech was a sleight of servo wizard.

The slagger.

They discussed the situation in detail and when they had agreed on what Ironhide wanted to make the armory meet certifications, Holi turned and hurried off to send the plans in final format to Jetta.

With Hero in servo.

The slagger-ette.

Walking to his office, he sat and mooned a moment or two. Then he did what he usually did when miffed. **:OLD MECH!:**

**:WHAT!?:**

:Where are you?:

:Where am I? Working a pole in the club. Where do you ***think*** I am?:

:Working a pole?: Ironhide asked with a grin. :Throwing The Sexy at me are you?: He could feel the grin that came back to him over their bond.

:Someone stole your sparkling again?:

He miffed a moment more. :You are supposed to support me, old slagger in my joor of need:

:Someone stole your sparkling and you came to ada to whine. Awwww …. did someone hurt your widdow feelings?:

Ironhide grinned. :Slagger. You wait. You'll have your turn:

:I have candy. Come and rub my peds and I'll pretend to feel sorry for you, you butter fingered slagger. Come on. I double dare ya:

Ironhide considered that and sent smoky emotions back over their connection. He got a giant grin back. Things looked promising. Rising, he walked to the door and peered out. Hero was lying on a console next to Holi as she feverishly input data into the computers. He crept forward in his best stealth mode past the main table and almost within reach of the baby. As he leaned in, his servos creeping up, a servo of a slightly smaller being shot out and slapped his. Amused optics turned to Ironhide. "You should know by now, Ironhide, that this little infant is mine for at least a joor every orn."

He looked down at Holi, the tiny femme staring up at him with a grin. "You are a hard bitten little slagger, Holi."

"I am a femme with a clock of some kind tickin away." She looked at Hero. "My bond is coming by shortly and I want him to hold her. It could be a deal breaker. I want a football team of my own, Ironhide. Hero is going to help me get it. Why don't you go cry on Ratchet's shoulder for a joor. I promise to give her back."

"Slave driver," he said turning and grumping to the door. "***MECH*** has a **SPARKLING. TAKES CARE OF IT REALLY WELL! THEN GRABBY SLAGGERS JUST STEAL HER AT WILL! THERE'S NO JUSTICE ANYWHERE!"** He cleared the door and was gone.

The mechs and Holi watched him go with big grins. Holi shook her helm and looked at Hero who lay on her gray blanket with the Autobrand, her little optics looking for her atar. "You are my ticket, my sweetness to getting sparklings of my own. When that sorry mech of mine shows up, vamp him. Okay?" she asked gathering the infant into her arms. Hero looked at her and grinned. Holi nearly swooned.

Ironhide on the other hand was bummed. Snorting out the door and walking up the steps, he made his way out of the building. Pausing at the intersection, he grumped his way toward the Medical Building and another commiseration session with the bond.

-0-Alor

He walked out of Ops Center and turned heading for the Armory. Walking down the steps and into the main room, he spotted Holi sitting with a mech who was holding his granddaughter. Pausing beside them, he grinned. "I see the infant but I don't see the bigger one. Where's Ironhide?"

"He grumped off to see Ratchet," Holi said with a smirk. "I am trying to get the mech here to see the error of his ways, the slagger. I want sparklings. Yesterday."

Alor looked at the big ex-Con bond of the tiny femme he had come to like a great deal. "Spark this femme so my son can have his daughter with him. That's an order." He grinned at the two of them and turned walking toward the door and the streets beyond. As he turned in the direction of the Medical Tower, Ironhide was just entering it.

-0-Ratchet

He walked out of the recovery area after checking several of the repairs that had been scheduled over the last few orns from the last migration. He walked to the elevator and took it up to his office on the 4th floor. Stepping off, he turned to walk to his office when another elevator stopped and a gloomy Ironhide stepped off. Ratchet looked at his big tussle bunny and grinned. "You look like slag."

"I'm missing my sparkling. **A MECH HAS A SPARKLING AND TAKES GOOD CARE OF IT AND WHAT HAPPENS? IT GETS STOLEN EVERY TIME HE STEPS OUTSIDE HIS DOORWAY!"**

"Well … the cure for that is never leaving the house," Ratchet said as he pushed Ironhide into his office.

"**MECH HAS A JOB TO DO DEFENDING THE CITY AND CAN'T STAY HOME ALL THE TIME!"** Ironhide turned and looked at Ratchet. "You aren't expecting me to stay home with the sparklings are you?"

"No. I'll be fragged if I'm the only one earning my keep in this family, Ironhide," Ratchet said holding out his candy jar. Ironhide took a fistful and sat putting his big peds up on the coffee table in front of him. "Holi is trying to get her bond to spark. Mech better or I'm going to pull his arms off."

"If that little sparkling can't budge him, then Holi needs to find a better mech," Ratchet said taking some candy himself.

A big figure appeared in the doorway. "Got some for me?"

"Alor! Just in time. Ironhide needs someone's thumb to suck," Ratchet said with a snicker. Ignoring the stink optics shooting his way from his big buff baby, Ratchet held the jar out to Alor. He took some candy and moved past Ironhide sitting on the couch next to him. They all munched candy a moment. Then Alor looked at Ironhide. "You look happy."

"Lost my sparkling."

"Go get her."

"Holi will stamp on my ped. Little femme has a temper."

Alor grinned. "When did you care about that? Chaos bringer."

Ironhide grinned at his ada. "You are a slagger too. What does a mech have to do to have support in their joor of need?"

"Have some candy, son," Alor said holding out a piece.

Ironhide took it popping it in his mouth. He grinned. "Thanks. I feel ***so much better***." he said with a smirk.

"Want me to burp you?" Alor asked with a grin.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Shortly after

He walked to his desk and sat, putting Hero on the top as he unbundled her. He had chosen her gray Autobrand blankie and matching booties. She was laying on the blanket like a champion. "Hero, you stay with me. Remember who your old atar is."

She paused and stared at him, studying him diligently. The funny face and deep voice was back again. It was much better now. She smiled brilliantly. She had no idea that her old pa's spark was in meltdown. She had no idea that whenever any of his babies smiled at him, he felt parts of his superstructure crumble. She just knew he was there and his energy was what she needed.

"You have to trick or treat. Your old ada is out of his processor. He has costumes for you and your brothers. We're going around and trick or treat. You're going to have a pumpkin basket for your haul. I'm going to eat it for ya. I'll tell you how good it is." He grinned. "Wait until you see your brothers." He chuckled and shook his helm. "Can't wait."

She looked at him and smiled. All was perfect in Ironhide's world. They would stay for the afternoon as Ironhide worked, Hero sitting in her brother's little bouncy chair on the desk snoozing. No one would purloin her during the whole time.

-0-In a Youngling Day School classroom(s)

"And that is what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"

Servos shot into the air.

-0-In a Youngling Intermediate School classroom(s)

"And that is what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"

Servos shot into the air.

-0-Staff meeting at the Sparkling Day School

"And that is what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"

Servos shot into the air.

-0-Hourly News, Channel 1, IntraComm

"And that is what Halloween is all about. If you have any questions, check the link on the Community Bulletin Board under the heading 'Youngling Community Activity Schedule'. In other news ..."

The server at IntraComm crashed.

-0-The Bakery, Mall at Metroplex

Rampage considered the situation of supplying a large amount of the confections and treats that the new youngling holiday would require. He understood it and thought it a fun idea for the city's several thousand infants. The part that seemed daunting was the idea that he would have to make so many treats. The orders were already coming in on the website from genitors, groups, unions and guilds. All of the city's bakers and confectioners would be working overtime to meet the demand.

The idea of it was awesome.

He turned and walked to the counter gathering his team. Then he began to sketch out what they were going to be doing for the next three orns.

-0-RTR Tools

They stood in the warehouse looking around. Everything was up to speed including the smelters and furnaces. The construction of the building was nearly completed. All of the damaged infrastructure had been completely replaced or repaired. All of the businesses inside the great space were allowed to open again. The food arcade across the way was filled with younglings hanging out, studying for school or lounging before or after work.

The Energon Basket was going great guns. Apparently, the children's holiday in three orns required lots of treats for the trickers. They would have to get some for their own store too. It was so exciting.

Ravel had checked their web page and the number of orders stacking up was remarkable. Apparently, the city's tool connoisseurs had found out that the greatest tool makers in Cybertronian history had just opened for business. They had replaced everything and started the equipment.

"I think we're ready to go, Tie," Ravel said peering at the gauges of the smelter. "The transparent steel is at the right temperature."

Tie slipped on a heavy apron and gloves. Then he walked to the smelter and opened the door. The bubbling metal inside was ready to go so he began to skim the sparkling metal off the top, gathering it to pour into the molds. By the time he did, the signature design of RTR Tools would once again spring into life.

-0-Ratchet

He looked up as a youngling stood in the doorway holding a large box. Smiling, Ratchet rose. "You brought them."

"We did," the youngling said. "Good thing you ordered early."

"Tell the Guild that I am delighted," Ratchet said taking the lid off the box. Looking inside, he smiled. "Perfect."

The youngling nodded and grinned. "I will. See ya, Ratchet."

"See ya, Ston." He watched as the youngling left, then he reached into the box pulling out the costumes he had commissioned for the sparklings and Sunspot. Smirking, he looked them over imminently pleased. "This is going to be awesome," he said with a chuckle.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	67. Chapter 67

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 57

=0=Out there

They had searched among the broken planetoids and asteroids until they found three that would be sizable enough to be a base of operations for their armada. Overlord stood on the deck of his ship, the future home and safety of his group depending on his cunning and skill.

They had 2,500 hostages minus those they had given to Prime. Until he could figure out what he would do in their weakened situation, he would make sure they stayed in a reasonable condition as bargaining chips. They would also build his base. Prime would be coming for him and he relished the prospects. Fighting the biggest and most dangerous bots gladiator-style to best them was the central focus of his life.

It was the only way he could feel anything at all.

Turning, nodding to his pilot, the big ship arched over and began to descend. Following him were the big and small ships of his rogue army.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They stood at the communications station reading the data as it came in. There were a number of messages that would require Prime's notice. One of them was a message from Prime about setting up a meeting to discuss commercial opportunities on Earth from Cybertronian products and crafts. Another was a request from the Speaker of the House of Representatives for Ratchet to come to hearings about the state of Autobot City and the request they were going to make about creating a human settlement on Mars. The impetus for this were of a number of corporations as well as individuals who obviously wanted a piece of their pie.

Prowl downloaded all the messages and turned to the center table where he sat to continue to formulate the draft of a meet up request to be sent to Soundwave. Putting him into the picture would allow Prime to manipulate the situation into a more favorable place. It was obvious Overlord wasn't in Soundwave's camp. He was leaving the Empire for a reason. It would give Soundwave a chance to show his quality to Prime in helping to make the retrieval of the hostages possible. Prime would also be able to determine the scope of Soundwave's operation nearby without him actually telling anything directly.

It was a potential plan.

He worked to parse the words to perfection before submitting the datapad to Prime for the final approval. The tiny mech lay on a blanket on the table recharging. The afternoon would pass quietly for both.

For a while.

-0-In a lounge

They sat together watching the teevee and their favorite shows. The door was locked, the window tint draw up and the world beyond whirled out of their sight. They ate their snacks which they had picked up at The Energon Basket the moment it opened that morning. Sneaking into the Fortress, they hurried through the rec room and down Central Corridor to the little lounge that was the favorite frag place of mini-cons back in the orn.

"What do you wanna watch?"

"Don't care. You choose."

"Okay." He picked up the remote and changed the channels until he found what they wanted. He put it down, picked up treats and grinned. "There."

Then a knock came on the door.

-0-Prime

He stood at the shipyard and watched as the framework for curtain walls was built. In the quarries ten miles away, mechs were carving specifically designed stone blocks under the exacting directions of Copper and his bond, both of them master stonemasons and stone builders. They would shape the big slabs, bring them to the site and arrange them for fitting.

Youngling refugees from an earlier migration had brought to the attention of Sciences a new form of adhesive they had developed for stone and steel that was nearly impervious to destruction. They had explained it, been allowed to work it out and then show how it would expedite the construction possibilities that continually presented themselves to the colony.

The stones would be lined up together along precision seams so finely cut a piece of paper couldn't be inserted between them and fastened with the adhesive. Once they were assembled, they would be lifted into orbit and taken through the gate to the new fortress. That is, when the new fortress was located, surveyed and made secure, then they would.

The sun was warm overhead as Jetta explained their progress to Prime.

-0-Out there

They flashed through the gate and the vortex collapsed behind them. It was their last stop on the journey that had brought them this far. The group had burst out of the bridge at seven other places before reaching the point of departure in the migration lane pausing only long enough to place high speed communications and sensor relays. They were also new courtesy of their increasingly technical influx of brainiac refugees.

This last one router would be the start of any message out this far that would flash to the Ops Center in nearly real time. It would be their hidden nondescript adjunct to the bridge. When they needed more subtle, they would have it. Pausing long enough to regroup, the heavily armed battle shuttle, City of Capital City gathered the fifty heavily armed Seekers that accompanied it and flashed onward into the maze of debris that informed the Oort Cloud. They would find a suitable planetoid and begin to map out a structure of incredible strength to withstand an enemy armada. That armada would have to be sought out because it had disappeared into the maze of debris elsewhere.

'Cat and mouse' Blackjack thought as he stood on the command deck of the battle shuttle. He grinned mirthlessly. He knew something of that game. Bring it he thought with uncharacteristic bravado. See why even Megatron gave us a wide berth in the Expansion. They flashed into the debris field and disappeared from view.

-0-Back there

They looked at each other with concern.

"Who do you think that is?"

"How should I know?"

"You wanna answer it?"

"Nope. Why would we do that? Let's just be still and see if it goes away."

That was when the door exploded inward and the Doctor of Doom emerged to stand over them triumphant. **"AHA! GOT YA, YOU LITTLE SLAGGERS!"** With that, Ratchet grabbed Skids and Mudflap by their finial embellishments and yanked them off the ground.

"Ratchet! Where did you come from?" Skids asked with a grin.

"The Pit, you little slaggers. I have been tracking you since before Unicron could walk. You're coming with me." With that, Ratchet turned and walked out the door, one little babbling mini-con in each servo. Neither of the mini-cons' peds touched the ground.

-0-A nanosecond later

He walked into Ops Center with two little mechs swinging from his servos. Prowl looked at the three and grinned slightly. Rising, he turned and put on his most intimidating persona. Ratchet stopped before him and held up his bounty. "I got them."

"It would seem so," Prowl said looking at the two little smurf-like creatures in Ratchet's grip. "You two were ordered to report to Ratchet a long time ago. Tell me why I don't toss you in the brig and forget about you."

"Uh," Mudflat thought. He glanced at his brother who had no better excuse than he had himself. Looking up at Prowl, he grinned. "Uh."

Prowl looked at Ratchet and shook his helm. Glancing around, he called to Blur. "Help Ratchet get these mechs to the hospital. Then throw them in the brig for a couple of orns." Prowl looked at the two little mechs. "Do I need to explain why you're going to the brig?"

"Uh, no sir," Skids said with a grin.

"Nope," Mudflap said nodding as well.

Ratchet held one out to Blur who took Skids and threw him over his shoulder. With a grin at Prowl, they turned together and walked to the door and beyond. Prowl on the other hand watched them go with intense amusement before going back to the job at servo.

-0-Moments later

They both sat on a medberth watching as Ratchet went about the business of reaming them out from stem to stern. Plugging them in, unplugging them, checking this and that thing, he tossed his last gauge on the berth and grinned. "You're reasonably fit for younglings."

"We coulda tole you that, Ratchet. Right, Skids?" Mudflap said turning and looking at his brother.

"We coulda," Skids said nodding. He looked at his brother, the two nodding. Their little peds would never touch the ground Ratchet thought, stunted little younglings.

"You are missing the main point of my words, boys," Ratchet said moving in to glare at them much closer. They leaned back warily. "***Younglings***," he repeated.

"I suppose we are to you. You're what? Older than Cybertron? Someone tole me you're the oldest mean old 'coger that ever lived." Skids glanced at his brother who nodded in agreement. "What he said," Mudflap replied.

"You still don't get it," Ratchet said with a deepening frown.

"Explain it to me then," Prowl said entering the room, infant in arms. He stopped beside Ratchet, his best 'don't frag with me' expression on his face as he glared down at the two little mechs.

They looked at Prowl and the room got silent. Blur who was leaning against a berth smirked. "They don't seem to understand the meaning of 'youngling'," the big blue Autobot said.

Ratchet turned and looked at Prowl. "We have two under-aged younglings here, Prowl. They don't need to be in the army. They need to be in school."

"What?" Skids said with surprise. "I don't need no school. I'm a soldier. I'm an Autobot."

Ratchet spun on them leaning into their space. "You're slagging whatever I fragging **tell** that you are."

They leaned back as one silently.

"What do we do? If they aren't old enough to be out of school, we need to send them," Prowl said.

"We're not going to no school," Skids said.

Everyone in the room turned to him. **"You will go to school!"** they said as one. The two sat on the berth blinking.

-0-Out in the corridor

"Well, this explains a lot," Prowl said.

"It does. I have had this feeling a long time. Their code is their giveaway. I read them as Intermediate School material. They are just a tad older than Rambler. They have good adaption skills and hid in plain sight forever. I would even say they aren't aware how young they are."

"They will need a guardian," Prowl said nodding. "We need to find someone who will ride herd on them and make sure they stay in school. I am removing them from the duty roster. No missions, no duty beyond school, nothing. I want them disarmed and the armories informed that they are under-aged and not allowed to have weapons."

Ratchet nodded. "I'm going to have Jarro give them the once over. If there is processor damage, I will see if its possible to fix it. If it isn't, then the schools and Jarro's team will have to decide how to treat them. They might be suffering injuries instead of simple mindedness."

Prowl nodded. They turned and walked back inside. The two were sitting together on the berth eating candy that Ratchet had given them. "Skids. Mudflap."

The two paused and looked up at him. "Yes, sir?"

"We have made some decisions about you that I am convinced are necessary. I am also aware that you won't like it." Prowl glanced at Blur. "Blur will disarm you," he began before the little bots erupted in disagreement. **"ENOUGH!"** Prowl said and the room became quiet again. "As I was saying … you will be disarmed and taken to a mech named Jarro. He will give you both tests. Do your best. That's an order. When that is done, you will be given guardians to be responsible for taking care of you."

"We don't need no taking care of do we, Skids?" Mudflap asked. His brother nodded. "We don't need no keepers."

"When you are through with Jarro and his people, you will be taken to the City Hall where a guardian will be waiting to take custody of both of you. You will obey them. Do you understand me?" Prowl said in his quietest 'don't frag with me' voice.

They looked at him and nodded silently. "I still say we don't need no guardians," Skids said.

"Duly noted," Prowl said. "Blur, take them to Jarro in the City Hall."

Blur nodded and pointed to the door. The little bots hopped down. "You got more candy?" Skids asked Ratchet.

That big bot grinned and held out the jar. They filled their servos and turned walking with Blur out the door. Both watched them go and glanced at each other. "So … being a fragger isn't limited only to Megatron?"

"Apparently," Ratchet said. "If they weren't so wild and obnoxious someone would have noticed sooner."

"I suppose." He looked at Ratchet. "Who will take them on?"

Ratchet shrugged. "I don't know. That's Magnus's problem now."

"You are a cruel bot," Prowl said with a slight grin.

"Truer words never spoken," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Think about this, Prowl. Those two could end up in Rambler's class."

Prowl nearly turned pale.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	68. Chapter 68

NOTE: May I say with my whole heart tonight that if you are in the path of Hurricane Sandy that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you are safe and that your life isn't struck with problems. Anyone out there in this world tonight, I am thinking good and warm thoughts for all of you. Take care and know that you are dearly loved. -Arctapus

=0=Back to our diversion ...

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 58

=0=In Jarro's office, Autobot City, Mars

They sat on a couch both of them watching as Jarro and his assistants chatted with Blur. By the time that bot left, he turned to give his full attention to the little twins. Grinning, he sat across from them. "I hear you both are a real pair."

"We are," Skids said grinning back.

"That's right," Mudflap said nodding.

"Do you know why you're here?" Jarro asked.

"Ratchet made us come. We're here because he wants you to check us over." Skids glanced at his brother. "I don't want to be here."

"I can imagine," Jarro said kindly. "How long have you two been on your own?"

"Forever," Skids said nodding. "I can't remember when we weren't."

"How did you get into the Autobots?" Jarro asked.

"When we was really young. They let us take care of stuff on a base. We worked and when the base was attacked we helped them fight," Mudflap said. "We're good at it."

"Don't you miss being a child? Don't you miss playing with others your age?" Jarro asked.

"Nope." They both answered at the same time.

Jarro sat back and considered them. They were small mini-cons with some physical indications of poor quality protoforms causing growth difficulties from separation. He was personally aware of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe as twins. He was studying them surreptitiously to have some data on twins in his slowly re-emerging databases. Without access to Cybertron, they were having to re-invent the wheel.

These two were a surprise. They were also a challenge. They were genetically in the mid-to-high range of younglinghood, pre-sub-adulthood. They were recipients of what he suspected would prove to be low quality protoforms. That indicated extreme poverty from separation with debilitation caused by malnutrition ongoing over a long period of time. They were displaying behavior and intellectual responses that were worrisome but not unexpected for younglings living in an adult milieu doing adult things without formal educational opportunity, proper continuous nutrition and parental stewardship.

If he had a shanix for every youngling he had met over his lifetime in the same condition he could have bought a Matrix of his own to fix slag.

On the other servo, they were confident about themselves, easygoing and showed aptitudes of general contentment with their lot. They didn't seem to care that they had missed an entire developmental stage of their lives, that their educational attainment was slack and their behavioral antics epic in their backwardness.

He just knew he liked them.

A lot.

Leaning forward, he grinned. "What say the three of us do a few things so I can figure out what to tell Prime and Ratchet about you? We can start with your earliest memories of your life."

They looked at him, then each other. Then they looked at him again. "We sort of don't have them."

Jarro nodded. "A lot of younglings in a tough situation don't have them. What is the oldest thing you can remember?"

They sat a moment, then Skids replied. "Running."

-0-Ops Center

Prime walked in, his gigantic frame glinting under the lights. He walked to the table and sat. Prowl grinned at him. "Guess who Ratchet finally caught?"

Prime blinked. "The little twins."

Prowl nodded. "Guess how old they are?"

Prime vented a sigh. "I was afraid of that after Sunspot. When I saw them come, I was hopeful that Ratchet could do something for them."

"Jarro has them right now. What we have to decide is whether they belong in a school or maybe apprenticed to someone to learn a trade. They aren't actually suited to academia temperamentally. Maybe we can get the university and a guild to design something that will help them learn things they need to know as well as being in a supervised situation learning a skill besides getting into trouble."

Prime nodded. "That would probably be more optimal than trying to make them attend school formally. If memory serves me, they don't take direction well."

Prowl snorted. "They have a lot of guts but little sense. I have never tried to understand them. It makes my processor hurt. But we owe them protection and opportunity. They have done their best and have actually been a great help when they have served. We have to catch these younglings when they show up. This has to stop."

Prime nodded. "They won't give up being soldiers easily. I don't want children in the line of fire, Prowl. They can be in the Home Guard perhaps if that is indicated by Jarro as something they need to do. But no front line duty. I don't want them harmed any further."

Prowl nodded. They discussed a number of items before Jetta walked in and sat with them. "The Fortress is on schedule. We can hoist several slabs into space shortly and take them to the site. I am told they have found a nice sized planetoid and have finished doing the survey work. They found four asteroids nearby that contain energon and have towed them into orbit around the base world. By the way … what are we going to call that planetoid and base?"

"Shall I alert the schools?" Prowl asked with a smirk.

Prime snorted and grinned. "How about the three of us having the honors?"

They sat together and brainstormed names before settling on Primus One for the planetoid and Fort Apache for the base.

Ironhide had turned Optimus onto westerns.

"We have another problem for you, Jetta. The little twins have been corralled and are being interviewed and tested by Jarro. We can't allow younglings on active duty," Prowl said.

"They're younglings?" Jetta asked with surprise. "I thought they were just wise acre mini-cons."

"Are there any other?" Prime asked with a smirk. "I want them to have options. I want perhaps an apprenticeship for them in some skilled area. I want them to be mentored, perhaps housed with their mentor and if they need to be in the army, the Home Guard is it. Nothing more than that. They are children."

Jetta nodded. "I met them a couple of times. They didn't seem too bright at the time. Sort of mouthy and cute. I will take up the search for a solution here but I am not sure that housing will come easily. They were in an argument with another mini-con the first time I saw them and they were carousing around the second time. They don't seem to have a lot of self control."

Ironhide stepped from the corridor and walked to the table, Hero in arms. Sitting, placing her gently on the table in her little blanket, he looked at the others. "What's up?"

"We're talking about the little twins," Prowl said. "Jarro has them. They're younglings and we need to make sure they don't get killed."

"Slag. That explains a lot. Gotta hand it to them. They have bearings. Never shirked their duty even if they slagged it up a lot."

Prowl nodded. "We have a duty to them."

Ironhide nodded. "We do."

"Then you volunteer to take them into your apartment and get them back on track," Prime said with a sly wink to Jetta.

Ironhide glanced at him sharply. "You're off your processor."

Hilarity ensued.

"Right now, we have to wait for word from Jarro," Prowl said. "Ratchet thinks there may be processor damage or something going on as well."

Ironhide nodded. "Old mech would know."

"I'll let Ratchet know you think he's nuts," Prowl said picking up a datapad. Ignoring the severe and very caustic optics that Ironhide shot his way, Prowl brought up other business. "I have the request for a meet up for Soundwave ready for your sign off, sir," he said falling back into business formality. "We also have a bunch of little things. There is a request for an economic meeting to begin commercial business between here and Earth. There are also cultural exchanges requested."

"Sadee can show her work," Ironhide said with a grin. All nodded.

"There are requests for mutual projects especially regarding a permanent settlement of humans here on Mars," Prowl said scanning the list.

"I don't know about that," Ironhide said. "Those slaggers are hard enough to understand from this distance without a colony of them here."

"That is going to be a long protracted discussion," Prime said nodding. "We have a lot of things going on without worrying about a city of humans nearby. Put that on the long term list, Prowl. We will discuss it when we catch a break. Warren can handle the fall out."

"Eventually," Ironhide said with a smirk.

"You read my processor," Prime said. He looked at Prowl. "We have to get the hostages back. That supersedes everything."

They all nodded. "Soundwave will beat his own aft to come and talk. I am sure he knows Overlord is around and it can't be a happy thought," Ironhide said as his ada pulled a chair out and joined the discussion.

"Soundwave is between a rock and a hard place as the humans say," Alor said as he sat down at the table.

"What do you know about him, Ada?" Ironhide asked as he watched his ada collect his daughter. He was filled with happiness that Alor did.

For once.

"We know that Megatron has paid very little attention to Cybertron. He left it to Starscream. Then we heard that the leadership was going missing. First Starscream and then Shockwave. That has led to a lot of rumors in the Empire. It was said that Megatron is killing the leadership one-by-one, which can't be a happy thought for Soundwave. It is said that he was off his rocker or using something that made him psychotic. A lot of the anxiety and the impetus to leave the Empire comes from that."

"What about Soundwave himself? Anything?" Prowl asked.

Alor thought a moment. "Home boy is rebuilding. He's desperate to restore Cybertron. He has few materials and not enough energon to do it but he's slowly restoring her. He would love to see Megatron dead. He would have dominion over the planet. He would be seen as the great restorer. I am not clear that Megatron knows what's happening. He left for the part of space called the Delta Quadrant on the human's stellar charts. We don't even know what's out there but a number of species are rumored to be very dangerous and numerous."

"Slag," Ironhide said. He looked at his daughter lying in his grandada's arms and felt intense happiness. She looked beautiful in her gray blanket and booties. His ada looked utterly content.

"Those are rumors, son," Alor said glancing at Ironhide. "I would put only a small portion of stock in them for now. Suffice it to say, Soundwave is on thin ice. Megatron is mad, the Empire is cracking up, little kingdoms like Overlord are rising up in the uncertainty and the only stability is here. Check. Checkmate."

Prime nodded. "I agree. I want to use them against each other. We can assess Soundwave to a great degree by what he is able and prepared to do here about Overlord. He cannot be happy that Overlord is stranded both near to his secret base and to us."

"He has energon in most likelihood under ped. I don't know if he's smart enough to understand that and use it," Prowl said nodding.

"Time will tell," Alor said as he smiled down at his granddaughter. She recharging on had no comment herself.

-0-At the assessment

They went through the tests, all of which were designed to understand the two mechanisms before them. Intelligence and personality tests were given. Baselines of their processors were taken. Scans for bugs and damage were administered. All that an advanced society could do to understand a mech was granted to the little mini-cons. When they were finished, they sat outside the labs eating candy and chatting to each other.

Jarro sat at his computer waiting for Ratchet, Prime and Prowl to arrive. He had distilled the information down to the final initial product. He would explain to the three what they had before them, what they needed to do and how to undertake the task. He would also say that long term study was a good idea for both of the little soldiers.

Sitting back, he considered the pair. They were amusing, infuriating and confident. Nothing seemed to scare them which in and of itself was a bad thing. They had no objective line over which they understood the consequences of crossing. If the battle was enjoined, they joined.

Without fear.

Sometimes without adequate arms.

Without backup.

They were a fascinating little pair to study.

The door opened to the conference room and the three expected leaders entered followed by Jetta, Ironhide and Alor carrying Hero. They sat and Prime nodded to Jarro and his two aides. "I brought extra processors."

Jarro nodded. "Good thing. We have an interesting situation here." He pulled up data and began to explain. "We have two mechs who are high-end younglings, pre-subadult. They have a low grade protoform which has inhibited their growth and affected their processor development. Malnutrition for a great deal of their most important vorns hasn't helped. They are tough, devoted to each other and in great need of support.

"I suggest that they be eased back into their age group as slowly as possible. I think it would be a good thing for it to be a Prime directive whatever is decided for them to do. They will be more likely after growing up in a military environment to obey a command from a Prime. They have minimal educational skills. Their P.Q. therefore reflects this."

"P.Q.?" Jetta asked.

"Processor quotient. The humans call it intelligence quotient. What they know, essentially. How much smarts you have to be crass about it. These little mechs have a low P.Q. Or, they are terrible test takers. Their attention spans are about a nanosecond long it seemed," Jarro said with a grin. "I find it hard to be mad at them."

"Considering what we know now, I am sorry I ever was," Prime said. "They are brave but foolish most of the time. That they are younglings didn't cross my mind. I was under the impression they were goofy little mini or micro-mini-cons."

"Easy mistake," Jarro said nodding. "They are used to an organized life with the military so it won't be too much of a step for them to enter a structured civilian life now. I would suggest a full indepth processor scan followed by a mentor that will be able to supervise them. If they cannot live with someone else, have them live next door to their mentor. That way they can be supervised better than they have so far. Running wild and hiding out in the city is hardly a good idea."

"I will find a mentor," Jetta said with a grin. He looked at Prowl. "If you could tell Magnus to give me an apartment that can either be across the hall or next to their mentor's home, it will help. I will find out shortly and if we have to move them, we will."

Prowl nodded. "I will do that when you get someone who will do this."

Jetta looked at Jarro. "What about job aptitudes?"

"They are pretty fast about picking up on things. They aren't stupid. They are uneducated and simple about a lot of things but not dumb. Much." He grinned and studied his notes. "Skids appears to be smarter and more mature but he's easily distracted as well as his brother. They are loyal and their intentions are good. I would think there must be a job in construction that will be their forte."

"There are plenty of jobs for small bots. We can also utilize Leader-1," Jetta said. "He will be fit to be tied when he finds out those two are kids."

Prime nodded. "He can join the club."

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	69. Chapter 69

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 59

=0=Ratchet's office

The two little mechs sat on chairs watching everyone as they gathered in the CMO's office to work out the rest of the tests. They seemed to be what they were to everyone gathered, two kids that had a terrible life, had done the best they could to fit in and had suffered for it. That they were happy and goofy anyway was a testimony to their resilience.

"Well, you little slaggers," Ratchet said staring down at them with a grin. "I get to look inside your helms."

"You won't find much there," Skids said with a grin. "At least in his," he said glancing at his brother.

Mudflap looked at him and punched his face. Before they could go further rounds, the mere clearing of Prowl's throat cut them off. They sat and looked up at Ratchet. "Will this hurt?"

"Frag no." Ratchet grinned. "You know I save the hurt for Ironhide."

They chuckled and grinned at Ironhide. "We can see that," Skids said. His brother nodded.

"Come in here," Ratchet said walking to the door where several techs and Gypsy stood waiting. They got down, their little peds not even reaching the ground as they sat and followed him. When they were gone, everyone else sat down to wait.

"What a sad species we are," Alor said shaking his helm. Hero lay in his arms recharging. "Those little twerps should have had better protoforms, food and education. Frag the system."

Everyone nodded. "Well, we can make it better here. Maybe there's something Ratchet can do," Ironhide said.

Alor nodded. "I hope so."

-0-In another room

They lay on medberths as techs and Gypsy plugged them in. There were dozens of cords plugged into the bots or into the other plugs themselves. All of the many monitors were scrolling rapidly with information.

"What do the screens say, Ratchet?" Skids asked.

Ratchet grinned. "They're telling me you are long overdue for a physical. I told you two to come in when you came and you should have. Be glad I'm a doctor or I would slag you hard."

"We're glad," Mudflap said with a grin. "Aren't we glad, Skids?"

His brother nodded. "We are."

Jarro who was watching chuckled. "That is real telepathy," he said.

"The twins have it too. The big ones," Ironhide said nodding.

"I like the big twins. They fight real good," Skids said from the nest of plugs and cords that was his face.

"They do," Mudflap echoed.

Jarro walked closer and leaned against the berth where Skids was laying. "You're really rare, you know. Only three pair in the species. You two, the big twins and their daughters. How about letting me study you a bit so we can know more about twins?"

They looked at Jarro and then each other. Skids looked at Jarro again. "You ain't going to take us apart are you?"

"Nope," Jarro said with a grin. "I am studying the little femmes and I talk to the big twins when I can. You two are special and I would like to know more about how you tick."

"Oh, well then," Skids said glancing at his brother. "That's different. It's different isn't it, Mudflap?"

"It is. I think so. Different," he said from the middle of his mass of plugs and jacks.

"Okay," Skids said. He grinned around the mess and Jarro grinned back squeezing his servo gently. As he did, Leader-1 stepped into the room. Looking gravely at the two bots, he looked at Prime. "I hear you need mentors and someone to look after them."

Prime and Jetta looked down at him. "We do. Do you understand the problem?"

He nodded. "I know they're a handful but I'll take them. My bond and I will help them get on their peds."

"We can arrange an apartment next to yours, Leader-1 if it helps. You can do this in-house or next door. However you want it," Jetta said.

"We can start in-house. I have a spare room. They can have it." Leader-1 walked to Skids and looked at him. "I hear you've been living here and there all over town."

Skids looked at Leader-1, then Prime, then Leader-1 again. He nodded. "Maybe," he said.

"You have," Leader-1 said. "My bond and I have a great apartment in a tower with a view of Aerie Hill. How about living with us? You and your brother both."

Skids looked at him a moment, then his brother who was staring at him as well. There was the pause of internal conversation, then Skids looked back at him. "Okay," he said with a grin.

"We have a great place and you can stay with us. We have a few rules," he said. The little bots glanced at each other, then Leader-1. They both nodded. "We will expect you to have dinner with us every night. We expect you to recharge at home and keep reasonable joors. We expect you to keep your stuff neat and in order. We will help you with whatever Ratchet or Jarro needs to do for you. You can live with us and be a part of our family. All you have to do is behave and learn."

They stared at him for a moment. "We're soldiers. We can keep stuff neat." Skids glanced at Prime. "We're soldiers you know."

"I know. You are brave and strong. That is why I want you to join the Home Guard and be an example to the troops. You have skills. You can be a strong component of that force if you apply yourselves." Prime stood holding his breath figuratively as the two little bots processed the offer.

Leader-1 stepped closer. "You do know there are thousands of mini-cons living here and we have a great social life together. We work at jobs and go to school."

"We don't want no school," Mudflap said. Skids merely looked at Leader-1.

"We don't require you to do anything you don't think you can do. We wouldn't want to force you to do something that you just can't do," Leader-1 said.

Skids looked at him. "I could go to school. I could do real good at school. I just don't want to go."

Leader-1 nodded. "We understand. No one is going to force you to do anything like that if you can't."

"I can read. A little," Skids said. "I could learn. I just … maybe one of these orns I could learn more. But I know a bunch of stuff."

Mudflap nodded. "I can. I know my glyphs and a bunch of stuff."

"I bet you are awesome at whatever you want to do," Leader-1 said quietly. "The entire mini-con community is going to help you. You don't have to be alone anymore. You can come with me and I'll help you do whatever the Prime and the doctors say."

They looked at him, then each other, then him again. They nodded. "Okay," they said in unison.

The tension in the room deflated like a balloon.

-0-Moments later

They sat in the conference room next to Ratchet's office, all of the concerned bots on the case. Leader-1 had called his bond and after a hurried conference both agreed to help the twins. Ratchet sat beside Jarro looking over data as Alor with Hero, Ironhide, Jetta, Prime and Prowl waited with Leader-1 and his bond, Luminus. Ratchet finally turned to the group. "Well, we have preliminary data. These little slaggers must have bounced on their helms more than once because there is processor damage that may account for just a tad of their lunacy.

"I am not saying they will be geniuses when I replace a few circuits but their hyperactivity might slow down a little. They are reasonably intact for bots that had no nourishment during critical times, had hard knocks continuously from infanthood, had no direction, no protection but what they could manage. I think they are going to be simple in their processing for good but they can learn a lot more than they presently know. I think they are good candidates for a more stable life and I commend you both, Leader-1 and Luminus for taking these two little slaggers on."

Leader-1 grinned. "What about their processor damage? You will need to do surgery to effect repairs?"

"We will. It isn't critical but it should be done. I will clear my schedule and let you know when to drag them in. I wouldn't be too informative about this. I couldn't get them to come in for a slagging physical. I don't think they will be too happy with surgery on their helms."

Leader-1 nodded. He looked at Jetta. "I would like to talk to you about their work schedules. I want them to be with me for a while. I want to try and get them organized. I know they can be off the walls. We want to do this positively."

Jetta nodded. "We can give them a tour of the Guild and Union Hall. Maybe they will tell us something they have done or let us know what they might like to do or learn. Tomorrow?"

Leader-1 nodded. "Sounds good to me." He looked at Prime. "I would like to bring them to staff meetings now and again. I want them to see what a bot can do and become if they apply themselves."

"I would be honored for you to do that, Leader-1. You are an inspiration to us all," Prime said nodding.

Leader-1 smiled and nodded back. "It is my pleasure, sir." He looked at Ratchet. "Can we have them now?"

Ratchet nodded. "They're all yours. By the way. You and Lumi are my new heroes."

Leader-1 grinned and Luminus smiled. "We'll see," he said to general laughter. Turning, the two walked into Ratchet's office and talked to the pair who sat listening with interest. They jumped down and followed the pair to the door. Pausing, Skids turned and walked into the conference room. "Thank you, Prime."

Prime nodded with a grin. "Thank you, Skids, for your service. I am content knowing you and your brother will bring your experience to the Home Guard and that you have a good mentor in Leader-1 and Luminus."

He nodded. Then he turned and walked to his brother and the two who had opened their home to them. They walked out chattering to a smiling Leader-1 and an amused Luminus until they were out of sight.

The room was silent a moment. Then Ratchet turned to the others. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

They nodded. "I hope it holds," Prowl said.

"Leader-1 will kick their afts," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "That little mech is as decent and tough as they come." He looked at Prime. "Who knew?" he asked.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Evening coming on

They left the schools, little mechs on leashes dawdling along as they examined every stone, dust bunny and interesting passer-by in optical range. Alor walked with Ratchet and Ironhide as they began to walk back to the barn so to speak. Overhead, lights began to come on as sensors were tripped by the dying of the light.

"Halloween is in two orns, Ironhide," Ratchet said tugging on Orion.

"**I CAN'T WAIT!"** Sunspot said as he walked along holding Alor's servo. **"I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MY COSTUME!"**

"I don't pretend to understand Halloween," Alor said with a grin. "But the idea sounds like fun."

"I agree," Ironhide said.

"What is your costume going to be, Atar?" Sunspot asked in all his pure and all consuming sweetness.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Later that night in the Bosom of Love

He patted her dry and smiled. "You're very cute." Then he turned to the dresser and pulled it open. In neat stacks were blankets from a lot of friends, all of them soft and cozy. Matching booties were next to them in little soft bundles. He didn't know if she liked them but he did. He liked them on his little mechs and he liked them on his daughter. He pulled a light blue blanket and matching booties out for the next day. He liked them because they matched her optics.

Wrapping her in a soft white swaddling blanket … whatever that was … he walked into the living room to sit. Ratchet was holding Praxus and they were 'chatting'. Orion was playing hide and seek with Sunspot.

All was well with his world.

-0-Nearby

Tie Down and Ravel sat at the table with Alor and Blackjack who had himself just gotten back from the field. They sat together talking and laughing, renewing the friendship that they had on Cybertron. It wasn't typical. High castes usually bonded in their caste and so did low. Their paths never crossed. But the bond of their younglings wasn't typical. Neither was the great friendship that had grown out of it.

The night was filled with lights as the security and commercial shipping continued onward outside the big windows of the apartment. Inside the comfortable abode, a fine evening was had by all.

Again.

-0-At an apartment in a tower nearby

They looked at the room that had been decorated just for them. There were two berths facing the windows with comfortable blankets and pillows. The room was simple but comfortable, ready for someone to make it their own with their achievements and personal effects. They glanced at each other and grinned. "This is nice. Look at the view."

Mudflap nodded. "The view is nice."

"Put your gear in the closet," Leader-1 said nodding to the empty storage nearby. "Then wash up. Dinner is about ready."

They turned and looked at him. Then they looked at each other. "Okay," they said as they walked to the closet.

Leader-1 walked out and down the hallway to the kitchen/dining and living room. Luminus had the table set and delicious different items filled big plates. The table was set with Luminus's usual amazing flair. He grinned and paused by the table which was mini-con sized just for his own body type. "Thank you, Lumi. This is a servoful but they are the neediest little mechs I've ever seen."

Luminus nodded. "Thank you, Lea, for being a good mech and taking them in. I hear they are tyros."

"They are," he said turning to see them walking out of their room. "For now."

They paused by the table looking at the food. "Looks real good."

"It does," Skids replied.

"Sit at the table, boys," Leader-1 said pulling out a chair. They all sat and the twins looked at the two older mechs. "Pass the plates as you take something, boys. That's how we eat here."

Skids and Mudflap looked at each other. Then Skids took a plate putting some of its contents on his own with a spoon. He handed it to his brother and he did the same. They continued the same way until everyone was served all of the dishes. Then they looked at Leader-1 and Luminus. "What now?" they asked in unison.

"Now," Leader-1 said, "we eat."

And they did.

=0=TBC

2012


	70. Chapter 70

NOTE: I have seen the images of Hurricane Sandy and I wish to tell everyone affected how terribly sorry I am for your loss and suffering. I wish you to know that you are in my thoughts as all my readers everywhere are. When you have calamity, I feel it too. I wish a straight path to recovery and all the very best to all who are in trouble today wherever you are in this big old world. You are all in my thoughts. Take care out there, my darlings.

=0=Back to the story, my sweet readers

The Diego Diaries: Chaos 60

=0=The next morning about dawn, Autobot City, Mars

The shift changed, mechs leaving their jobs all over the city while other mechs and some femmes took them over for the next shift. Laughter and conversation, friendly calls out to some, joking catcalls for others, the graveyard shift made way for the day crowd. They walked out of their work sites, some of them gathering at the pedestrian platforms underground for a train while others walked to staircases that led upward to roads. Many followed the underground corridors and roadways to the surface or to cafes and rec rooms underground.

Above ground at the airfield the shifts were changing too. Masses of Seekers were gathering to await the Tower Flight Controllers at Fort Max to give the all clear to go. As they sat in the great Guardian's tower tracking incoming, the flight controllers sipped their hot energon, some gathering the orn's special transfers and incoming as they plotted the flights that were already on their way.

At the Business Plaza, itself a pristine recreation of the original after the disaster, many businesses were getting ready for the orn. Rampage stood in The Energon Basket reviewing the orders on the monitor in his office. The rush was on as the city began to embrace the Earth holiday, Halloween. They were working around the clock in both his bakeries, the three cafes he owned and in the food service department he now ruled as Master Chef and Baker at the University Annex that had opened shortly ago to teach all manner of trades and tech jobs.

He was the lead instructor there, his patience almost legendary among his many students. That he was once among the most feared Decepticons, that he was once so psychotic that his own brothers feared him was forgotten in light of the patient, good humored, serious minded mech that worked with newbie cooks and bakers for as long as it took to get things right.

Who would have known?

He looked at his hard working youngling employees and felt wonderful once more. None of them would fully understand the pleasure he derived from their company. He turned and walked out to help them create the special order confections that the public was demanding. 'Candy corn' energon-style was becoming a real amusement to make.

-0-Metroplex District

He walked with his partner along the western most side of the Metroplex District which was their 'beat' on shift. It had been a quiet night for all concerned as the city continued to absorb their latest influx of refugees. For the first three orns or so, there had been a few fights, a few drunks, a few wandering lost mechs. The cognitive dissonance of their new situation had been nearly capsizing to some. But it was improving as they patiently worked with those that were troubled or dismayed.

They would be off for a couple of orns, the 'weekend' coming up again. They had decided along with the rest of the city, minus the 12 who voted against it that 'weekends' were awesome. Having any time off to recharge, wander, get slagged and mess around with friends and family was a new concept for most Cybertronians. There were no days off in the working life of low caste mechs on Cybertron. Middle caste could have orns off because they worked at jobs that would pay enough. To most low castes, the high castes never seemed not to have a orn off. Those slaggers never seemed to work at all.

Here, everyone got three orns off every fifteen. The schedules overlapped so that all jobs were covered every orn by shifts rotating 'weekends' except for schools. When the weekend came, the schools closed except for the Day Care department that took care of younglings for working genitors.

It was awesome.

They walked along until they came to the big intersection down by Vos Tower. Turning up the main street, they walked to the next big intersection where the main road led to the housing districts and arenas beyond. They answered a few questions of a nice young femme, showing her the way to the Cultural Center nearby. Then they turned toward the housing district, passed The Paint Box, the cafe and a few other places before turning into Day/Night Watch Substation #4 and the shift change. When that was accomplished, they would breakfast at Club Cybertron before going home to recharge.

It was all good.

-0-Emergency Room, Medical Tower

Knockout sat in the office of the Chief of Emergency Medicine on the 50th floor of the Medical Tower. He had his peds resting on the desktop as he considered the 'weekend'

before him. The concept was awesome even if it came from an insect.

Humans were still on his shit list.

Breakdown on the other servo wasn't.

Today.

That mech had grown to a disturbing degree to seem not to want or need him. That mech had also become pretty proficient in medicine.

/... **THAT IS MY SLAGGING SPECIALTY!** …/

They had begun to frag again but it was different now. **He** no longer got to call the shots. Breakdown had his **own** thoughts about fragging and demanded equal time. /... That they turned out to be … intriguing … was **BESIDE THE SLAGGING POINT!.../**

/ … Most of the time …/

/ … Usually afterward when he could think straight again …/

/ ...The fragger …/

/... And there was this other thing! '**RATCHET THIS' AND 'RATCHET THAT'! YOU WOULD THINK THE BIG BRUTE WAS FRAGGING RATCHET THE WAY HE CARRIED ON** … No. He wouldn't. Breakdown might be a lot of things … most of them delicious … but an Autobot fragger wasn't one of them … /

He sat and tapped his ped with a stylus as he fretted about his big squeeze toy and the phantom menace of this and every other world he had ever been, Ratchet.

/... Ratchet the slagger … Ratchet the fragging slagger … the fragging slagger, Ratchet …/ He felt a miniscule sense of joy at last.

He would also never know that Ratchet's evil spawn, Orion liked to tap his ped too.

It was probably a good thing.

-0-On the job elsewhere

The mech walked up from the Hub beneath the Aerie heading for home. He had been on duty at the depot and armory substation that was located underneath Aerie Hill. The stations were meched orn and night because one never knew what might happen and soldiers coming off shift didn't always keep normal hours.

He came to the surface and paused looking up at the skies. They were breaking light, the orangish-bluish blend of color pleasing to his yellow optics. Nearby, his trine was waiting for him. They ate their meals together when they could. They were a very traditional clan and kept as many of their ways as they could.

One of them was back from flying the solar system on patrol. The other was taking care of their four hatchlings. They were small and just starting to try to walk. They were the center of the family and the second most wonderful thing ever to happen to him. Coming here was the first. It allowed him to meet the members of his trine. Without this place, everything else would have been impossible.

He turned and walked onward, content to be off. Content to have three orns off for the weekend. They would spend them with their babies and take in the sights of the city. Tomorrow, they would drop the babies off in the Seeker day care center and go to the football game in the new arena.

It was going to be epic.

He transformed and flew upward before arcing and flying toward a verandah on the 12th floor. He transformed in air and landed, walking forward into the bosom of his family as contentedly as he could have ever hoped to be.

-0-Ops Center

They sat in the rec room, Alpha shift and their stand-ins. Some of the A list were on their weekends necessitating stand-ins and others were still working toward their own. The buzz in the main rec room, the first and most important on of the 37 that existed in the city was soft and pleasant. The walls of dispensers stood ready along with bins of supplemental additives for those so inclined. Platters of treats of all make and manner stood in rows along the wall for those who were hungry to make a meal from.

Sciences came in, twelve or thirteen mechs and femmes heading for the barn as the humans were wont to say. Some of them waved goodbye heading for home while others walked to the food selections to get breakfast. The shift coming on had already left the rec room heading for their shift in the labs and cubicles of the Center. There were things to do and inventions to perfect. Perceptor and Wheeljack walked in from the Ops Center and headed to the buffet and dispenser center. They would join their colleagues at the table to talk and eat together.

-0-Nearby

They stood at the window of their new apartment trying to get a handle on what they felt. They had put in two orns of work at the apprenticeships they were given. It had been fulfilling in a way that nothing they did in the Decepticons had ever been. Computers and ships. They had a say in what they wanted and now they were working at it. There were a mix of civilians, Autobots and former 'Cons where they worked and all did their jobs seamlessly. They ever were friends on and off the job. It had been optic opening. It had been odd to work at what you wanted and for yourself. Odder still was the idea of 'weekend'. Three orns to do what they wanted. It was awesome.

"What do you want to do?" Hardtime asked his brother as he sipped his energon.

"I hear a football game is going to be played tomorrow at the big stadium. Maybe we can find out how you get to go," Coldspray said.

"I haven't seen a football game in person ever," Hardtime said.

"Me neither," Coldspray said nodding. It was silent a moment. "I wonder what you have to do to go?"

"Maybe that Community Bulletin Board tells you how," Hardtime said glancing at his brother.

Coldspray turned and walked to the monitor working his way through the pages to the appropriate place. He read it and paused considering what it said. Hardtime looked at him. "What?"

Coldspray turned and looked at his brother. "You just go."

They looked at each other silently for a moment. "Oh," Hardtime said quietly.

-0-In towers all over town

She stood in her crib gripping the railing tightly. Her dresser beckoned her. It was filled with wonders and the bottom drawer was hers to delve through. Her Nana and Naneth filled it with wonderful things and she would look at them, smiling and chatting as she examined her treasure. Her Nana and Naneth would sit on the floor nearby smiling and taking pictures, their love and pride in their daughter enormous. Right now, the two goddesses of her universe were still recharging. She however was ready to roll. With great effort, she got one tiny ped lifted and poised on the railing. With a great deal of effort, she managed to hoist herself up. Balancing a moment, she fell over and landed on the floor in a big heap. She lay a moment deciding whether to cry or not. She decided not. Smiling with a ginormous smile, she sat up and eyed her dresser.

Life was going to get good right away. She leaned forward and stood up, something neither genitor had ever seen before. Then she began to toddle in a rather wobbly and roundabout way to the dresser.

Elswehere ...

Miracle lay staring at the ceiling. At regular intervals, someone came to peek at him. They were usually on their way to the next room down where six tiny babies slept the sleep of the pure and good. He would sometimes see them and smile brightly. This was one of those times. Someone looked down at him and patted his tummy. It wasn't his ada or atar. It was one of 'them'. Half a dozen mechs took shifts working with the babies that had come to them literally from the sky. Two a shift, they managed the babies while Prowl kept the smallest one with him during the orn.

The figure was gone and he was bereft. Sitting up, he looked around. The room was dark, the windows tinted and he was warm in his little crib. He was also lonely. Looking around, he came to his own conclusion. Atar and Ada needed him. With effort in the tangle of blankets and dollies, he stood staring outward. Looking down, he couldn't see the floor. But he knew it was there. It was where he was walking when he could. No one knew it of course. He fell more than he walked. But with effort, he would walk now. Putting a ped up, he fell. Into his crib.

-0-Fifi

She tugged her drawer open and looked inside. Pulling out a fabric thing, she pulled it over her helm. It stuck on her shoulder even though she had one arm already through it. Half on, half off, her little white tutu was stuck where it was. Reaching inside, she began to haul out finger paints, dollies and toys. It was heaven.

-0-Miracle

He managed to stand again and try a leg over. He fell again.

-0-Diesel

He sat in his crib waiting for his genitors. His sister had her own room now and ran it like a dinobot. You couldn't do anything there that messed things up so he stayed usually in his own room playing. Books, toys, all manner of servos-on stuff were stacked on shelves and in his toy boxes. He was one tricked out little bot-let. He sat waiting for the big servos that rescued him from his desolation. They would not come too soon.

-0-Miracle

He managed to hoist himself up and plant a ped. Hanging on the edge of oblivion, he heaved ho and fell. He bounced when he landed and lay on his back staring into the darkness of the ceiling. Sitting up, he looked around, his little blue optics the only light to be seen. Rising slowly, he walked to the door and peered out. No one was around. "Atar?" he asked the darkness.

No response.

He stood holding his little fingers in distress. Where was Atar? Where was Ada? He considered his brothers. "Spit?" he called out.

Spirit didn't answer.

Peering out, he decided to find someone. Stepping out into the corridor, Miracle began to walk toward the room where his genitors usually were.

In the dark.

Somewhere.

He sniffled.

-0-Praxus

He lay sucking on his thumb. Soon his big old pa would come and get him. Soon his big old other pa would feed him. He would be washed, buffed and set on the floor to play before school. He didn't know it was the weekend. He didn't care. He was waiting for his pa to come. What he would get was something else.

-0-Miracle

"Atar?"

-0-Fifi

**"FIFI!"**

-0-Nearby

Light blue optics peered over his crib. The stealth sparkling gripped the rail and hoisted his shapely aft up. Bracing, he let go and fell off bouncing. Laying on the ground, he sat up at last and looked around. Standing with gusto, he turned and began to head for the door. Somewhere in the darkness beyond, all manner of mayhem awaited.

Orion the Undaunted headed out to see the world.

-0-Miracle

"Ada?"

-0-Praxus

He looked down at his brother and smiled. Orion looked up and smiled. "Pax. Come!"

Pax did.

-0**-FIFI!**

Laret looked at her daughter with wide optics. Neo coming at her call paused and looked too. She was standing on the floor, a white tutu half on and half off her little body. She had taken paint and smeared it on her face having seen bright colors on the faces of others. A dollie hung over one arm and she had a handful of play doh in the other. Smiling, she held up her arms. "Nana!" she said with delight.

A bath and any number of hugs and kisses were her reward.

-0-Miracle

"Atar?" Silence. "Ada?" Silence.** "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**

The sound of bodies levitating nearby could be heard.

-0-Praxus

He lay on a lumpy floor. Sitting up at last, he looked down. Orion was looking up, severe optics impaling his little brother. **"PAX!"**

"O?"

**"Pax!"**

A tiny sad began to grow on the face of the little red and white Autobot(let) and he hung his helm whimpering. Orion finally sat up and looked at his brother hugging him. "Pax."

Praxus looked at him and smiled ginormously. **"O!"**

Orion smiled ginormously too. "Pax. Come." Orion stood up and pulled Praxus up, the two stopping to listen intently. Then with Praxus's servo in his, they walked to the living room and paused in front of the window. Orion patted it and smiled. **"Pax!"**

Praxus watching him smiled too.** "O!"**

They laughed madly, then Orion turned and walked closer. He stood licking the window as he watched outside. Praxus who studied him a moment stepped forward joining in. That is when a sleepy Ironhide paused in the hallway and found them.

-0-Miracle

"Miracle, what are you doing out of your crib?" Optimus said scooping the infant up. He sat on his atar's chest and tearfully babbled his morning thus far. It was adorable and tragic. Prowl enjoyed every syllable.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	71. Chapter 71

NOTE: A phone call tonight and trick-or-treaters slowed me down. I hope to get farther along before I hit the hay. Hugs and Happy Halloween to all!

=0=And now, lets go there ...

The Diego Diaries: Boo 1

=0=That morning in the bosom of love

"I don't get it."

"Some things aren't meant to be 'got'."

"We better get a grip on them getting out."

"That's true. Slaggers are really getting stealth skills."

(Grin. Pride) "They are. Catching on really fast, those two."

"I might have to curtail their time with you, Ironhide. Can't have them figuring out how to open the front door."

Pause. "They won't."

"You sure?"

"They'd have to stand on top of each other to reach it."

Pause. "You don't think they can figure that out?"

Pause. "Little slaggers."

Ratchet grinned. "Today, you can't make me feel badly. It's Halloween, Ironhide."

A rap on the door paused their conversation. Ratchet rose from his chair and opened it. Three grinning youngling mechs stood outside heavily laden. "Come on in, younglings."

They entered and set the boxes they carried on the table. After a moment of gab, they turned and hurried off as the number of orders to be delivered from Halloween producers awaited. They would be busy most of the orn.

Ratchet looked inside the box and smiled. "These are very cute. Some of them are Halloween shaped and others are our own." He moved the boxes from the table to the sink counter and placed Sunspot's plate and spoon there. "Sunspot, breakfast."

The little Seeker emerged with a smile on his little face. He walked to Ironhide and lay his helm on the big bot's lap. Ironhide caressed his son's little face and he smiled as he looked up. "It's Halloween. I can't wait to see my costume." He looked at the little bots on the floor chatting together as they waited for their sippy cups. "I can't wait to see them in theirs."

"You will," Ratchet said with a grin. He put the two little bots on the table and gave them their cups. They tipped them back and began to slug their breakfast down. "I have yours in my closet and the little ones costumes will be coming this afternoon around lunch time. I hope you're here, Ironhide, to take them in."

"I will be," Ironhide said with a grin.

"You are aware of the schedule for trick-or-treating?" Ratchet said rising to leave. "It's on the Community Bulletin Board under 'Special Community Events'. I have to go and get slag done." He leaned down to kiss sparklings.

"This is weekend," Ironhide said.

"This is leftover slag. I'll hurry but I need you here to get the costumes at mid orn," Ratchet said turning to walk to the door. He grinned and left, closing the door behind him.

Ironhide looked at his three little mechs and grinned. "No peeking, Sunspot," he said.

Sunspot just smiled.

-0-Ratchet

He walked to the hospital tower. There was a pile of work on his desk and he had to finish it. If he bent his helm, he could be free in a couple of joors. Passing the families going to day care or out and about, he considered the weekend ahead.

Halloween. Check.

Adult league football. Check.

Family awesome time together. Check.

Life was good and he was one lucky slagger after all these years. Check and double check.

He walked onward with a spring in his peds and entered the medical tower where bent things were made straight.

-0-Ironhide

They sat looking at each other, three youngling infants and one huge fierce-looking Autobot. Grinning, Ironhide rose and fetched harnesses and leashes. He looked at his daughter lying on the couch recharging. He considered what madness Ratchet had in mind for her costume and grinned again. Tonight was going to be awesome.

Returning with harnesses, leashes, toy bags and a blanket that matched his daughter's little yellow booties, he got his crew together. Tucking their toy bags into his carry hold, he looked at his little mob. Tucking Hero into the crook of his arm, he nodded to Sunspot. "You ride point, spud."

He chuckled and got the door, his book and toy bag slung over his shoulder. Tugging on the sparklings, he got his little remuda to move along. They did in the manner of drunken cats so by the time they reached the elevator they were running late.

Gabbing away as they rode down, Orion and Praxus stepped off at the bottom and gaggled onward chatting together, holding each others servo as they strode out into the bold new world outside.

Ironhide and Sunspot walked along behind beaming proudly.

-0-Up in the sky

Prowl stood looking at his little mechs like a commanding officer inspecting the troops. They stood grinning up at him, their little shiny faces filled with happiness.

***IT WAS HALLOWEEN*!**

"What handsome little mechs you three are," Prowl said with a smile. "I don't know how you do it."

"Rambler helps me, Ada," Spirit said. "Was that Miracle crying this morning?"

"It was," Prowl said herding them to the dining room for breakfast. They sat and he passed them plates filled with delicious things and the supplemental additives that he gave them religiously. Their protoform wasting was diminishing nicely.

In the farthest berthroom, six infants were getting ready to be washed, fed and huggled. Prowl hurried as best he could to help them. The tiniest newest sparkling, a little mech with a light blue scheme and white embellishments on his little servos and peds, he called 'baby'. He didn't dare give it a name. His genitors already did. When he gave the baby back, he would ask then. Until that time, he would take that infant's care on himself.

Prime walked out of his office and paused before the room where several helpers were working to take care of the babies. The pang of sorrow he felt about the situation arose in him, the idea of his own infants being ripped from him a disastrous notion for his emotional well being. Walking on, he took a plate and filled it at the kitchen counter where breakfast things were laid out. Moving to sit at the table, he grinned at his younglings. "Did you sleep well?"

"We did," Rambler said with a smile.

"I could hardly recharge, Atar," Spirit said. "I can't wait for the Halloween."

"Halloween," Rambler corrected gently. He grinned. "You will be cute."

"I think you will too," Spirit said smiling at his brother.

They ate together chatting about this and that. By the time they were ready for day care, they were fairly jumping out of their peds.

-0-At the Ops Center

Jetta nodded to the Officer of the Day, Jazz. That bot would be online today to allow genitors to have the orn off to get ready for Halloween. Mirage lounged nearby pausing in his decoding of databases to listen. "We are go then, Jazz. Do I call Prime or will you?"

"He's due in here in a moment. He's taking the younglings to day care. Prowl is staying home with the sparklings. We can get the go then or you can call him. Your decision."

That call was negated by the appearance of Optimus Prime. He walked to the pair and got briefed. "I sign off on that. I want this done in stages. Springer and Kup can be brought in to make it swift and problem-free."

Jazz nodded and turned putting the call out. A few moments later, the duo followed by Drift and Lon entered Ops Center. They studied the data and made a plan, calling for a Wrecker crew and a dozen Day Watch officers. By the time they arrived, several of the prisoners were standing outside on the street surrounded by guns and grim-faced mechs.

Motormaster and Dead End, Blind Spot and Turmoil stood glowering at the mechs surrounding them. Prime stepped out and paused at the curb with Jazz, Mirage, Ironhide who had joined them at that point, Kup, Drift and Springer. Turmoil stared at Drift with almost psychotic intensity, something that the mellow bot ignored. "What is this about?"

"You are being moved from the brig," Prime said. "You are being escorted to the prison that way," he said nodding in the direction of the airfield. "Go peacefully or be shot." He turned and nodded to Kup. "They're yours."

Kup nodded and looked at Springer. "Let's take out the garbage, youngling."

Springer grinned and nodded. "Move them out."

With a poke or two from guns, the mechs in question began to leave, walking together as a sullen group toward their new more expanded life in the new prison. Jetta smirked. "I'll go and get the party started," he said stepping out.

Prime turned and walked back in bracing himself for the second wave of prisoners.

-0-On the road

They walked along silently, their optics roaming over the changed landscape before them with barely contained amazement. Things had changed a lot since most of them saw daylight. Turmoil walked quietly, glancing at Drift as he did. "How many live here now?"

"Half a million."

He mulled that a moment. "Half a million."

"There's a few million more coming," Drift said making shit up. He grinned inwardly noting that Springer was warming to the conversation. "They heard Prime. They're coming."

It was quiet a moment. "Prime will lose to Megatron."

"Megatron's army is defecting too," Drift answered with a slight smirk. "They're leaving that rat bastard and he doesn't have a clue about it. He's running around in the Delta Quadrant and doesn't even know."

"If you say so," Turmoil said quietly. "Anyone who believes a word you say, slagger is a loser."

"If you say so, Turmoil," Drift said. Turmoil didn't say another word.

-0-Ops Center

They sat at the table making plans to move the next group. The prison itself was a maximum security installation with several separate fully self contained areas to keep prisoners safe from each other. All of the groups being moved would be isolated from each other with the potential to separate individuals from one another if needed as well.

"'A' Block will house the group leaving now. The Senators and Sentinel will be housed in 'C' Block. We are leaving the space between, 'B' Block open for future fraggers," Magnus said.

Optimus nodded. "I am glad there are facilities there for attorneys to meet with prisoners. I want that to be entirely private and secured. This may not be Cybertron and we may have a checkered past judicially, but this is our chance to get it right."

They nodded. Then they looked to the door. Sentinel Prime was standing there. With a nod from Optimus, the big mech was told to come inside and join them.

He did.

-0-Ratchet

He input data, organized slag and generally showed moves that were never seen outside of a battlefield. Halloween and the weekend beckoned and he had to hurry. So he did.

-0-Ops Center

He sat down across from Prime and they took the measure of the other. Sitting back, Sentinel considered Prime. "I hear that we're being moved."

Optimus nodded. "You are going to be housed in a new prison. It will give you amenities you don't have in the brig and you can have a change of scenery. You will be separated from the Decepticon prisoners but not from the Senators."

"I would think you wouldn't trust having us together. I would think you would believe we would foment rebellion and try to escape."

Prime shrugged. "This prison is not an easy escape."

"No, I imagine it isn't," Sentinel said. "We don't have to be enemies. We can work together. I have a lot to offer."

"We don't need what you offer, Sentinel. We believed in you. We trusted you. We won't make that mistake again." Prime leaned back. "You will be able to meet with representation at the new prison. It will be completely confidential."

"So you say," Sentinel said nodding.

"This isn't Cybertron under your rule," Prime said. "We actually follow the laws here."

Sentinel considered Prime. "You will find at some point that you will need me, Optimus. I will be waiting."

"Then wait in the prison," a deep voice said behind Sentinel.

He turned and paused with surprise. "Blackjack," he said in amazement. He looked at Ironhide. "I see your family is reunited. I am assuming that Alor is around somewhere."

"That's Commander Alor to you," Blackjack said darkly.

"I can see I have no allies nor friends in this place," Sentinel said.

"You don't deserve them, Sentinel," Blackjack said. "Last time I saw you they were closing the lid on your sarcophagus."

"There is a reason for everything, 'Jack," Sentinel said.

"That's General Blackjack to you," the ominous bot said.

Prime nodded to Springer who had come up behind Ironhide and Blackjack. "Are you ready for the Senators and Sentinel?"

Springer nodded. "We can take them now."

"Do," Prime said.

Sentinel looked at him and rose to his peds. "Remember my offer. You will need me at some point."

"Never," Prime said.

The room sat in frigid silence as Sentinel turned and walked out under guard. The Senators could be seen following them and soon were gone from sight. Prime sat back and relaxed. "That's good. More room for drunks," he said with a slight grin.

"That's my thoughts exactly," Ironhide said with a grin. "Did I ever tell you about the time Prowl and Ratchet got thrown in the brig for fighting in the rec room?"

Blackjack regarded his son and grinned. "Do tell," he said to general hilarity all around.

-0-Later that afternoon

He walked to the door and opened it taking two boxes from a youngling from the Guild Hall Store. Walking to the table he set them down and opened the lids. Looking inside, he grinned. The costumes for Praxus, Orion and Hero lay inside. "You are a slagger, Ratchet. This is going to be awesome."

He closed the lids again.

=0=TBC

2012 (10)


	72. Chapter 72

The Diego Diaries: Boo 2

-0-Later that afternoon

Ratchet walked into the apartment, a spring in his step. It was dinner time and after that trick-or-treating began. Pausing to look around, he smiled. Tie Down and Ravel were holding Praxus and Hero. Orion was standing in front of them babbling. Sunspot was sitting on Alor's lap while Blackjack sat on a couch nearby talking to Ironhide. The entire room paused and turned to the door. **"HI, ADA!"** every short-statured figure in the room said at the top of their voices.

Ratchet greeted them back.

It was going to be awesome.

-0-Moments later after dinner

Ratchet walked out of the berthroom boxes in servos. Setting them on the table, he looked at the little botlets that were standing around him staring up with big smiles. "Ironhide, help me with Sunspot's costume."

Ironhide grinned and arose walking to the table. He watched as Ratchet opened a big box with Sunspot's name on it. They both stood grinning at the costume and then each other. "That is way cute, Ratchet."

"Put it on him," Alor said pulling a camera from subspace.

Ironhide picked it up and looked at the little Seeker staring up at him with a dazzling smile. "How does this work, Ratchet?"

Ratchet took the costume and looked at Sunspot. "Turn around, son," he said. Sunspot turned and looked up just in time for the cap part of his costume to be placed on his helm. Velcro on the flaps attached together and held it firmly in place. Taking little green gloves out, he slid them on Sunspot's servos. Looking down, he grinned. "Turn and show everyone how beautiful you are, Sunbeam."

Sunspot did and smiled expectantly at the group sitting around the room taking pictures madly. "What do I look like, Ada?" he asked.

Ratchet turned him and walked to the window, both pausing to stare at his reflection. Sunspot was himself but for the **ENORMOUS** yellow daisy that he wore as a hat. It framed his helm, long yellow petals radiating out from his sweet face and they matched his colors perfectly. Green gloves that ended at his elbows were the stem and leaves of the flower.

He looked up at Ratchet and then the window. **"WOW! THIS IS PRETTY! WHAT IS IT!?"**

"Its a daisy. I was going to make it a sunflower but it would have covered too much of your handsome face," Ratchet said. He knelt. "You look spectacular, sparkling."

Sunspot turned and hugged Ratchet, then he turned and beamed at everyone else. **"WHAT DO YOU THINK!? I LOVE IT!"**

The compliments were instantaneous and effusive. Every angle that a botlet could pose was accomplished as grandadas and grandatars admired the little bot. Pictures taken with them were also accomplished.

"What about Orion and Praxus?" he asked looking up at his genitors.

"We are going to need help," Ratchet said pulling the next two boxes out. Pulling off the lids, he grinned. "Did you see these? They're genius."

"They are. You are one sick slagger," Ironhide said.

"I know," Ratchet said pulling out a round orange ball. It had several holes in its design and a jagged maniacal face on the front. Hoops held its shape and were solid enough to take a lot of abuse while holding its shape. "Help me put it on Orion."

Ironhide reached down and set Orion on the table confiscating his dollie. The little bot shot him a caustic optic before being stuffed into the round hoop ball. Legs were pulled out and arms too before he was set back down. He stood looking at his belly and then his genitors. **"ATAR! ORION, ME! HOW ME!?"**

"I don't know," Ironhide asked. "Ask your ada."

Orion looked at Ratchet just as a hat was settled on his little helm. Ratchet held it a moment and grinned. "I glued that hat to his helm. It won't come off until I spray the denaturing solution on it."

"You glued that thing to his helm?" Ironhide asked with surprise.

"With medical glue that's harmless. It's the hat. See? The pumpkin is here and its carved out like a jack-o-lantern. This is the part that they cut off first when they make them. They make them from gourds. This green part," he said touching the stem of the hat, "is the stem. It grows on a vine. He's a jack-o-lantern. See?"

They all looked at Orion who was studying his protruding orange stomach. He tried to touch the hat on his helm but he couldn't grip it. Ratchet's directions in its design to the Crafts Guild were very specific. Ratchet put him on the floor and steered him to the window. He looked at his belly and then caught his reflection. He stood transfixed for a moment, then looked up. Pointing at the window, he shook his helm. **"ADA! ORION, ME?"**

"Yep," Ratchet said smiling.

He stood looked at himself, then walked to the window. When he got near his belly bumped and he fell backwards. Bouncing twice, he then rolled a bit until he was face down hanging in the structure of the pumpkin suit. He frowned. **"ADA! ORION, ME! COME ME! ORION, ME!"**

The laughter in the room was amazing as Ratchet retrieved him. Passing him off the Tie Down, he walked to the next box. "As you can see, we are going traditional but formal this year." He opened the next box and grinned. "Praxus?"

Ironhide grabbed him, placing the little bot on the table. After a moment of grappling, they had him kitted out too. Putting him on the floor, they watched him watch himself. He was Batman. He wore a round ball suit which was black but for the yellow bat displayed on the front. His cap was a bat mask that allowed his little finials to poke out like bat wings. He looked at himself through a Batman mask and blinked. "**ADA!"**

"What, Praxus?" Ratchet asked.

"**PAX?"** He pointed at himself.

"Yep," Ratchet said.

Praxus looked around and turned walking to the adults who were furiously filming him. Pausing in front of Orion, he smiled. **"O!"**

Orion looked around and then smiled. **"PAX!"** A sudden urge to hug his brother overcame him. He walked forward, they bumped bellies and both fell over. They rolled and ended up face down hanging in their suits.

"**ADA! ADA, BAD! ORION, ME! COME ATAR!"**

"**ATAR! COME!"** Praxus said as well.

It was a good thing. Ratchet was laughing too hard to help.

-0- Down on the street

They walked out, the pumpkin and batman bots on leashes as their grandatars carried matching orange jack-o-lantern baskets for their loot. Alor and Ravel strolled next, cameras in servo to capture everything. Ratchet and Ironhide followed behind, Hero lying in Ironhide's arms. Her costume was simple. She was Solus Prime. She wore a body tight that was printed with the black and silver anyone would understand denoted The Maker. Lying across her little tummy was a very small copy of the Forge of Solus Prime, an artifact of enormous antiquity and respect among her people.

She wore the long flowing garment that furled around the beautiful Solus and set her apart from most who eschewed garments altogether. A cap duplicating the Lady's finials completed her outfit. She lay looking at her old pa with a look of contentment that warmed his spark.

"She looks beautiful. Just like the pictures of Solus."

"She does, Ironhide. We have to have at least one infant showing the flag for Cybertron. Look at the others," Ratchet said nodding to the three who were dancing and dawdling along with excitement.

"Those little round costumes are a caution," Ironhide said with a grin. "If they fall, they will bounce."

"Part of the plan," Ratchet said as they paused before their first stop. Sunspot looked back and Ratchet nodded.

Turning, taking the little mechs by the servo, Sunspot stepped up to the smiling mechs outside Day/Night Watch Substation #4. **"TRICK OR TREAT!"** he said with an enormous smile.

The mechs snorted and laughed, some of them kneeling to look at the infants more closely. One of them had a basket of treats. He dropped one in all three pumpkin baskets. Profuse thank yous were given and they moved onward blending into the mass of infants and their families out trick-or-treating for the first time ever.

Nearby on segways, the soldiers, some of the film crews and a number of scientists watching with great amusement and delight.

:I can't believe this is happening: Sheila said with a grin. :An alien species is trick-or-treating here on an alien planet:

:You forget Christmas Surprise: Bobby Epps said with a chuckle. :Ratchet has a long reach:

:No doubt: Jack Mellar said as his crews filmed madly.

The family moved on stopping here and there where the crowds were lighter. When they reached Ops Center, the treats were given out by Jazz and Mirage. As they chatted, the twins and Bluestreak entered carrying the twins who were dressed up as fairies. Their little wings were decorated with lace and sparkling beads, their little helms sporting equally sparkly crowns.

Kaon walked on his own and bore a **TREMENDOUS** resemblance to his grandatar, Optimus Prime. "Where is Prime? Or is he going to be a party pooper?" Ratchet asked.

"They're going to meet us going back. Venture and Miler are with them. Come with us," Bluestreak said.

All of them turned laboriously and headed back out. Trick-or-treating all the way back down the other side of the street, they converged at the intersection that led to the Temple. The three mechs were dressed up as N.E.S.T. soldiers complete with full uniforms of desert design and toy rifles. A shout from nearby drew Silverbow to where they stood.

She paused and looked up at the mass of adults, pumpkin infants and costumed younglings with a slightly shy expression.

"Silverbow, that is an amazing costume," Ratchet said as Hound and Trailbreaker caught up, a smiling Rebel sitting on his ada's arm. That little baby was dressed as a dog. A hound dog.

"I'm a punk princess," she said with a smile.

Everyone present who is an adult: Initiate. Search. Princess, Punk. Noun. Definition. Disengage.

"Wow. That's … uh," Miler said with a grin. "I am amazed, Silverbow." He grinned and caressed her cheek. "Tell me about it, sweetie."

She looked down at the complex costume that had required a lot of research and coordination from the elderly femme at the Guild who had created it for her. She wore actual Doc Martin boots on her peds and they laced halfway up her thin little legs. Her legs were clad in strange fishnet looking stockings with a rip here and there. A short skirt of black material covered her lower half while a t-shirt-like top with "Never Mind the Bullocks. Here come the Sex Pistols" printed on it peeped out of her black leather jacket. A black wig that hung straight to her shoulders was the topper.

It was amazing. And mystifying.

She explained it and waited anxiously for reaction.

"Silverbow, you are amazing. Just amazing. I never heard of punk princesses. Where did you find this costume idea?" Ravel asked with fascination.

She smiled. "I saw it when I was looking at Ada's magazine datapad. He reads 'Rolling Stone' and I saw the pictures. Then I looked in the databases and found more pictures. Ada and Atar were so great. They let me do this and the nice lady at the Guild made this. See?" She opened her jacket wider and spun slowly smiling brightly.

"You're a princess but I don't know that you are punk. You are way too polite a femme," Miler said with a grin.

"My ada and atar said the same thing. I like the costume. I think its really pretty," she said with a smile.

"Put them all together. We need a group shot," Venture said.

After a great deal of hoohah, they collected together and pictures were had.

"Ada? Can we go trick-or-treat some more?" Sunspot asked looking up at Ratchet.

"I think it's necessary," Ratchet said. They turned and began to walk to the towers. Things were only beginning.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)

Data about the Forge of Solus Prime:

The **Forge of Solus Prime, **symbol of office of the master-artificer of the Thirteen. Oddly, it is not actually a forge in the classic sense, but rather a hammer the size of which suggests that Solus Prime and her brothers towered over modern Cybertronians.

The forge operates through the convergence of magic and science. It is believed that it can be used to make anything out of anything, but it has been shown to be limited by the skill and knowledge of the Prime wielding it. The forge was used to craft all other artifacts of the Thirteen and is noted to be one of the few things which could craft the core components of a Cybertronian body from scratch. It is largely inert when not in the hand of a Prime but that doesn't mean it can't pack a _slagging huge_ wallop. The thing is so heavy that only Optimus Prime and Megatron can carry it without any difficulty.

Taken from the entry for her at the tfwiki site.


	73. Chapter 73

NOTE: I find Psy's gangnam style stuff hilarious and upbeat. However, the link I am stretching out here is epic. Imagine the Transformers gangnam style. **VAPORS!** G1 and G2 transformers dancing. **SWOON!** I cannot recommend this highly enough. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

w w w . you tube watch ? V = prv A- & f eature = player _ embedded

(Close up the spaces. Or go to the site and look for the name: nsgmoov

No. You don't have to thank me. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

=0=The Diego Diaries: Boo 3

They wandered onward adding Miracle and Prime into their group. Optimus had been talking to others nearby holding his son in his arms. Ratchet paused to look at the baby and chuckled. "Pays to advertise," he said looking at Prime.

The big bot looked at his baby and grinned. "This is Prowl's touch."

Ratchet looked at Prowl who smirked. "What else but this for his costume?"

Ratchet leaned in and looked closer. A body stocking covered Miracle from his peds to his neck while around his body like a big oversized belt was a replica of the Matrix of Leadership. It actually glowed a soft blue energy. "Where the frag did you get this costume, Prowl? Can I say brilliant?" Miracle smiled at Ratchet and offered him a bite of his cookie. Ratchet pretended to take one and Miracle chuckled. Then he put it back in his mouth to chew.

"The Guild. And Fabrication-Electrical. And the Art Guild," Prowl said with a proud grin.

"Epic," Ratchet said as they walked down the street to the Mall of Metroplex. It was a long chatty wander through the Mall, encounters with friends were had and treats collected. It was getting dark when they came out but the lights of the city were bright.

Pausing at the intersection, they broke into two groups each going their own way. Prime's group was heading back to the Residence and Ironhide's crew were heading for the Temple area. The human Habitat was lit up with the visitors inside watching through the big windows. They paused and traded slag, showing the infants through the windows. Pictures were had as well and would be among those downloaded into the scientists' blogs that night for human perusal.

They would be front page images all over the world by the next day.

Orion and Praxus walked along, a batman and a jack-o-lantern side-by-side. They looked up, down and all around. Occasionally, they bumped into each other and fell necessitating rescue by their grandatars. The amount of individuals and goings-on were overwhelming and soon the pair were walking in circles around each other. Pausing to unwind them, Alor reached down to straighten Praxus's little mask-hood-cap device. "There you go, cutie." He stood up and smiled, the little botlet raising his arms. "I can't carry you, baby. Your belly is too round."

Praxus listened and then walked to Tie Down. Patting him, Tie bent down. Praxus extracted a cookie and turned holding it up to Alor. His grandada melting around the edges with delight took it. Watching them, Orion looked at Tie Down. Smiling, he took a cookie from the container and turned looking at the adults. He walked to Alor and held it up.

"You have some lover boys," Ratchet said grinning. "Monkey bot see, monkey bot do."

They chuckled and turned walking along heading toward the towers beyond. All manner of infant ran about with family in tow. It was a mellow and very happy atmosphere, the first many of them had felt in eons.

-0-On Earth

They drove along the coast road heading for the beautiful City by the Bay. It was evening and by the time they reached the place they were heading for it would be very dark. They came in three trucks, each of them carrying one part of the project so if things went wrong no one would have all of it to explain.

The lights of the city burned before them as they entered and drove to the downtown parking garage where they would gather with the others. When they did, they would walk toward their goal, the one that had been planned for over a period of nearly a year.

The men sitting in the jeep in the parking garage wore masks. They were only known by their organization, not by any other markers. The others from their newly partnered militia wore nondescript clothing and in their casually garbed bodies guns of all manner were strapped within easy reaching.

They stood together talking for a moment, then turned and left the garage one or two at a time. Soon it was silent in the big empty space.

-0-In the city

They walked to the door of Club Cybertron and waited as a waiter passed treats into the pumpkin baskets. Inside, they could hear a lot of laughter and chatter going on as the holiday was being celebrated by all and sundry. The city was alive with movement as those who had the weekend off made their way around.

Tugging on leashes, Blackjack and Tie Down led the infants off again as they made their way to home in the Mare Tranquillitatis. Moving with the crowd going into their tower, they leaned out of the way of the crowd going out as they slowly headed for the elevators. Entering one, they rode up and walked to the apartment trick-or-treating down the hallway as they did.

Reaching their apartment, Sunspot opened the door and hurried in reaching the bowl sitting on the table. Barely able to lift it off, he staggered back to the door again. The adults moved out of his way as he poised himself bowl and all by the door. **"I'LL GET THE TRICK-OR-TREATS!"** he said with a giant smile.

"Good, Sunsbeam," Ratchet said sitting in his chair. "My dogs are tired."

Sunspot laughed and a knock on the door caught his attention. Opening it, the sound of several younglings saying **'TRICK OR TREAT!'** loudly was met with a wide smile.

He bent down and got treats putting them into their receptacles. After a moment of chat, the treaters moved onward and he closed the door. Looking at the family watching him from the chairs and couches with smiles, he grinned. **"THIS WAS SO FUN, ADA! WHEN CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?!"**

"When it comes around on the calendar again," Ratchet said with a smile.

"**CAN I KEEP MY COSTUME?!"** he asked touching the petals gently.

"It's yours forever, Sunspot," Ironhide said. He patted his lap and the youngling ran over leaning against his atar. "I am so happy. There is so much fun here. I've never had any fun before here."

The room became quiet as the grandgenitors looked at each other nervously. "We are so glad you are happy, sparkling," Ravel said gently. "You know you're loved don't you?"

He looked at Ravel and smiled brightly. "I do," he said. "I love my family. I didn't know I had grandgenitors until they told me."

Blackjack snorted and grinned. "You do. Your family will keep you safe, Sunspot. You never have to worry about being loved or having fun again. You do know we get to go to a football game tomorrow."

He smiled brightly. "I know. It's so fun. Did you know Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are football players? They're really good. They are forwards for Kaon."

"So I heard. I can't wait. It's been vorns since I saw a game," Alor said. "You can sit next to me."

"I will," he said with a smile. Then a knock at the door drew him and he opened it. Silverbow was there and she came in hugging everyone. They chatted a while and then she left with her genitors and little hound dog brother, Rebel. He had wandered around getting hugs and kisses from all the grandgenitors.

"I think they can tell a grandgenitor, Alor," Ratchet said with a smile as Rebel sat on his lap grinning.

"I think they do. You can come sit on my lap anytime, sweetie," Alor said hugging the little bot with the long ears and a red nose over his own.

The little group gathered and left, the first of many to come. The family would sit watching Sunspot enjoy himself as the evening wore on.

-0-At the Residence

Prime opened the door and looked in the foyer of the Residence. A mob of infants and their smiling genitors were there. **"TRICK OR TREAT!"**

The sound washed over him and he laughed. Opening the door wider, his little mechs walked out with a bowl and began to give treats to the younglings and sparklings waiting. The crowds would continue for some time.

Inside, Prowl sat rocking the littlest mech who was sleeping. The other sparklings were sitting on the floor playing with toys. They had become calmer and the constant attention of the family and their helpers had been a great balm to their fright. It was a beautiful peaceful evening.

-0-San Francisco, California, USA, Earth

They crept to the places they had been tasked to go placing their part of the device together. The streets beyond were empty as the evening waxed to the darkest and most silent portion of its journey. The alley was dark and two of them watched for anyone unfortunate enough to come around.

They spoke in whispers putting the device together and then they turned to go. Moving away like ghosts, they walked to the edge of the alleyway. No one was on the streets. There were no security recording devices to worry about. So they walked back into the alley itself and one of them began to spray on the wall their painted message. All along the side of the business across the alley of their targeted store, they worked until everything they wanted to say was there.

A tall man turned and nodded to the others. With that, they melted into the night once more. The evening would begin to give way to the dawn when the device went off. The building that it was designed to destroy would go up in flames, shattering windows across the street.

The men responsible would be miles away disappearing back into their lives. Some would go back to their business roles and others would melt back into the military.

-0-At the bosom of love

A knock on the door called Sunspot from his Ada's lap. Running to open it, he paused smiling brilliantly. Then he ran out disappearing. As he did, three little hatchlings ambled in with smiles and little treat buckets in their servos. They were astonishingly beautiful. Pip stood for a moment then ambled over to Ironhide. He smiled as Ironhide settled him on his lap.

"What a beautiful sparkling," Ratchet said. Pip had a feather covered cap that trailed long plumes of emerald green and golden feathers. They were artfully placed to look like a bird of paradise with short feathers around his face and on his helm. Sprays of feathers trailed up and over his helm to make the effect of a plumed tail.

Dart and Flit entered followed by Sky Warp, Thundercracker and Starscream who held Sunspot. Dart's feathers were red, crimson and silver. Flit wore dark blue and light blue feathers the same way. They stood smiling, their little buckets in servo.

"Good evening, Doctor," Starscream said.

"I'm so glad you came, Uncle Starscream. I'll get some treats for the sparklings," Sunspot said. Starscream set him gently on the floor. Sunspot turned and began to fill up the sparkling's buckets, the babies expressing their delight to him.

Orion and Praxus walked over, two rotund little sparklings who were delighted that their best friends were over. Chatter began and the adults grinned listening.

"I'm glad to see you out trick-or-treating," Ratchet said.

"Good of you to give in to a squishy pastime."

Starscream smirked. "For the infants, I assure you."

They chatted a moment, then the hatchlings were herded out. All were heading for the Residence. It was silent a moment, then Blackjack shook his helm. "Starscream," he said with amazement. "Prime is a miracle worker."

"Uncle Starscream is helping me to be a Seeker, GrandAtar," Sunspot said. He stood smiling from the middle of a big yellow daisy. "He and the other Seekers like me. They teach me things and help me." A knock on the door caught his attention and he hurried to answer.

Alor looked at Ratchet. "This sparkling is … he's so sweet."

"His life has been terrible, Alor," Ratchet said softly. "He never had a childhood so he's having it now. It's a common phenomenon among infants who had terrible lives and get a second chance."

Alor nodded. "He's getting Seeker lessons from the trine?"

"And other Seekers. They love him, all of them," Ironhide said. "He's pretty slagging wonderful."

"He is," Alor said nodding.

The door closed and Sunspot turned smiling at them. "I just saw someone from my class."

"That is so nice, Sunspot. You got to do a good deed for a friend," Ironhide said nodding.

He grinned. "I really love Halloween, Ada and Atar. This is fun."

They grinned back. "With you it is," Ironhide said.

A knock on the door drew him happily back and the family sat watching as a pumpkin and a batman 'helped' a daisy while a Maker femmelet sat chewing on her fist.

It was all good.

-0-In San Francisco, California, USA, Earth

They came and worked on the fire. It burned like phosphorus and was hard to handle. When it was finally beaten down, the forensic arson inspector and detectives walked closer to look. As they did, they paused and noticed writing on the wall of the building across the alley from the burned out store.

A detective named Hollis took out his phone camera and aimed it. When he clicked, he turned it to look. The picture conveyed the text.

"**AUTOBOTS, GO HOME! EARTH FOR EARTHERS!"**

"Oh crap," he said quietly to his partner. His partner nodded grimly.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	74. Chapter 74

The Diego Diaries: Boo 4

=0=The next morning

Prowl walked to the Ops Center with Prime, the refugee infants and their own safely in the care of Venture, Miler and two child care experts from the School of Education in the University. The night before had been splendid and both enjoyed it a great deal. They had been heavily trick-or-treated and the joy of genitors and infants had been spark warming. It had been the first time in many of the infant's lives where they had been that open and that filled with pleasure.

"Did you read the overnight dump?" Optimus asked.

"I did. I have alerted the relevant individuals to come," Prowl said nodding.

"Good," Optimus said. "Last night was needed for our people. They had a lot of fun."

"They did. We have that holiday in the calendar now," Prowl said.

Optimus nodded. "Good," he said as they crossed the intersection heading toward the Fortress.

-0-At Quarry 10A

The Pit Boss watched as Copperton labored in a pit digging out the dirt on the side of a metal framework where stone blocks would be lowered into place. Sealing epoxy would then be poured to make them fast together. Ferrel was the boss of the crew which Copperton had worked since Metroplex had been harmed. He came everyday and worked incredibly hard, his attitude always good and his determination an inspiration.

It was perplexing.

Copperton's paint scheme was stellar and very ornate indicating a very high caste mech. He didn't ask for anything. He didn't slack. He did everything he was asked to do to a degree of precision that made Ferrel's optics water. Ferrel had never seen a mech like this who would work at any sort of manual labor let alone this well and with this much dependability. Walking to the edge of the pit, he knelt. "Copperton."

The big mech paused and looked up. "What do you need, Ferrel?"

"That is what I want to talk to you about. Can you come up here?"

Copperton nodded and stuck his shovel into a pile of gravel. Climbing out, he brushed dirt off his arm and turned to his site supervisor. "What can I do for you, Ferrel?"

"I was talking to Jetta and he wants someone who can inspect the constructions against the plans. I was thinking to ask you if you want to have that job?"

Copperton looked at him a moment. "I don't have that much expertise in this sort of thing, Ferrel. I've done different kinds of accounting inspections and the like but not much of anything related to this kind of work."

"Well, I want to give you first refusal. We need someone we can count on and you have been stellar. I wish I had ten more mechs like you," Ferrel said with spark felt intention.

Copperton looked at Ferrel and caught himself. His emotions surged and he felt a mix of things. "I wanted to work here, Ferrel, because I want to give something back to the colony and our people. I wanted to do something that made me work hard, that forced me to dig down inside. I have enjoyed this. I am proud of the opportunity to do something like this, something that actually counts."

Ferrel finding his suspicions confirmed nodded sympathetically. "I understand. You would stay with the construction crews and help them when the inspections are concluded with each stage of construction. They are painstaking and take a while but when they are finished, you can jump back into this," he said nodding to the slowly rising tower. "I appreciate what you bring to the job, Copperton."

The big mech looked at him and nodded. "I want to be able to come back to this," he said nodding at the hole. "I find it helps me more than I can say."

Ferrel nodded. "You can. You aren't going anywhere," he said with a grin. "I already turned down two other bosses who said they wanted to 'borrow' you."

For a moment, Copperton considered that. "Thank you, Ferrel. I am proud to be on your crew."

Ferrel nodded and slapped Copperton's arm. "Come with me and I'll show you what we need today," he said turning and walking toward the 'boss shack' nearby. Copperton followed.

-0-Conference Room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

The military and intelligence officers sat with Prime and Prowl as they waited for the meeting to begin. The room was relaxed and all talk was on Halloween the night before and the game that would begin in the afternoon. Only half the city's population would fit in the stadium so a massive projection of the game was going to be made in the Youngling Arena next door. It would be projected to fill the end zone where its clear and bold imagery would be as if a bot were at the actual game. The sound would be impeccable as well.

First come, first serve.

"We called you in to discuss a couple of problems that are coming up on Earth," Prime said sitting back. "we want this kept between those of us here."

Everyone nodded. Prowl pressed a computer button behind him and the giant monitor at the end of the room burst into life. A fire was burning in a building that was obviously on Earth. Firefighters were working hard to put it out. The sun was barely over the horizon so the light was only slowly growing brighter.

The scene was footage from a television broadcast, then it changed to something more intense. "The rest of the footage we see has been taken by forensics firemen and police officers. This burning building is located in San Francisco in California," Prowl said. "Watch the next few minutes closely."

The camera followed the flames as they began to die down, then it seemed to shoot footage down a long narrow alleyway of some sort. The view was not optimal but it was clear what was before them as the camera began to pan down the wall of a building next to the one burning. Words there were clear to read.

"**Autobots, go home. Earth for Earthers!"**

"Oh great," Ratchet said with a softly vented sigh. "This is all we need."

"The call from Washington is for you to come to Earth and discuss this with the congress. A member of the House of Representatives is from California and he's the sort who has hearings over minute things for personal and political gain. You will be discussing this with General Morshower and the Vice President later today?" Prowl asked Prime.

He nodded. "After the football game," he said with a grin.

"First things first, slaggers," Ironhide said grinning back.

"Any intell about the arsonists?" Wheeljack asked. "The device?"

"No. There were no security devices anywhere," Prowl said.

"Why this building?" Perceptor asked.

"This building was a store that sold memorabilia that included items for Cybertron. There were all manner of products including banners of the Primes and other artworks," Prowl said.

"They're targetin' us then," Jazz said. "This could be a new group or it could be part of the earlier slaggers. Remember the groups that tried to get weapons in Denver and elsewhere? The Family I think one of them was called."

Prime nodded. "We can't rule them out."

"What about the slagger in Sector 7?" Ratchet asked. "Has that loon Seymour Simmons found him yet?"

"He's looking," Prowl said rolling his optics. "He hasn't said much more."

"We need to talk to the humans about this. We need to preserve the relationship," Prime said nodding. "We need Ratchet to go to Earth to any meetings that are needed and necessary. They have to be determined that this is so. I am not prepared to send anyone to slagging matches."

"Frag yeah," Ironhide said. Hero was asleep in his arms. "Old mech doesn't need to be slagged by humans or anyone else."

Prime nodded. "I know," he said. "We will be delving into the Sector 7 business ourselves if Simmons doesn't come up with something soon. Have you spotted any technology that looks suspicious yet on on the market as human derived?" he asked Wheeljack.

"Not yet, Optimus. I'm having Caro do research on all the patent databases for anything that even pretends to look Cybertronian. He started this morning," Prowl said.

Prime nodded. "Alright," he said. He leaned back and considered the new element in the mix. "We will come back to this over the next orn or two. Right now, I need to speak to the Vice President and General Morshower to get a feel of what this is and means. This puts even more emphasis on the series the humans are making as a vehicle to show our true intent. We need to have a good long look at what we allow to be transmitted."

Jazz nodded. "We will."

Prime nodded. "Anything for the good of the order?"

"I put two energon cookies on Polyhex to win today," Ratchet said with a grin. "Gotta use up the left over treats from Halloween somehow."

"Altihex will win," Perceptor said.

Mayhem broke out.

-0-At the home of the trine

"That was hard."

"It was."

"We need different glue next Halloween if we put things on their wings again," Sideswipe said comforting a softly whimpering Iacon in his big arms. A softly weeping Uraya sat on Sunstreaker's arm clinging to his chassis.

"We will," Sunstreaker said kissing his daughter. She looked up at him with her tiny blue optics and her quivering chin. He sent her good energy and turned walking to the rocking chair by the window. Sitting, he cuddled her tucking the soft blanket that Sideswipe tossed to him around her tiny body. Settling her, he rocked gently.

"When does Blue get back?" Sideswipe asked.

"Shortly," Sunstreaker said. "He's helping Ravel and Tie Down get things done so they can be free for the game. He's also reserving space at Cafe Praxus for afterward."

"Good," Sideswipe said swaying gently. Sitting on the ground teething on a brick hard cookie, Kaon watched his sister as she relaxed into her atar's arms. He was content. Their energy was better now that the decorations were off their little bodies. He almost cried with them. Atar was coming again. He always did. There was little else he needed in the whole wide world. He was a little mech that had it all.

-0-At the home of the trine

They stood around Thundercracker looking up at their atar. He had taken their costumes and put them in the box they came in to be stored against the future. Their research into feathered fliers of Earth had paid off. With the help of an artist from the Guild, they had all helped to design the beautiful headpieces their infants had worn.

"**Atar!" **

Thundercracker paused reaching for the cookie jar in a cupboard and looked down. Dart was smiling. "Atar."

"Dart," he said kneeling down. He kissed the baby's cheek. "What a good mech you are."

Dart smiled and looked at his brothers. Flit and Pip smiled and clapped their servos together. **"ATAR!"** they said in unison.

Thundercracker chuckled and carefully scooped all three of them up. Turning, pausing to grin at Starscream, he looked down at their bounty. "Who gets who for the game?"

"Perhaps we can emulate Ironhide and take the sparkling that looks like each of us," Starscream purred.

"You don't think that will be too 'matchy-matchy' do you?" Sky Warp smirked.

"You have been reading Vanity Fair again," Starscream said with a grin.

"Only for the articles," Sky Warp said. "Come on. Let's get good seats."

They distributed the infants and turned walking for the door. They would take the elevator to the bottom floor and join the exodus of Seekers leisurely walking for the stadium. It would take a while but no one cared. Today was going to be epic.

-0-In a Sports Bar in California, ten miles from the Lennox Home

"The game starts in a minute. How about a drinking game?" -Man A

"Sounds good. What's the thing where we drink?" -Man B

"How about every time they say 'frag' or 'slag'?" -Man A

"Do they have defibrillators here?" -Man C

-0-In a pub in Glasgow

"The last time we were here, I ended up face down in the gutter."

"You were pissed."

"I was." Silence. "I wish I had seen the game."

"Me too. It was grand. Stay sober a while."

-0-In a nice house with a nice family

Pastor Bob and Mrs. Pastor Bob took their seats and put the snacks they had brought from the kitchen on the coffee table. The parents were sitting already, pampered by their children who had gathered for the big event. Mama Annie and Papa Leonard were in their chairs of honor while their daughters, daughters-in-law, sons and sons-in-law tended to them.

"Who do you want to win, Mama?" Pastor Bob asked.

"I think I like Altihex. I think their wings are much stronger although you cannot discount the defensive backs of Polyhex."

Every eye in the room stared over and down at Mama Annie in astonishment but for the bemused eyes of Papa Leonard. /... you kids will never learn …/

-0-Trenton, New Jersey

"You got the food out there?"

"I do, Cindy. Bring the beer and cokes. I have the ice in the chest."

Lola said getting things organized in the living room. Their giant screen was ready, the pre-game show already in progress. "Hurry up. Jazz and Blaster are giving background on the teams. Who do you want to win?"

"Altihex."

"I'll take Polyhex then," Cindy said sitting and pressing the control to up the sound. "Their center is way cute."

"Smokescreen," Lola said consulting the ipad that was turned into the website of the Autobots called 'Cybertronian Football Association'. Bios and other information was always made available before games were broadcast along with rules and historical background.

"He is. I like his face. He looks like a kid." Cindy grinned. "I would tap that." She turned the screen to her sister.

"You and me both."

It was silent a moment.

"We need help don't we."

"We do," Cindy said with a grin. "If this is wrong, I don't want to be right."

They laughed uproariously.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	75. Chapter 75

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 1

=0=Game day

The city which was on its third and last day of weekend rose leisurely, those not at work taking their time to go about their business. The morning shows and The Hourly News had information on the game to be played that afternoon. It would be open seating and the interest in going to the municipal arena for the show was intense.

Smokescreen walked to Club Cybertron to breakfast with his teammates. They were a good team, one with great backs and a fast offensive line. They had worked out of town on their game plays and had a lot of confidence. Then again, all of the big mechs who played had a lot of confidence. It came from surviving eons of war and battle.

The place was filled with the younger set as mechs gathered to talk, tell stories and hang out. There was a rumor that the management was going to build another hangout with a fabled history on the other side of Metroplex District. There was a new business plaza arising nearby the first one and Metroplex with a huge central open space with multilevel tiers around it. The business was going to be an exact replica of Maccadam's Old Oil House.

That venerable institution was a neutral ground for whoever could pay for the delectable and vast selection of beverages they supplied. Everyone who was anyone showed up there at some point and many were the famous individuals of both sides who sipped their drinks while glaring at each other from opposite sides of the room.

Blurr who was the last owner of the original in Iacon was working with Club Cybertron's management team to bring it online. He had bought The original with proceeds from his racing career. Having been the only undefeated racing athlete in the history of the sport, he had made a great deal of shanix. Investing them into the bar when it came onto the market was a dream come true. It was time to bring it back and he had a space request for a corner of the giant business park where the bar would have amazing views and lots of space for a bar that wrapped around a corner.

Blurr was sitting in the bar at a table with Jolt, Hot Rod, Lon and Topspin. Walking in, Smokescreen pulled a chair and sat. Ordering breakfast, he grinned. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much. Book has Altihex ahead by a point," Jolt said with a grin.

"Really," Smokescreen said with a grin. "We're going to win this game today. Count on it."

"You better. I put large down on Altihex," Topspin said.

"We'll do our best," Smokescreen said with a smirk. "I'm not responsible for your bets."

"Win, slagger," Topspin said with a grin.

The conversation whirled around them as more of the team showed up. They pushed tables together and spent the next few joors shooting the breeze.

-0-The trine

Bluestreak walked into the apartment pausing as he did. Sunstreaker was rocking a femme in the corner by the front windows. Sideswipe was lying on a couch with Uraya sleeping on his chassis, a blanket covering her tiny form.

Kaon was sitting in front of a chair which braced him. His helm was nodding as he struggled to stay awake, his cookie still gripped in his servo. His helm bobbed, then he would sit up looking around. For a moment he was alert and then it began again.

Bluestreak watched him, then looked at Sunstreaker. "Poor little mech. He's going down for the count."

"He is," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "You might want to take him on."

Bluestreak nodded as he picked up the tiny winger. He blinked and then snuggled into Bluestreak's shoulder. Moving to sit in a chair, Bluestreak settled. "This is nice."

Sunstreaker nodded. "How are the grandgenitors?"

"Fine. I helped them box some finished orders. Their box cases are as beautiful as their tools. What a nice pair of mechs. Ravel is still trying to believe things are this nice and Tie Down is so sweet. The sparklings have such nice mechs to grow up with."

Sunstreaker nodded. "They are. They had a hard life on Cybertron. Makes you wonder about the rest."

Bluestreak nodded. "What do you want to do about the sparklings? Do we take them to the game too?"

"I think so. Maybe we can use that carry basket Sideswipe got at The Infant Center. It will fit the girls and Ratchet can tune down their audials if we can get them to recharge before we go."

"You don't want to drop them at daycare?" Bluestreak asked as he put Kaon's cookie down on the coffee table.

"No. I want him to see things, do things, be together with us as a family," Sunstreaker said. "I want us to keep them with us when we can. They are in supervision enough of their orns."

Bluestreak nodded hearing in Sunstreaker the unspoken truth of the life he and Sideswipe had led. The Youth Center was a last ditch for orphans and it wasn't always a happy place to end up. "Alright," he answered cheerfully. "We can make it soft and put dollies into it."

"I got some things from Earth for a couple of new families. There's some new things for the girls. They're laying on their dressers."

Bluestreak nodded with a grin. Sunstreaker was always on the prowl for some new wonderful thing for the sparklings and often took things to new genitors. No one knew. He preferred it that way. But it was something in his makeup that had to be assuaged. "What do they have that's new?"

"I found some stuff with some of us on it. There are new blankets for all three of them with Optimus and Bumblebee on them. I also found matching pairs of booties and little hats that I found that will allow their finials to come through. I asked Sam to find a company that wanted to make knitted hats with holes for finials. I gave him their measurements. I think they will be cute and it will keep them warm too."

Bluestreak smiled. "I know they will be cute. You are a good ada, Sunstreaker. Our sparklings are always shiny and have things that they need."

"They always will, Babe. Count on it," Sunstreaker said firmly. Uraya shifted in her recharge and he peered under the blanket that covered her. She settled and he covered her again. "We need a better glue for their decorations. Or maybe I need to paint things rather than apply them."

"Ratchet used medical glue to put the hats on the sparklings. Maybe you can get some of that next time," Blue said. Sunstreaker nodded.

Sideswipe shifted and glanced toward the door. "Blue."

"You're recharging, lazy bones," Bluestreak said.

He glanced at Iacon who was recharging on his chassis. "It feels good. I'm glad we aren't playing today. I think I'd rather watch."

Blue nodded. "You can help me with the younglings."

He nodded. "How's the grandgenitors?"

"Awesome," Bluestreak replied.

"They are," Sideswipe said settling again.

-0-On the way home

They had put their orders together and they would be delivered the next orn by courier. The city maintained a courier service that resembled an on call postal service that was part of the duty of the Home Guard. It got things done and the militia learned the city up, down and sideways. Businesses or civilians merely signaled on the Community Bulletin Board at the link 'postal and delivery' when they needed something delivered and a youngling would appear to do the deed. Ten kits would be delivered to deliriously happy and utterly amazed clients the orn after this, the last orn of weekend.

"This is so exciting, Tie. We get to go to football games. I can't believe it," Ravel said walking beside Tie Down, his servo in his bond's.

"I know," Tie Down said squeezing Ravel's servo. "We will be dining with the family at Cafe Praxus afterward. Apparently, it is a tradition among them. This is going to be a wonderful orn."

"I agree," Ravel said as they turned up the main highway and headed for the tower. They would be sitting in Ratchet and Ironhide's home in jig time.

-0-At the Municipal Arena

They began to file in and find places to sit. At the center line four rows up, the place for Prime was waiting with his banner flying on the flagpoles around the arena. Normally, the city flew the banner of the Primes and the national flag of Cybertron on government buildings every orn. Some civilians and others posted the flag off their balconies or on their own flagpoles. Others hung them in windows. It had been generations since they could and many did because of their rising sense of pride and happiness at their newly resurrecting sense of identity.

The Autobrand flag and banners flew and hung everywhere. They were painted on the floors of the school and public building foyers. They were part of the decoration of buildings and the tattoos were everywhere on bots and femmes.

They snapped in the breeze as mechs and families poured inside. The humans, all of them going and gathering sped among the towering giants rode up the ramps, They would take them to the midfield line where all would watch from their protected platform four levels below the Prime and his party.

It was going to be fragging awesome.

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth-like

They gathered at the foot of the ramp leading to the shuttle that was heading for Autobot City. Wearing their gear, their face masks in hand, the femmes, Colonel Fulton and Sam Witwicky waited to board. As the last box was loaded they hurried aboard. The ramp slid up, the hatch closed and almost immediately the shuttle rose flying off to the football game that would be starting in a joor on an orange planet far away.

Or forty-five minutes by shuttle.

-0-At the field

Luminus sat and as he did, Leader-1 did too. In front of them on the next lower level, Mudflap and Skids sat. Looking back at the two, they both grinned. "I wonder if we can play too?"

"Not this time, boys," Leader1 said. "The teams have been allotted. Watch the game and see if you want to. These slaggers are big."

Skids nodded. "I think so. They could crush us. It would be like fighting Devastator all by ourselves."

"We did," Mudflap said shaking his helm.

"We did," Skids said with a smile as he stared at his brother. Luminous and Leader-1 just grinned.

-0-At the Residence

They gathered, their faces shined and their affect filled with excitement. They were heading out to the game. The broadcast would be held on Channel 1 of IntraComm so the sitters wouldn't miss much. After much discussion, Miracle and the tiniest mech were coming along. Sideswipe said there would be room for him in the carry basket that he had picked up at The Infant Center.

Walking out, they ambled to the elevators and rode down missing Ironhide and Company by minutes. They joined the crowd as they made their way to the stadium. When they got there they would find that Venture and Miler had arrived first. He would help his family into place and then go back to the gate to greet individuals, many of which he hadn't met when they came in the last wave of refugees. He would enter when everyone was already there and his anthem and that of Cybertron would be played.

Both of them were written by Alor of Iacon.

-0-In the bosom of love

They parceled out the infants. Orion sat on Tie Down's arm grinning and looking smart in his harness. Praxus was sitting on Blackjack's arm looking handsome as well. Hero was with Ravel and Alor had Sunspot. Ratchet looked at Ironhide who stood smiling at the little group. "We don't appear to have sparklings, Ironhide. Better empty our pockets. I was sure we had a couple."

Sunspot laughed. "You're so funny," he said with a giant smile.

Everyone grinned and turned walking to the door and beyond. By the time they reached the street, they were in a flow of mechs that was being broadcast to Earth. It was an astonishing array of types, sizes and styles of bot. The colors were beautiful, the wings and helms, embellishments and tattoos were remarkable. Works of art, really.

They entered the rapidly filling stadium pausing by Prime who was surrounded by grateful refugees and friends. Nodding with grins, they continued upward and took their places in the Prime's area. Glancing down at the human platform, they smiled and traded slag. It only got better when the segways of the femmes, Colonel Fulton and Sam Witwicky arrived.

-0-In the box

They sat together, Revet and 'Vette in the stadium with his family. Jazz announcing and Blaster giving the 'color' commentary in the field broadcast box, they had been live to this world and Earth for some time.

"The stadium is filling up nicely," Jazz said grinning, his handsome visage displayed all over the universe on screens everywhere. Mirage himself sitting on a counter behind them was also on the screen.

"The Youth Stadium is beginning to fill as well. We have over 400,000 citizens in the city and most of them it seems have decided to come to the game," Blaster said with a chuckle.

"I agree," Jazz said. They chatted a while, then the sound of a siren was heard. "They are goin' to play the theme of the Primes and the anthem of Cybertron. Everyone stands and most sing along. Let's cut to the field."

As they did, a single figure walked out to a keyboard that was set up in the middle line of the pitch. Alor of Iacon sat before it and a cheer almost living rose up from the two stadiums. Alor grinned and waited. Then he began to play. He played an extraordinary theme, one which rose up and weaved around everyone including his son who watched with misty optics.

It was a new song he had written, one to commemorate the refugees, the city, their rebirth and hope. When it died away with the last chords, things were very quiet. Then he began to play the Anthem of the Primes followed by the Anthem of Cybertron. As he did Optimus Prime walked into the stadium. Everyone arose and began to sing, the words of their culture, their Prime, their planet rising up once again into the sky.

The camera didn't see him and if you didn't know, you would not understand that the love that came from the crowd was going to the big shining figure of their Prime. He reached his box and stood, taking Miracle into his arms. The singing rose higher and then silenced. Alor sat a moment, then rose walking to the stadium door, the sideline crew gathering his keyboard and taking it off. Before he reached the gate the entire stadium and the one next to it was on their peds howling to the sky.

Their delight, their pride, their happiness was not to be denied.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	76. Chapter 76

NOTE: Sorry it took a moment to post. I am running late. :D

=0=Now, back to the lunacy. **WHO! WHO LET THE DOGS OUT!**

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 2

-0-On the field

The officials stood together chatting as the stadium waited for the arrival of the teams. All around the arena mechs with and without families, with and without friends sat waiting, songs circulating the space, the flutter and flash of team colors and banners adding to the atmosphere of joy and harmony.

The humans stood on their platform chatting together watching the crowd and for some of them, filming everything that lived and moved. :I'm glad you got here: Epps said to Aisha and Clarice.

The two women nodded. :We tried to get here for Halloween. I can't wait to see the show. By the way, what is it going to be called?:

:Platoon. They asked for one and they're building the stories around them. Springer is second-in-command, Kup commands because he's just a tough old codger and they like him and the others are the 'platoon':

:Sounds awesome. I can't wait to see it: Clarice said nodding. As she did a cheer went up around them as a team began to file into the stadium.

A line of big mechs followed one carrying their team banner on a pole. They wore the red and white colors of Altihex and the belts around their waists showed that. They were shined within an inch of their life and walked with intense pride.

:I see Smokescreen!: Jessie said leaning forward to see better.

:He's a forward: Lennox said checking his iphone and the web page, 'Cybertronian Football Association' with its gold mine of information.

:This is going to be awesome: she said bouncing up and down on her feet. **:GO, SMOKEY!:**

They lined up in the center of the stadium and bowed toward the box of the Prime. As they did Polyhex came in to enormous acclaim. They followed their flag bearer wearing the green and white of their team. They lined up and bowed, waiting for the officials to call the game onward.

The refs talked to the team captains and both sides turned heading toward their side of the field. The captains made the choice of kick off or receive. Altihex would receive. The crowd roared. The teams lined up. The humans held their breath. Ironhide held his daughter. All was good.

The ball arced up and the center caught it passing it backward to a running back. Turning and slamming the opposing center in the next millennium, he headed forward like a souped up triceratops spearing and tossing everything in his path.

Clearing the way, the running back ran forward, the ball tucked into his chest, his servo gripping the handle like it was the key to his mother's chastity belt. He made it quite a way down the field before half of Polyhex jumped on his helm and they crashed to the ground. The big center turned back and began to grip mechs tossing them over his shoulders one by one.

The crowd was insane. The humans were beating on one another. Alor had Hero. Ironhide had a distinct impression that his servos were empty and the stadium was **ROCKING!**

The teams finally caught up and all jumped on the pile as the stadium exploded in a stomping clanging mob of noise. The scrum beat and clawed on each other and then the whistle blew. Everyone crawled off and limped to their side of the point of collision.

An Altihex wing walked out of the line and caught the ball from the referee. Altihex moved into position and Polyhex began to build towers. They jumped up and down off each other trying to block any easy shot the wing might make. That worthy groundered it and the left wing stunting behind a tower caught it. The tower leaned over and fell, missing the swift mech by inches. He turned and ran like the wind toward the open goal. The goalie set himself, his wings tense and his lean body ready to go.

"Look at that fragger go!" Blaster said from the broadcast booth. "What a train wreck."

"I agree. I think he's got a great shot but the goalie is a really good blocker. I would be surprised if he makes it."

He didn't.

Jazz wasn't surprised.

Three men in a bar in California took a shot of the good stuff at the first mention of fragger.

-0-In a nice house with a nice family.

"Grandma?"

"What, angel?"

"What does fragger mean?"

"Ask your grandpa, angel." (grin)

"Here, Janelle. Have a cookie." -A nervous Mrs. Pastor Bob.

-0-At the scene of the crime

The officials looked at the mech lying on the ground in a condition of bentness. "What do you think, Mem?"

"I think we better have Gold Wing and a broom," Mem said nodding.

The game waited for the stretcher and dust bin to collect the wing. The arena stood and gave his pieces parts a standing ovation.

"That left a mark," Blaster said in the control booth.

"They have a lot of scotch tape in sick bay," Jazz said with a wicked grin.

-0-New Jersey

"I think I'm in love with Jazz."

"You and I think alike. What about that mech sitting behind him. He's always in the shot every game."

"I think he might be a frag buddy of Jazz," Lola said taking a sip of her Guinness. "He's cute too."

"They all are. I think I need serious help," Cindy said. "By the way, we get to intern at NASA this next semester."

Pause. Severe optics shot at twin sister. **"YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME THIS BEFORE NOW?"**

"I forgot."

"Oh. Okay. Pass me the snacks."

"Here you go."

The two sat and watched.

-0-NASA

They sat watching their usual screens but their attention was mostly on the big one overhead that played the game. There were dozens of screens tuned into Cybertronian programs every day. The scientists parsed everything down to its split infinitives draining from the broadcasts every possible drop of information they could glean.

Cybertronian broadcasting knowing that made sure that nothing of too big of an import made it out to the greater solar system. Jim 'Bubba' Richards sat watching the broadcast in his little office. His interns were doing the greater part of his job for their schooling and so he had the time. In the next semester, he would have twins from New Jersey who were beautiful, smart, fond of fanfiction and frivolity and ready to move up in their quest to someday 'marry a Cybertronian'. The one named Lola had said that with smile and it had locked them both in. The humor, the smile, the blue eyes had sealed the deal.

The toss was made and Polyhex was on. He gave his full attention to the game.

-0-In the stands

Ratchet stood watching as did most of their side of the stadium. Wearing the colors of Iacon United he gave the raspberry and slag to both teams. Ironhide stood beside him grinning, watching as the big mechs slammed into each other as they went back and forth on the pitch. No one was scoring. No one was winning. By the time the first pause came, the score was 0-0 and the body count was one for Altihex and none for Polyhex.

Ratchet watched as the Altihex wing was carted off, scanning that poor spark long distance. Nothing was done that couldn't be made right so he stayed where he was. Gold Wing was taking care of sports medicine and he was glad. There was nothing worse than gluing a slagger back together when a slagging good game was going.

He grinned and began to yell with the rest of them, adding his tribal voice to the mix. **"IACON FOREVER! SLAG PRAXUS SCIENCE!"**

-0-Prowl

The comely winger stood listening to Ratchet howl and grinned. The tiny mech was sleeping soundly in his carry hold surrounded by soft blankets and heat sent directly to that spot. Optimus stood next to him holding a recharging Miracle. The little mech had drifted off when Ratchet dialed down his audials. He was comfortable in his atar's arms, the loving attention of the Matrix soothing. Rambler and Sunspot stood on the seats talking together pointing out this and that as the other two sat in their grandgenitor's arms watching intently.

"**SLAG IACON! PRAXUS SCIENCE FOREVER!"** Prowl belted out. He grinned and looked at Ratchet who paused to look at his BFF with a smirk. "Loser."

"Slagger."

"**WHINER!"**

"**SUCK UP!"**

Ironhide rolled his optics. "You're both slaggers," he said as the game resumed again.

-0-In the huddle

"Well, we're down our fastest player."

"We all need to be faster."

"Any suggestions?"

Pause.

"I think I know what to do. Let's all run with a fist outward and when anyone tries to stop us, we slam them into orbit."

Pause.

"Any suggestions?"

-0-In the other huddle

"One slagger down, a bunch more to go."

"You're going to get us penalties. That was a miracle. We don't get more than one per game."

"How do you know?"

"I used to cheat."

"Then what? We cheat?"

"No. We pray for miracles. **HUT!**"

"**HUT!"**

The two teams came together, the ball being launched into the air. Two centers jumped and cleared nearly 20 feet before slamming their servos onto the ball. They came down and the two lines slammed together. The centers and the ball disappeared into the writhing roiling pile. Imagine a pile of Buicks falling off the Empire State Building at the same time.

Like that.

-0-Nearby

:Damn. That had to hurt: -Cameraman Zeb

:I hope flying debris doesn't take us out: -Aaron Belcher being a big whoosie.

:Whoosie. Suck it up. It's like ants falling off a tree. They fall but it doesn't hurt. They get back up and walk onward: -Jack Mellar

-0-On the field

The whistle blew and everyone got up limping away. If they had been ants falling off of trees, they would be dead. Huddling, they commisserated.

"Frag, that hurt."

"Your slagging elbow nearly put out my optic."

"Your slagging optic nearly broke my elbow."

Two big bots began shoving each other for a moment. Then they settled down again.

"Slaggers. Don't get us a penalty. It's still 0-0 and my ada has laid a **HUGE** bet on our sorry afts. If you lose this by being stupid, I will hose ya."

"You and what two tank battalions?"

Two big mechs began shoving each other for a moment. Then they settled down again.

"How the frag did I get on this team?"

"Slagging luck I think.** HUT!"**

The teams returned to the scrimmage line.

-0-In the broadcast booth

"Those slaggers need to bring that sense of fight to the game and not beat each other's aft in the huddle," Jazz said with a chuckle.

"They do like to spar, the dummies," Blaster said looking at a secondary camera feed of his Revet and the fam. Glancing up, he grinned. "I think if you're going to lay a bet it should be on which team gets the most stupid penalties."

"Good point," Jazz replied with a chuckle.

-0-On the field

They slammed into each other and the backs ran forward covering the right wing as he tried to 'thread the needle'. Turning, weaving, he was stopped by a brick wall of mechs who taught him the error of his ways. He lay flat, the ball clenched in his servo like a donut in the grip of a fat kid. Birdies sang in his processor as he lay looking at the sky.

Gold Wing ran out and signaled that his aft was over. They swept him up carting him off to triage. The score was now 1-1.

Each team had a busted ass player. That was all they had. It would be one long hard fought defensive game.

-0-Scotland

"That left a dent."

"I had worse."

"When? Where? Who? How?"

"What?"

-0-Nice house, nice family

"That left a dent."

"I am sure that nice winged doctor will make it all better."

"I don't know if I can watch this all the way through, Mama. I don't think it's a good thing for the kids." -Mrs Pastor Bob.

"I love it. Its like demolition derby." -Bob Junior

"How do you know about demolition derby?" -a scandalized Mrs. Pastor Bob.

"Grandma and I watch it." -Bob Junior

"What?" -a scandalized Mrs. Pastor Bob.

"It's on the sports channel right after the roller derby. I like roller derby." -Little Mama, smiling.

Serious grin. -Little Papa.

-0-Bar in California

"How many times did that satanic little bot say slagger?" -Man A

"I don't know. I need a new beer." -Man C

"Seven times. He said it seven times. Maybe eight." -Man B

"You're making it up." -indignant Man A

"You're right. I'm making it up. It's nine." -Man B knocking back his Harvey Wallbanger. "Bartender? Another one of these. Whatever it is."

"That's a shit drink. Put a wick in it and you can light your house." -Man C

"Do we drink when someone says shit?" -Man B

"Fuck yes." -Man A

They all took a shot together.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	77. Chapter 77

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 3

-0-On the field

They stood staring at each other, big mechs on each side getting ready to slag it out. The refs were discussing some point of something or other and the game was halted a moment. They stood in groups staring at their counterparts, comrades in battle and work most of the time. Now they were the enemy and there would be no holds barred.

Especially in the bottom of the scrum pile.

"That center is going to get my ped up his aft."

"That center is your shift buddy."

"I don't care. He's asking for it. Look at his shifty optics."

"He's your brother."

"I don't care."

"**PLAY BALL!"**

The lines came back together and the toss was made, the ref jumping back as the centers rose into the air, their digits clawing for the ball. They bumped it and it bounced off their servos falling toward the sideline and the wings who were waiting there. As one, they turned and ran for it, all of them jumping on the wing who grabbed it before it went out of bounds. The wing managed to toss it backward before getting accordianed by the scrum.

It flew up, every optic in two stadiums watching as it glistened in the afternoon sunlight. Up, up, up it went. Down, down, down it came. A back caught it and lit his afterburners.

Metaphorically.

Seekers could do that. But he was a grounder and so it was … ***cough* … **he ran like a sumbitch.

They followed.

All of them.

The crowd went mad rising and yelling at the top of their vocal capacitors. It rose up into the ether and slipped out into the greater universe.

… several zillion miles away (Cybertron)

Soundwave paused a moment considering a faint scream that he heard wafting through his residence. It sounded like the sounds he had often heard at football games. He shook his helm and shrugged. /... nah …/

… about a hundred million miles away and change (Earth)

"Are you going to put that ipad down and pay attention?"

Cindy Teasdale looked up and grinned. "I got inspired for a fic. I thought it might be nice to get Soundwave's take on the game."

"You're certifiable. Look at that mech run," Lola said as they both turned back to the game.

… about a hundred million miles away and change (Mars)

He ran like a sumbitch.

They chased him, both teams. Smokescreen, himself a piece of work elbowed a back and watched with his peripheral vision that formidable bot spiral out of control into the sidelines. He kept running.

Right into the backside of a big mech.

A very big mech.

The cameras would slow-mo that scene over and over to the zillions of optics and eyeballs that watched from here, there and far away. The size of the mechs before Smokescreen, the force exerted on the back of the mechs as Smokescreen who was the same size ran full force into them, the mechs slammed flying upward off their peds from the impact, Smokey's nose structure flattening out from impact … like that.

He was on top of the world and then the world was on top of him. Smokescreen bounced off the brick wall of obliviously running bots and flew backward slamming into the mech who was running behind him. Bouncing forward off that mech who then cartwheeled off in his own direction, the youngling Autobot staggered and fell face down.

The dance went on without him.

-0-In a nice house

"That was amazing." -Mama Annie

"That was horrendous." -scandalized Mrs. Pastor Bob

"That was** AWESOME**!" -Bob Junior

"Junior, I don't want you glorifying violence. You know that violence is not the answer." -scandalized and hectoring Mrs. Pastor Bob

"It can be fun. I like roller derby. Did I tell you that, Lavinia?" -Mama Annie to Mrs. Pastor Bob

Grins met that admission. Even Mr. Pastor Bob smiled. Behind his wife's back of course.

-0-Trenton, New Jersey

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know. The future husband is down."

"I know," Lola said shaking her head as she fanned her sister. "He really took it hard. They're scooping him up right now."

Cindy sat up and watched with tears in her eyes. "I like him a lot. He's smexy and fast."

Lola nodded. "He's resilient. He reminds me of that old Ford I had back in high school. Could take a lickin' and keep on tickin'."

"That's a watch," Cindy said sitting up straighter.

"You're right," Lola said grinning. "When they pound out his nose, he's going to be a babe again."

"No doubt," Cindy said with a grin. "Hand me the dip."

They settled in to watch once more.

-0-In a bar in California

"That's about what. Shix time he said frag?" -Man A

"Sheven. Hic. Could be more. Could be less." -Man C

"That's what I like about you, Hubert. You're so fragging decisive." -Man B

"Drink! I heard frag!" -Man A

They did.

-0-In the stands

"I think Smokey's going to need a new face." Sunstreaker grinned. "I used to frag him. We were berth buddies in the orn."

A sharp slap resounded on his helm. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker turned and met the grueling optics of the bond. Bluestreak gave them the stink optic and they both grinned down at him. "Of course, he couldn't hold a candle to you, Babe."

Bluestreak looked at them, his arms folded over his chassis. "Keep talking. Keep digging."

Sunstreaker smirked. "Jealous. You look cute when you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous. What makes you think I didn't frag him myself?" Bluestreak asked with a grin.

Even Sunstreaker blinked to that one.

-0-Prowl

He stood beside Ratchet as the big mech scanned from afar. "Smokey is going to need a rebuild. Won't take long. The plastic surgeon can give him what he needs."

"A slagging?" Prowl asked with a smirk.

"That too," Ratchet said laughing.

The whistle blew and the ball was tossed in. The teams clashed and the ball was run. It made it to a goal and was intercepted. The goalie punted it long and the opposing team got it. Back and forth it went, up and down the field. Bots were bopped. Bots spiraled here and there. Then it happened.

Running like a gazelle with a roman candle up its aft, a big back from Altihex headed for the goal. The team ran interference and the goalie was blocked. The ball went up and hit the rim. It rolled and rolled, the arena becoming as silent as a tomb.

-In the booth

"What the frag? Look at that," Blaster said.

-In California

"**FRAG!" **

**GLUG!**

-Trenton, New Jersey

"Look at that."

"I'm looking."

-On the field

It spun and spun. Before the goalie could reach the hoop the ball fell through.

The place erupted.

A huge back did the happy dance.

Polyhex sat shiva.

Altihex blew raspberries.

It was all good.

They walked and limped back to their end of the field and regrouped.

Altihex: "That was awesome. One for the books."

"I did good." -back, preening

"I say so. What will your ada say?"

Glances into stands. Sees ada doing windmills of ecstasy in the stands. Grins. "My old ada would take it in stride. He's nothing if not dignified."

Teammate looking into the stands and seeing hysterical ada of huge back grinned. "That's right. He's not dignified." A pushing match contended and then it ended. Everyone chest bumped, slapped each others aft, spit on the ground and walked to the line to do it all over again.

Hopefully.

-At the other end of things

Polyhex: "This is slag. Its one to zero."

"Well, you can't play football for slag but you can count to one. Good on you."

A pushing match broke out and then ended as swiftly. They glowered at each other and then huddled.

"What the slag do we do now?"

"We ram their tailpipes up their tailpipes."

Pause.

"What else?"

"We kick their afts and take names."

"We know who they are already."

"It's an expression."

"Of what?"

"Uh, how the ***slag* **would I know?"

"You said it."

"I know. I was just offering a … a suggestion or something."

***cough***

All optics turn to the team captain.

"If you **LADIES** are through, can we get this organized."

There was a pushing match but it ended swiftly. Then they broke … **HUT! YOU SLAGGERS!** … then they lined up for the toss. It went way up. The centers did too. They came down together clutching the same ball. They fell over. The teams jumped on them. The scrum began.

"Get off my slagging face!"

"Your ped is mine!"** CHOMP!**

"**OOOWWWW! YOU SLAGGER!" PUNCH!**

Grimaces were had. Groping was commenced. The ball was passed out of the heap and a Polyhex mech grabbed it. He was halfway to the goal before the scrum knew the ball was gone. They arose as one, pivoted like debutantes and ran like the wind.

It was as if time slowed down. They seemed to bound along, some rising and the others falling as they ran for the goal and the mech with the ball. The goalie set himself, his arms outspread, his servos ready. The mech with the ball was running straight at him, his optics bleeding white and his thundering peds tearing up the distance to goal.

Behind him, running in a big bewildering mass the entirety of two teams were aiming straight for him too. This was his moment. His ada, atar, bond, their three younglings, a number of friends from the old neighborhood, his shooting buddy on the range, the mech he owed a favor toward, mechs who owed him, his detailer and the guy who made his favorite cookies were there watching.

And screaming.

And beating each other.

The colors of Polyhex faded into the moment as he jumped with the goalie heading his way. They rose together, the ball going up along with both servos of both mechs. They stretched up as high as they could... then they slammed together like two freight trains falling straight down as they did.

The ball on the other hand drilled the hoop.

The place went nuts. The teams stood around their teammates. The two were lying on their backs, their bells soundly rung.

Ratchet scanned them long distance.

Gold Wing ordered more stretchers.

Prime exchanged grins with Ironhide.

Prowl shook his helm.

His genitors howled with blood lust.

Ravel and Tie Down laughed and shook their helms. Iacon would never make such a train wreck. Praxus Science on the other servo …

They called a time out to sweep up the field and then the game began once more. It was tied 1-1. And that didn't include the body count.

TBC

2012 (11)

Short one tonight. Had to vote and clean the house for tomorrow. Work. It never ends. :D


	78. Chapter 78

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 4

-0-On the field

He came back in and no one could tell that his face had been flattened by a brick wall of aft. The mechs he had run into were relatively unscathed. He however had to have his face plates removed and reshaped. When the surgeon had finished reattaching them, Smokescreen had jumped down to walk to the door.

"Where are you going, youngling?" the older mech had said with surprise.

"A football game," Smokey had said.

"Well, just sit quietly and watch," the mech said returning to his tray of tools.

"Yeah. Right," Smokescreen had said as he disappeared out the door.

Running onto the field with a nod to Gold Wing, he lined up with the forwards. Gold Wing called a time out and walked to the line looking down at the feisty bot who stared up at him defiantly. "Nice nose."

"Thanks. It's new. Can we go now?" Smokey asked defiantly.

"That's the problem. You had your face mashed. What are you doing here?"

"The doc passed on me. He said I could come here and play," Smokescreen said half lying, half telling the truth.

"Do I page him to find out?" Gold Wing asked leaning into Smokescreen's new old face.

"We have to play. Do you want 210,000 bots sitting here to be mad at you?" the youngster asked.

"There's another 200,000 in the next stadium over," the center said helpfully. "We need to move. Slagging Polyhex is resting up."

Gold Wing stood quietly as he accessed Ratchet. After a moment of commiseration the big Seeker reluctantly passed on the Autobot. "First sign of trouble you are ejected. Got that?"

"Got it," Smokey said nodding.

Gold Wing walked to the sidelines.

Smokescreen walked to the line.

The ball was tossed. The centers grappled over it like two old ladies over a half price handbag at a Macy's sale. They landed on their peds and the push-pull began. Back and forth they struggled, the lines waiting for their opportunity to catch whatever squirted out.

-0-In the stands

"Look at those afts. What do they think this is? A cotillion?"

"**WALTZING MATILDA! WALTZING MATILDA! WHO'LL GO A-WALTZiNG MATILDA WITH ME? HEY! MATILDA! GET THE LEAD OUT!"**

"Ada? Why are they dancing?" -sweet faced little femmeling youngling.

"Because when two bots love each other ..."

"**GET THE SLAGGING LEAD OUT, YOU SLAGGERS!"**

"Uh, ada … little audials."

"Oh, sorry, Ratchet."

"No problem." -ginormous grin

-0-In the control booth

"I didn't know that Colie was so light on his peds," Jazz said with a grin.

"I was thinking its about time for the lines to step up and end this snuggle fest," Blaster said.

Mirage chuckled. "Those slaggers. They better get going. Some of us are here for football."

-0-California

"He said 'slag'. Do we drink to that? I can't remember." Man B

"He said 'better'. I drank to that. 'Football' too." -Man C

"Where's Hubert?" -Man B

"He's taking a pee." -Man C

Cut to outside: "Ahhhh." -Man A aka Hubert relieving himself in the front seat of someone's Porsche convertible.

-0-On the field

Smokey jumped high and landed on the pair crashing them to the ground. Both sides joined him and the scrum was on. The ball popped out and wobbled away. Upside down, someone's helm clamped between his rather shapely thighs, Smokescreen saw it go. Flipping away, landing on his peds, he spun and ran for it. So did about ten other guys.

-0-Trenton, New Jersey

"**GO, BABY! WHO LOVES YA!?"**

"I love him too, Cindy. He's so cute."

"He's mine, Lola. You can have someone else. Maybe he has a twin brother," Cindy said with a wink.

"Trines work for me," Lola said with a grin.

"You read my mind," Cindy said with a chuckle. They both turned back to the screen. **"GO, BABY! RUN!"** they both said in unison.

-0-On the field

He scooped the ball up and turned madly running for Polyhex's goal. He could feel the bad karma catching up with him from behind. He passed the ball backwards to another player to get them off his aft, then pivoted in the set play to pass in front of the goal. The player who had the ball passed it to him before disappeared under a pile of fists, fury and unfortunate timing.

Smokescreen grabbed it and turned setting up the shot.

He leaped.

He passed.

He slagging scored.

He was buried up to his neck in wingers, grounders and wankers nearly instantly.

He didn't care.

He was famous.

The stadium went nuts.

-0-Broadcast booth

"That was awesome. Smokescreen is a very fast mech. He's also a gambler. He isn't easily scared and his aim was great," Blaster said.

"He's pretty bold," Jazz said nodding. "Mech is always in the thick of things. Slagger."

-0-Cally

"**HE SAID IT!"**

**GLUG!**

-0-Trenton, New Jersey

"He's brave, bold, shoots and scores. He's awesome. First dibs."

Lola laughed. "Think threesome, you doofus."

"You want to romance a car with a threesome and you call me doofus," Cindy said with a grin.

"It's easy. You know how I feel about my Honda Element," Lola said smiling.

"If that car transformed it would turn into an old lady with a frying pan." Cindy barely ducked a slap.

-0-In the huddle

"This is fragged."

"This is slagging fragged."

"This is not going well."

"**DO YOU THINK?!"**

Pause. "Don't yell at me. I don't need this slag."

"Why are you here, Carlo? It can't be for the football."

"The bond thinks its a good idea."

"Turns him on?"

"Yes."

"We're all going to die."

"No. We're going to win this slagging game for Carlo's mech."

"So this is Operation Get Carlo laid?"

Nods all around.

"**Hut!"**

"****HUT**!"**

They walked back to the scrimmage line with a new mission. Carlo on the other servo wanted to crawl under a rock.

-0-In the other huddle

"What are you doing back?"

"I got fixed. Good thing. I just scored. Two to one."

"We were doing just fine without you." -miffedness rising

"Is that so?" -miffed winger with double loaded 38's

"Yes." -Entire team

"Frag. Is this all the thanks I get?" -Miffed winger, 38's etc.

"**YES!"** Entire team

"**SLAGGING HUT!"** -entire team

"Frag you." Sulking winger with etc. sulking back to the line.

They lined up. The ball went up. The ball came down. The sound of low flying planes colliding filled the thin atmosphere of the fourth planet from the sun as the two lines collided. Mercurial forces of nature not to be denied weren't. They came with fists and curses, talent and sheer psychotic determination.

It was awesome.

-0-In a nice house

"This is awesome."

"It sure is." Grandma Annie said. "I knew you would come around, Lavinia." She looked over the chair. "Is Sonny okay?"

"He's fine, Annie," Leonard said with a grin. He sat holding a cool cloth against the forehead of his son, Pastor Bob.

It was indeed awesome.

-0-in the stadium

They practiced the wave, the undulating rise and fall of the spectators a sight to see. Ratchet grinned, pleased with the immense degree of mental health he was seeing everywhere he looked.

Except on the field. Those slaggers were crazy.

He smiled and squeezed Ironhide's servo as they waited for the wave to come around again. He was happy. He however did draw the line at the Macarena.

-0-The field, down there

They clashed and smashed. They dashed and trashed. The air was filled with the blows and grunts of huge mechanisms seeking any advantage. They built towers. They tipped over at strategic moments. They built scrums. They clothes-lined mechs when the refs weren't looking.

In short, they played like Altihex and Polyhex always did.

Dirty.

When the dust settled and triage medics ran onto the field to carry away the walking wounded the score was Altihex 2, Polyhex 1.

There would be high times in the old town tonight.

-0-In the stands

"That was slagging awesome," Ratchet said with a grin.

"That was the way I remember those teams playing. I can't wait to see Praxus Science beat them into the ground," Ironhide said.

"From your lips to Primus's audials," Blackjack said carrying Orion. That little bot was grinning like a drunk and trying to get total strangers to kiss his dollie.

"Iacon will thrash them," Alor said with a grin. Kaon grinned too. Grandada grinned. So would he.

"From your lips to Primus's audials," Ratchet said smirking at Ironhide.

"Dream on, Ratchet," Ironhide said as they moved to the stairs that would take them to the gate and the city beyond. "Blur will be back on his peds and we will win."

Ratchet looked at Ironhide and Prowl who was walking behind him with a huge grin. "Cheater."

"Wah," Prowl said with a smirk.

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	79. Chapter 79

NOTE: Sorry this took so long. Phone call. I will be answering notes from readers. I try to do that for all. Your notes are so awesome and they have great ideas. Thank you, readers. You make my day. :D

-0-And now, back to the fun and game(s)

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 5

-0-The Stadium

They walked slowly to the stairs that led to the ground and the gate nearby. The crowds were extraordinary. Nearly everyone in the city had come to the games both in this arena and the other one nearby. The screen projection had been enormous and the sound quality perfection. It was almost as good as being in the actual stadium for the game.

Alor paused to allow a little femme to go past, then continued onward, Praxus sitting in his arms babbling to Orion who followed. Blackjack followed carrying Orion. That little bot was singing.

Hero rode with Ravel and Sunspot followed with the little mechs, all four of them chatting together about this or that move and how they were going to try it themselves. Prowl held the tiny mech as he waited, his genitors and Prime following. Venture held Miracle and Miler held Kaon. The femmes were in their little carry device clutched firmly in Sunstreaker's big servo. He was having an argument with Sideswipe and Bluestreak, the winger zinging them both handily.

Ratchet watched as he waited for the line to move. His big oversized younglings didn't have any advantage over Blue it seemed when the winger decided to 'handle' them. It was hilarious. Ironhide nudged Ratchet so he moved forward reaching the steps to go downward. Standing across the crowd from his group, Ratchet saw Barricade and Scorponok, themselves held up by the press of bodies.

Stiletto stood behind them talking to another ex-Con and in the mix stood Breakdown and Knock Out. Nitro could be seen behind them and on and on. It was amazing to Ratchet how many mechs he knew, including slaggers. He grinned and began to climb downward.

"There's your long lost mech," Stiletto said nodding to Prowl who he could see reaching the steps.

Barricade let the remark slide, a totally uncharacteristic thing. If he was going to the brig for punishment, it would have to be for something better than slagging Stiletto. He stared at Prowl as he made his way to the stairs. Being stuck, he didn't worry that they would be upset to see him.

He also didn't care.

Ratchet reached the bottom of the steps and turned to wait. The others worked their way downward until all were there. They were squeezed against the wall that funneled everyone through the gate. Mechs chatted with them, some spoke to Prime of their delight in the city and all of them waited as the bottleneck began to loosen up.

Ratchet glanced around and saw them, a lot of mechs he knew and the hard afts. Barricade was his usual unreadable self, though his optics were firmly set on the winger moving to stand behind Ratchet. He turned and smirked. :Your boy friend is here:

:You have a sick processor, Ratchet: Prowl said with a smirk of his own.

They turned and walked together in the crush, the sound of laughter, happiness and the good energy that enveloped them making their treads light. Overhead, the sky was light blue tinging toward orange and the breeze equally mild. The sandstorms that were epic had not arrived and with the efforts of Sciences, they might be averted all together. It was a win-win.

-0-In a place not so 'winning!'

They stood around the open space that marked their common grounds. The mechs of Cell Block A had the best view of the city and the arenas beyond the tower districts. It was obvious what was happening and they stood angst-filled and stoic as they listened to the screaming and yelling.

"They have football here," Decimus said shaking his helm. "I cannot believe that they have football."

"It sounds like Polyhex and Altihex," Proteus said. "I wonder about a lot of things. This is a huge city in the middle of a desert. The towers go into the distance and I cannot see the end of them. The airfield is enormous and the facilities rival Iacon. There are Guardians here, Fortress Maximus and Metroplex in city modes as well. I am stunned."

Ratbat nodded. "This Prime is not the same as the one we knew back on Cybertron. He's tough and has enough charisma to make a habitation for our people out of nothing. We will have a hard time making our way with him."

"You think you can outsmart Optimus Prime?" Sentinel asked glancing at his companions. "This is a mature individual and he has the Matrix, do not forget. He will not be easily fooled."

"We must bide our time," Decimus said as he paced, pausing now and again to listen to the crowds beyond. "This is unacceptable," he blustered. "I won't be spending my entire life in this prison."

"Be glad he let you keep your life," Ratbat said sourly.

"Optimus Prime doesn't kill needlessly. He has something foreign to you, Ratbat. He has ethics and if you think you can out think him, consider which side of this fence you are on," Sentinel said quietly.

They sat and listened to the game as it continued. It would be replayed on the monitor in their common room later that orn.

-0-Cell Block C

They sat staring at the arenas far away well aware of what was happening. A game was being played and they were here. There was no justice. Motormaster shook his helm. "This is fragged. We came here to surrender and here we are."

"You didn't come here to do that. You came to spy for Megatron," Blind Spot said. "Or Soundwave."

"What would you know?" Motormaster said rising.

His brother looked at him and shook his helm. "Look at the artillery pointed at us. Sit down or they'll ventilate you."

"I hear your other brother is living in the city," Blind Spot said. "I hear he and that frag toy of his are doing great. How do you feel about that, Motormaster?"

The big bot turned and glared at his cell mate. "What do you care?"

"I don't," Blind Spot said sitting on the table that was outside the barracks where they all lived. "Just passing the time."

"Frag that. Frag all of this. Barron was supposed to get us out of here. We're due a hearing."

"Ask him. I'm sure he's dying to get back to you on that. Right now, I imagine he's at the football game having a good time."

"Frag," Motormaster said under his breath as he stood by the bars staring at the arenas in the distance.

-0-On the way to Club Cybertron

They walked on different sides of the street but paralleled each other all the way. Barricade, Scorponok and Stiletto paused by the door and watched as Prowl and his party walked away. Barricade stared at Prowl until he was gone from sight, then he turned and walked inside the bar with his companions.

-0-Nearing the Fortress

"Barricade is one hopeless slagger," Ratchet said. He paused and then crossed the highway leading their party as they walked to dinner in Cafe Praxus.

"He is. That is why I almost enjoy his misery," Prowl said quietly. "Don't tell Optimus. He would love to beat Barricade to a pulp."

"I would love to watch him," Ratchet said as they walked through the courtyard.

Entering the building, they wend their way to the cafe, entering the bar and moving to the dining room beyond. It was huge and tables were set together for their party. Infants were parceled, parked on the table with sippy cups and orders made by all.

"That was a good game, Ratchet. Thank you for taking us, son," Ravel said with a big smile. "I do love my football."

"We noticed," Optimus said with a chuckle. "Ratchet comes by it naturally."

"Didn't ruin two families, you two," Prowl said with a grin.

"Oh, ha ha, Prowl," Ironhide said.

They chuckled. Drinks arrived. Dinner followed. The afternoon moved along in a most pleasant manner.

-0-Around town

Drift, Springer, Kup, Lon and Sandstorm walked to the bar of Club Cybertron and ordered. Leaning on the bar, they turned and glanced around. "Looks like the usual crowd," Kup said nodding to the table by the wall nearby.

"Those slaggers are always in here. Where else can they go? To a museum?" Kup asked.

"Hope springs eternal," Springer said with a grin. He took his drink and turned walking into the crowded room to find their usual spot. The others followed and they sat.

"Barricade is watching you, Springer," Lon said as he glanced surreptitiously in the big 'Con's direction. Or at least as surreptitiously as a youngling could.

"He's blinded by my beauty," Springer said with a grin.

Hoo-hah immediately broke out.

Sitting nearby, the younger set turned and grinned. Rising, they took their drinks and moved to sit. Hot Rod settled and clicked his cube with Springer. "Salute."

They all took a sip.

"What are you going on about?" Jolt asked with a grin.

"We were discussing my great beauty," Springer said.

"Yeah. His beauty," Kup said rolling his optics.

"Frag that. If anyone has great beauty at this table its me," Blurr said with his usual trademark smirk.

Hoo-hah immediately broke out.

Again.

"What's the word on your bar?" Sandstorm asked.

"We're going to put it in at the end of the new business center north of Autobot City Business Plaza. I want it to be as close to the original as possible," Blurr said nodding.

"I can't wait. Are you going to offer the same kinds of brew or what? I miss my old brand," Hot Rod asked.

"We have the recipes. There's a brewer from the last migration who is making a brewery in the same building so he can supply everyone from the grocery stores to the bars. My bar will have the same array of fine labels as it did on Cybertron," Blurr said.

"Good. Mech needs a brew when he needs it. I will say, you have to go a long way to top Wheeljack's high grade," Kup said nodding.

"He's going to supply the best stuff and maybe if you mind your manners I'll let you have some," Blurr said remembering more than one epic bar fight involving Kup.

"Manners? Kup? Mech, please," Springer said.

Lon grinned and sipped his brew. Drift looked at him and smiled. "You're corrupting the sparkling."

"Good," Kup said chomping down on his stogie once more.

Hoo-hah commenced immediately.

-0-Nearby

"They make me sick," Stiletto said.

"You could be doing time in the prison," Scorponok replied mildly.

"Sentinel is in there," Stiletto said.

Barricade glanced at him. "That fragger was supposed to be killed on Cybertron. I saw the mourning period."

"He got away along with a number of others including Ratbat," Stiletto said.

"That little fragger. He's a treacherous little runt," Barricade said. "He will sell you out to the highest bidder."

"And he won't?" Scorponok asked nodding toward Stiletto.

That big bot slammed his servo on the table leaning toward Scorponok. Scorponok to his credit didn't appear to be phased at all. "If you had a processor in your helm, you would understand that the only way we get out of here is by finding and making allies."

"Where would you go? Back to Cybertron? Back to Megatron?" Scorponok asked mildly. "If you haven't noticed, we aren't welcome in very many places and there isn't anywhere else to go. Everyone is coming here for a reason."

"They're being driven here," Stiletto said. "There are 'Cons here and if we work this right, we can build a coalition to wait until our time comes."

"You're delusional," Scorponok said shaking his helm.

"Remember what I said some orn," Stiletto said. "I won't forget what you said. Some orn you will be sorry."

Barricade shifted in his chair. "If you ever get off this rock, there's no place to go where Megatron won't hunt you down and kill you. This is the only safe place."

"We'll see," Stiletto said quietly.

They sat together sipping their drinks as their guards sat nearby chatting together quietly.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	80. Chapter 80

NOTE: I am very aggravated. I lost half of this story and had to rewrite it. :( So here we go...

-0-For the * second * time now ...

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 1

-0-At Cafe Praxus

They ate their meal chatting together. The sparklings sat on the table gawking and beating each other with their sippy cups. Ratchet took Orion's and that little bot shot him the most severe optics he had. Which were comical. Everyone paused and grinned. Ravel patted his little ped. "You look very cute when you do that."

"He's a bossy little slagger," Ironhide said shifting Praxus away from the edge of the table.

"You pat their servo, Ironhide. We patted Ratchet's servo. We did until we had to pat his aft. He always was a very curious and happy little mech," Ravel replied.

"Ada just has to look at us to make us be good," Spirit said smiling at Prowl. Prowl smiled back.

"I wonder where he learned that," Ratchet said smirking at Venture and Miler.

"He kept some of our bad habits I see," Miler said grinning.

"I do what works," Prowl said looking at his three little mechs. "You three are easy." They grinned back at him.

"The little femmes are so sweet," Ravel said glancing down at the floor. They were in their new carry basket sleeping side by side in a cocoon of warm blankets and dollies. He paused. "How utterly cute they are."

Bluestreak glanced at Sunstreaker. "Sunny got someone to knit caps with holes for finial embellishments. The booties match. I think they are just darling."

"I do too," Ravel said as he stared downward. Little blue peepers opened and a ginormous smile greeted him. "Hello, my little angel. Do you want to come to see me?" He reached down and gently scooped the infant up. Iacon lay on her grandada's servo and smiled. Little yellow booties were on her peds and a little hat with a yellow knitted flower graced her helm, her finials peeking out. "See, Tie? What a lovely baby," Ravel said with a smile. Iacon smiled back. He turned her so the others could see. 'Awws' went around the table.

Ratchet looked at Sunstreaker. "That is one cute little bunny."

"She's high-end awesome. Whatever she needs, she gets. I don't care what it takes, they get what they need and want," Sunstreaker said inordinately pleased with his daughter's reception. "This keeps her warmer. Roto said that their processors need to be warm so they can develop. This will help."

"You need to show the Crafts Guild, Sunstreaker. That is adorable," Ratchet said, "and I think it would be cute for them to experiment with designs. I am wondering if a Santa Claus thing can be done for Christmas Surprise?"

"I'll see," Sunstreaker said nodding.

"When do you have to go out to the new base, Grandatar?" Bluestreak asked looking down table at Blackjack.

"I am going out later tonight to do an inspection. We're not going to try and hide our presence. I want to show the flag. Let them know we have them in our sights," Blackjack said.

Optimus nodded. "We want them to give up the hostages and showing the flag will help pressure them."

Alor nodded. "I better get my sparkling fix now. It will be a few orns before I get to love a sparkling again," he said plucking Praxus up off the table. He grinned. "This is the most insane paint scheme I ever saw on a sparkling. You two are honestly out of your processors," he said, kissing on Praxus. The infant gripped Alor's face chuckling musically. **"ADA!"**

"Praxus," Alor said kissing him some more.

Orion watching laboriously got to his peds. Standing on the table, a dollie firmly in grip he turned to walk to Alor. Ratchet grabbed for him and missed. Sideswipe plucked him off the tabletop before he could fall into anyone's plate. "Got ya."

Orion looked at his brother. Then he grinned and held up his dollie. Sideswipe smiled and kissed it. Orion gripped his brother's helm and hugged his face against Sideswipe's.

"Ow," Sideswipe said.

Orion looked at him and grinned. **"WIPE!"**

"Orion."

"Orion love Wipe." It came out normal sized and Sideswipe hugged him tightly. Orion grinned and relaxed on Sideswipe's arm. "Wipe good. 'Lello good."

Sunstreaker smirked. "Did you see his tattoos?" he asked of Alor and Blackjack.

"I saw them. The Wrecker tat fits him. Who is Mimi?" Alor asked with a chuckle.

"His femme," Sideswipe said with a wolfish grin. "Mech has femmes already."

"His hotness can't be denied," Bluestreak said with a grin. "Right, Orion?"

Orion who was basting himself in the attention smiled ginormously at his brother-in-law. **"ORION GOOD! BOO GOOD!"**

Bluestreak snickered. "Boo likes Orion too." He looked at Prowl. "How is the little mech?"

Prowl looked into his carry hold. The tiny mech was sleeping. "Good to go. I can't wait to see them with their families but I'm going to miss them."

Optimus nodded. "We need to get them reunited."

They all nodded.

-0-On a rocky barren planetoid

The ships were disabled and their critical ignition parts removed. They would remain for shelter for the hostages but they were not able to fly. They stood in groups watching the Decepticon ships fly off to the larger planetoid nearby where Overlord and his minions were going to dig in. The small amounts of energon they had were to be augmented by the three machines they left behind on the ground.

For a moment, there was no movement. Then a big mech stepped forward along with half a dozen others. He looked at them, at the fear that enveloped the group and gathered himself. :We need a moment to pull ourselves together. If we divide or panic, they win. Understand, they are the worst of all, a hunter-killer group and they don't respect anything or anyone:

:They took our sparkling: a big distraught mech said stepping forward. Another followed him, then others. :What are we going to do? What are they doing to our kids?:

Wing looked at them and then the Knights with him. :We don't know. I would imagine they used them as barter for Prime. They could be with Prime now and I know that if he can get them, he already has. We have to live. Do you understand? If we ever want to see those babies again or have a hope of survival, we have to listen and obey. We brought you out of the darkness and we're nearly at the promised land. Prime and the Matrix... our army too... they are waiting for us. They will come. But until then you must do everything I tell you:

"What can you do?: a high caste mech asked.

"I can lead you. I can keep you alive. Do you actually believe you are the first group in a bad way that we've lead away to safety? Dai Atlas and the rest of us … we're here to save all of us. We are going to Prime because he's there ready to help. You have to obey. Do you understand me?: There was no sound. :Tell me now if you disagree or if you can't do this.: It was quiet and no one objected. He relaxed slightly. :Very well. Right now, we organize shelter. I want all the elderly, the sparked and all the infants in the same ships. All of them. If they come back, I don't want them in a cross fire if trouble happens:

:what do you think will happen?: the high caste asked uneasily.

:They're in the same bad position as us. I suspect that we will be forced to build any fortifications they will need. If they do, we do what they want and come back each orn alive. Don't argue. Don't stand out. Don't make optic contact. If you even pretend to slack or argue, they will shoot you. They won't hesitate. Tell me that you understand that and you will do what I say:

Hundreds of mechs nodded anxiously, listening carefully to all he said. Wing explained what he needed and they turned to do it. As Wing watched his mechs gathered around him. :This is going to be tough:

:Prime will come: Wing said. :Dai told me that they already have been to Cybertron. We just have to hang on and when the time comes, we step in and help:

They nodded, thoughts of their carefully hidden swords filling their processors. By the time the orn 'dawned' they were organized, calmed to whatever degree they could become and of one mind about how to act. Their lives depended upon it.

-0-On the airfield

They gathered to go through the Trigger. Mechs heavily armed were going up the ramps of five heavy battle shuttles. Prime stood with Blackjack and Alor going over instructions as they waited for the City of Cybertropolis to finish loading things that had to be ferried to the site.

He would be going with the duo to inspect things thus far. The soldiers and three of the shuttles would be staying to provide protection to the workers who would follow. The first of the curtain walls would be going through the aperture later in the early morning. Mechs on site had prepared the lower level and the foundation for the above ground portion of the installation.

Giant guns were being forged in the foundries yet and they would be placed in due time. All of the materiel, munitions and equipment needed were being massed on the tarmac. The Guardians would be loaded and take it all through. Their firepower and presence was helpful in the intimidation process they would begin once things were prepared. Feverish was the pace and determined was the general mood.

"Then we better go," Alor said nodding.

Prime nodded back. "We need to get going on this. The sooner the better. Once its up, Jazz and Elita can begin the psychological portion of the plan."

Blackjack nodded. "The sooner, the better."

They turned and walked to the City of Cybertropolis. Entering, the ramp went up and the first of the heavies rose upward. Cleared by Fort Max, it moved to the Trigger to wait for the others and the spectacular rupture in space that would occur and place them on the other side of time.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ratchet walked from Sunspot's room. The infants were in bed and he was tired himself. A football game did that to a mech. Sitting in his chair, he grinned at Ironhide. "Good game."

"it was. Slagging good game. There's a wrap up coming on The Hourly News in a moment. How do you feel, old mech?"

"Great," Ratchet said squeezing Ironhide's arm. "How about you?"

"I feel fine," Ironhide said.

"You're due for a systems check up."

"Frag that."

(grin) "There are conferences in a couple of orns."

"I know. I told you, remember?" Ironhide asked glancing at the fake chevron of his dreams.

Literally.

"That's right. You volunteered to be on the school committee."

"Volunteered? Since when, old mech?"

Ratchet grinned. "You and Sunstreaker. That youngling makes me shake my helm. Who knew?"

Ironhide nodded. "He's a strange one, that one."

The Hourly News music filled the space and they settled back to watch. The first stories were city business, the new openings of this and that, interviews of the refugees and their progress. Then it got down to the important stuff.

Football.

"The game today was a great one, the usual hard fought contest between two ancient rivals," Jacx began as he reported the sports news for the broadcast.

"Is that what its called now?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"I thought they would have to arrest a couple of them," Ironhide said with a grin.

"The star of the early portion of the game was Autobot Smokescreen." The image of a happy nonchalant intensely good looking youngling filled the screen. "Smokescreen, tell us about the goal you made which set up Altihex to win in the long run."

"I got the ball cleanly and I took a shot hoping it would go through the hoop. It did." Smokescreen looked handsome and humble. One of them was typical. The other wasn't.

"You were hurt," Jacs said.

"I was. I bent my nose structure but it was addressed by the surgeon in the emergency room. When I came back, the team wasn't exactly grateful. I got hurt, I scored and turned the game and they gave me slag."

"Really," Jacs said feeding into the first sports 'scandal' in the history of Martian Cybertronian football. "Tell me more."

He did. He wouldn't regret a word.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)

**NEW FEATURE:** **FACTOIDS**

The Black Eyed Peas in Boom Boom Pow mention Cybertron. :D

The Omega Lock releases Primus in planet formation to his robotic format.

Cybertron has been featured as smaller than Earth through the size of Jupiter. I use the largest version possible for easier renditions in the story.

The Transformers, the first movie was on the teevee. I love the house scene because Ratchet and Ironhide are so funny. When Ironhide wants to blast the parents, Ratchet tries to make him lower his guns. When they are told by Optimus to hide, Ratchet is shoving and harassing Ironhide to move. :D


	81. Chapter 81

NOTE: I chose a name for the leader of the Knights with the hostages that is gong to be changed for obvious reasons. :D The story of Drift has a bot named Wing who was his mentor and his death caused the change in Drift from bad to good. I chose Wing for this character because I like the name and because it was inspired by the bio of another TF with the same name. This bot is red and white, has a great personality and is really gungho to do things. That is the bot I built this role for. I forgot about the OTHER Wing. :D So I am renaming the leader of the hostage Knights to Splice. (Sort of putting two together without mashing the canon plot line by using the name both have.) Thanks to the reader who mentioned this. You guys are the best. :D :D :D

=0=Let's rumble

The Diego Diaries: Psyops 2

-0-At the Trigger

The City of Cybertropolis waited in the long sled arms of the Trigger for the moment when the torrent of energy would appear that would carry them forward through time and space to a planetoid in a barren reach of space far away. Optimus sat quietly, his attention fully on the map rolled out on the table before him. Blackjack and Alor were traveling on the City of Praxus shuttle, a somewhat fitting transport for at least one of those worthies.

He considered them, two fine mentors from the beginning of his term as Prime. He had a lot of interaction with them before the war drove them in different directions, each of them with their own piece of the Autobot pie to serve. Alor was a tremendous tactician from Iacon, a high caste mech with an almost supernatural ability to combine math and music. Blackjack was military all the way, belonged to the Praxian Elite caste and was Master of the Armed Forces when Optimus was given the Matrix. He had been a great help and so had his son, Ironhide, Battalion chief and all around walking repository of wisdom, strength and support.

He loved the entire family. He considered Ironhide his brother, the one he had never had.

He hadn't even begun to understand the sense of something missing held deep inside until the ones he loved the best began to gather around once more. Having family come back was beneficial to everyone, especially the children. Now that left only one pair of bots to walk through the door to give him complete peace in his spark. One pair of bots to come to look at his children, all of them and feel joy and peace. Where they were, he didn't know but the burning despair most of them carried was assuaged just a little bit each time someone's brother or sister, grandgenitor or genitor walked off a ship into freedom.

"Fort Max Control Tower to Prime."

"Prime here."

"We are go. You are cleared. Your group is in place. We are turning you over to Trigger Control. Over."

"Very well. Thank you, Fort Max Flight Control. Prime out." He sat back and felt the energy of the ship gather underneath him. Out the forward view ports he saw the power of the Trigger begin to generate the energy beams that would shoot down the sled, coalesce at the same point in front of them and cause the controlled atomic explosion that was the bridge. He could feel the electrical charge on his exoskeleton as the power grew, the greenish-blue light brightening the cabin where he sat with troops.

The rumbling in the ship increased and then it happened, the blossom of violence exploding outward before them. "You are go, group leader," Wheeljack's voice said over the speakers and their group leader, the master pilot, Revo acknowledged. "We are go. Group Leader out." With that, Revo put his ped on the gas and they shot forward into the roiling light of the gate. It would stay open until they returned.

-0-On the other side

They burst free and flashed into battle configuration. No one was near so they sent a message to the planetoid they had chosen to be their base in this sector. Turning and running swiftly toward a mass of broken rock, asteroids and planetary fragments, they reached their own after much weaving and moving through debris. It was a large planetoid with lots of features that allowed for defense. The position of the fortress was at the base of a big broken ridge. They had tunneled into it somewhat and the lower levels would be added as they built and fortified their position. Right now, there would be one lower level and a large deep armory as well as two stories above ground in the massive stone fortress they were building to be brought here. On top, there would be massive guns just like the fort on Mars.

They flew in and landed near the construction. Dozens of mechs working on the project had paused to wait for them, standing in groups, their weapons either on their bodies or nearby. The hatch opened and Prime stepped out followed by his soldiers. The other ships disgorged their passengers and they gathered together around Jetta who had come here directly from the game to oversee the wiring for the electronics installation. :You made it: he said with a grin.

:We did. The foundation looks promising: Prime said.

Jetta nodded to everyone and then glanced at Prime. :Come with me. I'll show you what the crews have done so far: The entire group followed him as he walked to the construction and began to explain.

-0-RTR Tools

They worked together hammering at the metals that they carefully smelted. No one had their formulas. No one could manage to achieve the blends that made their creations not only beautiful but extra strong. Ravel held a long piece of silver metal in tongs while Tie Down beat on it with a hammer of his own design. They had made among their first creations tools for themselves to use.

Sunspot sat on a stool and watched, asking here and there a great question or two. He had the day off and would be spending it with his grandgenitors learning something about the profession that had propelled his ada into medical school long ago. Conferences were being had so infants were off, many in day care and others with family. "That's really beautiful," he said as the metal began to slowly bend in the direction sought.

Tie and Ravel smiled. "We try and make things beautiful as well as practical, sparkling. Our tools were known for their beauty and their design. It is what makes them special."

"I want to be a tool maker when I grow up," he said leaning down to see under Ravel's arm. "I like the way it glows and then bends. I don't know how that works but I like it."

"Heat, sparkling," Ravel said turning and dipping the metal piece into water to temper it. Steam rose and the liquid sizzled. Then he brought it back and they began again. "It is a skill and we will teach you. Everyone should know a lot of things."

"Atar said so too," Sunspot said. "I want to know a lot of things."

Ravel smiled and nodded. "We will help you," he said gently.

The morning would pass in joy for all three of them and Sunspot would learn a lot of new things while it did.

-0-At the other side of time

They stood in groups staring with loathing as the Decepticon ship landed and some of them came out fully armed. Splice and his mechs stood in a group of families and watched them, preparing to intervene if anyone panicked. The elders and infants were in ships hidden from view. A big mech paused before the mass of individuals and looked them over. :Who speaks for the group?:

For a moment no one moved. Then Splice did. :I do:

The big mech looked at him and nodded. :We need fifty mechs to work on our fortress. Chose them quickly:

:Do they come back when they're through? What about their safety?: Spice asked calmly.

:What do you care?: the 'Con asked.

:The question should be, why don't *you* care? Prime will obliterate you if even one of us is harmed. You should know that. Overlord is too stupid to care. You should be smarter because Prime will come and pull your arms off himself: Splice said.

They stared at each other a moment, then the 'Con stepped closer. :I need fifty mechs. When they get done they come back. Make them big and skilled or this will take longer.:

Splice looked at him a moment, then nodded. :We understand each other then:

The 'Con stared and then stepped back. :Fifty. Now:

Splice considered the mech's demeanor, then turned and chose fifty including two of his own. They walked to the 'Con ship and it left them behind. The rest of his mechs stood with him as they watched it, then one turned. :That one isn't stupid. This could be good:

:Maybe: Splice said nodding. :We shall see:

-0-On the floor of the CMO's office

Praxus sat chewing on a dolly as he watched his ada feverishly work through a pile of slag that never seemed to shrink. Nearby, Orion stood in front of the window licking it as he stared dreamily downward.

"Orion." He turned and looked up at his ada. "Don't lick the window. You're get a … something."

He grinned and turned resuming his licking. Ratchet snorted and looked at the two other infants in the room. A mini version of himself was chewing on a dolly. Hero was propped up by pillows on the couch. She was staring at him but it was debatable whether she could clearly make out who he was across the room.

Or not.

They were still learning about infants.

"You two are looking good," Ratchet said glancing down at Praxus. He grinned and resumed sucking on the head of his dolly. Ratchet glanced at the pile before him and redoubled.

Ten minutes later …

"**AHA!"** He slid the last datapad into the slot and turned pausing. Three sparklings stared at him with big startled optics. Then three sparklings began to cry. "Oh slag," Ratchet said rising.

A moment later...

They stepped out of the Medical Tower and walked forward, two on leashes and one in the crook of a medic's arm. The two in front ambled along staring at everyone and everything they came across. By the time they reached RTR Tools Ratchet was ready for a drink. "Hey," he said opening the door and tugging two babbling sparklings inside with him. For a moment, he paused. The action itself was one he had done every orn for most of his life growing up. A huge splash of deja vu swept through him and passed on.

Sunspot came around the counter and grinned. "Hi, Ada."

"Hi, Sunny Bunny. The sparklings are coming to call," Ratchet said as Sunspot took the leashes. Tugging them, they followed him as he led the way to the back. It would be a sweet few joors to follow.

-0-About

Hot Rod walked briskly from the Fortress toward the towers beyond. He was due at a card game in the bachelor soldier's tower and he was determined to win back what he had lost to Smokescreen and Springer. The slaggers had rolled him like a wheel and it was professionally embarrassing. Jolt stepped out of Club Cybertron and turned to go with him. "What's up?"

"I am going to skin Springer and Smokescreen."

"I heard you got took last time," Jolt said with a chuckle.

"Frag that," Hot Rod said pausing to let an elderly mech go around him. "I have a system."

"So does Springer and Smokey. It's called wining," Jolt said with a grin.

"Ha-ha," Hot Rod said with a grin. They bantered all the way to Smokescreen's apartment.

-0-Blurr and Maccadam's Old Oil House

He walked through the construction which had been given the go ahead by the Planning Commission three decaorns before. Blurr described to the architect and construction bosses the touches that he remembered from the original bar that had been an institution in the lower-east quadrant of Iacon. Its selection of brews were not matched by anyone else. Everyone who was anyone and everyone else as well came there. Wreckers considered it 'their' bar and both sides of the conflict frequented it at the same time. No one dared break the peace. The bouncers were awesome.

The brewer at the new nearby business center who had finished installing the equipment to make the selections of 'beer', high end labels and regional favorites everyone favored had already signed on to produce the quantity of beverages he would need. A kitchen was added to produce bar food that would suit the pallets of just about every kind of mechanism in the city. A place for music and entertainment was being constructed as well to return live entertainment to the scene as it once was on Cybertron.

It was going to be awesome.

-0-On the ground out there

Ironhide stood beside his genitors and listened as the plans were made to begin ferrying over the giant slabs that would make up the curtain wall of the fortress. It would take a lot of trips and a lot of guns to go with them. That detail would be his and his father's. He was looking forward to it personally.

Overhead, the stars were thick and the nearby crush of rock and ice marked the terrain of their outlier base. Somewhere nearby in the mix of broken stones, incomplete planetoids, cometary debris and asteroids, Overlord was digging in. The building crews had already secured Class-A energon in the debris around them and it would be more than enough to fuel and feed a garrison many times bigger than this one. All Ironhide hoped was that Overlord didn't find out that he had that option too.

-0-In the debris field nearby

They worked hard digging in the soft dirt to create the perimeter of a stone fortress. Overlord sat on his ship watching out the view ports as he savored his position. He had come up through the gladiatorial games in Slaughter City and he lived for battles the way some lived for love. There were two bots he craved to fight with the intensity of an addict for meth. One of them was Megatron. The other was Optimus Prime. He wanted to fight them more than he cared for anything else. He would sit here and wait for Prime to come. That bot would and he, Overlord would defeat him in single combat.

Of that, he had absolutely no doubt.

The stars were thick overhead and among the debris floated bits and pieces of Class-A energon. He didn't know that. His focus was somewhere else. But as long as he didn't realize it, his enemy had the upper servo. The night continued onward and he watched with amusement as the foundation of a stone fortress began to take form. It was all good he thought to himself. All good.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	82. Chapter 82

The Diego Diaries: Psyops 3

-0-Out there

They walked about checking out the area, looking into conduits that would house electronics and cabling and checking the space set aside for ships. There would be hardened bunkers here at some point and Autobot City was merely a stones throw away through the gate.

Big transmitters would be placed on the roof of the fortress allowing broadcast to the 'Cons wherever they were hiding. The range for their propaganda broadcasts would be well beyond the debris field in which both sides were drawing the line. When they had exhausted questions and all the information was clear, Prime and his team turned to walk to the ships.

Revo was standing in the doorway of the City of Cybertropolis when they approached. :Prime, Overlord is asking to speak to you:

Prime nodded and walked in followed by Blackjack, Alor, Ironhide and Springer. The hatch closed as the group moved to the forward station. Pressure was equalized and conversation was available again. He sat and nodded to Revo who put the call through. "This is Optimus Prime."

"Hello, Prime. This is Overlord."

"What do you want?" Prime asked coldly.

"Now that isn't nice. I just noticed the activity here and I guessed it was you. After all, who else is out here?"

Prime sat silently. He waited but not for long.

"You're going to play it that way are you?"

"I want the hostages. Give them to me and we part without rancor," Prime said calmly.

"I can't do that and you wouldn't leave me alone if I did. I know you too well. It isn't your style to leave an enemy on your flanks. I will tell you what. Come to me and let's settled this between mechanisms. The winner claims it all, the loser is vanquished. No muss, no fuss," he said, the malevolence in his tone remarkable.

"How about you give me the hostages and we don't kill you," Prime countered.

A harsh laugh could be heard. "You know that wouldn't be fun. Come to me, Prime and I'll let the hostages go," Overlord said. "Or, I can restart the battles of Kaon here for my own personal amusement. I have 2500 hostages, Prime. It would be amusing to watch them fight each other to the death."

"I will hold you responsible for the death of anyone in your custody, Overlord. I will hunt you and kill you with my bare servos."

"I would love to see you try," Overlord said breezily.

"I won't come alone," Prime said.

There was a pause. "The Matrix?" Overlord asked.

Prime didn't answer. He sat and waited.

"Well, I can see you're busy. I can't wait to trade fraggings with you and your sorry little Autobots, Prime. I will await your arrival with great pleasure," he said and the line went dead.

They sat a moment, then Alor leaned forward. "He's about as mental a bot as I've ever seen and I've seen the Reapers, Prime. I would suggest that we haul aft and make a go of this before he gets bored and starts torturing the hostages for fun and games."

Prime nodded. "Blackjack, take everyone and everything you need. I want the broadcasts going yesterday."

Blackjack nodded and sat back. "Consider it done."

They loaded up and the four shuttles lifted off heading for the bridge nearby. They shot through and it dissipated, the funnel following them through until they reached the other side. Then and only then did it collapse and vanish.

-0-On the ground nearly immediately

The airfield was crawling with ships as the Guardians and the biggest battle cruisers began to prepare to leave. Tankers and cargo vessels were also prepping as mechs loaded tons of things into their vast holds. On the ground, the bosses directed heavily laden trucks and flatbeds to the proper vessel where they off loaded. Mechs and femmes were everywhere working feverishly as IntraComm filmed the spectacle for The Hourly News and the Autobot City Daily News.

At the fabrication sites in the shipyard giant sections of stone walls were being prepped for lift off by heavy cruisers and their tractor beams. It was an orderly madhouse and many were the humans who had come to take pictures, watch and comment. Cameras were filming as the big mechs and femmes worked to make things ready for shipment through the gates.

Overhead, the Trigger and the smaller former 'Con bridge were being readied and when they were they burst into flames, their apertures opening with their malevolent controlled violence. The entire bridge team was there to work and keep the flow of mechs and materiel going as the expedited mission moved with urgency.

-0-At the tarmac in the mix

Prime and Prowl stood on the deck watching as the intricate ballet swirled all around them. Blackjack and Alor were working with the supply bosses as they met all the endless lists of needs and orders put to them. The city was ablaze with light as trucks went back and forth, the streets and highways clogged with traffic. Seekers had arrived and were assembling with Thundercracker and Red Wing nearby, ready to provide security to the mass movement of ships and supplies.

Starscream ambled over and paused by Prime. "I hear that Overlord has threatened to kill the hostages in his games."

Prime nodded. "He has. We can't have it. If we have to strike them we will. I would like a quick sensor sweep of the area with your fastest intel specialists. I don't want to provoke him. I would like swift long range scans. Anything he can fail to detect easily is what I want."

Starscream considered that and nodded. "I can arrange that. It will take a bit of recalibration of their sensors to boost them long range. Too bad we can't add a mini-con to the mix for power," he said with a slight smirk.

"I don't think Leader-1 would approve," Prowl said with a slight grin.

"We will discuss adding power packs to the three Seekers that I know who can do this from a great distance. Their signal will be so fast it might just register as ambient energy from the region."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you. The sooner, the better," Prime said.

Starscream nodded and turned to Red Wing, the pair walking off to implement the request. Ironhide passed them nodding and joined Prime. "We can start lifting off the wall sections of the Fortress at your command, Optimus. The heavies are ready to hoist them into space. We have enough of them ready to go to make the enclosure. The floor sections are being finished with speed and came come next. The mechs on the other side are waiting. The steel girdings are in place ready for them. Jetta just checked in."

Prime nodded. "Prime to Wheeljack."

"Wheeljack here."

"The curtain walls are ready to go."

"Okay. We are ready too," Wheeljack said. "I'll alert Fort Max Flight Control. We'll have them in a parking orbit ready to go when the security flights are ready to protect them."

"Good," Prime responded. "You have my permission."

"Okay. Wheeljack out."

They stood watching, then the heavies lifted off, five of them rising from their sector of the airfield. They rose up slowly and one of them moved forward flying over Prime and his party toward the shipyards beyond the Temple Precinct. The sound was thin in the atmosphere, which oddly enough was adequate enough to carry the personal conversations of all the Cybertronians themselves.

They turned and watched as the first ship paused. For a moment it just hung in the air, then yellow beams shot out in four places from its hull. They flashed down to the ground which couldn't be seen over the buildings that stood between Prime, his party and the shipyard. It was only moments later when the huge curtain wall slabs could be seen rising upward as the beams retracted to raise them.

The ship rose into the night sky and another came into the same space. They repeated the motions until all five of the ships had their cargo. They had all ascended into the night sky disappearing into the darkness of space beyond. The winking lights of the Trigger could be seen as it braced itself in place, pausing in its continual orbit to run the show.

Prime turned and nodded to Blackjack and Alor. "Better go, Ironhide. We have to hurry."

Ironhide nodded and turned hustling after his genitors as they turned as well. They disappeared into the City of Capital City which rose upward and disappeared as well. The bustle of other ships, the endless stream of equipment, cargo and mechs would continue all night and well into the next orn before the shell of Fort Apache would be hammered and lowered into place.

-0-Nearby

:This is slagging awesome: Jack Mellar said unaware that he had picked up Cybertronian cuss words. :What the hell is going on?:

:It's classified: Will Lennox said.

:Do you know what's going on: Mellar asked Lennox.

Will shook his head. :Yep:

:You gonna tell me?: Mellar asked glancing at the handsome soldier.

:Nope: Lennox grinned. :Earn trust and you'll get it. You still have a ways to go:

Mellar looked at him and then turned his vehicle. With a burst of speed, he shot across the tarmac heading for Prime's group.

:He's got gall: Epps said glancing at Lennox.

:He does: Lennox said. :Stay here: he said to the other humans gathered at the spot and turned blasting off after Mellar. Epps looked at the others and then followed, Graham staying with the curious scientists and filmmakers where they waited near the cargo boxes where they usually stood, out of the way and in safety.

Bluestreak walked by them heading toward the party too when Aaron Belcher called out. **:BLUESTREAK!:**

The big winger paused and looked down at them. Turning to walk back, he knelt down. :What?:

:What's going on?: Belcher asked.

He glanced at Graham who shrugged with a smile. :You haven't been briefed I take it?:

:No. But we would love to know what's up?:

:I don't have clearance to tell you: Bluestreak replied with a shrug of his own.

:But you're related to the Prime. Is he around here?: Belcher asked none too wisely.

Bluestreak leaned back slightly glancing at Graham. :You might want to remind him of the rules, Niall: With that, Bluestreak stood up and turned walking to the group around Prowl.

:Smooth move: Niall Graham said with a grin.

:I just asked: Belcher replied.

:It will get you tossed back to Earth in a heartbeat. Don't push your luck: Niall said. He looked at the others. :Stay here: With that, he turned and toodled off after Bluestreak and the others.

Belcher watched them go and as he did he studied the group. They were big, prominent and gathered around the biggest bot in the group. He had seen that bot many times and speculated on it in his mind that the massive figure was the Prime of Cybertron. As he did, a micro-mini-con walked passed with great force of personality. He didn't know who Leader-1 was but he studied that bot and noted the great reception he got from the other taller figures. He grinned slightly. /... maybe that's Optimus Prime …/ he thought to himself.

The hullabaloo continued onward around them.

-0-The Seekers

Three Seekers sleek and incredibly streamlined stood with Starscream as Gold Wing finished his installations. The sensor gear they carried in their bodies was among the finest ever created among their people. It had been enhanced to be speedy, stealthy and accurate to a degree unheard of until this moment. They listened to their orders and then gathered with their comrades.

Starscream stepped back and squeezed Thundercracker's arm.  
:Do us proud:

Thundercracker nodded and smirked. :I always do:

Starscream smirked back and watched as Red Wing, Thundercracker and Cloud Burst gave the orders for liftoff. The sound of their thunder was astonishing and the ground vibrated with their energy. One hundred Seekers lifted off, their jet wash blowing dust all over as the fire of their engines dotted the night sky like fireflies.

They rose up and were gone almost instantly forming in flights before the former 'Con gate overhead. Several battle cruisers laden with cargo, technicians and soldiers began to lift off leaving the Guardians to be last in the flight order.

Watching them go upward, Optimus Prime became aware of the soldiers and one of the filmmakers making their way toward him and his officers. Behind them came Bluestreak followed by Leader-1. It was going to be exciting he thought glancing at Prowl with a slight nod. The winger paused and all turned to the groups filing their way.

Jack Mellar halted and looked up at the giants looking down at him. :Sir, may I speak to you?:

:We are rather busy at the moment: Prowl replied.

:I was just wondering what is happening? There's so much activity that it has drawn us to this place. We want to do your people justice. We don't want to be wrong in our presentations: At that moment, he meant every word. He wasn't just a Hollywood wise guy. He was a serious filmmaker wanting to do justice to his subject.

The soldiers pulled up and switched to the comm channel for the bots that excluded other humans. :Hi. They want to know what's up:

Prowl nodded. :Optimus?:

:Tell them that we are building a base farther out to help the refugees that come. It is a triage station that is going to help them reach us in better condition:

Prowl looked down. :We are building a triage station on the migration trail. We want to make sure our people get here in better shape with less than the usual wait:

Mellar nodded only partially mollified. :We're filming it. We would like to schedule interviews with senior staff about some of the events we're here to watch. We want to get this right:

:Will Lennox is liaison officer for the film venture. Make your requests through him and I will allot time: Prowl said nodding.

:I can imagine that your Prime is pretty proud of this venture. It's pretty amazing to watch: Mellar ventured himself.

They all looked down at him. :Our Prime is: Prowl replied.

At that point, Lennox grinned. "We better get out of the way, Jack. There is traffic coming:

Jack looked around. :I don't see any traffic: he said.

Lennox gripped his arm and tugged him. With great reluctance he turned and followed Lennox back to the waiting area. They all watched him go. Then Bluestreak turned to Optimus and grinned. "I hear you are very proud of what's going on."

They chuckled and Prime nodded. "Very."

At that point, Gamma followed by Omega, Kappa and Zeta Supreme began to lift off. They would be followed by a Xantium stuffed with Wreckers.

It would be glorious.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	83. Chapter 83

The Diego Diaries: Psyops 4

=0=Out there

They shot through the violence of the gate and flew into battle array before it, double lines of Seeker heavies, their weapons online and ready. Behind them waiting on the other side, the long procession of ships bringing the fort to the fortress waited. When they had scanned the area the Seekers sent back the all clear. Moving forward they paused as ships began to come through the bridge.

Ships bearing massive curtain walls came first and turned toward the planetoid nearby. Behind them came tankers, cargo vessels and battle cruisers stuffed to the gunnels. As they began to come through, three Seekers streaked off to begin a grid pattern scan of the sector.

-0-Bridge Control Center, Trigger, Mars

They sat at their stations, the entire Bridge Project team watching or working as the ships began to leave in earnest. The long line of heavily laden and heavily guarded vessels surged forward as the Guardians themselves waited their turn. The send was smooth and mostly uneventful. The trick now was to keep the bridge open for as long as it took for them to go, unload and come back. Given that several hundred more mechs would be there working, they would leave the smaller bridge open to retrieve and send vessels and soldiers as the need beckoned.

In exactly half a joor, they would be sending for a fueling upload over the geosyncrhonous energy bridge from the plasma energy chamber several stories below the surface of Mars. It was getting on night, the air traffic was heavily controlled so it would be a perfect time for the giant beam to meet up with energy receptors on the bottom side of the Trigger.

In two joors of continuous upload, the Trigger would be powered up enough to stay open orn and night for a decaorn. The energy teams were below getting things ready even as the energy teams were on Mars making ready the same things.

-0-On the ground, evening approaching

Hot Rod walked to the Ops Center after spending the afternoon playing cards with the 'boys'. They had gathered in Jolt's apartment in the bachelor tower where most of them already lived. Jolt, Kup, Lon, Blurr, Smokescreen, Bluestreak for a short time, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Sandstorm were there waiting to play. He sat down and they dealt the cards.

And he lost.

Many times.

Spectacularly.

Having wasted the best part of an otherwise amiable orn, he decided to go to the Ops Center and see what was up. On the way he passed Drift who was going on Duty for the Night Watch. "Where's Springer?"

"He's out there at Fort Apache. He's going to stay until they get the curtain walls up and put up the main floors of the building."

"Well, if you need a berth buddy, I'm available," Hot Rod said waggling his optics with a grin.

Drift snorted. "Don't tempt me," he said with his own. They parted and Hot Rod continued passing workers going on and off shift, families out and about and Barricade. The big 'Con shot him a deadly optic and Hot Rod returned one. They had been mortal enemies on more than one occasion.

Continuing on, he passed Breakdown and Knockout who were standing to one side on the sidewalk laughing about something and Stiletto who was with Scorponok. The number of 'Cons in the city was still a provocative thing for a veteran of many a battle to see in the passing of the moment. But that was the beauty of this place. Most of them were on the same side.

Most of them.

He continued onward and reached the Fortress disappearing into the courtyard and the building beyond. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon signaling the ending of another orn.

-0-The trine

They wandered into the apartment chuckling over a private joke and paused. The place was silent. Moving to the berthrooms, they saw the infants tucked in and their dollies in servo. Kissing them, fussing with them, they turned and tip toed to the berthroom across the hallway.  
Bluestreak was already there in his usual place, dead center on the soft and comfortable bed. He looked cute, his wings folded flat and his expression soft and gentled by sleep.

Smirking, Sideswipe crept over and took his side, the left, enclosing Bluestreak in his arms. Sunstreaker took the right flopping down on the soft surface, his night vision awaiting the usual startled awakening of his dream mech.

"What the frag?" Bluestreak said turning halfway around in Sideswipe's grip. "Oh, its you two."

"Who did you expect?" Sunstreaker said turning to face Blue, his powerful arm draped over that bot's slighter form and Sideswipe's larger one.

"I don't know. A mech can dream," Bluestreak said with a sigh as he cuddled against both of them. He tugged Sunstreaker closer and he obliged.

"Who would that be?" Sideswipe asked with a wicked grin.

"I don't know. There's a lot of good looking mechs in the city now," Blue said half asleep. "I bet I could find half a dozen." Then he drifted back into recharge.

They stared at each other a moment. :He's fragging with us again. I'm going to have to see Ada. I don't like this particular line of conversation: Sunstreaker said. :Remember the Smokescreen comment?:

:Yeah. I don't either. But it does make him look awfully cute: Sideswipe said with a soft chuckle. He kissed Blue's helm and relaxed.

:Babe's cute no matter what: Sunstreaker said before off-lining his optics.

The stars grew brighter in the sky contrasting slightly against the lights of the bridges, satellites, ships and other devices that circled the planet or waited to go through the glowing light of the bridge aperture. In the home of the trine, all was peaceful.

-0-Habitat

The scientists were sitting here and there working on their daily blog posts, downloads or information they had learned during the day. One of them walked to the telescope that was pointed up to the sky all day long. He scanned and then paused. "Look at this," he said.

The others came and watched, looking at each other with interest. A burst of energy was burning in the sky, a bluish-green concoction that looked like a fiery blossom. They could see ships, many of them huge waiting nearby, the Trigger glistening brightly as well.

"What is it?" Sheila asked.

"I think they are making a singularity to travel over a long distance. I talked to Will Lennox today about it and he told me that all he could say was they were building a fortress out on the migration lane and they were using a device to get there fast," Antonio said.

"A space-time vortex," Michio said softly. He looked at the others. "They have a space bridge."

The line to watch after that was very, very long.

-0-In the Control Center of the Trigger

Perceptor sat on the chair of the engineering station and watched the gauges. They were on course and so he set the manual override to automated and turned looking around the conn. Wheeljack was sitting at the control station chatting with Miler who was manning the computational computers. He felt as happy at this moment as he had in a very long time.

It had been a rough few vorns as they fought their way across the universe in search of the AllSpark. He had been diverted from Wheeljack's company, his preferred companion even then when he was assigned by Prowl to monitor Kup after his refit. His sojourn on a poisoned world had left him broken and dependent on a substance that had captured his spark while he was stranded there.

A lot of mechs had gone to fetch him out and when they did he was in pieces. It had been a long hard refit between the two of them, Wheeljack and himself. But they had achieved it and stabilized Kup's addiction as well with the introduction of his stimulant delivery device, or his 'stogie' as he called it. The device delivered the drug to a degree short of impairment but high enough to keep him from keeling over dead. It was a fair balance but he had had to accompany Kup for a long time to make sure his armor and rebuild as well as the delivery device worked.

That meant going out on missions with the Wreckers. There was hardly anything more anathema for a high caste scholar and scientist than to run into the doom of everyone and everything with the almost exclusively low caste mechs of the last line of defense. It had been harrowing and he had been pushed toward the Matrix on more than one occasion but he had survived. He had learned a lot of about himself and he came to appreciate even more than he did now the mechs and the Cause they served. To come here at the call of the Prime was life affirming.

He rose and walked to the control station where Wheeljack sat and looked at the screens. They were halfway through the mission so far and things would go on for hours. He didn't mind though. His colleagues and his Wheeljack were here.

-0-Club Cybertron

They sat at a table helms nearly touching as they shared a night cap before going home to their tower out in the habitation grid. Their tower had been finished some time ago and many unbonded mechs and a femme pre-bond occupied its stellar heights. It was young, busy and fun. The Club was still full and would be for a while. Families sat on one side of the big room and the odd group of mechs everywhere else including Barricade, Stiletto and Scorponok sat nearer to the door and the bar. They stared at the pair, then Stiletto arose and walked over. He pulled out a chair and sat. "Hey."

Breakdown looked at him and nodded. "What do you want, Stiletto?"

"Just to talk."

Knockout looked at him with his usual lack of fear and prim peevishness. "We were busy."

"You can frag later," Stiletto said. "I want to know what is going on with the space bridges."

"Go ask Prime," Knockout said leaning back and folding his arms over his chassis.

"I'm asking you," Stiletto said.

"If we tell you, you will make trouble. They'll trace it back to us and we'll be fragged. Some of us aren't so stupid as to keep beating our helms against a brick wall."

Stiletto glared at Breakdown. "Your brothers are in the prison. Doesn't that bother you?"

"No," Breakdown said. "I hate Motormaster. He's a slagger from the Pit. If you want to make trouble, you came to the wrong mechs."

Stiletto looked at them and rose. "We'll see," he said as he turned and walked back to the two 'Cons watching him as they were being watched by their guards. He sat and they leaned in to talk once more.

"Slagger. He's going to get us brigged," Knockout said with his usual comical aggravation.

Breakdown grinned. "Let's go. We got other things to do."

Knockout smirked. They rose together and walked out heading for the trek to home in a high tower nearby. The night waxed onward as they did.

-0-Ratchet

He sat in his chair listening to The Hourly News. There was general news about the mission. A profile of Fort Apache was given by Jetta and Ultra Magnus, omitting of course the real purpose of the installation. No one knew officially that a group was held captive nearby. The newcomers were cautioned and so far so good. No need for panic at the idea of hostile Decepticons nearby. The unity and amity of the city was paramount.

The weather was announced. Clear skies and temps in the moderate range of -40 to -200 at night were forecasted. That was short sleeve weather he thought borrowing a comment he had once heard Bobby Epps say.

The door opened and Ironhide stepped inside. Hanging his guns on the rack by the door that kept them off the floor and out of the way, he walked to Ratchet and kissed him. "I just got back. The genitors are still there and will stay over. I have to go tomorrow but I'm here for our conferences at the school."

"You're a good genitor, Ironhide," Ratchet said as he sat wearily. "You hungry?"

"Peckish," he said with a slight grin.

Ratchet rose and walked to the kitchen getting his mug that said 'World's Greatest Atar' and turned to the dispenser. Sunspot had gotten that made for him at a Guild shop and it was something Ironhide treasured. Putting in the necessary desired supplements with a practiced stir, Ratchet turned and walked to Ironhide handing him his cup. Sitting, relaxing, he grinned. "How's it going out there?"

"Well. We are getting the slabs in place," Ironhide said. "Once the first set are in we can add the first floor. Then the next set of slabs will be slid into place. There's a steel framework that will be the skeleton of the walls and floor that is a marvel. The stones are carved so they slot into the steel. Fast drying cement mixed with a polymer that makes it nearly impervious to harm is poured into the gaps and it sets almost instantly. The whole process is something to see. IntraComm is there filming and talking to the mechs. I hear its going to be a documentary on Channel 9 when its done."

"I will be sure to watch it."

"How are the younglings and the infants?"

"Missing their old pa. They are off tomorrow for conferences and then they begin the next orn. We have a conference first thing for Sunspot and following that, Orion, then Praxus."

"How's Hero?" Ironhide asked with a nod.

"Missing her old pa," Ratchet said squeezing Ironhide's servo.

"Her old pa is missing her," Ironhide said squeezing back.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	84. Chapter 84

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 5

-0-The next day

They took the infants to RTR Tools, chatting up the grand-genitors. When they were finished, they turned and walked out into the mall. The morning was busy, the absorption of more than 200,000 bots over a very short period of time giving volume to their city. When they reached the street, they paused and looked around.

One of the soldiers being profiled was walking toward the shooting range, a segway filled with cameras and humans following. The clubs and cafes were filled with pre-shift mechs eating and drinking their meals, chatting and laughing together. Here and there, mechs sat reading the daily 'newspaper', the Autobot City Daily News catching up on the goings-on of their town.

Stepping out, they walked down the sidewalk that bordered the main highway that led to the housing district and onward to the ever growing aerie of the Seekers. The sun was up and it was -60 degrees, a gentle breeze ruffling the sandy soil that was carefully groomed in front of every place that had some. The city was impeccably clean, the businesses that edged streets careful in the maintenance of their store fronts and the general atmosphere was one of great pride of place.

In the past, most were relegated, the low castes, to marginal areas. The best areas of habitation and recreation were held in the grip of the upper crust. They were jammed into substandard housing, given little opportunity and the tired neighborhoods sometimes showed this fatigue. But most of them were clean, their residents sometimes slapping paint on the walls of their tenements making as they did an attempt to show their quality.

That had carried over here and everywhere they looked mechs were sweeping the sidewalks in front of their stores. Others were picking up pieces of this or that which may have fallen out of something or other and landed on the ground. It was a remarkably beautiful city.

And familiar.

-One night in the Habitat

"What amazes me is how much like our own world this one is. The city has organization like any city on our planet. Their media is free and creative, their news is distributed through their electronic newspapers and programming. They have schools and businesses that are so familiar its like being at home. Sports are as fabulous and familiar as they are at home," Antonio said. "Only ten times more amazing of course. We are talking about mechanical beings."

"They are mechanical in make up but they are social beings, have families and ethics, work hard and love their city and culture. They have mythology and history which they preserve and pass onward. They take care of each other and I like this cashless society. If you need something, you go to the store or place its made and get it. If you want or need something from Earth, you put your order on the Community Bulletin Board in the proper place in the Requisitions link and it comes. They have work that is meaningful. They supply things to their people that need and want them. They employ everyone and preserve and pass on skills at the same time in all the work areas including entrepreneurial classes and there is amity. I find this incredibly remarkable. Imagine, going to a store and getting what you need without money. I can't," Sheila said nodding.

"They are technically advanced on a scale that I am still struggling to understand," Michio said nodding. "Yet they trick or treat and have something called Christmas Surprise. They are security minded but have a free society where information is shared with all. They are spiritual in their practices, science based in their thinking and utterly amazing. I am so honored to be here and experience this."

They all nodded. "Me too," Sheila said with heartfelt emotion.

-0-On the street

They walked toward the schools, Hero nestled in her old pa's arm. She had been bathed and carefully dressed by Ironhide who had chosen white booties, white matching blankets and a white knit cap with a colorful butterfly crocheted into the corner at a jaunty angle. She was beautiful in his optics and he walked with great pride accepting the odd compliment here and there from passing mechs with an almost tearful joy.

Ratchet ambled along with a grin enjoying Ironhide's joy. He had always been a very attentive atar, making sure his little mechs had all the attention and devices possible. It had been spark breaking to put Orion and Praxus in school at such a tender age. It was easy with Sunspot. He loved and needed school. Orion and Praxus would rather hang out with them, Ironhide especially. But they were attending school and their big mopey dad had taken a long time to adjust.

Then his daughter arrived.

His. Daughter.

His spark had become two sizes too big with his little mechs. Those three were his delight. But having a daughter had been something else altogether. She was tiny and petite. She was black like him and looked like him. She wore a braid of red and white like her Ada and older brother, a yellow flower for her other two brothers. Her little optics were bright and inquisitive, lingering on her big old pa often. Her tiny wings were a caution. He loved them. They were petite like her and delicate.

She was slagging awesome.

Her name was Hero.

Hero.

He felt a contentment in his family that had been missing forever. He didn't know it was until now but it had been. Now he would be the atar his own was. He would lead football leagues, do Autobot Scouts when Ratchet remembered it, the slagger and be a pa for his little and big ones the way he never knew he wanted to be. Now they were going to conferences to see how his little infants were doing in school. It used to scare him down to his CNA. Not now.

He hoped.

They reached the school and entered pausing to chat with this and that genitor, hear a word or two about this and that school thing as a board member and then they went upstairs. Stepping off, they walked to the lounge chairs and couches in the foyer of the Sparkling School and prepared to sit.

"Ironhide! Ratchet!"

They turned and paused, a smiling Roto walking toward them. Nodding, feeling the nascent feelings of nausea that conferences always gave them since the early orns, they meekly followed their infants' main teacher into the first conference room to hear the music.

Other conferences were going on in the other rooms but they were cornered by a number of mechs and a femme who had come in for their little bit of the Orion and Praxus pies. Ratchet and Ironhide sat quietly looking at each other and then the professionals as they organized. Then the professionals turned to them with smiles.

"So," Roto began. "When do we get Hero?"

"When the Pit freezes over," Ironhide said. "This sparkling is staying with me to get the advantages. I feel I failed Praxus giving him up so early. Mech missed out on all the advantages. Orion got the benefit of a lot of servos on. This femmeling will get the same chances. Least I can do."

Ratchet smirked at Ironhide and then Roto. "Apparently, the Chaos Bringer has spoken."

Ironhide nodded. "Slagging right." He paused. "Sorry for the language."

The mood was broken and everyone grinned. "What sort of advantages beyond the obvious does she get?" a small femme said. She was Lyrica. She was a music, art and speech therapist who had just graduated and knew nothing about the moving feast that was Ironhide and Ratchet.

"Well," Ironhide began uneasily. "She gets to learn the city. She gets to meet people. Most people think she's slagging beautiful. Uh, sorry. We get to go on the trains. She likes them. She smiles as we ride along. Then she sits in her little box bed on a pallet with pillows propping her up while I do my inventory and check munitions. We talk and I show her things. She likes small munitions. Bullets mostly. I'm not sure if they're her favorites. She's kind of young yet and sort of learning about them. Little mechs decided they like grenades," Ironhide said with a proud smile. "Every orn about midorn she naps on the box bed on my desk as I do my work. We go to see Ratchet in the Hospital. She really likes the elevators. Maybe she'll choose a medical career. She hasn't made up her processor yet. I'm showing her options."

They all nodded, big grins on their faces as it dawned on them that he was serious. The little femme leaned forward. "That's interesting."

"I think so," he said slightly defensively. "I spend a lot of time taking care of her because Ratchet gets pulled out of things so much. I picked out her outfit. I like her little hat. Terradive told me that keeping their processor warm helps it develop. Her little hats match her booties and blankets. I think keeping her warm is a good thing, right Ratchet?" he asked looking at his bond.

Ratchet nodded. "I think its optimal, Only One. You're doing a fine job of it too."

Ironhide nodded and looked at the teachers with a slight grin. "I think so too."

Roto nodded, his grin broad and his affection for both of them evident. He looked at Lyrica. "This little femmeling is the sister of the first sparkling born here. You've met Orion."

She nodded. "That little mech is the first on our list."

He nodded and picked up his datapad. "That's right. Orion, our little marauder is doing a good job," he began. When he was concluded, they would know that Orion could dog paddle now especially when held up a little. He was getting shapes and sizes ahead of schedule. He could plug a cube or rectangle into a hole with pretty good dexterity. His walking skills were stellar for a bot progressing ahead of the curve and his speech was gathering in volume of words and complexity of sentence composition.

He was still too strong to be unsupervised by he was loving and gentle in his own way. His nemesis was less a nemesis than a rival. They were competing for friends, toys and growth achievement. Han was one smart little cookie.

Orion was making his way along the sparkling learning continuum with speed, passing milestone after milestone. He was well liked by all the adults who managed him and had a multitude of friends. He loved his dollies, Mimi and TOTO!

All in all, he was right at or ahead of where he needed to be.

Ratchet and Ironhide themselves would continue to work on voice volume, his tendency to hug and kiss things smaller than him with varying results and his sometimes headstrong tendency to act before he thought.

They nodded mentally transcribing all that the teachers said. The art they were given was described and admired, the little video records of his dance class, his swimming class, his art, speech and exercise classes were gratefully received in downloads. All in all, he was optimal.

Ratchet leaned back and smiled. "This sparkling will be the death of me. I come here with trembling knee structures every time."

"He's grown so much. He's come a long way. He's not the hard aft little sparkling he once was. Mostly. Sometimes," Roto said and they all chuckled.

"He's terribly well liked by everyone and you know I have dibs on him if you ever decide to farm him out," Roto said.

Ratchet nodded and grinned. Leaning on his elbows, Ratchet looked at Roto. "Tell me about you and Terradive."

Roto looked at Ratchet and grinned. "You're too late. We bonded a while back."

"And you never told me? You know, The Hourly News announces bonds to the city. You're holding back, Roto and I'm shocked I tell you," Ratchet said.

"You ought to be, old mech," Ironhide said with a slight grin of his own. "Might knock some sense into you."

"Never," Ratchet said with a grin.

Roto chuckled and then reached for the datapad marked Praxus. "You two are hopeless. Let me tell you about Pax."

They leaned forward and listened.

Praxus, son of Ratchet and Ironhide, brother of Orion, Sunspot, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker; brother-in-law of Bluestreak, uncle/cousin of Iacon, Kaon, Uraya, Miracle, T-Bar, Spirit and Rambler; grandsparkling of Ravel and Tie Down; nephew of Prowl and Prime, Sparkling for the Ages was doing well too.

"He is doing just what he is needed to do for his age and model. He's advanced in walking and his speech is very much on track for his age. He's strong in the arts, likes pre-reading activities and is rather skilled in picking up on things that are mathematical in orientation. He can float on his back and doesn't mind walking around at the bottom of the pool finding things and looking up at the adults smiling down at him. His strength is optimal but he doesn't assert it against others so he can play with almost no supervision with others.

"He's a good mech, Ratchet and Ironhide. Easy to teach, sweet and gentle in manner and very sharing with his stuff," Roto concluded.

The others gave their reports and it was all good. His art work was adored and remarked over, both of the infant's badges of merit and accomplishment were awarded and it was over.

Sitting back relaxing, they both grinned. "That was good."

"It was," Roto said as Neo leaned in with a grin.

"When do we get that sparkling, Ironhide?" she asked.

"I think we have to go," Ironhide said standing. "We have another conference. Thanks for everything. Good bye," he said turning and hurrying out.

They all sat and stared at the big figure disappearing into the crowded lounge area. "That bot is light on his peds," Roto said.

"I know. He's sad that way," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He rose and gathered their bounty. "You will probably see that sparkling, Neo when she's ready for her pre-bond."

Neo grinned. "I know what he feels. The only thing that makes Fifi being in school good is that I get to work here."

"Bingo," Ratchet said turning and walking to the door. "See ya later," he said as he left. He walked to Ironhide who was standing watching the door warily. "Woosie. Big femme."

"You can't make me feel badly, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a grin. "Let's go see about Sunspot."

Ratchet nodded.

"Do you have their art and badges? They sure won a lot of badges, Ratchet," Ironhide said proudly turning with Ratchet for the elevator.

"They are stellar sparklings, Ironhide. Just like their atar," Ratchet said with a grin.

"They are," Ironhide said, then he looked down at Ratchet. "Oh, ha-ha, Ratchet," he said with a big grin.

Ratchet merely chuckled.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	85. Chapter 85

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 6

-0-Youngling Day School, Autobot City, Mars

"They will have to be a lot faster to get this one."

"I noticed that."

"It's not like I don't want her in school. She's going to be a slagging great student just like the others."

"I can see that." (grin)

"I just think she needs time to grow into this … to have the advantages too."

"I agree." (solemn nod of helm)

"She's going to be in school forever once she starts so I think being on the outside, moving around the city and being with you and me makes sense."

"I think you're right." (slight smirk barely hidden)

"Why, we don't even know what her favorite munition is?"

"Unthinkable." (ginormous grin)

"How can we know she's getting what she needs?"

"I agree." (barely contained mirth)

Ironhide nodded, his optics fixed on the doorway to the classroom where Sunspot did his daily routine. Ratchet who was grinning broadly stood beside him watching the big mech as he went through his tortured argument for keeping his latest little sparkling free range so to speak.

They stood in the lobby with other genitors, most of which occupied the couches and chairs as they waited themselves. They stood to one side so that Ironhide could fume undisturbed. Ratchet looked up at his daughter who lay on her atar's arm in a white cocoon of blankets and booties. Hero was looking up at him as he swayed gently, her little white cap charmingly distinctive against the dark armor of her pa and her own. The cap had tiny holes in it to allow her finial points to poke out and it gave her a comical yet feminine aspect. Ratchet considered their morning earlier.

… earlier

He had gotten the infants up and running, all of the smaller ones washed and dried. Sunspot was now more than capable of his own shower but he loved that his old pa would wrap him in a towel when he finished rinsing himself off. When all the mechs were up and at it, Ironhide would attend to the delicate task of taking his delicate tiny daughter out of her crib to the wash bowl on the kitchen table. While Ratchet busied himself getting three little cribs up to specs, he was drizzling water over her tiny helm, her little blue optics twinkling up at him with pleasure.

"There you go," Ironhide said as he sluiced off the last bit of soap bubbles. "You look a caution." A warm towel received her and she lay on his arm cocooned with warmth as Ironhide emptied her pail into the kitchen sink. A sluice of water cleaned it and it was left there tilted to drain and dry. The others watched him from the floor as they waited for breakfast.

"**ATAR!"**

"What, Orion?"

"Her?"

Ironhide looked down at the three little mechs looking up at him. "Hero. Your brother named her." He glanced at Sunspot. "Genius name by the way," he said to the smiling little Seeker who nodded himself. "I like it."

"So do I," Ironhide said. He turned and walked to the couch where he sat, the other three following. They gathered around to look at her. She was without her softly knitted apparel. Things were still left to do.

Ratchet walked out and grinned. "Well, if that doesn't deserve a picture." He unsubbed his camera and snapped several. Subbing it, he moved to the kitchen counter and made breakfast. Sippy cups and a plate of 'ham and eggs' for the youngling were prepared and Ratchet parked them in front of each at the table. They began to partake eagerly. "What are you going to dress her in today?"

"Sunstreaker showed me the catalog. It is the new stuff. I have some more coming with little decals and stuff on them. They look real cute. Some femmes in Ireland crochet things and they made these little hats and booties on specs the Crafts Guild director made of her. The school said she needs to keep her little helm warm. I wonder why no one told me that with the mechs?"

"Actually, I didn't did I. Sorry about that, Ironhide. I guess I just figured they were really in good servos with you. You are a good servos on atar you know."

He looked up at Ratchet with serious optics. "We have a big job raising good sparklings. She's going to be a wonder just like the others."

Ratchet grinned. "You better feed her. I'll manage these younglings," he said as he watched Ironhide find the feeding tube. She smiled at him as he offered it and cozied down taking it readily. Several more snaps met that picture.

… Youngling Day School lobby

They watched mechs come and go, most of them with big grins. Others had looks of determination and concentration as they walked off with their bonds, art, datapads and badges in servos. Finally, Terradive looked out and waved them in. Moving through the crowd, they entered his classroom and paused as the Seeker closed the door. Moving to Ironhide, Terradive grinned. "She's so cute. Roto told me that we can't expect her for some time at school."

"Little femme has things to learn yet. When she's got it down she'll be here," Ironhide said warily. "Right now, she wants to stay with me. I asked her and she agreed."

"I can see that," Terradive said with a big grin. "Have a seat."

They both walked to the table where the younglings sat to read and work on group projects with Terradive. He gathered Sunspot's file and joined them. Sitting, he grinned. "Your little mech is doing very well. Let me show you. I want you to know that I asked Silverwing to come and give us an update on the Seeker end of things. We also have some film to show you about that."

Both nodded. Hero would have but she was dozing quite nicely in the big brawny arms of her atar.

"In the subject areas, Sunspot is doing quite well. As you know, he has a comprehension delay that makes it harder for him. That is the result of his life, the lack of nutrition and care he missed in the most formative orns."

"That is going to even out at some point won't it?" Ironhide asked with a veneer of anxiety poking out of his otherwise placid if intent expression.

"Sunspot is making up a lot of the gap but it could be that he won't ever be all that he could have been with care and protection. He's incredibly self motivated and I am clear that processors continue to work around things that stall them all the orns of a mechanism's life. Isn't that true?" he asked glancing at Ratchet.

Ratchet nodded. "It's like humans and their strokes. Their brains rewire and reroute all the human's life. They keep going and it keeps working until the end. For Sunspot, he will have circuits adjusting all his orns as long as he works at it. He will be a much better youngling everyday than he was the orn before because he wants to be, Ironhide," Ratchet said squeezing Ironhide's arm.

Ironhide nodded only slightly mollified. "We will help him. All his life. My son is going to go to college and be who and what he wants to be. I don't want him not having every opportunity," he said with emotion.

Terradive nodded. "Then all of us are on the same page. His strong suit is math and related sciences. Numbers are a straight line for him with very few detours. Reading is an altogether different language than mathematics though he is doing so much better than last time. He's still behind and its still a struggle."

"We read every night. He reads to me from his books and I read to him. When we walk I point out words and we work them out. He reads labels and such for me in the armory when he comes there. I see him doing better myself," Ironhide said nodding.

"That is very important, Ironhide. He will keep on going. His writing is great. Lots of detail and lots of imagination. He loves to write about the family and his grand genitors are something he always includes. Both pairs. Its all for the good," Terradive said.

"We work on his glyphs. He has a shaky servo he's so intent to be perfect. I tell him to do his best," Ironhide said remembering the joors of practice they would have in the evenings.

Terradive nodded. "It shows. He has improved a great deal." He showed them examples and it was clear to all that Sunspot had. Terradive showed them all manner of projects, reports and other detailed illustrative examples of Sunspot's intense growth and careful work. Sitting back, he grinned. "Children don't grow themselves. It takes a family and effort. As for Sunny's personal development, he has become a changed little mech since getting his firewalls rebuilt. He is even in his temperament. He doesn't have blue periods or moods. He's happy and himself. That was a miracle."

They both nodded. "It was," Ratchet said. "Jarro is a genius with that sort of treatment. I cannot tell you how fragile and ill structured his firewalls were. He made them himself without help. It makes me want to punch something thinking about that, how he never had instruction for himself."

"He has it now," Terradive said nodding. The door opened and a tall Seeker with a light blue paint scheme peered in. "Hi, Silverwing. Come in." He entered and met both genitors, sitting beside them at the table. "Silverwing is managing the case files of the Seeker younglings and he is overseeing Sunspot's. I am going to let him tell you about that."

They turned to Silverwing who subbed a datapad. He grinned. "I am going to be graduating from the University shortly with a degree in counseling, flight instruction for younglings as well as the teaching degree for classroom instruction. I am managing about forty youngling Seekers and organizing their progress in flight school. Sunspot is a very wonderful little mech who is learning to fly and develop a lot of primary skills that he never learned growing up. I am also the liaison for the mental health aspect of Sunspot's program with Jarro and his department. Because he is a seeker, he has a number of things that require Seeker assistance so that part of things falls to me."

They nodded again.

"We have Sunspot mentored to a number of mechs including Red Wing, Cloud Burst, Gold Wing and myself. Starscream personally inspects half of his instruction periods himself to make sure Sunspot has good support and knows that the adult Seeker community is there to help and protect him. Four joors a week he is pulled out of class and taken to the aerie where he is given pertinent teachings about flight, Seeker communication, Seeker interpersonal actions that he didn't get from his genitors and help in his transformation skills. He is deficient in every area but catching up nicely. He has increased his transformation time greatly, making him safer should he ever have to do so quickly.

"Since it is evident that he can transform at his age and grounder mechs and femmes still can't, you can see that there are things appropriate to Seekers that aren't evident among grounders that need instruction and supervision. He makes one very cute little jet."

"He likes the jet pattern. He saw an image of Starscream somewhere when he was on Earth as a jet plane and chose it. I didn't tell him about the rest," Ironhide said with a grin. "He sometimes practices at the apartment going from himself to the little jet and back again. Makes the other little mechs cry sometimes. They don't know where their brother went."

Silverwing laughed and nodded. "It is probably really strange," he said grinning. "But he's getting faster and smoother. Right now, we have him practicing taxiing around the courtyard in the housing development. He doesn't have the coordination or strength yet to do more than lift up slightly and touch down nearly immediately but he's getting braver. We don't want him to fall. We have mechs come out to watch him when he's there. They stand about ready to catch him if things go wrong. This little mech is one beloved little mechanism."

It was silent a moment, then Ironhide and Ratchet nodded. "He's a great little mech. I love him," Ironhide said emotionally.

"You would carry him on a pillow I think. So would I," Ratchet said nodding to the two.

"We feel the same way," Silverwing said. "We teach him about his culture, his family's clan and all the rest. The elders come and talk to him sometimes, the chiefs in particular. Everyone is upset about his situation. We don't allow our younglings to slip away like this. We would love to know how this happened. There would be paybacks I guarantee you."

They nodded. "Get in line," Ironhide said quietly.

Silverwing nodded. He looked at his datapad. "We have him on track to work on short lift offs and gentle touch downs. He is going to be part of a teaching group of older Seeker younglings who are learning the elder language we use to speak to each other privately and a lot of lore. That is also part of recovering who he is. Otherwise, he is a beautiful little mech with a lot of good going on right now. Starscream asked me to give you his regards on this youngling. He's very pleased with how happy and well he is now."

"Give Starscream our compliments back. We want Sunspot to be well and happy and that means recovering who he is as a Seeker," Ratchet said. Ironhide nodded. "He can have the best of two worlds."

Silverwing nodded. "I think he has," he said rising. "Any questions?"

"No," Ironhide said as Ratchet nodded. "Tell everyone that we appreciate what you're doing for him especially the elders. He needs to know who he is."

"I will," Silverwing said nodding to Terradive. He turned and walked out closing the door behind him.

"That's a good report," Ratchet said smiling at Ironhide.

The big mechanism nodded. "That is a good little mech. Sunspot is doing a lot better. Each time It gets better."

Terradive nodded. "It does. We keep going."

"He's going to be staying in this level for a while isn't he?" Ratchet asked. "Rambler has been accelerated."

"He has. The group I have is going to be here for a long time yet. We have a lot of deficiencies to overcome," Terradive said.

"They will overcome them, right?" Ironhide asked anxiously.

"They will. I expect them all to be an awesome set of adults working at great things for the city some day," Terradive said nodding.

Ratchet squeezed Ironhide's arm. "You are a good teacher, Terradive. We appreciate what you do for our youngling and all the others."

"I love this job. I never knew I wanted it. I never got a chance to go to school. I didn't care if I broke things back on Cybertron. I had nothing to look forward to so why care?" he said ruefully.

They nodded. "I hear ya," Ratchet said.

"But now, we command our own world and our own lives. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my little mechs and femmes," Terradive said fiercely. "We will remake our people and it will be better. It already is."

They nodded. Terradive downloaded films, gave them art and reports and loaded them with Sunny's badges for this and that. Rising, teasing about Roto and 'why the frag didn't you tell me you bonded?', they both headed for the door and out into the lobby. Nodding at Prowl and Prime who waited with a grin, they ambled to the door beyond.

The sunlight was bright as they headed for the apartment. Dropping off the wonders of academia earned by three out of their six progeny, they turned and headed back out making their way to the airfield. Omega was waiting and so were the genitors. Alor took Hero and kissed her. Both he and Blackjack kissed and fussed over her before reluctantly returning her to Ratchet. Ironhide leaned in and kissed her too. "Don't get too comfortable, femme. I'll be back and then you and your old pa will ride on the rails again."

Kissing Ratchet, Ironhide turned and they all three walked on board, the hatch closing behind them. Ratchet stepped back and watched as Omega began to gather himself to leave. He rose up and banked away heading upward at a startling rate. Soon he was gone from view. Ratchet glanced at Hero who was looking at him with unblinking baby optics. Grinning, Ratchet kissed her helm. "Let's go find your big brothers. I have a few joors off. We can go show them the error of their ways."

She grinned at Ratchet waving her tiny arms. Ratchet chuckled. "I can see your old pa's fixation," he said as they turned and began to walk back to the Cultural Center. As they did, Ratchet explained the sights and sounds they passed. Hero listened and watched him as he did. Ratchet could almost swear the little femme understood every word he said.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	86. Chapter 86

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 7 -Episode 1, Part 1-

-0-In a editing room in the IntraComm Production Facility, Autobot City, Mars

"This is a good rough cut." Aaron Belcher looked at Jack Mellar. "This is the start of a good three parts where we follow them around without establishing anything more than something about each. Did you talk to Alor yet?"

"Nope," Mellar said. "He's on point somewhere. I asked Jazz to let us edit some of his music into the soundtrack for the ending of the eps and also for some of the scene background."

"What did he say?" Belcher asked.

"He cleared it. We can talk to Alor when he gets back but he's not available right now," Mellar said. "How about we run through this rough cut." He turned to Leonora and a couple of techs they had brought with them. "Mark this down. Time it. We'll get any changes in later. I don't want to pause it because I want to get a feel overall so be on your toes." He turned back and with the Cybertronian techs running the show for the big screen review, the room darkened and the images they had captured filled a huge monitor before them.

(Music eerie and strange softly sounds as swirling darkness appears. As it does it plays over the body of a huge mechanism who is leaning against a corrugated tin wall. He is looking down at them with a dangerous and utterly exotic face. Light plays over him making him appear to be deeply threatening. His beauty is evident and then he is gone. A glyph appeared with the first shot of his face and it morphed to his name.)

Sunstreaker.

(Pan camera to the right. A mechanism appears again, this one red, black and white. A smirk is on his handsome face and he is leaning against the wall staring down at the camera. Amusement mixed with danger featured on his face and he was gone just as the translation of his glyphs faded.)

Sideswipe.

(Pan camera to the left and it passes over a couple who are together, a white and red bot with an unknowable expression and a tall lanky one with a slight grin. Their designs are completely different. Their Autobrands brightly evident. The light passes over them highlighting the planes of their handsome faces, their exotic finials and bright optics. Then it fades along with their glyphs.)

Drift.

Springer.

(Music builds in a tension-causing manner, its strangeness oddly lyrical. A tall figure emerges, one different from the others. A Seeker with dark coloration and a number of details that would become known in time as family and clan markings appears. He is guarded and beautiful, his gaze level and intelligent. The light passes and its dark again.)

Nitro.

(Pan from the left to right. A big bot appears with a hard, guarded expression and a level gaze. His arms are crossed and he's facing the screen directly. He's big and tough. No one to mess with. Then he's gone into darkness with his glyphs.)

Revo.

(The music builds, the cameras pan and pause, shadows casting long and dark across the floor. A camera slowly pans up the body of a big big mechanism, one with a green and gray metallic coloration and scars here and there of combat etched into his armor. He is standing and staring at the camera, downward to the ground. It pauses on his face, a face filled with humor and no nonsense wisdom. His arms are crossed. A metallic device is gripped in his mouth and he doesn't blink looking down. Then he nods slightly and the light moves on fading him into the darkness as his glyphs dissolve.)

Kup.

(In the darkness glyphs appear and transform into English. 'Platoon: On The Ground'. They fade. Then the opening sequence information forms and fades the same way. When they are done, the music fades too. Eerie silence is left.)

End of segment.

They pause and look at each other. "That's great," Aaron says. The others nod. "Let's continue."

The techs oblige.

(Opening shot: Peds are walking and the camera follows. A big yellow and black mech is walking down a sidewalk heading toward a group of buildings that would rival any urban setting anywhere. Entering a big door, he walks to the elevator and goes up. Getting out on the third floor, he continues to the end of the building where a door is open. Entering, he pauses.)

"Where the frag were you?" (Red, white and black Autobot – Sideswipe- is sprawled on the couch.)

"I was busy. We're off duty for a couple of orns. Prowl said he's remaking the duty schedule." (Yellow bot walks to an easel and removed a cover on a painting. Pauses to scrutinize it.)

"Where's Babe?"

"He's with Ratchet." Sunstreaker turned to his paints and began to organize a color mixture.

"That's not good. He gets ideas," Sideswipe said with a grin.

"He does. Go and tell Ada to cut us some slack. He just laughs at me," Sunstreaker said moving to begin more work on the canvas.

(Sideswipe rises and heads to the door pausing) "Sadee is coming after school."

(Sunstreaker glances at his brother, nods.) "Alright."

(Sideswipe leaves. Camera moves to follow Sunstreaker.) "You two are twins, is that correct?" an off camera voice asks.

Sunstreaker nods. "We are. The only ones ever to exist before our daughters."

"In the history of your species?" -voice

(Nods) "That's right." (The little twins escape his processor)

"Incredible. Do you have like mind links and that sort of thing? Twins on Earth sometimes have that." -voice.

(Scary optics turn and look down at camera) "We do. We're twins."

(Camera moves to get better look at canvas) "What are you working on and what are your favorite types of paintings?"

"This is a picture of the Sea of Rust on Cybertron. I like any picture that I like. I don't have time or interest in stuff I don't like. Simple as that." (Long gaze, then looks back at canvas)

"I doubt that there is very little that is simple about you." -voice

(Pause. Glance downward with a small smirk.) "You got that right." (Turns back to canvas)

-CUT TO NEW SCENE: A dojo on the third floor of the Cultural Center

(Flashes of blades, fast footwork and two big bodies sparring)

"Drift is getting slow." (Cut to Kup lounging with his stogie in his servo) "You are going to let that youngling get you are ya?"

(Cut to smirking bot with red markings on his white chassis.) "Slag no."

(Younger bot moves with less grace and less assured gestures. He is Lon, a companion and colleague of the group. He is learning to be a fighter with long blades.)

"I think he's losing his touch." (Cut to big smiling bot sitting in a chair with his peds up, Springer) "Put him out of his misery, Lon."

(Youngling laughs and barely moves away in time.) "I will never be as good as Drift."

"You won't if you believe that, youngling," Kup said. He mused on the camera and then the two sparring. "We're being scrutinized. Makes a mech want to mind his manners."

"You don't have any manners, old mech," Springer said with a grin. "You were put together before they were invented."

Kup looked at Springer with a withering optic. "Sounds like you missed the boat too, youngling."

(Chuckles and grins go around. Sparring ends with bows and tap of blades. Both mechs walk to the sitting area and flop)

"Drift, you don't carry a firearm. Why?" -voice off camera

"I don't need them. I do my fighting with blades," he said the red handles of his brace of long knives peeping over his shoulders.

"What is the third blade for?" -voice

"That's an interesting blade, squishy," Kup said glancing at Drift who grinned at him. "That blade is matched to the spark of the one who carries it. It is very ancient and almost sentient itself. It tunes into the spark of the current owner and is used only as a very last resort. It draws energy from the spark of the wielder and if it draws enough, that bot dies."

"Spark?" -voice.

"Like your heart," Springer said with a grin.

"If you used that blade as a last resort, it could kill you?" -voice

Drift nodded. "It could. They don't get much use. They generate enormous power when wielded."

"Have you ever used it yet?" -voice

"No," Drift said. "Someone who gave it to me did and they died doing it."

"I have been told that all of you were Autobots but you, Drift. I was told you were a Decepticon before. Now you wear the Autobrand and are living here working as one. How did that happen?" -voice

(Big white bot considers the request. Looks at the camera thoughtfully.) "I was a sub-commander on a ship with a very bad captain. I was hard myself. I broke a rule and had to run. When I did I ended up on a planet with a refugee population and city filled with Neutrals. They didn't take a side. Many of them reformed a legendary force called the Knights of Cybertron. They themselves formed a pacifist group called the Circle of Light. They showed me another way and I took it."

"The tattoos on your shoulders all mean something. I was told to ask you to explain them." -voice

(White bot nods) "This one is the tat for the Circle of Light. This one is for my security job here as an Autobot. It is the tat for the Day/Night Watch, Autobot City, Mars. All the policing forces have them including the youngling here," he said glancing at Lon. That youngling looked at Drift with pride and nodded. "The best thing I ever did was joining up with you mechs."

"It was," Kup said drily.

(Pan camera to catch hilarity)

"The others? What are they?" -voice

"My Autobrand and the Wrecker tat. The last one is personal." (Cut to smirking Springer.)

"Do you know what it means, Springer?" -voice

"Yes but he'd kill me if I told you," the big handsome bot said with a grin.

"I would," Drift said with a smirk.

"You are all Wreckers?" -voice

"Most of us. The youngling here isn't. He wasn't in the life as long as us and he wouldn't survive the missions we get," Springer said nodding toward Lon.

"I would go," Lon said.

"We know. We just don't want to bring you back in a sack. This youngling," Kup said pointing at Lon with his stogie, "is one fine youngling. Lots of talent and guts. You have to understand. We have been at this, most of us since your species was sitting in trees peeling bananas."

"You pronounced that word right this time, old mech," Springer said with a chuckle.

"I ain't drunk," Kup said sticking the stogie in his pie hole. He looked at the camera. "We don't waste our younglings. Someday this young mech here will be doing something tremendous for our people. Today, he is learning. Just learning."

"But if you ever need me, I will go," Lon said nodding at Kup.

"You will, youngling. In about a couple of million years," Kup replied.

Hilarity ensued.

-0-Nearby at the same time

She sat in a bouncy seat on the desk of the CMO. He sat with his peds up and a glass of something yummy watching his daughter. She was grinning and looking at her little servos.

:Ratchet:

:Here:

:What are you doing?:

:My job. You?:

:Got a moment or two. Come on over:

:You just want to hold the sparkling:

:Maybe. Maybe not.: The grin came over the line as if Prowl were standing in front of Ratchet.

:On my way, slagger: Ratchet rose and took his daughter into his servos. Turning and walking out, he passed doctors doing things that had fallen only to him only a short time before. Peering into the emergency room, he noted with satisfaction that Knock Out was performing a minor operation with tact for once. That it was a sniffling infant probably helped. Grinning at Breakdown, he stepped back into the elevator and went down to the lobby. Sauntering out, he made his way to the Fortress and Ops Center beyond.

-0-Inside

Prowl sat at the table watching the datapad rolled out on the table. He also monitored seven other major data inputs but that was all background noise in his processor. Ratchet entered and walked over relinquishing his daughter before taking a seat and putting up his peds. "You look busy."

"Just data. I have the plan for the spy job on Soundwave's fort sent in to Optimus for approval. The groups on the other side are progressing without problems. All is well in my world."

"You're bored then," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't say that," Prowl said with his own smirk. He looked down at Hero. "She's really cute."

"She's slagging beautiful to quote a Chaos Bringer of my acquaintance."

They both grinned.

Ratchet leaned forward. "Did you know about Terradive and Roto?"

"I did," Prowl said nodding.

"You slagger. You're supposed to be on my side. How come you didn't tell me?"

"I forgot."

Ratchet stared at his partner in crime and grinned. "Liar."

Prowl leaned forward and grinned. "Whiner."

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	87. Chapter 87

NOTE: Holy God, I was so tired last night. It's been uh, years? since I couldn't put a seggie up. Sorry about that. :D :D :D Bad me. I had so many ideas to put into things over the next dozen or so, I hate when I'm tired and can't do it. Love ya, all you out there. I will answer notes back to you all weekend. HUGS!

-0-Let's ride this pony ...

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 8 -Episode 1, Part 2-

-0-In a studio at IntraComm

"That part was great. The conversations with the leadership are gold," Aaron Belcher said. "The first part is great. What about act II?"

"Let's roll," Jack Mellar said.

It did.

-0-Act II

(Cut to airfield. Shuttles were lined up on the flight line some of them loading and others unloading. Huge mechanisms walked nearby, two of them standing together talking quietly. Small vehicles went here and there, some of them to hook up to space craft and some to carry things that were not big pallets of this and that. Pan the mechs standing together, gear gathered at their peds.)

"Where are you going?" -off screen voice

(Tall black and green Autobot soldier looked down at them contemplating an answer.) "We're going on station at the forward base on Io."

"How long will you be gone?" -voice

"We're there for a decaorn."

"That's ten days?" -voice

(Big bot contemplates as other bots turn and look down, moving to gather around the camera and the off screen voice. Gives impression of human vantage point in a metallic forest.) "Yes. We call them orns."

"Are you Wreckers?" -voice. "I hear that its usually Wreckers or front-liners that get to go to the forward bases."

"Both do. Some are both." (Big black and green bot looked at the Master of the Muster. He was calling out the all go. Looks down at camera.) "Come out sometime. We'll show you how we roll." (Grins, gathers gear and follows others up ramp. Ramp closes and ship lifts off heading upward at an unholy rate. Camera follows it.)

(Scene fades out. Another fades in.)

(Vantage point at edge of pit where a struggle is going on below)

"Hold on tightly. Don't let go, youngling." (Huge fierce looking bot looks up and spots another at the edge of the pit who is looking down with concern.) "Bulkhead, get a medic."

(Bot named Bulkhead, enormous and shades of metallic green turned and steps away. Enormous fierce bot struggles to hold a cable.) **"GET ME A WINCH!"**

(A tall big framed bot appears and transforms, a long cable with a hook spooling out and downward from the long arm of his alt format, a heavy duty tow truck. Down it goes to the enormous bot in the hole. That bot looks downward.) "Grip this youngling with your free servo. I have your other one. I won't let go."

(Agonized voice from lower down is heard.) "It's packed so tight. I can't move my legs."

"Don't worry, youngling. Grip the hook. Lock your servo. When I lean down, grip the hook with your other one. I will hang onto your shoulder. Can you get it?"

(Tense silence but for the sound of the engine of the tow truck and the grunting of the big mech holding up someone deep in the hole. A sound of pain and moaning from the hole and then the big mech slips. Sounds of shouting as mechs scramble to rope the big slipping mech. When he's secure, they pull back until the line is taut.) "No more!" (The big mech glances over his shoulder to the security line holding him from falling down himself.) "Keep it taut." (He looks down and its quiet.) "Grip the line, youngling. Grip it tight with both servos, Dali. I won't let you fall farther."

(A sobbing sound is heard.) "I know, Scar. Its just so tight."

"That will hold you, youngling. It will help us winch you back up." (Looks up to the pit boss who is back, the mech called Bulkhead. He nods. That big bot turned and patted the hood of the tow truck.) "Very slow, Hoist. Make it really slow. Fix your audials on Scar."

"Roger." (A voice from the vicinity of the tow truck cab answered and the winch began to incrementally pull upward. The sound of groans and a cry was heard. Scar holds up servo to halt process. Truck called Hoist stops immediately.) "Get me some micro-mini-cons and a torch. We need to cut some steel. I see the hold up. And get me a rope to harness the youngling. I don't want him to lose his grip even if he is locked in." (Looks down) "You're locked aren't you, Dali?"

(Weak voice) "I am, Scar. Don't leave me."

"I'm here, youngling." (Scar grim faced and precariously perched halfway down the deep pit that will be one day the foundation of a new school building. The collapsed side of the stone and gravel foundation can be seen. Jagged bits of steel, a support for the stone and aggregate fill to come stick out here and there, one of them pressing against the youngling, Dali who can barely be seen in the pit.) "You'll be home for dinner, youngling. You can tell me about that mech of yours."

(Soft chuckle filled with pain can be heard in the grim stillness. The crews have stopped working and assembled around the scene of the accident. One of them, a tall dignified mech with an outstanding paint scheme looks especially pained.) "Do we need to get the hospital here?"

"The site medic is coming. The call has been put into the hospital, Copperton. When we get him out, the runabout will take him there for treatment." (Bulkhead speaking with the elegant mech glanced upward.) "Here comes the runabout."

(Nearby, kicking up dust and dirt a medical runabout lands. Two mechs step off, both carrying medikits. They hurry over and pause. One is an enormous bot with black and dark green features on a big hulking frame that was fronted by an oddly handsome and enigmatic orange face. The other was a smaller bot, equally elegant with a white face and an attitude.) "What happened?" (He asked in a voice that was borderline insolent and all around sassy.)

"The wall collapsed. There's a segment of frozen water in the soil and it rendered unstable." (Bulkhead spoke to them. The pilot of the runabout joined the crowd) "We have a youngling pinned down there with steel and we're going to get it cut. He's probably got some broken structures because he's in pain."

(Red and white bot nods. His name is Knockout. The other is Breakdown. Red and White bot steps closer and scans the pit. A beam of light emits from his forearm. Steps back.) "We have some broken struts. There are wounds as well. Two pieces of the steel framework have punctured him and he can't be pulled out until that's taken care of. Nothing terminal but all of it is serious."

(Bulkhead nods and moves to Scar. Fills him in. Two tiny mechs run up with a torch kit in servo. Conference is had. Knockout supplies details. They are lowered into the pit by rope. Tension permeates everywhere. All of the crew watch and wait. The sound of torches can be heard. A cry or two now and again from the pinioned bot can be heard.)

"Scar!" (Mini-con calls up to the boss still perched in the hole comforting the now secured youngling.) "You can pull him up!"

(Scars looks up. Nods to Bulkhead. Bulkhead pats tow truck.) "Slow, Hoist. Listen for Scar and the mini-cons."

(The tow begins slowly, ever slowly. Cries are heard. Words from min-cons can be heard. Then Scar begins to emerge holding onto the winch line as he scrambles upward.) "Easy. Easy. Hang on, Dali. Take it slow."

(The servos of a big tall mech can be seen, then arms, then a young agonized face. Mini-cons are winched up and pulled out of hole. Youngling is barely conscious, his face held gently by Scar. He is whispering something to the youngling. The youngling nods. He is barely aware.)

"Get ready to pull the youngling out." (Bulkhead gives orders and the two are pulled up and over. A stretcher is waiting for the youngling and he is gently placed upon it. He has to be medically induced to let go of the hook. He is lifted gently and carried to the runabout with Scar, Knockout, Breakdown and Bulkhead following. Discussion is held, Scar boards with the youngling and doctors. The ship lifts off. Bulkhead watches it go. Turns and comes back.)

"How is he?" a mech asks.

"Going to the hospital. He'll be alright." (Bulkhead peers into the pit.) "Let's get this fragger straightened out. I want someone from Geology to come and sonar the rest of this site. Get them here, Banzi." (A tall mech with a serious expression and a white and orange paint scheme nods and makes the call. The others with relief begin to fix the mishap.)

(Cut to hospital, emergency floor, Autobot City Medical Tower)

(Youngling mech lying on medberth. Knockout and Breakdown looking over him.) "I think we need an orthopedic structural specialist." (Red and white bot speaks to other, showing inside the youngling's pierced side a number of broken interior structures. Breakdown nods.) "I'll see who's on duty." (Turns and walks to computer. Scar standing at the front of the berth looks down at sedated youngling.) "How bad is he?"

(Red and white bot glances up.) "He has some internal structural damage. It will take surgery to repair it. He has a crushed ped. He has a structural fracture up his left leg. That will require micro-welding of a kind few can do. I ***suppose* **our resident mad doctor will do that."

"Ratchet?" (Scar looks up.)

"Who else?" (Knockout has peeved look on handsome face.) "This youngling will live. He won't be working for a few orns. He needs to seriously let his internal processes do their job without stress. Any stress applied to these new welds and replacement parts could cause them to collapse. He must make sure they have a chance to set and cure."

(Scar nods. Bots come through the door, discuss the situation and the patient is handed off. Scar stays with Breakdown who will assist. Knockout walks out of the emergency room and down to the office where he works for the shift. Enters. Sits and looks at desk work. Looks up at camera.) "What are you doing here?"

"We were interested in your comments about Ambassador Ratchet. They make it sound like you two aren't friends." -off camera voice.

(Smirk and snort) "You can say that. Are you the fleshies that are here to make a film about the soldiers or some such slag?"

"We are. We wonder if you would like to talk to us." -voice

"About what?" (Slight raise in level of concern.)

"About you, about your life, your beef with Ratchet. Are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?"

"You have to ask?" (Smirking bot leans back in chair. Grins at the camera.) "I am … or shall I say I was a Decepticon. I am Knockout, one of the few Decepticons that favor a vehicle mode."

"Why?" -voice.

"Why? Because I look great in white steel belted radials."

(Camera focuses on tires seen just over the bot's shoulders.) "You do."

A friendship is born.

-0-Studio

"That bot is money." Aaron Belcher looks back at the studio crew. "Do you know him?"

"He's a slagger. He and Ratchet have issues. He's one of the few Decepticons that are actual doctors. Most of the time they patch themselves or make due." The studio mech grinned. "Breakdown is Ratchet's protege. He likes to turn around the hard afts. Knockout is in a class by himself."

"I can see that," Belcher said as Mellar nodded. "We need to keep an eye on him too. He could be the antagonist of the story and he's hilarious besides."

A chuckle caught their attention and they looked back at the mechs who were running the review. "You understate very well," one of them said with a grin.

-0-At another studio

The door opened and Sadie walked in nearly dragging her portfolio. There were sketches out the wazoo, a few watercolors that had potential and two finished paintings that had been worked out through collaboration with her new god, Sunstreaker. She put it down and smiled up at him. "Hi."

He looked down and grinned. "Hi. I see you did your homework."

"I did. Let me show you," she said as she knelt down and began to unpack her piles and masses of awesome stuff. Sitting on a couch nearby reading The Autobot City Daily News, Sideswipe paused and grinned. Sunstreaker grinned back.

-0-At the University

Revo stood in his lecture hall with his datapads filled with stuff. Nearby, parked against a wall the camera crew recorded. He had thus far gotten away without compromising his family's privacy. It was clear it wouldn't last forever. They turned and headed his way. Pausing, the camera looked up. "Revo, what are you teaching here?" -off screen voice

"Flying." (big bot looks down and pauses.

"What kind?" -voice

"Commercial for now. When these students finish this course, they will be eligible for military and combat flying training."

"What did you do back on Cybertron? Were you from Cybertron?" -voice

(Bot looks down with unreadable expression) "I was. I'm from Vos. I was a shuttle pilot."

"You were a Decepticon."

(Bot nods.) "Yes."

"You were and you work with Autobots in an Autobot city. How does that work for you?"

(Bot stands a moment considering the question from all angles.) "It works because I have a family to protect. The Decepticons were different once. They were for justice and equality. But they turned into something else and became all about Megatron and what he wants. I have a daughter I have to raise and a family to protect. I have responsibilities here that are working for me as the beneficiary, not someone else. We are equal here the way we should have been before and never were. It's about freedom and equality. My daughter goes to school and I teach in a University. It would have never happened in my life before, only with Prime. Only with Prime."

"You can put aside bad feelings and old grudges?" -voice

"You have to. If you want to live a decent life, if you want your kids to be safe and grow up good, you have to. We have lost our home world over that. Consider what it would mean for you to lose your own world, to have to flee and hope you find a place that will have you, or you can have. In the end, with hate and fighting, there's death and suffering. We're tired of it. We work out here because Prime keeps his word."

"You were enemies before." -Voice

(Long pause. Turns and looks down at camera with menacing stare.) "Because someone lied. That won't work again."

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	88. Chapter 88

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 9 -Episode 1, Part 3-

-0-In a studio at IntraComm

"That part was perfection. Revo's conviction made the hairs on my arms stand up." Jack Mellar made a note and glanced at his partner.

Aaron Belcher nodded. "Let's see Act III. Then we can decide the stringers to hold the main acts together. I think we need some hooks to hang them on."

Mellar nodded. "Roll Act III please."

They did.

-0-At the firing range

(Cut to the firing range which is a vast area with bunker-like installations near the firing line from which come both real and holographic targets of all manner and kind. Sideswipe walks to the range with his gun in servo. He is looking at the site and ignoring the camera. Pausing to chat with a couple of soldiers leaving, he continues to the firing line.)

"What are you planning to do, Sideswipe?" -off camera voice

"I'm going to practice my shooting." (Big mech looks down at camera with his usual smirk.) "We have to keep in trim. You never know when Megatron will come around."

"You would shoot him?" -voice.

"No doubt." (He looks at camera.) "He will never live to get this close." (His expression changes to a cold look of sheer menace similar to his brother's, his deep voice becomes cold. He turns and speaks his identification number to the master computer which runs the shooting programs. Then he starts. Moving with almost unnatural speed and agility, he shoots all the targets. He even seems to anticipate them. They are up, shot and its over that quickly.)

"Sideswipe, you're very good. What is your favorite weapon? Do you enjoy combat or is it a job that you have to do for your people's protection?" -voice

(Big mech pauses and looks down, his expression both menacing and mirthful.) "My favorite weapon is whatever I have at servo. I like my guns. I have a lot of them but I like swords more because they get you closer. My brother and I slag it out with the 'Cons face-to-face and we're known for that personal touch. Servos, guns, swords … I don't care. Whatever does the job. As for liking this? I like to fight, yeah. I have my whole life. This is what you get when no one is smart enough to find another way. I don't apologize for myself. I am good at what I do and Sunny and I making a slagging good team. We're still alive after all this time and a lot of hot shots aren't. You don't stay that way without practice and skill. We have it."

"You work with humans. You work with the N.E.S.T. soldiers … what do you think about that and about them? How do they rate in your professional estimation?" -voice

(Big mech pauses a moment to think about it. He looks down at camera.) "I'm not sold on all humans. Don't get me wrong. I'll defend Earth and everyone there. However, they treated us like slag at Diego. They tried to kill our kids and they almost killed Ratchet. Some tried to sell out your people to Megatron. The soldiers are another story. I like them. We work together well. They're brave to go up against someone like us with their organic bodies. That takes slagging guts and I respect them for it. Some of them are really skilled. We will fight for this system and for Earth. We will protect you against the slaggers. You cannot imagine what it would be like to fight them without us. This shooting I did … it isn't even close to what combat is but it might give you a glimmer."

(Big mech transforms gun and it disappears into thin air.) "Sideswipe, where did your gun go?" -voice

"Into subspace. Ask Wheeljack or Perceptor. They can explain it to you." (The big mech smiles a wolfish grin.) "I have to roll."

"When do you go on duty again and where will it be? Are you and your brother in the duty rotation now?" -voice

"Tomorrow, we will go to Charon. We won't be back for a decaorn unless there's a mission." He looks at the firing range and then down again. "I would rather stay here." (Big mech grins and then transforms his feet into wheels. He grins again.) "Race ya." (Big mech turns and peels out rolling madly back to the city. He is gone from view in seconds.)

Fade out. Fade in.

(In a huge room where the walls are lined with bins and bins of things that look dangerous. Big tables fill the room where about 20 mechs of all manner of design work to make things out of the materials. Camera pans around the room and comes to rest on a big Seeker with a calm manner and dark paint scheme. He ignores the camera, intent on describing a munition to a younger mech.)

"Nitro? What are you making?" -off screen voice

(Big mech leans forward and looks over table's edge) "Specialized munitions for heavy gunners."

"You were a Decepticon. You are a Seeker. What does it mean to you to work here in an Autobot city with Autobots commanded by a Prime?" -voice

(Big mech considers question.) "This is a Cybertronian city filled with Neutrals, Autobots and ex-'Cons. I don't have a problem with it. I came here to find refuge for my family and those who came on ships with me. I commanded ships and to tell you the truth, I never wanted to be a Decepticon. I had to when Prime left to find the AllSpark because the 'Cons took over. A lot of us had to join. When it was clear that Megatron had lost his processor and had ordered all Seekers to be killed where found, the decision was easy to make to leave and follow Prime's call. Working here in a place that values me and my kind, where my family is safe and my daughter can go to school … that matters. I respect Prime. We all do. We fight for each other and this place under his command willingly and with pride. Megatron would be a fool to even try to come here." (Mech's expression tightens with resolve and cold determination.)

"Doesn't it seem strange to you to make munitions for a former enemy in their city?" -voice

"It was. But Prime keeps his word. We're all tired. We want to live among our own kind again. We want to hear Cybertronian languages, keep Cybertronian customs, have families and rebuild our civilization. I'm going to night school. I'm learning to be a writer. On Cybertron, no one would even try to be what they wanted to be. It wasn't allowed. Here I can do that. My daughter can too. She's going to college someday and we will get her there. She is going to be someone important in this place. When we came here she was dying. They took her in and saved her life even though I was a 'Con. They didn't care. It changed everything I ever believed at that moment. Prime was the one. He has always been the one. The only one. Some day, we might rescue Cybertron and everyone can have what we have. Frag Megatron if he tries to make it different."

(Other mechs around the tables pause to listen and all of them nod in agreement.)

"Did you live together on Cybertron or what? Was it segregated?" -voice.

(Big mech nodded.) "It was. I lived in Vos because that was where Seekers had to live. We were lowest on the scale. Most of us were poverty-stricken and denied opportunity. The rich lived well and the rest of us scratched for whatever we could find. When a system does that to the majority, the minority better never get too comfortable in their beds. They're easy to find. They live in the big houses."

"Equity and fairness matter then." -voice

(Big mech nods and so do others) "The lack of it started the war. It made Megatron possible. Earth better get smart. If enough get hungry, they will go find food and there's slagging more of us then the others. It happened on Cybertron and allowed Megatron to rise up and take power. Equality and fairness are everything. We have it here. Prime is fair and he keeps his word. I respect him. I follow him because he is the only legal leader we have left. He's also slagging honorable and in my culture as a Seeker, that is everything. If you aren't honorable, if you lie and don't keep your word, you're a fragger and you shouldn't expect a long life."

"Should I be afraid of you?" -voice asks with a smile in tone.

(Big mech smirks slightly as the others grin.) "A lot of mechs have been. Don't be. I don't like it anymore. We fight for this system and it includes you too." (Turns and looks at others speaking in a gentle voice.) "We have a deadline, younglings." (They turn and begin to work, goodnatured grumbling notwithstanding.)

Fade out.

-0-In an IntraComm studio

"Nice work on that cut. Nitro is sort of tightly coiled. I hear that there's a number of 'Cons like him. Payload and Scar. Someone called Rampage. I also heard about something called Stunticons and Aerialbots. There's also something about combiners out there that we might tactfully, and I mean really tactfully ask about." Mellar turns to mech techs who are running the viewing. "Do you know about them?"

"Ask Prowl and have him give us an opinion. We can't say until they do," Prophet said nodding. He was a tall mech who was supervising the production of the series in the studio.

"Make an appointment with Prowl will you, Leonora? I want to discuss a number of things before we give the program to them for review," Mellar said.

She nodded.

"By the way, nice stuff with Nitro. If you can find out about these combiners, I want you to do the segments. I like how you can handle these mechs. I think they have a lot of respect for females," Jack said.

She grinned and nodded. "Thanks. I will."

"Run the ending credits please," Jack requested glancing back at Prophet. He nodded and began.

(Black screen fills the monitor and it undulates. Light plays over the feet of a huge bot, one with menace that doesn't require a face to make clear. It passes over and darkness returns. Then it comes back and pans slowly upward as the music of Alor of Iacon begins to play quietly. Upward and upward, the figure of a mech standing beside a corrugated wall becomes more clear. Scars on the armor of this mech are evident and as it reaches upward brutal arms appear folded across a massive chest. The light passes into darkness and then comes back illustrating a brawny chassis and a face out of a nightmare. Cold optics peer out of a face with scars across it. The face is deeply masculine and oddly handsome. The optics stare without blinking. He turns to the wall and the light passes over. Its dark again. Credits are playing, first in glyphs and then translating into English. The light comes back and the mech is facing the camera again staring down with a firm expression. Then the mech raises his arm, an Autobrand appearing on his forearm. He smirks slightly, then is gone, his glyph changing to his name in English before fading.)

Scar.

The rest of the segment plays the same way, a black background, glyphs morphing to English and the eerie and oddly beautiful music playing. Then it all fades away. Its over.

They sat in the room thinking quietly and then Jack turns to the others. Looking at their expressions, all of those present, he grins. "That's a wrap."

No one argued.

-0-The Trine

They sat around the table in the conference room of the Sparkling Day School. They had asked for a time for all three to come and it was accommodated two orns after regular conference time. Roto and other specialists had joined together to tell the tale of Kaon and the twins. Sunstreaker sat quietly, his internal focus gearing up to the usual intensity. Blue sat chatting with Laret who was going to speak as the twins primary aide and all around room granny. Sideswipe leaned back in his chair prepared to hear greatness.

Roto took a datapad and grinned. "Your sparklings are absurdly good. But then, you already know that."

The ice was broken and they all grinned. "We do spend lots of time with them to help them. We did everything you told us last time. We are concerned about Kaon's speech. We will do whatever you ask us to do about it too," Bluestreak said nodding.

"We have tested him and he is doing a good job in developing language and the skills for speech. I am sure you have noted the words he uses," Roto said.

"He has ten he uses and there are four more that he gets partly right," Sunstreaker said nodding. His focus was what it was every time he came. Intense, direct, zeroed down to a pinpoint.

"Thank you," Roto said. "I have eight words that he uses and two that he's working on. If you can download that to me, I will put it on the chart I'm keeping."

Sunstreaker nodded. Sideswipe and Bluestreak exchanged glances and turned back to Roto. "We will."

Roto nodded. "Kaon meets and in a couple of instances exceeds the standard set for infants his age. He walked early, he's talking early and he can do a number of fine motor skills that are ahead of the curve. He is a happy little mech who loves others and others love him. He has incredible manners, a gentle personality and has little fear of things. He can float on his back in the pool now and like Praxus, he likes to walk around under the water peering up. He thinks that is hilarious."

Sunstreaker nodded. "We need a community pool then. One we can take him to so he can practice swimming and play. The water will make him work harder and grow stronger, right?"

"I hadn't thought about that. Yes, it will help him in all those areas," Roto said.

"I'll bring it up at the school meeting when I get back from Charon. Sideswipe and I are going there for a decaorn," Sunstreaker said with a nod. "A pool would be a good idea."

Laret nodded. "I would go there with Fifi and I know others would. We can bring it up at the staff meeting with Prime. I'll mention it to Neo."

Sunstreaker nodded. "Good."

Roto watched him and considered his demeanor. This sparkling was excelling for a reason. Roto nodded. "In the academic areas, Kaon is at the level he should be. He likes to build things and take them apart. He likes art and he likes math. He listens in groups and plays beautifully. He's a delight and at this point he has no deficiencies." Roto showed them his creations, handed them his badges and sat back with a grin. "All of the mechs should be so easy as this one. He's a genuinely good little mech."

Sunstreaker recorded every word. It fed something inside of him that was hard to articulate. He was filled with a joy that was hard to describe. His sparkling was excelling and he had earned high praise from his school. His art would be carefully stored, some displayed and his badges would go on the wall along with all the others. He would see to it.

"Now let me tell you about the twins," Roto said nodding to Laret. "How about you starting, Laret."

She grinned and looked at her datapad. "How can I describe perfection?" she said with a smile.

Sunstreaker's spark nearly burst with joy and pride.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	89. Chapter 89

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 10

=0=Around the city

Below ground on the train tracks heading outward

Ratchet hurried to the platform to take the next pedestrian train to the factory where he wanted to go. In a nod to the traffic that was going on its way here and there underground, a regular schedule of trains for pedestrians were added to the schedule. Amidst the endless parade of commercial traffic, some of the trains were for mechs and femmes to get about on. Automated engines pulled flat cars where mechs and femmes could step up and down to get where they wanted to go. Patterned after the pedestrian system of Iacon, there were lines that went in endless rounds of their own territory with branching lines going off to the hinterlands.

Ratchet stood on the platforms built for pedestrians and saw his train coming ahead. Train 7 of the Circle Line was pulling into the station and when it stopped he stepped onto the platform and waited as the train paused, then began to go again. There would be three more stops and one line change before he reached his destination, Fabrications-Electrical.

Hopping off at the platform nearby, he walked to the factory and entered. A clerk sitting at the desk inside greeted him and took his ideas and orders. Nodding as Ratchet explained what he needed, he gave Ratchet a due date and a number to track the manufacturing of his order. Thanking the little femme, he turned and walked out to take the train back to the main station under Metroplex.

-0-At a conference room in Ops Center

The humans sat on the chairs provided after being lifted onto the table by Smokescreen. He had met them at the door and carried the party into the conference room to wait for Prowl to come. Jack Mellar, Aaron Belcher, Leonora Huttle, Niall Graham as 'liaison' and Will Lennox who was just along for the fun sat in the comfortable chairs and waited. Beyond, the transparent steel walls of the huge room allowed them to watch the activity beyond, activity that Smokescreen rejoined.

"So this is Ops Center," Mellar said softly. "I wish I had a camera."

"It would never make it past the censors," Niall said.

"Too bad. This place is beyond state of the art," Mellar said considering the cinematic possibilities. "We could do some really dramatic things here."

"Which is why its off limits. I'm just surprised that Prowl agreed to meet you in here," Will said.

Aaron shrugged. "They understand the potential for public relations too."

"Maybe," Will said with a slight shrug. "I can also imagine they don't give a damn in the long run too. Don't ever forget how old all these bots are."

"By the way," Mellar said looking at Lennox. "We will be wanting onscreen interviews with all of you."

Will looked at him and grinned. "Like my old dad used to say … you can wish in one hand and -"

At that moment, mercifully, Prowl came to the door and paused, his elegance and intelligent affect shutting down the stupid immediately.

"Gentlemen and Ms Huttle … you wished to speak to me," he said with the formalized manner he used with individuals of questionable trust possibilities.

"Thank you, Prowl. Commander Prowl," Mellar said correcting himself to match the manner of the huge mechanism that was regarding them with a sort of cool calm regard. "We want to ask you about a number of interesting things we have learned while here before we turn over the first episode of the show to the censors for review."

Prowl nodded and moved pulling out a chair. He sat and turned regarding them, the refugee infant sleeping contentedly inside his carry hold. "What can I do for you?" he asked in his cultured tones.

"We are finding that the interactions of our group of subjects are overlapping with others that are not on the official list. We find the Guardians fascinating. The idea of Metroplex is astonishing. I can still remember when he arrived and transformed to his root mode. I would like to know if we can interview and perhaps add the Guardians, the aerial bots and some of the other really interesting mechanisms as well here and there."

"I would have to put that request past our Prime. I cannot make a decision without that input," Prowl said.

"We put into our initial request access to some of the families. We want to showcase the family side of your soldiers. We don't intend to be invasive or exploitative. I wish you could understand how outstanding we are finding your soldiers. But we do feel it would be beneficial to telling their story if that part of their lives was shown as well."

"I know we haven't completely signed off on that point. This would be a voluntary thing for our soldiers. Some of them would have reservations about this and others might not. I will poll them and perhaps generate a list for our Prime to review."

Mellar nodded. "I have also heard about combiners. I was hoping you could enlighten us about that and allow us to show any combiners that live here."

It was silent as Prowl considered that. Lennox understood that he was also in conversation with Prime wherever he was and that any answer he would give would be a collaboration. He looked at Mellar. "The Prime would like to consider your request regarding combiners."

"I would also like to interview and perhaps film the Stunticons that I am told live here too," Mellar asked nodding.

Prowl looked at him and leaned back in his chair. "That would be at the discretion of the Prime. You need to understand that some of the bots you want to speak to aren't very good mechs. Some of the Stunticons are locked up they're so anti-social and dangerous."

"We understand. Some of the prisoners you hold here have intriguing backgrounds dramatically. I don't suppose you would allow us to speak with them too," Mellar ventured.

Prowl shook his helm. "That would be highly unlikely."

"I figured so but I had to ask. If we could get a determination on the other requests, that would be very helpful. We are prepared to submit the first episode. We are in the process of finishing up and editing three more. We want to have one full hour episode a week for broadcast on Earth. We see this as an educational tool to develop unity between our people and yours. We have heard about the bombing in San Francisco the other day."

Prowl nodded. "We heard about it too."

Mellar glanced at Belcher and grinned. "That was funny. What do you think about that?"

Prowl considered what he wanted to say and then shrugged slightly. "We are following that development. We are also used to opposition among some of your population. That is about all I can say on the subject at the moment."

Mellar nodded. "I would love to interview you on camera. I know we can't interview the Prime. I don't even know what he looks like. But I would love to interview you, Ratchet and Ironhide."

"I will take it under advisement," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "Are there any other questions, comments or observations for the good of the order?"

Mellar glanced at Belcher who looked at Prowl. "This place is fucking awesome."

Lennox dialed down his audial transmitters. Sometimes in space, no one can hear you laugh.

-0-Moments later on a segway going toward IntraComm's new building north of the Metroplex District

"That was stupid. Honestly, that was stupid."

Belcher shrugged. "So. I told him this place is fucking awesome. It is."

"He's the fucking S.I.C. He's not the kind of bot you swear in front of like that," Mellar said as he drove madly onward. "You worry me, Aaron. You really do." They toodled off into the crowds as they hurried back to the studio to study the rushes from the day's filming for episodes five through eight.

-0-Ops Center

Ratchet walked in and sat spying Prowl bent over Teletraan III finishing up a conversation with Blackjack out at Fort Apache. He turned and paused, smirking slightly. Walking over, he sat and tossed his stylus down. "What have you been doing?"

Ratchet leaned forward and told him. After a moment of exquisite surprise, Prowl leaned forward and they collaborated. With a short call to the fabrication plant, Prowl signed on to the Great Idea.

"Apparently, there will be an episode to review shortly. The humans want to see a combiner," Prowl said.

"We have two. Well, we have most of another one." Ratchet grinned. "I would love to see the Stunticons combine with a few missing limbs."

They grinned at each other.

"We have the Aerialbots, we have part of the Stunticons and who else? I can't remember. We have non combiners. Omega and Optimus for example," Ratchet said. "That is an interesting request."

Prowl nodded. "I doubt it will be accomplished. That is, unless the Aerialbots want to do it."

"I forgot. Metroplex is a non combiner. His components are autonomous beings."

Prowl nodded. "I'm glad I don't have to accommodate another being," he said. "Unless of course its this." He tapped his hatch door and Ratchet peered inside. The smallest refugee infant was curled into a ball asleep.

"That's a combination I can go for," Ratchet replied tapping his own hold. Inside, curled into a ball, Hero slept on too.

They both grinned at each other.

-0-Out there

Blackjack stood in the emerging Ops Center getting the rundown from the techs who were wiring everything everywhere at once. Things were falling into place at a pace that was astounding. Alor and Flint were huddled nearby with the mechs who were going to be raising the massive array of communications devices to the roof and the raised array platform nearby.

Mechs worked on three levels putting into place a fortress that was prefabbed in another solar system and carried by enormous sentient ships to this large secluded planetoid. A mass of free floating planetary fragments surrounded them shielding their new fortress from prying optics.

Below the ground were two levels of space that were larger than the footprint of the huge fortress. The lowest level was storage, the second accommodating the computer and electronics systems as well as housing the personnel who would live and work here. They would tunnel outward to make more space once they were underway. Right now, the bridges would supply their immediate needs and wants.

Ironhide walked inside peering upward. They were lowering the last slab of the roof, securing it with the polymer cement that would make it nearly impervious to breakage. His genitors would be living here shortly managing the operation against Overlord. He would spend as much time here as possible and he would personally see that they were supplied with everything. He walked to his father and joined him. The final wiring would commence immediately.

:Looks like its coming together quickly: Ironhide said as his father turned to him.

Blackjack nodded. :It is. When this is enclosed and pressurized I will be glad:

:You will be able to hear yourself: Ironhide said with a grin.

:There is that: Blackjack said with a grin of his own. :The outside array will be ready for debugging and testing tomorrow. Wheeljack and Perceptor will be coming to accomplish that. Then we can begin broadcasting. I want to hurry it along, Ironhide. I don't want the refugees to feel we abandoned them:

Ironhide nodded. :I know:

The whirl continued around them.

-0-Elsewhere

They came back, the fifty. They were dirty and a few were dented. The Knights walked to Splice and filled him in. They were digging the foundation of a fortress that would be a fall back for the 'Cons and their mad ruler, Overlord. They had been hassled to work fast as it was apparent that the 'Cons were aware that they weren't alone.

:Then Prime is out there working an angle: Splice said as he watched the next fifty refugees go to work the next shift. As with the others, one of his mechs went with them. :We have to be ready. I don't know what Prime is going to do, but we have to be ready."

:There's something else too. When one of the mechs faltered, a 'Con stepped up to beat him. One of the 'Con officers intervened. I think there is dissension in the troops. Some of them anyway:

:Are you sure?: Splice asked.

The mech nodded. :I get the impression they are as afraid of him as our side is. They might be ready to do something about it if Prime can reach out in the right way:

:Frag: Splice said. :We have to contact Prime:

They stood and watched as ships lifted off and fifty more of their fellows faded away into the night.

-0-At IntraComm

Blaster took the disk and nodded. "I'll let you know what the censors say right away. Prime has a moment to look at this and he will let us know what he wants sent out and what doesn't go."

The humans nodded. "Thanks, Blaster. Fast please. We're on pins and needles."

"If you say so," the big goodnatured bot said with a grin. He turned and walked out. The humans went back to their editing.

-0-Ops Center Conference room a bit later

They sat around watching the ending credits roll. Jetta, Elita, Ratchet, Prowl and Jazz sat at the table with Prime. He turned and looked at them. "You don't consider the atmospherics too salacious?"

"No. I think they're slagging dramatic and interesting," Jazz said with a grin. "Good stuff, Optimus. When they see how big and dedicated the mechs are, they might grow a clue. The doubters I mean."

Ratchet nodded. "My younglings look ultra dangerous and sexy. They will make a good impression. All of the mechs shown have real personalities and lives. That's a good contrast with the images in the opening and closing."

Prowl nodded. "I think its good. What do you think?"

Optimus thought a moment, then sat back. "What the frag. Pass it. They stayed in the guidelines. Let's see how its received and if there are misconceptions arising we can either modify our agreements or have Ratchet hit the talk show circuit." He grinned.

Ratchet did too.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	90. Chapter 90

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 11

-0-Far away

Soundwave sat in his office in the Decepticon HQ at Kaon looking through the overnight intell when his assistant brought him an encrypted datapad. Taking it, he waited until that young mech left the room, the door closing behind him. Opening and decrypting it, he read the short message. Putting it on his desk, storing the message in his vast heavily encrypted and firewalled databanks, he thought for a moment.

Optimus Prime wanted to meet up.

Rising and walking to the window, he looked out and downward to the big square in front of the huge building. The gigantic statue of Megatron on the roof was throwing long shadows in the late afternoon light. The planet was free floating through space, their tether to a solar energy source long since cut. His space bridges allowed him to maintain the slowly distancing local sectors but that was getting tenuous. The more he drifted away, slow and irregular though that might be, the more autonomous the local battle groups were becoming.

Discipline was faltering. Control was slipping away from him.

Why did the Prime want to speak with him? He pondered the numerous possibilities and then dismissed most of them. Prime was playing a good hand and he himself was trapped in crap. He turned and walked back to his desk sitting heavily. There was nothing to be lost in hearing Prime out but he couldn't hope that there would be an advantage for him. He would have to carve it out for himself. Perhaps there could be an accommodation short of the Matrix oath.

He would have to go and see. He leaned forward and began to compose a message back to the only mech that might in the long run save him from the chaos and madness that surrounded him everywhere.

-0-Far, far away

He came toward the lights blinking on his sensor grid. They were massed together waiting for him. He smiled to himself. Come, he thought. I will destroy you too. Just like the others. He turned and nodded to Dreadwing. That redoubtable mech bowed slightly and turned barking orders to the gunners and the conn. The ship coiled, its power gathering to jump forward with blazing speed. All of the ships in his armada began to do the same thing.

When they did, they would engage the enemy in their cubes and fighters, their spheres too. By the time the light show was over even more of the Borg would be destroyed and left to drift in rubble as the great mechanical beings moved even further into the territory of the five remaining queens of an ancient predatory people.

It would be the greatest threat they ever faced. For Megatron, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. He sat on his throne and watched filled with great satisfaction as his armada pushed even deeper into the Delta Quadrant heading for the heart of the Borg Empire.

-0-At the human habitat near the Temple

They sat together eating their meal. The atmosphere was glum. They had three days left in their visitation and the end was closing in on them. They had petitioned, a number of them for extensions citing studies and experiments as their reason. Their requests were pending.

It would be a gloomy day in the Habitat.

-0-California State Forensics Lab, 850 Bryant Street, San Francisco, California

They stood together reading the print out. The bomb had been made of materials that weren't lawful to possess outside of the military and a few other specialized highly regulated entities. C-4 made up the explosive. A sophisticated detonation device made things go boom. The residue was insufficient to use trace elements included in the plastique to find out where it was made and by whom.

The amount of evidence found at the sight was minimal to the point of nonexistent. Professionals had done this job. Even the paint used for the message was a nondescript spray type. All of the words were spelled correctly which indicated a relative level of calm and confidence in the bomber who put the message there.

They worked on the small amount of trace evidence, studied the images that were taken and gathered their ideas for the report. It would be inconclusive and incomplete. It would take more evidence to find out who this was. Either that or a mistake.

They would take either.

-0-KGOC, Drive Time With Dave, Live

"The traffic is as terrible as usual. Take your time. No sense getting shot by some clown for cutting them off. Right now, its 9:47 in the AM and the weather is a cool 52 degrees with rain expected in the late afternoon. We're opening the lines. First caller, you're on the line."

"Hi, Dave. Did you hear about the bombing in San Francisco?"

"I sure did. What do you think about it?"

"I think someone has a kink in their colon. Did you see the football games from Autobot City? Without the Autobots, we're toast. Those bots are huge and I hear that the Decepticons are the same size. How the hell are we going to keep the Decepticons from overrunning us? Those bots are vicious and really good at destroying things."

"I know. Some people really want to see them leave the system," Dave replied as he sipped his coffee.

"They don't want anyone but us to own the planets. We can't even get off this rock and they're pissed about Mars and Pluto. Maybe **they** can leave the planet and **we** can stay here** and** keep the Autobots."

They chatted a while, then Dave took his next caller. "This is Drive Time With Dave. What's on your mind?"

"I don't agree with the last caller. I want those aliens out of our system. When they go, the Decepticons will go too. They are the reason that the other side is a problem. If they weren't here, the other aliens wouldn't have a reason to come."

Dave set his cup down. "What evidence do you have to tell us that this will be true? We did have Megatron in storage for eighty years. We did kick his ass. He doesn't seem the forgiving kind."

"We don't need aliens here."

"How do you suppose to protect Earth if they leave and you're wrong?"

"I won't be."

"Just like that? Wow, I feel so much more reassured."

"You're a coward."

"Is that so? I served in the Navy during Viet Nam. What did you do, tough guy?"

"I have guns. I will defend myself. That bombing was done by patriots."

"Blowing up a souvenir shop is patriotic? That's a new one for me."

"Maybe you need to get with the program. Those aliens aren't us. They don't have women. They're fags. They will kill us in our sleep."

"If they do come to do that give me your address so they can go to your house first."

***CLICK!***

-0-On a morning talk show on a right wing television network

"This morning, I would like to welcome to 'Morning Talk' James 'Big Jim' Johnson and Sam Hedges."

Two men sitting on a couch side-by-side nod and smile. "Thanks," Johnson said.

Morning host, a woman named Penelope sat back and regarded them happily. "Thank you for coming."

They nodded again.

"We wanted to talk to you about the bombing in San Francisco and the Autobots because you served with them at Diego Garcia."

They nodded.

"What do you think about the bombing?" she asked.

Johnson sat back. "It was only time before it happened. We have aliens living among us and some don't care for it. That store carried Autobot stuff. It was inevitable."

"Do you mean that violence was inevitable? You aren't advocating this are you?" she asked with a smirk.

"No," Sam Hedges said. "We're just saying it was inevitable that there would be a clash of cultures. We are talking about very weird creatures. These aren't humans after all."

"But they **are** living creatures. It would be stupid to assume I guess anymore that we are the only species alive in the universe," her co-host said, a man named Brian.

"So what? The universe is big. They should go find their own solar system," Johnson replied.

"What about the Decepticons? Do you really believe that they will leave us alone if the Autobots leave here?" Penelope asked.

"Yes, I do," Johnson said nodding. Hedges nodded too.

"You were kicked out of the army because of your feelings about this. What can you tell us about that?" Penelope asked.

"The army didn't like our feelings about the aliens. We were doing our job and they kicked us out. We were going for special ops with the intention of joining N.E.S.T.," Johnson replied. Hedges nodded.

"N.E.S.T. is the organization that works with the Autobots. Why would you want to work with a group you dislike this much?" Brian asked.

"Because we're professionals. We're damned good. I worked hard to get chosen for striker team training. The officers didn't like us. We weren't worshipful enough to the bots. They had a problem from the start. They don't have a sense of humor," Johnson said. Hedges nodded.

"What are they like?" Brian asked.

"Weird. Strange. They're huge and they walk around like they own the world. They have weird languages that sound like static on the radio. They don't much like us. Some of them anyway," Hedges said. "Those twins are crazy. They'd kill us as soon as look at us."

"I am struggling to understand them. They take vehicle forms to live among us," Penelope said.

"They're metallic. They're made of metal. They can transform into different things including cars. I will say that I never saw so many sweet rides. Lamborghinis, Porches, Ferraris …. they would come out and change into car form to sit in the sun. I think they get solar energy that way. Someone told me anyway," Hedges replied.

"They had trouble with the State Department reps and their bodyguards. What do you know about that?" Brian asked.

"Jason Daniels was alright. The mercs were fun. I don't think they liked mercenaries. They're all attitude. I don't think they're so tough," Johnson said with scorn in his voice.

"You looked pretty petrified in the video of the confrontation," Brian said with a smirk. "Don't get me wrong. I would be too but it looked like fear to me."

"Surprise," Johnson said frowning at Brian.

"Tell me about their relationships. They had children there too," Penelope asked.

"They're same sex. I don't know how you tell their sex actually. I never saw any women or anything that was labeled female." He grinned a moment. "They have relationships among each other and I don't care what anyone else thinks. It sucked. I hated it. They didn't care about us so I don't know why I should care about them."

"We had Don't Ask, Don't Tell at the time," Brian offered.

"They aren't in our army and they don't have to follow our rules," Johnson said.

"Did you ever see the Prime?" Penelope asked.

They both nodded. "We did. He's the biggest bot I've ever seen. He's red, white and blue. He has pointy things on his head and he's about thirty feet tall. Huge."

-0-194 million miles away, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"Oh slag." -Prowl, Prime, Ratchet, the entire Alpha shift, Sciences who had a monitor on and most of the patrons inside Club Cybertron.

-0-On a television show

"You aren't supposed to talk about him," Brian said.

"I don't care. I'm not in the army anymore. I don't owe them anything," Johnson said defiantly.

"What's he like, Prime? Does he have what? Magical powers or what?" Brian asked with a grin.

"He's got a grip that can tear steel like Kleenex. He's massive … huge. I think he's got a relationship with Prowl. He's the winger with the steel bar up his backside," Hedges said with a smirk. "He's one cold mother, that one."

-0-194 million miles away, etc.

"Frag." -Prime

-0-Television show, etc.

"What do you mean by relationships? I see them and I see either robots or cars. How can they have relationships? I know that Ambassador Ratchet has at least two kids. How does that happen?" Penelope asked.

"It's taboo. I think they make them in a shop. Makes about as much sense as any other way," Johnson said with a big grin.

"I think the little babies are cute. That little black baby is very cute," Penelope said. Brian nodded.

"If you say so," Johnson said shaking his head. "I think he's creepy and weird. Unnatural. Just like Ratchet. If he 'had' this thing some way, it was sickening. I can't think about it any other way."

-0-194 etc

Silence like a tomb. Shifting of peds by group standing around the massive monitor in front of the Ops Center.

"You don't have to, slagger," Prime whispered softly.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	91. Chapter 91

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 12

-0-Television studio in New York City, New York, Earth

"That seems sort of harsh. I think the little black robot is cute," Penelope said.

"To each their own. We were around them. This is what we think about it," Johnson said as Hedges nodded. "We don't find them natural. Their lifestyles are unnatural. They don't have feelings like we do. You look at them and they look at you. You wonder what they see. They're machines. What do they feel? Anything?"

"We've had a lot of video of them on Mars, of their life and how they live. They seem relatable. I don't find them too weird but then I haven't been around them," Penelope said.

"Maybe if you met them, those two twin things ... you might have a different opinion," Johnson said.

"The twins ... Sideswipe and who?" Brian asked.

"Sunstreaker," Hedges said. "That sucker is psychotic. He would just as soon tear you to confetti as look at you. He's the worst of the worst. Everyone on Diego is afraid of him. Everyone walks around him like he's a land mine. He's got a thing going with that winger, the one that's somehow related to Prowl."

"That's a strange relationship. There's three of them in it, the winger and those two psycho twins," Johnson said. "I heard from friends that they have kids too. What the hell is that all about?"

"We are talking about aliens here," Penelope injected.

"And we're also talking about our solar system. Ours," Hedges replied.

Penelope turned to the camera. "We'll be right back with Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges after this break."

The screen turned to a commercial.

-0-Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, USA

**"WHAT THE FUCK!?"**

-0-White House, Washington, D. C., USA

**"WHAT THE FUCK!?"**

-0-Elysee Palace, Paris, France

**"MERDE!"**

-0-No. 10 Downing Street, London, England

**"BULLOCKS!"**

-0-General Glenn Morshower's den on his day off

**"!$#% &%$ #! GET ME THE PENTAGON! #&%!"**

-0-Warren Robert's office, New York City, New York, Earth

"Hold my calls, Lilly until I speak with Optimus. Call Sam to come and tell him that we need a news black out until we figure out what we are going to do. I want everyone in here. I have a call to Autobot City and I want it on conference. Nancy, I want you to keep the record of the meeting. All of us are on a 24/7 black out to everyone including ourselves until the plan of action for this is made," Warren Roberts said to his grim faced frightened staff.

They ran like the wind to make it so.

-0-Sam Whitwicky

"I hear you. I'm on my way," Sam said. He clicked off his phone and went back into the trade meeting. Pausing to gather his gear, he looked at the people present. "A problem has arisen and I have to go back to the office. I apologize. I hope we can reschedule to finalize the decisions made so far and work out the art agreement. The Art Guild on Mars will be needing authorizatin for artists to show their work here. I'm sorry about this." He then turned and hurried off to the office downtown.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They stood in a silent group as if afraid to make a sound. Optimus stared at the screen aware that messages were being accummulated at the comm station. He waited stoically for the commercial to end and then it did.

-0-Teevee show, NYC, NY, Earth

"We're back with Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges."

The two men sat together comfortably and relaxed. Brian, the male host looked at ease and Penelope, the main host turned to them again. "You have mentioned the Prime. Tell us what you know about him. Did you see him very much? Did you witness his actions or behaviors?"

"Sure," Johnson said. "He used to walk from the Embassy to the communications hangar everyday to brief with the heads of governments, armies and intelligence agencies. They did business with the rest of the world that way. He'd come out of the Embassy for missions and board a robot ship. The one called Cosmos and eventually Silverbolt and the others ... the Aerialbots they're called would be used for missions."

"Did you ever go on a mission with them?" Brian asked.

"No. We were gone before then. They would come and go. Prime hated Jason Daniels. He treated the mercenaries like crap. They were banned from coming around and they never made any attempt to get to know them. I did. I liked them," Johnson said. Hedges nodded. "They said the mercs were giving them a hard time."

"There are documented investigated incidents where the mercenaries and even Daniels were found in the wrong," Penelope said.

"That's the government for you. They covered it up." Hedges sat back. "I saw them giving a hard time to the mercenaries when they didn't do anything. That big one ... Ironhide ... he's a real bastard. He went around looking for a fight. What you know about them and what actually happened on Diego are two different stories. Why do you think they have a PR firm? Why do you think they do things through Warren Roberts? They are controlling information and the government is helping them."

"How is it that there are no complaints on file from the two of you? How is it that there are lots of soldiers that have a good relationship with them, like Will Lennox and Robert Epps?" Penelope asked.

"Those two suck ups?" Johnson said with a smirk. "Those two are the biggest frauds. They decided they didn't like us from the start and let the Autobots treat us anyway they wanted. They let those twins almost kill us."

"Don't you think that since the Decepticons have attacked us at least twice and have been defeated twice that the alliance with the Prime and his people benefits us? After all, they do fight the Decepticons and have told us they were willing to continue," Brian asked.

"They would be gone if the Autobots left. They will follow the Autobots wherever they go. As long as they are here, we are going to be vulnerable," Hedges said. Johnson nodded. "These freaks have to go. They need to take their weirdness with them. The sooner the better."

"Do you think what happened in San Francisco will spread?" Brian asked.

"I know it will," Johnson said nodding. "We aren't the only ones who feel this way. I am betting that a majority of Earth's people feel the same way." Hedges nodded.

"Thank you, Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges for coming on the show." Penelope turned and smiled at the camera. "When we get back, we will show you how to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers."

The camera cut to a commercial.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"Happy Thanksgiving."

Everyone turned to Ratchet. His aura was crap and his expression one of great grief and anger. Prime turned and squeezed Ratchet's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I am too. That I didn't behead them when I had a chance. They gave you up, Optimus," Ratchet said looking up at the bot who had eaten more shit than any of them in his dealings with humans. His patience was good but Optimus's was legendary. "I'm sick for you. And Prowl," he said glancing at his subdued BFF. "And Ironhide. But mostly Orion. And the whole slagging sorry mess of us. Those fraggers!" Ratchet continued as he wound himself up.

Prime snorted and grinned for a moment. "Thanks, Ratchet."

Ratchet looked at him and nodded. "You're welcome."

He turned and looked at Blaster who was on shift at Communications. He held out a datapad filled with messages. "Optimus, tell us what you want us to do, you and Prowl. It will be done."

Prime took the datapad and squeezed Blaster's arm. "I know. Thank you. Please alert the Embassy at Diego Garcia and the office in New York. They are incommunicado for the duration. The rest of us? I think it might be wise to recall the military staff at the new fort and gather everyone else in the conference room. We have to sort this out."

They all nodded and made it so.

-0-At Fort Apache

Alor listened to the message and glanced at Ironhide and Blackjack who were deep in conversation with a construction boss. He considered the notice he had been given and tamped down a towering rage. Turning, he walked to the group. :Optimus has recalled us. There's a development on Earth that requires our attention:

:Did he say what it was?: Ironhide asked.

:He wants to tell us there: Alor said. He watched as Blackjack turned to the boss and gave him the go ahead on the problem at servo. Then the three walked back to a battle shuttle to leave. It was airborne before Blackjack broached the subject at servo.

"You going to tell me what you're keeping back?" he asked his bond. Ironhide sitting beside him looked at his Ada quizzically.

Alor looked at both of them, the serious expression of his bond and the comical expression of his son that he loved and shrugged. "Prime has been outed on the Earth."

It was silent a moment. "Slag," Ironhide said quietly.

-0-On the ground

They arrived and hurried to the Fortress entering quickly, heading for the conference room where everyone sat grim faced. Blackjack entered followed by Alor and they took their seat on the right side of the room. Ironhide feeling Ratchet's awful energy since re-entering their planetary space looked at him pointedly. :What's going on?:

:Optimus will tell you: Ratchet said as Ironhide sat beside him.

Optimus sat a moment then looked at the three. "There was a television program that had Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges on as guests."

"Those two losers who were kicked off the striker team trials for being bigoted afts?" Ironhide asked. His genitors looked at him. "A long story. I'll send you the video. They aren't on our side to say the least."

Optimus nodded. "They aren't. They discussed Diego Garcia and told them about me down to the tips of my finials."

It was silent, then Ironhide leaned forward. "They did **what**?"

Optimus vented a soft sigh and nodded. "They had a number of remarks. The easist thing I suppose is replaying the tape. I do want you to contain yourself," he said looking pointedly at Ironhide.

The big bot regarded him, then looked at Ratchet. Both he and Prowl were silent and their energy fields were terrible. "What's going on?"

"You need to watch and contain yourself, Ironhide," Ratchet said. Ironhide looked at him for a moment, then nodded uneasily. "Alright."

"Please play the film, Blaster," Optimus said.

He did.

-0-Warren Roberts's office, NYC, NY, Earth

Sam entered and sat nodding to everyone in the room. They looked grim and so did Morshower and the Vice President of the United States whose faces occupied split screens on the huge wall monitor. Roberts nodded to Sam and returned to the conversation. "I am on standby now, General, Mr. Vice President. Optimus is discussing this with his senior staff. I wish I could convey the seriousness with which the Autobots are taking this matter. The Diego Embassy is on lock down and so is this office."

"I wish I could convey the size of my butt hurt too, Warren," Morshower said with anger. "These two bastards broke their confidentiality agreement that they signed for special ops. I have the General Counsel's office looking into the legality of their actions and I expect a report shortly. I will forward a copy to the White House and to you as Prime's designated representative."

"Thank you, Glenn," Warren said nodding. "Now we wait."

-0-Conference Room, Autobot City, Mars

The film ended and the room was quiet. The kind of quiet you feel when you're buried in a mine cave-in two miles into the Earth. It was the kind of quiet you felt when you were being electricuted by 10 million kilowatts of electricity as it strikes the ground from two miles up in the clouds. It was the kind of quiet you felt when a dog looks at you without blinking and its lip starts to curl.

That kind.

Ratchet didn't dare look at Ironhide. It was a good thing too.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	92. Chapter 92

NOTE: I am going to have Thanksgiving dinner with the fam. I just wanted to wish all of you everywhere, from Australia to Zambia (really) a great day or night, whichever you get. I will be writing like crazy amidst the munchies and stuff. Take care and know that you readers are one of the best things I am thankful for today. :D

PS Someone PM'd me about adding their OC's to the story. I don't have that email. Somehow, it isn't in my account. :O If you can resend, we can see what we can do. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

-0-And now back to the story

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 13

-0-Conference Room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

He stared at his servos, the big hands that had taken him through every danger and hardship, through brutal hand-to-hand combat and back again. They were the servos that had killed and they were the servos that had held his children from the moment of their first glimpse of sentience. They bathed those tiny bots everyday, gently washing and drying their tiny formats to make sure they were as cared for as he was at their age by his own genitors.

His big servos lay flat on the table and he stared at them a moment. The screen had said something, a thing that he had heard without truly understanding. A word about Ratchet and his son, about their people and way of life ... it had come in one audial and exploded leaving him stunned and surprised. A servo touched him, a red one.

Ratchet.

Maybe.

His processor was fogged with grief and slowly building rage. Glancing at the servo, he looked up at a white face with a gray chevron, one staring at him with fear and concern. "Ironhide?"

A soft voice said his name. He rose halfway up and sat again looking at the screen in confusion. "What is this?"

Optimus, his processor filled with concern leaned forward. "Ironhide, look at me."

For a moment he didn't. Then he did, his optics focusing with effort. "Optimus … my son."

Ratchet moved over and wrapped his arms around Ironhide as Prime gripped his servo. Ironhide looked at them, two giant servos clutching each other, then his genitors who sat across from him with Flint, their faces a mixture of homicidal rage and terrible grief. Flint turned to Optimus. "What is the meaning of this? How can they do this to you and Prowl, then mock our infants?"

"They can do it because they're slaggers," Jazz said quietly. "They were kicked off the N.E.S.T. Program for this kind of thing. Don't try and understand it for more than it is. Hate pure and simple."

Optimus nodded. "These men don't mean anything. They don't represent Earth and they don't represent most humans and their thinking about us. We have a good reputation among the humans. There are good and bad everywhere. We will deal."

Ironhide looked at Optimus. "They slagged my son. My sons. All three of them. And Bluestreak." He looked at Prowl who was sitting with a stoic expression. "They slagged Prowl. The fraggers... who are they to judge? Who are they to out you, Optimus?"

Prime nodded. "We will find out. Right now, I want us all to try and get this through our systems." He looked at Prowl and took his servo. "Fraggers."

Prowl nodded and looked at Prime. "They put the entire psychological advantage of our effort around your leadership into the dirt. It works to our favor for everyone to wonder about you, to guess if you really exist. It was an advantage, Optimus."

"I know. But we can decide what to do now. Given the amount of images they can scan from our downloads to Earth, they will find me even if we block everything and anything now. What I want to do now is troubleshoot a response and then talk to the allies."

They all sat back, worried optics on Ironhide. He sat staring at the table, then he rose and turned walking out. Ratchet paused and glanced at Optimus. "I'll be back. Include me if you need something, Optimus."

He nodded. "I will."

Ratchet rose and turned nodding to Alor and Blackjack. They watched as he walked out and hurried across the Ops Center before disappearing out of view. Blackjack turned and looked at Optimus. "Slaggers. Tell me who these mechs are and why I can't kill them." Alor nodded.

They explained the situation and when it was through Alor nodded again. "They better never come near to me," he said quietly.

-0-Outside

Ironhide hurried through the building and crossed the courtyard turning toward the city beyond. Ratchet hustled after and nearly caught him as he rushed through the crowds toward the school. Ironhide reached it and entered beating Ratchet to an elevator. Jumping into the one next to it, Ratchet followed him up to the floor where the babies would be. He stepped out just as Ironhide entered the Day School, the door closing behind him.

Ratchet ran to the door and entered looking around quickly. He didn't see Ironhide but he focused on Ironhide's energy following him to a door. It opened and Roto stepped out, a look of concern on his face. He paused when he saw Ratchet. "What's going on? Ironhide is really upset."

Ratchet gave him the short version and entered the room where Ironhide stood holding his son. Orion was laying on his shoulder, his arms around his papa, his expression slightly confused. His old pa's energy was horrendous and he didn't know what to do about it. Looking up and spotting Ratchet, he frowned. **"ADA! ATAR SAD! WHY ME?"**

Ironhide turned and walked to a rocking chair that was in the corner of the room, the massage room where Orion was going through his daily massage/therapy. Sitting, he hugged Orion as his optics spilled over. He wept without a sound, his big body shuddering as he struggled to keep his emotions contained.

Roto stared at Ironhide with deep concern. Ratchet turned and nodded at him, smiling weakly. "It'll be alright, Roto. If we can have a moment."

Roto looked at Ratchet and nodded. "I'll be outside if you need me."

Ratchet nodded and squeezed his arm. "Thank you."

Roto turned to leave and closed the door behind him. Ratchet stood quietly a moment then hesitantly stepped closer, pulling out a chair to sit. He waited for Ironhide who sat weeping silently as if his spark was crushed.

It was.

-0-Ops Center

They decided on a path to the best worst solution. Sitting quietly, they watched as Blaster put the Vice President of the United States, General Morshower, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of France on the split screen. They gave their greetings and Optimus returned them.

"Gentlemen, we have discussed this situation," he said as Warren Roberts' image joined them on the next monitor. "We have come to a best worst solution."

"Optimus, I wish to apologize on behalf of the United States government for the insult to you, your family and your people. These men don't speak for the American people. The relationship that we share with you and your people is incredibly important to us and we are extremely upset that something like this could have happened." The other individuals nodded and offered their regrets as well.

"Thank you. We feel the same way. It is deeply unfortunate that my image and the planning around it was compromised. But it has been and we have to go on anyway. We will continue to monitor and block images that go out. None of the groups who come here will be allowed to send more. I will leave to you what can be done about the men who did this. Warren Roberts represents our interests on Earth.

"Another concern are the remarks made by the men about the incidents at Diego and our demeanor among the troops and civilians," Optimus said gravely. "We are disturbed by the impression they made. The soldiers and civilians of Diego Garcia are extremely important comrades to us. They are our brothers and sisters. For us, until all are one is a solemn thing."

Glenn Morshower nodded. "Don't worry about it, Optimus. They were there too when all the slag happened. I will be going to Diego myself to talk to the garrison about this. Right now, the General Counsel is looking into possible charges against these two men for breach of confidentiality. All special ops soldiers sign one as part of the job and its binding over their lifetime. Or so I understand it."

Optimus nodded. "I appreciate that, Glenn. I put the Embassy and Diego garrison under lock down until we determined the best path. I will stand them down shortly. Right now, we are going to go on as if the ban on me and my image is still holding. If there is need to address this either directly or remotely, I will be asking for your assistance about timing and venue."

They all nodded. "We wish for the relationship to hold. We have dissent here and there, Optimus," the French President said. "But the greatest portion of our population is glad and relieved that you and your people are here and work with us. We enjoy greatly watching programming about your city and your people. Your children are greatly loved, especially that little black and yellow child. I wish you to know that."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you. I wish to introduce to you two of the four grandgenitors of that little bot, Orion. In the migrations, families are being recreated. This is Blackjack and Alor, grandgenitors of Orion and the genitors of Ironhide."

The two nodded and they stared at the humans as the humans stared at them. The Prime Minister of the UK smiled. "I can see that you are his parents. Your resemblance is striking."

Alor smirked slightly. "Thank you," he said. "I am one of the baby-in-question's grandgenitors." He paused and looked at them again. "Grandparents. Some slaggers called my grandson ugly and weird. I want to tear their arms off. That is my little baby. It wounded my son's spark and ours as well. I want you to know that the love I feel for my family, especially our grandchildren both infant and adult is as intense and important as what you feel for yours. We may not look like you but we feel a lot of the same things."

Glenn Morshower nodded. "I can attest to that. I also want to know if Christmas Surprise is still on for the regulars."

Optimus grinned slightly. "Do you have to ask?"

Morshower grinned back. "I think it might be nice to have the representative leaders of our allies come for Christmas too. Education is a process."

Optimus nodded. "I agree. Please extend invitations for a Christmas Surprise visit to our allies, General. We shall issue them as well. It might be a good thing to have a chance to show our commonalities to the world once more."

"I for one would love to come," the UK Prime Minister said. "Perhaps the Queen might come."

The mood was lifted at the thought of the venerable Queen of England donning a survival suit with room for a tiara.

"She would be most welcome," Optimus said with a genuine smile at last.

-0-In the therapy/massage room at the Day School

They sat in the silent room, Ironhide rocking in the chair and Ratchet sitting next to him. Orion was laying on his papa's shoulder staring at Ratchet with concern. Ironhide was silent, his arms holding his little son tightly. The room was lighter, less heavy at last. "Ironhide?"

For a moment, the big bot sat rocking. Then he looked at Ratchet. "Ratchet," he said quietly.

"Are you going to be alright, Ironhide?" Ratchet asked with concern. "Those men … they don't matter. No one really thinks bad things about our son. He's a really popular little bot on Earth."

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "No one slags our sparklings. None of them," he said with a glint of steel in his voice.

"Morshower will take care of it," Ratchet said. "Morshower won't allow any of this. There are rules even in the human army. N.E.S.T. is special ops. They will have rules."

"Maybe," Ironhide said gently rubbing Orion's back. "They slagged our son. This little bot. He's my whole life, he and the others. I didn't know I missed him but I did from the time I was born. Maybe even before then. I love this bot, Ratchet. I love them all. I'm their atar and I'm supposed to protect them."

"You do. Everyday," Ratchet said. "Honest, Ironhide, it will be made right."

Ironhide looked at him and then nodded. "If it doesn't, I will make it happen."

Ratchet vented a soft anxious sigh. "Let Optimus handle it. He's the mech. He will know what to do."

Ironhide sat a moment gently rocking. "He better," Ironhide ominously. "That is all I will say."

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	93. Chapter 93

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 14

-0-A little later

They walked back to the Ops Center, Orion in arms. They had spent a moment with Roto and then purloined the sparkling. Roto had been informed after watching the interview at the central desk with a number of teachers on break, aides and clerical staff as well as two parents dropping stuff off. It was unanimous. Everyone was thoroughly pissed.

"It would be good for all of you to keep him with you today, Ironhide," Roto had said nodding. "It will be comforting. I want you to know that I have done a short internet search on the world wide web of Earth. There are hundreds of millions of search hits for the babies. Their pictures are highly popular and they have incredibly good press and public reception. Orion in particular, I would say. He's the most well known and popular little baby on the web."

Ironhide nodded and kissed his son. "As well it should be. This is a slagging fine sparkling. He's as handsome and good as they get. I want him with me today."

Roto nodded. "Good idea," he said glancing at Ratchet who looked relieved. "Bring him back when you are okay again."

Ironhide nodded and turned for the elevators followed by Ratchet and the concerned optics of everyone on the floor. The ride down was quiet and the walk back to Ops Center punctuated by outraged citizens who happened to be passing by. Apparently, the story had flashed through the city in jig time.

Crossing the courtyard, entering the rec room, they were greeted and commiserated with by a number of soldiers, civilians and genitors. It was the same in Ops Center. Orion who was unaware of why he was the center of so much attention sat on his atar's arm basting himself in it, offering his dollie freely and grinning broadly. They entered the conference room and sat in their seats.

Orion looked around the room and smiled. **"ADA!"**

Alor smiled and held out his servos. Orion leaned forward and was enfolded into the love of his grandgenitors. Prowl who had retrieved 'Baby' from his carryhold stared at Ratchet, nodding toward Ironhide. :Is he okay?:

:He is. Mostly: Ratchet replied as he leaned into Ironhide and slid his arm around the back of his chair. :How are you?:

:Middling: Prowl replied. :Fraggers:

:Applying sparkling therapy I can see: Ratchet said with a smirk.

:Always: Prowl said with the slightest of smiles.

"What's the word then, Optimus?" Ratchet asked at last as he watched his son being passed around the group. Orion applied dollie conditions and everyone kissed it dutifully before getting their own kiss back.

"We soldier onward. I can assume that images will be all over the place. The 'mystique' will be gone," Optimus said.

"Not if you apply it differently. Everyone has an image of you in their minds that may or not be true. Perhaps if this needs addressing, you can appear in all your messianic glory and do servos-on like say at the General Assembly of the United Nations. Imagine you walking in all gigantic and shiny, speaking in your sexy voice and making all the haters look small. Consider that. I am most worried about the impression they created about us being the source of trouble at Diego and not the mercs and Daniels."

Optimus nodded. "I am in agreement with you about that. That is why I want you to work with Warren to make it clear who was what there. If you have to speak to the Congress, I am in agreement. As for the shiny and the sexy, that will be filed under hoo-hah to be talked about later."

Ratchet snorted and the tension eased.

In everyone but Ironhide whose optics never left his son.

That one.

"I do my best. I would also say, Optimus, that we were greeted all the way back here by incensed individuals both military and civilian. The offense is deep in the city and everyone appears to know about this. Slagging us is one thing but slagging the infants, that is not playing well."

"Blaster, I will need to address the city this afternoon," Optimus said.

Blaster nodded. "When you need it, Optimus, you will get it."

Optimus nodded. He looked at Ironhide. "That infant is a special being. He was the first reminder of who we were and what had been lost for a very long time. He was the trailblazer and the first glimmer of a notion that we would not become extinct the way we all feared. He's special in all ways and I am honored everyday to know he bears my name, Ironhide. You are my brother," Optimus said pausing a moment. "You are the brother I never had. We will stand together against this and all other threats. This infant is part of our future and all of them are precious. I am sorry for your pain but know that all of us feel it."

Ironhide looked at the table a moment, then turned to Optimus. "You're my brother too. It was my honor to name my son after you. It is my hope he becomes the bot you are. It is going to be hard to defeat the ignorance but I'm with you."

"You still want to slag them to the Pit," Alor said looking at his son with a critical optic.

"I do," he said looking at his ada. "I want to do it for my infants, for Prowl, for Bluestreak and all of us. We are on the way back. We were doomed until this place. I like the soldiers and I'm trying to figure out the humans. I will fight for them but I don't pretend to like them right now. Maybe it will change. But right now, no."

"It will pass, Ironhide," Ratchet said squeezing his shoulders. "I get letters all the time from Warren by people from everywhere who tell us thank you for being here. I also get letters about how wonderful the babies are, all the babies. They are glad for us to be here. Don't hold them all hostage to these fools. The Family and these guys will go down. They're a barrier to peace and understanding. We'll defeat them like we've defeated every threat we've faced so far. We'll do it through unity, skill and the leadership of Optimus. They can't win."

Ironhide looked at Ratchet. "I know. Right now, I don't care. Tomorrow, Ratchet. Maybe tomorrow." He turned and looked at Orion who was standing on the table, his dollie in servo. He was grinning at Optimus who was grinning at him. **"O-MUS!"**

Everyone snorted and chuckled.

Orion looked around at them and smiled, nearly shivering under the attention of everyone around him. **"O-MUS! ORION LOVE O-MUS! O-MUS GOOD! ORION, ME!"**

For a moment, their emotions churned again as the innocent oblivious little sparkling shared his joy with the room. Then Optimus patted the table top. "Come here, Orion."

Without hesitation, Orion walked over pausing long enough for Optimus to kiss his dollie. Gathering the baby into his arms, Optimus hugged him. "O-Mus loves Orion."

It finally felt peaceful in the room again.

-0-On Earth

They drove through the city heading out to the hinterlands of Connecticut where Sam was living with his sister on her little farm. He had a room over the garage where he maintained a website called "Earth First" that had nearly twenty thousand members who subscribed to the forum he built. It paid his bills and would be the platform for the two to re-emerge into the world again, the darlings of the extreme right and others who held a narrow view of what America and the world should be and include.

"That was easy," he said as he turned onto the turnpike. "A nice bump up in the food chain."

Jim Johnson nodded. "We have to go to Oklahoma City pretty soon and on to Las Vegas. I have half a dozen emails asking for meet ups."

"The ones who have been contacting us for a while?" Sam asked.

Johnson nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Hedges said as they drove onward disappearing into the endless traffic leaving New York City.

-0-On the airwaves, a major cable news network

"And this morning on 'Morning with Penelope and Brian', James Johnson and Sam Hedges were interviewed. Their remarks have stirred great controversy in Washington. Derek Jones reports from the nation's capital on the reaction."

(Cut to a male reporter standing in front of the Capital Building, Washington, D. C.)

"James Johnson and Sam Hedges, two former soldiers who had sought placement in the N.E.S.T. program on Diego Garcia more than two years ago were interviewed on 'Morning with Penelope and Brian' today and brought a fire storm of controversy to Capital Hill today."

(Cut to a series of microphones culminating with the White Hosue Press Secretary in the White House Briefing Room.)

"I am just aghast at the remarks of these two men and the retelling of events that happened on Diego Garcia when the Autobot garrison was based there," Senator Andrea Hoxley of California said with much indignation. "It casts a terrible light on the two for their low comments on babies. It also is delusional for them to believe that the Decepticons would leave just because the Autobots wouldn't be here anymore.

"We have our own burden with Megatron that the Autobots leaving won't repair. We held him for 80 years and he won't forgive that. The Autobots have fought for us and incurred injury doing so. They work everyday to protect our solar system. The idea that they aren't necessary is ridiculous.

"I would also like to say that nothing either man said about the incidents that happened on Diego because of the convict Jason Daniels and the mercenaries was true. We were part of the investigation as were Pentagon lawyers and outside oversight professionals. Nothing was covered up. No one was framed. Daniels and his ilk are in prison for their actions. It brings shame on us all that these two men who were expelled from the Army for their conduct should be believed by anyone."

(CUT TO) House Speaker Brummel: "I have a number of reservations about the Autobot alliance with our planet. I would rather they weren't here. I would rather we didn't have an alien species living on Mars. I am not going to comment further."

Reporter: "Do you believe that the Autobots were the cause of the trouble on Diego?"

House Speaker Brummel: "No comment."

(Cut to White House Briefing Room)

"And the President would like to emphasize that our alliances with the Autobots are strong and unshaken. We work together for the common good and we appreciate the dedication and professionalism of the Autobots and Optimus Prime. The President deplores the comments of these two men and we reject any notion that there was a conspiracy regarding the incidents involving Jason Daniels, the mercenaries in his employ and that whole business. It was investigated by numerous agencies and all of them came to the same conclusions. James Johnson and Sam Hedges were released from the Army for their behavior and attitudes."

(Cut to the reporter)

"The controversy appears to play out in not unexpected ways along party lines, Cari. Our attempts to reach Johnson and Hedges were unsuccessful so far. No one expects this circumstance to be resolved any time soon especially with reports of violence in San Francisco."

"Thank you, Derek. A programming note. Both James Johnson and Sam Hedges will appear on 'Sunday With Bob Barnes' this weekend." Then she turned to another story.

Glenn Morshower muted the television as he sat in his office pondering the turn of events. He was scheduled to leave for Diego Garcia shortly, catching a ride on Cosmos before that bot headed back to Mars. He was pulling in to take Glenn there. Morshower would overnight and come back on Cosmos the next day.

He looked at the files for Johnson and Hedges that lay on his desk. Everything about them as soldiers was there in black and white. Both were skilled, had the possibility to be N.E.S.T soldiers but failed psychologically to fit in. Their offense was large enough to get them booted to their former placements. Bad behavior there following Diego had led to their separation from service.

He picked up a file and scanned it again. James Harvey Johnson III was a young man from a military family. Born and raised here and there all over the south of America and on bases in Germany and Italy, he had entered to follow the family business. He was big, capable and a bigot.

Hedges on the other hand was the first in his family to join the military since World War II. He was a military buff, quieter but smarter than Johnson. Both of them wanted the warrior life. Comments from boot camp comrades even mentioned a fascination with the French Foreign Legion. They were extremely strong, conditioned and a pain in the ass from the beginning.

Tossing the files down, he rose and grabbed his jacket. Picking up his briefcase, he walked through his office, told his secretary goodnight and left with his aide-de-camp for the airport and Diego beyond.

-0-That afternoon on Mars

They walked through the armory looking at the bombs, bullets and rockets. Ironhide explained them to his attentive little mech-let. Orion listened, pointing and offering a comment or two, half of which almost made sense. It was a glorious moment for an old pa to wander in wonderland with his little mech. They would wander around all orn.

-0-Ratchet

He sat on his desk chair, Hero in arms. Looking at her, he vented a soft sigh. "Your old dad is one emotional mess, femme. You have to make him feel better. I don't suppose that will be hard,"he said grinning at her sweet little face. "I feel better already myself." They sat together chatting for a long while.

-0-Prime and Prowl

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"That doesn't sound comforting."

"I'm sorry, Optimus. I just ... I'm pissed."

(Grin) "You and me both." Pause. "No one knows you like I do. I am always amazed that they would confuse your professionalism, your elegant dignity with anything else. Frag them."

(Grin) "You're good for moral."

(Grin) "That's my job."

"Is that it?"

(Grin) "Count on it."

"I do."

"Good."

"I'm still pissed."

(Grin) "That's alright, Prowl. On you it looks good."

(Grin)

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	94. Chapter 94

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 15

-0-Ops Center later that day

The word reached them from Diego Garcia. Four more bombs had been set and detonated in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Initial reports were sketchy but it appeared they were similar in configuration and explosive power to the bomb in San Francisco. Word was not firm yet on the graffiti that had accompanied that blast. It would be sent as details became more clear.

Ratchet sauntered into Ops Center and paused by the table where Prowl and Prime sat. "You called?"

"Have a seat, Ratchet," Optimus said with a distracted nod. "We have more bombs."

"Slag," Ratchet said sitting in a chair and leaning forward to study the data on the map before them. A huge monitor on the wall nearby was playing the news reports of four affected cities on split screen and it wasn't great news. "What do we know, Optimus?"

"Not much," Prime replied grimly. He glanced at Prowl. "Anything new from Diego?"

"Yes. Jazz has been sifting news there and working some sources that he has developed both inside and outside of the media and law enforcement," Prowl said pausing. "We appear to have four stores that carry goods that bear our images, etc involved here. The merchanise is made on Earth under our licensing agreements but nothing of our own manufacture. The bombs were placed on the buildings themselves and destroyed their contents. They appear to be of the same type and design of the first one as far as preliminary information tells us. There is confirmation of the message appearing nearby as well. They appear to be similar to the one in San Francisco. 'Earth for Earthers. Aliens go home' is the writing in Chicago and Atlanta. One can assume that the other two match."

"No word on the group?" Ratchet asked.

"None so far. We are hoping they make a mistake," Optimus said.

"Maybe you should send Wheeljack and Perceptor in stealth mode with Hound to scan and see what we can figure out that the humans either missed or aren't technically capable of finding," Ratchet said.

Prime nodded and glanced at Prowl. "Call them please," he said. Prowl nodded and paused. "I think a Wrecker escort will be in order. It should be stealth but secure."

Prime nodded. "Drift and Springer."

Prowl nodded and paused calling them up too.

"This is getting out of hand. Funny it should be the same day that those two gaboons slagged the sparkling as well as the rest of us on the teevee," Ratchet said.

Prowl nodded. "I would think that those two are going to be linked to this group. I would also offer that there will be military included. This first bomb employed material that can't be had easily. For a soldier, it might be an easy steal."

"If that's so, that can't be good. I would stake my spark on the N.E.S.T. Alpha and Beta Striker teams but the rest? It gives me pause now," Ratchet replied.

"Glenn will be on it swiftly if that is proven so," Optimus said. "In the meantime, if they weren't with us from the start we have to be alert. We will have to be extra careful about things for a while."

Ratchet nodded. "I am assuming that I will be going to Earth at some point?"

"You read my processor," Prime said grimly.

-0-RTR Tools earlier

The morning had been going beautifully until The Hourly News. On that venerable broadcast was the full interview of the two soldiers and commentary from other Earth broadcast shows. Tie Down and Ravel had stood rooted to the floor, stunned that their family and their sweet grandson should be the butt of such an affront.

"Tie, what does this mean?" Ravel asked, his expression uncertain and his affect stunned. He turned and looked at Tie who stood staring at the screen. He looked at Ravel. "I don't know. I just called Ratchet."

Moments later, Ratchet entered the room and engulfed his genitors in his arms. After a moment, he looked down at them. "Are you two okay?"

"I don't understand," Ravel said, a worried expression on his face. "Did they … why did they insult Orion? He's a baby."

"Because, Ada, some people are slaggers and some are genuinely great. Just like us. Good and bad," he said gently. "Those two were awful to us on Diego Garcia when they were trying to get on the N.E.S.T. Striker Force. The humans booted them as unsuitable and as you can see, they didn't disappoint."

"What does this mean? Is Orion in danger?" Ravel asked with fear in his optics.

"No. Humans can't come here without us bringing them. No one comes here who isn't trustworthy. The humans here … they are the best. Most of the humans on Earth are first class. Some of them aren't. It's fear, Ada. They don't know they don't have to fear us. They have been alone in space so long that all of this is shocking and new."

They both relaxed slightly. "Alright, Ratchet. I will trust your judgment," Tie Down said nodding.

"It could be that I have to go to Earth to discuss this in a public forum. I want you to know I will have security up the wazoo and I'm pretty nimble on the battlefield myself. I don't want you to ever worry about a slagging thing ever again. Just live here, love on the sparklings, make friends, do things you like to do, eat a lot of food and make your beautiful tools. I hear your order list for just about everyone is around the moon."

Ravel smiled. "You want to see it? I have to look at it every day to believe it."

They walked to the computer and looked at the screen Ravel pulled up. There was over 100 orders for weapon toolkits, several hundred orders for specialty tools from every department and plant in the city and several hundred orders for knives, another specialty of RTR Tools.

"You're going to need apprentices," Ratchet said with a grin. "Do your customers understand it might take awhile? You can't hurry perfection."

"They do, son," Tie said with a grin. "I can't remember when I ever enjoyed myself this much." Ravel nodded, a big grin on his face.

Ratchet enveloped them in his arms. "Then I can't remember when I was ever happier too."

-0-Underground

He stepped off the train and walked along the platform, a small chatterbox infant sitting on his arm. It was like the old days on Diego when they would make the rounds, chat and generally hang out. It was balm and Ironhide felt immeasurably better. Having one of the several reasons he got up in the morning and faced anything that came at him called out on interplanetary television had been a punch in the gut. This sparkling was part of the reason he was still upright and functioning. He was part of the reason that their species would continue. He was part of the reason he, Ironhide would continue as well.

His younglings would need him no matter how big they got.

As they sauntered along, the sound of movement behind him made him pause and turn. The twins rolled to a stop. "Hey," they said.

"Hey," Ironhide replied. "I thought you two were going to Io."

"So did we. We were re-assigned to the standby list because of this I think," Sideswipe said tickling Orion who giggled. Then Orion held up his dollie. Both bots complied with a grin. "We want to know what you want to do about this, Atar."

Sunstreaker nodded. "This is fragged."

Ironhide nodded. "We have to see what Optimus wants to do. Right now, we're going to watch them pour steel."

"We'll come with you," Sideswipe said. They turned and walked on heading for Steel Mill #8 to watch giant slabs of transparent steel be poured.

-0-Habitat

Movie crew and scientists sat watching the television as the bombing news alternated with the Johnson/Hedges interview and subsequent other individuals speaking out to both support and denounce Johnson and Hedges. They were waiting for a briefing from General Morshower who had apparently gone to Diego Garcia.

"This is fucked," Cameraman Zeb said. "Some dumbasses have delusions. You see them," he said nodding to bots passing by the Habitat, their height and power astounding even yet. "You've been among them. The Decepticons won't leave us alone if they go. Can you imagine what would happen to Earth if the Autobots left? How long do you think we would last?"

"Zero minutes," Sheila Conroy said shaking her head. "They better catch these idiots. I don't want anyone here to think we agree with this."

A beep sounded and Michio Yamaha walked to the communications console. "This is the Habitat. How can we help you?"

"This is Gen-O from IntraComm. We would like to interview some of you about the situation on Earth. There is unease in the city over this, especially the remarks about one of our babies."

Sheila arose and walked over, her image appearing on the screen before Gen-O along with Michio. "There is no way this is the majority opinion of Earth. I am so sorry about this. What do you want us to do?"

"We would like you to come to the studio and do a segment on 'Good morning, Autobot City'. It begins in about a breem. Is that possible?" he asked.

They looked at him on their screen and Sheila nodded. "I'll be there."

Michio nodded. "So will I."

When they left, seven of them … everyone in the Habitat at the time would be on their way to the studio and damage control for Earth.

-0-Morshower

He got off Cosmos and walked to the Administration Building entourage in tow. The sun was warm and the doors of the Embassy nearby were open. Several Autobots were out sunning themselves in car format. One of them turned toward them and rolled over pausing. Transforming, Jolt stared down at the human all of them trusted completely. "Hello, General."

"Hi, Jolt. How are you doing? How is the garrison doing?" he asked as they all paused. Two of his entourage were new to this and they stared at the unlikely alien with awe.

"We don't get it," Jolt said with a slight shrug.

"Neither do we," Morshower replied.

"Do you want a lift?" the youngster asked with a grin.

"I do," Glenn replied with his own.

Jolt transformed and sat doors open and engine gunning. Morshower climbed in along with his aide-de-camp and a smiling communications officer, both of them more than used to the strangeness. The doors slammed shut and the vehicle peeled out burning rubber all the way to the Administration Building in the distance. The others stood staring. One of them turned to the group. "We better hoof it." Pausing to stare at the two who were new, he grinned. "That was Jolt. He's a kid."

They nodded and glanced at each other. "Bitchin'," one of them said to the other newbie. The other nodded. Then they turned and walked toward the Administration Building themselves. As they did, a beautiful vehicle tore past them skidding to a stop by the Embassy. Transforming into his dazzling silvery format, Jolt walked inside, electrical sparks flashing here and there on his powerful protoform.

They paused to watch him and then turned to continue. The two newbies walked quietly a moment, then one of them grinned. "I am going to like this duty."

The other nodded. "Me too."

They reached the building and entered disappearing from view. At the Embassy, a breathtaking array of concept cars sat sunning themselves as a sentient shuttle regained the air disappearing into the blue sky as they headed home for Mars.

It was a typical day on Diego Garcia.

-0-On the ground in Chicago, USA, Earth

They took pictures of the slightly scorched message spray painted on the walls of the building nearby. They had to look harder for this one because there was no alley in which to put the message. The bombed building was burned to the ground. Techs and forensic fire marshalls were sifting through it alongside FBI and ATF specialists. The Secret Service was represented along with the state fire marshall's office, the local fire and police department as well as the state police forensics division. They had made a grid and were leaving nothing unturned. When they were done there would be several things that were turned up and dozens more that weren't.

It would be a bomb of the same configuration as the one in San Francisco. The bombing itself with message scrawled would be identical. There would be no evidence of who had done this, so professional were the participants. There would also be no exclamation of responsibility from anyone credible. Several groups being tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center as terroristic and hate based would try to claim authority but they would not meet the metrics of the case itself.

News media saturated the site filming and speculating. In Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, a picture of a very capable well armed underground terrorist ring was emerging.

-0-On the airfield nearby

Wheeljack and Perceptor walked toward the waiting shuttle along with Hound. Already there, Drift and Springer stood studying a datapad. On it was all the information known so far about the bombings. The shuttle was slated to fly to New York, then Atlanta, Los Angeles and finally Chicago. It was ostensibly delivering tons of food supplies for a nonprofit coalition of food banks. When it did, it would also deliver and pick up a remarkable collection of spectacular cars as well.

They boarded, the hatch closed and all of them disappeared into the late morning sunlight on their way to a suddenly hostile planet 194 million miles away. Never would it seem that the trip took so long as this journey.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	95. Chapter 95

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 16

-0-At a foundry

They stood watching the steel buckets move overhead on a track heading for the large tables where it would be poured into frames to become ingots of pig iron. It was hot but it felt good and the bots who worked here paused from time to time to chat and play with Orion. He for his part was in nirvana. The attention was all a baby could ask for. He basked in the good will of the mechs and his brothers. Ironhide for his part was feeling tremendously better.

The bucket paused, its boiling contents throwing off oceans of heat and light. Then it began to tip and the molten steel poured out filling the frames as they slid by on a conveyer belt. When it was empty it tipped back and began its travel back to the smelters for more raw materials to transform into another kind of product. The steel itself was moving forward to be sent through heavy duty machines that would flatten the pig iron into sheets. It would be a long process.

They didn't care. It was awesome to watch.

-0-New York, USA, Earth

The shuttle landed at a commercial space on the airport. It was highly secured and there were officers of the airport police there. As the shuttle was loaded on one side, it was unloading on the other. Five vehicles departed and drove to the gates nearby. Holographic images supplied the proper identification and they were let out. It would be a long drive to Brooklyn and the heavily barricaded street that led to a burned out shop and an ant hill of human activity.

It wouldn't matter. They could scan things floating in space from surface side on Earth. It would be accomplished without incident. By the time the shuttle was ready to leave New York, five beautiful vehicles would be back on board once more.

-0-'Good Morning, Autobot City'

They sat on a couch, all of them fitting it easily. Seven humans were there to speak for Earth and they waited nervously as a public notice played on the screen. Cameras were pointed their way, Marconi was waiting for the go and all was tense.

For the humans.

Marconi, the genial host of the most popular morning program on IntraComm was relaxed and pleasant. The nod came and he turned to the camera. "Welcome back. As you know, there has been disquieting news from Earth lately. We now have five bombings around the United States that appear to be anti-Cybertronian in nature. We also had the infamous interview by two former Special Operations soldiers broadcast as well. We have asked some of the humans that are staying with us in the science habitat and the tower habitat for regular visitors to come and offer their outlooks on this situation. I would like to introduce the scientists first.

"This is Sheila Conroy, Antonia Lopez, Michio Yamaha and Stein Mueller. The remaining humans are part of the film company that is producing a series of programs featuring some of our soldiers for broadcast on Earth. They are Zeb Marshall, Leonora Huttle and Aaron Belcher. Thank you for coming. We have a lot of questions for you, some of which were texted to our studio. If I may start, I would like to offer one. A mech named Mystro asked, "Why do humans think Megatron will leave if we do? How do humans feel they can defend themselves when he doesn't follow us away? Do humans understand how vindictive Megatron is? How angry he is to be held in captivity with his body violated by your scientists' probing and examinations?' Good set of questions," he concluded.

Sheila looked at him. "They don't. They don't know you like we do. They don't understand you like we do. Its fear and lack of information that makes some people afraid. I think it is just that … how big and fearsome your species is that makes people have bad judgments about what to expect. We can't last without your help. Those of us here know that. Fear and lack of information is the problem. We know Megatron wouldn't go. We appreciate you so much. We love you. I am so sorry for this. They don't speak for the most humans. I believe that is true for the vast majority."

"I agree with Sheila," Zeb said nodding. "The broadcasts of life here are the most popular viewing on any Earth media channel. Football game broadcasts actually clear the streets in cities around the world when a game is played. The more we see that you are a lot more like us than different, the better it is for all of us."

"You are unique," Michio said nodding. "You are not what we expected. We expected a lot of different things regarding aliens. We didn't expect beings who could morph into automobiles. We didn't expect metal based organisms. Some people can't get past the idea that you didn't begin here. Some can't stand the idea that one of 'their' planets is now the home of someone else. It doesn't matter that Earth can't reach any of the planets. We can hardly reach the moon. We have gained in understanding of the universe and technology in general entire generations of advancement since you have come. You are helping us solve some of our most pressing problems on the Earth. And you have done so with great honor and humility. We love you. We appreciate you and you must understand, the majority of humans do too. We understand our fragility in relation to the Decepticons and only the most stupid, the most suicidal discount that difference. We are filled with grief over these developments and I don't think I'm just speaking for a minority."

Leonora nodded. "You aren't what we expected to come from the skies. But you are good allies and friends. I am so honored to be here to help present you and your people to the Earth. I can't even articulate how much I love your babies and how offended I am about those two men talking about him like that. I have spent time in your schools and I love your babies and children. They are so wonderful."

The others nodded. "If more people could come here, they would understand what we know," Antonio said with heartfelt emotion.

The conversation continued. It was broadcast all over the city and on the Earth download to the channel that had been set aside for Cybertronian television by a consortium of broadcast systems worldwide. Billions of people were watching and listening everywhere.

-0-On the Earth

They reached Las Vegas and pulled into the house where they were invited to stay. A millionaire developer had similar views and had given them a standing invitation to stay when they were in town. He wasn't there at the time but had arranged for them to make themselves at home. Hedges and Johnson walked to the living room and sat, cold beer in hand. Turning on the television, they watched as the news discussed the situation vis a vie the bombings and the furor their words had ignited in the world.

"When do we meet the others?" Johnson said glancing at Hedges.

"Not yet. We're under surveillance. You know we are. We can't meet them directly until we know we can shake our shadows."

"Well then, lets avail ourselves of our host's amenities," Johnson said with a grin.

Hedges nodded back. "Let's do," he said with a chuckle.

-0-Chicago

The crowds had dissipated as the police cordon had held. No one was allowed to get too close to the building that had been bombed. An Apple store next to it had been shattered and blown apart as well. Glass was thick on the ground as smoldering wreckage mocked the experts combing through it.

Nearby, parked on the street were several beautiful cars and a truck. Their sensors had been pooled and under Perceptor and Wheeljack's direction were scanning deep and wide throughout the site and a complete square mile around ground zero.

"What do you see under that piling, John?" a fireman asked as he crouched beside his partner scrutinizing the debris that had once been the roof.

"I'm scanning for trace elements of the detonator and bomb material itself, Jackie," John Mettle said. He held his scanner in his hand, the probe that sensed trace elements of different detectable substances held in his other. It was pointed at the rubble collecting data as he held it firm. Then it quit. He looked at it, tapped it against his leg, then stood. "My meter quit."

Jackie Paxton looked at the meter. "Did you have new batteries?"

"I put them in on the ride over," John said turning the device over to check the batteries. He ran a test on them and they read fully charged. He glanced at Paxton. "This is strange." As they stared at the dead meter, it came back on. "What the hell?" Mettle ran a test and it read as functional. He knelt and held it out, the data flowing again. "Weird."

He didn't know the half of it. The Autobots had scanned the wreckage and got what they needed. While they did, it had blocked his scanner from working. Now that they were withdrawing, their own scans complete, the blackout it had caused was over.

John Mettle would never know why.

-0-At the Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Earth

They sat on duty, four Autobots and five humans who were manning the little console that sat on a table top nearby. They had been part of the Autobot Control Center since the beginning helping to be the human interface. Now they were watching the hoo-hah on the teevee and waiting for General Morshower's press conference. He was in the Administration Building conferencing with Colonel John Fulton.

"These slaggers are beyond the pale. We come here and get fragged protecting Earth and this is the thanks we get." Blurr shook his helm.

Jolt who was lounging in a chair nearby shrugged. "Not all of them are fraggers."

"We aren't," Aisha Mohammed said as she did her tour at the human monitors on the table top.

Blurr looked at her. "You are always the exception, you and the mechs and femmes here. I don't know about those out there."

"Every planet has its Decepticons," an airman named Mike Hayes said. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"I won't," Blurr said with a grin.

"When is your bar opening, Blurr?" Aisha asked. "I'm coming over in a couple of weeks. I would love to see it. I hear its legendary."

Blurr grinned. "It is. That bar was so old no one remembers when it opened. It was the bar with the most and best labels, the best food and the best entertainment. Anyone in the old days could come in and be okay. Decepticons, Autobots and Neutrals all drank there. If there were fights the bouncers would post hole ya. It was epic."

"Did you go there during the hey day?" Aisha asked.

"Yeah. I loved it so much I took my racing winnings and bought it when it was on the market. I still own it on Cybertron. However many pieces its in anyway," he said with a chuckle.

"It'll open soon," Jolt said nodding. "I can't wait. I liked that bar."

"I know. I'm having a pole put in with your name on it," Blurr said with his trademark smirk.

It took Jolt a minute to check the reference and only a split second longer to send Blurr an electrical noogie.

-0-The Hourly News

"Welcome to the mid-orn news. My name is Lim-Lee and I am would like to begin with the situation as it is developing on Earth. This morning brought the horrible news that four more explosive devices had been planted in four different cities in the United States of America. Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta joined San Francisco on the unfortunate list of terroristic attack as the dawn arose across America. Fortunately, they were committed when no one was around to be injured but authorities expect it is only a matter of time before that changes.

"The preliminary data indicate that the devices are similar, composed of the same highly controlled substances and are accompanied by the same anti-Autobot, anti-Cybertronian graffiti that informed the first bombing. Officials investigating offer little information about who might have done this, preferring to keep whatever they find out close to their vests for now. The authorities are sifting the debris and monitoring the communications networks of known anti-social, anti-Cybertronian groups that may have links to the shadowy figures responsible for these bombings. So far, no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility.

"In several moments, General Glenn Morshower, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Armed Forces will be presenting a short message from Diego Garcia, the island in the Indian Ocean where our Prime and the first soldiers of our armed forces touched down in their quest to retrieve the AllSpark and to assist the humans against the Decepticon threat. We maintain an embassy there which is no longer in lock down." She paused a moment as if listening internally to someone. "We are receiving word that General Morshower is preparing to speak. We switch to Consortium World News to receive that broadcast."

(Cut to the emblem of CWN, a planet-wide organization of broadcast networks that present Martian broadcasts on a single broadcast band day and night worldwide. Diego Garcia where the familiar figure of Glenn Morshower, John Fulton and a number of officers gather around a microphone appears next. Behind them as Embassy and Prime representative, Bumblebee knelt in root mode. He was nearly completed in his duty here and would leave for Mars after the press conference.)

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I am here with Colonel Fulton commanding Diego Garcia and Autobot Scout Bumblebee, the representative for the Prime of Cybertron and Mars to speak about the situation ongoing here on Earth. First, I would like to address the comments and behavior of former Corporal James Johnson and former Sargent Sam Hedges. They have made statements that are beneath the dignity and honor of the United States military and I repudiate them completely.

"Both men were based here at one time to learn special operational tactics and they failed. They failed because they demonstrated over and over that they were unfit by attitude and temperament. They were relieved of their duty here and because of subsequent continued insubordination at their home bases, they were dismissed from the army as an alternative to court-martial. I want it known that they were given a choice and accepted dishonorable discharge with free will.

"Because they applied for and were accepted for special operations training, they were required to sign and obey a confidential agreement about all that they saw and did as a special ops officer or trainee. This is a lifetime binding agreement which they have violated. Not only did they violate that agreement, they attempted to release to the general public highly classified information relating to our mission and our allies that is highly damaging and detrimental to our ongoing mission. Because of that, I have instructed the General Counsel of the Armed Forces to seek legal recourse against both. Either an agreement is entered honorably or it isn't. This one was breached and there are consequences for that behavior.

"I would like to discuss the many egregious actions taken by former State Department liaison Jason Daniels, his mercenaries and Intel-Martin who supplied these hired guns for Daniels. This is one of the most highly secured bases on this planet. Not only was it before the Autobots came, it is even more so now with their presence. There was no reason for mercenaries to be here and while they were terrible things happened.

"Ambassador Ratchet was nearly assassinated. Two little children were nearly executed by vehicle. Master of the Armed Forces Ironhide was severely damaged when an armored vehicle deliberately drove into him at high speed. The Autobots exhibited phenomenal restraint and professionalism throughout this ordeal.

"When Johnson and Hedges were part of an incident, they brought it upon themselves. Their remarks, their ignorant, biased, ethnocentric remarks about the Autobots brought two of them forward to talk about it. The incident was an effort by two offended Autobots to seek an explanation of Johnson and Hedges' remarks, comments that were undermining unit cohesion and outside the bounds of professional military behavior.

"Nothing untoward happened and there is tape to prove that, tape that has been seen in congressional hearings to address these allegations. It was handled by the commanding N.E.S.T. field officers and the two were transferred that day off Diego Garcia. They then proved themselves unworthy to wear a uniform back at their home base. They were let go because they were unfit. All of the many incidents were investigated by the Army, by the State Department and by independent investigators appointed by the Pentagon. In every instance the Autobots were found to be not only not guilty of the event in question, they were found to be the offended party.

"It should be noted that it was the Autobots who uncovered a treason plot instigated by Jason Daniels, his father and grandfather and Intel-Martin that would have sold this world out to the Decepticons. They are now spending life sentences in prison.

"I cannot express how offended I am that a child should be insulted the way Orion was. I have worked with the Autobots and their Cybertronian country mechs and femmes. I have spent time and will continue for the rest of my life to spend time with these people. I love them. I respect them. They are the best kind of individuals you can meet. They live their honor, they live their dignity and they are among the finest individuals I have ever known.

"I repudiate all the comments made by Johnson and Hedges. I repudiate the cowards who are setting bombs on Earth. I stand by our allies and friends, the Autobots led by someone I am deeply honored to call friend, Optimus Prime, the Prime of Cybertron and Mars, the bearer of the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and the last and only duly legally appointed leader of the Cybertronian people. I won't tolerate any more crap from the ranks nor will I stand silent now. We are allies and some of us are lucky enough to call each other brothers. Thank you for your time."

General Morshower turned and patted Bumblebee's servo. Then he turned and walked with the rest of the officers and humans into the building. Bumblebee watched them and then turned walking with dignity and no little amount of hotness back to the Embassy beyond. The camera stayed with him until he disappeared inside. Then the camera cut back to Lim-Lee.

"Well, I guess that settles some of the issues that plague our people today," she said with a smile.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	96. Chapter 96

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 17

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They sat listening to Morshower and felt the weariness lifting. When the General was finished, news analysts began. Tuning a fraction of his receptors into their chat to gauge how it was being received, Prowl turned to Optimus. "That was good. I admire that man a lot."

"I do too," Optimus said nodding. "Right now, have you any indication when Wheeljack is getting back?"

"No," Prowl said. "They finished New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. They are heading for Atlanta right now," Prowl replied.

Optimus nodded. "Very well. Let's discuss what the humans sent."

Prowl handed over a datapad and Optimus read it. "The usual shrill voices arise," he said.

"Speaker Brummel isn't a friend but Andrea Hoxley is. She is on the same committee as Brummel's stand-in, Senator Partee from Idaho. The breakdown of the committee that wishes our presence is basically tied in orientation to how they feel about us good and bad."

Optimus nodded. "Then we have a good chance to win them over to our side. We do after all have the evidence of all the other incidents going our way."

"That is good if they accept that it isn't some great outlandish governmental plot. Senator Partee isn't exactly the sharpest pencil in the box."

"Well, Ratchet is," Optimus said with a grin.

Prowl grinned in reply.

-0-At the apartment

"Where the slag did I put that fragger?"

Ratchet stood up from looking under the berth, his rancor growing by each moment the little pink binky Ironhide had personally picked out was lost. Walking back out, he paused by the bouncy chair on the coffee table and glared at his daughter. "Where did you put it? You look like the type to hide things on your old ada." He grinned as she grinned at him. Reaching down, he lifted her from the blankets of her chair. Walking to the window, he kissed her. "Your old pa hasn't got the emotional stability right now to cart you around. You're mine. All mine."

The door opened at that moment and Ironhide followed by the twins entered.

"I spoke too soon," Ratchet said turning to grin at them.

"What are you doing with my sparkling, old mech?" Ironhide asked setting Orion down. He smirked at Ratchet. "I get it now, what Prowl natters on about. They **are** all mine too."

"Given the choice between you two, I'll put my hard earned shanix down on Prowl, thank you very much," Ratchet replied as Ironhide purloined his sparkling. Ratchet shook his helm and picked up Orion who had wandered over with a giant grin. After kissing his dollie, the two turned and looked out the window. "Look at all this, my son. Someday, all of this will belong to your smarter younger sister."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-On the way back

Wheeljack and Perceptor went over the data they had all gathered, mulling it over between them on their internal comm line. The others sat stretched out relaxing after a rather nerve racking drive through urban area rush hours at both ends of the country.

"What did you find?" Drift asked nudging Wheeljack's ped.

That venerable bot glanced up. "The bombs all come from the same batch. They are all of the same design. The footprints that we found belong to size 12 shoes of a male foot. There are three different sets so we conjecture three different individuals did this. The blasts were concussive to make the most damage. They were placed close to gas mains and other areas to produce flames. The spray paint is a common variety virtually untraceable. This is organized, well executed and not amateur. We are looking at either mercenaries who have some military background or actual active duty soldiers. They used electronic scramblers to short out the security cameras and detectors. This is a professional highly executed operation."

"That's the part I like," Springer said. "Highly executed. I volunteer to shoot them myself."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-At the bosom of love

The door opened and two more bots walked in. Alor liberated Hero from Ironhide and Ratchet chortled. "Nice move, Alor. That slagger needed his comeuppance."

At that moment, Blackjack liberated Orion. Staring at his empty servos, Ratchet grinned. "He comes by his slaggerhood naturally I see."

"You can't make me feel badly, Ratchet," Blackjack said sitting. "Orion, my angelic type creature. How are you this good morning?"

"**ADA!"**

"Atar," Blackjack prompted sweetly.

Orion held up his dollie.

Snorting, finding a chair, Ratchet grinned at Ironhide. "You look a lot more cheery."

"I do," Ironhide said glancing at his ada. **"OR I WAS BEFORE** **A THIEF STRUCK!"**

"Loud isn't he," Alor said glancing at Blackjack as he cuddled his granddaughter.

"Always was," Blackjack said with a grin.

"Have any of you eaten?" Ratchet asked.

They all shook their helms no.

"Good. I hear that Rampage is doing stellar work at the new cafe, The Barrel Head."

"He has another restaurant?" Sunstreaker asked with surprise.

Ratchet nodded. "He does. He's really interested in providing everything from high cuisine sit down restaurants to walk in/take out places. The Barrel Head is a take out. I have ordered a new confection just now since everyone was just sitting here not contributing anything but slag and I want you twins to go get it. Bring beer. Cold. My label."

Sideswipe stood, a smirk on his face. "What high concept thingo has he come up with now?"

"Something called 'pizza'," Ratchet said with a smirk. "Go. Fly, you fools."

"You watched 'Fellowship of the Rings' last night too?" Alor asked with a grin as the twins walked to the door.

"I think I'm in love with the blond elf," Ratchet said with a wink.

**"WHAT THE FRAG!?"** Ironhide said on cue.

Hilarity ensued.

The door closed and everyone settled. "Did you watch Morshower's press conference?" Ratchet asked.

"Not yet. I figured that The Hourly News would run it again," Alor said settling Hero into the crook of his arm.

"They will. It was great. No messing around. He kicked the two to the curb. They broke a confidentiality agreement and are going to be prosecuted." Ratchet put his peds up and relaxed. "I'm go with that myself."

"Do you have to go to Earth to speak at the Congress? I heard something about that," Blackjack said.

"No."

"Ironhide."

"I said no."

"I have to-"

"No."

-0-On the way to the Barrel Head

The streets were filled with pedestrians and the roads with traffic. It all flowed smoothly facilitated by a species that lived traffic and flow. The Polyhex Center designed by a famous architect from Polyhex was where the Barrel Head was located. They walked out of Mare Tranquilitatis and headed for the main street that would lead them to the right turn into the Metroplex District.

Crossing the highway, they walked down the main street that split Metroplex District into two parts. When they reached Vos Tower, they turned left and walked along the sidewalks to the intersection that led in a number of directions. The left turn headed to the other half of Metroplex District and the Habitat for scientists. Ahead would take them to the Autobot City's rebuilt Business Plaza and beyond that the Temple. The right turn would lead to the new Polyhex Business Plaza and onward to the shipyards, the industrial parks of the city and the firing range. The right turn would lead out of the general area to the new housing districts that were under construction and would by the time they were finished be able to house over one million refugees when added to the current total housing.

The light changed and they soldiered on walking to the Polyhex Business Center. It was big, beautiful and fully transparent. Entering, they walked through the arcades toward a beautiful store with the name in big glyphs over it. It was busy, any number of individuals taking advantage of Cybertroniated human shaped cuisine.

The menu was complex. You could get sushi, hamburgers of any number of types, something called onion rings and sandwiches of all manner. Included also were something called 'hot dogs', 'corn dogs' and 'ice cream'. Huge rounds of a dish called pizza were displayed and apparently one could get some by the slice. When their turn came, they gave their order. A femme took it and reached behind her taking five huge boxes off the counter and handing them to the twins.

"All of this?" Sideswipe said over the top of three of the boxes.

"Yep," she said with a grin. "Enjoy."

"We will," Sideswipe said transforming to skates. Sunstreaker did too and they made it out and home skating through the traffic, riding upward on the elevator to the old folk's home.

Literally.

-0-Several moments later

They sat with slices of 'pizza' and good cold Cybertronian 'beer'. Orion sat on the floor with his sippy cup and a rust stick. Alor had Hero lying in his lap, his son's optics measuring just how hard his ada would slap his servo if he made any moves to liberate her.

"I like this pizza, Ratchet," Blackjack said. "I've never seen food like this before. Mighty tasty."

"Humans eat it by the quarter ton," Ratchet replied as he munched his 'pepperoni and sausage' slice. "I can see why."

"So now that we have established that you will go to Earth, Ratchet," Alor began.

"Slag that," Ironhide said sulkily,

Alor looked at his son and smirked. "You really are amusing, Ironhide. I like that about you."

"Thanks, Ada," Ironhide said. "When I need you to back me up, to help me in my hour of need, you slag off."

"He's touchy when he doesn't get his way," Alor said glancing at the twins who sat smirking as they ate.

"He's a big baby," Sunstreaker said. "Maybe I should burp him."

Hilarity ensued.

"What sort of hearing is this and how do you manage among the tiny humans, Ratchet?" Blackjack asked as he opened another 'beer'.

"I go in vehicle format with guards out the wazoo. The setting is usually designed to accommodate me. I speak. They ask. We reach impasse and I go."

"Sounds like the High Council on any given orn," Alor said tucking Hero into her blankets gently. "I will go with you."

Ratchet snorted. "My genitor-in-law. How shall I introduce you? Mom?"

They all snorted. Alor grinned. "Whatever floats your boat, Ratchet."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-On the tarmac

Bumblebee stepped off with the other returnees and walked to the Fortress. He would meet First Aid there for a snack and then go to their apartment in the Mare Tranquilitatis tower for bachelor mechs. They would do the town later. They would tie one on and end up in the brig to sober up.

It would be awesome.

-0-At the school

Praxus stood in his little group, all of them looking up at their teacher. She was telling them that they would take the elevator down and go to the park at Metroplex. All they had to do was hold onto the rope that would link them all to her with aides trailing to make sure they did. They looked at the rope and grabbed onto the handles that were spaced along it for them.

It would take a few moments to get them all going in the same direction.

-0-At the dojo

"What do you think? Road trip?"

"Probably," Springer said.

"Won't mind that so much. Sorta miss hanging out on Earth." Kup champed on his stogie, his expression faraway. Who knew where. Certainly no one in the room. But they all grinned anyway.

"Those two humans," Drift said. "Are they the ones who gave the twins slag? The ones Sunstreaker went to talk to?"

Everyone nodded.

"It would be poetic justice if the twins were the ones who settled those slaggers' hash," Kup said as he put his peds up on the table.

"That would. I will suggest it to Prime," Springer said with a smirk.

"Good," Kup said without batting an optic. "He will listen to the missus."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	97. Chapter 97

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 18

-0-On the street later that orn

The city perked along, the pace vibrant. Along the way, underneath light poles here and there bots on cherry picker lifts were rising into the air. Bumblebee on his way to the apartment he shared with First Aid paused and looked up. The bot on the top, a Public Works mech was holding up a long highly decorated rectangle of what appeared to be a heavy canvas that was about fifteen feet long and eight feet wide. He was hooking it to the overhanging light arm of the pole, unfurling it when it was secured.

It curled down and hung, a weaving of a colorful nest of Christmas Surprise bulbs in the middle of a forest green background. Hanging like tassels, long metallic strings holding bright sparkling balls at the end streamed downward. It was beautiful. Across the street, another worker was hanging one with several large and small snowflakes all of them hanging in a dark blue sky background. The tassels that hung were silvery and held white snowflakes at the end of their sparkling length.

Bee grinned and nodded to the worker who nodded back with a smile. The worker motored the big non-sentient vehicle down the sidewalk to the next pole for the next banner. Christmas Surprise was obviously on the way. He considered that this would be the first one he passed in the company of his dear First Aid. This called for an epic Christmas Surprise present. He moved onward thinking about what it could be as all over the city the two mechs transformed the season one banner at a time.

-0-Outside the City Manager's door, City Hall, Administration Plaza, Metroplex District

Jetta paused and leaned in smirking as he watched Ultra Magnus working diligently on the ten thousand and one things he had to do. "Ahem."

Magnus looked up and leaned back in his chair. "Jetta," he said nodding. "What's up?"

"The banners from the Art Guild. Public Works are putting them up now."

Magnus looked at him a moment, then rose and they both walked through the main office to the big windows out in the hallway that traversed the entire building. Looking out they spotted the snowflake and bulb banners with their streamer embellishments. They were dazzling and colorful. "Wow. That looks good."

"I think so too," Jetta said. "I alerted IntraComm about the Guild and how it might be a good way to ease the city into Christmas Surprise. When Specialty Fabrication-Medical gets through building the big Christmas tree I'll have it erected in the main intersection again."

"They drew the short straw?" Magnus said glancing down at his right brain and all around go-to mech.

"Yeah," Jetta said. "By the way, on Earth if you draw the short straw you lose."

"Odd, that," Magnus said considering that it was the opposite on Cybertron. "It looks wonderful. Just wonderful."

"I know. The younglings and sparklings are going to love it."

They stood and watched the banners move prettily in the light afternoon breeze before going back to work again.

-0-Elita and Arcee

They sat in Elita's office shooting the slag. "When are you and Magnus going to give in? I want a party."

Arcee snorted. "How long do you plan to live?"

"How about getting him slag faced and we'll get Prime to bond you both in unholy bondedness," Elita said with a smirk.

"I'll make a deal with you. Have a sparkling and in return I'll nail his aft," Arcee said smirking at her/his oldest best friend.

"We're both going to wait a long time aren't we?" Elita said with a grin.

"Apparently," Arcee said shaking her helm. "We're hopeless."

"I think we're just comfortable."

"I am most of the time. Sharing a berth with a freight train is cramped sometimes," Arcee said.

"You wanted to live together," Elita prodded gently.

"I know. I need to make an appointment with Jarro. I need my processor checked." She grinned, then it faded. "What about those slaggers talking about us like that? Poor Ironhide. I hear he's distraught about Orion."

"Who isn't?" Elita replied. "I could slag them myself. You never know, Arcee. This might take us back to Earth for a few rounds."

"Bring it," Arcee said quietly.

Elita nodded. "I hear you."

-0-At the bosom of love

A knock on the door broke the revelry inside. Rising and opening it, Ratchet grinned. Two youngling messengers were standing in the hallway with a pair of huge boxes. "Wow. That was fast. I thought it would take longer."

"They put your order ahead when they heard the news this morning," one of them said.

Ratchet took his box and nodded. "Thank you, youngling. Please let Web and the others know how much I appreciate their kindness." He put the box on the table and took the others. They traded slag a moment or two, then the younglings left for other tasks. Ratchet sat the box on the table and everyone stared at both.

"What are you up to, Old Mech?" Ironhide asked warily.

"Good slag, you old reprobate," Ratchet said pulling off a lid. Looking inside, he grinned. Turning, he considered Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. "Come here and help your old Ada out, younglings."

They rose and equally warily approached staring down into the boxes. Sideswipe smiled and looked at Ratchet. "This is interesting."

"You don't know the half of it. I personally designed these. Help me put them up." Ratchet reached in and pulled out a colorful coiled rope. Taking one end, he began to spool it out, dropping it into Sideswipe's servos as he did. Turning, tugging him along, he walked to the window and starting at the farthest edge, he began to spool out the colorful string attaching it with powerful small magnets to the transparent steel window edging. All across the front of the apartment windows, down the side, across the bottom and up the other side he placed the magnets until the entire string was stretched out and fastened. He reached into the box and drew out a remote device. Turning, grinning, he nodded to the group who were watching with rapt optics. "Watch this." He turned and pressed the button. The entire thing, a long string of lights bunched up like grapes all along its full length burst into light.

They stared at the beautiful sight, then Ratchet held up the remote. Pressing a button, the lights changed from white to colored. Pressing buttons, he showed them the entire range of possibilities. White became colored. Colored became sparkling. Sparkling became blinking. Blinking became gold that changed to silver that changed to copper that changed back again alternating slowly or swiftly however the remote set the task.

"Ratchet, that's really pretty," Ironhide said as he looked down at an enraptured Orion. He had walked over dollie in servo and stared at it. "Little mech likes it."

"We better make sure little mech doesn't mess with it. I have lights for each of the sparkling's berthrooms. This other box has lights for you, Alor and for you, Sunstreaker. You can get more if you move it. When the city knows this is possible because they will see it on the outside, the waiting list will be awesome," Ratchet said. He reached in the open box and tossed the remaining light strings to the twins. "The younglings' berthrooms are that way."

They grinned and took them walking back to comply. Shutting the lid, Ratchet moved to the other one. He pulled out two silver bags. One was marked 'Alor and Blackjack', the other 'Tie Down and Ravel'. He shifted two other bags into the half empty box that were labeled 'Trine'. Tossing the light bags onto the coffee table, he grinned. "I'll have those two deck out your apartment and my folks'. Nothing like older sparklings." He walked to his chair and sat. They spent a while watching Orion's enraptured delight in the lights as Sunstreaker and Sideswipe decorated the living rooms and berthrooms of both their grandgenitors' apartments.

-0-Two joors later

He came through the door having been picked up by Sideswipe who had gotten all the younglings minus Orion. That little bot was still standing in front of the window with dollie clasped in his servos staring at the lights. Ironhide was changing them up with the remote as Orion stood transfixed. His grandgenitors were taking pictures right and left.

"What is this, Ada?" Sunspot said glancing at the window in deep surprise.

"It's part of Christmas Surprise, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet replied from his chair where he sat holding Hero. Kaon and Praxus came in behind him followed by Sideswipe and his basket of sparklings. Kaon paused and gasped, gaping broadly. He pointed a fat little digit at the window. **"ADA!"**

"Kaon," Ratchet replied with a grin. Hero would have said hello as well but she was recharging.

Orion turned and squeed. **"PAX! COME ME! LOOK!"** He turned and pointed at the lights.

"A new word," Alor said chuckling. He began to take photos again.

"He's a genius sparkling or so I'm told," Ironhide said proudly as he changed the lights.

Kaon came over and stood beside Praxus. He became so excited he stomped on his peds. "**OH!"**

Orion turned and grinned broadly. **"KO-KO! COME ME!"**

Kaon did and Orion hugged him tightly. They turned and looked at the lights. Praxus came too and they stood together, three little bots about the same size. It was adorable. Orion looked back. **"POT! COME! SEE?!"**

"Another word," Blackjack said as he basked in the contentment. "I could sit here all night."

"You're staying for dinner aren't you? When does Flint get off duty?" Ratchet said. "We can do take out. We can have my genitors over too. Nothing like pretty lights to bring out the best in a sparkling."

"Sounds like heaven," Alor said. "Will you twins come with the sparklings and bring Bluestreak? Where is that sweetheart?"

Sunstreaker beamed. "He's got duty with the Home Guard. He trains the sharpshooters."

"Good. He can come and sit by me," Alor said. "Ravie on one side, Bluestreak on the other. I will then be utterly contented."

Sunstreaker's expression was fleet but it was remarkable. He nodded. "I'll make sure he gets here."

The little femmes were placed on the floor, their basket put back out of the way. They sat looking up, smiling at Blackjack as he stroked their tiny faces gently. "How are my darling girls?" he asked quietly.

Sunstreaker's mask slipped a moment, then was back in place. He was as content at this moment as he had ever felt. His grandgenitors loved his sparklings, his brother, his Bluestreak and for once, he could feel it. They loved him too. Between Tie Down and Ravel, Blackjack, Alor and Flint, Ironhide and Ratchet, he was unwinding some of the slag he carried everyday on his back. Contentment didn't feel like a dirty word or a moral failing. It felt good.

The door opened and a sweet face peeped inside. "Hi."

"Ada!" Ratchet called out. "You're early. You have another joor or so to go."

"We came early, Ratchet," Tie Down said. "We're making that special steel for the micro processing tools that Data Processing wants to tune Teletraan III."

"That steel has to cook overnight. I remember," Ratchet said. "You came in time for the light and sparkling show."

They paused and looked at the little ones sitting on the floor all around Sunspot. Orion was standing next to him, leaning on the little Seeker, his arm around Sunspot's shoulders. They were looking at the changing lights as the evening began to creep up on the city.

"Oh, Tie. Look at that," Ravel said with an enraptured expression. Then he looked down. "Ah, my babies!" he said kneeling and gathering the little femmes both up.

Sunstreaker merely sat with the deepest contentment he had ever felt. He belonged somewhere. He belonged to someone. At last.

Sideswipe felt his contentment and added his own. Bluestreak would arrive pretty soon and they would dine together. When at last they left, they would take enough strands of lights to put on the windows of their apartment in every room.

It was all good.

Truly.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)

This is what you get when you listen to Tony Bennett singing Christmas songs on the teevee. **HUGS** to all tonight from Australia to Zambia. Hugs to all in countries everywhere who read this. You thrill me every day. I will try and return the favor. :D :D :D


	98. Chapter 98

NOTE: Happy Anniversary, dear Elita-1!

=0=Let's rumble

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 19

=0=Around

:Where are you?:

:I'm at the prison. Why?:

:Dinner at our house:

(grin) :I'll be there:

:Good. Ratchet out:

Flint paused a moment reflecting on the good fortune that had found him after all the vorns of loneliness and wandering. Then he turned back to the task at servo. The inmates were meeting with their representation and he was supervising the visits. Some of them had cases pending and some weren't in the docket yet. That was being rectified.

He stood near the wire and watched as Sentinel Prime talked in hushed tones with Highrode, his defense attorney. When they were finished, Flint would turn over the duty to the night shift and head for home and family.

It was thrilling to even think of such a possibility.

-0-over there

Silverbolt sat on the hillock deep in conversation with Xantium. He was recounting a number of events involving mechs they knew in common. Friends from vorns before were being checked off the internal list almost all of them had somewhere in their processors. Some were checked as alive for now and others were crossed out as deceased.

Sitting on the hillock talking to his brother-in-law, he marveled at how far they had come. Roaming the universe as a group, he and his own brothers had searched for the AllSpark diligently. They had helped migrations here and there, rescued bots in need and helped colonies from time to time as they could. When the call from Optimus had come, they had streaked toward it content to know that they would be able to do more under his leadership.

They had arrived during a fight and had settled on an island in the middle of a sea of salt water. The planet had been strange at the time but over the days and months Earth had become a very knowable and comfortable place for him.

Mars was home now. It was where he lived with Omega. It was where his brothers and Cosmos were. It was where Omega's family was gathering. Metroplex and Fort Max were here. The Prime was here. Life was so good he could hardly think about it, so superstitious was he about their propects.

The sound of Seekers nearby readying to do their patrols caught their attention and they paused to see some lift off and some touch down.

"The night is beautiful, Silverbolt," Xantium said. "I don't particularly like organic worlds. The contamination gets into your systems but look at the sights."

The city sparkled in the distance, its features clear in the night illumination. The Temple glowed. The human Habitat was lit up along with the administration buildings. Towers glistened and one even had colored lights that sparkled, turning differently in color and design. It was beautiful.

"This is a good place, Xantium."

"It is," Xantium replied. He glanced over his massive shoulder and smiled. "Here they are at last."

The slight tremors of Kappa, Omega and Gamma's peds could be felt as they walked to the pair, Zeta following behind. They would sit and talk, laugh and plan, hoping against hope that the others would find their way here too. The night would pass quietly as they sat together and talked.

-0-In Club Cybertron

"You dance like a ruptured targ."

"Are you mocking my mech?"

"Maybe. No one can dance like me. Trust me, First Aid … as cute as Bumblebee is and I am saying he's waaaay cute … he can't dance for slag."

"What the frag? Cliff, you don't know what you're talking about."

Bumblebee half in the bag tried to follow the conversation. To his blotto optics, his First Aid was having a disagreement with Cliffjumper who was sitting with his own frag buddy, Hopper. Hopper who was a very nice mech from Specialty Fabrication-Glass, Metal and Non-Metal sat between them with a distressed expression. "I think we need to dial it down don't you, Cliff? I don't want anything to mess up the evening. How about you and I go to Old Maccadam's? I heard it just opened yesterday."

"Sounds good," Cliff said standing up shakily. "These two aren't any fun anyway. Bee can't dance. First Aid is a slagger. Let's go to Blurr's bar." He draped an arm around Hopper and that small bot half carried, half dragged Cliff to the door and beyond.

First Aid watched them go and turned to Bee. "He's a slagger. There's nothing you can't do that isn't perfect."

Bee warmed to his cellinoids grinned. "You're really a good bot, Aid. Did I tell you that?"

Aid who was half in the bag himself smiled. "Yes."

Bee laughed and leaned back in his chair. "We need to dance."

Aid staggered up and stood swaying. "Whatever my best little bot needs, he gets."

Bee stumbled up and the two staggered to the dance floor where they spent most of their time holding each other up. That is, they did until they stepped on the ped of a much bigger much drunker bot. The fist that took out First Aid was only matched by the little yellow ped that landed once more on the throbbing foot of the offending mech.

Then it was on.

-0-On the beat

They laughed and stepped out of the alcove where they had had one of their infamous 'tussles'. Long known as the place to frag when no one was around, the alcove had been the start of many a surprise sparking. Given their experience and all around maturity, they had only been through that scare once.

And it was negative.

They knew because they stole a meter from Ratchet to find out.

They didn't want that mad mech to know.

They did it themselves.

Walking out with smirks on their handsome faces, Drift and Springer walked to the stairs that would take them topside. The night air was brisk, a mere -147 degrees. They felt good and even better as they meandered along on their beat. The streets were filled with the usual younger night crowd and families going to dinner. The decorations were beautiful and they gave a festiveness to the night.

"Christmas Surprise is coming," Springer said with a smirk. "What do you want?"

"I get to choose?" Drift asked with a snort. "If that's the case, you flat on your back in the berth."

"That's easily done," Springer said with a chuckle. They walked past The Paint Box then paused. There was shouting and the usual coming from Club Cybertron. Turning and hurrying into the entrance, they got there in time to see Bumblebee fly backwards through the air from the dining room to the bar. He landed hard and paused a moment getting his (ball)bearings.

Springer reached down and hoisted him up, holding him off the ground. Bee looked at him and smiled. "Hi, Springer."

"Hi, Bee. What's up?" Springer replied with a grin.

Kup who was sitting at the bar nursing a drink and a gimlet optic glanced at both. "Hi, boys. What took ya?"

"We were fragging in the alcove," Drift said with a broad grin. Just as he did, a huge hulking mech came out loaded for bear.

"Give me that little fragger. I'll bend him like a pretzel."

"You can't," Drift said stepping between the hulking bot and the squirming Bee.

"Why the frag not?" the hulk said moving closer to Drift fists clenched and smoke coming out his audials.

"He's the Prime's nephew," Drift said. He glanced back at Springer. "Or is he his son?" Drift looked back at the mech who paused with a confused expression. "I had to ask. Springer is the Prime's missus."

The mech stood thoroughly confused. Then Kup got down and stepped closer. "Why don't you go inside and drink something. I'll take care of Bee. I'm his Grandpa."

Bee who hung limply in Springer's servo looked at the big mech through blurry optics. The mech turned and walked back inside the restaurant. Kup looked at the three and nodded. "I'll get Aid. Meet ya at the brig."

Springer nodded and set Bee down. Then he picked him up tossing him over his shoulder. Bee punched his back with a fist. "Relax and enjoy the ride, Bee. You get to look at one of my best features all the way to the brig."

"**I** think so," Drift said with a chuckle. Kup walked out with First Aid slung over his shoulder. "He alive?"

"Yeah, but he won't like it in the morning," Kup said as they turned and walked out again. It would be a jolly stroll to the Fortress and the brig below where the two would be deposited in the same cell. They would stay there until morning and a meet up with the Magistrate, Semi.

-0-Ops Center

:Hey:

:What?:

:What are you doing?:

:Holding back the Pit single handedly. Why?:

:Come for dinner. Bring the fam. That's an order:

:I outrank you:

:I can declare you unfit:

:I can overrule you. I frag the Prime on a regular basis:

:Really? How often? What positions. Inquiring processors want to know: (Evil grin filters in over the link)

:Wouldn't you like to know: (Evil grin filters back)

:Actually, Prowl, I would: (Maniacal waggling of optical ridges is implied)

Prowl paused to chuckle and peered around. No one noticed. That is, they noticed but had perfected the art of not being noticed by anyone who can notice.

Like that.

:We're eating in. Bring the fam. I want you to see something. I put in an order for it an orn after my own because I have your back, you slagger. Get over here. Bring the younglings and the Messiah. Part the city if you have to but come. Dinner is going to be had and we need your servos to carry it back:

He considered the mad mech who had become the unlikely ally and BFF of his dreams. :We're on our way. Part the city? That's blasphemy in some places:

:Sue me: (Evil grin floats over time and space landing on Prowl's processor)

:Someone in some place somewhere probably will. We're on our way:

:Good. Lay a patch. Ratchet out:

Prowl grinned and looked at Optimus who sat at the table listening enraptured to all four of his little mechs telling him about their orn. Even Miracle was standing there nodding and offering the odd word or two. Walking over, he leaned down. "Dinner was offered at the den of iniquity. Do you wish to comply?"

"I think its required isn't it?" Optimus answered. The little mechs looked from one to the other.

"Are we going to eat at Uncle Ratchet's house?" Rambler asked with a hopeful grin.

"Looks like it," Prowl said with a grin.

They whooped and hugged everything and each other. With that show of approval, they all gathered up and handed off command, making their way to the door and the long now sparkling shiny walk to the nut house also known as the Bosom of Love.

-0-On the beat again

"What do you want for Christmas Surprise?"

"Dinner and a good frag."

"That's easy and cheap. Nothing else move you?"

Springer paused and looked at Drift, his companion of the spark and the body. "How about a bond?"

Drift looked at Springer, at the serious expression on his face. "You're serious aren't you."

Springer nodded. He turned and began to walk on. Drift who was stalled a moment followed catching up again. "You never brought this up before," Drift said.

"Nope."

"Why now?"

"Seemed like a nice night to be serious."

Pause.

"This could dent your image a little. Mechs might think you're getting soft and how would that look for the leader of the Wreckers and head of security for a planet?"

"Don't care."

Pause.

"Alright."

Springer paused. He looked at Drift with serious optics. "I don't want to put limits on you. I don't want to box you in. I don't want you to do something for me that you don't want or feel. You know I like our life as it is and if you don't want to make anything permanent, I will be content with things the way they are now. Right?"

Drift nodded. "I know."

"What do you feel?"

Drift considered things a moment. "I felt everything for you the moment I saw you. It was like a match and a pool of gas. You felt it too."

"I did. Never for anyone else. Just you," Springer said nodding.

"It was what I think a bond must be right from the first glance. We have a good thing going and even if a bond isn't in the cards right now, I agree with you. I will never leave you alive."

Springer nodded. "Nor I," he said seriously.

"Given that, a bond seems sorta natural in the progression. And you know how I feel about progressions," he said smirking slightly.

"Oh yeah," Springer said in a soft smoky voice. "I do."

"Then I guess you get your present," Drift said quietly. He grinned slightly. "Do me one small favor."

"What's that?"

"Don't tell anyone especially Ratchet. Let that old mech go through hoops. It's entertaining."

Springer grinned and leaned in kissing Drift softly. "Deal," he said. He grinned and they turned walking into the darkness of the night.

The city continued onward through the evening as Mars and their part of the Tharsus Plain made its way toward morning. Moments later, happy younglings would skip along the same sidewalk followed by their smiling laughing genitors. It would continue until Optimus Prime and his family knocked on the door of Ratchet and Ironhide.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	99. Chapter 99

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 20

-0-The door

A knock sounded just as Prowl and the fam began to settle.

"I'll get it," Ratchet said turning and gripping the doorknob. Opening, he paused and grinned. Venture and Miler were in the hallway with a sparkling each. Four of the caregivers of the migration sparklings were behind them with more. "Oh slag. Do come in. I wondered where you were."

Miler snorted entering the big apartment which suddenly seemed nine sizes too small. Prowl who had retrieved Baby from his hold snorted. "I took the liberty of calling for reinforcements. You did say bring the fam."

"I did," Ratchet said taking one of the four sparklings from an aide and handing it off. When all four were distributed the four aids turned and walked off free for the evening. Ratchet turned and looked at the room.

Sunspot, Orion, Kaon and Praxus were joined by Miracle, Rambler, T-Bar and Spirit on the floor by the lights. They were marveling together. Flint, Ironhide, Ravel, Tie Down, Optimus, Prowl, Miler and Venture each had a sparkling. Hero was laying in Bluestreak's arms and all were accounted for. "Isn't this cozy," he said to general hilarity. "Prowl, dump that sparkling. You, Bluestreak, Flint and Alor are going to help me get dinner."

"You can't have it delivered?" Alor said rising. He walked forward and set his sparkling on the floor in front of the lights. The little mech looked at them and flapped his arms smiling broadly. "Sit here, my sweetness. I'll come back for you."

More sparklings joined him and several smirking snarking adults stepped out. Prowl looked at Ratchet. "Those lights are beautiful. Is that what you ordered for us?"

Ratchet nodded. "I did. I also got some for Miler and Venture. They will be delivered to Ops Center shortly. And no, you don't have to thank me."

"Good," Prowl said with a smirk.

Ratchet snorted and they exited the building following the cobblestone path to the highway beyond. They reached the sidewalk and followed it commenting on the banners and the beauty of the night.

"It's so beautiful, Ratchet," Bluestreak said looking here and there. I can see your window lights too." They all paused to look back. They were beautiful against the checkerboard array of lighted versus darkened apartments in their tower. "Thank you for getting us some too. We'll put them up tonight. Kaon and the girls love them."

"They do. You can change the lights with a remote. That should keep Kaon busy for a long time," Ratchet said.

Bluestreak nodded. They continued onward passing mechs and families known and unknown before turning right to go down the street to enter the Mall. They crossed the busy main thoroughfare and walked inside. The Mall was decorated with banners and lights. Apparently, the business community of Autobot City was embracing the beauty and good feeling of Christmas Surprise too.

"Its really pretty," Flint said as they walked to the grocery store. "Christmas Surprise is definitely shiny."

"It is," Ratchet said as they entered. It was busy with shoppers getting this and that, filling this and that whim and family recipe with the things they needed and wanted. Ratchet walked to the back where pre-ordered items were made pending pick up or delivery and paused in line at the counter.

Prowl looked around and grinned. "Reminds me of Praxus."

Flint nodded. "It does. Makes me feel happy. It's been a while."

"Well plan on it, Flint. You haven't even seen Santa Prime yet," Ratchet said with a grin.

He looked at Ratchet for a moment. "Who?"

"Check out the images and video on the Community Bulletin Board in the archives link in Community Activities."

"I will," he said with a grin.

They made their way to the counter and gathered several boxes of food and food items. Ratchet handed a box of infant food to Flint and then took a case of 'beer' himself. "Shall we go?" he asked as they all turned heavily laden. It was a very very pleasant walk back to the apartment.

-0-Old Maccadam's Oil House

Blurr stood behind the bar smirking and filling drink orders. The array of labels he could offer was only one fourth of the stock he could supply when his bar was the only one on Cybertron that had on tap any concoction anyone anywhere could want. The good stuff was still kept where it always was, a small cupboard below the bar.

Music was playing, every table was filled, chatter and laughter filled the air and the bar food was flying out of the kitchen. He had a good wait staff, a couple of amazing bartenders per shift and a view of the city out the windows that would drop a Seeker in mid flight. All was well.

Then Cliffjumper teetered into the bar.

-0-Copper

He walked home from the union meeting of which he was a representative for the stonemasons. The night was cool as befitted a late spring orn on this planet. The usual temp was about -60 degrees normally. Season in, season out, that was normal. That it was this cold could mean that the great sand storms weren't forming. Usually when they did, the ones that went regional or global, they would absorb the sunlight and it would reach temps as much as that above zero.

He didn't care. The stone came out just as it did whether the ground was frozen or not. And mostly it was frozen. He paused and looked at colorful lights blinking in an apartment high up in a tower in Mare Tranquilitatis. They flickered and changed making a soft glow in the sky. He continued onward thinking about how his baby girl would love something like that. He would check the Community Bulletin Board business links to see what they were and if they were commercially available.

He wouldn't be the last one.

-0-Elevator going up

"And so I said, 'ha ha, Ironhide'."

Raucous laughter greeted that comment. Ratchet grinned and they paused for the door to open. It did and they exited walking to the apartment heavily laden. Tapping the door with a ped, it opened and they wandered in setting the food boxes on the counter and table top.

A lot of hilarity ensued as they began to parcel out dinner.

"**GIVE ME SOME VITTLES, OLD MECH!"** Ironhide said with a giant grin.

Everyone paused and looked at him. He grinned and shrugged. "I heard it on the 'Beverly Hillbillies' the other orn."

Ratchet snorted. He pulled together a plate and turned handing it to Ironhide. "Here, old mech. Your vittles."

"Thanks, Ratchet. Looks good. I think I'll keep ya," Ironhide said with a big grin.

Hilarity ensued.

Infants were given sippy cups, older children 'corn dogs' and 'lemonade' to be followed by 'cherry pie' and 'whipped cream'.

It was a slagging hit.

Bottles were filled and those with sparklings fed them. Six contented migration mech-lets and three femmelings were soon glugging away as Ratchet, Flint, Bluestreak and Prowl sorted out plates for the worker bees. When everyone was served and the migration and femme bots settled, they sat and began to chow down themselves.

"I don't know what this is but its pretty tasty," Prowl said holding up a yellow oblong with little pillowed perforations all around it.

"The list here calls it 'corn on the cob'," Ratchet said looking at the explanation on the order sheet.

"Corn on the cob," Prowl said staring at it with interest. "I will have to say, Rampage is an interesting bot now. I had no idea he had a processor let alone one this creative."

"He is a caution," Alor said drily. Ironhide snorted. "You should know. You went one-on-one with him once."

Sunstreaker pausing with his 'tacos' glanced at Alor. "Really?"

"It was a misunderstanding."

"Do tell," Flint asked with a smirk.

"He wanted to take my runabout and I didn't want him to. I kicked his carcase out an airlock. He learned." Alor bit into his 'chicken wing'. "This is good."

"You read him from the book," Ironhide said with no small amount of pride.

Alor looked at his son, his beloved and adored son. "If you say so, Ironhide."

Hilarity ensued.

Ratchet rose and gathered sippy cups from botlets beating each other with them and tossed them in the sink. The infants stood up and walked to the lights.

"Ada! Kaon and Miracle want to touch the lights," Spirit said.

Prowl paused with his corn cob and looked at Ratchet. That bot stood and smirked, walking over to head them off. Kneeling, he looked at them. "Okay, hoodlums … those, see?" he said pointing at the lights. "Those are off limits. Those are no."

They looked at him, Praxus and Orion joining them. Miracle and Kaon looked at each other, then burst into tears. Orion and Praxus startled reaching over to try to hug them. They weren't having it. They pushed away and turned crying loudly.

"You have the touch, Ratchet," Prowl said with a grin. Miler rose and walked to the bots all of which raised their arms to him.

"Well, this is going to be interesting." Miler knelt and hugged them. "The window," he said pointing at the glass. "No, babies. No touch."

They looked at him, then Ratchet, then Prowl, then their toes. Then they cried. Orion and Praxus shaken by the sight began to cry in sympathy. It was loud and pitiful.

"Okay, slaggers," Ratchet said from his seat on the floor in front of the lights. "Who wants to be next?"

General hilarity, finger pointing, volunteering someone else, seconds on the 'baked beans', jokes, hoots and all around jocularity burst out.

-0-The Brig

Bee and Aid sat together leaning against the other as the moments ticked past. Sobriety was coming along with a bunch of aches and pains. They almost didn't notice when Kup, Springer and Drift followed by Lon entered carrying a blotto Cliffjumper like a bunch of dry cleaning. He hung over Springer's arm minus the hangar and babbled blearily to himself. Following, wringing his servos, Hopper came.

"I can take him home, Springer. I could take care of him," Hopper said anxiously as he watched the big mech plop Cliff on the bench cot. The lights went on when he stepped out.

Looking down at the ultra nice bot looking up at him with great misery, Springer grinned slightly. "He got a fight going at Old Maccadam's on the second day it was open. Second day."

"It could have been the first day," Hopper offered with a weak smile.

Springer chuckled. "You really need to get a nicer mech, Hopper. You are a really nice bot."

"I like that one," Hopper said venting a sigh. "I just do."

"That's too bad," Springer said with sympathy. "We gotta go, Hopper. He'll come up before the Magistrate tomorrow. You might want to rest up and see him after Semi gets through with him."

Hopper nodded and turned walking out mournfully. Springer watched him go and glanced at the others. "I know why Ratchet does what he does. I want to find that mech a better bot to frag. Cliff is too high maintenance."

"It might be why Hopper hangs with him," Drift said. "It sort of explains why I hang with you."

Springer snorted and chuckled. "That's me. High maintenance."

They bullshitted their way out, up and across the Fortress stepping out into the night time once more. It was glorious.

-0-Later that night (leaving time at the door)

"We'll have a military staff meeting tomorrow and all of you need to be there. We have a lot of stuff to discuss," Optimus said as he swayed gently with a sleepy Miracle in his arms. The other infants were distributed between carry holds and grandgenitors as they gathered up to go. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe held the bags with their lights as Bluestreak gathered up Kaon. The girls were in their basket and in their atar's servo. Sideswipe looked down at them and grinned. They grinned back up at him.

Chi was achieved.

They began to funnel out taking their bullshit with them and when the last one left including his genitors, Ratchet turned looking at the kitchen. It was immaculate and everything was in its place. "I don't know who raised all the adult younglings but I owe them one," he said with a snort.

"They are a caution," Ironhide said with a grin. He was sitting in **HIS CHAIR SLAG IT, RATCHET!** holding Hero in his arms. She was asleep. The infants were toddling around and Sunspot was laying on the floor watching the lights.

"Sunny Bunny, did you do your homework?" Ratchet asked.

He looked back and grinned. "I don't have any tonight."

"You mean, you're such a good worker you did it all at school?" Ironhide asked.

He nodded. "I did." He sat up. "Ada? Atar? Can we get the Christmas Surprise trees out and turn them on?"

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. Ironhide grinned. "You put them up. You get them out."

Ratchet snorted and walked to his berthroom opening the closet. Three little perfect metallic Christmas Surprise trees stood on the top shelf, their ornamentation in place. Taking them gently down, he walked out and put them on the table. "I forget how to put them around, Sunspot. Whatever shall we do?" Ratchet asked with a slight smile.

"I'll show you, Ada," Sunspot said earnestly as he rose and walked to the trees. He took them one by one and set them on the floor in front of the window. They were evenly placed and their lights blazed. Walking to the wall switches, he shut off the lights. Orion and Praxus who were following him back and forth as he did all the good stuff paused and looked at the display.

"**ADA!"**

"What, Orion?"

"**POT DID! POT GOOD!"** He turned and looked at his brother. **"ORION LOVE POT!"**

Sunspot looked down at Orion for a moment, then smiled beautifully. "Pot loves Orion." With that, Sunspot took Orion's servo and Praxus's, then walked to the window and sat. Ironhide switched the lights from this to that as they sat together marveling at the pretty display.

It would be the best possible ending for another orn in paradise.

Or something a lot like it.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	100. Chapter 100

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 20

-0-At the Senior Military Meeting the next morning

"We have a lot to go over. Things are coming pretty fast and we have to make our counter moves." Prime leaned back in his chair and considered the array of problems facing them.

His senior soldiers and two civilian advisers sat around the table, the senior military officers along with Jarro and Barron whose skills were becoming integral to planning since so much involved law and mental health now. Springer, Drift, Kup, Jazz and Mirage, Jetta, Elita and Arcee sat and listened to Prime. Ratchet, Blackjack, Alor, Ironhide, Starscream, his command trio and others as well gave him their attention.

"We have the meet up with Soundwave, the Fortress construction, the retrieval of our people, the problem of Overlord and the opportunity to turn his soldiers against him … those are just some of the things we have to get moving on. Then there is the new problem of the bombings, the new information leaking out to Earth, the film that has to be downloaded for broadcast and the possibility that Ratchet will have to attend meetings on Earth. It is a lot to do and plan for. Prowl?" Prime asked glancing at his second.

Prowl nodded. "Right now, we have a meet up time with Soundwave scheduled in two orns. We plan to bridge out to the general area and pretend to have traveled a long way. He has agreed to two ships, one for backup and so have we. We will be taking the City of Diego Garcia and Xantium." He glanced up and grinned slightly. "We never said what ships."

It broke the tension somewhat.

"We want to establish a clear understanding between us that Overlord is a loose cannon and it benefits both sides if he's removed. I will hold Soundwave personally responsible for the fate of the hostages," Optimus said.

"He might not have any control. In fact, I would say he has none," Blackjack said.

"You're probably right but the refugees fled this direction because of his faction. No one would be in danger but for them. Therefore, he bears responsibility. He says he cares about the diaspora. This is his chance to prove it. He either helps us get them back in one piece or he pays for it," Optimus replied grimly. "Prowl will devise the strategy and the combat teams have already been drawn up." He glanced at Springer who nodded. "Very well. That is on two orn standby. We have pulled soldiers off their regular duties to go."

Prowl nodded. "That's why Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are still here and not on Io. We want veteran alpha teams on the striker force."

"The next item involves about three different things related to Earth and Ratchet," Optimus said. "We have requests for Ratchet to meet up with several committees of the United States Congress involving the violence events going on right now and also about the city and the extent of our colony here. They feel pressure about the scope of our settlement and some of them want to make trouble. There is also a new request to help human groups make their own colony here. There is a plan underway by private individuals who want to build a colony that can host 80,000 humans long term."

It was silent a moment. Blackjack leaned forward slightly. "They don't know how to live in an environment like this. Their technology and correct me if I'm wrong is not up to the task. They haven't even colonized their own moon."

Wheeljack nodded. "They haven't. I have done a search of the plans that are known to the public and it is primitive comparatively to what is minimally safe in my estimation for habitation by organic lifeforms. I admire their guts but not their judgment," he said as Perceptor nodded.

"They would probably expect a great deal of help and support from us including transport. Their transportation devices appear to be deeply hazardous and limited. They would also have minimal types of protection against the sun's energy and the abrasive actions of the sand and dust here. One accident would mean death all around. They would need a lot of hand holding by us."

Prime nodded. "I know. We can put a hold on answering that request until we solve the greater problems but be aware that the Project X people are making their requests and are seeking government funding as well as selling places for the project to the public."

"Well, they can't build near us. We have an open ended population to plan for, Prime," Starscream said shaking his helm. "We are already up to nearly half a million of our own and the indication is that number will be a fading memory if we solve the Overlord problem and the migrations can come again safely."

Prime nodded. "That will be among the later aggravations, Starscream. Right now, the Senate has requested Ratchet to come and discuss the city and our plans for settlement. There is concern that Mars now belongs to us, not them and any future for humans here is diminishing for them."

"It is," Alor said. "Don't you think? They can't even reach their own moon."

"It is hard for some of them not to feel that all the space in this system is theirs. They have been alone so long they are struggling to accept us which plays into extremist fears about our presence," Ratchet said. "That is the problem. They feel that we haven't been upfront about the colony and how many actually and will eventually live here."

"But you've broadcast to Earth nearly from the beginning. They could see it. They've seen reclamations. We have been watching the archive footage of refugee returns. How can they say they are surprised?" Alor asked.

Ratchet shrugged. "This is emotional and they are a young species," he said quietly. "How do you want to do this, Optimus? Senate first? House second? Both together and the United Nations later?"

"We have a message into Warren's office and he will make the arrangements. The elections are over and the elected officials are still organizing as is the Congress. The chairmanships are changing and I hope for the better. We will let you know when the meetings happen. Springer, I want you to design security. Remember, we're in a changed situation now."

The big mech nodded. "I will."

Optimus looked at Mirage, Blaster and Jazz. "How close are we to broadcasting our propaganda? I want the psyops part of this to be up as soon as possible."

"We have been building the films and broadcasts for about seven orns now. We have joors and joors of material to blast at them," Jazz said nodding. "I expect it to do the job we want. It is already clear that some of them are cracking. They just need a place to go toward. The seventeen mechs that defected have said morale is low because of Overlord's vicious behavior."

Prime nodded. "I am counting on that. All we have to do is show them what they can have as opposed to what they got."

"When they defect they go straight into prison, correct?" Blackjack said.

"They do until we find out who and what they are," Optimus replied. He glanced at Red Alert and Inferno. "The prison … how are our regulars and are we ready to take on more?"

Red nodded. "We are. We have enough space to house a lot of prisoners, Prime. I am expecting that you want the officers in the brig separated from the foot soldiers?"

"I do," Optimus replied.

"We can do that," Inferno said. "The other prisoners made a smooth transition. They prefer the change of view and venue. The counsels are able to access them better and their clients seem in a better mood."

Optimus glanced at Barron who nodded. "We find it much easier and the mood lighter in the outdoors setting."

"Good," Optimus said sitting back. "We want to keep the fuss to a minimum."

"Don't let Ratchet near the prison," Ironhide said with a grin.

"Where's the fun in that?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

The mood lifted noticeably.

They continued discussing and trouble shooting their many myriad problems, then Prime called for the good of the order.

"I caught the Earth broadcast morning news programs before comin' here and there is a push back in the public against the comments made by Hedges and Johnson," Jazz said. "Apparently, they had overnight polls and the civilian population is overwhelmingly in favor of us stayin' and in the awesomeness of Orion. They were offended in large percentages that babies were being slagged."

"That's good news," Ratchet said. "I figured as much. Our little kids are pretty great."

Ironhide nodded.

"There have been requests for interviews and more viewings of Orion and others," Prowl said. "I put that on the next agenda. We also have to decide to release or not the first episode. Apparently, they have about five of the episodes 'in the can', whatever that means."

Prime thought a moment. "Given that they fear us, some of them, do we still send out the series? Or do we try and control our image more?"

"I think that boat sailed, Optimus," Jetta said. Elita nodded. "They already think they know about us. Why don't we show them?"

He considered that and glanced at Prowl. "They can send it."

Prowl nodded. "The scientists have asked for an extension of their visits. They told their bases on Earth that they are in the middle of research and experiments and want more time. I believe its motivated by their appreciation of this city and of us."

Prime nodded glancing at Perceptor and Wheeljack. "What about it?"

"Nothing they can't continue on Earth. But I do like them. They work hard, they're respectful and friendly. Keeping them here is no problem for us. We all like them. I also think it might be good for people who like us to stay and tell the Earth what they see and hear. They have to write in their blogs everyday and send pictures that pass the censors. They are good company."

Prime nodded. "Very well. We will ask that they stay."

"They can go to Christmas Surprise with the rest of us," Ratchet said. "There will be concerts on the airfield again or so you told me, right Ironhide?"

Ironhide nodded. "There will be. It's the only place big and flat enough to handle so many."

"What about the convocation against the system?" Ratchet asked glancing at Prime. "I just remembered it."

"That's on the list. We also have trials and other things to do. I dislike in the extreme having things be put off. We need to follow the rules to the nth degree but things are arising and we have to prioritize."

Everyone nodded. "Then you want us to get that base up and running yesterday?" Blackjack asked.

Prime nodded. "Yes."

"We are enclosed," Blackjack said glancing at Jetta who nodded. "We will be liveable in an orn or two. The garrison can come and move in. The guns will be online in two orns I have been assured. The big ones on the roof. We have begun to dig hardened bunkers for aircraft and Seekers garrisoned there. The broadcast arrays and all of the security sensors are already up and troubleshot. They can go when we are ready. I expect two orns. Perhaps we can be ready when we go out to meet up with Soundwave. We will be coming too, right?"

Prime smirked slightly. "It would be good to have him see you and Alor. Bring Flint too. I want him to see how deep our bench is. I want him to see us bristling with might. I want him to lose recharge."

"No offense, Optimus," Alor said with a light grin. "I would bet shanix large that he already does."

No one disabused him of that statement.

-0-IntraComm Building, Autobot City, Mars

"We have the go," Leonora said as she turned from the comm screen where she had been in communication with Jazz. "We can send the first ep down. The IntraComm board and Prime are ready to review the next seven. We can send one a week for two months. That will give us time to get the others shot, designed and ready to review."

"That's good news," Aaron Belcher said.

"I'll call Marko in Hollywood and tell him a download through the MCA link is coming through right away," Jack Mellar said rising and walking to the comm screen where Leonora stood. He called up the Ops Center Communications officer and made his request. Pausing a moment while it was arranged, he smiled when the familiar voice of his colleague came over the intercom. "We are go, Marko. They approved the episode. I am going to send now. You ready?"

A soft chuckle drifted into the room over hidden speakers. "I was born ready, Jack."

Mellar grinned and sent the data packet. The bulk packet reached Earth 194 million miles away in 43 seconds over the high speed relay.

-0-Habitat

They stared at the text that had been sent to them by the managing agency for everyone concerned, NASA. Michio Yamaha read it and they all looked at each other with disbelief. "We get to stay!"

"What does it say? Does it say why?" Sheila asked.

"No, but I'm going to find out," Jackson Hale said turning toward the communications center. Punching in the code, he could hear the censor delay click on softly. "Johnson Space Center, this is Jackson Hale. I need to seek clarification of the change in plans."

"This is Johnson Space Center, Habitat. How are you and what do you need to know?"

"Barry, we just were told our extension request has been approved," Jackson said.

"It was," Barry Wilde replied from the command center of the mission control. "A message from the Office of the Prime himself was received a few moments ago personally supporting your request. Wheeljack and Perceptor were also signatories. We ran it past the Project managers and they agreed. If the Autobots think its alright, you are extended another month."

It was silent a moment as the group digested the news. "This is wonderful news, Barry," Michio said as shouts of delight filtered over the link behind him.

Sounds of laughter greeted them as well. "I can see that."

The relief was stupendous.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	101. Chapter 101

The Diego Diaries; PsyOps 21

-0-Out there

They stepped off the shuttle and walked toward the Fortress pausing beside the construction boss. The big installation had improved even in the short time they had been gone. They paused and listened as the big foremech began to explain the changes in the installation and the surrounding area.

The turret guns were being placed, two of them fully and two more in various stages of readiness. The facility was three fourths the size of the original on Mars and held one less gun emplacement due to its square rather than pentagonal shape.

Beyond the stone fort were the emerging underground hardened bunkers where all of the ships, their support, shops and the Seekers would be housed. All were free to use the Fort as their base for dining and recreation but the hardened underground bunkers would allow the big Seekers to be more comfortable.

Rows of battle cruisers sat nearby lined up ready to depart at a moment's notice. They were armed to the teeth and programmed to lift off when the pilot pressed a two digit code into the main computers.

They walked forward and entered passing through the force field that was a temporary door for workers and their loads to pass through. The first thing that greeted anyone was a smaller version of the rec room Fortress on Mars. It filled a large space and sported comfortable couches and chairs among the tables. Nearby, technicians were working to install the energon bar for food and all of the electronics and monitors that would be available for the residents.

A huge monitor nearby ran a slide show in real time of images of Mars and the city for the garrison. It was morning there and the activity of the city was entertaining and homey. The Ops Center was to the left and the Medbay was to the right, just like it was before the refit of the facility on Mars. Where Medbay was at this site, the Flight Center for the Seekers was now on Mars. Instead of a corridor that led off as Central Corridor onward to the underground portion of Autobot City, a huge elevator stood in a stone wall with staircases going downward on each side.

The staircases and elevator led to the two floors below each fulfilling an important function. The first level below ground held the bulk of Teletraan IV and barracks for the garrison. Rooms functioning as lounges and game spaces were on this floor as well. Below this level was the armory, storage spaces and the underground tunnels that led to the hardened bunkers and a number of utility plants beyond the fortress itself.

Outside digging in the hard earth, crews were laying the trenches that would house the buried storage containments for fuel energon and the small generation device that would make it. Class A- raw crystals had been gathered and stockpiled next to it, a small pile given the size of the garrison, so potent was the quality of the ore.

They turned and walked to the Ops Center continuing to the middle table. Pausing, they looked around. The main control station was under a huge set of monitors and on them were images of the ongoing projects all around on site. The stations echoed Autobot City, all of them manned by civilian and soldier technicians.

The general plant controls were gathered at a station by the door. The next station over was communications, all of the outgoing and incoming messages beginning and ending there. Next to it was the sensor station where the local and deep space arrays sent their information first.

Other positions were designed to manage other parts of the fortress pie, all of which were manned by a mix of civilians and soldiers. They were working hard and getting things done troubleshooting the equipment and running scenarios against the looming deadline in a couple of orns that dictated coming online.

"The arrays are up aren't they, Jazz?" Alor asked turning to the bot leaning over the shoulder of the sensor station officer.

"They are," he answered. "We're getting ready to download our stuff. Blaster and I will run the operation from here. Mirage will stay at Autobot City to manage that end. We will be go when the downloads are complete."

Alor nodded. "Wonderful. When we get back from meeting up with Soundwave, I think we will be go."

Jazz nodded. "We will be ready."

Blackjack turned and looked at his son. "Show me the armory you designed, son."

Ironhide nodded and turned walking to the door, his genitors behind him. Jazz watched them go and smiled. Turning, shaking his helm, he immersed himself back into the downloads.

-0-The fam

They walked back into the rec room and waiting for Flint to catch up. "I saw the power plant and the energon facility. It looks stellar."

"That's good news. We're going to the armory. Come with us," Alor said to his brother. The four of them turned and walked to the stairs disappearing below for a few joors.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"We can go there through the Trigger and make round about to the location. It appears from scans sent by Fort Apache that the meet up spot will be an asteroid. Who do you want to include on the crew manifest?" Prowl asked.

"I want Starscream and Thundercracker for sure. Red Wing can lead the Seeker flight that we're taking with us. I want Ironhide, Flint, Alor and Blackjack for sure. I also want Barron and Jarro too. Have them touch base with you about the profile I want of Soundwave. I also want Kup, Springer and Drift along as well. Let them decide who comes on the striker teams. I want this to be a bristling affair."

"Have you considered having other figures of the past, figures of authority that can come and show themselves. It could give us a tactical advantage if he saw influential individuals standing on our side," Prowl suggested.

"Who? Neo perhaps?" Optimus suggested.

"I was thinking of her. Also this might be a good time for Alpha and Gravitas to show the flag. Might do Gravitas some good to look stern and loyal to you," Prowl said with a grin. "Then there is also the Temple priests. They aren't slackers and he knows we have the relics now. It might give him a good low burn in his chassis to see that the power and history of our people are coalescing around you."

Optimus smiled slightly. "I like that. Perhaps you can call them together this afternoon for a chat. Include Starscream too. I want the gathering behind me to be organized and of one processor."

"I will be delighted," Prowl said with a small smile of his own. "Oh. There was a certain artifact that you had Bumblebee swim down into the Laurentian Abyssal to retrieve. Do you wish that little box to be put on board a ship? I fear you forgot it last time."

"You bring it. I want you there too. All the seniors. Ratchet and Ironhide as well. We want to show our depth and strength."

"Rampage?" Prowl asked rising.

Optimus nodded. "I like the way you think."

"I do too," Prowl said with a slight chuckle. He turned and began to make it so.

Optimus on the other servo spent a moment admiring Prowl's elegant aft before turning back to the other zillion things he had to do.

-0-Ratchet

He walked through the wards listening to students diagnosing and suggesting treatment plans for the patients that were here and there in the different wards. Some were recovering from surgeries and others from accidents. Life went on in a population their size and many were the mishaps to be dealt with on a daily basis. There were long term problems slowly being overcome and the odd chronic condition to treat symptom by symptom.

They were doing well and Ratchet nodded to Gold Wing who was doing the rounds with them, posing histories and asking for suggested treatments. The students were dedicated and very seriously attending. They would make a great addition to the profession.

He turned down the corridor and walked into the office of the Officer of the Day, the doctor who supervised the emergency medical department that shift. The bot in question sat at the desk going through stacks of datapads as he did the numerical side of medicine. Pausing, watching, Ratchet walked in and sat down. The officer of the day looked up and frowned. "What are you doing here? Did you come to make things difficult?"

Ratchet frowned slightly. "Do you need that?"

He put the datapad down and sat back regarding Ratchet with suspicion. "What do you want?"

"I want to know how its going. I haven't held a department staff meeting lately because slag is coming in faster than I can duck it. How is it going?"

"Fine."

"How fine? Do you need support? Are your shifts conducive to having a life? Do you have any concerns that you need to express? That kind of fine?" Ratchet asked.

"My only concern is your concern for my concerns," Knockout said folding his arms over his chassis.

Ratchet considered that and shook his helm. "You're hopeless. You are part of a team here working for the resurrection of our species. Everything is still balanced on the edge of a blade and you're still being an aft. What is wrong with you?"

Knockout leaned forward regarding Ratchet with a hard expression. "You. You're the problem. You and your get even mania. You and your power trip."

"Is that so? You are shift commander of emergency medicine for this city five orns a decaorn. I trust you enough to give you a real job. You get to command a staff and spend the remaining five orns working on research projects and managing the medical supply system for this entire colony. Those aren't small things, you jack aft."

"To you. I was a full fledged doctor in the Decepticons before here. I was called to attend to the top officers including Megatron. I was respected."

"You forget," Ratchet said sitting up straighter. "Respect, real honest to Primus respect is earned. You don't get it by birth, the size of your wallet or your name. I don't care if you *nursed* Megatron when he got a boo-boo. You are a work in progress here. I don't turn over responsibility to someone just because he says he was important. You have to earn your place. I don't trust lives with buffoons or blow hards. You have earned what you are doing and still your slagging ego stands between you and being an honest to Primus adult."

Knockout sat back. "You give me. You. Give to me. Pretty tall and wide of you to do that. I am a full fledged doctor of great and varied experience. Yet you feel you have to dole out crumbs to me."

"What does it mean to do medicine with the Decepticons? Did you participate in torture? Did you take bots apart for the cheap thrill of it? Can I trust you after all that or are you incorrigible? You have been given a lot of responsibility and latitude to work because you have worked hard and earned trust. Do you want me to throw that over and let you be a slagger? Keep talking, Knockout. There are plenty of bed pans for you to wash if you want to be a Decepticon all your slagging life."

They stared at each other. "I am doing fine. Have you had complaints?"

Ratchet rose and walked to the door. Pausing, he looked back. "No. I came here to congratulate you. Thanks for the ***chat***, slagger." With that, he continued on to the elevator and beyond.

Knockout sat a moment, then many moments longer. He vented a sigh and tossed the stylus he held onto the desk. "Slag," he said quietly.

-0-School

They sat together in the break room discussing this and that. Others came and went, the friendly atmosphere a perk greatly appreciated by the practitioners.

"Ironhide seemed better this morning," Terradive said sipping his energon.

Roto nodded. "He was. The infants were too. Apparently they have lights around their windows that are really beautiful. I think we need to take a look and see about getting them for the classrooms. I would love to see the city bathed in lights."

"I like that idea. We have such big windows in the classrooms. It will add to Christmas Surprise. I like that holiday. I am thinking of asking some of the humans to come around the classrooms and talk about it, maybe taking questions from the new infants. There is a lot of good talk about the city being dressed up by public works," Terradive said nodding.

"I know, Terri. I think that's a good idea. I am going to call Specialty Fabrications-Lights, Metal and Non-Metal. That's where I got that lamp in the living room, the one like my genitors had. Maybe they can give us a heads up. There is a lot of conversation going on about the lights. Prime has them. So do a few apartments in the Metroplex District."

"Family I'll bet," Terradive said with a grin. "At the bottom of all change and strange happenings you will find Ratchet."

Roto grinned. "I hear ya." The timer buzzed and they rose washing out their cups in the sink. With a kiss and grin, they both walked out to wage education with the cutest and most vulnerable population of the city once more.

-0-At the Aerie

"What are those?"

"Lights."

"I can see that. What are they for?"

"Christmas Surprise I am told. You do this." Sky Warp turned and began to place the magnetized streams of lights along the top, sides and bottom of the long window that faced their home. He stepped back and looked at them. They were a continuous stream of lights bunched like grapes. They were coiled into beautiful streams of clear glass that was as hard as steel. It wasn't. It was transparent aluminum. It was lighter and threw off light better. He turned and looked at Starscream and Thundercracker. "Turn off the lights."

Starscream turned and toggled them off. Turning, waiting, he watched as Sky Warp wielded a remote. They came on throwing beautiful light and a tranquil sense of warmth and calm into the room. They stared at them and Sky Warp smiled. "The infants will love this."

"I love it," Thundercracker said as he stared at it.

"So do I," Starscream said as he stood silently watching the colors change slowly.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)

Transformer Factoids:

The voice actress for Arcee on Transformers: Prime is the voice actress for the brown female M & M. :D

TF: Prime producers have 'comfirmed' that there will be a theatrical version of the show produced.

Word is fairly firm that Mark Walberg will be in Transformers 4.

There have been hints that the dinobots will be in TF:P. How, it isn't clear. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D


	102. Chapter 102

NOTE: I am reminded of a cartoon about two chipmunks with incredible manners and diction. They were so cute and funny that I am introducing new characters based on them. :D Yes, I am paying homage to my youth. :D

=0=Back to the show...

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 23

-0-Autobot City

Ratchet walked to the Ops Center, a storm cloud hanging over him. By the time he got there it had lifted and he walked to sit across from Prowl. That worthy didn't look up but he smirked slightly. "What's up your tail pipe?"

"Nothing."

Prowl looked up and smirked. "If you say so, Ratchet."

"Nice impersonation. How's it going at the Fort?"

"Really well. Jazz and Blaster are going to be running the psyops from there. Jazz is there now calibrating the array and getting the downloads transferred to Teletraan IV."

"Four. Amazing. Those computers are stellar. They even have room for my solitaire game."

Prowl smirked and looked at Ratchet. "How did you get that sparkling?" the winger asked sitting back scrutinizing the big red and white enigma before him. "That's my job."

"I saw him lying in his little bed here," Ratchet said nodding to the bed lying on the table near to Prowl. "You leave them lying around, they become community property."

"Is that so?" Prowl asked with a chuckle. "I'll remember that."

"Do," Ratchet said scanning the little botlet who lay in his arms smiling up at him. "He's tip top."

"Of course he is," Prowl replied turning back to his work. "He's mine."

Ratchet laughed. Finally.

-0-At the prison

Red Alert walked down the road that led to the prison. Inferno was there and he had down time. Being of a nervous and vigilant disposition, he found that it was easier to be busy with the few individuals that he really felt comfortable with than sit around with only himself for diversion. Inferno was at the wire talking to a prisoner so he steered toward that big red and white bot with gusto.

"I want to know how the frag I'm stuck in here while Barricade and Scorponok are free to wander every orn?"

Red paused beside Inferno was was deep into discussion with the notorious maniac and all around bounding slagger, Blind Spot.

"I don't get it either. All of you need to be in here buried up to your necks. They go about their slagging business and don't cause trouble. You would. You're too dumb to be smart."

"I never liked you, Inferno. You are a fragger of epic proportions," Blind Spot said moving as close to the bars as he could. "I had you in my sights a couple of times. Too bad I didn't shoot you."

"I'll remember that at the next football game, Blind Spot. I should have planted you a long time ago," Inferno said turning and pausing.

"Is he giving you problems?" Red asked with his usual intensity.

"Nope," Inferno said grinning broadly. "Have you energized?"

"No," Red said turning to walk to the guard house nearby. They wandered off chatting together as Blind Spot stood staring at their fading backsides. He turned and walked back to the table that was sitting outside of the barracks that was his home. Climbing up to sit, he considered his situation.

He was fragged.

Shaking his helm, he looked across the no-mech's land at the cell block labeled Section A: High Security. He himself was living in Section C: High Security. Behind his area was a highly secured segregation unit and beyond that the empty Section B: High Security. Section A housed slaggers that blew his processor.

The first time he saw Sentinel walk out of his barracks and look around his helm nearly exploded. That duplicitous two face had been killed or so they all seemed to think. He saw Decimus and other mechs he didn't know by name but knew by physical description as the former leadership of their planet. Then Ratbat stepped out and he felt the hackles of his neck rise up.

Ratbat.

Rat hole.

Rat Bastard.

He could go on for hours. He was the mole who with his partner, whatever his name was that helped them destroy Polyhex. He had thought about that for a couple of orns, then filed it into the interesting development file in the back of his processor.

He knew about Ratbat. Maybe Prime didn't. He had a chip, albeit a small one. Maybe he could use it to get the same sweet deal that Barricade had. It was worth a try. He stood and waited for Barron to come.

It would be a while but eventually that redoubtable little mech came down the road, colleague in tow. They would spend some time talking together.

-0-Challi and Rowan

They worked at the delicate task of making electrical circuitry. A bonded pair, small for even micro-mini-con formats, they were among the most talented circuitry experts ever produced by Cybertron. There wasn't anything they couldn't make and they had the patience of a dead mech as well as the persistence of a rash. Sitting in a clean room in the Specialty Fabrications-Electronics and Micro Circuitry plant, they were making the delicate insides of a panel destined to be added to the Proxima Centauri array upgrade. It was quiet and so were they. That is, they were until they finished the tiny welds they were working on together.

"There," Challi said. He grinned. "Not bad. You did that very well, Ro."

"Thank you, I admire the nice line of welds that you put down along the seam. Very good, Challi," Rowan said with a grin of his own. "As I was saying before we did this, there is going to be a party at Leader-1's house tonight. Lea and his bond are mentoring those two little bots as you know."

"Yes," Challi said nodding. "They are most unfortunate but if anyone can help them refine the rough edges and help them find their way, it will be those two."

"We are being asked to bring what we want to drink. I asked Blurr to find me an especially fine label."

"You always were a connoisseur about fine beverages," Challi said nodding as he checked a spot on a large round disk they would attach to the one they were focused on. All of the micro welds were perfection. "Do we need to bring anything with us? It would be the mannerly thing to do and perhaps we can find something that the two younglings might find tasty. You do know how younglings like their sweets."

"I was thinking of some sort of pastry. We can try some of the fine things at The Energon Basket. Rampage has such imagination and his palette is remarkable . Someone showed me something he made called 'cheese' and it was delicious. A fine high grade and a selection of 'cheese' seems to be what humans often gift to hosts when they come calling on others."

Challi nodded. "We can go make our choices after work. What about a sitter?"

"I have asked Bumblebee and his beau to stay with the infant. We can make sure he's asleep and then leave afterward. I think it will be a nice experience for Bumblebee to watch over Rader and Bee's beau is a doctor after all."

"That's a very good idea," Challi said nodding. He looked at the disk and found it perfect. "I will do my welds on the new disk, Ro. Then you can if that is good for you."

"That would be good, thank you," Rowan said as he reached for a new stick of welding rod.

Their shift would pass the same way until it ended in mid afternoon.

-0-At the prison

"And that is all you have to say? How much, Blind Spot are you holding back? You do know that you will be accusing a very slippery liar who can probably chew you up and spit you out without batting an optic ridge."

Blind Spot shrugged. "That is what I know. Those two managed to get the defenses down and we … that is those who were there, they came in for the kill. It was supposed to divert Prime from Simfur."

"I do believe he had his own diversion going on," Barron said.

"Tiger Pax," Blind Spot said nodding. He glanced over his shoulder at an unreadable Turmoil sitting nearby. "I wasn't there."

"You were at Polyhex. That was a war crime," Barron said.

"I was running a ship. I wasn't on the ground. I was hauling fuel to the front lines. You can't pin that one on me," Blind Spot said with a frown.

"I will take your comments to the Prime. We are working on a number of pressing issues but I will try and get to him today. You do understand that if you get this chance you will be highly guarded and never out of the sight of guards who have permission to shoot you dead on the spot if you try to act out."

Blind Spot stared down at the small elegant bot with big bearings. Barron's gaze was level and unwavering back. "I know. I'm just sick of being locked up. I want to walk around too."

"I will tell the Prime," Barron said rising. His colleague rose too and they turned walking with the guard back to the fence. They were let out and began to trek back the two miles to the Fortress.

Blind Spot watched them go, then turned and looked at Turmoil. "What are you staring at?" he asked.

Turmoil didn't answer. He usually never did. That was what made him so dangerous. He didn't waste time in talk before he struck. It would be a long afternoon for both of them.

-0-Medical Aid Station 3, Intersection at Four Corners where the different underground industrial plants branched off

Bumblebee peeked in and smiled. "Hi."

First Aid looked up and grinned. "Hello, baby."

Bumblebee snorted, then walked in and sat down on a couch next to the desk where his nearest and dearest sat working. The aid station had no cases and the techs in the main room were playing cards when Bee walked inside. Shift was going to be light duty today he thought.

"How's the hangover?" First Aid asked.

"Better than the demerit I have to work off," Bee replied with a grin. "Semi was easy on us."

"He was. I had never been before a magistrate before I met you. You are a corrupting influence."

"I hope so," Bee said. "What did you want to tell me?"

"Challi and Rowan have a dinner date at Leader-1's apartment. They are sort of easing the little twins into mini-con society or something. They want us to watch their sparkling, Rader."

Bee grinned. "I like sparklings. He's still just a really small baby isn't he?"

First Aid nodded. "He is. He's probably going to be in bed recharging."

"My kind of infant," Bee said with a grin. "When?"

"Tonight," Aid replied. "Are you up to it?"

"I am," Bee said plopping his peds on First Aid's desk. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"There is a rumor that Grimlock is coming this way. Grimlock and his brothers."

It was silent a moment. Then First Aid grinned. "Oh joy," he said.

"That's the general consensus," Bee said with a grin.

-0-RTR Tools

They stood around the counter as Ravel showed them the tools that would be the crown jewels of their personal arms collections. They stood quietly listening as the little bot showed their special qualities, how to care for them and how they could be used in ways perhaps even they hadn't considered.

The atmosphere was one of almost religious reverence as they looked at the tools in their kits.

They were the usual perfection one had come to expect from RTR Tools. Gold, silver and copper ergonomic grips coupled with almost glittering transparent steel stems and tips, the tools bore the engraving of RTR in tiny glyphs enclosed by a black engraved circle, the trademark of the real thing.

They took their kits expressing their extreme gratitude and then left with big smiles on their faces. Ravel watched them go and felt intensely happy. Turning, walking to the back where Tie Down was working out the sequence of smeltering for ores to make tools so thin and fine almost no one knew how to make them anymore, he glanced at Ravel. "You look happy, Ravie. That is a very good look for you."

Ravel smiled and walked to the table to help him measure the different ingredients. "It is so nice to see the lovely boys be so happy with their tool kits, Tie. Your workmanship is truly appreciated."

He glanced up at the little mech who was the center of all that was good in his life. "We are a team, Ravel."

Ravel glanced up and nodded. "We are. Isn't that grand?"

Tie Down grinned and nodded. "It is," he said.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	103. Chapter 103

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 24

-0-Autobot City, Mars

Sideswipe rolled through traffic heading for the Cultural Center. Riding up the elevator, he paused to let a number of mechs go past him as he stepped out, burdened as they were with boxes of exhibits from the Museum. The new one had been built and was just northeast of their current location in the Cultural Center. The new one was vast, had secured vaults in the several basements, held the entire artifact restoration unit as well as the archives of the city. The archives would become the home base of Alpha Trion who would take up his old job there.

They would take several orns to take everything to the new site and the old museum would become the nely renovated home of the Autobot City Gallery of Cybertron. The entire art community and a number of very young enthusiastic students of the Day School were happy to see this exciting possibility. Rolling to the studio, he paused. Looking inside, he paused again. "Hey."

"What?"

"You're due at the school, Your turn with the girls."

Sunstreaker looked up from a canvas he was concentrating on. "Oh slag. You're right." He put down his paints and covered them with an air tight lid. He looked at his canvas again, then turned walking to the door. "What are you going to do?"

"Hang out with Kup. We're going to grab a brew at Old Maccadam's. Come over when you get done. I'll save you a chair."

Sunstreaker nodded and they both left as Sunstreaker transformed from peds to wheels. They were gone, swiftly maneuvering around the workers as they cheerfully went about the business of transferring their precious cargo of history and artifacts to a newer, bigger and more secure building.

-0-The Hourly News

Gen-O sat quietly as the promos played. When he was signaled, he sat up straight and looked at the camera. "Good afternoon, Autobot City. This is The Hourly News and I am Gen-O reporting. Today it was announced that the new fortress on the migration trail has been brought up to specifications which will allow it to come under deadline for operations. Jetta who is City Engineer and Project Director of the installation now called Fort Apache had this to say about it."

(Cut to Jetta and Lim-Lee in Jetta's office at the City Hall, Administration Plaza, Metroplex District

"Jetta, the fortress on the migration path was built why?"

"It was built to assist the refugees that are coming to Mars heeding the call of Prime and Starscream. We have the capability to utilize space bridge technology to reach our returnees much farther out thus sparing them suffering and negating the risk of losing anyone. It gets our techs teams and doctors out there faster. We have space bridges that can take us where we need to go and bring us back as well."

"On Cybertron, they were mostly utilized in the local sectors. How is it that we can run this kind of technology which is historically energon demanding?"

"We discovered as you know that Mars is 40% Class A and A- energon. The entire system is brimming with it. Energon needs volcanic activity to be able to form crystals. On every planet and lunar body that had or continues to have volcanic and other forms of geothermal activity, energon has either developed or is still developing. Since this system is made up of aggregate planets, that is … planets that formed by collision and cohesion of the debris there are energon particles way out into the Oort Field and Kuiper Belt. We are blessed to be in a place that took energon seeding by ancient drone Seekers to this extent."

"The fort itself … do you expect that it will be necessary to use in military actions?"

"The fort can field Seeker flights and warships if they are needed. They can also be supported by the bridges. We can add combatants and retrieve injured soldiers, disabled ships or refugees with ease and great speed."

"Thank you, Jetta. Back to the studio, Gen-O."

(Cut to the studio with Gen-O)

"That was a report by Lim-Lee speaking with the City Engineer, Jetta. In other news about the city, the Museum is getting a makeover," he continued.

-0-Habitat

They sat eating lunch and watching the news. Every hour for a few minutes all during the mid morning and mid afternoon the news in brief was broadcast. Four times a day it was given an indepth treatment, twice in the morning and twice at night. This broadcast would be one of the many short ones.

"They have a great system of keeping everyone informed. Have you met any of the broadcasters?" Sheila asked.

"Just a couple. Jacx interviewed me for tonight's late broadcast regarding Christmas Surprise," Antonio Lopez said with a grin.

"I can't wait for that. I heard a rumor about Santa Prime," Sheila said nodding.

"The weather today is going to continue to be sunny and warm. The high today will be 42 degrees Fahrenheit or five degrees Celsius. The low tonight will be a brisk -134 or a minus 92.2 degrees Celsius. On tonight's broadcast, we will be speaking to Wheeljack and Perceptor about a test program that is being carried out north of Olympus Mons in an effort to control the sandstorms that are epidemic during the winter months. There has been a lot of progress in transforming the weather and the details will be at 2000 hours on the Terran Military clock during the evening broadcast.

"That is all the news for now. We return you back to the schedule." With that, Gen-O signed off.

With that as well, the scientists finished up lunch and headed out to their various projects, meetings and viewings of projects in the Science Center.

-0-At Club Cybertron

"You're late."

"I had to take care of something," Breakdown said sitting. He looked at his gloomy partner. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing."

Pause.

"If you can't tell me, then I guess we don't have much rapport then," Breakdown said.

Knockout looked up sharply. "We tell each other stuff. I tell you all my stuff."

"Well?" Breakdown sat back and regarded Knockout. The sexy, snarky bot of his orns and nights was peeved and it was better in the long run for him to spout it out.

Knockout regarded him. "Ratchet dropped in on shift."

"And?"

Knockout looked at him a moment, angst flowing like a waterfall. "He complimented me."

Breakdown nodded. "That's nice. Why are you mad?"

"Because he complimented me."

Breakdown regarded him. "You are really losing it, Knockout. Why would that be a problem?"

"Because I bit his aft off for it."

"Oh," Breakdown said with a slight smirk, the light dawning in his processor. "Nice move."

"That's it," Knockout said bitterly. "Rub it in at my moment of need."

"You were stupid. Go and talk to him. Get it straight. You do know that Ratchet teaches. He was probably coming to tell you good job because of that."

"I can't go to him and apologize. I'm a Decepticon. I was anyway. I can't apologize to an Autobot."

"Well, then live with it. You have a chance to get along and you blew it." Breakdown grinned slightly. "You have to change your ways here, Knockout if you want to get along."

"Coming from you, I find hilarity," Knockout said. "You're a Stunticon. You are Breakdown for Primus's sake."

"I was. Maybe a part of me still is but I can't do that slag here. I gave my slagging oath," Breakdown said leaning forward slightly, a grin on his face. "I live here now. Besides, what other than mayhem did we ever get from the 'Cons?"

"I don't remember you shying away from mayhem," Knockout said quietly, a slight smirk on his face. "I remember you were very good at it."

"I was," Breakdown said nodding in agreement. "But that was then. This is now."

"We'll see," Knockout said relaxing in his chair. "You can take the bot out of the 'Cons, but you can't take the 'Cons out of the bot."

"We'll see," Breakdown said leaning back as their meal arrived. It would be a snarky amusing lunch for at least one of them.

-0-Far away

They gathered in the ships finding solace in their own company. Fifty bots every five joors came and went, all of them working on a fortress that was being carved from the stone surface of a craggy planetoid that offered a lot of nice craters for defensive emplacements.

The wait for whatever was to come was nearly unbearable as they huddled on the ships, sharing the meager energon available and looking with hopeful optics to the calm confident mechs who made up the Knights who had found and guided them this far.

The dark skies offered no clues to where their Prime was. There was only the here and now and the scratchy background noise of ambient radiation from surrounding space on their radios and communications devices. They listened with great fear in the hope that someone would tell them anything that might mean freedom.

They would have to wait one more orn.

-0-On the communications monitor in Ops Center

"After that, we will have to go to hearings with the Senate Foreign Relations committee. That will make two in a row. We can't have them on the same day sadly. It will require two trips to accommodate the House and the Senate committees that want to speak to you, Ratchet. Then the United Nations has sent an invitation for you to speak to the General Assembly over the disposition of Mars in particular and the solar system in general. There is a lot of interested parties who want to discuss the threat."

Ratchet nodded and glanced at Prime. "You might consider coming with me to the United Nations meet up. The entire diplomatic corps of the Earth will be there including usually a number of heads of state."

Prime nodded. "I will consider it."

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe can whip you into shape," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"If anyone is going to whip Optimus it is going to be me," Prowl said with a tiny grin of his own. He stared officiously at the datapad in his servos as he spoke.

"Why, Prowl. That was outstanding," Ratchet said with a guffaw.

Prowl sat proudly and Prime sat even more proud. The reaction of Warren Roberts was lost to the translation problem. The three turned back and put on their serious faces along with their English programming. "That sounds very reasonable, Warren. I will consider it along with all other factors."

"Good, Optimus. Right now, it is all set to commence according to the outlined schedule presented. Any changes will be forwarded," he said.

Prime nodded. "Thank you, Warren. Please convey my appreciation to your staff. I hope you take precautions for your safety since you are working for our interests. I would be upset to know that you were harmed in any way."

"We have, Optimus. We have also arranged security staff in the case we get targeted but so far, nothing. The New York Police Special Security Division is looking out for the threat."

Optimus nodded. "Will you and your staff be here for Christmas Surprise this year?"

Warren smiled, a rare and beautiful thing. "We are. It is penciled in on all our schedules. Thank you for the invitation."

"You are one with us, Warren. We are honored to have you and your staff as guests," Prime said nodding.

"We are looking forward to it immensely," Warren replied with a grin. "We feel the same way about you and your people."

The meeting continued and then broke up, the transmission ending on a pleasant note. Prime sat back and looked at Prowl. "Whip me? Why, Prowl … another side to you I never knew."

"You have bonded with still water, Optimus," Prowl said rising and turning to the computer nearby. They both watched him go, Ratchet with bemused optics and Prime with something a little more heated.

"You have to watch the quiet ones," Ratchet said grinning at Optimus.

He grinned back. "It's not hard," he said to much general hilarity.

-0-Faraway

They paused on a rocky asteroid collecting themselves as they homed in on the signal. It was faint but leading them onward in the same relative direction they had been going when they first heard it. They locked in on it as they sat energizing on the liquid they made from some ores they had found in the rubble field. Their small device made enough for them to use traveling but they longed for better.

"This tastes like dirt."

The others nodded. "Soon, we will find the Prime. He might have some better."

The biggest one of them nodded looking with disgust at the energon in his cup. "I hope so. Me, Grimlock am sick of this." He slugged it down and looked at his brothers. "Time to go. Autobots need help. Me, Grimlock say I will help."

The others nodded, then changed into their transitional forms before taking off once again. They would follow the signal back to the source and eventually they would land where at the site they were directed toward.

The sandy beaches of Diego Garcia.

=0=TBC

2012 (11)


	104. Chapter 104

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 25 "Episode One, Platoon: Autobot City, Part One

-0-Later on

It was getting on in the afternoon when the command crew from Fort Apache flew in finished for the orn. They would be moving to the Fort early the next morning. Blackjack and Alor would be living there with Flint as head of security. Alor would be second-in-command and the overall tactical strategist with Blackjack commanding. It was as it always was.

The ships landed and the crew climbed down including the three. They walked to Ops Center where they would sit and discuss the finalization of the project and the beginning of the propaganda effort when they finished visiting with Soundwave.

-0-New Jersey

Cindy and Lola Teasdale sat down in the living room of their townhouse and settled in for the broadcast of the series opener for 'Platoon: Autobot City'. Apparently, they had changed the series's name between concept and finished product.

"This is going to be stupendous. The line up is epic," Lola said looking at the ipad with the website for Platoon set up for it by IntraComm for the series run. All the data and pictures along with interviews and observations by crew and others were found there. "All of the best kind of bots are going to be in it. The first ep is supposed to introduce things a bit, the city and some of the bots."

"I wonder if Optimus will show up. Did you see that website that everyone is talking about? They have shots of Optimus or the one they think he is. When they link them to the internet they blur. I'm thinking the Autobots are doing it."

"No doubt," Lola replied. She clicked the remote and the commercial before the show began was just finishing. They sat transfixed and waited.

It began.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ratchet sat with Ironhide, the little mechs playing on the floor as Sunspot lounged on his atar. The sound of Alor's music filtered through the speakers and the moody introduction began.

-0-In a nice house in the Midwest

"Oh my," a nice lady named Annie said with a smile. "What a beautiful creature he is. What sort of vehicle is he?"

"He's a Lamborghini, Mama," Pastor Bob said. "He's a twin I guess. This one is the yellow one, the one you root for in football."

"I thought he looked familiar. I like his finial things," she replied.

"If you say so, Mama," Mrs. Pastor Bob said. "I would rather see that one trying to score in a game."

Annie glanced at Leonard and grinned. Their daughter-in-law had unwound her sphincter in the last football game and now the moment anything Cybertronian came onto teevee, she came with her flock and the still stunned minister husband who hadn't had his Road to Damascus moment yet.

All was good in their little house as the show began to start.

-0-**CUT TO THE LONG SHOTS**

The moody images faded and long shots of the city appeared. They were designed to give a human sized view of the amazing alien city that the documentary crew were living in. Towering buildings filled the skyline for what seemed forever. Huge commercial buildings lined the area behind what was obviously the city administration area. Banners with the emblem of the Prime flew in the air here and there coupled with the flag of Cybertron itself. Also incredibly, there were Christmas decorations here and there hanging beautifully around the city.

Mechs walked here and there going about their business. Every now and again, Day Watch mechs patrolled helping this and that individual on their way. Sun glinted off the buildings and the sound of air craft could be heard as they slowly panned in a circle. The cameras paused on the Fortress taking it in with all its fascinating features. Then the images faded.

-0-**CUT TO A STUDIO AND A MECH PAINTING**

It was the yellow bot, the one with the intense gaze and the tightly coiled demeanor. He was painting on a large canvas and the contents of it were dynamic and beautiful. A voice began to question him. "Sunstreaker, how did you learn to paint?"

"I learned by doing it. I didn't go to school and learn someone else's method. I have my own," a deeply masculine voice replied. Blue optics stared down, the intensity daunting. "Sometimes you're good at something and you don't need formal education. I'm that good of a painter. I was on Cybertron. I am here."

"What sort of pictures do you paint?" -the voice

"Whatever I want. I used to do just landscapes and the like. I'm also good at detailing. But now I like to do abstracts and portraits."

"That's sort of a big spread of interest." -the voice

He shrugged. "Not really. Do what you want. Rules are for fools. At least in art." He turned back to his work. The sound of a door opening can be heard. A big red, white and black bot entered and paused ignoring the camera and the voice.

"Where the frag were you?" Sideswipe glanced down and then walked to the couch sprawling as the segway with his own crew enters.

"I was busy. We're off duty for a couple of orns. Prowl said he's remaking the duty schedule."

"Where's Babe?"

"He's with Ratchet."

"That's not good. He gets ideas," Sideswipe said with a grin.

"He does. Go and tell Ada to cut us some slack. He just laughs at me," Sunstreaker said moving to begin more work on the canvas.

Sideswipe rose and pausing at the door looked back. "Sadee is coming after school."

"Alright." Sunstreaker glanced at Sideswipe and nodded watching him leave without further comment.

"You two are twins, is that correct?" the off camera voice asks.

Sunstreaker nodded. "We are. The only ones ever to exist before our daughters."

"In the history of your species?" -voice

He nodded. "That's right."

"Incredible. Do you have like mind links and that sort of thing? Twins on Earth sometimes have that." -voice.

He looked down at the camera and voice with his intense penetrating look. "We do. We're twins."

The camera tuned into the easel and picture. "What are you working on and what are your favorite types of paintings?"

"This is a picture of the Sea of Rust on Cybertron. I like any picture that I like. I don't have time or interest in stuff I don't like. Simple as that." He stared down at them a moment, longer than the camera team actually cared for and then looked back at the canvas.

"I doubt that there is very little that is simple about you." -voice

He paused and glanced down at them with a slight smirk. "You got that right."

It was silent a moment, then the voice spoke. "Who is Sadee?"

"My student," Sunstreaker said. He looked closer at his picture, then turned to get different paint from the small table next to him. "She got caught painting graffiti and the Magistrate asked the Art Guild to get her a mentor. I was chosen."

"Is she good?"

He looked down at them. "She's slagging awesome."

-0-In an apartment in the city

Sadee sat between her doting parents and watched the program as most of the city was doing at the same time. She grinned and glanced up at her genitors at Sunstreaker's compliment. "Isn't he awesome?"

They grinned and nodded. "He sure is," her ada said.

Her atar merely grinned and nodded. His daughter was going out to the universe as a talented little femme who had a good mentor with taste.  
Good taste, he thought.

-0-In the bosom of love

"That's a good looking mech you have there, Ironhide. Takes after my side of the family," Ratchet said as they watched Sunstreaker unintentionally exude tons of sex appeal in the interview.

"If you say so, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a chuckle. Sunspot who was mesmerized that **HIS BROTHER WAS ON TEEVEE** couldn't muster a word.

-0-Halfway through the documentary

-**CUT TO NEW SCENE:** A dojo on the third floor of the Cultural Center

A fight was going on, one highly crafted and choreographed. Blades flashed as two bots made their way through the minefield of moves and counter moves such discipline required. A younger appearing mech was learning and getting schooled by a handsome well made bot with a long sword on his back. That bot was obviously the master and the other his student.

"Drift is getting slow." A big bot of a number of green shades of armor color sat watching with what appeared to be a metallic cigar in his hand. He was watching the sparring with a critical optic. "You are going to let that youngling get you are ya?"

The teacher, a handsome graceful mech with a smirk and a calm bemused voice glanced his way "Slag no."

"I think he's losing his touch." A big bot was sitting in a little lounge area watching as he mocked the white bot with what appeared to be the usual slag between the two. "Put him out of his misery, Lon."

Lon who was the student laughed and dodged a stroke of the teacher's blade. "I will never be as good as Drift."

"You won't if you believe that, youngling," Kup said. The mech, Kup stared at the camera as he chewed on his metallic cigar. "We're being scrutinized. Makes a mech want to mind his manners."

"You don't have any manners, old mech," Springer said with a grin. "You were put together before they were invented."

Kup looked at Springer with a withering optic. "Sounds like you missed the boat too, youngling."

Laughter greeted that remark and by then Drift and Lon, the two sparring individuals finished, tapped blades and turned walking to the lounge. They sat, Drift content with his student and his student, a youngling named Lon appeared beside himself with the pleasure of the older mechs' company.

"Drift, you don't carry a firearm. Why?" -voice off camera

"I don't need them. I do my fighting with blades," he said the red handles of his brace of long knives peeping over his shoulders.

"What is the third blade for?" -voice

"That's an interesting blade, squishy," Kup said glancing at Drift who grinned at him. "That blade is matched to the spark of the one who carries it. It is very ancient and almost sentient itself. It tunes into the spark of the current owner and is used only as a very last resort. It draws energy from the spark of the wielder and if it draws enough, that bot dies."

"Spark?" -voice.

"Like your heart," Springer said with a grin.

"If you used that blade as a last resort it could kill you?" -voice

Drift nodded. "It could. They don't get much use. They generate enormous power when wielded."

"Have you ever used it yet?" -voice

"No," Drift said. "Someone who gave it to me did and they died doing it."

"I have been told that all of you were Autobots but you, Drift. I was told you were a Decepticon before. Now you wear the Autobrand and are living here working as one. How did that happen?" -voice

Drift paused, a montage of darker moments coming to his processor. He pushed them back and considered the short answer. "I was a sub-commander on a ship with a very bad captain. I was hard myself. I broke a rule and had to run. When I did I ended up on a planet with a refugee population and city filled with Neutrals. They didn't take a side. Many of them reformed a legendary force called the Knights of Cybertron. They themselves formed a pacifist group called the Circle of Light. They showed me another way and I took it."

"The tattoos on your shoulders all mean something. I was told to ask you to explain them." -voice

Drift nodded "This one is the tat for the Circle of Light. This one is for my security job here as an Autobot. It is the tat for the Day/Night Watch, Autobot City, Mars. All the policing forces have them including the youngling here," he said glancing at Lon. That youngling looked at Drift with pride and nodded. "The best thing I ever did was joining up with you mechs."

"It was," Kup said drily.

Hilarity broke out among the group. "The others? What are they?" -voice

"My Autobrand and the Wrecker tat. The last one is personal." Drift grinned in Springer's direction and the camera followed his gaze.

"Do you know what it means, Springer?" -voice

"Yes but he'd kill me if I told you," the big handsome bot said with a grin.

"I would," Drift said with a smirk.

"You are all Wreckers?" -voice

"Most of us. The youngling here isn't. He wasn't in the life as long as us and he wouldn't survive the missions we get," Springer said nodding toward Lon.

"I would go," Lon said.

"We know. We just don't want to bring you back in a sack. This youngling," Kup said pointing at Lon with his stogie, "is one fine youngling. Lots of talent and guts. You have to understand. We have been at this, most of us since your species was sitting in trees peeling bananas."

"You pronounced that word right this time, old mech," Springer said with a chuckle.

"I ain't drunk," Kup said sticking the stogie in his pie hole. He looked at the camera. "We don't waste our younglings. Someday this young mech here will be doing something tremendous for our people. Today, he is learning. Just learning."

"But if you ever need me, I will go," Lon said nodding at Kup.

"You will, youngling. In about a couple of million years," Kup replied.

Hilarity ensued.

"So you have a Home Guard. I can imagine that Lon's main duty is homeland defense then." -the voice

"That would be correct," Springer said. "When we were Wreckers we were a sort of autonomous group. Prime could ask us to do missions but we were independent. Now we are part of the special ops and specials missions side of the army under the command of the Prime."

"Suicide missions," Kup said staring at the stogie in his servo. "We lost a lot of good mechs and the odd femme now and again. Hard and short life."

"You are commanding the Wreckers now, Springer?" -the voice.

He nodded. "I am. No one else would take it," he said with a smirk. "The old derelict here was too ornery and no one else was stupid enough. So here I am."

"I find that hard to believe." -the voice was filled with good humor and it could be heard.

"I don't," Kup said to general hilarity.

-0-At the home of the Trine

"You look so handsome, you two," Blue said as he sat comfortably between the twins. The infants were in bed and they were watching the show together.

"I think so," Sideswipe said with a smirk. "Don't you, Sunny?"

"I always look good," Sunstreaker said with a smirk.

Bluestreak didn't say anything around his grin.

-0-TBC

2012 (11)


	105. Chapter 105

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 25 "Episode 1, Platoon: Autobot City, Part 2"

-0-Prime Residence

They sat as a family watching together, Prime already knowing how it went, Prowl and the family watching it for the first time. Venture sat quietly absorbing things. Miler holding Spirit on his lap glanced at Prowl. "I was worried at the intimidating tone in the opening sequence but now I think it's perfect. They need to know what we can field."

Prowl nodded. "I agree."

The commercial ended and the show resumed.

-0-**CUE ALIEN MUSIC AND SCENE OPENS**

The airfield was busy with planes coming and going, Seekers landing and taking off, freight and fuel being steered here and there. The vantage point was from a height maybe twelve to fourteen feet off the ground and the angle was perfect to see clearly what was going on all around. The camera panned to the right and paused on big mechs gathering, bags and weapons in sight at their feet.

Shuttles were lined up on the flight line, some of them loading and others unloading. Huge mechanisms walked nearby, two of them standing together talking quietly. Small vehicles went here and there, some of them to hook up to space craft, some to carry things that were not big pallets of this and that. The camera focused on a couple of big mechs who noticed and looked down with bemused expressions on their oddly handsome faces.

"Where are you going?" -off screen voice asked.

A tall black and green Autobot soldier looked down at them contemplating an answer. "We're going on station at the forward base on Io."

"How long will you be gone?" -voice

"We're there for a decaorn."

"That's ten days?" -voice

The big bot considered the question a moment going through the process of accessing language translations files. Then he grinned looking down as other bots began to gather and look down too. "Yes. We call them orns."

"Are you Wreckers?" -voice. "I hear that its usually Wreckers or front-liners that get to go to the forward bases."

"Both do. Some are both. I am." The mech, a big black and green bot looked at the Master of the Muster who was calling out crews to leave. He looked down at the camera. "Come out sometime. We'll show you how we roll." With that, he gathered his gear and with a cheerful grin and nod to the camera he and his fellows climbed onto their shuttle which promptly lifted off disappearing into the sky almost immediately. The camera follows it and the images fade.

Images fade back in, the musical tones underneath somber and low. The scene that appears is a construction site where several stupendously enormous bots are standing over a hole in the ground beside a steel meshed construction. It was the edge of a pit where a struggle was going on below. One of the titans was poised partly into the hole, his brutal arm extended to grip something. He was braced but the dirt was crumbling, falling into the pit in dribs and drabs.

Construction was paused and others were coming including a tall figure with a determined expression. He would be identified as Hoist by his fellows. The big mech poised over the pit was called Scar, a former Decepticon bad ass. His body backed up his moniker. He was looking down at something or someone unseen in the pit.

"Hold on tightly. Don't let go, youngling." Scar turned his helm and spotted his partner standing looking down with concern. "Bulkhead, get a medic."

Bulkhead turned shouting out while Scar struggles to hold onto a cable. **"GET ME A WINCH!"**

Hoist hurried to the other side where more stable ground appeared to be and transformed into a heavy duty winch truck. A hook spooled out and Scar grabbed it. He gripped the hook and leaned forward speaking downward to someone below. "Grip this youngling with your free servo. I have your other one. I won't let go."

A pain-filled agonized voice is heard. The camera hears but doesn't see the speaker yet. "It's packed so tight. I can't move my legs."

"Don't worry, youngling. Grip the hook. Lock your servo. When I lean down, grip the hook with your other one. I will hang onto your shoulder. Can you get it?" Scar leaned forward and more dirt falls. He peers into the hole with intensity. It was silent, very silent but for the sound of the winch truck, the soft moaning sounds of pain from the hole and the confident quiet encouragement of Scar. Then Scar began to slip.

Bulkhead grabbed his arm and held while the crew around scurried to get a rope. They slipped it around Scar and brace him, holding him tightly. He grunts and shouts back, "No more!" They relaxed slightly, the line they brace secured in the grip of half a dozen big mechs.

"Keep it taut," Scar said as he leaned forward to peer into the darkness. He turned on lights and the camera could see a dirt smudged young mech trapped up to his hips in impacted dirt and rubble. Nearby, a cavity in the earth showed crumbling ice and mud. It would appear the culprit is discovered.

The youngster looked injured and exhausted, his servo gripped tightly by Scar. The big ferocious appearing bot leaned forward and with a soft gentle voice said, "Grip the line, youngling. Grip it tight with both servos, Dali. I won't let you fall farther."

The youngling looked up and sobbed in pain and fear. "I know, Scar. It's just so tight."

Scar nodded, his voice encouraging and sympathetic. "That will hold you, youngling. It will help us winch you back up." Scar looked up to the pit boss who had returned. Bulkhead nods to Scar and he returns it. Bulkhead walked to stand beside Hoist and patted his hood. "Very slow, Hoist. Make it really slow. Fix your audials on Scar."

"Roger," a voice said emanating from the truck and the winch began an incrementally slow rose upward. As the line rises the sound of groans and a cry were heard. Scar held up a servo to halt the process. Hoist stopped immediately. "Get me some micro-mini-cons and a torch. We need to cut some steel. I see the hold up. And get me a rope to harness the youngling. I don't want him to lose his grip even if he is locked in." Scar looked down. "You're locked aren't you, Dali?"

A weak pain-filled voice answered. "I am, Scar. Don't leave me."

"I'm here, youngling." Scar sat grim faced and precariously perched halfway down the deep pit that would one day be the foundation of a new school building. The collapsed side of the stone and gravel foundation could be seen by the cameras. Jagged bits of steel, a support for the stone and aggregate fill to come stuck out here and there, one of them pressing against the youngling, Dali who could barely be seen in the pit. "You'll be home for dinner, youngling. You can tell me about that mech of yours."

A soft chuckle filled with pain could be heard in the grim stillness. Nearby crews stopped working and assembled around the scene of the accident. One of them, a tall dignified mech with an outstanding paint scheme looked especially pained. "Do we need to get the hospital here?"

"The site medic is coming. The call has been put into the hospital, Copperton. When we get him out, the runabout will take him there for treatment." Bulkhead who was speaking with the elegant mech glanced upward. "Here comes the runabout."

Nearby, kicking up dust and dirt a medical runabout landed. Two mechs stepped off both carrying medikits. They hurried over and paused. One was an enormous bot with black and dark green features on a big hulking frame that was fronted by an oddly handsome enigmatic orange face. The other was a smaller bot especially elegant with a white face and an attitude. "What happened?" he asked in a voice that was borderline insolent and all around sassy. The cameras panned back to take them in. They are extremely divergent in type and size. But the smaller bot makes up for that difference in personal charisma.

"The wall collapsed. There's a segment of frozen water in the soil and it rendered unstable," Bulkhead said to them. The pilot of the runabout joined them along with two techs with a stretcher. "We have a youngling pinned down there with steel and we're going to get it cut. He's probably got some broken structures because he's in pain."

The smaller red and white bot nodded. His name was Knockout. The other is Breakdown. Knockout stepped closer and scanned the pit. A beam of light emitted from his forearm, then he stepped back. "We have some broken struts. There are wounds as well. Two pieces of the steel framework have punctured him and he can't be pulled out until that's taken care of. Nothing terminal but all of it is serious."

Bulkhead nodded and moved to Scar filling him in. Two tiny mechs ran up with a torch kit in servo. The group gathered around while Knockout supplied details. They then were lowered into the pit by rope. Tension permeates everywhere. All of the crew watched and waited grimly. The sound of torches could be heard in the hole. A cry or two now and again from the pinioned bot echoed faintly out of the gaping pit.

Scar!" A mini-con welder called up to Scar who was still perched in the hole comforting the now secured youngling. "You can pull him up!"

Scar looked up and nodded to Bulkhead who patted the tow truck hood. "Slow, Hoist. Listen for Scar and the mini-cons."

The tow began slowly, ever slowly. Cries were heard. Words from min-cons could be heard. Then Scar began to emerge holding onto the winch line as he scrambled upward. "Easy. Easy. Hang on, Dali. Take it slow."

The servos of a big tall mech could be seen, then arms, then a young agonized face. Mini-cons were winched up and pulled out of hole. The injured youngster was barely conscious, his helm held gently by Scar. Scar whispered something to the youngling who nodded He is barely aware.

"Get ready to pull the youngling out," Bulkhead ordered and the two were pulled up and over. A stretcher was waiting for the youngling and he is gently placed upon it. He has to be medically induced to let go of the hook. He is lifted gently and carried to the runabout with Scar, Knockout, Breakdown and Bulkhead following. Discussion was held out of the range of camera microphones, then Scar boarded with the youngling and doctors. The ship lifted off as Bulkhead watched it go. He turned and came back to the silent grim delegation of workers watching.

"How is he?" a mech asks.

"Going to the hospital. He'll be alright." Bulkhead peered into the pit. "Let's get this fragger straightened out. I want someone from Geology to come and sonar the rest of this site. Get them here, Banzi."

A tall mech with a serious expression and a white and orange paint scheme nodded and made the call. The others with relief begin to fix the mishap.

-0-**CUT TO THE HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY FLOOR, AUTOBOT CITY MEDICAL TOWER**

The youngling mech was lying on a diagnostic medberth. Knockout and Breakdown were standing together looking over him doing the indepth prescriptive diagnostic scans. "I think we need an orthopedic structural specialist," Knockout said to Breakdown as he pointed out inside the youngling's pierced side a number of broken interior structures.

Breakdown nodded. "I'll see who's on duty." He turned and walked to a nearby computer. Scar who standing at the front of the berth looked down at sedated youngling. "How bad is he?"

Knockout glanced up. "He has some internal structural damage. It will take surgery to repair it. He has a crushed ped. He has a structural fracture up his left leg. That will require micro-welding of a kind few can do. I ***suppose* **our resident mad doctor will do that."

"Ratchet?" Scar asked glancing up at Knockout.

"Who else?" Knockout stood with a peeved look on his handsome face. "This youngling will live. He won't be working for a few orns. He needs to seriously let his internal processes do their job without stress. Any stress applied to these new welds and replacement parts could cause them to collapse. He must make sure they have a chance to set and cure."

Scar nodded as two bots came through the door. They discussed the situation and the patient was handed off to their particular expertise and care. Scar stayed with Breakdown who would assist the two doctors who would repair the youngster. Knockout walked out of the emergency room and down to the office where he worked for the shift as Officer of the Day, Emergency. He entered and sat looking at his pile of desk work. Then he noticed the humans. Looking down at a camera that is looking up at him, he spoke warily. "What are you doing here?"

"We were interested in your comments about Ambassador Ratchet. They make it sound like you two aren't friends." -off camera voice.

A smirk and snort greeted that statement. "You can say that. Are you the fleshies that are here to make a film about the soldiers or some such slag?"

"We are. We wonder if you would like to talk to us." -voice

"About what?" His wariness was audible as he regarded them.

"About you, about your life, your beef with Ratchet. Are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?"

"You have to ask?" The big smirking bot leaned forward grinning at the camera, his silky elegance almost palpable. "I am … or shall I say I was a Decepticon. I am Knockout, one of the few Decepticons that favor a vehicle mode."

"Why?" -voice.

"Why? Because I look great in white steel belted radials."

The camera focused on the tires seen just over the bot's shoulders. "You do."

Knockout sat back looking at them with his yellow optics and his utterly inscrutable white face. "Are you talking to Decepticons too? They have a story to tell."

"We are. What's yours?" the voice asked.

Knockout looked at them a moment, then shrugged slightly. "I was born a high caste into a politically important family. We were industrialists and worked in government service too. The family wanted a doctor and I wanted some adventure. The two goals coalesced rather well if I say so myself."

"How did you get into the Decepticons? Why not the Autobots instead?"

He snorted. "Those school boys? I wanted adventure and a good time. The 'Cons provided that."

"But you're here. You're living with the Autobots. Do you have an Autobrand?"

Knockout looked at them a moment, then his wings fairly quivered with offense. Leaning forward, his elegant handsome face brimming with angsty insult, he came close to the speaker. Uncomfortably close. "Puh-lease. There is no need to be insulting." He sat back. "I put a lot of store into my appearance. Having an Autobrand would clash with my style."

"Did you have a Deceptibrand?"

He grinned slightly and nodded. "But of course. That brand had style. Like me." He grinned at them. "Any more questions, squishies?"

"Not right now. Don't be a stranger." -the voice

"Don't count on it," he said with a chuckle as he turned back to his desk.

-0-Fade out. Fade in. Cut to studio again

The door opened and a tiny youngling named Sadee walked in nearly dragging her oversized art portfolio. There were sketches out the wazoo, a few watercolors that had potential and two finished paintings that had been worked out through collaboration with her new god, Sunstreaker. She put it down and smiled up at him. "Hi."

He looked down and grinned. "Hi. I see you did your homework."

"I did. Let me show you," she said as she knelt down and began to unpack her piles and masses of awesome stuff. Sitting on a couch nearby reading The Autobot City Daily News, Sideswipe paused and grinned. Sunstreaker grinned back.

The camera would linger on the two kneeling on the floor discussing the art the little femme presented, flashing on Sideswipe from time-to-time. The episode would finalize itself on the two discussing art as the music quietly returned. Then it would fade out altogether.

The music played as the ending began, the image of Scar coming and going through the interplay of dark and light. When they faded to darkness the last time the credits began to roll. The last words changing from Cybertronian glyphs to English were a profuse thank you to the Prime of Cybertron, the platoon and their families and an invitation to see the next episode in a week's time. Then it ended.

-0-Trine

"That was slagging awesome." -consensus opinion.

-0-At Scar's home

"Only One, you were wonderful."

Intense quietude as Only One redeems a few sins in the silence and gratitude of his own processor. He pulls his bond and their daughter closer. Life is perfect for him. It might get better as life went on but this was one of the high points in his internal 'awesome moments of my life' reel.

-0-At Knockout and Breakdown's apartment

"You look good."

"I do don't I."

(grin) "I look good too."

"You do, Breakdown. I think I pissed Ratchet off."

"You do that all the time. When are you going to stop being a slagger?"

"Would you like it if I did?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

Both grin.

-0-Prime Residence

"That was great. Its better than I hoped for," Prowl said glancing up at Optimus.

He nodded. "It rather humanizes us a bit. For that I am glad."

Prowl nodded.

-0-In the bosom of love

"He's hopeless."

"He is, Ratchet."

"He's a slagger."

"He is."

"He does look good in steel belted radials."

(grin) "He does but you look better."

"Thanks, Only One." (grin)

"You're welcome."

They both grinned.

"You look better, Ada," says a tiny yellow and white Seeker youngling. He gets a squeeze from both his old dads.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	106. Chapter 106

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 26

-0-Late that night in Autobot City, Mars

The Night Watch walked their beats, the tempo of the city calm and relaxed. The biggest part of anyone's conversation was about the television show. It was considered a great success by nearly everyone but Cliffjumper who **INSISTED **that it was lacking a certain something.

The clubs were full of mechs having a good time talking about things they talked about on Cybertron. Football, relationships, the war, the television show added … all of it felt homey. Drift and Springer walked along companionably. The night was clear overhead and the stars of the universe were thick and bright. They reached the corner of Tower Road and Metroplex Highway 1, waiting for traffic to pass. Then they stepped out and crossed the street on their way to a trip through the forest of housing towers and newly emerging public and commercial buildings that were the heart and soul of their city. They disappeared into the night and were gone.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ironhide stood at the sink washing dishes. It was his turn. Ratchet sat in his chair, remote in servo. He was listening to a cable news program talking about the episode of Platoon. A roundtable of entertainment critics, military people, scientists and politicos were on nearly every news channel on the spectrum. He settled on the one that he usually liked to listen in.

"The interesting thing for me is the familiar sensibility of the individuals. Their life is very much like our own and it isn't. They are obviously aliens but they have homes, families, help each other and work for the common good. The segment with Scar and that trapped kid was especially illuminating."

Everyone nodded at the scientist who had just finished speaking. Then a military person began. "They are a warrior society. They are fierce, proud and incredibly capable. I would hate to face one of them on the battlefield. The divisions of troops is interesting too. There is overlap with the Wreckers and front line troops that make up their shock forces. I also understand they have a home guard both on the ground and in the air. A colleague who is close to an officer at Diego Garcia said they also have pacifists who are highly respected. They said the bigger bots such as Metroplex and Fortress Maximus tend to be pacifists though they will defend their faction if necessary. It is really interesting. The level of expertise as veteran soldier and combatant on display here is phenomenal."

"I agree with Colonel Rombard," a political person said nodding. "The idea that we can defeat the Decepticons by ourselves, these bots who are at least the equal of the Autobots is absurd. If the Autobots by some stretch of the imagination are pushed out of this system, then its delusional to believe the Decepticons will go as well. And consider the singular problem in this scenario. How are we here going to get them to leave there?"

"That is the most laughable part of the anti-Autobot, anti-Cybertronian aspect of this entire situation. How are we going to force them to leave even if we want to which the polls don't reflect?"

"We can't," the host replied nodding. "We have neighbors and it is awesome that they are our allies. We could be having this conversation about Decepticons colonizing Mars. As it is, we have a fascinating society reorganizing itself on a planet next to us who have a deep regard for us and our continued safety and autonomy." She grinned and looked at the camera. "We will be back in just a minute." The camera cut away to the commercial.

"Sounds kind of balanced, sort of understanding," Ratchet said as he watched Ironhide be the domestic. He grinned. "You turn me on doing that, did you know that?"

Ironhide grinned and looked over his shoulder at the sprawling red and white medico of his dreams.

Literally.

"Is that so?" he asked with smoldering optics.

Ratchet grinned. "Yes. Maybe you can dust and make some berths up when you're done there. Might get a frag if you work at it."

Ironhide snorted and grinned. "Might. Might not, old mech. I have to save something for Soundwave tomorrow."

"He can get his own mech," Ratchet said with a smile. "I don't share."

"Not that sort of save, old mech and you know it," Ironhide said as he dried the last dish. Pausing to put them into the proper shelf, he cleaned up and turned walking to sit in his chair. The infants were in bed and they were heading there themselves. The evening would pass pleasantly. There would be no frag. There would be an early get up and slow mo plod to school because of the mission to meet Soundwave.

Even when he wasn't actually there, Soundwave was a fragger.

-0-At the Prime Residence, Iacon, Cybertron

He sat collecting his thoughts. He would take two ships through the bridge to an area close to the meet up. He would wait until just before the precise time to land. His soldiers would be adequate to show strength without being a nod to fear and weakness.

Sitting back in Prime's chair, he looked out the windows to the city beyond. The area was being reclaimed but the task was slowing. An underground appeared to be in operation, or a criminal group stealing what they needed. He had to find them. He had to eradicate them. No one living here should not be afraid of him. He would see to it.

The giant glittering form of Trypticon passed slowly in the upper atmosphere overhead. That worthy had returned albeit it in diminished form and needful of great quantities of fuel and repair. The energon chamber and geosynchronous energy bridge weren't in any condition to assuage him. But it was good to have that force in his arsenal against the Prime. He himself had already seen Autobot City. He even considered another visit. He would have to see.

The night would pass and so would Trypticon and Cybertron's three moons in the dark sky overhead as the great metallic world continued its very slow drift along the outer spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Of course, he wouldn't know it as that. He would consider it in the terms Megatron had given it. He would think of it as the Decepticon Greater Empire Galaxy instead.

-0-Early the next morning

"Need help?"

"**NO!"**

Sunspot and Ratchet sat on the couch as the blood sport called **"I'M WASHING THE SLAGGING SPARKLINGS MYSELF, OLD MECH AND I DON'T NEED YOU OR YOUR INFERNAL SLAG! GOT THAT!? I AM A SLAGGING CHAOS BRINGER! SLAG IT!"**

Or as Ratchet called it, 'bath time for babies'.

Hysterical laughter filtered out, then a thud, then little peds pounding the floor as they fled from the morning bath time with the old mech. Running out dripping wet, Orion hustled across the room and hid out under his fort aka the table. He peered out, a maniacal smile on his cute little face. Shrieking with laughter and coiled excitement, he hunkered down as a huge hulking force came out behind him. Walking slowly, his peds landing hard, smoke coming from his nose structure, the Master of the Autobot Armed Forces stalked his sparkling. As he did Praxus came out and watched.

"Come here, you little slagger," Ironhide said pausing in front of the table. Looking under, he was greeted by a hysterical shriek and a giant maniacal cackle. **"ATAR! GO ME! BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!"**

Praxus clapped his servos and ran forward between Ironhide's legs straight under the table. He turned and the two held each others servos, their smiles nearly cracking their cute little faces.

"Ada," Sunspot said as he watched with a smile. "That is funny. Its like Atar is chasing himself and you."

"It does look like that doesn't it," Ratchet said with a smile. "That is one slagging fine brace of sparklings. It was genius to make them look like us. More entertaining don't you think?"

Sunspot nodded. He looked up at Ratchet. "They look so funny. Do you think sometime you can get a sparkling and have them look like me?"

Ratchet looked at him and Ironhide paused reaching under, glancing back at his little mech. "That's a great idea, Ratchet. That would put us ahead of Prowl even with the loaner sparklings."

Ratchet chuckled. "I would have to design a protoform with fake Seeker features. Or, I could start a new trend by making a regular grounder protoform with fake Seeker items."

"That would be great," Sunspot said turning back to watch as the little mechs dodged Ironhide's grasp.

Ratchet knowing Ironhide **LOVED THIS GAME** and that he was dragging it out by deliberately missing them smirked. "Two little mechs are kicking your aft, Ironhide. Not a good recommend for a Chaos Bringer."

"They're slippery," Ironhide said with a grin.

The two looked up at him with open faced smiles that shimmered with tense excitement. Then Ironhide grabbed them. Hoisting them out one in each servo, he turned and grinned. **"SEE!? I HAVE THEM! I, IRONHIDE OF PRAXUS! IRONHIDE OF THE BONE CRUSHING FIST! I, IRONHIDE DOMINATOR OF RED AFT MEDICS HAVE TRIUMPHED YET AGAIN!" **With that, he turned walking into the berth room and the wash racks, cackling sparklings in servo.

Ratchet and Sunspot watched them go. "Atar is so funny. He likes that game."

"You just noticed that too? You are one perceptive little mech, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said squeezing his son. "What do you want for Christmas Surprise?"

He looked up with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Families on Earth give each other presents. You will get one from Santa Prime. You will also get one from your Atar and me."

"Oh wow," Sunspot said with a smile. "I don't know what to get."

"Think on it, then whisper to me when you decide," Ratchet said kissing Sunspot's little yellow helm. "I will move heaven and earth to find it."

"Okay," he said with a big grin. "Can everyone do this?"

"Yes," Ratchet said. "I've been reading up on it."

"This is so great!" he said with enthusiasm. "I **love** Christmas Surprise! I still have my toy from last time."

"On the shelf, I know. You're a mighty fine little mech with your things, Sunny," Ratchet said. They paused and listened to the racket coming out of the berthroom.

"**ATAR! WET ME! I WET! NO, ATAR! HURT ME! ATAR HURT ORION! MY SWIM! I GO ADA! BAD ATAR! ADA! ADA, COME ME! ATAR HURT ORION!"**

"He has another word," Sunspot noticed with a big grin.

"He does," Ratchet replied with a chuckle as he added it to his internal list.

Ironhide walked out with a towel wrapped, cocoon shaped Orion. He handed the infant off to Ratchet and turned catching Praxus as he tried to sneak out to make a break for the table.

"Run, sparkling! Be free!" Ratchet said as Ironhide scooped Praxus up. He cackled all the way to the wash racks. They watched as he did, then Sunspot and Ratchet looked at a towel-wrapped Orion. He grinned enormously. "What a cute little sparkling you are."

"**ADA! ATAR BAD!"**

"He is," Ratchet said. "Bad enough to get you in the end."

Orion smiled. He looked at Sunspot. **"ORION LOVES POT!"**

Sunspot smiled. "Sunspot loves Orion." He leaned forward and kissed his brother's cheek.

Orion smiled gigantically looking up at Ratchet. **"POT KIPPED ORION!"**

They both had a big chuckle out of that. Hero who was dozing on the table in her brother's bouncy chair had no opinion.

-0-At the school

They had dropped off the sparklings including Hero into the Transient Day Care Center and now waited in the lobby with Sunspot. Ironhide was laying down the law. "If we are late, stay with the Community Schools. We already told Mr. Terradive about it. We will get you there. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will come with us along with Bluestreak."

Sunspot nodded as he stood in his line with a heavy book bag on his shoulder. He had his snacks and a drink, his school work, datapad and several books. He also had a plan to tell everyone that families could give each other a present too. That was his secret. "I will. Will you come home for dinner?"

"We plan it," Ratchet said leaning down to kiss him. "Grand-Atar and Ada are going to come get you to stay at the store after a bit. If we're late, you can help them get the babies and feed everyone. You are such a good responsible little mech."

He smiled proudly. "You can count on me, Ada."

"I know we can. We always have," Ratchet said hugging him. Ironhide hugged his son too and they put him down. "You be a good hard working little Seeker, Sunspot. We'll make another bulletin board for your room for all your badges this weekend," Ironhide said with a smile.

Sunspot grinned and nodded. "I will," he said.

The door opened and he turned hurrying with his class into the room where Terradive stood smiling. "Come in. We have so much stuff to do today," he said as the door closed slowly.

"We do too," Ironhide said as Ratchet turned to leave. He came along behind, his servo resting lightly on Ratchet's back. They entered the elevator and the door closed there too.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	107. Chapter 107

**NOTE:** I like to mark when I pass a million words. I did it last time. Now I find out calculating this story that I am at 988 chapters and 2,000,304 words. :D :D :D I will have to go backwards into the last chapter and darken the 2 millionth word. Thank you, all for coming along with me. I love you. Now, lets for for three shall we? :D :D :D

=0=And now, back to the story

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 28

-0-On the tarmac

The big ships were standing on their gear waiting for the word to go. The City of Diego Garcia was one of the latest battle shuttles the shipyards had crafted to date. It was huge, sleek and fast, bristled with guns and was ready to take on Supreme class ships meeting and in some ways exceeding their agility. Omega and Kappa had been part of the design of this ship class and it showed.

Omega Supreme was the other vessel and he would serve as the platform for Prime's command. Starscream and Blackjack along with Flint and Alor would travel with him. The others would be distributed among the two ships with Jarro and his colleague, Micca traveling on Omega. They would do the observation of Soundwave and make the profile that would be the diagram for future plans concerning Cybertron and her nominal leader.

"We're going on Omega," Sunstreaker said rolling up with Sideswipe. Bluestreak followed and paused with them as they waited for the rest of the designated group to arrive. Blackjack and Alor would be arriving with Flint shortly through the bridge portal, coming back for the mission from Fort Apache out on the migration trail.

Ironhide and Ratchet stood bantering with the twins and Blue as Prime and Prowl walked across the tarmac to join them. The sound of Seekers landing drew their attention and they watched as Starscream, Thundercracker, Red Wing, Cloud Burst, Nitro and Silverclaw turned and walked toward them. The last was a formidable chieftain of the most warlike clan of Seekers on Cybertron, the clan to which Starscream belonged. He would be coming with them because he had been given a death order personally by Megatron for demanding better treatment for his kin. The scars he bore on his face were the price he paid to escape.

Barron walked to the gathering group with Alpha Trion and the three priests, all of whom were smiling and chatting together. Neo followed them, a pensive expression on her pretty face. Gravitas walked with her, his own expression filled with the same angsty determination as Neo's was.

In the distance, a ship was coming in for landing and when it did Blackjack, Flint and Alor would emerge hurrying over to join the pre-flight briefing with Prime. They gathered around Optimus who turned to them and nodded. "Thank you for coming," he said as Rampage joined the group. "I am glad you are here and we shall play this like I discussed yesterday afternoon. Our intention is to undermine Soundwave and to cause him to be an ally in retrieving our hostage refugees whether he wishes it or not. We have trouble shot the scenarios that seem the most likely with Jarro and will play this by audial. You are here as a show of solidarity and to let Soundwave draw conclusions, perhaps the right 'wrong' ones that we need. You do not have to act or speak. We shall do that for you. Just stand quietly and stare."

"What if he wants to say something to us, Optimus," Neo asked.

"I trust your instincts." He looked at all of them. "One of our sacred purposes here is to safely retrieve our people. He is part of the roadblock and he needs to be pressured to help us remove Overlord as a threat. That is our ultimate goal, the safety and security of our refugees."

They all nodded and then almost as one, they turned following Prime or the suggestions of the Master of the Muster to the ship in which they would travel. When they had all boarded including the Wreckers and front liners who would provide security, the hatches closed and the ships lifted off. Following them were over two hundred Seekers who would provide the dot in the exclamation point they were planning to deliver to Soundwave. They disappeared into the sky and were gone.

-0-On the way

"Fort Max Flight Control to Trigger Control."

"This is Trigger Control," the familiar voice of Wheeljack replied.

"They are yours, 'Jack."

"Thank you, Fort Max Flight. We'll take it from here," Wheeljack said as he sat at the master control station. "Omega and Sem," he said calling out the two who would fly the ships. "Come in."

"This is Omega."

"City of Diego Garcia to Trigger Control, this is Sem."

Wheeljack checked his board and glanced at Miler. He nodded back. The math was go. "Omega, we are initiating vortex. Standby."

His digits flew and the boiling energy storm of the time portal flared into life when the energy beams running up the long arms of the sled coalesced and shot forward as one. It flashed into life and the two ships began to power up. "Sem, you are go," Wheeljack said.

"Roger. We are go," Sem said as he put the pedal to the metal. They shot forward and were gone.

"Omega, you can go."

"Omega is go." The deep sonorous voice replied to Wheeljack and the massive life force that was Omega Supreme jumped. It slid into the energy rupture and was gone.

Wheeljack sat back watching the greenish-blue hole in the time-space continuum flourish under the tremendous power of the Trigger. It might take days for the parties to accomplish their task in the field. But sitting here waiting, the time that would pass might only be a moment or a joor. Such was the enigma of bridging.

-0-Out there

They came through at the other end some distance away from the meet up coordinates. It would only take about half a joor to get there and they would be meticulous in their arrival time. The Seekers shot through having massed together on the other side. They took up station on the two ships and flew with them toward a region with large broken planetoids and asteroids of some size.

Prime sat on his ship with his senior officers. The priests sat in the back of the hold nearest to the hull hatch with Alpha Trion, Neo and Gravitas. Barron was in an animated conversation with Alpha but the others were silent and pensive. They were going to meet the Great Demon of their existence. Megatron had faded a bit but this one was an ever present danger.

Jarro and his colleague, Micca sat going over datapads and equipment. They would be able to scan Soundwave without his knowledge and measure a number of vital statistics that would help them decipher any number of revealing things. They would also analyze the recording that would be made of the encounter both physically and audially. By the time they were finished with their work, a very impressive and accurate profile would be constructed. It would become the master blueprint from which to run anything they planned against the big Decepticon.

Prowl prodded Prime with a ped. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine," he replied. "I was thinking about how many encounters we have had over the vorns together. How many times have we met and tried to master the moment and each other?"

"I left my calculator in the apartment," Prowl said with a slight grin.

Optimus grinned slightly back. "No doubt," he said.

"Sir, we are approaching the landing site. We are being hailed," Sem said leaning out of the cockpit.

"Put it through, Sem," Optimus said.

"Optimus Prime, this is Soundwave."

"Optimus Prime to Soundwave. We receive you."

It was silent a moment. "I am waiting here. I have two ships and a guard. I am following the agreement."

"As will I," Prime replied. "I have two ships and a guard. We will land and talk. If there is shooting, it will be unfortunate for you. There will be 200 Seekers in orbit of the site and a Wrecker crew with me. You will not be out of their range at any point as per the agreement."

"Understood," Soundwave said and the line was cut.

"Take us down, Sem," Optimus said glancing at the overhead monitor. It showed Soundwave as a red light, the ships as blue and the large security force as green. It was all as expected.

The ships banked and flew through the debris field that floated through space with the craggy collection of fragmented failed planets that made up the local area. The ships banked again and slowed preparing to land. As they did, the Seekers peeled off and began to formulate the detection grid that would span the planetoid linking all of their sensors together. A gnat couldn't sneeze underground without them knowing it. They would fly the pattern until their party left and they would be armed the entire time.

The City of Diego Garcia sat down near to Omega, the two forming almost a straight line before the ships and party of Soundwave. They sat a moment, then the shuttle's hatch opened, the ramp sliding out to plant itself securely. It was dark and cold, the lights of the ships providing the only illumination.

A number of heavily armed bots stepped and rolled down the ramp forming a line in front of both ships. They stood without expression, their leadership waiting silently with them. Kup, Drift and Springer were dispersed along the line. They stood staring at Soundwave and his soldiers with cold optics. Prime and Prowl were next followed by Ironhide and Ratchet. They walked to Soundwave and halted together. It was silent a moment, then Soundwave nodded. :You asked me here, Prime. I am here:

Prime nodded. :I am here to tell you about a problem I am holding you solely responsible for. I am here to tell you that you are going to fix it as well:

:Is that so?: Soundwave said, his blasé facade difficult to read. But then it wouldn't be Prime's job to do that. He had brought along experts who could and would take on that chore.

:It is. The problem is part of your deteriorating ability to rule and because it is, you are going to be held accountable: Prime looked at Soundwave coldly. :This is not negotiable:

:What is the problem?: Soundwave asked without expression.

:Overlord is the problem: Prime said quietly.

-0-Nearby on Omega

"That one stung," Micca said as he listened to the conversation. A dozen cameras and instruments were analyzing, recording, dissecting and compiling raw data for later study. Jarro nodded and continued to monitor the sensor data that told of Soundwave's physical and emotional responses. They would amass mountains of data in the course of their visit and it would take three orns to have a report for Prime. It would be illuminating.

-0-Nearby

:Why is this a problem that required a meet up?: Soundwave asked, his optics scanning the group before him discretely.

:He's your creature, our problem and your responsibility:

The word hung in the vacuum between them, then Soundwave nodded slightly. :And why would that be so?:

:He has taken hostages from a migration and pulled into a redoubt for the long haul. We want them back and we want him gone:

Soundwave considered that and the resolve in the vocal processor of the Prime. He had changed since the days of the Fall and the Great Exodus. This Prime sounded like he meant business. Shrugging slightly, Soundwave considered the demand. :He is at Garrus 9. He is running the prison:

:He is here. He is running from Megatron and has a number of ships and crews with him, the worst kind of predators. He took over a migration and removed 2500 refugees from ships. They are in his custody and you know what that means:

Soundwave considered that, then shrugged again. :He's gone rogue. I did not give him permission to leave the prison. What do you expect me to do?:

:Your job:

A flash of anger flared inside the cold figure of the taciturn Decepticon but he suppressed it. He was not given to rash emotions. They led to ruin in his experience. :And that would be what?:

:Call to the 'Cons. Tell them to give up the hostages and we will consider letting them live:

Soundwave considered that. :If he left Garrus 9 without permission, what makes you think he will obey me?:

:Because this is one more screw up for you, Soundwave. Megatron will come back sooner or later. This will be one more nail in your sarcophagus:

Soundwave considered that. Prime was right of course but he had few cards of his own to play. :Where are they?:

:On the migration route. I won't bore you with details where that is. You know already. Your faction is driving our people to me so they can be slaughtered when Megatron gets back. Megatron who will kill you for letting things get this out of servo:

Soundwave considered that, then glanced past Prime to a number of individuals climbing down from the shuttle. He looked at them, astonishment flashing through his processor at some of them but he kept it off his face. He didn't of course know that he didn't keep it off the sensors of Jarro and Micca. The new bots walked to Prime and paused. Nodding to Soundwave, Flint grinned. :Hello, Soundwave. Its been a while:

:Flint: Soundwave said with an ease he didn't feel. He knew the others too. Blackjack, General and formerly Master of the Autobot Army. His bond, Alor was known intimately by every Cybertronian alive. He was that famous and loved for his music.

:We came to Prime because Megatron was going to kill us too, By the way, my group never worked for the 'Cons just so you will know. Full disclosure and all that: He nodded to Alor and Blackjack. :You know my brother and his bond:

Soundwave nodded. :I do: he said evenly.

:They ran the ghost ships in the Benzuli Expansion: Flint said with a slight grin.

Soundwave cast a sharp glance at the two and then Flint. :Is that so:

Flint nodded. :It is. They now fly and fight for the Prime. They do and so do their crack troops, ship crews and Seeker flights:

More bots began to come from the two ships moving to stand in a half circle behind Prime and his officers. A number of landing sounds were heard and Seekers began to walk around the big ships to join the rest. Prime nodded to Prowl. That worthy turned to Soundwave and gave him some of that old famous all business demeanor that had made Prowl the greatest second for a Prime in their history.

:The group behind me is composed of a number of individuals who now led their full support, expertise and services to the Prime and the population of Mars. You may know some, you may not know others. Allow me to introduce them to you: He turned and looked at the group. :Nitro was a veteran ship commander in the Decepticon fleet. He now gives that experience and knowhow to us. You know Starscream:

The big Seeker smirked at Soundwave enjoying the big 'Con's barely concealed outrage with great pleasure. He nodded to the big mech who barely managed to nod back.

:Red Wing is a very veteran Tactical Flight Commander of the crack First Air Wing and Cloud Burst commanded Special Operations for the same group. Thundercracker needs no introduction. You know his prowess well. Silverclaw is the Great Chieftain of the Mountain Clan of the Seekerkin of Northern Cybertron near Vos and someone who had a death sentence from Megatron himself for daring to seek better conditions for his people. He escaped and commands Seekerkin with Starscream on Mars. His authority and dignity are a credit to our colony and we are honored by his service to all of us there:

That worthy, his staff of authority in servo looked as formidable and dangerous as any Seeker anyone there had ever seen before. He stared daggers at Soundwave, his red optics unflinching. Starscream looked at him and felt intense pride. The elder standing before Soundwave was of his own kindred and Starscream stood proudly beside Silverclaw, one of his closest and oldest friends.

:Barron was a judge on Cybertron and a master of the law. He works for the Prime. Neo was on the Council of the Ancients and held the Matrix between Primes with Gravitas. They stand with the Prime of Cybertron. The priests are here to show their solidarity with the Matrix bearer and the restored Temple on Mars. The relics that underscore the authority of the Prime and serve our people are there and you have seen them yourself. Primus himself restored them to the Temple, such is his love and respect for Optimus Prime: Prowl's voice was filled with pride as he delivered that bit of news to the enemy of his life and peace of mind.

:All of them are here to show their solidarity of purpose with the only legal surviving political, religious, ethical and moral leader of our people wherever they are in the universe and the only righteous symbol of Cybertron that exists anywhere: He turned and looked at Soundwave, his expression bearing the most minute trace of schadenfreude. :And you know the rest of us. We field a deep veteran bench for our regathering people. We are the pointed spear of Optimus Prime. We are the knife blade that is held to your throat, Soundwave. We are Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet and last but not least, Rampage:

Behind the group a figure stepped from the shadows. He was ferocious in appearance and demeanor. He stepped forward and paused. :Hello, fragger. Guess who I work for now?: he asked in his deeply guttural utterly terrifying voice.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	108. Chapter 108

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 29

-0-Out there

He stepped closer, the legendary menace of the Predacons felt by all. Even though most of the bots present understood that the Rampage of old was gone, the imitation of it, the impersonation of it was legitimately scary. Soundwave to his credit stood his ground but the tel was there. He stiffened slightly but only the most sharp eyed could see it. That or someone with a mechanical optic that could see things in space from the ground.

:Nice to see you again, Soundwave. Nice to see that you're still alive. I always had the idea in my processor of being the one to take your spark. So good of you to still be around to offer it:

:I assume you gave your oath to the Matrix: Soundwave asked casually.

:Price of admission to paradise: Rampage said moving his helm to keep within the full sight of his adversary. All that Soundwave could see was his malice and his danger no matter how he might look away. Rampage knew it worked because he could feel the tremors in Soundwave's energy field, slight though they were. He had also practiced it a lot at home against the times he thought it would be needed to help in some delicate moment.

Like now.

:Your brothers will be interested in your conversion. I will tell them about you: Soundwave said.

:Tell them too that if they come here for anything but peace and to work for the common good, I will rip out their spark chambers myself: Rampage stared at Soundwave for a long intense moment, then he stepped back until he was beside Neo. They had become great friends, the two but Soundwave didn't know that. He also couldn't see it between them. It was as Prime wanted.

:You must tell me what magical programming you have that creates sheep out of wolves: Soundwave said.

No one responded for a moment, then Flint stepped forward as Prime internally asked for him to do. :Soundwave, I want it clear between us before you leave. I never worked for Megatron. My group lived on the Rim away from you and Megatron so we could take care of the refugees and aliens out there. We moved refugees and other groups that were given death sentences. We relocated them. Then we destroyed their old settlements. No one that was ever marked for extermination within the reach of my battle group ever suffered from such an order. Never: he said quietly. :I don't want you to think that I ever at any time obeyed a word you, Shockwave or Megatron gave to me. Remember that: Then he stepped back.

:And you, Blackjack? Do you wish confession time as well?: Soundwave asked.

:**General** Blackjack: the big hulking bot said. :Alor and I, we took refugees and anyone else we could get when we left in the Great Exile into the energy disturbances of the Benzuli and held all of you off from there. No one ever came in and then left alive. We fooled you, Soundwave. We fooled your mighty leader too. That little criminal never caught on. You never came into the expansion to get us. We beat you: Blackjack smiled a humorless smile. :You lose:

Alpha Trion smirked. :You did and you will again. You are caught in a vice grip between Megatron and Prime. Who do you think will allow you to live? Megatron? Or Prime? What will Megatron think when he comes back and finds out that your battle groups are fleeing to Optimus? The Guardians are with us with more coming. The Seekers are too, hundreds and thousands of them. We have power and we're growing stronger daily. You? You're hemorrhaging troops, supplies, all of it. How much energon have your drones found? Any? How long do you expect to hold Cybertron before the civilian population rises up and slays you in your recharge driven by their hunger and fear? Who among your officers can you still trust now that the word is out and Optimus is beckoning our people to gather including Decepticons?:

It was silent a moment. Then Nitro stepped forward. Revo edged closer and they looked at Soundwave. :We fled because we loved our families. We have infants and bonds. We, some of us managed to save our genitors. They were doomed under Megatron. We knew it. You know it. We came here with no expectations. Prime let us in. He let us in as equals. My daughter … my ***life*** …: He paused and gathered himself. :My baby girl was dying when we came to Prime. They took her and saved her. It didn't matter that she was an infant of Decepticons. They saved her life like she was a high cast queen. She goes to school. She is safe and happy. I am as happy as I have ever felt in my life. My bond is doing what he wants. I am Master of Munitions in the slagging armory. That is why you and Megatron and anyone else you throw at us will lose:

Revo nodded. :I have two little mechs and my bond … he's genuinely happy for the first time in his life. He's a University graduate in Engineering. He got to attend school like a high caste. We work at important jobs and we live in a colony that is our home. Our lives are there. If you fraggers even ***think*** you can touch that, you're delusional. Do what Prime wants. You have no choice. You know and so does everyone here that Megatron will kill you when he gets back:

Soundwave stared at them without giving anything away. Then the priests stepped forward, the High Priest looking up at him sternly. :You were part of the group that desecrated the Temple at Simfur:

Soundwave looked down at him and shifted ever so slightly, his unease at the remarks and their source visible for a split second. He said nothing to the little mech so the priest moved closer. :You destroyed the Repose of Primus. I would be thinking long and hard over that blasphemy if I were you, Soundwave. You have it in your servos to make up for the crimes you have committed in your power mad drive for dominance. There are innocent mechs and femmes in the servos of a dangerous fanatical tyrant. When he pulled away from the confrontation with prisoners, he threw six sparklings into the vacuum. That is inexcusable:

Soundwave considered that though it didn't move him as much as it did the others. He nodded. :So you say:

:So I say: the little mech said gathering himself up. :I dare say it. For it is true as you well know. Assist the Prime and spare yourself the continuing shame of what has been done to all of us by you and your faction. Spare yourself the shame of being the leader of a faction so evil. Remake yourself before it is too late and you cannot do more than what Megatron tells you to do. Be his lackey, be his foot stool and history will be bitter to you and your memory, more bitter than it is already. For once in your misbegotten life, do something for the rightness of it:

Alpha nodded and so did Neo. Gravitas who was standing next to her girded his loins. :The Priest is right, Soundwave. You know it:

:Who are you to tell me what to do, Gravitas? You and Neo are the architects of Megatron's rise:

They glanced at each other, the shame of it shared on their faces. :You tell us something we already know. But we are working to make what right we can out of a terrible wrong. Prime allowed it. Prime believes in our redemption and we will die fighting to protect our city and her people, the refugees fleeing here and anyone else against you and the entire slagging army: He paused a moment, a mech who disliked swearing like some people disliked getting punched in the face. He looked to Prime and nodded. :I mean every word, Prime:

Prime nodded and pulsed him warmth and reassurance.

:And I will help him: They all turned to look at Thundercracker who stood servos clenched and rage on his handsome face. :I never did belong in the Decepticons. I belonged with my trine. We were always a trine, Soundwave. I'm surprised you didn't find that out: He grinned triumphantly. :We **are** a **trine**: He glanced at Starscream who stood beside Silverclaw with an open expression of warmth and regard for his partner. :Starscream could not be diminished. He could not be defeated. He stood against everything that Megatron could throw at him and he prevailed: He looked at Soundwave. :We will prevail. Make no mistake about that:

Silverclaw nodded to Thundercracker, bowing his helm slightly in the elder way of offering respect. Thundercracker returned it. Then he stepped forward to pause before Soundwave. He was big, bigger than Soundwave but shorter than younger Seeker mechs. He was covered in glyphs, the carvings of battles, the names of his hatchlings and their hatchlings, most of whom fell in battle or were still trying to come to Mars. The poems of love to his bonds were there etched deep in his brilliantly colored armor. Shades of emerald and luminous dark blues made him seem like a bird of paradise. His yellow optics were difficult to meet, the power of his age, accomplishments and the incredible level of respect he commanded from others gave him an authority that was hard to match. He carried his staff, a staff that was two feet longer than his own twenty-eight foot stature and it carried the markings of his rank, clan, status as an elder and leader as well as his rank among other elders clearly and beautifully carved into it. There were only two others with more status among Seekerkin but they were still lost in the Diaspora.

He looked at Soundwave closely. :You know who I am:

Soundwave nodded. :I do, Silverclaw, Lord of the Sky: He said the salutation without thinking but at that moment he didn't care. He waited.

:You speak the old ways of honor but you don't live them. You kill your people … our people without a care. You work for a madman even though you are clear that he will turn on you too. There will be no way to hide, no way to flee when he comes. He is a nihilist. There is nothing but death for him and all that comes into his sphere. You know this is true:

Soundwave didn't speak. He stood as silently as everyone else caught up in the charisma of this truly remarkable being.

:You have some feeling for Cybertron. There is news that you wish to restore her to her former glory for our continued habitation as a people under your domination and that of your faction. Yet, you know nothing that you do will ever succeed as long as Megatron lives. You are being asked to save Cybertron by the Prime because if you save the hostages and remove this threat, you save all of us, everyone of us wherever we are: He stepped closer. :You would be a very great coward if you don't do your duty and remove the threat of both Overlord and Megatron. You would be a coward not to aline with the Prime to end the slaughter. I would turn my back on you and feel justified:

The big Seeker stood for a moment staring coldly at Soundwave, then he shook his helm. Soundwave stood a moment like a statue as the big Seeker began to turn to walk away from his opponent in the greatest most affronting manner a Seeker could do toward another. He began to turn his back. Before he could complete the action Soundwave caught his arm. Halting, looking at Soundwave with deep disgust and anger he waited. :Well?:

:I wish to speak to the Prime alone:

It was silent, then Silverclaw looked at Prime. That worthy nodded so the others turned and walked to stand closer to the ships out of the range of direct hearing. When they had all moved away, Prime stepped closer to Soundwave. :Well?:

Soundwave looked at him. :You wish an oath. I cannot give you one. Not now. Maybe never:

:So you **will** to be a very great fool?: Prime said with disgust.

:I wish to be an ally. I will help you with Overlord. I will do what I can. I will help you get the refugees out of there with as minimal of casualties as possible:

:And what do I do for you?: Prime asked coldly.

:Give me time. Give me assistance. Cybertron is needful of everything and I'm doing my best to rebuild. I need time and assistance. I don't have to make an oath to stand with you, Prime. I will:

:You have no other choice: Prime said.

:Things are … not easy for me. I have a lot of forces working on me and the Empire is fragmenting:

:I want the refugees to have free passage and assistance along the way. I will hunt you down if you don't agree: Prime said.

:We have never impeded their passage: Soundwave said equally forcefully. :Their leaving makes it easier for those who stay:

:You will give me an oath before this is over or you will die. You know that: Prime said.

Soundwave looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. :That remains to be seen:

:It does. Megatron will not allow you to live, to rule Cybertron or to exist without his complete domination. He won't like what he will see when he gets back. He will take it out on the population remaining behind. Then I will take it out on you:

They stood facing each other for a moment, then Soundwave nodded slightly. :Perhaps you are right. But I am what I am:

Prime nodded. :You are. Don't ever forget that I know exactly what that is: He glanced at the soldiers watching and stepped slightly to the side. :Anyone who wishes to come with us, come now. Weapons on the ground:

The soldiers stood a moment glancing at each other, then two stepped forward lowering their weapons. They let them go and walked past Soundwave, ignoring his optics as they headed toward freedom. Two others stepped forward as well. :Do what you need to get the hostages free, Soundwave. We are going to do the same thing:

:Give me a frequency that is just for you and me: Soundwave said nodding. :Just you and me:

Prime sent him one over the internal link all Cybertronians possessed, then unsubbed a metal box handing it to the enigmatic Decepticon. Without another word, Prime turned to walk to Omega. The others joined him climbing on board as one by one the soldiers filtered upward too. When they were all on board, the hatches and ramps repelled as they lifted off without a sound. They were gone in seconds.

Soundwave watched them leave, then stared at the box in his servos. He considered it a moment, then unlatched the lid. Inside was a metal disk lying on a soft bed of red fabric of some kind he had never seen before. He touched it and knew what it was immediately. Picking it up, he looked at the serial number. It was what it was. Prime had been telling the truth and this was the evidence that The Fallen was dead and gone, most likely taken out by Prime's own servos as the rumors stated.

He looked at the disk, a valve cover all Cybertronians possessed. It was the debris valve cover for The Fallen. The numbers and the code etched on it included his name. Megatronus Prime. He held in his hand the seal for The Fallen's debris assembly.

His poop chute to put it in terms Lennox, Epps and Graham could relate to with amusement.

Soundwave stood a long time thinking as the armada from Mars made its way back. He would leave too.

After a while.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	109. Chapter 109

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 30

-0-On the way out of there

They sat quietly on Omega chatting together, the soft murmur of voices underscored by equally intense internal conversations. Blackjack turned and looked at Prime. "What was in the box, Prime?"

Optimus had the good grace to look embarrassed as he gazed sheepishly at Blackjack. The others turned and listened, half of them smirking. "Actually, I asked Bumblebee, a mini-con scout to dive to the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal to retrieve an artifact from the body of The Fallen. Soundwave didn't believe that The Fallen was dead. He wanted proof. I asked Bumblebee to find it and bring it to me. He dove down and brought something back that was clearly from Megatronus. Uh," he said pausing. He looked at Ratchet.

"It was his debris cap," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I told Optimus that sending that particular mini-con to do the job was asking for it. That little mini-con is pretty outstanding but a youngling wiseacre to boot."

Snickers and laughter lightened the mood and as they flew into the bridge they disappeared from sight. Flashing out, they banked and came in for a landing at the airfield at Fort Apache. Touching down, settling, the ramp and hatch opened, the crews stepping off. The senior officers walked to the Fortress while the others hung out by the vessels. They would be departing soon enough.

:They start the psyops part of this today: Sunstreaker said. :We have to stay. Sideswipe gets to go home: He pulled Bluestreak into his arms and the smaller bot leaned into Sunstreaker.

Sideswipe nodded as he sat down on a box filled with supplies waiting to be taken into the Fortress for storage. :I'll take care of Kaon and the girls while you and Blue are here for a decaorn. Then we swap:

:Only front liners and Wreckers, youngling, for this duty. We can use your shooting skills for distance work, Blue: Kup said from the throne of his own crate.

Blue nodded as the others sat and relaxed, the activity around them interesting and abundant. The Fortress looked finished, the big heavy blast doors finally in place as the last step to be taken. The air field was busy while beyond them the hangars and hardened bunkers for Seekers and workshops could be seen getting final touches. The energon production and storage facility was underground now with hardened bunkers built over the top of them. The raw energon harvested from around the area was also underground out of sight and out of the way of crossfire.

:Bumblebee is a hoot: Drift said with a grin. :I don't know what piece of Megatronus I would have brought:

:His prong: Sideswipe said with a wolfish grin.

:You would need an electron microscope to find it: Sunstreaker said with a malicious smile.

:That's true: Kup said staring at the end of his stogie. :Did I ever tell you about the time when-:

That was as far as he got.

-0-Ops Center, inside

They gathered around the comm station where Blaster and Jazz would run the show. It was linked into Ops Center at Autobot City where Mirage would manage that end. They would broadcast the messages that would be constant. Mirage would seek any that replied imbedded or otherwise. Jazz switched on the program and nodded. It was time. He looked at Prime. "We are ready, Optimus."

Optimus moved closer and waited. They stood and looked at the data together, then Jazz flipped another switch. "You are go," he said softly.

Prime nodded and gathered himself. "Overlord and any hostage who can hear me, this is Optimus Prime."

-0-On a derelict speck of rock in a forgotten part of space

Conversation halted as the refugees turned toward the ships where the comm stations were. They were left on, all radios primed to receive any news possible. That it had kicked on was astonishing and the mechs outside paused in their desultory conversations to listen to the feed which was being sent over one of the public lines all Cybertronians were born with as well as ship communications equipment.

"Overlord and any hostage who can hear me, this is Optimus Prime."

It was like being electrocuted and everyone who was present on both sides of the dividing line, hostage and Decepticon paused. Refugees, those slaving on the rising fortress commanded into being by Overlord, the entire Decepticon fleet and Overlord himsdelf froze at what they were doing and turned to listen.

"I am calling to give you the confidence to know that you are not alone. You are very close to safety and we are here to retrieve everyone. I would like to speak directly to every Decepticon among you, both professional soldier and criminal element.

"I am holding you personally responsible for anything that happens to any one of the 2,500 hostages you have in your possession. They are neutral to our argument and need to be released immediately. If you don't do this, you will never leave this sector alive.

"We have established a colony on Mars that is of a size and strength capable to destroy you if I command it. I will if even one hostage is harmed. We have among our soldiers Kappa, Omega, Zeta and Gamma Supreme. Their brothers are coming along with entire divisions of Autobots. Fortress Maximus and Metroplex already live at Autobot City and are prepared to crush you to dust if one hostage dies.

"We are asking you to surrender and come to us with the promise from me that you will not be harmed if you do. You have my word on the Matrix. Twenty of your comrades have already surrendered and they are living a free life among us. We have thousands of Seekers and former Decepticons living peacefully in the city from many migrations and we will be broadcasting their statements to you. If you come to live peacefully, you are welcome. If you don't, you will be terminated.

"You have until the end of the next orn to decide. If you wish to come here leave your weapons behind, power down any on your ships and bring the hostages with you. We have made a pact with Soundwave to retrieve our people even if it means obliterating all of you one by one.

"I wish to report to the six families whose sparklings were so savagely removed from them, they are all fine and well. They are being cared for. I would say to Overlord, if anyone is hurt you will not be able to find a hole deep enough to bury yourself in. I am sending you a comm line to Soundwave. Call him and ask for yourself. Ask him about a trinket I gave him before he left, then decide whether on this orn you will live or die. I personally have no preference for either in relation to you. I am prepared to accept either condition to ensure the safe return of the hostages.

"I have spoken. You have until the next evening. If anyone is harmed, all bets are off. Prime out."

-0-On Decepticon ships

They sat listening silently, the dread some felt clearly evident on their faces. Others looked defiant but most kept their reaction to themselves. It was silent when Prime commed off, then the monitors on every ship on their side of the line lit up. The seal of the Primes of Cybertron appeared, then the face of Rampage could be seen. Everyone watching blinked.

All but Overlord.

-0-At Fort Apache, Ops Center, out there

Jazz cued up the next ten statements and information videos, then sat back to listen to the one he and his team had gotten from Rampage. He seemed the logical choice for starters. He looked ferocious and his gaze could score concrete. He began in his most guttural dangerous voice.

"Most of you know who I am. I am Rampage and my brothers and I create Predaking when we feel like it. You know my story. If you don't, get your helms out of your afts and search for it. Its in the databanks. I live at Autobot City and I don't give a frag what you think. I had a seven foot sword run through my chassis from a battle with the Autobots when I was brought here. Instead of off lining me like Megatron would, doctors fixed me. It wasn't an easy fix. But it made a difference to me.

"Megatron would have thrown me out a hatch. He would have left me for dead. The Autobots didn't. It made me wonder what else Megatron said and did that was slag. And after giving it a lot of thought, I concluded pretty much everything that ever came out of his slag hole was a lie. There was never any 'us' in this. It was always about him.

"Don't get me wrong. I like fighting. I'm slagging good at it. Most of you fraggers know that. If I was with you, you would be fragging scared. You would tip toe around me like I was a fragging pile of bombs. But now I'm fighting for myself. I get to work for me. I get to do whatever I want. And the best part of this? Prime keeps his word.

"Megatron is a liar and a coward. So is Overlord. That low fragger likes to kill mechs that are caged up. He's a slagging coward. What are you doing following a coward? I don't intend to do that ever again. Prime keeps his word. He's no coward and I follow him. Frag Megatron, frag Overlord and frag the Cause. I was with Prime when he ripped The Fallen's slagging face off with his bare servos. I saw it.

"It was slagging wonderful. I follow Prime. I live for myself and I live in a Cybertronian city in style. You slaggers stay with Overlord. Soundwave is going to help Prime get the hostages back and Prime means it that you will die if anyone is harmed. Get smart. Cut Overlord's throat. Then throw down your weapons and come to Autobot City. For once in your slagging lives be smart."

The image faded. Then images of Autobot City appeared. They were designed to maximize the impact visually of the city even though it was stunning and utterly Cybertronian anyway. The air field was shown as the camera panned lovingly down row after row of fierce battleship, heavy cruiser and destroyer. Omega and Silverbolt came into view, then the other Guardians and Aerialbots. They were sitting on a hillock nearby talking and laughing. The camera panned past them and as it turned, it picked up the business district off the airfield, the housing towers beyond that were thick as trees in a forest and soon the imposing form of Metroplex in city mode.

The light glinted off everything as what seemed like hordes of bots went about their business just like they would back home on Cybertron. The camera continued and other business plazas appeared along with the Temple and Human Habitat. It paused taking in the sun glinting off the copper roof of the holy site. When it moved again, it reached the Fortress, its gun turrets bristling and its background panorama of industrial parks stretching out farther than the optic could see was the last image before the fade.

The next image was Scar.

"My name is Scar. I am sure you heard of me. I was a fragger's fragger. I was captured with Turmoil and Blind Spot when they tried to blackmail the Prime with hostages just like you're trying to do. We were slagged to the Pit. Between the soldiers and the thousands of Seekers beating our afts, we had no chance. Neither do you.

"I came here and ended up in the prison. When it became clear that if you gave your oath to the Prime and lived your life by the rules you could be free, I changed my mind. Here was a mech that kept his slagging word. Frag Megatron. He doesn't even know how to do that. Prime does. He trusts me. I am trusted, you poor dumb fraggers because the Prime is an honorable mech. He is the only true leader of our people. He always was and he still is.

"This city is his idea. I am part of building it. I'm a slagging pit boss and I belong to a union as well as help advise the city and the Prime on construction and planning. I help Decepticons come here and settle in. We have 100% success in everyone who comes who was a 'Con. No one has failed to find their way.

"I go to slagging school to learn how to be an architect. I never had a chance in my fragging life to do that but now I do because the system is dead and Prime keeps his word. But that isn't the biggest miracle for me. I have a bond. My bond is a smart mech, so smart and good that I can't believe he wants me. We have a daughter. My daughter holds my spark in her little servos and for her I would **FRAGGING SLAG ALL OF YOU FRAGGERS TO THE FRAGGING PIT IF I HAVE TO! **

"There are hundreds, even thousands of Decepticons here and some of them teach, others are on the city council and all of us are welcome. You can be too if you have the sense to take off the blinders and come here. Bring the slagging hostages. If one of them, even one of them is harmed you will all die. We will come in hordes and kill you. I will personally skin you alive myself. You know what I did. I didn't slagging forget how to do that just because I live differently now. But I will do it again if anyone is hurt.

"Overlord ordered six sparklings to be taken away from their families and he had them thrown into space. The babies were slagging **THROWN INTO SPACE**!" He paused to gather himself. "There is no apology big enough for that. Starscream himself led to their rescue and their families need them back. For the sake of my daughter, for the sake of my bond, I will personally slaughter all of you if that is what it takes to get this done. Rampage and I … all of the others, we mean what we say."

The image faded and more shots of Autobot City appeared. Then another mech was up.

"I am Starscream." He grinned slightly. "I know you, Overlord. You're a fragger's fragger. You kill for sport and when you run out of hostages you will turn on your crews. End him and come to us. Prime keeps his word. Swear an oath on the Matrix and be free at last. That is the path to a life worth living. The one you are on now is a death sentence. You know it. I know it. You might want to know that Primus knows it too."

The image faded and the senior priest of the Temple appeared standing in front of the Well of AllSparks and the slowly turning loveliness of the AllSpark cube. He nodded. "I am the senior priest of the Temple Restored of Autobot City. Three of us survived so far as we know of the original group who cared for the relics of our people. The relics were lost and even though everyone hunted them for their own reasons they were destroyed in battle with Megatron.

"Then something wonderful happened. In the first Festival of Primus held here at Autobot City by our people in eons, Primus weighed in and with Solis Prime and others restored the relics to the Temple. They did this out of respect and love for our leader, Optimus. The AllSpark is here," he said nodding to the beautiful sight behind him. "So is the Well. Sparks are being granted from it already. In that room," he said nodding to a door nearby, "is the Matrix Flame that is tied to the AllSpark and Primus himself. All of this came into being because Optimus Prime is The One. He is The One as prophesied by The Chronicles and by Primus who loves and assists him against Megatron.

"Optimus Prime bears the greatest matrix of all, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, the Creation Matrix which bears a shard of the spark of Primus Himself. How can you prevail against that? Even Primus has weighed in against you. You will fail. Give up the hostages. Come to us and make your peace. Your faction is over. Even Soundwave sees the futility. If you do not do this, you will die. It is that simple. Give up and live. Fight on and die. I would not want to be you if you continue. Primus will be very, very unhappy. Take it from me. I know," he said.

Then the image faded.

Another one came into view. It was Nitro and Revo, both of them standing in an armory that was filled with pallets and stacks of munitions and guns that seemed to go on forever. Revo nodded. "I am Revo. I commanded a hunter group. You know my story and if you don't ask someone. I came here with my family when Megatron ordered all families slaughtered including genitors and infants. We came here without the hope that anyone would care. Prime did. He saved us. Our sick and elderly were helped by his order. We were given homes and opportunity. No one ever did that for me. I am on the Senior Officer-City Council Committee the same as Nitro," he said nodding to the big Seeker standing beside him, "and I help make plans for the city. I will fight you to the Pit if you don't surrender. I won't be alone."

Nitro nodded. "This is where I work. I am Nitro and you know my story too. I am Master of Munitions and make the bullets and rockets, the guns and energy shells that will be your doom if you don't do what you are being asked to do. I personally made them. It makes me happy to know that if you are as dumb as I fear you will be, we can obliterate you from existence with things I helped make myself. We know you can't go much further. You don't have the energon. This isn't about factions or autonomy. This is about Overlord and his sick games. Don't be fools. Leave him because he's death. Come here because its life. Take it from us. Why the frag would we lie?"

As they stood silently, Scar, Rampage and Starscream entered the frame and they stood silently staring at the camera. Starscream smirked. "In case you think that we're joking, we want to show you our quality."

With that, five forearms with clenched fists were raised and on them gleaming with its usual enigmatic expression, the image of the first Autobot could be seen. Starscream chuckled. "Get smart or we'll come get you. That is your only choice. Make it the correct one. You only get one chance." With that, the image faded.

It was silent all over the battle group and on the ships where the hostages sat stunned. Everyone stood and sat without moving but Overlord. He on the other hand rose off his throne with a roar.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	110. Chapter 110

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 31

-0-Out there

The scene faded.

Another emerged.

The light glinted off a new ship being readied at the shipyards, a vast construction site off to the southwest of the Temple and the Human Habitat. It would be a deep space ship that would travel to other locations to bring back large numbers of refugees and wanderers who were lost and needed retrieval. As the cameras panned around the site, it changed. The Trigger was shown in orbit. It was vast, identical to the one that had circled Cybertron for vorns albeit with tweaks and working to hold open a vortex. It was shocking to see.

The image faded and a mech appeared. It was Wheeljack.

"Hi. I'm Wheeljack, a Wrecker, scientist and senior Autobot. I am also in charge along with Perceptor of the science programs here at Autobot City. Right now, you saw the Trigger. It probably is the dividing line between those that are older who remember seeing it orbiting Cybertron and those of you who are younger and didn't. I remember it well. I also helped design and rebuild it here. We can go from here to anywhere and back again without any trouble. No distance or place is out of our reach now and it isn't the only bridge we have. We power it with an energon plasma chamber," he said as the image came onto the screen, "and refuel it with a geosynchronous energon bridge just like the original but this one is much improved." That image came and went as well.

"We are part of the team that is going to tear you limb from limb if you don't surrender and come to us peacefully. We are vast. There are half a million of us here. We are capable. The bench we field has redundancies built into the redundancies. You fight us at your own peril. You won't win. You might even succeed in killing all the hostages but in the end you will die. Lucky you. Not everyone gets the chance to decide what day and with what method they leave for the Matrix. Right, Perceptor?"

The camera shifted as a very elegant red and black bot appeared. He nodded. "Yes, Wheeljack," he said in his elegant cultured voice. "I am Perceptor, a scientist of note on Cybertron and a scientist of note in the Autobots. Wheeljack and I will be working to destroy you if you don't surrender and come to us. You will be received and protected. You will get a chance to have a life of your own choosing among your own people in an authentic Cybertronian city. It is up to you." He looked at Wheeljack. "Do I tell them about the teleportation program?"

Wheeljack looked at him a moment, then nodded.

"Very well," Perceptor said looking at the camera again. "Not only do we have the ability to blow you to the Pit. We have the ability to teleport among you. Imagine Seekers heavily armed and Wreckers too teleporting into your space. Imagine not seeing the servo that kills you. Think about it."

Wheeljack nodded and the image faded.

**-0-"AND CUT!" **(earlier in the week when they taped their part)

Wheeljack and Perceptor relaxed as Jazz and Blaster checked their taping. "What teleportation project, Percy?"

"That was a flight of fancy, Wheeljack," Perceptor said as Wheeljack blinked in delight. His audials were going to town when Jazz turned and grinned. "Good take, boys. Thanks." Jazz turned to go, then paused. Looking at the two for a moment, he said, "You might want to tell Prime about that teleportation thing. Sounds great."

"We will," both of them said. And one of them grinned.

-0-out there

Splice looked around himself dropping the shovel in his servos. The place was like a mannequin factory with everyone silently listening and watching. He checked out the guards, all of them listening too and considered what might happen next. First, there could be a spontaneous rebellion of the troops. He had seen that before. Second, there could be major reactions that led to retaliation against the hostages, the closest ones being him and the 49 with him. Third and less likely, the refugees could go berserk and take out the guards ending up dead in the attempt. He signaled them to behave and they glanced at him, most of them nodding with impossibly hopeful expressions on their faces.

Then they all turned and saw lights flashing in two of the ships sitting nearby. :Get down and stay down!: Splice said as he ducked flat. The others followed watching as over the ship speakers and their internal reception the broadcast continued. So did the gunfire.

-0-Overlord

He stood in the middle of his command deck staring at the monitors all around him in disbelief. On all of them were testimonials and calls to rebellion to his troops by the slagging Autobots and their allies. That among those allies were 'Cons from his own faction, some of them supposedly deeply committed to the Cause was astonishing to him. **"SHUT IT DOWN!"**

The crew went through a flurry of activity, then his second turned to Overlord. "We can't. They took over the ship's computers and have us locked out."

Overlord howled and pulled his gun shooting the monitor above communications. Everyone ducked as he shot each one out around the bridge, pausing to curse and scream when no more were available.

**"SIR!"**

He turned, his gun rising to point at a bot who cowered slightly. "Sir, there is a message coming in from Cybertron."

Overlord looked at him, then nodded lowering his gun as well. "Put it through. I know who this is."

The speakers crackled, then Soundwave's voice could be heard. "Soundwave to Overlord."

"I am here."

"I am sending a bridge to your location. Take it and come here to Kaon. I wish to propose an alliance with you. I am aware that Prime has targeted your group. Come to me and you will have a life. Stay there and he will obliterate you."

Overlord thought a moment, then shrugged. "What is in it for me?"

"A future. Possibilities. Megatron," Soundwave said.

"If I go to Cybertron, you will welcome me. Is it that?" he asked with a smirk, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"I have more welcome for you than Prime and more need. He's undermining your command authority. Your troops will turn on you if you don't leave. Given a choice for them between facing Prime to defend you or slitting your throat to appease him, what do you think more likely?"

It was silent a moment as Overlord considered his options. Fighting was his only interest and fighting the big bots the only diversion that could hold him for any length of time. He lived to fight, fought to live and regretted nothing. "If I come to Cybertron, I can expect what kind of reception?"

"I would like to make an alliance against Prime. Megatron is missing and so is Shockwave. I want to expand the Empire, rebuild Cybertron and I want allies, ruthless ones. You fill the bill," Soundwave said.

Overlord stood silently considering his options. "I don't run."

"Regroup with me."

He considered that, then walked to the hatch of his ship. Staring outside, he saw gunfire on two others and arguing at three more. Aiming, he fired at two mechs standing outside a vessel and obliterated them. Others who were standing with them listening turned and opened up on him. The hostages lay flat and prayed.

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, out there on the migration trail

The statements continued and were interspersed with images of the city and the colony. They were compelling, Prime was convinced and so were the postmortem images of Megatron and The Fallen. Ratchet covered those.

-0-Fade out, fade in

"I am Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer of the Autobot Armed Forces and all medicine as practiced on Mars, the planet of our colony. I am responsible for the health and well-being of half a million of our people and the number is growing every time a migration comes. You slaggers are holding up the repatriation of our own people, all of us who are on the brink of extinction. Maybe Overlord doesn't care but I do. You should too.

"When we came to this system, there were only five of us. Megatron had followed the AllSpark and found himself caught up by the humans who lived on the next planet over from this one, Earth. He was held for nearly a vorn and subjected to experiments and research. That didn't make him very happy so when he escaped he tried to get the Cube to exact revenge. He didn't. He was killed by Optimus Prime. I did the postmortem and he was dead as a pile of rusted bolts. We dumped him into the ocean of Earth, the planet where the AllSpark had landed and washed our servos of him.

"A shard of the AllSpark was found that had not been accounted for in the chaos of the aftermath of the fighting and it revived Megatron. He teamed with The Fallen to try it again. We beat his aft and Optimus killed The Fallen by ripping his face off with his bare servos. Megatron fled and we haven't seen him since. He's been sending our people wherever they're found to us to ensure that when he comes to annihilate us, he gets them too. He wants us to disappear. He wants us to become extinct. Don't think for a moment he cares about you either. He doesn't. The Fallen didn't. Overlord won't.

"I have dug through a lot of carcases of our dead over the eons. I would rather repair the living. If you have a scrap of sense you will come to us and learn what you need to do to have a life. Scar, Rampage, Nitro and Revo did. They have what they want and need and they are an asset. Starscream leads the Seekers here and is a partner in this endeavor with Prime. Your faction is dead. You will be too if you don't turn around and just leave. Get on your ships. Turn them on and leave. Come to Prime. Give your oath. Get a life. Or die. Those are your choices. For once in your life, do something for yourself. Be your own mech. Leave."

The image faded.

-0-Back there

Mechs retreated into ships, the hatches closing. When they did some powered up and began to lift off. Overlord ran out and fired into the sky, his shots missing more than landing. Other ships began to lift off until there was only his left. He looked around in a frenzy, then his ship's hatch closed. It fired up and lifted off leaving him on the ground. Shooting upward, his firepower was insufficient to leave more than a scorch on the side of the vessel.

He stared upward, then looked around spotting a runabout sitting on its gear nearby. Running toward it, he boarded and the hatch closed. It fired up, lifting off to head upward at a fast pace until it disappeared from view.

Splice watched the events around them, then stood up calling out to the others. They rose, all 49 and looked at him dazed and frightened. :We made it. They've left. They're Prime's concern now: he said turning to gather the workers to his side. There were no vessels to use to get away. They would have to wait for rescue.

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, out there on the migration trail

The images of ships represented by lights on the monitor overhead signaled that the enemy formation was breaking up to come their direction. Prime turned to Starscream and nodded. That formidable individual turned and walked to the Flight Command station to sit. "Red Flight, you are go. There are ships coming our way. Read them their rights."

"Red Flight Leader," Red Wing said. "We are go."

Outside Seekers began to take off followed by shuttles based at the fort that would carry boarding crews. They gathered together and headed out, their professionalism honed by practice in the Oort Field. Their lights were added to the mapping done by Teletraan IV using all the data that was pouring in madly from the many arrays and sensors that were monitoring this sector and a number more in all directions.

"They are coming toward us but I do not detect any weapon systems online," Prowl said, his optics fixed on the screens before him.

Prime nodded. "How many ships, Prowl?"

Pause. "There are five battle cruisers, several fast hunter ships, two ships with the detachable fighters and about five more ships of varying size. I am calculating the personnel," he said pausing again. "I detect 237 individuals on board the flotilla."

Prime nodded. "Open a channel, Jazz."

"You are go, Prime," Jazz said glancing up at the solemn face of his superior officer and friend.

"This is Optimus Prime. You are ordered to stop where you are and power down your weapons systems. You are ordered to take all weapons from subspace or easy access and lock them up. We are going to board your ships and insure that you are safe to come with us. We are going to transfer you to the Guardians who will take you through the space bridge to our colony. If you are unable to comply with these commands tell us now so we can kill you."

Prowl glanced at Prime for a moment, then smirked slightly. Turning to the command boards he refocused his attention. Several messages of compliance came through the speakers as the first shuttle and Seeker team reached the first Decepticon ship. They all stood tensely and waited as Ratchet organized a general call for ships with medical and tech teams as well as two more Guardians to come through the bridge to help in the removal and care of the refugees and the Decepticon defectors.

-0-At a 'Con vessel

They magnetized to the hull peering into the portholes, their guns in servo. Mechs stared back uneasily as they were signaled to open the hatch. They did as the twins along with Cloud Burst and SloCam, a heavy gunner/boarding specialist slipped inside. They turned, weapons leveled and cautiously made their way forward. Entering the command deck they paused. The entire crew of 'Cons were standing in that space watching them as they watched back.

"Empty your subspace, all of you," Cloud Burst said.

They nodded and two pulled personal mementos out for inspection. They were frisked, tagged and ordered to sit on the deck as a pilot and two guards floated over from a battle shuttle. When the ship and crew were secured, the boarding team stepped out and continued onward. It would take three joors to secure every ship and crew. Then the hunt for the refugees would begin in earnest.

-0-Nearby

He flashed through the bridge that had appeared before him, one sent by Soundwave. It took him through into familiar space where familiar stars and sights greeted him. A signal gave him permission to traverse Cybertronian space and come to Kaon. He did, flying past a slowly recovering but still mostly destroyed world that was his beginning point.

He flew silently and when he reached the small landing port outside of Decepticon Headquarters in the surprisingly cleaned up city of Kaon he landed softly, powering down his vessel. Scanning the area, he noted that only one bot was waiting for him.

Soundwave.

He hated Soundwave like most Decepticons because this mech as sneaky, mean and very clever. Rising and walking to the hatch, his weapon in servo, it slid back as he stepped down. Looking around, scanning, he didn't notice anything that was unusual. Soundwave was waiting quietly so he turned to walk toward him. When he reached the silent bot, he stopped and nodded. "Soundwave. How unlike you not to come with a guard."

"What makes you think I am alone?" Soundwave asked. He nodded his helm and as he did beams of light shot downward from the rooftops of three buildings nearby. They met together at the figure of Overlord brightening as they crossed beams. The big mech howled with pain and staggered struggling to bring his weapon upward to fire.

Soundwave slapped it away as Overlord fell landing in a heap on the ground. Soundwave stood watching him without comment as a number of 'Cons walked out from the HQ building to stare down as well. "What do you want us to do with him, Lord Soundwave?" a big bot asked.

"I want his spark chamber removed and put into punitive storage. The rest you can scrap. Or better yet, put it into stasis. You never know when I might need a maniac."

The big mechs nodded and picked up Overlord dragging him off to the brig with its many diabolical levels of incarceration. The null rays had taken the beast down. Now they would stockpile the pieces against the future. Soundwave felt a margin of relief having preserved his nebulous connection to Prime, removed a possible rival and all around troublemaker as well as taken the first step to achieving balance between two untenable forces.

The forces of light, Prime … and the forces of utter darkness, Megatron were two rats gnawing at him without mercy. He would have to make sure that if anyone died, it would be the other mech, not him. Without a backward glance, he walked to the HQ to make a call to Prime. He would do it sitting on Megatron's chair in Megatron's office using the private frequency given to him by Prime.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	111. Chapter 111

NOTE: Science is identifying wandering planets all over the place. The notion of Cybertron being one among them is now back up by science. **HUZZAH, SCIENCE!** :D

-0-Now, back to it

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 32

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, on the migration trail

"There's a message for you, sir."

Prime looked up at Prowl who was standing by Teletraan IV. He nodded. Prowl turned and activated the link. Soundwave's face appeared on the screen. "Prime."

"Soundwave."

"Overlord is no more a problem for either of us."

Prime considered the comment. "What proofs do you offer?"

"My word?" the bot asked.

"In another dimension, in another life," Prime replied.

The screen image changed to Kaon. It was midday but the shadows were long, the weak light of stars the only illumination that remained to the rootless starless wanderer. The square that the Decepticon Headquarters fronted was huge with enormous buildings encircling it repaired and imposing. The enormous statue of Megatron, a meglomaniac's meglo-dream stood over the giant entrance arm upswept. That much had been spared in the destruction of battle.

Unfortunately.

Soundwave was standing by himself. A small ship, a runabout was heading toward him and landed gently nearby. Overlord, his enormous blue body and trademark trident pausing before Soundwave appeared to begin a conversation. It was not heard on the video, the sound missing but it was evident that it didn't last long. Three beams shot out and coalesced on his carcass causing him to convulse and fall flat on his face. Null rays it seemed to Prime were the reason. Other mechs walked out and hauled the big entity away, Soundwave following right behind. The screen's image was replaced by that bot. "Do you require other proofs?"

"What did you do with him?" Prime asked.

"I am having him made into a chair." Soundwave didn't betray anything with that remark but it amused everyone in the room but Prime. The others smirked slightly as they listened.

"We are rounding up the refugee hostages and taking the soldiers with Overlord into custody. They wish to defect."

Soundwave nodded. "Very well. Remember this, Prime. We should talk often." At that, the screen went dead.

"He just gave away his bridges by taking care of this so fast," Alor said nodding. Prime nodded back.

It was silent a moment, then Prowl turned and looked at Prime. "I would believe him if it were anyone but Soundwave. Though, I will say the idea of that mech sitting on Overlord is appealing."

Prime nodded. "It is." He looked up at Prowl and grinned. "It really is."

Ironhide snorted. "I want to have it when we retake Cybertron."

Prime looked at Ironhide. "You may have it. That is if he really did that. I don't see him wasting a possible future asset."

"Neither do I," Ironhide said nodding. "But the idea is as you say appealing. I get first dibs."

"Only if I can have Soundwave made into a swooning couch," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

The mood was lifted and they turned back to the problems at servo, the refugees and the defecting soldiers.

-0-On a planetoid in the dark

The rescue ships landed and the refugees streamed out of their vessels, all 2500 of them gathering around the techs and medics. Everyone was hollering and yelling, hugging and crying. It was a madhouse.

-0-On a planetoid in the dark

They watched the ship land, Splice holding the group in a measured mob. They were shivering with relief, fear and hope. He himself was relieved and gladdened. The ship settled and mechs stepped out including Sunstreaker as field medic. They moved toward their rescuers and Splice paused. "Sunstreaker."

The big yellow Lambo turned and looked through the crowd. Pausing when he saw the one he wanted, he smiled genuinely. Stepping through the mechs, he flung his arms around the big bronze and blue Knight. "Splice!"

"Sunny!" Splice said hugging Sunstreaker once more. "You fragger. You made it."

"We both did. Sideswipe did too, you slagger," Sunstreaker said. "What the frag! Come on all of you. Let's get out of here." Sunstreaker looked at the crowd and gently ushered them forward, Splice following with a lighter tread. When they were all aboard, the ship lifted off and the last of the refugees were reclaimed once more.

-0-On a planetoid in the dark with 2500 mechs and femmes

They came to Kup who was directing the initial organization for lift off and grabbed his arm telling of their terror and distress. Listening with sympathy, Kup turned and commed a shuttle that was sitting nearby. The pilot stepped down and hurried to Kup listening as he outlined the orders he would follow. Turning to the distraught mechs, he explained they should go with the pilot and leave the planetoid for the base nearby. They did.

-0-At the Fortress

The busy Ops Center spun like clockwork while out in the rec room bots sat watching the show on the big monitors. The split screen showed the defanging of the 'Cons, the rescue of the main refugee group and the rescue of a smaller one that was being used as forced labor. The sound was down but voices filtered out of the Ops Center following the practice of allowing everyone to listen in on missions.

A shuttle lifted off and disappeared off the screen of the big rescue group while in space between them and the battle zone Decepticons were being floated to Kappa Supreme who had come through the vortex with her brother Zeta. They were lead over to where Wrecker and Day/Night Watch mechs were waiting, some inside the vessel, others outside. They were taken in and seated in lines on the floor. The process was orderly and no one seemed to be acting up.

-0-A shuttle going from here to there

The shuttle came in and landed on the air field of the Fortress, an area well lit with light. The passengers climbed down and hurried to the big stone building led by Autobot soldiers. They entered, disappearing off the screen in the rec room. Inside, the group watching turned to see the clatter at the doors.

A pair of Autobot soldiers were leading over a dozen mechs to Ops Center. They watched as the group entered, then turned back to the screens. Inside, the group waited anxiously by the door as one of the soldiers walked to the table where Prowl and Prime sat with other members of the senior leadership. He leaned down and talked to Prime who nodded. He leaned toward Prowl and Ratchet speaking with them a moment. They both rose and followed the soldier back to the group. Prowl nodded. "Welcome. I am Prowl, Second-In-Command of the Autobot Armed Forces. I have had the privilege all this time of caring for your sparklings."

They broke down in tears.

-0-On the way to the Fortress

They sat around the sides and in the middle of the shuttle's hull as Sunstreaker scanned them, marking their armor with details and bantering with Splice. The Knight of Cybertron, Circle of Light master swordsman was amused by Sunstreaker's diligence to the task at hand. It was unlike him he thought. "Since when did you get to be so useful?"

"Since when did you get to be so pure?" Sunstreaker said grinning back at the tall bot who had been his friend since he was a toddler.

"I guess we both got religion," Splice said with a smirk. "How's Sideswipe?"

"Ugly as ever," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "We have a bond, he and I with Bluestreak. We have three kids. We did okay because Bluestreak is Prowl's youngling and Prowl is bonded with Prime."

"Frag," Splice said with a grin. "You bonded up."

"Don't tell Blue. We have enough trouble with him as it is. He spends a lot of time with Ratchet."

"Is that old mech still around?" Splice asked with a grin.

"That old mech and Ironhide are and they are our genitors," Sunny said with grin. "They adopted us. They also have a few kids of their own. I have three brothers besides Sideswipe and a sister."

"Frag. I'm behind the times. I'll have to get caught up," Splice said.

"You have no idea," Sunstreaker said with a chuckle.

-0-At the city

The shuttles began to come in loaded with refugees. There were many at the field to help in their repatriation. This group was starving and rundown from the journey and the terrifying detour. Many of the migration that made it were there to help their fellow travelers. The air field was lit up in the gathering darkness and busy with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The humans gathered on top of shipping boxes in their safe place as they watched the well organized effort go on.

:They're good at this: Jack Mellar said as he watched his crew film.

:They have this down to a fine science: Michio Yamaha said nodding. "They are very much disciplined:

:They are: Bobby Epps said with a touch of pride. :Cuts down on the crap:

They would stay there for the rest of the night and watch the command crew return along with the Guardians filled with new prisoners.

-0-On the way to Autobot City

They sat in the hold of Kappa Supreme, half of the 237 'Cons who had given up. They were facing the flight deck and guarded by Wreckers. A senior officer was giving them the rundown of what would come next.

"You are new and we have to process you before even considering letting you into the city to live. We will take your stats and do an assessment of your skills. We will also check out who you are and if you are trustworthy to let loose. Until then, you will be staying in the prison."

A mumble of discontent sounded and it was checked right away.

"We don't know who you are. But we do know that you were with Overlord who is a fragger's fragging fragger. You were part of a crime in taking hostages and you were part of a group that threw six sparklings into vacuum before you retreated. Think about that a moment, you numbskulls."

A silent array of 'Con soldiers sat staring back at him and he waited. "We are a city filled with mechs, some femmes and a lot of infants. There are kids there. Unless we can trust you, you won't be let out. When it is determined that you aren't a menace to society, you will have to do a couple of three things.

"First, you have to give your personal oath to the Prime and to the Matrix. I know some of you aren't religious and some of you are stupid. So let me explain. The Matrix will kill you if you give an oath to it and break your word. When you give the oath, you promise to be a good citizen, work for the good of all and obey the law. If you don't, if you break your oath, the Matrix will even the score. You could lose your processor. You could be killed outright. It's a documented fact. Even the worst we have here … Scorponok and Barricade for instance know better than to frag the Matrix.

"Secondly, you will have your transformation cog and your internal comm system disconnected until you prove your worthiness. You will also wear a detonation device that has a GPS signal that can be remotely detonated. Medical are the only ones who can remove it without you blowing up. You try it, you die on the spot.

"We are a peaceful society. We are what Cybertron should have been. We are making it happen here. Don't get any funny ideas. The Prime is the only leader who matters and if you frag with him, he will unpin your helm. The AllSpark, the Well of AllSparks and the Matrix Flame reside here granted back to us by Primus himself. I was there and saw it. Ask anyone about the Festival of Primus that just passed.

"Get it straight. Your Cause is dead. You are over as Decepticons. Your brand will have to go right away. They are banned from the colony. You will be mentored by the Former Decepticon Association who will help you fit in. Are there any questions?"

The group was sullen a moment, then one nodded. "What the frag do we have to look forward too?"

The officer looked at him then knelt, moving close to the 'Con who for his part didn't flinch. "Everything," he whispered.

-0-Landing at the air field

They followed him off and marveled as all around them an amazing city worked to reclaim their lost comrades. A runabout was ready and they climbed in, Prowl closing the hatch. It lifted off and flew upward offering a panoramic view to the mechs inside. They stared out with astonishment, looking this way and that as the runabout made its way to the roof of the tower where the Residence of the Prime was located. They landed and stepped off onto an enormous Autobrand painted on the deck as they followed Prowl to the door from the landing pad that was Prime's own.

Entering, they walked down steps and reached the outside door to the quarters. Inside waiting, the staff who had helped Prowl manage the babies stood with sparklings in arms. Prowl entered and stepped aside as the mechs rushed in and grabbed their infants. He stood and watched them as they held their infants, checked them over and cried.

It was a beautiful sight to see.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	112. Chapter 112

NOTE: I was busy this weekend with family stuff. I am going to be catching up. I don't like to miss even one day writing this story. I treat this story like a full time job and try to make sure that something is up everyday. We also are heading toward Christmas Surprise and the colony is really going to get into this holiday. The schools have presentations too. I am introducing some original characters created by a reader, Kaekokat. I love that some readers find themselves writing stories shooting off from this. I welcome that entirely and when a request is made to include their characters if I can, I welcome that also. This story is a collaboration between you, the reader and me. I love that. These characters will be popping up now and again. It is another way to see the city and its world through another perspective. HUGS!

-0-**LET'S RUMBLE!**

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 33

-0-The Residence of the Prime of Cybertron, Autobot City, Mars

They stood in little groups huddled around their child suffused with the feelings of genitors of every species, of every world, of every dimension, everywhere at such times. It was not lost on Prowl that even animals will go back into fires to save their babies. The energy was intense, the atmosphere charged as they checked over their infants together. They were five bonds and a trine. They were beside themselves with emotion.

So was Prowl.

He stood quietly filled with elation. This had worked out. Optimus had pulled off another miracle and they had extended their quality into the migration trail to show what they would do to others who dared to try to damage their recovery as a people. He glanced at the tiniest baby, the one who belonged to the trine and felt a peaceful feeling overcome him. This baby was back with his family. Prowl would expect this for himself, the elation and joy were the situation reversed. The idea of the babies going out of his daily life stung but not as much as he feared. They would still live here.

The trine turned and looked at him. "You kept him here? In the home of the Prime?"

Prowl grinned slightly and nodded. "We, all of us," he said nodding to the smiling teacher trainees standing behind them, "did take care of them here. We took them in and gave them a stable life while we went about planning how to get you back. It was our honor to do this."

"They lived that close to the Matrix," one of them said as the others turned toward Prowl. "Our son was that close."

"The Prime helped care for them. He's rather fond of holding infants and rocking them to sleep," Prowl said with a grin. The babies might be temporary but the images were forever.

"I don't know how you did this. Here? In the Prime Residence?" another said nodding.

"I am Prowl, his bond," Prowl said. It still thrilled him to say those words.

"I don't know how to thank you," that mech said as the others nodded. "How can we thank you?"

"Settle in and live your life happily. You can work for the city at a job of your choosing, send your babies to school and go to school yourself," Prowl said waiting for the inevitable reaction.

He got it.

"School ..." One paused, then glanced at his bond. "What sort of school? We never got to go to school. None of us. Our babies get to go?"

"So do you," Prowl replied. The teacher trainees smiled and nodded.

"The system," one of them began.

"Is dead," Prowl said shaking his helm. "By order of the Prime, by all that is decent, by all those who are dead and gone because of the stupidity and evil of it. It is over. Forever." Then he waited for the inevitable part two of their reaction.

He got it as well.

"We will work. We will work hard. We know things. We can do them here. I will support my bond. He's got health issues and can take care of the sparkling but I am strong and I can work," a big burly mech said. Then all the others spoke at once nodding and asserting themselves that they too would be useful.

Prowl grinned and raised his servo. They all halted and stared at him anxiously. "Here is how this works. You will go with these fine mechs who will take you to the processing center at City Hall. They have agreed to stay with you until you are finished and heading for your homes. You will be asked questions, some personal to help us match families and get clan and tribal information online to prevent taboos and such being broken. Then you can tell them what you can do and more importantly, what you want to do. You get a choice here. Medical will look you over and help plan how to make you fit again. Then you will go to your homes where all the baby things and their beds have been taken already. Did you see the towers coming in?"

They all nodded glancing at each other for a moment.

"Those towers are where we live now. We used to live underground but Optimus Prime had a vision and Primus made it clear that above ground was safe for us now."

The room was as quiet as a tomb. They looked at Prowl and nodded. "This is a Primus-blessed endeavor then," another big mech said. His etchings indicated that he was very religious.

Prowl nodded. "It is. You are now part of it. You can take time to get used to this place, learn it and go about to see everything. We have museums, businesses where you can get the things you need in the communal economy, places for infants to play. What you need you can obtain in the business side of our life here. There will be a Community Bulletin Board in your new home that will explain literally everything. There is also a link to send your questions so they can be answered. You can also go to school. If you never have and need to learn how to read and write, there are adult education classes for you to catch up. Half the city has or is involved in them. There is no shame in that.

The shame was in the fact that you couldn't ever go.

"The professions have guilds and unions representing their interests with representatives on the council that runs this city. You have a voice through them on what happens here. Use it. Your babies go to school. There are no exceptions even if they have health or learning problems. We care for and educate everyone. If they are young, you can stay home with them until they are older. That happens because its good for everyone in the long run but if you are fit, choose work you want to do and do it. The schools and our daycare system will take care of infants while you work if your schedules don't allow one of you to be home. It is an excellent system. We have all our family's infants in the system and they are excelling under the spectacular skill of our teachers. The younglings who helped with your babies are going to be teachers soon. I will personally attest to their loving care and expertise." The six aides beamed under the compliment.

"Sparklings go to the Sparkling Day School and older ones to the Youngling schools. Your guides will help you," he said nodding to the kids standing nearby. They grinned. "If you go with them, they will help you."

They looked at the kids, then Prowl. One of the mechs came to him and held out his servo. "We owe you. If you need anything, call on me. I am obliged by my family honor to answer. It may be anything at all. I will come."

Several more nodded and they stepped forward to shake Prowl's servo. When the trine stepped forward, Prowl nodded. "We didn't name any of them. I called this one 'baby'. I kept him with me most of the day because he was so new. What is his name?"

They looked at Prowl, then the infant looking up at his ada with unblinking optics. "His name is Prima.

Prowl nodded. "A beautiful name. Are you religious?"

"We are," the mech said.

"Then you might want to know that the Temple has been restored here. The Well, the Flame and the AllSpark are in the Temple Restored near Metroplex."

They looked at Prowl with disbelief, then tears came. "This is a miracle," one of the mechs said.

"That is the name of our son," Prowl said with a chuckle. "And I have to agree. This is a miracle wrought by hard work by all our people and Prime's vision. You are most welcome here."

They bowed their helms in gratitude, then turned filtering out with the aides. When everyone was gone, Prowl vented a soft sigh. "I may have to stuff Spirit's teddy bear in my hold for a while," he said with a slight smirk to no one in particular. Then he turned and headed back to Ops Center and his part of the recovery.

-0-Later that evening

The trine stood by the window of their new apartment. The view was astonishing. The quarry that formed the basis of the development design was before them, groomed, filled with places for mechs to sit and children to play. It had night lights which pooled here and there all the way around the vast indentation. There were steps that went down from every tower, wide and broad. The towers themselves were astonishing. They ringed the vast crater, at least thirty or more by their count and all of them had inhabitants, the lights of many apartments already shining in the darkness. Some of the windows had colorful lights that added beautiful changing arrays of color to the beauty of the view.

They had been through the intake, found they had jobs waiting for two of them, given their information against the future hope of reuniting with their still missing family and headed to their homes which they were told had been personally chosen and inspected by SIC Prowl. It had been almost too much to consider as they walked into the spectacular lobby heading for the elevators that lined one wall.

Others were there and they nodded, some of them introducing themselves. They were ecstatic that the refugees had been rescued and told them so. Two of them offered to be guides that next day and they agreed, thus beginning a life long friendship between families.

The apartment had been beyond their experience. They were hardworking mechs from Slaughter City living on the fly on the run and never having anything of note. Now they had a large apartment, three berth rooms including their own trine sized and a view that only high castes could manage in the old life. It was brand new, sparkling and complete. The unknown luxury of a personal wash rack and a kitchen with energon dispensers was numbing. That it was Class A energon their guide had said was extraordinary. Whatever was available was their lot in the past and no one in the trine had ever had anything like it. Class C was the best anyone could remember in their life.

They had seen the baby's room which was already set up apparently under the personal direction of Prowl. There was a crib with things already for Prima. There was a dresser filled with blankets and towels and a closet that had a shelf for toys that Prowl had placed himself. The creation of this room had been made over two orns so that when they arrived the transition for their son was smooth and gentle.

"This place is a miracle."

"Prowl said his son's name is miracle."

"They have a Prime sparkling. I've never heard of a Prime sparkling before."

"There has never been one before. Primus loves this place. We are so lucky. We have to work hard."

They all nodded. "We will."

They would stare out the window, then move around their new home placing Prima into his crib before settling down to enjoy the first good grade of energon any of them ever had before. They would do so in the living room watching The Hourly News. They would see themselves land at the air field and fly up to the Residence of the Prime. It would be and stay surreal for a long, long time.

-0-At City Hall

They stood in line together, two femme younglings who had been rescued with the hostages. They were small, one a Seeker and the other a grounder. They were young, silent and alone. All around them were adults, most of them big and all of them in the same boat. They had been part of the group taken by Overlord and now they had to become yet again citizens of a colony that would hopefully last longer than the others. This one was mighty and powerful, the genius of the Prime and the hardwork of their people infusing it. This one had potential.

A voice called to them and they glanced back, moving forward. A femme with a nice smile stood at the doorway. "Hi. I'm Blondi. I'm here to guide you to an interviewer who will help you. All you have to do is answer the questions as best you can and then we can get you settled. Any questions so far?" They shook their helms no. "Are you two together?"

"We are now," the taller of the two said. The other one, a shy little thing nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Then come with me," she said holding the half door open. They stepped inside where numerous stations were set up with city personnel interviewing refugees. They walked to one and sat on the chairs, Blondi patting them. "Ruba will help you." She turned and walked back to the door.

Ruba was a big mech who looked like a construction worker but was actually a data strategist for the city administration. He managed all of the raw data that came into the city every day pertaining to non-military information and was part of the intake process when refugees came. He looked at them and nodded. "Hi. What are your names?" he asked pulling up at screen to begin.

The little femmes looked at each other, then him. "My name is Aurora. This is Inspiration."

"You can call me Inspire. My family did," she said nodding.

-0-TBC

2012

The two little femmes are the creations of Kaekokat. :D :D


	113. Chapter 113

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 34

-0-Fort Apache, out there, a short time later

They stood around the table where Prime sat with Blackjack and Alor. That pair were the field commanders of the base and would be the ones who would direct rescues on the trail from here. It was decided that all things being equal, they would make their interventions for migration waves at this point. They were dug in, reinforced and ready to roll. The bridges would be supported by a show of force that even Overlord couldn't withstand.

It was all kinds of win.

"They are all here, sir," Prowl said on the monitor overhead. "We are processing them now. The reports of their condition overall are pending. I hope to have them at the wrap up meeting tomorrow. Or in a few joors whichever comes first," he said with the ghost of a smile.

"What about the sparklings, Prowl?" Ratchet asked.

"Their genitors came and took them," Prowl replied. "The little families are being taken through the process by the aides we had helping here with the babies. Some of them mentioned medical conditions that might prevent employment right away. I mentioned alternatives for rest and recuperation saying Medical would take care of that problem."

Ratchet nodded. "I will check them myself personally when I get back."

"Good," Prowl said nodding.

"How are you doing?" Ratchet asked sympathetically. "You do understand that you are six short."

Prowl smirked. "Temporary set back," he said his optics flickering toward Optimus. That worthy snorted and grinned.

"I think it's going to be pretty quiet around the house," Optimus said. "And not in a good way."

Prowl nodded. "I know."

They continued to discuss the situation, then Prowl signed off. Optimus rose and stretched. "I think a transfer of command to you, Blackjack is in order."

Blackjack rose and nodded. "Command accepted," he said formally. "You should go back and see to the city. We have it in servo."

They nodded and the senior staff along with the loaner soldiers for the mission moved to go. Ironhide hugged his parents, Ratchet sassed both of them, then they turned and walked onward to Omega who had come back to get them.

"That Ratchet is filled with devilry," Blackjack said with a smirk. "I always liked that about him."

"He's a perfect match for our son," Alor said glancing at his bond. "Both of them need a time out."

Blackjack snorted, then laughed aloud. "Truer words never spoken, Only One."

-0-On the other side

They flashed through the vortex which closed behind them. Other ships had gone through first, Omega conceding them pride of place. They came through themselves, dropped to the surface of Mars and landed. A stroll down the ramp led to the ground and all of the humans watching with rapt attention on the shipping crates nearby.

:That must be Prime: Mellar said looking at the regal figure of the biggest bot in the senior group walking toward them and the Fortress.

:You can't even speculate: Epps said glancing at Mellar sharply. :We are law and our word is final. We can boot you out without a reason. You do remember that don't you?:

Mellar looked at him quickly. :I know. I don't intend to do anything about it. I would just say if it was anyone, it was him. He looks like a king:

:Optimus Prime is the last figure I would consider a king and take that from someone who knows: Niall Graham said looking at the stuttering American filmmaker. :Optimus Prime is something you will never really find on Earth in positions of great leadership. He's a genuinely good, genuinely compassionate, honorable and decent spark:

The giants neared and began to pass, nodding to them as they did. The humans hailed Ratchet and he paused kneeling down ignoring the cameras that were filming. :What's up, lilliputs?:

Snickers met that, then Lennox stepped closer. :What happened out there? I heard you had a problem:

:We took care of it. Someone was menacing the migration trail and we settled their hash as you humans say: Ratchet grinned. :I doubt they will do it twice:

:Was there a battle?: Leonora Huttle asked, her sweet pretty face peering up at Ratchet.

He had come to like her a lot. She had a delicate touch in her interviews and a respect that all of them could sense. He grinned. :There was but a short one:

:Who was the target? Besides you anyway: Epps asked.

:A really bad mech with a hunter-killer group. His name was Overlord: Ratchet said after comming Prime quickly. :He liked to kill for entertainment. He wanted his way and we couldn't allow either that or his presence anywhere near to us. So we removed him:

:Did you catch him, Ratchet? Or did you have to battle to the end?: Leonora asked.

Ratchet looked at her and grinned. :He's been dispatched by someone else who had a bigger beef with him than we did. We didn't have to lift a digit:

:Who was that other?: she asked. The soldiers looked at Ratchet as he paused to ask permission. Then they looked at Ratchet with surprise as he answered. :Soundwave:

:Oh crap: Epps said. :That freak? He's around?:

:He is around but he knows better than to frag with us. We already showed him a couple of times the error of that kind of thinking. He wants to work together. Kumbaya and all that: Ratchet said with a smirk. :Fat chance as your kind says:

:Soundwave. I heard he was on Cybertron. Did he bridge here?: Lennox asked.

:Maybe: Ratchet answered. He grinned. :He knows better than to frag with Prime. He is aware of our strength. That is, the part we tell him about:

:I want to be there when you slag him, Ratchet: Lennox said with a firm resolve.

:I do too: Ratchet said rising to stand and grin down at them. :Got a debrief. Have a great evening:

The humans wished him the same and filmed him as he walked onward to the Fortress. They then turned and watched as the giants transformed walking to the hillock nearby to sit and chat. The busy air field was only bested by the busy city as they took in a couple of thousand more citizens. It was a truly awesome sight.

-0-Inside the Fortress, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They looked over the intell and the data that was already known. Prowl looked at Prime. "We confirm that Soundwave used bridges. Residue was located nearby when we sent Seekers out to scan for it. He took Overlord to Cybertron and that part at least is true."

Prime nodded. "I would imagine he has that bot in stasis or parted out into punitive detention."

"They did excel at taking out spark chambers for energetic suspension detention and either shellacking the protoforms or stockpiling them for re-use later on," Ratchet said with disgust. "They can put him back together it they want if they kept his protoform."

"That's fragged," Blaster said. "I would rather be dead than in limbo."

"You and me both," Prime said nodding. "The refugees?"

"They're being taken care of," Prowl said handing him a datapad. He read it as Ratchet looked over his shoulder. It wasn't too bad, health wise. There would be a lot of small things scheduled but nothing big. That was a relief in and of itself. "It looks manageable. Anyone have anything that needs to be mentioned now?"

Starscream nodded. "I am aware of a youngling Seeker femme who was in this migration, a possible orphan. I would like to be apprised of her condition and circumstances as per our cultural and native interests."

Prime nodded and glanced at Ratchet. "I suppose that falls to you?"

Ratchet nodded. "I'll go see what's what and then look in on the babies. When that's up to speed, I'll clock out."

"We all should," Prime said nodding. "Well done, all of you. I am proud of this effort as I have been of all of them. We are an amazing team."

Everyone nodded, smiling, sassing, then turned to walk home if they were not already on duty. Soon the night shift were the only ones there. At least two of them shifted back to their video games as they sat watching endless waves of data flash through their monitors on their way to Teletraan III.

-0-With Ruba at City Hall Refugee Intake Station 4

"Okay, Inspire. Tell me your age, your family, any clan or tribal details that you might have or remember and what city-state you were from. If you don't know that or were born off Cybertron, tell me that of your genitors."

Inspire glanced at Aurora and then Ruba. "Well, I don't know much. I wasn't separated on Cybertron. My genitors are gone. They were overworked and one orn didn't come back," she said pausing for a moment. "I think their city-state was in the north, near Vos. Which one, I don't know for sure."

Ruba nodded sympathetically. "Tell me what you do know. We have a lot of luck matching families and friends together. It could be that we can retrieve someone for you some orn."

She nodded. "I worked as a barmaid at the colony I was at before leaving with a refugee ship. I didn't like it but I was good at it."

"Have you ever had schooling?" Ruba asked as he ticked boxes off his intake form with each of her revelations.

"No. Nothing more than my family could give me," she said quietly. She was small and petite even for a femmeling. Her age would be hard for anyone who saw her to formulate from her size. Many of the mech and femme children from the migration trail were smaller than they would eventually become after getting proper care here.

"That can be fixed," Ruba said cheerfully. "All younglings up to sub-adult go to school. After that, they can work, go to tech programs or University. It's their choice then. Neither of you look sub-adult to me and living a life as one doesn't count. It didn't on Cybertron mostly and it doesn't here. Prime rule."

They looked at him, then each other. All of it was new to them and overwhelming. They turned to Ruba and sat waiting.

"You have skills as a barmaid. What else can you do?" he asked gently.

"I can sing. I also can dance. My family considered both important," she said.

Ruba nodded. "I know your tribe now." He checked off that box. "Most of it was classical, right? Some of it for entertainment, but mostly classical."

"I think so," Inspiration said nodding.

"Good. What about you, youngling?" Ruba asked.

"I am Aurora. My creators are maybe alive but I don't know where. My creator was a doctor in a settlement and I learned a lot from that experience. I can do medicine. I'm sorta good at it they tell me," she said uncertainly. Right now, nothing seemed certain to her. "I don't know my clan or my genitor's city-states. There was a bit of a problem there and no one spoke of it. I wish I knew. Maybe ..." She thought hard. "I might remember eventually. Right now, I'm tired."

Ruba nodded. "You will be processed and until you get a thorough screening for your age and legal standing you will be living in a barracks designed for unaccompanied younglings with indeterminate status. I'll make sure you understand that. There will be a caseworker assigned to you to represent your rights and help you through this process. You don't have to worry about anything. You will be taken care of."

They nodded. Both of them felt oddly detached as all around them the whirl of return continued. Aurora, a small purple and cobalt blue femme watched other refugees as she sorted through the turmoil running through her spark. She glanced at Inspire, her golden optics filled with anxiety.

Inspire sat quietly, even docilely as Ruba discussed their information with Blondi. She was a small delicate femme with a chocolate brown-turquoise paint scheme. Her orange optics, a rare coloration missed nothing as she sat uneasily on her chair. Blondi nodded and looked at the pair. "You are a rarity here. There aren't many femmes so we treasure the ones we have. I know. I'm one of them," she said with a huge grin.

The girls grinned back, their anxiety easing a bit.

"You will go with a caseworker that is coming to get you. There is a tower nearby where an entire floor is dedicated to younglings like you, all of which are legally considered orphans until its determined otherwise. Part of your status concerns your age. Underage younglings are not allowed to live alone without custodial supervision. That is part of the problem here with you two. We don't really know how old you are. If its determined you are sub adult and therefore at the age of consent, you will be given emancipation through a court procedure that only requires a medical confirmation, an evaluation by a therapist that you can manage on your own and your signature. Until then, you are wards of the state and we have the privilege and duty to protect and care for you. Any questions?"

They looked at her and shrugged. Glancing at each other, they looked back at the two. "If that is the law, I don't know what we can do. I have been taking care of myself a long time," Aurora said. Inspire nodded.

"We know. Now let us take care of you for a while," Blondi said as a goodnatured looking bot appeared behind her. "This is Jericho. He's going to be your case worker. Go with him, younglings. He will settle you in and work out the time line for your emancipation hearings if its determined you are sub adult or your placement if you aren't."

The two glanced at him and rose, nodding to Ruba and Blondi. Blondi hugged them. "Don't worry. You will never be more safe and wanted," she said.

The two nodded and followed Jericho. They watched them go and glanced at each other. "Frag Megatron," Blondi said with feeling.

"I hear ya," Ruba said turning and nodding to a new applicant. A pair with two younglings moved forward and sat on the chairs holding their infants on their laps. "Hi. I'm Ruba. What I need from you is this," he said as he again began to outline the path for their citizenship once again.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)

Aurora and inspire/Inspiration are the creations and property of reader, Kaekokat. :D :D :D


	114. Chapter 114

NOTE: BWAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I actually forgot to post this tonight. :D:D:D I will post it now, two hours later than I though I already had. Going to beddy by now. :D:D:D

-0-Now, let's get this party started

The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 35

-0-On the way to the Tower District

Ratchet ambled along in the early evening, dusk settling as city lights came on. Looking upward at the towers, he saw that the 'virus' of colored Christmas Surprise lights was spreading. A 'Cybertronian' interest story on The Hourly News followed up by a segment on 'Good Morning, Autobot City' had made that revelation something really desired by more bots than he thought possible. It added to the beauty of the city and the general warmth and invitation this place held. The refugees could not be made more comfortable he thought as he reached the tower where Prowl had placed the infants and their families.

Entering, the night lighting was soft and the lobby was empty. A short ride to the fifteenth floor brought him to four of the six little families. Walking to door 18, he rapped on it. It was opened by a mech who stared at him with surprise. "Yes?" he asked.

"Hi. I'm Ratchet, CMO for the Armed Services and this planet. I'm here to look in on you and the infant."

The mech stepped aside and let Ratchet in. The infant in question was lying in his genitor's arms as he rocked to recharge by the window in a chair designed for that. Ratchet grinned. "Hi. How are all of you doing? I know this is a bit of a shift for you to absorb in one orn."

They both glanced at each other and nodded. "It is."

Ratchet chuckled. "Well, welcome to the city. You can find most of what you need to know on the Community Bulletin Board on the monitor. There are also programs going all the time, some from the planet over with our human allies, others that are our own plus the news every hour. Do you get all the perks of this apartment?"

They both nodded. "I am astonished. I have never lived in an apartment this good. Most of my life I lived in a barracks or on the street," one of the two said. His name was Rooney, his bond, Stover and their infant, Testla. They looked like the kind of mechs you would pass by without a glance. Battered paint schemes, servos that bore marks of hard labor and the sort of solidity of understanding about 'place' that those without hope for better sometimes bore with great dignity. Ratchet scanned them, then grinned. "You're in pretty good shape. Of course, Testla is aces. I took care of him myself."

"Thank you for that," Stover said as tears welled up. "We were ready to die when they took him. He's all we got besides each other."

"So were we when we saw them thrown into vacuum, all six of these little pearls. We didn't know what they were at first but when it was clear, all the ships were ready to empty out to get them. Starscream reached them with his Seekers. It was madness I tell you," Ratchet said with anger in his voice.

"I can't imagine it but when Prime said they were alright it was like being reborn," Rooney said nodding.

"I know," Ratchet said. "I have sparklings of my own and grandsparklings. All the genitors as well wanted Overlord's spark. I am under the belief that Soundwave has it on a shelf in his office," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Good," Stover said in complete agreement.

"I think you are all well. I am in the Board listings under Medical-Ratchet. Call me about anything. I can show you or tell you or point you to anything you need. It beats working."

They grinned and chuckled as Ratchet arose. "Thank you, Ratchet. I am so happy we're here. We knew Prime was regrouping but a city? A real Cybertronian city?"

"I know," Ratchet said nodding. "There are programs on the Board in the archives that will show you how the city grew. You might want to see them. Take your time about getting work and go sightseeing. Go and enjoy yourself in the restaurants and get things for your house and infant that you want. Get things for yourself. Be happy here. The AllSpark rates a stop and so does the Flame and the Well. You can also go to any of the detailing shops and get your armor refinished and painted to a high shine, as high as you want. I would recommend it. It will lift your spirits tremendously."

They looked at Ratchet a moment, then nodded. "Thank you," they said as he turned leaving with a grin. The door closed and they looked at each other. "I think I'm going to like it here, Stover."

Stover grinned and nodded back. "You would be mad not to."

They laughed together for the first time in orns. It felt wonderful.

-0-Stop 2

He entered and grinned, the tiniest little refugee sitting in the tub being held up by his ada's servo. "Hi, baby. Remember me? Uncle Ratchet?" he asked as the tiny infant smiled at him. "You do. Awesome."

The infant's genitors, all three of them looked at Ratchet with emotional optics. "Thank you for looking after Prima. We were so desperate."

"All of us were even on this side. We started to plan your return two seconds before we figured out what Overlord was doing, it was that important to all of us," Ratchet said pulling a device. He scanned both of them. "You all need to go to the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital in Metroplex to have some work done. I can't allow you to work until you do. You are rundown and need a tune up of your systems. You also show some old untreated abuse."

They nodded. "That's where? In Metroplex somewhere?"

Ratchet walked to the monitor turning it on. The Community Bulletin Board was always the screen that came on first. He explained it and the other entertainment features as he screened through. The city map was shown and he located the hospital which was nearby, part of the Administration complex of the big bot.

"This is The Hourly News which will show you things that happen in the city every hour all orn long. There are local, alien and mixed programming in conjunction with the planet one over from us. They're our allies and you'll see them buzzing around the city on segways. You were told about proximity sensors, yes?"

They all nodded.

"Good. They're good allies but organic and squishy," he said with a grin. "Take your time before getting work and learn the city, its offerings and set up your home to be comfy. Try and relax, see things, ask about things. We take care of everyone here. Get cookies and go to the park. We have a holiday coming that the humans shared with us called Christmas Surprise. You can find it here," Ratchet said going back to the Board and showing the links under that listing which were growing almost ornly. "The lights and decorations are human inspired and the whole thing is fun especially for children." He turned and looked at the trio. "What exactly were your professions before?"

One of the atars, a big mech called Outlaw glanced at his bonds. Then he looked at Ratchet. "We were missionaries." The other atar, a smart looking but slender mech named Hobo looked at Ratchet with anxious optics.

Ratchet blinked. "That is outstanding. You need to go to the Temple to see Chevron and the other priests. We have four acolytes there as well. They will all be glad to see you and know that some survived. The Allspark, Flame and Well are there too. They were restored during the Festival of Primus we just had a while back, the first one in eons with the Prime consulting the Matrix."

They nodded. "Levee, Hobo and I will go there with Prima. We can put his stones in the garden."

"Good," Ratchet said. "I will comm Chevron and let him know you are here."

Outlaw nodded and bowed his helm in the old fashioned Cybertonian way. "Thank you for all you have done. There are no words to express our gratitude."

"None are needed," Ratchet said. "You might want to know that a member of the pacifist Mountain Seeker clan from Vos is here with his family. His name is Breezy and he would be happy to meet you. He's a pharmacist at the drug store in the Mall at Metroplex. His clan participated with the Missionaries too."

"We will see him tomorrow, Ratchet. Thank you for all you have done," Outlaw said bowing his helm again in the humble way of his sect. The others did too.

"No," Ratchet said placing a servo gently on his shoulder. "Thank you for all you did and tried to do. I am glad to have you here at last. You are part of the best of our struggle and to have your voice here to tell it to others matters a lot to me. I for one only believe this war will end with diplomacy. Call me contrary but I believe in reasonable agreements too."

They bid each other goodnight and Ratchet left walking to the elevator for the ride down. He considered the three, practitioners of a pacifist group that he thought had been wiped out. They were mechs he could relate to. Anyone who hated war could as well, especially the chief diplomat and doctor of a great army who loathed it with the fire of a thousand suns.

During the run up to war groups that had espoused peace began to come together to make serious civil disobedience everywhere. Two of them emerged supreme that encompassed the opposition at both ends of the spectrum of thought. One of them was called The Neutrals who hated war and didn't want to see Cybertron torn apart for any number of reasons including commercial enterprise disruptions and caste concerns were a big group. Their obstinacy was less based on the idea of commity than it was on the idea of commerce and the continuation of the status quo. They would only later diverge into the pro-caste side which wanted things to be the way they were with peace included and the bigger faction, those that wanted nothing to do with the system, war and eventually Cybertron because war sucked and Cybertron was to be feared lost forever if they went down that road.

The other group was called The Primus Peace Mission, the 'Missionaries'. They were a mix of all manner of mechs including some whose few surviving members would join the Circle of Light and help revive the Knights of Cybertron. This group had religious, non-religious but zealous for peace, intelligensia, youth with ideals or members from pacifist clans including remote fabled Seeker types among their numbers. They gathered together because they felt war was an affront to Cybertron, Primus and The One and tried to stop it with peaceful efforts including trying to influence public opinion.

Instead of leaving like nearly all the main Neutral groups and their offshoot branches did, they stayed and tried to foment peace through non-violent means. They were from all castes, all professions, all manner of points of view but they felt strongly enough for Cybertron and their people to use their bodies and personal courage to end the war.

They were of course slaughtered in great numbers. It seemed that they fell like wheat stalks before a scythe. They were at first not clearly understood or appreciated, then they were admired and reverenced. They were the lambs before the slaughter, the face of goodness against the dark night of evil, anyone's child, father, aunt, neighbor. The priests supported and joined them, many dying themselves. Ratchet had never expected to see any again. It was affirming to him in a way he couldn't articulate to know that members of The Primus Peace Mission had survived and now lived here.

It was awesome. It was affirming. It made him want to cry.

When he reached the bottom, he walked out into the night air. The lights were bright everywhere and he had a springier step to his ped as he headed out to see the remaining four little families.

-0-In another tower

They walked to the elevator and took it upward fourteen floors. They got off and walked into a specially designed domain that had been built to meet a specific need. The elevator opened into a big space filled with chairs and couches, a communal entertainment center and nearby the huge windows, a kitchen with dining area. Around the big space were doors that would reveal themselves to be separate contained berthrooms for anyone staying here. Sitting at the table eating, three other younglings about their age looked their way, a friendly looking adult mech sitting with them. He looked up and waved. "Hi. We were expecting you."

Jericho smiled back and waved. "Good. I have two nice little femmes for you, Torus."

Torus who himself was a big red bot with white highlights on his face nodded. "Just in time to eat. Join us, Jericho and we can get our new guests settled in."

They walked to the table and sat as Torus rustled up food from the counter where it was resting in large trays. He handed filled plates to the two femmes and large mugs of energon. He sat and smiled. "This is Class A energon, sparklings. It is designed to kick start your systems. The shapes of the food were created by our colony's greatest chef, Rampage. He was a Predacon before coming here and now he cooks for all of us. He has taken on creating all the food and drinks that you will eat when you live here in this sheltered space. He supplies food and treats. The treats will be on the counter and you can have all you want all orn long."

The two femmes looked at him and nodded staring at the exotic food on their plates. They didn't know it was shaped like steak, baked potatoes and carrots, the vivid colors of the human food equally represented. They just knew it tasted **AWESOME** when they finally took a bite. They dug in and had at it.

"This is Inspiration who goes by Inspire. That is Aurora. They are of indeterminate age and therefore are our guests until we can figure out what they need and how they meet the law for emancipation as required," he told Jericho more for the femmes' sake than the night time shelter manager's. He nodded anyway.

Three other 'guests' sat at the table eating looking from the two femmes to Jericho and back. They were Highrise, Two-Bits and Rapture, three mechs who looked seriously underage. Torus grinned. "These little younglings came in on the migration too. Their genitors are in the hospital so they're staying with us for the duration. When their genitors are well, they will go home. You little femmes are welcome here. We are happy to have you. This is your home for now. You will stay here when you aren't out and about with a chaperone. We are seriously concerned about the well being of our younglings and the care and protection of you is first and foremost our job. That is why I stay here overnight and during the day three others come. One is a tutor who will help assess your education. Two others are here to help you see the city, go to appointments that are part of the process and care for you."

The two girls nodded. "Okay," Inspire said meekly.

"We can go out and look around?" Aurora asked.

"You can," Torus said. "Not tonight. The windows are good enough for you to see out but its curfew for you now. When you get done you can go pick out a room that will be yours until you get settled into a permanent situation."

They nodded and continued eating. Then the door opened and Ratchet walked inside.

-0-In the bosom of love

Ironhide sneaked in hugging Ravel and Tie Down. They shared whispers about each others day, then the two elders slipped out for home next door. Ironhide crept into the berthrooms checking on the younglings. He had to unwind Orion from his blankets and replace dollies for Praxus. Sunspot was sleeping like a log so he crept back out and turned on the monitor at the lowest setting, dialing up his own audials to make up for it. Sitting in his chair, he relaxed. Ratchet would be home soon and they would eat the leftover 'chinese' for dinner while catching up on the gossip aka The Hourly News.

-0-At the Youngling House

Ratchet paused by the table noting the five younglings who stared up at him. "Hi, Torus, Jericho. Looks like a full house tonight."

"We have new younglings," Torus replied with a smile. "These three have genitors in the hospital and these two came in alone."

"I see," Ratchet said accessing data. He looked at the three younglings. "Your genitors are going to recover a few orns in the hospital. I'll go see them myself in the morning and send an update to the day crew. Don't worry, younglings. Their hurts are easy fixes."

They looked relieved and nodded. Ratchet looked at the femmes who looked back at him silently. "I see the problem in figuring out age. They are petite femmes."

Jericho nodded. "We will need a complete diagnostic and physical tomorrow, Ratchet."

"I'll have Gypsy and Cleeri do that. They're the youngling experts. As for the rest, I will see what I can do," Ratchet said. "Dinner looks good. You're lucky, younglings. The best chef in the city takes care of you. I might run away from home and join you."

They grinned and Torus chuckled. "You want to stay and eat?"

"I can't. Ironhide has some leftover 'chinese'. He's rather fond of it and wants me to try some. He hates to eat alone, the big baby," Ratchet said with a grin.

"The biggest kind of all," Jericho said glancing at the younglings. "He's 25 feet tall and Master of the Armed Forces."

The little mechs looked at him with big optics, then Ratchet. "Can he come here?" one of them, a little mech named Rapture asked.

"I'll tell him. He's a softie when it comes to sparklings," Ratchet said.

"Can we get an Autobrand? Everyone we see has one including the younglings and sparklings," Two-Bits asked.

"My youngling paints them for every infant in the city. I'll ask Sunstreaker," Ratchet said nodding. "So, are you going to be alright or is there anything you need?"

"We're good. You scanned the newbies?" Jericho asked grinning at the femmes.

Ratchet did and nodded. "Not too bad. Sort of undernourished and over worked but nothing a plan won't fix. I'll let you go and come back tomorrow. You younglings eat a lot. That's an order." Ratchet grinned and they grinned back. Turning with a nod, he walked to the door and left.

They sat eating, then Torus began to collect the dishes. "Come on, femmes. Let's choose a berthroom," Jericho said as he rose from the table. They did too and accomplished the deed. They then spent the next few hours at the windows in the living room watching the lights and the flights from the air field come and go with the little mechs.

-0-In the bosom of love

He slipped in and kissed Ironhide. Filling two plates with 'chinese' dishes and two mugs with the proper brand of 'tea', he walked to Ironhide and handed him a plate. Sitting the mugs down, he sprawled in a chair.

"How was it?" Ironhide asked taking a large bite of 'chicken fried rice'.

"Not bad. Two new femme orphans of indeterminate age came in with this group. Three youngling mechs are in the refuge while their genitors are in the hospital and they want to see a chaos bringer and have Autobrands. Then I found a trine who were missionaries on Cybertron. The littlest mechling, that is who he belongs to."

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "Really? I'm surprised any of them are still alive."

"Me too," Ratchet said. "It's a slagging miracle," he said softly as they sat together eating, The Hourly News filling them in on the goings-on of the largest Cybertronian city still in existence.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) I have written and rewritten this so much my head is spinning. I think its important to mention those that were against the war since this sort of action is mentioned in canon. The two femmes are created and owned by Kaekokat. :D:D There was something else but I forget. :D:D:D Good night, my dears all over this world. :D :D :D :D


	115. Chapter 115

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 1

-0-That night around town

She stood braced against the couch, her tiny servos clutching tightly. She wobbled a bit but was determined not to fall down.

Again.

Sitting in front of her watching with a gigantic smile, Uraya patted her sister. Iacon's tiny wings fluttered gently, stiffening as she swayed, relaxing as she caught herself.

Sideswipe who sat nearby with his camera filmed her as she stood, something that was relatively new behavior. Uraya was still crawling like her sister but had fallen on a tile floor bumping her helm. She was afraid to stand remembering that so it was up to Iacon to lead the way.

Again.

Kaon was standing at the window patting it, singing to the darkness and twinkling lights beyond its cool surface. He patted it, pausing to look at the traffic below before beginning his song again.

Bluestreak and Sunstreaker was indisposed, retiring together to the berth room early. The day had been tense and difficult. Sideswipe would put the infants down later but for now he enjoyed their sweetness. The girls laughed, a sound that was soft and gentle. He loved it. He tickled them sometimes, watching them with admiration as they smiled and wiggled, looking at him with complete trust.

Trust wasn't something that he and Sunny gave to many. In fact, you could count on one servo the number of individuals that they felt they could include that closely into their usually hermetically sealed duet.

Splice was one.

Sideswipe had jumped on the big mech when he saw Splice come down the ramp and Splice had spun him as he hugged Sideswipe back. He was a ghost from their past, someone never expected again. He had been taken to the debrief by Sunstreaker with the promise to come by the next day. They had secured him a good apartment on a floor of the bachelor mech and femme tower where other bachelor Knight and Circle members lived. Tomorrow was going to be slagging awesome he thought. Tomorrow, Splice would meet their daughters and son. He would also meet Bluestreak.

Iacon tweeted and laughed drawing Sideswipe's attention. He would film it and they would enjoy it as a family.

Tomorrow.

-0-In a crib

It was dark and he wasn't sleepy. Not yet anyway. They had put him to bed as usual. He lay down and off lined his optics listening to their sweet words of praise and wishes for a good recharge. He listened to them as they went about their business, then finally things were still.

The genitors were in bed.

He hoped.

Sitting up, Orion looked around. His room was the shit as some on Earth would say. Or his two oldest brothers who hung out with human soldiers a bit too much used more often than Bluestreak's sense of Prowl-type propriety considered decent. He had a view of the air field, his toys were in a box nearby and his dollies were at optic level to him on a little table in the corner. He could have any toy or dollie he needed at any time of the orn when he was home. It was all a smart feisty little bot with a big imagination could want.

He stood up and calculated the fall to the floor. Then he paused and looked down in his bed. He bent to grip his pillow and pulled it up laboriously. It took two attempts to push it over the bars but at last it fell to the floor. He looked down at it and grinned. Then he laboriously lifted his little leg and hooked his ped. Pulling up, he fell over the edge and landed.

Right next to his pillow.

-0-In an apartment in the bachelor's tower

"So when do you want to do the deed?"

"I don't know. What about you?"

"I don't know."

Springer looked at the big bot stretched out on the couch across from him. The 'Thing' hung in the air between them. "Do you still want to do this? You don't have to. I like our life as it is."

Drift nodded. "I know. So do I. I also like the exclusivity. I like the permanence. I have fantasies of becoming Ironhide and Ratchet some faraway orn."

Springer snorted and laughed aloud. "That's what I think about when I think of us down the road." He smirked at Drift with amusement.

"As long as we're on the same page," Drift said with a grin. He sipped his 'beer', his optics fixed on his partner. "It is inevitable."

"How so?" Springer asked.

"We almost sparked the other orn," Drift said. "It was a miracle you weren't sparked. If we're going to be as stupid as we are I think being legal is a good idea."

Springer grinned, then chuckled. "There is a cure for that. Ask Sunstreaker."

Drift smirked. "I don't think talking sparking is a good thing with Sunny. He has no sense of humor on a good orn."

"Sunny has humor. He just doesn't trust," Springer said sipping his high grade.

"Trust is the issue isn't it."

Springer nodded. "I trust you."

"I trust you." Drift set his beer down and 'spit' on his servo in imitation of a human he once saw do it. Holding out his servo he waited.

"How unsanitary," Springer said gripping Drift's servo tightly.

"It was only metaphorical," Drift said pulling the big rangy bot toward him. "How's that for literate."

"I'm impressed, but then you know I have no standards," he snarked back as they both laughed. Then they didn't bother with conversation for a while.

-0-In an apartment

"That was lucky that Ratchet knows our past and doesn't hold it against us. I am afraid that others might. Some do. Especially all the other stuff," Levee said. He had put Prima to bed, walking out to sit and chat with his bond mates.

Hobo nodded. "I don't think we should tell anyone about prison," he said nervously.

"We don't have to tell anyone anything, Hobo," Outlaw said as he sat on a chair by the window. "We are here to help our people and regain ourselves in the colony. I think we can spend a few orns just unwinding and then seek work again."

"I don't know what it will feel like not being behind bars, Outlaw," Levee said. "I feel anxious all the time."

"They have services here. We can get help, Levee. We can relax and find work that we like. They say you can choose. This isn't Cybertron and we aren't in the prison system anymore. There are also Knights and Circle mechs and femmes here. They're accepted. Not everyone hates the peace people. It will be nice to be back in commercial design," Outlaw said. "It will be nice to be back doing anything."

They nodded. The night wore on as they talked together quietly, their haunted dreams put off for a few joors.

-0-On the floor. Next to his pillow.

He sat up laboriously. In fact, the whole process was laborious but necessary. Sometimes a mech couldn't sleep so it was their duty to get up and meander around until they could. He got to his peds and walked to the door peering out. The night light in the hallway shown a gentle pool on the floor so he walked to the next room to see if Praxus was awake.

He wasn't.

Turning, walking out to the living room he headed to the windows. Patting their cool smooth surface, he licked them for a while before becoming distracted by the lights. They were off and he wanted them on. Somehow they must come on. He considered that, then walked to the ones at the bottom of the window. Touching them, he waited.

They didn't come on.

Touching them again, he gripped a couple and tugged. They didn't budge. He looked at them expending his attention span of six seconds, then turned to find some other distraction. Walking to the cupboards in the kitchen, he opened the lower ones pulling things out examining them carefully before discarding them on the floor. Fortunately for him, the floor was carpeted.

Pots and pans, this and that came out, were inspected and put down again. When he found Ironhide's munition boxes in the back where they was stashed he smiled. He knew what these were. They were like the ones in the big room full of them where the trains were. He crawled in and grabbed a strap tugging with all his might. It budged a bit. He would continue to tug.

He would pull one of them out.

-0-Polyhex Tower, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

They chatted on the floor, then Iacon tried to stand. She stood in a 'camel' pose as humans sometimes called it. Her backside was in the air, her servos and peds were on the ground. She was stuck trying to figure out what came next. Sideswipe leaned down and gently pulled her up. She stood up, wobbled, then looked up at him smiling gigantically. "Bai." She spoke to him in the universal first word of infants in all planes of existence.

He grinned at her. "Baby."

She stood when he moved his servo away teetering a moment, then she turned slightly to look at him. He had his camera on her as she took three steps, wobbled, then sat down. Sideswipe grinned. "You are slagging perfect, sparkling."

She just grinned up at him.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

He tugged and pulled, grunted and strained. The box was stuck on the door where it was slightly askew and therefore unable to come further. He dropped the strap and looked at his quarry with a severe optic. Leaning down, he patted it. Then he knelt and looked at it closely. Orion considered the problem, then began to apply his highly developed fine motor skills to solving it. He began to try to unlatch the munitions box with his tiny digits.

-0-Vos Tower, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

They cleaned up together, then walked tiredly to the berth room. Ven dropped flat on the berth giving in to his fatigue while Miler washed up.

The habits of a lifetime were hard to give up.

He walked back in and joined his bond. The lights were called down and they relaxed together. "Those sparklings are so wonderful. Sideswipe told me that the girls were trying to walk."

"Blue told me Kaon is talking now. We have to keep a list of their words," Venture replied.

"We will. I'm exhausted," Miler said.

"I am too. Good night, Milie."

"Good night, Ven," Miler said moving to snuggle beside his bond. The night would pass quietly.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

"Ada?"

Silence.

The sound of peds walking around to the other side of a big berth could be heard in the darkness. "Atar?"

A pair of blue optics appeared in the dark and looked around, then down. "Sunspot? What are you doing up, son?"

"I wanted to get a drink. I found Orion in the living room. He has one of your boxes."

Pause. Eruption of two big bots rising toward the ceiling at the same time. Lights come on. A pair of bots hit the door together, get stuck, then a white and red one shoves a big black one backward over the top of a tiny white and yellow Seekerling. Black one lands on the berth and bounces. Red and white one disappears into the darkness.

Big black bot rises and heads for the door exiting into the darkness which becomes light immediately. Black bot and red/white one pause. Standing on the floor next to a cupboard with everything strewn around a tiny black bot with two fists filled with bullets looks up at the genitors.

He smiles.

They don't.

Busted.

-0-In a bachelor apartment

"That wasn't so bad."

"Nope."

Pause.

"How do you feel?"

"Now that I know everything about you that you ever did, thought or said? Pretty good. You are one interesting slagger."

(grin) "You aren't so bad yourself." Pause. "Do you regret this, Springer?"

"No. Do you?" (worried frown)

"No."

"Good." (Grin) "It's too late anyway." Turns helm to look at profile of a handsome white and red mech. "You do know that, right?"

(Snort and grin) "You ask me that now?" Drift asked as he looked at the mech with whom he had just jumped over a cliff. "The bond is made. I thought it would be more … like fireworks or something."

Springer snorted and chuckled. "Are you saying my technique needs a little work?"

Drift looked at Springer, his smokey gaze suggesting nothing of the sort. "Nope."

"Good," Springer said with a smile. "Don't tell Ratchet."

"I won't." Drift grinned. "Don't tell anyone. Slaggers. Let them figure it out."

Springer nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Drift merely grinned.

-0-In the bosom of etc etc op sit

"**WHAT THE FRAG!?"**

"He didn't do anything with them, Ratchet. Sunspot called us to come."

"**WHAT THE SLAGGING FRAG?! IRONHIDE! CART THAT CRAP TO YOUR FRAGGING LOCKER! I TOLD YOU EONS AGO TO DO THAT! WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE STASHED AROUND HERE, YOU TIN PLATED FRAGGER!?"**

Ten minutes later …

"Should we help him, Ada?" Sunspot asked as they sat together on the couch eating 'ice cream'.

"Nope," Ratchet said looking down at Sunspot. Orion had been banished upon pain of permanent exile in a Corner of Doom to his crib. The other two -**PRAISE PRIMUS AND THE ONE!-** hadn't awakened. "Let him get that slag over there. I told him already. No munitions beyond our personal arms in the apartment. All personal arms have to have trigger guards while in the apartment."

Sunspot nodded and grinned. "Atar is funny."

Ratchet grinned. "He is. Don't tell him."

"I won't."

On the way to Mandalay (so to speak) ...

He trudged down the sidewalk toward the Fortress heavily laden with guns, knives and canisters of experimental bullets he was **"GOING TO WORK ON, SLAG IT, RATCHET! IT'S MY SLAGGING JOB!" **

A hearty **"OH THE FRAG YEAH!?"** had cut that argument to ribbons.

He trudged along considering the amount of space he would have to use up in the locker for all his stuff and as he did he counted his blessings that Sunspot had decided to get a drink.

He walked onward staggering under his burden as the night grew darker and the streets began to clear as citizens old and new finally decided to go home. He would eventually. But when he did he would tip toe in, be met at the berth room door with a blanket and spend the night on the couch.

Or as they say in the Ironhide-Ratchet domicile … it would be the ending of another typical orn.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) EDIT: I used the wrong names for the new trine. :D They are Outlaw, Hobo and Levee. BAD ME! (SERVO GETS PATTED!) *SLAM*! Whimper ...


	116. Chapter 116

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 2

-0-That morning around town

"She stood up and walked three steps. Look."

They all paused and waited for the data transfer. Watching the video inside their processors, Bluestreak and Sunstreaker turned to Sideswipe. "That was awesome. I wish you had called us," Bluestreak said with a slight frown.

"You two were fragging. I'm not sure you would have appreciated the interruption," Sideswipe said as he gave Kaon his sippy cup. He smiled and took it. **"ATAR!"**

"Nice word, baby, but you don't have to be as loud as Orion," Sunstreaker said as he sat in a chair next to his son who sat on the table top grinning.

"He does talk loud doesn't he," Blue said nodding. "I have to go teach shooting this morning to the Home Guard. Where are you two going?"

"We're going to show Splice around the city," Sideswipe said as he spooned energon baby food into his daughters. They sat in front of him smiling. As the spoon came over, they opened up like baby birds.

"What does he do?" Blue asked glancing at Sideswipe.

"He's a warrior and a Knight. He was with Dai Atlas last we heard. I am assuming he will be a soldier with us," Sideswipe replied shrugging.

"Hm," Blue said wiping the twin's faces. "Sounds promising."

"No doubt," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

-0-In the Bosom of Lukewarm Regard

"How long are you going to ignore me?"

"Until my point is made."

"For whom?"

"You. The youngling. Everyone. I asked you a dozen times since the sparklings were here to move your slag. What if he had bitten down on a bullet and it went off in his mouth, Ironhide?"

"None of them were at that point. None of them were live rounds yet."

"You're hopeless."

"You look good when you're mad."

A fierce flaming optic met that remark. Ironhide grinned and glanced at Sunspot. "Your old Ada is slagging me good. I suppose you're on his side too."

Sunspot grinned, putting his cup down. He slipped off his chair and moved it closer to Ironhide. Sliding his cup over, he climbed up and sat again. Ironhide grinned and glanced at Ratchet who was sitting across the table shooting him nuclear optics. "Little mech feels my pain."

"I will give you pain to feel," Ratchet said with a slight smirk. He looked at Sunspot who grinned back at him. "You like to sit with the sad sacks do you?"

He nodded. "I do."

They both laughed at that.

-0-Nearby

He took the breakfasts dishes and washed them, putting them on a towel on the counter to air dry. Turning, watching as Tie Down gathered up their schematic designs drawn the night before of a new type of wrench that would solve a problem for the aircraft mechanic who asked for it, Tie Down and Ravel stepped out to walk to work.

-0-At Vos Tower

"The meeting will be a wrap up of the situation. Neither of us have to be there right away. They will call us, Ven, when they need us to be there."

Venture hung up his towel and walked out of the wash rack, his shine its usual impeccable level. He straightened out the berth and walked out taking a cup from Miler. "Then I'll go to the office. I have some things to discuss with Warren Roberts on the mid-morning conference call in Magnus's office that I need to gather up."

Miler nodded as they both sat to watch The Hourly News for a few moments. There would be the news that was known about the rescue for general consumption for now, interviews of mechs including two of the families of the six sparklings and some commentary from soldiers and officers. The big news would be released after the briefing. Everyone would know that Overlord was the culprit and he was out of commission at least for some time to come.

-0-In the Bachelor/Non-Bond Mech Tower

"Get up."

He glanced up with one optic. "Make me."

Drift grinned. "Lazy aft. What sort of example are you providing for the younglings? What will Lon think?"

Springer rolled over and stretched, his big frame popping and clicking with the effort. "So … this is the first orn of the rest of our lives?"

"Apparently." Drift grinned as he stood watching his newest and most personal acquisition lollygag. "Frankly, I thought it would include more pizzazz."

"You and me both," Springer said with a snort. He sat up and rolled his helm, the popping and snapping of tension unwinding resounding.

"You really need to get that oiled," Drift said extending a servo.

Springer snorted and gripped it pulling the big bot down onto the berth. It would be a while before they tried getting vertical once again.

-0-At another tower

"Terri."

"What?"

"Did you see my case file datapad?"

"No, Roto. Did you leave it by the window? I saw a bunch of them over there."

Roto walked from the small office that they shared in the apartment and headed to the window, kneeling to sort through a stack of datapads that contained music, stories, schoolwork, important papers and pictures and his case files of the speech progress of most of the mid range sparklings in the Day School. "It's not here."

Terradive walked from the berth room and cleared his throat, a wholly human appearing and completely unnecessary affectation. Roto turned and rose just in time to catch the datapad that Terradive threw to him. "You left in on the dresser."

"Thanks. What's the schedule today? I'm supposed to come to screen the first five classrooms today and see how the newcomers are speech wise. Do you want to be first or later on?"

"First," Terradive said. "Might as well work the system."

Roto glanced up and grinned. "You did that last night."

Terradive just grinned.

-0-At Aerie Hill

They ran like a flock of birds flying, all of them going in the same direction following Flit as he worked off a bit of his usual happiness. Dart and Pip squealed with delight as they ran through the apartment going through the open doors as they made the circle following him.

Starscream who was sitting on the couch going through the overnight intell paused to watch them each time they passed by. Thundercracker paused as they flashed past, moving at last to sit on a chair by the window. "The natives are restless."

"The natives are extraordinary," Starscream replied with a grin. They came around the corner running swiftly, laughing loudly and disappeared through a door once more.

"Won't get an argument from me," Thundercracker said with a grin.

"Me neither," Sky Warp said as he leaned on a doorjamb mug in servo. The tiny swarm came around again.

-0-In a newbie apartment

"Levee, we are supposed to go to the hospital today. Ratchet ordered it and I have an e-mail here for us to come," Outlaw said peering into the berth room of their infant. Levee was bent over the crib tucking the blankets and making it neat. He stood up with a wince and nodded. "I know."

"I think you need to have the most help," Outlaw said worriedly.

"We all do. I just hate it," Levee said walking to the big mech, then out into the living room. Hobo sat in the rocker by the window watching the city awaken as the sun began to throw long shadows. He held Prima who was wrapped in a fine blanket that Prowl had given them, the finest blanket they had ever seen. It held their infant like a king.

"We all do," Hobo said. He looked at the other two. "It's long overdue. We don't have to speak about it. They have had bots here that have had hard lives, surely."

Outlaw nodded. "But they also might help us." He looked at Levee. "I want you to find some help. We all have to be strong for Prima."

Levee sighed and nodded. He reached for the remote and turned on the monitor, scrolling through the stations until The Hourly News came on. They sat to eat their breakfast, a really good one for once and caught up on the miracle of their new city together.

-0-On the way to the Hospital

Aurora and Inspire walked with their chaperone, a mech named Summit. He was part of the three mechs who would be their day team. Right now, they were heading for the hospital and scheduled tests, medical check ups and interviews that would lead to the discovery of their exact age and the disposition of their status. It would last all day long.

-0-On the way to Ops Center

Jazz and Mirage walked together having dined at Club Cybertron with their set. It had been hilarious, serious and interesting. Among the clientele present were dozens of soldiers, a few new colonists and the usual morose crowd of prisoners. That group sat without comment listening to the talk of Overlord and his downfall. No one chatting around them cared that they heard. The morose group didn't show they cared. Even among Decepticons Overlord was deeply disliked. But it stung.

"Slaggers," Stiletto said shaking his helm.

"Overlord was a fragger. He deserved what he got," Barricade said in a dark tone.

What Scorponok thought he kept to himself.

-0-Outside as they walked onward

Pausing for traffic, the two crossed the street and continued onward bantering about the afternoon and the upcoming football game between Praxus Science and Vos. "I have laid large on Praxus," Mirage said.

"I'm surprised anyone's bettin'. Blur has taken all the sport out of it," Jazz said as they walked to the courtyard of the Fortress.

"That's half the problem with only six teams," Mirage began as they walked into the facility, their conversation lost in the din of the rec room morning crowd.

-0-Way up in the air

"Well, how do you feel?"

"I miss them. I don't miss having extra mechs and femmes around but I miss them." He glanced at Optimus who stood in the doorway watching as Prowl puttered in the now empty sparkling nursery. "I want you to know, Optimus that it is **my** job to care for the family and help you bear your burdens without worries or hindrance, not others."

"And you do," Optimus said with a grin. "Very well I might add."

Prowl grinned slightly pausing to stare at the big mechanism of his dreams. "We were ahead you know."

Optimus's laughter was probably heard on Earth.

-0-At The Science Center

"Are you ready? Prime'll be waiting for us if we take anymore time here, Percy."

"I am almost there, 'Jack." The big elegant red bot read through the remaining data as it presented itself on the screen. "The supposition is supported, Wheeljack," he said as he turned to glance at his bond.

"I think I could have told you that, Perceptor," Wheeljack said as he watched his partner rise and gather his gear for the meeting. "After all, I have been making the best high grade in the Autobot Army since Primus was a pup. That small additive will merely increase the flavor in the lighter ales without detracting from its distinct bouquet."

Perceptor nodding stepped past Wheeljack heading for the door. "I totally agree with you," he said in his cultured voice to Wheeljack's very great delight.

The door closed behind them by itself.

-0-Conference Room, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They chatted together as the military portion of the council gathered, some of them bantering with Blackjack and Alor who were conference calling, their visages filling the monitors overhead. Red Wing and Nitro were already there and they were discussing their infant hatchlings' and/or groundlings' latest accomplishments regarding walking, falling down and getting back up again. Apparently, they were very gifted at doing all three. Pictures were of course offered and great compliments paid in return.

Others drifted in including Drift and Springer who along with Kup raised the amusement level by several planetary diameters. Arcee sat beside Magnus, their helms nearly touching as they discussed something personal together. Jetta and Elita watched them carrying on an amusing conversation of their own between them.

Ratchet and Ironhide entered taking their usual seats, relaxing to wait for the Messiah and his appointment secretary, Granny. "Did you know that Orion nearly shot his helm off last night?" Ratchet said to no one and **EVERYONE** in particular.

The room became still as everyone turned in shock. "What?" was the general response. Ratchet filled them in, then all the optics in the room turned toward Ironhide including a pair on monitors overhead. **"WHAT THE FRAG!?"** was the general response. Including that on the monitors overhead.

Ironhide shot smoldering optics to Ratchet, smoldering but not in a good way. "You putting our business out there for the city to know?"

Ratchet looked at him enjoying his squirming discomfort. "Yep," he said.

"Ironhide."

Ironhide looked up at the monitors caught in the crossfire of two sets of stern expressions and no nonsense optics. He swallowed. He was in short pants metaphorically once more. "Yes?"

"I am going to pat your servo when I get home," Alor said with stern mock indignation.

"I get the rest," Blackjack said equally as sternly. He on the other servo meant it.

Prowl and Optimus entered at this point as the tide of hilarity swept over them like a tsunami. They glanced at each other, then Optimus grinned. "What's going on?" he asked before the second wave overtook both of them.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	117. Chapter 117

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 3

-0-In a dojo at the Cultural Center

He was lounging in a chair when they found him, all 26 feet of lethal mechanism relaxing with familiar faces after a lifetime on the move. Grinning, he looked at them as they approached. "What took you so long?"

"Kids," Sunstreaker said slapping his servo across Splice's outstretched hand. Sideswipe returned the salutation as well as they found chairs, sitting and sprawling as only big, athletically inclined, powerfully configured mechanisms could. "You energize?"

"Yeah," Splice said nodding. "Was that Class A energon or am I dreaming?"

"It was," Sideswipe said. "You're sitting on it. This planet is half Class A and A- energon."

"Frag," Splice said with a grin. "That's amazing. I was told Megatron was here several times but never knew that."

"He never did, the slagger," Sideswipe said with great satisfaction. "He won't either if we can help it."

-0-In a Detention Pod in Security Level 9, Brig, Decepticon HQ, Kaon, Cybertron

Soundwave looked at the pulsating spark that was housed in its own original chamber. It was held in suspension in a stasis cubicle, a dull sensory-free hell for anyone who was unfortunate to be there. He had come down to check on the 'lodgings' of his 'guest' and 'ally', Overlord. That bot's protoform was in storage hanging in a locker like a castoff suit of clothes.

Soundwave stood before the glowing cubicle with satisfaction. Turning, he ordered the guards to the door to wait outside. He presumed they would believe he was enjoying the victory over this infamously notorious monster and didn't want company. They would only be partly right. He could do that with or without company. What he wanted to do now was to communicate with the detached psyche of the beast without anyone knowing he had figured out how to do it.

It was common knowledge that the Decepticons and their putative allies used lethal, unethical and even mad science to gain whatever foothold or advantage they could against a foe led by a Matrix-bearer. It had come to Soundwave that as long as Prime's 'magic' was greater than theirs, they would not win.

Given that Megatron was less interested in process than he was in outcomes, he didn't want to know how Soundwave and Shockwave reached certain levels of technological accomplishment. He let them instead be free to run wild in the pursuit of victorious advantages, damn the costs. Megatron just wanted to know if it worked and how it advanced him.

Few knew that Soundwave was a collector of ideas and technology, his spies and tentacles reaching surprising depths of undetected access. They knew he was spied constantly, using information gathered against them to his advantage. No one was aware however that the things Shockwave did or created weren't a secret from him either. No one was aware that Soundwave laboriously educated himself in everything that the mad scientist and secret bond mate of Megatron thought up or created so he could turn it around for himself.

It was difficult and many times frustrating to the point of madness but he had kept up, his symbiots keeping him clued in as the clueless everywhere went about the business of conquering not only Optimus Prime but each other. He knew that was why Megatron bonded with Shockwave. The megalomaniac had assessed threat and took one of his most relentlessly unpredictable foes off the table. If he, Megatron died, Shockwave died too. That Megatron didn't know Shockwave was working on survival of sparks following the death of a bond was something that worked to Soundwave's advantage. All of the mad scientist's other projects were golden opportunities as well. Shockwave was nothing if not prolific.

Megatron was nothing if not … exotic. That Shockwave wasn't repelled by the demands made upon him by his 'bond' said something about his own personal depravity as well. Neither were aware that none of their machinations, projects and crusades were secure, so carefully and thoroughly did Soundwave operate. Nothing they did passed by Soundwave's constant vigil and the traps, taps and listening networks he had in place. As it was, Soundwave filed those peccadilloes as he always did: against the future. It was a future he dreamed about constantly, when he himself would crush Megatron's spark and claim the greatest prize of all, Cybertron.

He subbed a meter and ran it over the space where Overlord's essence hung in limbo. Finding the right frequency, he extended a tentacle which welded itself to the console. When the link up was made, he stood a moment listening to the mad rambling invective of the big mechanism as he floated in nothingness.

"Overlord"

The word pierced the static insanity of Overlord's spark and he heard a voice say his name at a level of understanding that he never had before. It was his name. It shimmered all around him without a starting point or a face behind it. It just 'was'. He didn't know which way to turn or move. He wasn't sure those things were even possible. He just called out.

"**I AM HERE!"**

Outside in reality, Soundwave smiled.

-0-In a dojo

"When the city fell I ran. The gang fell apart and no one was sticking around. I hopped a ship and they took off rambling all over the local sectors trying to flee. When we landed on a way point on the trail from Cybertron to Junk, I hopped another ship. This one was filled with Neutrals. There were other bots there too, the Missionaries."

Lon glanced at the older bots. They knew what he meant. He ventured a question. "What are the missionaries?"

Splice looked at the youngling, someone obviously enamored of the mechs here and seeking a meaningful life outside of his obviously high caste. He made a mental note to help Lon on his way. "During the run up to revolution, there was a vast peace movement. Some of them were just neutral because they didn't want to fight. Some wanted to protect their interests and the system. A lot of high and mid caste mechs didn't want war to change their life. They made a lot of noise about staying out of things. It didn't work."

The mechs sitting with them nodded, all of them old enough to remember.

"There was a movement that sprang up that was different. The mechs and femmes that joined it were a mixed bag. There were religious and nonreligious. High, mid and low castes. I remember the Temple priests were in the mix and so were all manner of professions. The unions came up from the underground and organized protests. They were outlawed by then. I hear that Jetta is here. He can tell you about that.

"It was all non violent. They had bearings. They used their bodies to protest and many were the beatings and incarcerations that happened to them. They never reacted violently back. I remember thinking they were crazy but now I understand what they were trying to do. It's like the old saying goes … First, they laugh at you. Then they kill you. Then you win."

Lon nodded. "Were you a missionary? Why were they called missionaries?"

"It was an insult," Topspin said. "The media and the opposition called them missionaries as an insult to belittle them because their movement was called the Primus Peace Mission. They insulted the members who were a cross section of Cybertron and because they were nonviolently seeking reconciliation they were gaining ground in public opinion. They were also for ending the system and replacing it with justice and opportunity. They never had a chance," he said shaking his helm.

Splice nodded. "They were persecuted to the ends of Cybertron. The Neutrals began to leave but the Missionaries stayed. They didn't go until the end but by then thousands of them were in prisons, work camps or dead. It was the saddest thing I ever saw once I figured it out."

Lon nodded. The twins were listening, themselves having crossed the path of Missionaries in the past. "There are Missionaries here," Sideswipe said. Splice glanced at him sharply. "Ratchet told me last night that the trine with the baby who was tossed out into vacuum are Missionaries."

"I'll have to look them up. I want to know if some of the mechs I knew survived or not." A hard expression came to his handsome features and he shook his helm. "It would be a miracle."

It was silent a moment, then Sideswipe nudged his ped. "How did you get so pure?"

Splice grinned slightly. "I fell in with a hunter group of Knights, one led by Dai Altas."

"Where is he? Do you know?" Topspin asked.

"I heard he was going to build a network out there, help refugees and then penetrate Cybertron. I think he's there now."

They all nodded. "So you're a Circle mech and a Knight?"

Splice nodded. "I am. I joined the Circle when I landed in a colony built by them. They were trading on the far edge of nowhere and had a nice set up, teaching their non violent way and trying to make a society that was what Cybertron never was. Then the 'Cons came and they had to leave. They're on their way last I knew. I left with Dai when he caught up with us. That's how I joined the Knights."

Lon looked at his tattoos. "You have a Circle of Light tattoo. You have a Knight of Cybertron tattoo. What is this one?" he asked noting a small image of Cybertron enclosed in a gold ring.

"That's for the Missionaries," he said quietly.

"You're a Missionary too?" Sunstreaker asked with surprise.

Splice nodded. "I am," he said almost defiantly.

They stared at each other, three mechs that had landed in the same Youth Center at the age of Kaon now. All of the hard knocks of life, the gangs and crime afterward as they struggled in a system that didn't value them, it hadn't broken any of them. Much. It was a miracle of a sort.

"You've taken vows?" Sideswipe asked with a smirk.

The laughter could be heard throughout the Center.

-0-Ops Center, Conference Room, Senior Autobot Officer Debrief

"And that is what we know about the group that was held. They are a mix of Circle, Neutral, wandering mech and femme as well as a tiny number of Missionaries in the mix," Prowl said.

They all sat and digested that. "At least some of them made it out," Wheeljack said remembering brave younglings and elders that walked into the beast with only their personal courage and conviction.

"I admired them more than the Neutrals," Prowl said. "They had ideals that mattered even if their process left something to be desired. The Neutrals didn't exactly aspire to very lofty goals mostly."

Ratchet nodded. "I loved the Primus Peace Mission. They were the bravest bunch I ever knew. They need to be given respect. I want the Museum's Talking History Unit to interview all of them and get their story."

"I wonder what they can tell us. Last time I heard, Prime, they were mostly dead or in custody. Maybe they know things we need to hear," Jazz said.

"Ratchet, you find out," Prime said nodding to the gangling bot with the fake chevron. "You are more on their wavelength."

Ratchet nodded.

The meeting continued.

-0-On the street

They walked along catching up, pointing out the sights of the city. By the time they reached the shooting range Bluestreak was wrapping up the lesson. His students were gathering their gear when he was swept off his peds by Sideswipe. Whirled around, Blue landed on his own peds once more. Turning, looking up, he found himself being scrutinized by three grinning mechs. "Hi," he said with a grin. "I see you found these homeless mechs. If you turn them in to City Hall, they pay bounties."

Sunstreaker grinned. "You've been hanging out with Ratchet again."

"Always," Blue said stowing his weapons.

Sideswipe grabbed the duffel. "This is Bluestreak, the mech whose endless good fortune for bonding with us is off the scale," Sideswipe said. He got an elbow in the chassis for his efforts.

Bluestreak smiled and offered his servo. They gripped wrists in the Cybertronian manner. "Hi. I see you have low standards for personal companionship."

Splice grinned and glanced at the twins. "I like him," he said.

"So do we. Most of the time," Sideswipe said ducking another elbow.

"Come on, Babe. We're going to the Club for a drink," Sunstreaker said turning and nodding toward the sidewalk nearby.

"Which one?" Bluestreak asked as he walked toward the highway to town.

"The usual," Sunstreaker said following him.

Splice stood watching them, then glanced at Sideswipe. "Babe?"

"Because he is," Sideswipe said with a grin. "Come on." With that, the two turned and hurried to catch up.

-0-On Cybertron

Dai Atlas sat at the console of the sensor grid they had laboriously laid over the entirety of Cybertron in the space of several decaorns. It was on a low enough frequency that the Decepticons wouldn't be able to find it. Hidden in the junk static of a world ripped apart, pulsing at a low power gain, its signal boosted from receiving station to receiving station, he sent the first test message.

"We are still here."

It went around Cybertron in less than a minute. He sat back and smirked. "Good, slaggers," he said with satisfaction. "Come and get us."

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	118. Chapter 118

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 4

-0-On the streets of Autobot City, Mars

They walked along together, the three of them and their swaddled infant. Prima rode in Levee's carry hold as they moved through the morning crowds going here and there. Hobo and Outlaw walked on either side of Levee who was traumatized being in crowds. Bad memories came from them. Pausing at the main intersection that led to Aerie Hill, the Fortress, the industrial parks as well as the business and cultural centers nearby, they discussed which way to go. They were looking for two things intently as well as wishing to figure out the city alternately.

Turning left, they walked along the sidewalk until traffic parted enough for them to cross the street. Entering the Cultural Center, they consulted the board taking the elevator upward. Getting off on the correct floor, they walked through the busy mezzanine on their way to the Dai Atlas Dojo. To the right of them was the newly opened Technical Training Center. With the completion of the museum nearby in an entirely new building, the seven stories that had been the heart and soul of their people's complexity was open to renovation and habitation by the guilds and unions that were trying to accommodate the demand for skills training and upgrading in the technical and skilled areas.

They paused to look in the windows noting classes, servos on instruction and lots of areas for students to work out their assignments. More rooms, teachings and work labs were up and down on other floors as well. It was worth exploring when they had more energy. The admission and help desk was inside but they continued onward.

The dojo appeared nearby so they walked to the door and looked inside. Mechs were sitting in the lounge area watching a youngling mech getting instruction from an impressive white and red sword master. They glanced at the altar feature near the door where the framed image of Dai Atlas was hung.

"This is the place," Outlaw said. "I'll go in and ask."

The other two wavered, then nodded. "We'll wait here."

Outlaw nodded again turning to brace himself. He walked in and paused near the mat where the instructor was getting the best of the student. The mechs watching hadn't noticed him for a moment. Then they did. One of them stood up, an expression of disbelief on his face. "Outlaw!"

Everything in the room stopped as they turned to look his way. Outlaw stood staring in equal disbelief at the figure standing before him, someone he never expected to see again. Then he raised a servo. "Splice."

The big mech walked toward him enveloping Outlaw in an embrace. They stood a moment, then Splice looked past him to the others. "Oh Primus," he said in shock. "You're here. All of you are here."

Outlaw nodded. "We are. I can't believe you're here too." He was nearly tearful in his emotions as he stood swaying.

"I came in on the migration. I was with the hostages," Splice said.

"I didn't see you," Outlaw said. "Levee was very sick and we had to take care of him. We were in a ship the whole time. They took our son. We were … we're … I just," he said stammering.

Splice turned to the others. "Come. Help me."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe hurried over with the others and they gathered around Splice. "Get the other two. They're not well," he said turning with Kup to help Outlaw to the lounge. They all managed to walk there and sit, exhaustion and mental anguish overtaking them.

:Sunstreaker to Ratchet:

:Ratchet here:

:Come to the dojo. We have a medical emergency:

:On my way:

Sunstreaker turned to Springer. "I called Ratchet to come."

Springer nodded as he sat next to Levee who sat with his helm hanging and his arms around his chassis in a protective embrace. It was a long tense silence as they waited.

-0-At the meeting

Ratchet paused as the debrief continued. :Sunstreaker to Ratchet:

:Ratchet here:

:Come to the dojo. We have a medical emergency:

:On my way: He rose and glanced at Prime. "There's a medical emergency at the dojo."

Prime nodded and they all watched as he turned hurrying out. Then the meeting continued.

-0-At the dojo

Ratchet rushed inside crossing the floor swiftly. He halted in surprise at the mechs sitting wanly on the couch. "Outlaw, Levee. Hobo. What's happening?"

"They came in and began to fall apart. They need assistance," Sunstreaker said as he stood up. He had been kneeling beside Levee monitoring his systems as they waited. He handed the med-tech device he carried always as a field medic to Ratchet who examined the data, then returned it.

Ratchet scanned them some more and shook his helm. "You three aren't in very good shape. You have been abused and deprived of good care for a long time. I want you to come with me to the hospital."

Levee leaned back and looked at him wearily. "We came here to tell something. Something very important to the Circle and the Knights."

"You can tell us in the emergency room," Ratchet said glancing at the others. "Help me get them to the hospital."

They all rose and lifted up the mechs as Ratchet took Prima from Levee's servos. They walked slowly outside and waited as the mechs blocked off the street. A runabout called from the hospital landed in the middle of the highway and the patients were loaded along with a few of the mechs who were assisting. Ratchet ran ahead with Sunstreaker and by the time they reached the 50th floor the three were lying on medberths.

Entering, moving through the mechs who had come along on foot and by the air lift, Ratchet walked to the berth where Outlaw lay. He was exhausted emotionally and physically, his optics off line. Ratchet plugged him in as Breakdown and Knockout entered pausing at the sight and the company. "What's going on?"

"Medical emergency. Plug the other two in," Ratchet said distractedly as he watched the data begin to flow onscreen.

Knockout and Breakdown walked to the other two and complied. Soon the information was being laid out in all its ignominious glory. Ratchet watched it, the mechs in the room oblivious to its meaning but the undertone was clear. This was a bad thing all around. Ratchet walked to Levee, then Hobo and looked at the data. Turning, glaring at the entire group, he shook his helm. "Get Optimus and Prowl in here. Now."

The entire room humped themselves trying to comply.

Including Knockout.

-0-A few moments later

Optimus Prime and Prowl walked in moving through the grim-faced mechs that included Knockout all of whom lined the walls and filled the doorway. They came to a stop beside Ratchet who was working on things inside of Outlaw. "Ratchet?" Optimus asked quietly, his optics staying far out of range of the open chest panel of the mech on the berth.

Ratchet looked up and nodded. "Optimus, we have some problems here. We have three mechs who have been systematically abused over a very long period of time. It reminds me of the mess at Garrus 9 when we came in."

Optimus blanched glancing at Prowl who stood with a bleak expression of his own. "We have the victims of prison camps or work camps lying here. They are so debilitated that no other explanation can be had. When I visited them last night I made a cursory scan and told them that they were not cleared to work or do anything until they had a complete examination and work over. This is in the range of extraordinary, similar in type and depth to the mess at Garrus 9."

The room was silent as everyone ran that through their processors. Garrus 9 was an Autobot prison that had been overseen by Fortress Maximus. They had some of the worst prisoners there that had been captured in war and skirmishes to date. Overlord, the late (perhaps) and unlamented (certainly) had overrun the facility and captured everyone including Fort Max. Max himself had been tortured and nearly driven mad by the experience. Hence, Max's almost manic desire for peace and the company of only the most inoffensive individuals, preferably children, certainly his siblings and the Autobots that worked and lived in his confines.

The Autobots had overrun the facility and recaptured it, Overlord fleeing before he could be brought down. It was maddening and instructive to know the depths of depravity that one singular individual had been able to plumb. The damage to the bots there who had suffered his wrath was still ongoing. Letting Fort Max find out about Overlord's presence so near during recent events had been damaging to him. That villain's subsequent death by Soundwave (perhaps) had been mollifying (a bit).

Only mollifying.

"Then you are insinuating that they are the product of systematic brutality along the lines of a prison or work camp?" Prowl asked quietly.

"I am," Ratchet said. "These three are Missionaries. They belong to the Primus Peace Mission. Thousands of them died in The Fall but as many disappeared. Most were thought to have made it out into the universe to wander in the Diaspora. What if they didn't? What if they were captured and ended up like this? What are we going to do about it?"

Prime looked at Ratchet a moment, then stepped closer to the berth that held Hobo. He lay his servo on the chest plates of the mech who opened his optics and blinked. "Optimus? Optimus Prime?"

Prime nodded. "I am Optimus Prime. You are in good servos. Ratchet is taking care of you and your bonds. My bond and I will take your son in and care for him until you are able to do so yourself."

He looked relieved, then the pain returned to his expression. "We have to tell you something. We tried to tell the Circle mechs and the Knights in the dojo. We have to let you know."

"What?" Optimus asked gently.

"There are camps around Cybertron, in the local sectors and the Rim. Lots of mechs and femmes are there, children and elderly. They are being worked to death. They are being abused and experimented on. Shockwave did experiments. Some of them are infants. You have to help them. We came to tell you. We escaped."

Optimus touched the distraught mech's helm holding it with his servo. Prime gently stroked it feeling the comfort of the Matrix rising. Hobo relaxed and vented a sigh. "You have to save them." He shuttered his optics and relaxed into a Matrix-induced sleep.

It was silent in the room, then Prowl glanced at Knockout and Breakdown. "Have you heard about this sort of thing if anything?" he asked.

Knockout bit back the snark he was going to speak, then shrugged. "I never have. I was a battalion doctor out in the Rim with different ships. I don't remember seeing or hearing about them out there."

Breakdown shifted on his peds. "I did. I heard rumors of this. Only rumors."

Everyone turned to him. Prime nodded. "What did you hear?"

"My brothers, they mentioned something once. Just a couple of words. I was wounded at the time and didn't really pay attention. I just heard Motormaster mention something about camps and slave labor. I only just remembered it now. I was pretty sick at the time," he offered as if to placate any idea that he kept back information.

"Seems kind of intriguing that you mention it now," Drift said quietly.

"I don't know about it. I just know what Motormaster said in passing when I was wounded. You were a 'Con. What do you know?" Breakdown said defensively.

"No one is accusing you, Breakdown," Prime said. "I want you to bring Motormaster and Dead End to Ops Center conference rooms separately. Keep them apart. Bring Barron and their counsels with them. I don't want anything not done properly. No contact with anyone until I get there." He turned to look at Breakdown. "If I call upon you to assist in getting them to speak about this, will you come?"

Breakdown nodded. "I gave my oath, Prime. I belong here. I will help you."

"That's my boy," Ratchet said with a grim grin. "Until then, you can help me, Breakdown."

That big bot nodded gratefully and walked to his side. Knockout stood beside the others watching the whole group with wary optics. "Prime," he said.

Prime paused on his way to the door and looked back. Knockout paused a moment, then nodded. "I don't know anything but I would tell you if I did. I gave my oath too."

Prime nodded and turned walking out followed by Prowl and the others. Drift who was waiting his turn paused. "Breakdown."

That big bot turned pausing stiffly. "What?"

"I know you would tell," Drift said. "I know."

Breakdown looked at him a moment digesting the comments, then nodded relaxing slightly. Drift grinned and turned walking out. The room was tense as Ratchet paused looking at both. "You gave your oaths. You have responsibilities here and the chance of a good life. We give you trust and you give us reliability. That's how this works."

Breakdown smirked slightly. "Tell the others."

"You aren't responsible for your brothers. I wish they weren't dumb afts but they are. Prime will sort this out. Neither of you are responsible for others but if there are any tidbits left in the back of your processors about anything you ever heard or saw, talk to Jazz, Mirage or Elita. Anything you tell us that you remember no matter how small is that much more protection for everyone else including you."

The two glanced at each other, then Ratchet. Nodding, they turned and began to do something they had never done as a group before. Work together in harmony.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	119. Chapter 119

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 5

-0-At the prison

They stood together, Kup, Drift, Springer and Ironhide. Behind them watching with curious optics, Lon was kibitzing. Inside, the guards had gone to find the two prisoners who would be taken one-by-one to the Fortress and the interrogations held in separate conference rooms.

Topspin, Sandstorm and Smokescreen waited as well to offer a secure guard for Motormaster. He was big, utterly without scruples, completely without anything remotely relating to empathy or mercy, thus was a hazard due to his size as well. Dead End on the other hand was a dark individual who expected doom at every turn, for every possibility, for everyone. He was to morose what day was to night, a perfect progression.

Or regression if you will.

That he was a good fighter was remarkable since he never expected to live through any encounter he ever had including all of the non-violent ones, the encounters that others experienced, the planets in the orbit he was in and so on. He was a major, major downer.

Motormaster appeared, immense, a nondescript blue and fuming. "What the frag do you want?" he asked as he was marched through the gates in energon cuffs.

"Your aft in stasis," Ironhide said.

Motormaster paused in front of him staring at a bot only a few feet shorter than him. They were old enemies and now was no different. "I'm surprised Megatron didn't make mufflers out of you, Ironhide."

Ironhide snorted. "That old slagger … he can't find his aft with both servos. Rather like you."

Motormaster lunged but was blocked, moved backwards to stand pinned with an expression of pure hatred on his face. "Take these off and I'll show you what's what."

"Like you think you can show Optimus? How many times did you take a run at Prime and he punched you straight into the ground? I remember three memorable ones myself," Ironhide said nodding to Springer. That redoubtable mech gripped Motormaster's arm with an incredibly powerful servo and tugged him forward. "Move it toward the Fortress, slagger. Prime didn't say to bring you in one piece. He gave me a lot of latitude."

With a great amount of cursing and reluctance, the big mechanism moved out with Topspin, Sandstorm, Springer and Lon as guards.

Another mech appeared, this one a red bot with shifty optics. He looked at Ironhide and shook his helm. "What do you want? We've been here forever and all we wanted was to surrender. How come we ended up in prison? There are other Decepticons here, some of them real slaggers. What is the deal?" he asked in his monotonously downtrodden voice.

"Because you're a slagger," Ironhide said nodding to Drift. That bot gripped Dead End's arm and they turned to go to the Fortress. All the way there, Dead End would whine about the futility of **EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE,** for **EVERYONE.**

-0-In the Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl stood at the comm center reprogramming a number of deep space arrays. They were setting up a relay line, one out of all the dozens and dozens that linked the Center with the greater outside galaxy. It would be dedicated to any effort they had of exploring the possibilities that there were desperate dying Cybertronians being exploited in the bigger picture.

He paused and glanced at the door as Motormaster was brought in. They walked toward him, Motormaster noting his presence. "Well, if it isn't Prowl. How's Prime? I hear you two hooked up. Did you tell Barricade? He's got the hots for you, Prowl. Always has. What does he think about you fragging the Prime?"

A slap to the back of the helm brought an equal reaction from the big menacing bot. He dug in and pushed back against Springer and Topspin who had him by the arms. Lon stepped back watching the two big mechs manhandle the bigger one. Motormaster laughed mirthlessly as he nearly capsized the pair. As he did, Prowl stepped forward and unsubbed his big gun. Pointing it directly into Motormaster's face, he fired it up. The big mechanism paused and grinned. "Nice gun. What else can you show me? I will say, Prowl. Barricade has good taste. You are a looker."

Another slap from Springer was met with struggle, then Prowl punched him in the solar plexus region of his chassis. He paused bending over in pain, then stood up regarding Prowl with mirth. "You're going to have to do better than that, Prowl. Is that the kind of thing you do with the Prime or are there Matrix games that none of us peons know about? Sexy stuff … like that," he said with a chuckle.

Springer who was grinning slightly shoved the mechanism who resisted all the way into the soundproofed conference room. The door closed and his 'patter' was cut off. Prowl looked at the door and shook his helm. "Slagger."

Lon looked at the SIC and nodded. "He is."

Prowl smirked slightly. "You might want to hang around. He has to go back."

Lon straightened and nodded. "Yes, sir. I will."

Prowl turned with a small grin and walked back to the comm station. Topspin glanced at Lon, then slapped him on the back. "Let's go help Springer, youngling."

Lon nodded, a happy grin on his face as he turned and followed the big Wrecker to the interrogation room nearby.

On the way over Dead End regaled the group with his version of the end of times, the fall of all and the doom of gloom. Ironhide who knew him ignored his patter, knowing full well that the Stunticons were a damaged, hastily created batch of mechanism. That Ratchet would take one on for rehab didn't surprise him. That Breakdown had come along so well did. This one was no Breakdown.

Smokescreen and Sandstorm held his arms as Dead End trudged between them. Kup and Ironhide walked behind chatting about the quality of Decepticons these orns and how lackluster their opposition had become over time.

"I remember when it actually made a mech sweat to fight the slaggers but now? They just come here and surrender. It's almost like they don't try anymore," Kup said.

Ironhide who was enjoying Kup like a fine old glass of high grade nodded. "A mech can't get a punch in before they punch themselves. I remember when it used to be fun."

Kup nodded. "These younglings these days … you can't depend on them to give ya a fight. Sad, really. Used to be harder."

Ironhide nodded as they stepped into the courtyard, passed through the rec room and entered Ops Center. Prowl was standing this time at the table as the group approached. He looked at Dead End like he was a sack of garbage headed for recycling. "Do you want a punch too?" he asked the sullen red Stunticon.

"I didn't say a slagging word," Dead End said darkly.

"Well, that will make you a miracle," Prowl said nodding to the conference rooms. "Stow the buffoon."

Dead End was nearly jerked off his peds and taken away as Ironhide moved to sit at the table with Kup. "You sound peeved."

Prowl searched for the meaning, then looked at Ironhide. "You would be right."

At that moment, Optimus Prime entered the room. Barron, Semi, Jarro and a mech that no one in the room knew followed and paused by the table. "I asked Barron, Semi and Jarro to come for obvious reasons. This mech," he said nodding to a slightly nervous older mech with a white and green paint scheme, "is Pard. He is someone who might be of help here. He also heard the rumors and might be able to outline the general areas that the camps are said to be located."

Prowl nodded. "Good." He turned and called to Bumblebee who was working a shift at the intell station. "Bee, talk to this mech and see if you can find even generally where the location of these bases or camps might be."

Bee nodded and gestured for Pard to come to him, pulling up a chair for him to sit upon. As he did, Ratchet entered the room and walked up. "Am I late?"

"Nope," Ironhide said. "Just in time." He turned to look at Prime. "How do you want to do this?"

"I think Prowl can go in and start the ball rolling," Prime said.

"Prowl had to punch Motormouth. He was being an aft head," Ironhide said. Prowl nodded. "You don't want to know," Prowl said with disgust.

Prime nodded and looked at Ironhide. "You go in. Finesse him. You know how to do it."

Ironhide nodded. Then he turned and walked to the room where Motormaster sat lounging in a chair as he bantered with Springer who stood lounging against the wall. The transparency of the room was evident to the group outside, but not to those inside. They saw beige walls and nothing else.

Ironhide walked around and entered, nodding to a smirking Springer who stayed. Ironhide pulled out a chair and sat fixing Motormaster with a baleful expression. That big mechanism was bound to the chair with energon bonds that were besides the ones he wore on his big wrists. A table was between them. Springer was to Ironhide's right, so the big mechanism relaxed and looked at his foe. "I need to know something, Motormaster. It would do you a lot of good with Prime if you told me what I want."

That big bot looked at Ironhide and smirked. "I figured you were scrapped by now, Ironhide. You and that loon you live with."

Ironhide stomped on Motormaster's ped, pressing his own down on it with great force. That big mechanism yelped, then bit off any further sound. He looked at Ironhide with murder in his optics. "That's not very neighborly, Ironhide."

"I don't feel neighborly. I want to know about the prison camps and slave labor."

Motormaster looked at him, then shrugged. "What makes you think I know? Or better yet, what makes you think I care?"

"We know you don't care, you fragger. Tell us what you know."

"And what's in it for me if I do?" the big bot asked.

"You get to live a little longer. We don't put you on a homing missile and send you to Megatron on Cybertron."

"What makes you think that fragger is on Cybertron?" Motormaster asked as they sparred.

"We already know he isn't. Soundwave told us," Ironhide said offhandedly.

"Soundwave just told you," Motormaster asked with a smirk. "Just like that."

"He and Prime text. They have a private line. We know that Megatron is heading out into the Delta Quadrant. We know he's hunting up allies." Ironhide leaned forward and lowered his vocal level. "Here is the good part," he said quietly. "When he comes back, we are going to give him all our dead weight. We're going to stuff a rocket filled with slaggers like you and send it back to him. We're going to put Overlord in with you."

The smirk slipped a tiny bit and Motormaster's expression hardened. "Overlord? You have Overlord?"

Ironhide nodded. "We do. He's the first slagger that gets sent back. You could be the second one or not. It's up to you."

"You put a lot of store in me caring," Motormaster said relaxing into his chair.

"We know you were sent here by Soundwave to spy. We know he sent you to figure out our strength. We caught you as a spy and that means under the Rules of Engagement you can be terminated."

"You soft sparked Autobots don't do capital punishment. I know. Prime wouldn't do it if it actually helped his cause." Motormaster grinned. "That's why we'll win."

"Two things, slagger," Ironhide said leaning into Motormaster's space once more. "What is this 'we' slag? You are going to get the ax along with Soundwave when Megatron gets back. He won't be amused with things and you know it. And last but not least, what makes you think that Prime would be the one to slag you to the Pit?"

Motormaster looked at Ironhide a moment, then grinned. "Someone told me Prime had gotten tougher … smarter … not so soft boiled. Must be true then."

Ironhide shrugged. "He's got scruples but not when they might harm someone by doing them," Ironhide said making slag up. He knew that Prime was a new book every orn and that the thing he might do under the right conditions one orn wasn't exactly true the next. But Motormaster didn't need to know that. "He would cap a round into your helm for the greater good as look at ya."

Motormaster looked at Ironhide. "I heard things. But I want things in return."

Ironhide slowly rose until he towered over the smirking mech. Then the door opened.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	120. Chapter 120

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 6

-0-In the first interrogation room

He towered over the smirking mech, then the door opened. All three paused, then they turned to look. Standing there in all his glory, Optimus Prime filled the space and then some. He seemed bigger than usual somehow to Ironhide, his personal charisma never more on display than when the moment called for greatness. Ironhide nodded. "I was about to show this slagger the error of his ways."

"I noticed," Prime said quietly. He didn't move, he didn't try to enter. He just stood and stared calmly at the Stunticon.

Motormaster considered that, then smirked. "You look good. How about a wrestling match, Prime? You and me. Best two out of three?"

Ironhide snorted. "Prime's already had three out of three, you fragger. Must have fragged your memory the last time when you lost that head on collision you pulled."

Motormaster lunged for Ironhide, a futile thing given his current position on the chair. "Frag you, Ironhide. How about it, Prime? You and me?"

Prime looked at him for a moment with a pitying expression. Then he turned to Ironhide. "Has he said anything about the camps?"

"No," Ironhide said. "He wants something in exchange if he tells what he says he knows. I don't believe him myself."

"You aren't the one in charge, Ironbutt," Motormaster said as Ironhide stomped his ped once more. Motormaster grunted, looking at Ironhide with a grim sense of satisfaction. "Oh right. It's **Mr.** Ironbutt."

Springer rubbed his chin covering the enormous grin that threatened to undermine the moment. He looked at the floor instead. Ironhide on the other hand shook his helm. "Want me to make a bike rack out of this slagger, Prime? I don't think he has a word to say."

"It's on my list, Ironhide," Prime said quietly. "Motormaster, understand this. If you have information and you don't tell, you will be treated as a war criminal. You already are a spy, you and your brother. Any one of these offenses warrants either termination or punitive stasis."

"He can join Shockwave in the basement," Ironhide said.

Motormaster glanced sharply at Ironhide. "Shockwave. Really?" he asked with irritation.

"Really," Prime said. "We have room for you. Make yourself valuable or we'll free up prison space by putting you in storage."

Motormaster looked at him. "Soundwave know about this? He was looking for Shockwave. But then, he was also looking for Starscream."

"Both of them are here. One of them is an asset, the other is an aft," Ironhide said with great satisfaction.

"Is that so," Motormaster said regarding first Ironhide, then Prime. "What's in it for me if I tell you things?"

"You get to live," Prime said with great finality.

Motormaster looked at Prime, gauging him. "You've changed, Prime. You don't have that soft edge that you used to have. I think I liked that one better. This one reminds me of Megatron."

Ironhide stomped on Motormaster's ped once more and this time the big mech bellowed. He tried to stand but Springer shoved him down, moving back to stand behind the big 'Con this time. He looked at Ironhide with murder, then glanced at Prime. "Give me something for incentive or you can ram this up your tailpipe, Prime. I have nothing to lose by not telling you. My life? It isn't worth a shanix spent in prison forever."

Prime considered his request, then walked to the table to sit. He regarded Motormaster a moment. "You will never agree to live here within the scope of Cybertronian law. What do you expect me to do?"

"Barricade gets to walk around during the orn. Let me have the same privileges."

:What do you think?: Prime asked Ironhide and Prowl.

:Shoot him: -Ironhide.

:Wire him with explosives. Give his guards the right to shoot to kill if he blinks sideways. Nothing less than that, Optimus. Sir: -Prowl

Prime quashed his smirk, sending instead oceans of warmth and love to Prowl who reciprocated. "Tell me something worthy of that sort of opportunity and I will consider it."

He looked at Prime searching for the angles that Motormaster had come to believe existed in everyone, everywhere, all the time. He couldn't detect such though he was convinced they were there. "I suppose I have your word or some such slag."

"You do," Prime said nodding slightly, his affect unyielding in its firm resolve.

Motormaster stared at him, then nodded warily. "I heard about them. They were started by Jhiaxus long ago. He always was experimenting on something and someone. Slagger thought that he could improve our species. Ha!" Motormaster relaxed enjoying himself. "I hear he even had a hand in femmes coming around. There were no femmes according to Megatron before Jhiaxus became a confidante of the Prime.

"He had a few installations where he did his slag, none of them too big. Then he got control of two of the moons," Motormaster said. "He did a lot of weird stuff, none of it I know about directly but troublemakers began to disappear during the Clampdown. I remember that Megatron was slated as were you and a few of the troublemakers. That slagger … Jetta … he was taken during the labor clashes after the mine collapse. I saw him here. He made it out I see."

No one spoke, everyone listened appalled. Motormaster shrugged and continued.

"There was talk after The Fall that the a large chunk of the remaining population were taken to different worlds in the local systems and made to work to rebuild Cybertron. There was a lot of searching for energon to make it happen and all of that was Soundwave's job. Then Shockwave took over cutting him out, moving in on his rackets. Those two hate each other, almost as much as I hate you, Ironhide."

Ironhide snorted. "I'm hurt."

Motormaster snorted and grinned, an almost genuine emotional expression. "They sparred, Megatron playing them against each other and they were forced to play one-up games to keep his favor. Shockwave is a crazy slagger. He worked on all kinds of projects to try and win Megatron's favor. I know he wanted to best Megatron, then rule Cybertron on his own but he's such a weird slagger, no one would be willing to tolerate that. He has no support in the army."

"How did he manage to get as far as he did?" Springer asked.

"He was fragging Megatron. He actually figured out what Megatron liked and gave it to him. He also filled his audials with slag and his enemies began to disappear. Starscream disappeared. I heard that Megatron beat him half to death, then he disappeared. I thought he was dead." He looked at Prime with a grim smile. "Imagine my surprise to find him here."

Prime nodded. "Continue."

Motormaster thought a moment, then continued. "There were rumors that Shockwave got strange things for Megatron. That he worked on that slagger's ego and supplied him with dangerous stuff. I don't know for sure but the experiments were going on around the system. I heard about camps and work places. I heard about mechs going missing. That is what I heard." He grinned. "If that fragger is in the deep freeze here I am as happy as a targ on ice."

"What planets?" Ironhide asked.

"Give me a map and I'll tell you where I heard things were. I can't vouch for it better than that. Megatron and Shockwave didn't exactly confide in me," he said with a bitter tone.

"Why did you agree to come here to spy for Soundwave?" Ironhide asked as the door opened and Prowl entered with a rolled up map.

Motormaster looked at Prowl and smirked. "I should send you a present I'm told. Or maybe a card of condolence to Barricade."

The room was glacial as Prowl laid the map out unrolling it. He turned and walked outside, the door closing behind him. Motormaster looked at Prime and smirked. "Hit a nerve, did I?" he asked.

No one spoke. Everyone looked at him with murder in their optics. He sighed and leaned forward looking at a map with the sectors around Cybertron out to where Prowl and Sciences had projected Cybertron to be now. He studied it a moment. "There. The moons, two of them. Not Moonbase but the other two. Then here," he said nodding as best he could to Falax II and Corvan. Both of them were settlement stations in the old orns for ships passing through. They were near enough to Cybertron to reach in a reasonable time and not close enough to attract attention from the home offices.

"That's all?" Ironhide asked. "You do know that leaving out anything else proves you can't be trusted. Better tell all of it."

Motormaster looked at Ironhide. "You want the gossip too?" No one answered that so he leaned back. "Those are the only two places I ever heard named, that and the moons. Megatron didn't care what Shockwave did. He sort of let him go because he kept coming up with weird weapons, some of them even working. Then the rumor mill said they bonded. I think Megatron neutralized him as a threat. Megatron dies, Shockwave would follow. Soundwave is sort of inbetween. He is trying to play both ends against the middle. He sent us here to spy and I wanted to see if the rumors I heard about this place were true."

"Rumors?" Prime asked.

"There's a lot of gossip out there, rumors," Motormaster replied. "The Seekers are networked and things leak out about a real Cybertronian city, about a place where both sides are welcomed and all that slag. It was interesting to see how much truth there was so I agreed. I came to see for myself." It was quiet a moment. "So, do I get the same deal as Barricade?"

Prime rose and turned walking out, Ironhide following him. The door closed behind them. Springer chuckled softly. "Who knows, Motorbreath?" he said with a smirk.

Motormaster rose up to get him. He would fail.

-0-Outside

"What do you think?" Ironhide asked his commander and friend.

"I think he confirms what intell we have. It would appear that the Decepticon High Command is a pit of intrigue and plotting," Prime said.

"He wants the same deal as Barricade," Prowl said with slight obstinacy, his arms folded over his chassis. The only thing missing was a ped tapping.

Prime smirked slightly, taking private delight in the open display of irritation from his partner. "We will consider that."

"He won't last long out of prison," Ironhide said.

Ratchet nodded. "He'll break the rules and end up in the clink once again."

"He called you a name, Ratchet," Lon said with great indignation.

They all looked at the affronted youngling. "He did?" Ratchet asked with a slight grin.

"He did," Lon said with incredulous affront. "He said you were a loon."

They all accessed that definition and Ratchet snorted. "That slagger is going to get the once over when I wire him." He grinned and looked at the angry young mech. "You are a good mech to tell me, youngling. I have rust sticks hidden from Ironhide. Come by and get some on me."

Lon grinned and nodded. "Alright," he said.

Everyone took an internal 'awww' moment, then got back to the matter at servo. "We need to talk to Dead End," Ironhide said to Prime.

"I don't expect much from him," Prime said nodding. "He is a psychotic lunatic."

"Do you want me to go in and give him the once over? Maybe its processor damage. I can work my magic servos on him like I did for Starscream and Rampage," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Slag no," Ironhide said. "Mech, you worry me."

Prime snorted and smirked. "Prowl, go and find out what you can."

That stately mech nodded and turned walking to the other door. He opened it and entered nodding to Sandstorm who was sitting on a chair across from the morose mech. Sitting himself, Prowl leaned in slightly. "We want to know about the camps and the work places where our people are being harmed and experimented upon. If you ever expect to see the light of freedom again, you better tell me every little iota of information you possess."

The red bot looked at Prowl a moment, then shrugged. "What makes you think I believe I will ever see freedom again? What makes you think that any of us will ever see it? Do you really think any of us will get out of this alive? There is nothing but misery and death everywhere. I was saying earlier ..."

Prowl's wings drooped slightly and he vented a sigh. /... slag … /

-0-In a waiting room in the Sparkling, Youngling and Femme Hospital

They sat together, two small femmes with dubious stature as applied to emancipated individuals. They had finished the last tests and were waiting for Summit to get the word on leaving. They were going to go to the malls and walk around town, learning the city before dinner and curfew. They would pick up the three little mechs at the school when it was let out, then it would be inside duty for the rest of the orn. Until then, Autobot City was theirs to explore.

Chaperoned of course.

Summit walked out with a grin. "We're good to go. They will let us know tomorrow in a meeting whether you are sub adult and ready for emancipation or whether you aren't. Until then, let's go roam."

Inspire and Aurora rose from their seats and walked to the door, Summit following. They would visit the malls, business centers, ride the train system all over the city, go to the arenas, the Museum and see the Ops Center from the doorway.

It would be awesome.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	121. Chapter 121

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 7

-0-In the Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars, at the center table

They sat down together to think through the information from Motormaster and the little Prowl was able to glean from the ramblings of Dead End. It coincided.

"I'm glad we didn't have to call Breakdown. That mech is doing fine away from them. The glitches that this group carries makes him paranoid around them and he can't help it. That's how poorly wired their gestalt is," Ratchet said.

"We have three fifths of Menasor here," Ironhide said. "The last thing we need is any of those fraggers getting together, especially all five."

Prime nodded. "I agree. I also think I need to visit with Sentinel and the Senators."

It was silent a moment, then Prowl shifted uneasily. "They could no more tell you the truth than I can fly."

"You can. After a fashion," Optimus said grinning at his uptight bond.

A smirk formed on his handsome face. "You change the subject."

"You can fly. I've seen it. Short, wobbly but flight nonetheless," Ratchet needled with a smirk of his own. A kick under the table greeted that remark.

"I want to know what they knew," Optimus said. "I will meet them in the prison one-by-one. Barron, they will need their representation," he said to the older mech who nodded. "I am giving nothing in return. They can be Cybertronians or they can stay criminals. There is no trade off for this information."

Barron nodded. "I will arrange that when you require us."

"I require it now," Optimus said rising. Ironhide rose and together they walked out heading for the prison down the highway.

The others sat and watched. "This is going to be ugly," Ratchet said to no one in particular. Prowl nodded worriedly.

-0-At the prison

They stood in the yard where the prisoners congregated during the orn. They were inside now, gathered up by the guards for the duration of the meetings. Barron stood with Ironhide and Prime, Semi, Blackstone and two new lawyers named Keystock and Reckless. Semi who was now magistrate and a judge on call for trials, a system that required three for adjudication of offenses against the state was there to rule on any problems that might come up. Blackstone was the lead lawyer for Sentinel and the other two represented the senators at large. The senators had refused to be represented so the two were appointed to handle anything that related to them until their representation was adequately settled in future hearings.

Sentinel walked out of the building where they lived and paused. He looked at the mob and straightened. He braced himself internally for anything that was coming and walked with great dignity to stand before Optimus. "What brings all of you here?"

"I need information. I want to know what you might have heard or know from personal experience," Optimus said in a strong level voice. He gestured to the table nearby, so Sentinel walked there and sat. Prime sat and so did Barron and Blackstone. That worthy looked at Sentinel. "A problem has arisen that has great consequences for our society. We are here to find out what you can speak to regarding this subject. I will tell you that I am here to protect your rights and status. There are no offers bound to this request. You will gain nothing but the idea that you helped our people if you tell anything that you might know about this subject. Are you clear on what this means?"

Sentinel who listened quietly nodded. He looked at Prime and smiled slightly. "I told you that you would need me sometime."

Ironhide clenched a fist, the soothing warmth of Ratchet filtering over his circuits. :It's not about you, Ironhide. Remember that, Only One: a ghost of a comment whispered to him. He pulsed back equal regard, then willed himself to relax, an altogether difficult thing for him.

"I wish to know what you know about Shockwave. I am aware that you had links to Megatron during the Clampdown, that there were talks between your government and the nascent Decepticon movement," Optimus began.

Sentinel considered that and nodded. "Shockwave was the designated go between and I had meetings with him. Very unproductive meetings. There was always something wrong with that mechanism. I found it difficult to find common ground with a mech who had no face."

Prime nodded. "Go on."

"If you gave me more information, I could be more fulsome in my commentary." The big mechanism looked at Prime noting the stone wall of his expression. Optimus had learned to have a poker face. That would make this harder, he thought. The youngling had learned to keep his cards to himself.

"I want to know about the meetings you had." Optimus stared at Sentinel with his most passive and expressionless demeanor. He was aware of the cunning with which Sentinel operated having been brigged a few times over the course of their relationship himself. He would not make the mistake of emotion and reckless statements said under duress again.

Sentinel considered that request and shrugged slightly. "They were all along the line accordingly that the resistance was doomed and needed to break up. That was the position of my government. Shockwave representing Megatron wanted concessions, a long list of unacceptable changes and we wanted them gone. Neither of us got very far if I remember."

"What did you know about prison camps and slave labor? That is, beyond the ones supported by your government?" Optimus asked at last.

"If this is about that, you will have to talk to the Senators. They were the ones who came up with that. I told them that it was a very grave error. Every time you slag someone that hard, you make not only him an enemy, you make everyone he knows or is related to one as well. I didn't agree with the camps. Prisons and brigs were one thing. Labor camps and the like, they were something else altogether."

"You did nothing to stop them?" Ironhide asked with fury.

"I suggest, Sentinel, that you don't answer this line of questioning," Blackstone said, glancing at Semi. "This could lead to personal incrimination without the possibility of knowing the facts that might relate to these incidents. Unless we have more information I am suggesting that my client demur from answering."

Semi turned to Barron and they conversed quietly. Semi turned and nodded. "Sentinel, you have discretion on answering this line of questions. Your counsel advises you to resist. The judgment is yours to make and I would suggest careful consideration. All that you say is evidence against you in a later trial of these and other matters."

Sentinel nodded, then looked at Prime. "I did my best. I was Prime, I wasn't Primus. The Senate was a viper's nest. They were the beast made real. All that I could do I did."

"Then you know about the labor camps and other prisons?" Optimus asked.

"I would suggest not answering that, Sentinel," Blackstone said. "You have latitude to refuse."

"I know," Sentinel replied nodding his helm respectfully at Blackstone, a dissident judge which he himself had imprisoned just before The Fall for defying Sentinel's edicts under martial law. "I appreciate your counsel all things being equal." He looked at Prime. "I knew that the Senate authorized them. I knew that they were run by private individuals. I heard that they were … difficult. That is all I knew."

"Who were the private individuals?" Prime asked.

"You will have to ask the Senators. Ask Ratbat for sure. He knows all the awful things that transpired and participated in them for his own enrichment more than once," Sentinel said nodding.

"What do you know about Shockwave experimenting on our people?" Prime asked.

He looked at Prime a moment. "I heard he was a scientist at an institute that was formulating combiners and other riffraff. Ratbat was there too. He can help you more than I can. No one ever was more devious than him," Sentinel said.

"You did nothing about this. You were Prime and you let it happen," Ironhide said.

Sentinel glanced up at Ironhide. "I already told you. I was Prime, not Primus."

"Do you actually think that Optimus would have turned his back on this? That it would have happened under his Primeship?" Ironhide shot back.

Sentinel looked at him a moment, then Optimus. "No. I suppose you would not."

Prime sat quietly a moment, then nodded. "You are dismissed."

Sentinel paused a moment, then with great dignity rose and turned. He walked into the barracks and the door closed.

"Slagger," Ironhide muttered with outrage. No one argued with him.

-0-CMO's Office, Autobot City Medical Building, Autobot City, Mars

He reviewed the data and quizzed the two techs who had administered the tests. He looked at the medical screenings given by Gypsy and her team. The data was in. The truth was known. Now it was up to Ratchet to call the hearing together and get the situation done. He would need to make a few inquiries first. He turned and commed up the relevant individuals. Starscream and Herling.

-0-Ratbat

He walked out and stood a moment, sitting when no one spoke. He relaxed himself, his wily processor already getting set to lie, steal, deflect and otherwise defend the body. "Prime," he said in his small oddly harsh voice.

"Tell me about the experimentation you did with Shockwave, the camps and all of it. Tell me without leaving a thing out." Prime looked at him with murder in his optics, gauging a hard furious approach the best for this creature who had nothing in his spark that resembled a soul.

Keystone glanced at Ratbat. "You have refused counsel but we are here to offer opinions on your behalf on this proceeding. We advise that you don't answer this question as it can be used as evidence against you in future proceedings."

Ratbat nodded, then looked at Prime. "You want to know about Shockwave. Why?"

"Answer the question," Prime replied.

"I knew Shockwave and we spoke. I spoke to you as well. I am aware that he was a scientist and worked on … strange things. I was aware that he slipped over to Megatron and offered his expertise both as an assassin and as a scientist. These things I know."

"Elaborate," Prime pressed. "What strange things?"

He relaxed his body as he regarded Prime. "What's in it for me?"

The group stared at him with deep disdain. Even Reckless and Keystock who during The Fall had seen and tried to assuage terrible things were as appalled as the others. Prime leaned forward. "Nothing. You get nothing to your advantage out of this beyond doing something good for another for once in your sorry life. Tell me what you know."

"I would be a fool, Prime, to trade away all my cards," Ratbat said. "What would prevent you from putting me in stasis forever?"

"Nothing prevents that now. You are a traitor to Cybertron and participated in atrocities. It is in my power as Prime under martial law to have you deactivated and put into punitive stasis right now."

Ratbat didn't budge, blink or offer anything.

"Take him away," Prime said. Springer watched as two guards gripped the little bot and carted him literally away. Prime sat back. "He can sit in detention." Glancing at Springer who had joined them with Drift on orders of Prowl, he nodded. "Make sure he's in solitary. I don't want that one to compare alibis with anyone else." He gathered his emotions. "We'll see what his partner has to say," Prime said. "Get Contrail."

Springer nodded and with Drift walked to the barracks to bring out the next bad guy and ensure that Ratbat was in solitary confinement. Everyone stood or sat quietly waiting. Overhead clouds moved slowly across the light blue sky. Spring was in full swing, the season twice as long as Earth's own. It seemed inconceivable to anyone here that anyone else could be suffering anywhere else when the sky was so blue and the city so content.

The figure of Contrail appeared walking between Springer and Drift. He paused before Prime and nodded his greeting with a nervous flicker of his optics. "What do you want, Prime?" he asked.

"Everything," Prime said in a soft voice.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	122. Chapter 122

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 8

=0=The Prison yard, Autobot City, Mars

Contrail stood before them staring evenly at Prime. He was churning up inside but he hid it well. He could hide things somewhat though his usual pattern was bluster and snootiness. What they would want, he didn't know. The guards had entered their yard and told each to return to their rooms. They followed inside and stood in the area watching each inmate through their open doors. It had been unnerving.

"You will have to be specific, Prime. I am unclear as to your meaning," he said evenly. Given his bluff haughty personality, he was doing unexpectedly well. Gone was the scorn and trademark glare. Before them was just an older Seeker warily touching the ice to see if he would fall through or not.

Prime sat back considering the mechanism. "I want to know about slave labor camps and strange experimentation on our people. I want to know everything you do."

"You assume I know anything, ***Prime***," he said with a cold irritation.

"Ratbat and Sentinel said you do," Prime said casually.

"I doubt that," Contrail retorted.

"They said to ask you. You have been thrown to the wind, Contrail. They are going to blame you for war crimes." He nodded to Semi. "This is Semi. He was a leading dissident lawyer in Capital City. He learned a great deal about what you and the Council allowed. He was imprisoned for it. This," he said nodding to a tall black bot with distinguished sliver inlays on his armor. "This is Blackstone. I know you remember him."

Contrail looked at the big bot sharply, then relaxed. "I know many different individuals."

"They were in prison by order of the Council. You put these mechs in prison. I asked Semi to be here because he's a judge in the colony. You do understand that three judges are required for cases involving offenses against the state. He's here to monitor this process of fact gathering for future criminal proceedings. You have been tossed aside by your confederates. All you can do now is talk."

"About what? I am not clear on what you wish to know. That is, even if I could believe anything you've said so far," Contrail replied just this short of a sneer.

"You would do well to pay attention, Contrail," Blackstone said in his cultured voice. "We have serious charges before us and your bluster and oblivion will not save you from a trail of serious evidence and offenses. You do know more than any of us that the penalty for conviction of a crime against the state is punitive stasis."

Contrail looked at Blackstone a moment, then the others. He stared at Prime. "May I sit or do you enjoy this too much to allow such a courtesy?"

"Sit," Prime said nodding. "What do you know about prison camps, slave labor and experimentation on our people?"

Contrail sat and considered his options. There were none. "What can I expect from telling you what I know, if anything?"

"Nothing," Prime said. "I am asking a Cybertronian about Cybertronian crimes. I expect you to answer like a Cybertronian. I don't intend to buy your comments with trade offs. I expect you to talk."

"I suppose you do," Contrail said nodding. "You were the least offensive of the two possibilities, Optimus Prime for the Matrix. The orn that the vote was taken for Prime, you were the one we thought would be easier to handle. I suppose this is where you say we were wrong."

"You were," Ironhide said with satisfaction.

Contrail glanced at him, then Prime once more. "I didn't know much. They were Halogen's personal fiefdoms."

"How convenient," Ironhide said. "Halogen is dead. You fix blame on him. You walk away from responsibility."

"If you say so, Ironhide," Contrail said. "I heard many things. I heard that Halogen set them up to be work camps for dissidents. I am sure both of you could tell stories," he said looking at the two lawyers.

Neither Semi nor Blackstone spoke. The silence was almost eerie.

"They were the camps I knew about. One big camp each were on the lesser moons, not Moonbase. That was where the mini-cons and bridge scientists were held I am told to labor for the state in repairing and redesigning the system's transports. They were administered by Halogen through his office. Sentinel wanted the riffraff off the surface of Cybertron and the idea of disappearing into the camps spread around to keep civil disobedience down appealed. We … that is, Sentinel and Halogen targeted the intelligentsia, the leadership of the unions and guilds, the families of dissidents, renegade lawyers and the like. They targeted the media to quash information and data mined the grid. No one anywhere could make their way without the two knowing about it. They said it was necessary for the security of our planet.

"I didn't know much about what happened there. To tell you the truth, I didn't ask. I know there were experiments on the Decepticon side. Shockwave was working on a lot of crazy things. He was completely fragged, that one."

"Yet you and Ratbat defected to their side," Prime said.

"They held no grudges and they were going to win. It was as simple as that, Prime. You were not going to defeat them. We wanted to stay on Cybertron."

"We know that you collaborated with the 'Cons to destroy Polyhex as a diversion so that Megatron could attack Simfur and take the AllSpark," Ironhide said as a matter of fact.

Contrail looked at him a moment. "I don't agree with your statement."

"You don't have to," Prime said. "Others do."

"It would appear that you're going to be the fall guy, Contrail," Springer said quietly. He stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest, a pensive Drift watching silently. "You're going to be the bad guy."

Contrail looked at Springer crossly, then Prime. "Is that so."

Prime didn't speak but Ironhide moved closer. "No honor among thieves as they say. I'm surprised you're surprised."

Contrail stared at Prime even as he heard the others remarks. He considered the mech before him, a much older harder version of the impassioned youth that had captured the attention of the Matrix through his futile but eloquent attempts to speak to the High Council about justice and the like. He sat back. "Shockwave was working on gestalts. He didn't care what happened to his specimens. He just liked having lots of them. He had captured a lab that had belonged to Jhiaxus. Going through his research, he found a number of things that interested him including survival of spark bond death. There were also mountains of data on gender and pretender research. Soundwave was a busy mech."

"Is that so," Ironhide said. "What else do you know and make it snappy."

Contrail glared at Ironhide, then turned his attention back to Prime who sat silently. "This is good cop, bad cop. The humans feature it a lot in their entertainment programming," he said with a humorless laugh. "I don't know what Shockwave was doing specifically. I just heard second hand. I didn't care to be a part of it so I wasn't. I do know that there were camps on the moons and out on some of the trade planets near the Rim. Troublemakers went there, they didn't come back."

"Find them on a map," Prime said. He pulled one from subspace and Contrail studied it. He pointed to Falax II and Corvan. It was silent a moment, then Blackstone leaned forward. "It would be in your best interests to tell all that you know. If you don't, then you will be complicit after the fact to what may turn out to be war crimes. I would counsel you to think long and hard before you sign off on any kind of final statement, Mr. Secretary. It might mean the difference between relative freedom here and punitive detention below ground. If this goes to trial, any sympathy you might get may mean the difference in the jury's decision about your fate." He sat back, his optics never leaving one of the architects of his and his family's suffering.

Contrail looked at Blackstone a moment, then Prime. "Sentinel was Prime. All of it was on his shoulders. He asked us to come with him during The Fall and we did. He made a deal with Megatron to bring Cybertron to Earth. He was going to use Earth's resources and species to bring Cybertron back to life. I didn't know until we were well under way. As for the camps, they are there. They are or were Shockwave's private hunting ground. I don't know much that happened after we left but we put two and two together. Given that Shockwave wanted complete capitulation and entire control over the population as Megatron's chosen negotiator, it is not too hard to figure out what has happened. The camp infrastructure was in place. It would not take much to enlarge it and its scope."

They sat staring at each other, then Prime nodded nearly imperceptibly. "Dismissed," he said softly.

Contrail sat a moment, the bluster and aggression missing from his persona. Then he stood and turned walking with the guards back to the prison. It was silent a moment as they sat watching him go. Then Prime leaned back. "We have four sites. There must be more. We need intell. We need to send teams."

Ironhide nodded in agreement.

-0-Later that day, elsewhere

They crept through the night heading toward the building they had chosen for the new target. Teams in seven other cities were joining them as well as teams in four other countries. They would plant their bombs, spray their slogans and leave without a trace.

Buildings would blow up, evidence would be near to non existent and the headlines would be the same. "Groups Target Autobots Once Again."

This time they would be groups in London, Paris, Moscow and Buenos Aires as well as Seattle, Washintgon, Dallas, Texas, New York City, Detroit, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois again, Portland, Oregon and Omaha, Nebraska.

-0-In a dining room in the House of Representatives

The seven sat together, a recently elected group dedicated to the future of Earth for humans. They were preparing to issue a letter to Warren Roberts calling for the appearance of the diplomat of the Autobots, Ratchet to appear before their committees to answer questions that needed resolution. Chief among them was the problem of who owned this solar system and all of its planets, moons, assets and space.

Warren would leave for Autobot City to discuss this matter with Prowl, Prime and Ratchet.

-0-Sector 7

Agent Seymour Simmons had winnowed down his list of suspects for the mole that was inhabiting the bureau. He was working every angle, every single possibility. As he did, the mole himself was sitting in his office decrypting another promising block of data that might lead to the possibility of space bridges.

He would do so in an office slash lab that was three doors down from Agent Simmons's own.

-0-***!THE JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW!***

"This is Blaster sitting in for Jazz who will be joining us shortly I hope. He's working on top secret hush-hush stuff for Prime. Or that's what he told me. You never know with Jazz." Blaster grinned, a welcome sight to the endless viewers who watched him on the 'radio' broadcast channel, number 6. Radio shows were simulcast on that channel to allow both listening and viewing choices.

Blaster sat at the main board and opened the program to calls. "This is Blaster. What's on your processor?"

"Blaster, I was wanting to know about something new that everyone is saying is part of Christmas Surprise."

"Alright," Blaster said leaning back with a grin. "What do you want to know?"

"I heard that Santa Prime gave a gift to each youngling and infant himself. Then someone told me that families and friends can give them to each other too. What is the truth? I wasn't here the other times. This is all new to me."

"Both are true. The younglings get a gift from Santa Prime for sure. What happens to others is up to you. It can be anything. I'm giving Revet a present. I won't tell you what it is. But I decided to give him one and one to 'Vette. 'Vette likes a toy called Legos. I had some sent to me from the Requisitions List. I can't wait until he plays with them. He's going to love it."

"Then its optional?"

"Sure," Blaster said with a grin. "It is."

"Thank you, Blaster."

"Don't mention it," Blaster replied toggling off the caller. "This is Blaster," he said toggling on another switch. "What's on your processor?"

"What are you giving Revet, Blaster? I could use ideas," the voice said.

"I would tell ya, Revet but where would be the surprise?" he asked with an enormous smile.

"Slag," Revet said dropping the accent with a grin.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	123. Chapter 123

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 9

-0-Ops Center a little later, Autobot City, Mars

They sat around the table going over the information thus far and as they did it became clear to Prime that they hadn't spoken to an important oft mentioned player yet, one who might give them more information altogether. "I need to speak to Shockwave."

Everyone looked at Prime, then Prowl vented a soft sigh. "That bot won't tell you what you want or need to know."

"He might not but we could consider a profile on his reactions to what we have," Prime said. "The one Jarro and his team prepared about Soundwave is very enlightening." He considered that one as he watched his team ponder the imponderable …

...Some time earlier, after the second meet up with Soundwave

"Thank you, both of you for coming," Prime said as Micca, a profiler and psychologist and Jarro, the Head of Processor Health for Mars sat down in seats across from him. They were in his office, Ratchet, Prowl and Ironhide also present. "What exactly have you deduced about Soundwave?"

Jarro nodded. "Thank you, sir. We have done a full work up on Soundwave drawing on what is factually known and deducing from rumors, facts that are as yet only partially substantiated, comments and observations from colleagues and victims as well as observations by Micca during the meet up. I will begin and Micca will discuss his evaluation of Soundwave from the meet up observation."

Prime nodded and Jarro began. "First of all, sir, we have to determine all the facts possible which we have gleaned short of an interview with Soundwave. This is still an unfinished product due to the nature of this process; that is, not having direct access to the subject and his leadership group. We have gathered the following personal information about him and his person. He is from Kaon, was low caste yet gifted and a determined ambitious student in University at Iacon. His forte was communications which he uses to his advantage both for himself as well as keeping his standing in good stead with Megatron. That will be expanded later.

"He was educated as part of the low caste gifted program that some of us benefited from," Jarro said glancing at Ratchet who nodded. "His family is as yet unknown. He appears to have no personal relationships and is married as it were to his work. He derives a great deal of his personal self worth and all of his status from his work and position in the Decepticon hierarchy. It should be noted that he has a higher status in that organization than a communications officer generally has in Cybertronian military organizations. It would be prudent to conclude that his tendency to wiretap and eavesdrop fueled and fuels still his status as third in command behind Starscream and Shockwave.

"He is in the age range with you, Optimus Prime and has a very great IQ. This information is part of the record and reflects his single-minded attention to what he is involved with excluding extraneous elements that don't serve his purpose to the task at hand.

"His social skills are minimal. He doesn't have friends nor does he try to cultivate them. The only 'relationship' he has is with Megatron and that is very self serving. He is not trusted and doesn't trust. His symbiots however are very dear to him and he takes care of them with great zeal. There have been rumored stories about him killing mechs who cause harm to them but they are only rumors.

"No one likes him because he is felt to be untrustworthy in the extreme. His communications skills are his greatest asset and they are enormously highly developed. He can invade an entire planetary comm system easily and there are literally no places one can hide to have a private conversation that he can't reach. He uses his recorded conversations as blackmail to get what he wants or to hold onto what he has. There are even substantiated accounts where he has sent information to Megatron that caused mechs to be killed or to disappear.

"His signature behaviors, those that he has that power his pursuits appear to be anti-social personality disorder, a lack of empathy for others and an ego that drives him to not only be indispensable to his current master but master himself someday. He is driven to be first but cunning enough to bide his time. He plays on the ego of Megatron and has made himself absolutely indispensable to that mech's functioning by appearing to be above reproach in his personal devotion to both the Cause and to Megatron.

"Underlying this is a pattern of behavior that lends one to conclude that he himself is working to become lord and master of Cybertron. He is making decisions that he knows are contrary to his brief as caretaker and his recent activity with a base off world indicates that he is anticipating a poor reception if Megatron comes back. That action signals weakness and therefore is a chink in his armor that you can exploit. One can only imagine what his support in the army is and he has no air wings now. He showed weakness through that move no matter how necessary he feels it to be to his continued survival.

"He is patient, relentless and ruthless in pursuit of his points and plans. Even the idea of offending Megatron has not tempered his behavior. He is either exhibiting wishful thinking in hoping that Megatron doesn't come back or he is feeling confident that he can make an alliance with you or manipulate you to his advantage against Megatron.

"It is our conclusion that his self belief in maintaining the rebuild and control of Cybertron for his own dominion during Megatron's absence has fed Soundwave's ego to the point where he is taking chances. We do believe that his intention to rebuild Cybertron and bring her people back is sincere. It isn't out of concern for the population. He would like to see our people collected back home again because he would be ruler and all would be back to normal as he would see it. However, it is also tempered by his need to be in control, to have the power, something that has long been his goal in an eternity of obsequious and slavish devotion to his master.

"He is a creature of habit yet can pivot to a point with relative skill, contemptuous of others and willing to sacrifice a lot so that in the end he gets what he wants. He is not trustworthy but can be worked to your favor because of the untenable situation he is in at the moment caught between two intractable forces.

"His tendency to record, to oversee everyone and everything is his greatest weapon and asset. No one is safe. I am quite sure he taped both contacts with you and would not hesitate to use them to some benefit if he could including modifying what happened and was said. His willingness to sabotage his enemies and any potential usurpers has won him no friends. If he were injured in battle, I do not believe he would be rescued by his fellows.

"Given what we know about him, we can make a few predictions. I would also note that this is a very short profile. If we had access to more data and mechs who knew him, it would be more fulsome. The information we are giving you now appears to be the best possible outcome of our studies." He looked at his datapad and continued. "I would conjecture that he is flexible to a degree in what is possible regarding the situation with Megatron. Since his options are limited and he can't count on wide spread support in the troops or civil population, he will be more amenable to suggestions or demands by you, sir, than he would otherwise.

"He is aware of his limitations but I would suggest that he is not fully cognizant of how much you know about them. He is dangerous in a corner but has been devious, sneaky and cautious in his approach to leadership which makes him take the easier of two roads when he has a chance to choose. Given a strong opposition, I would believe he would lose." Jarro nodded to Micca. He picked up his datapad and began.

"I am an observer, sir, trained to study body language, tonal inflections and other physical clues of a subject without their knowledge. From my observations at the time of the meeting, I have drawn the following conclusions about Soundwave as they stand. And mind you, this is one observation."

Prime nodded. "Please continue."

"Soundwave exhibits traits of control and secrecy that are in keeping with a mech whose modus operandi is stealth, sneakiness and backstabbing. He is very good at holding himself together but the tels were there. His affect was rigid physically and stayed that way until he left. He schooled himself very well to appear relaxed but he wasn't. The readings that we got from him through our sensors corroborated this. He is under extreme pressure.

"His concern for Cybertron is genuine. His belief in himself as the only one who can lead Cybertron is genuine. He has a devious nature and even though he came across as confident, he wasn't. He is trying to construct in my opinion a fall back with you. I believe his intention is to create a situation where you and Megatron eliminate each other and he garners the spoils.

"He had very little in his servo to play and that was corroborated by the sensors that read his core as in the red indicating an elevated but highly controlled emotional affect. He is in a state of high stress and is playing a game where he wants you to believe his platform is stronger than it appears. I would say he is somewhat trustworthy in his desire to help you eliminate the threat of Megatron. But beyond that moment, he would be what he is. A dangerous devious foe. Nothing in his affect and commentary, the tone of his rather monotonous mechanical sounding voice and speech patterns indicates strength."

Prime sat a moment, then nodded. "Thank you very much. I appreciate what you have discovered. If you could send a copy to Prowl, I would like to have it for reference."

They beamed at Prime. "It is our very great honor, sir," Jarro said.

...in the here and now

"When would you want this?" Ratchet asked.

"Not today. Not even tomorrow. I want the set up in place to send intel from Cybertron and the outer planets. I want to have a plan in order for three teams. I want one to go hook up with Dai Atlas on Cybertron. I will have a set of objectives for them to achieve, some for future operations. I want two others to explore Falax II and Corvan. They can be delivered and retrieved by bridge on a set time line. Short and swift. I want them informational and deep cover teams, only the best soldiers." He sat back and rolled his helm, the tension popping in his neck. "We don't want to wait too long but we don't want to run in without thinking this through. Stealth matters." He glanced at Ratchet. "You and I will see Shockwave orn after tomorrow. I want things worked out before that. How is the relay coming along?"

Prowl nodded. "Blaster has it in servo. The subspace Seeker relay will be the main conduit. We hope to have high speed sends for Cybertron shortly. Perhaps we can task that to the Cybertron team to alert Dai and the Knights?"

Prime nodded. He looked around the table and grinned. "Make it so," he said to general snickering.

-0-A short time later

Semi sat at the main desk with his clerk nearby setting up for the hearing. Hanging behind him on either side were the flags of Cybertron and the emblem of the Primes. He was in the new courtroom that he held trials, settled disputes and made civil decisions. This was the same court he ran cases as Magistrate. A petit jury box was on his right side and the witness platform on his left. Seating for spectators filled the section in front of him behind tables where the defense and attorneys for the state would sit. It was all good.

Mechs began to filter inside the room including Ratchet, Jericho and Gypsy. They sat in the audience seating chatting as Steelshaft, a lawyer specializing in representing under-aged Cybertronians walked in and sat at the defense table. Highrode entered next and paused by him chuckling over something, then sat at the other table. More mechs came inside, then Summit and the two unaccompanied femmes that had been held in protective custody.

Starscream wandered in along with Silverclaw, his staff of office as Elder of the Mountain Clan near Vos in his massive servo. He sat and so did Starscream. Laying his staff on the floor next to him, he turned to whisper to Starscream as they waited. When it was clear that everyone was present, Semi called the hearing to order.

"Please stand," his clerk said. All did. "Do you hereby agree to abide by the etiquette such proceedings require and comport yourself with dignity?"

All agreed and everyone sat. Semi looked at the case datapad, then Steelshaft who sat with the two younglings. "Steelshaft, you are here to represent the two younglings at issue?"

"Yes, sir," Steelshaft said nodding respectfully.

Semi looked at Highrode. "Highrode, are you here to represent the interests of the state as embodied by the Prime of Cybertron and Mars, Optimus Prime?"

"Yes, sir," Highrode said nodding respectfully.

"Very well," Semi said looking at his datapad. "Let me clarify that everyone with an abiding interest is here. "Starscream and Silverclaw, you are here to represent the interests of the Seekerkin in relation to the youngling, Aurora?"

"Yes, we are, your honor," Starscream said. They both nodded.

"I am going to name off those here to provide expert testimony. Ratchet and Gypsy for medical, Comber for processor health," he said looking toward a tall kindly looking young mech. Comber nodded respectfully. "We also have Jericho from Protective Services as caseworker for the femmes, Summit who is their guardian-on-duty and Herling for education and social development."

They all nodded and indicated their presence. Semi sat back. "Then consider this proceedings open. I would like to start with the basic information about these two younglings. Please begin, Jericho."

That mech nodded and began. "Aurora is a femme with a background with family. She is skilled in medicine as her atar was a healer in the numerous settlements where they lived. She was separated from family and wandered until getting into the migration. She was part of the hostage group by the way," he said looking up. "She is rather mature for her age, a circumstance of her life experiences. She is the younger of the two femmes before us.

"Inspire also known as Inspiration is an orphan as far as can be determined, a rescue from servitude. She is from a traditional family who stressed traditional arts including music and dance. She isn't clear on her city-state, perhaps Chrystal City. Aurora draws a blank on a lot of things given a hard life and events therein. Perhaps time and recuperation will give us more. Inspire is older, Aurora is younger. They are both well mannered. Inspire appears to be the quieter and shyer of the two. These are the basic facts to begin with although more can follow as determined."

Semi nodded. "Gypsy, I am to understand that you did the rundown of their physical well being?"

She nodded and walked to the podium where witnesses testified. Stepping up on a step stool left there for smaller bots, she began.

"It would appear that our younglings are in good shape overall. There is only the smallest indication of protoform wasting in Inspire which is borne out by her more hardscrabble life. Both of them appear to be unmolested, ie, no physical harm or indications of old abuse or newer healed injury. They are sound in construction, if a bit on the small side due to an unhealthy and sometimes scant nutritional scheme in their early years.

"Both show strong potential to rebuild their deficits. Both are helpful and bright. I would also say that given all the data we collected in a long physical examination, given consultation with Ratchet and our primary care staff as well as Comber, I would state for the record that neither of these femmes met the state mandated criteria for sub-adult status and emancipation. Neither of them are out of their intermediate youngling stage."

It was silent a moment, then the two femmes glanced at each other with worried optics.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) The two femmes are the creations and belong to Kaekokat. :D


	124. Chapter 124

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 10

-0-Later in Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"You look pensive."

He glanced up and grinned slightly. "I have a lot of things on my processor," he replied quietly.

Prowl nodded, sitting across from Optimus. "You can share the load."

"You always carry yours and two others," Optimus replied.

"Its about Shockwave," Prowl offered.

He nodded, then leaned forward on his elbows. "I have an idea about him," he began. They leaned closely and talked quietly for a half hour before Prowl rose and began to make it so.

-0-At the Hearing in the Magistrate's Court

"I am going to speak to you of the processor status of the femmes. Both are at the relative age mentioned by Gypsy but they are in some ways more mature than their age merely because of circumstance. At the same time, they are less mature than others their age for the same reason. They can manage a lot of things that pertain to their upkeep and work as lived on their own. But they don't have a lot of information about what they should be doing or how they should be at their age. That part got skipped over which is common for many of our refugee younglings.

"They have some education, Aurora in particular but need to go to school and receive remedial as well as formal instruction in all the content areas. They are not well informed about Cybertron or what it means to live in a Cybertronian society. Overall processor health is good considering their life so far. I would recommend that they be placed into mentoring families, attend school until they reach the level of sub-adult and can formally apply for emancipation. I would also recommend counseling for both of them to help them process the events of their life, some of which aren't good," Comber said. "I would assign them to a counselor through our office and assign the management of this part of their rehabilitation to their caseworker, Jericho who I suggest stays with the younglings in that capacity through to sub-adulthood."

"Thank you, Comber. I have your full report," Semi said nodding. He looked at Herling. "Sir, if you would explain what you know and will do for these femmes."

Herling nodded and rose walking to the podium. He looked at his datapad. "We forwarded you our findings," he said. Semi nodded. "We have done extensive testing of the two femmes and find that they are competent in rudimentary reading, writing and mathematics. There are entire curriculums that are deficient in their databases that need remediation. They are good candidates for the Youngling Intermediate School in one of the three refugee classrooms where all our deficient students begin. As they progress, they can move into other placements in the school.

"We feel that they will do well in a structured setting coupled with counseling which all our high risk students receive. These are both high risk individuals due to their background and experiences. I fully believe that they will do fine with adequate instruction and support. Their have normal PQ's … processor quotients and therefore should catch up fairly quickly. I don't see anything in their visual, auditory or mental acuities that should be much of a problem. Therefore I am registering them in the Intermediate School and will supervise their placement in the propoer classroom following the end of this hearing."

"Thank you, Herling. I have read your report. It appears promising," Semi said.

He nodded. "Some of the skills they know are advanced and when the time comes if they wish to continue to explore them I would arrange it but for now I am suggesting that their focus be on remediating the deficiencies in their intellectual databases. That is the most glaring feature of this situation as we have studied it."

Semi nodded and Herling stepped down walking to sit again.  
"Jericho, do you and Summit have anything to add?" he asked.

"We are prepared to support the two until they get on their peds," Summit said. Jericho nodded. "I will be happy to manage the case until emancipation or a review of their status and placements make Protective Services unnecessary," he said.

"Very well. Thank you," Semi said. He studied a number of things a moment, then glanced at Starscream and Silverclaw. "I would have you speak to this matter, gentlemen."

They both nodded and rose, Starscream giving way for Silverclaw who was higher status as a clan leader and an Elder. When they stood before the judge, Silverclaw began. "We are here to seek primary custody of the femme, Aurora. We do have rights and privileges over the youth and infants of our kin. Since this femme is without a family, we are seeking the right to place her among our own. We take responsibility for her, to help her understand who and what she is and to ensure that she undertakes an education and whatever support is provided to help her. We do not take this lightly and ask the court to grant our petition." He nodded his helm in respect. Semi nodded his. Then he looked at Starscream. That big mech glanced at Silverclaw, then spoke. "We do not take lightly our responsibilities to our young," he began. "We protect and raise them within the culture of our clans and we petition to do so with this femme.

"We have infants in families outside of the Seekerkin that are doing well. I have no reservations about Sunspot at all. This femme however is an unknown entity and therefore we feel a much deeper need to ensure that she understands who and what she is as well as grows up to be an asset to our community. To place her outside of the Seekerkin is to ensure that this doesn't happen. We are aware that the court is aware of our standing in issues involving Seekerlings and will therefore grant our petition."

Semi nodded. "I am aware and I grant it."

The two big Seekers nodded and turned walking to sit once more. "Jericho, I am sure you have consulted the orphan mentor/guardianship list to find suitable placements for the femmes?"

Jericho nodded. "I have. I have chosen for Aurora to place her with Red Wing and his bond. He is the field operations commander for all battle flights for the air wing. He is very responsible, a dedicated atar to his own three hatchlings and has expressed willingness to take in Aurora.

"As for Inspire, there are two families that have offered to be her mentor. One of them is Copper and his bond, Gearshift. They know parenting because they have a sparkling. The other bond that has offered to be a fall back placement is Jetta and Elita-1. They don't have sparklings or younglings but Elita is a femme and Jetta is a conscientious individual as all of us know."

"Who do you recommend?" Semi asked.

"Copper's family. They have a child and a more ready made family," Jericho said nodding. "They are both civilians with a less sketchy ornly schedule rather than Jetta and Elita who are soldiers and therefore are on call at all times of the orn and night."

"Very well," Semi said making notes. He looked at the femmes. "This may be bewildering for you, younglings but we take good care of our infants. You aren't old enough to live alone. On the other servo, you need good homes. We have chosen wonderful families for you to live with. You will both be in the same classes at school and offered assistance as long as you require it. Enjoy the city. Be a part of your family. Christmas Surprise is coming. It is a good time for younglings. I know you may not feel completely calm about circumstances but it will work out I assure you. This is a good place for you." He looked at Jericho. "Will you take care of the next steps and let me know if the court can be helpful?"

He nodded so Semi sat back. "The disposition of the underage femmes, Aurora and Inspire is now finalized with the usual reservations made should genitors or other family appear in future to exercise their familial rights. The case is closed until further notice. Thank you, all for your effort and interest. The court is now in recess." He stood and smiled, walking to speak to Steelshaft and the younglings. They would speak for several minutes, both femmes asking questions.

As they did a big red Seeker appeared in the doorway with another. They stood with Silverclaw and Starscream until introduced to their ward. Copper and Gearshift arrived about the same time. They applied their glyphs to datapads sealing their commitments, then all of them turned with their femme in tow as the courtroom cleared for the next case.

A previously drunken youngling suffering extreme mortification with a suitably angry pair of genitors wandered into the courtroom with their lawyer to sit and wait for the music.

-0-Nearby

"**O!"**

Orion paused and looked over his shoulder. Praxus was standing behind him grinning. Orion grinned and turned holding out his shovel. Praxus looked at it, then reached capsizing the overly large spoon and its load of sand. They both looked at it, then Orion climbed out of the sandbox. Staring down at the sand on the rug, he looked at his brother who looked at him with an incredulous expression. "Pax. Me?" Orion asked pointing at the sand.

"O," Praxus said pointing too. "O, Pax me."

Orion considered that, then leaned down gripping a fistful of sand. He turned to carry it to the box but by the time he reached it all of the grains had fallen to the ground. He looked at his empty servo. Turning, fixing a gaze on his brother he blinked. "Pax. All it."

Praxus unaware of what Orion was saying but delighted to have a chat nodded. "O. O good."

Orion smiled and walked back pausing long enough to kiss Praxus's cheek. Then he bent and tried to carry sand again with the same result. Praxus walked over and bent down scrutinizing Orion's servo. "O, no. O, good. O, me."

Orion looking intently at his brother nodded, "Pax, good. Help me." They walked back and bent down grabbing a fistful of sand. The same outcome was the result of their do-gooding. Both stared at their servos and each other.

Nearby sitting on a couch, Roto and Nova watched. "I could watch this all day," Nova said.

"You and me both," Roto said with a grin.

"I think Pax has more new words," Nova said with a grin.

"I agree," Roto said.

It would go on like that until snack time.

-0-***!JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW!***

"So you see, Jazz, Revet thinks I was separated yesterday," Blaster said with a chuckle.

Jazz snickered. "I know you weren't. You're almost as old as Ratchet."

"No one's that old. Maybe Ironhide and Unicron but not me," Blaster said cuing up a call.

"You're going to be sorry you said that, Blaster," Jazz said opening the lines. "This is the Jazz. What's on your processor?"

"**OLD AS UNICRON!?"**

"Hi, Ratchet," Jazz said. He turned and grinned at Blaster. "I think this one is for you."

-0-In the mall

Payload walked to the Jewel Box and entered pausing to look for someone. The mech behind the counter was helping someone else so he waited. When he was finished, Payload walked to the clerk and smiled nervously. "I'm Payload. I'm here to pick up my bond's present."

The clerk nodded with a grin and looked in the back room for the box Payload had ordered for Caro. When he came out he showed all the features to the big mech. It was carved amber colored stone with a poem expressing undying love and devotion etched into the sides and top in a very romantic script font that high castes often used on similar offerings on Cybertron. That he could give one to his bond was almost more than he could manage. "Can it come in a box or something so Caro won't see what it is?"

The clerk smiled and nodded. Pulling a shimmering silver bag out of a stack of aluminum-like shiny bags, he slipped the gift inside and drew the strings tightly. "There you go, Payload. Perfection. Caro is going to love this on Christmas Surprise orn."

"Thanks. I can't wait myself," Payload said taking it with great care. He slipped it into his subspace and with a profuse thank you, he turned walking out to the Labor Hall for his study group. Night classes from the Tech Center would be ending just before Christmas Surprise for the semester. The time he would have he could give to Caro and Mars, his son. Things were truly looking up as he walked to the subway station nearby to catch a train to the Hall.

As Payload walked down the steps to the platform below, Caro hurried out of City Hall on his break to go to the mall and RTR Tools. He would pick up the set of measuring tools that he had ordered for Caro and Christmas Surprise the moment RTR opened. By the time Caro tucked them into subspace and hurried back to the office, Payload would be immersed in his studies with his friends.

All would be good.

-0-In Prime's Office

They came in at short notice taking seats. Prime grinned at them and considered his proposition. Neo, Vraz, Templar, Gravitas and Eronus sat looking at him with curiosity. He had asked for their help and they had dropped everything to hurry over to do so. Prime leaned forward. "I am in dire need of your services, friends. I would like you to assist me in a charade," he said with a grin.

They glanced at each other, then looked at him. "What do you want us to do, Optimus?" Gravitas asked with all his spark.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) I made a change in the families mentoring the femmes. This story is so big I forgot a couple of things. I changed to Gearshift and corrected Red Wing's family. :D I need a secretary! LOL!


	125. Chapter 125

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 10: Five Orns Before Christmas Surprise

-0-Later that night

"How did this sparkling get sand in his keister?"

Ironhide looked up from his datapad 'Skype' with his Ada. "What?"

"This sparkling and that one there," Ratchet said pointing to Praxus who was building a small 'house' out of stone blocks Ironhide had been making on the side. They were all shapes, sizes and types of stone covered in glyphs added by his atar, just like the ones Blackjack had made for Ironhide at the same age. They were among the favorite toys of the infants. "They have sand in their armor."

"Roto told me," Ironhide said turning the datapad so that Alor could watch from his duty at Fort Apache. "They were playing in the sandbox."

"How are my perfect little babies?" Alor asked from the screen. Two little helms popped up looking around.

"**ADA! WHERE HE!?**" Orion asked as he hung upside down in Ratchet's servo.

Ratchet grinned handing Orion to Ironhide. "Enjoy."

The two sat together as Orion kissed the image on the pad and began to babble about his orn as Praxus toddled over to join him. Ratchet grinned and walked outside stepping in next door. "What's up?" he asked.

Ravie looked up from his datapad and smiled. "Ratchet."

Ratchet kissed his ada's helm and sat looking at the datapad. "What are you doing here, Ada?"

Tie Down who was sitting on the couch grinned. "We're making toys for the babies."

"Ah," Ratchet said. "Just like you did for me from scrap metal."

"We did. We didn't have anything much but we did make you tool kits and little vehicles. You always were a clever little mech, son and so good with your little toys. You shared so well."

"Came from good stock," Ratchet said with a grin. "We are having a big party for Christmas Surprise at our apartment and everyone is invited. We are having the family over before to eat and all kinds of folks coming for drinks and finger food later. Rampage is catering that part. I don't want to do more than say hello and hand out hooch."

"Sounds like fun," Ravel said glancing at Tie Down. "Doesn't that sound like fun, Tie?"

They both grinned at Ravel.

-0-At IntraComm

Blaster took his dinner and sat on a box nearby eating, Revet and 'Vette joining him. Construction was well underway as they worked to make the set of the greatest production they would undertake at the facility. They sat chatting together, all of them watching as the shifts of workers did their magic.

-0-At Club Cybertron

Jazz and Mirage ate their dinner and sipped their drinks as they unwound from a long orn. Mirage had just returned from duty on Io and would be off for three orns before rotating into the regular shift. They had plans to attend several parties on Christmas Surprise night. It was going to be glorious.

-0-At the teacher meeting at the schools

"And so we will be having the program presentations at the air field just like before. All of the classes will come out together in lines taking their places on the tarmac. The Night Watch will hold a nice space for us up front so that we can have easy access to the stage. The program is on your datapads." They all looked at them as Herling continued. "We will come out and line up. Optimus will introduce us and say a few words to the newbies. Then I will come and speak. When I'm through babbling, we will begin with the youngling plays, the stories from the older younglings, songs, then readings as before. When that is over, there will be a student explain what Christmas Surprise is for us and how it came about. We will then surprise the humans, especially the femmes who started this with a gift. Then there will be a concluding song by a youngling still to be chosen. At that point, Sciences will do fireworks. Everyone will leave and the parties will begin."

"The gifts from Santa Prime will be when and where given the number of younglings and infants we have now?" Roto asked glancing up from his notes.

"He and his 'elves' are coming to the classrooms. The Genitor-Teacher Committee has decided to provide treats and drinks to the classrooms for parties."

"Sunstreaker?" Roto asked with a grin.

"Is there any other?" Herling replied with a chuckle. "The dismissal will be for the weekend. All but the most necessary processes and businesses will be closed for families and individuals to enjoy the fun." He grinned. "I am getting to really love this holiday."

There wasn't one word of disagreement in the room.

-0-At the Residence of the Prime

Optimus lay on his stomach on the floor, four little mechs lying on each side. Before them was a big datapad with images. He was reading to his own three and Sunspot. "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring. Not even a mouse."

Sitting nearby recording the moment, Prowl felt a peace he had searched for all his life. Watching them all, holding Miracle in his lap, Miler felt something he had never felt before. Absolute contentment. Venture who was making 'cookies' in the kitchen listened to the story with a great happiness. The room was darkened. Lights blinked and filled the space with beauty as the city and air field contributed their share.

It was a perfect moment he thought as he stirred a concoction that was Prowl's favorite as a child. Sometimes miracles really did happen.

-0-Around the city

"What are you doing, Payload? Do you need help?" Caro asked through the door of the little office in their apartment.

Payload paused, looking around for a place to hide his present. "No, Only One. I'll be out in a moment."

"Okay," Caro said turning and halting. He had a present he needed to hide and Payload was in the place where the best hidey-holes were. "I think we can take care of Mars's presents when you come out. He's in his crib."

Payload stowed his present and rose walking to the door. He opened it and stepped out with a grin. "This is going to be awesome. Where are they, Carie?"

His bond smiled and nodded to the kitchen where a number of children's toys were stacked on the table. Different colored shining bags were also there so they spent time looking at each toy and figuring out how it worked before stowing it in the bag it was best suited for. When that was done, they put them around the little Christmas Surprise tree that their son had gotten from the Sparkling Day School the year before. It was wonderful. They stood a while holding servos talking about their life and enjoying the lights on the windows as they sparkled.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

They walked on their beat, the last one before the weekend chatting about this and that. It was relatively quiet unlike the two orn holiday called for Christmas Surprise was likely to become in five orns. The two orns would allow family time and they considered the number of inebriated younglings they would have to tow to the brig.

"This holiday is pretty and I like it. The younglings are so happy," Drift said with a grin.

"I like it too. Did you get me something?" Springer asked with a grin as he glanced at his bond.

"Maybe," Drift said. "Did you get me something?"

"Maybe," Springer said.

They walked along to the Tower District and the long leisurely stroll back to Metroplex District.

/... slag. I getter get him something.../ -both of them

The night would pass by with very few interruptions of the peace.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

"How does this work?"

"You put things on it. They hang and look pretty. It already has lights."

"I see."

"You don't really do you?"

"Not really."

"Let me do it."

"Honestly, its pretty but it seems strange to decorate an organic plant with lights and baubles. I can see how its pretty for the younglings but its odd."

"Everything is odd for you, Dirge." Ramjet looked at him for a moment. "This bigger tree is for us."

"It dwarfs the infant's little tree."

"That one is a starter tree. This is the real thing," Ramjet said as he put a lighted ball on the top. It bent slightly over. They both looked at it.

"This is harder than it looks," Dirge said with the ghost of a smile.

Ramjet merely nodded.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

They finished dinner and walked to the living room putting Fifi on the floor. They turned and began to decorate the apartment with their usual flair. They were legendary for their parties, their homes salons for the intelligentsia and power elites of Cybertron and beyond. Now they were preparing for an open house party that would have a greater range of individuals than they even knew existed before.

Neo and Laret would enjoy it more than any they ever held or participated in before. Gravitas, Eronus, Vraz, Templar, Alpha Trion, the priests and half the genitors of their school along with colleagues were among the honored guests.

It would be spectacular.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

"This high?"

"I think so, Ada," Silverbow said as she gauged the material for a project that she was trying to make. Hound was holding it up as Trailbreaker sat nearby, Rebel standing beside the chair watching with big optics.

Silverbow was having a 'party' and needed to make a tent for her room that would resemble a pavilion. It would require a covering that looked like one she had seen in a book, extra tables and chairs for her girlfriends and boyfriends and special foods and drinks that she had ordered directly from Rampage.

"What can I do for you, Missy?" Rampage said as he knelt down. The little femme had come to The Energon Basket to work on the food part of her little soiree.

Silverbow looked at him with big optics. He was a famous cook and she was going to be able to get her stuff from him. Her genitors had said they would help her. She stood clutching her list staring up at him shyly. Her protoform wasting was in full arrest. Now it would be treated differently. Accelerated supplements would be eased into her diet and they would stimulate the structure of her internal exoskeleton to replace anything that was too thin, depleted or missing. She was still figuratively too thin, her legs and arms showing it the most but she was rallying much to the almost too intense relief of her genitors. "I'm having a party," she said warming to the idea as she spoke. "I am having a real tent in my house," she said with a smile.

Rampage grinned glancing up at Hound and Trailbreaker. "Then the food and drinks had better be awesome." They worked together a moment making and refining the order.

The food and drink would be awesome.

-0-On the air field at the same time

A huge area had been cleared, all of the boxes and parked vehicles moved for the duration. Workers from the Construction and Electrician's unions were there building a platform for the school programs that would be able to be seen by tens and even hundreds of thousands of individuals. There were monitors being wired to be rolled out around the edges of the audience area. They would carry the broadcast. IntraComm would coordinate the sound and images. They would also record the entire event.

Standing nearby on their segways, scientists, filmmakers and soldiers watched.

:This is absolutely amazing: Sheila Conroy said shaking her head. :This is what is called cultural contamination or cross pollination. I consider it the best kind:

:What you said: Leonora said with a smile. :I can't wait for Christmas. Santa Prime:

Epps grinned. :You and the rest of us. I hear that Ironhide and Jazz are going to be elves again this year:

It was silent among the group as they savored that bit of sublime news.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

They gathered on the air field at Diego Garcia. All of them were finally at the same place waiting for Silverbolt to land and take them to Christmas with friends on the next planet over. Lonnie Epps and the kids, Sarah Lennox and Annabelle, Linda Graham and Barbara Morshower stood talking together, their face masks hanging from their belts. The General, Colonel and Mrs Fulton along with Warren Roberts and his staff were walking toward them from the Administration Building. As they did, the beloved army and air force femmes ran from the Embassy with gear in hand. They would all converge together and board Silverbolt for the short ride to another world altogether.

Another world in more ways than one.

As they did, forces in politics, forces in terror and forces for unity continued to work their way forward. But that was for another day altogether.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	126. Chapter 126

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 12

-0-Around town

Barricade sat in the bar, Stiletto by his side. The bar was filled as the dinner crowd spilled out of the dining room and into the bar. A football game from America was on the monitor screens and there was a murmur of commentary by mechs who watched it. The bartender was laughing at a joke by an elder and around the room waiters delivered drinks and food to customers.

They watched as Scorponok entered walking to their table to sit. He didn't speak and neither did they. It would be like most other nights. Mechs would come and go, friends and families gathering together for dinner and conversation. They would watch. They wouldn't participate.

"Christmas Surprise is going to happen in about five orns," Scorponok said quietly. "There's a big program out on the air field. Most of the city is expected and there's supposed to be fireworks. Good fireworks."

Barricade nodded. "Wheeljack and Perceptor stage them. Slaggers do a good job."

Scorponok nodded. "I hope we can watch."

No one argued with him. The game played on overhead.

-0-In the bosom of love

"Ironhide, he's under the table."

Ironhide peered around the corner and spotted his quarry who was standing under the table clutching a dollie tightly. He was quivering with excitement as he peeped out watching his atar stalk him.

It was bath time. It would happen tonight and spare the morning.

"Orion, come to me and lets get this over," Ironhide said making a fake stern expression on his face.

Orion used to his old pa faking irritation laughed. **"ATAR! YOU FUNNY!"**

Ratchet paused and looked at Ironhide whose optics were twirling. "Sparkling has new words."

Praxus slipped between Ironhide's legs and ran for the table screeching in barely contained hysteria. He made it and grabbed his brother, the two turning to watch with extreme excitement.

"You're losing your touch, Ironhide. The sparklings are squirting out of your clutches," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"**ADA! ATAR FUNNY! ATAR, I GO! YOU FUNNY!"** Orion said. He cackled like a rooster and grinned as he stepped in front of Praxus protectively. Praxus denied a view patted Orion. **"O! YOU!"**

Orion turned and looked at his brother. **"PAX! I ME! YOU?"**

Praxus considered that and laughed. **"BAI! TWEET! O!"**

Orion snorted and laughed. **"PAX! YOU FUNNY!" **

Praxus laughed and reached out grabbing Orion. They hugged, the two nearly toppling over. Then they turned to look at Ratchet and Ironhide. **"ADA! ADA AND ATAR FUNNY! I ME! YOU, PAX! PAX FUNNY! POT!"**

For a moment Ratchet and Ironhide stood transfixed, then Sunspot stepped out of his room, his homework in servo. "Did someone call me?" he asked.

"Your brother," Ironhide said with a dazzled grin.

Sunspot smiled and walked to the table peering underneath. "Hi."

The two little babies squeed and hugged themselves in their excitement. "**POT! COME ME! COME PAX AND ME!"**

Sunspot put his datapad on the table and crawled underneath turning to kneel and face outward again. Ratchet snorted. "You are a good brother, Sunspot. Did I tell you that lately?"

"You did," he said with a grin.

"Well you are," Ratchet said. "You two sparklings. Come out from under there."

Praxus shrieked with excitement. He turned and hugged Sunspot, clinging to him as he looked at his genitors. **"POT ME!"**

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "What now? Do we send in the Wreckers or do you go in alone?"

"I think I'll just watch a while," Ironhide said with a grin.

-0-Nearby in another tower

He sat at the table putting together the little ship, a model of an Ark. It had a lot of parts but was the center of a mobile that would hang over his daughter's little crib. Beju loved ships and they often took walks around the air field as a family looking at them.

His daughter was a petite femme even for her frame type. It also didn't add to any type of perspective that her massive father liked to carry her about finding in the compliments of others an almost unbelievable amount of happiness. She was tiny and extremely pretty. They had designed her frame to be dazzling. Her scheme was emerald green with shimmering blue highlights. She had the most petite finials and beautiful yellow optics.

He had had no idea of what constituted a protoform. That part of his memory was so banked in bullshit and time past that he decided to let Arlot make most of the decisions.

That didn't go so well.

"Scar, you need to have a say in this. This is going to be your daughter. You have a chance to help her here."

Scar had capitulated, studied the protoform database and helped Arlot develop their daughter. She was luminously beautiful to him. She was spectacular, wondrous, perfection. He had never been so afraid as he was during her separation but when he saw her sparkling beauty held in Cleeri's servos he had felt so much love he could barely contain it.

Arlot had insisted that he hold her first. They had sat on the medberth looking at her looking at them from the middle of a soft blanket. That first night had been anxious for him but Arlot, ever his rock had helped him. Talks with Nitro and Ironhide had been extremely helpful as well. Some day his daughter would be in school and he would attend every single event that she was part of even if he had to crawl there on his broken legs.

Sitting at the table with the pieces of her little mobile laying neatly before him, he worked to make it perfect. Standing in a doorway nearby, the warm lights of the tiny tree they got at The Infant Center and the window light strands giving off a soft warm glow, Arlot watched him.

Scar was a self admitted 'grizzled old town car' who had no time for emotional stuff or sentimentality. He had changed of course once they met. It was a blind date arranged by friends. Scar had been adorable, ill at ease and tongue tied around someone 'who had a lot of class and education'. Arlot decided they were meant for each other. The hard part was convincing Scar that this was so. When he finally figured it out he was changed down deep inside.

He also began to make appointments to speak to Prime.

Now he was a father, a bond, a construction boss attending night school to improve himself and a leader of mechs. He was a soldier as well on the side of the Autobots, following the leader that he respected, serving the city that he loved and called home.

It was all good.

Arlot walked out and sat down looking at the Ark Scar was nearly finished with. Tinier Arks were waiting to be assembled before getting strung and hung up over their daughter's bed. He grinned. "This is very cute."

"She loves ships," Scar said with a grin.

"She does," Arlot said. "we have a few parties to go to on Christmas Surprise day."

"I saw the note on the fridge," Scar said with a grin. "Its going to be a great day. Santa Prime is going to be giving presents to the babies that aren't in school over at the Elder's Center at the Vos Tower that morning. I'm cutting off the shift a couple of joors before so we can go."

"I have the camera," Arlot said grinning. "I want to have a picture of both of you with him."

Scar snorted. "We'll see," he said with a grin.

They sat together working on the mobile as the night grew darker and the lights outside came on one by one.

-0-At the Mall of Metroplex

He walked to The Book Store Metroplex and entered pausing by the door. Spotting the clerk, he walked to the desk and waited for him to finish with a customer. The clerk turned to him and smiled. "Can I help you?"

"I was hoping to get a copy of 'Wreckers: Declassified'," he said with a grin.

The clerk nodded. "We have several versions of that work. We have it on data format that you can download into your personal database or a device. We have it on datapad with commentaries. We also have it on a new experimental format which uses metal sheets for pages with the glyphs inscribed on it, the pictures presented in the same way. You turn the pages like a book. You know, like the humans have but these are metallic, never wear out and are beautifully inscribed."

"That format sounds great. Can I look at it?" he asked.

The clerk nodded and turned walking to the shelves nearby to search. When he found it, he returned and held it out to Drift. The book itself was a beautiful creation with etched and engraved covers. The pages were intensely thin sheets of metal upon which were inscribed the tales of the Wreckers as presented by Ironfist under the pseudonym Fisitron. The book was a work of art. He nodded. "This is perfect."

The clerk agreed and pulling out a beautiful box from under the counter. He took the book and put it inside placing the lid over it. Taking a shimmering silver bag, he slipped it inside and handed it to Drift. "Happy Christmas Surprise," the clerk said.

"You too," Drift said with a small grin. He tucked the gift into his subspace and turned walking out for duty. Gotcha, he thought as he walked out of the big mall and down to street to the substation where he would meet Springer for their shift.

-0-At IntraComm

The set was going up to perfection. The historian from the museum had been part of the project along with Alpha Trion and the former members of the Council of the Ancients. Blaster supervised the sound system and the placement of all of the electronics. When that was in servo, he left for the night.

The walk home was swift and the warmth of his family delightful as he stepped inside his apartment. 'Vette was in bed asleep but Revet was up waiting for him, The Hourly News playing softly as Revet worked on his own projects as head of the team filming Christmas Surprise, a broadcast that would be city wide, last for two orns and be archived.

Most of it would be automated but some of it required crews. When it was in servo, Revet would be free.

To help Blaster.

Yes, he was that dedicated.

"Hi," the small former Decepticon said as Blaster sat down beside him.

"Hi," Blaster said with a grin. They would sit to watch the news, chat and enjoy the lights. It would be peaceful, the quiet before the broadcast storm.

-0-The Hourly News

"Tomorrow, the weather looks calm, the sandstorms of the north giving a pale orange tinge to the sky. But the overall affect will be short lived according to Fortress Maximus Flight Control. Their meteorologist says that the storm programming being tested in the north has caused a 27% drop in particulates in the upper atmosphere already. When the beta testing is done, Sciences says that they will be ready for the fall sandstorm season. That will be welcome news for all of us," Gen-O said as the images of sandstorms played out behind him on the giant monitors of the studio. "In other news today, the festivities are gearing up for Christmas Surprise. Jacx and Lim-Lee have been about the city checking up on the preparations for a two orn city-wide holiday."

(Cut to the Autobot City Business Plaza and Jacx)

"This is Jacx at The Energon Basket in the Autobot City Business Plaza and I am speaking with Rampage who is catering some of the official and private parties that will be held all over the city during Christmas Surprise. What can you tell us about them?"

Rampage grinned slightly. "We are going to be catering about 324 parties throughout the city, many of them buffets in the 17 rec rooms that dot the city. We have also been asked to cater private affairs as well as a couple of official ones. Our students in food service will be doing everything from delivering finished meals to cooking on site. This is a way for our students to work in a real situation and get experience in the service industry. It has also been our good fortune to supply treats and drinks to the schools for their parties on the last orn of school before the vacation. Sunstreaker and the Genitor-Teacher Committee have asked us to do that and we are delighted to accommodate them."

"What are some of the parties you are looking forward to working, Rampage? Any that are extra special?" Jacx asked.

"There is one. A little femme has party in a tent in her bedroom. She's inviting her friends and she wants to have a particular kind of food and drink so we're doing it for Silverbow," Rampage said with a grin. "That is my favorite of all the parties that we are doing this season."

Jacx nodded. "Thank you, Rampage. This is Jacx at The Energon Basket. Now back to the studio."

-0-At that same time

"They said my name! My party is on the teevee," Silverbow said with almost more astonishment than she could contain. She had paused on her way to bed upon hearing Rampage being introduced. She turned to Hound and Trailbreaker. "I was on the teevee!"

They both looked down at her and grinned. "You were," Hound said scooping her up. "You sure were." They turned and walked to the berthrooms with Silverbow and Rebel in arms.

-0-At the Residence of the Prime

Prowl gathered them up for bed and disappeared down the hallway, Miracle toddling along with the rest of the younglings. It was a slow progress but they disappeared eventually. Optimus watched them go with a grin, then turned and walked to the doorway that led to the terrace. He stepped out and paused looking around. The city was beautiful, lights shown from many windows including colored ones. Aircraft came and went, flying into the night as well as landing.

It was peaceful and beautiful.

In one orn they would wake up Shockwave and find out what he knew. They would squeeze it out of him if it was the last thing he could do. Then they would turn back to the light and their third Christmas Surprise. The sound of Silverbolt landing caught his attention and he watched as the ramp came down. The humans were gathered at the bottom waiting for their families who were coming for the holidays. Warren Roberts and his staff would be there too along with the femmes.

He was glad. There had to be happiness. There was a lot to worry about. There were also signs of a very big migration heading their way. They had also found out that the aliens who controlled the acid monsters were showing up on the far arrays. That didn't count the politicians who wanted a piece of Ratchet, the Family, the Sector 7 mole and other things.

But that was for later. Right now he thought as Prowl walked out to join him there was only this moment and this night. He slipped his arm around Prowl and they stood together enjoying the beauty of the night in their city.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) Happy None Armageddon, my dear hearts! What a hoot 12-21-12 has been. **HUGS!**


	127. Chapter 127

Note: I took a nap yesterday and woke up today. Tired is an understatement. It has been -24 degrees here for weeks and it just broke. Its about 9-12 above zero. **HUZZAH!** When there is a change like that, all you want to do is sleep for a day. Now, on with the show.

-0-The morning of the next day

Ratchet walked into Ops Center followed by Ironhide. The principles of the plan to revive Shockwave were gathering. Prime intended to find out what could be had of the location of camps and prisons as well as any other information possible. Shockwave was going to be a hard nut to crack but they were ready to try.

The group gathered around the center table included the former members of the High Council, the priests and Alpha Trion. Others were waiting in the conference room nearby but they were the muscle, the techs and other necessary but ultimately invisible players. More would take part but they were already at the site having been briefed on their roles.

Prime told them what he needed, took questions and answered them. The possibilities were always slim but one never knew until they tried. When everyone called were clear about the plan they were dismissed to go and they did. They had one joor before reporting so they left to do what they required until then.

Prime turned and nodded to the others. They followed him into the conference room and the door closed. It would stay that way for a joor before opening, grim-faced soldiers, techs and others streaming out to do this thing they were doing. Prime would follow them with Ratchet, Prowl and Ironhide. They would all meet up later.

-0-Outside

They gathered to clear the streets closing down the highways going here and there. The procession would take the back road to the destination, driving on flatbed with their quarry, mechs with arms on all side of the truck walking along with them.

The quiet of the streets was strange, the missing group of elders that played games in the courtyard another miss. The military had taken over and it was buttoned down tightly. It would stay that way until things were over.

-0-Outside Ops Center

Prime stood inside talking to Mirage and Jazz going over the process once more. Blaster who would record the entire event listened as well. When Prime was finished he turned and with Prowl in tow walked out into the empty rec room. It was cleared but for the platoon of Wreckers and front liners that stood with their weapons ready.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker moved to where Ironhide and Ratchet stood, both of those mechs grim faced and silent. "Are you two okay?" Sunstreaker asked in a low voice.

"Ask me tonight, son," Ratchet said glancing over his shoulder at the big yellow mech who looked at them with concerned optics.

"You ready?" a voice asked and Ratchet turned back. Prime stood before him and Ratchet nodded. "Good. Let's go." With that, Prime turned and walked to Central Hub and the elevators that led downward.

-0-On the street near the intersection of Metroplex and Tower District

Barricade looked at the barriers thrown up to halt traffic to the Fortress and all roads that led to places near it. Armed soldiers were everywhere and he had no idea what was happening. Stiletto and Scorponok stood with him watching. As they did Sideways walked out of Club Cybertron and paused. He smirked slightly, then walked to where they stood. All of them turned to look at the conman and turncoat who had joined their party. "What do you want, Sideways?" Stiletto asked coldly.

"Just came to see what was happening," the Decepticon courier and all around double dealer said. "What's up?"

"I don't know. Prime didn't tell me, aft head," Barricade said with a growl.

Sideways snorted glancing at the cordon nearby. "Must be something pretty bad for this to happen. Maybe someone took a shot at Prime."

"You volunteering?" Scorponok asked.

Sideways looked at that bot with a measured expression. "No. I'm going to work. I have a regular job. It keeps me out of prison," he said as he turned to walk onward. They watched him go.

"I hate his guts," Stiletto said.

"Stand in line," Scorponok replied.

They had no idea that a small tracking device had been left inside Sideways when his initial detonation/GPS fixtures had been removed. Whereas a big bot like Scar could be understood to be trustworthy, Sideways never would have that possibility in relation to himself because he played both sides for his benefit. Scar was always a Decepticon until he wasn't. Sideways was whatever was convenient and would never change. He would never be off the radar as long as he lived on Mars. He would never know that.

-0-In an elevator

They stood silently, all of them going over the problems ahead in their processors. Prowl paused, then glanced at Prime. "Blackjack and Alor are here."

Prime nodded. "Good."

The elevator stopped, the door opening. Prime and Prowl stepped out along with Ratchet, Jazz, Ironhide, Mirage and Springer, Drift following. They walked down a corridor that was off limits but had the distinction of being the first one built in the Fortress. It dead ended at an enormous steel door. Prime stared at it, then moved to stand before the lock blocking the view. He keyed the combination and stepped back as it whirred, clicked and opened.

Gripping the doors, he pulled them back stepping inside. A light came on illuminating the only occupant at the moment, the stasis pod that contained Shockwave. Turning to look at Ratchet, Prime nodded.

Ratchet stepped forward pausing beside the pod. He wiped dust off the control panel and keyed a formula. Watching the data, he looked at the others. "He's in good condition. Perhaps even better than before. His lines are Class A energon after all."

Prime nodded. "Showtime, Ratchet."

Ratchet smirked and nodded. He turned punching in the code for the cover to unseal and slide back. It did with a hiss. Shockwave was off line, silent as the dead and as menacing this way as he was conscious. Ratchet popped panels and began to program the big bot with the delayed codes they had agreed upon. When that was complete, he slid a long wafer into a slot inside his chassis. Turning, he nodded to Prime. "We can move him now, Optimus."

Prime nodded and glanced at Springer. "They can bring the stretcher now."

Springer nodded and paused, his comm for the cavalry short and sweet. As they waited Ultra Magnus stepped into the space and looked down at the big bot in the cooler. "This fragger needed off lined vorns ago."

Prime nodded. "That is the last resort," he said quietly.

Big mechs entered with a stretcher and with Ratchet's help they moved him onto it. Turning, hoisting the supine 'Con they walked out to the elevator Springer in tow. The others followed and soon they were in the rec room, the stretcher waiting for Prime's go.

Prowl walked into the Ops Center, then back out with a tarp in servo. They covered the big mech then turned to walk out. A big mech had transformed into a flatbed and there they put the stretcher. It was grim as everyone stood watching, their weapons in plain sight. The planet seemed in sync as overhead clouds massed. Prime watched, then nodded to Springer.

"Mount up," Springer said to the mechs all around. They moved to throw a cordon around the truck. It started and moved slowly forward heading in a diagonal direction to the air field and the back door path to IntraComm. The mechs moved with it, their weapons pointing to the ground as they kept watched for trouble.

There wouldn't be any.

-0-At IntraComm, Studio C

They sat together, their armor glistening and their affect anxious. No one had not stepped up. Everyone was nervous but they were going to do what they had to do today. A lot of good could come of a success and they were to the last mech and femme ready to help a success happen.

Blaster stood in the sound booth rechecking the devices as they waited. Overhead on the monitors, the progression was nearing. Prime and the senior officers had stepped around the slowly moving platform and were nearly at IntraComm. Others were already here including Blackjack and Alor who were getting marks of office applied to their armor.

It was a waiting game now.

-0-The door of IntraComm

They stood waiting as the truck rolled to a stop. The stretcher was lifted and carried inside to be placed on the floor with care. Stepping back, they looked to Prime. He stood with Blackjack and Ratchet who had the first part of the problem at hand. Prime nodded so Ratchet knelt and began to rewire the beast for re-animation. He held a device in his servo that would manage some of Shockwave's features. He wouldn't come online in a normal way. He would come online in the way Prime required.

Big difference.

It was tense and silent as they watched, then Ratchet stood. Glancing at Prime, he nodded and they all turned to wait. A movement of servos signaled that the bot was coming back around so Springer moved with his mechs to hoist Shockwave up. They moved him to a bench nearby to sit.

No one spoke. Nothing was said to give anything away. By the time Shockwave was sitting straighter, he was at the point of being able to walk. The problem for him was that he would not be able to see. He would hear, he would smell. He would be able to touch but the full range of his sensor capabilities were waiting for Prime's approval and Ratchet's deft touch.

Prime watched as Shockwave tensed. They watched the big bot try to ascertain where he was with his limited function. He was unable to know more than that he was awake, sitting and apparently alone. Prime glanced at Blackjack. That big worthy nodded and stepped closer. "Officer of the Guard."

Shockwave jerked turning his helm toward the sound. He could see nothing, most of his sensory capability was gone but he could hear. He tried to speak but he couldn't. He pressed back against the wall bracing for anything.

"Sir," Springer said crisply.

"Bring the prisoner from the brig. He is needed at a hearing," Blackjack said in his most professionally military tone.

"Sir, yes sir," Springer said nodding to Topspin and Drift.

Those two worthies stepped up and gripped Shockwave's arms, the recording of energon bars that had begun when he was placed on the bench ending. He tensed and stood stiffly, uncertain in his blindness how much to move. They slapped energon cuffs on him and stepped back.

"Bring him to the chamber," Blackjack said stepping back out of the way.

The two gripped Shockwave's arms and began the long 'trek' from the 'brig' to the 'chamber', a convoluted journey through the many levels, stairways, corridors and elevators of the newly built state-of-the-art IntraComm building. It was cleared of unnecessary personnel so there was no one to block the three as they moved. However recorded passages of voices doing expected things were triggered by their passing at appropriate places as sensors read their movements.

They paused when they were 'asked', they took 'crowded elevators' when they should and all through it the prisoner walked stiffly unaware that he wasn't where he had begun to fear he was. But that was the point of the exercise.

Prime and his team stood in the control booth with Blaster to watch the progress. Blackjack followed and offered a comment here and there, 'chatted' with the voices when they had to stop and otherwise did his part to make the process appear to be as real as if it were actually happening.

Ratchet stepped outside the booth and stood beside Revet who looked positively ill. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," Revet said. "I haven't felt this much upset since we defected. Shockwave is so evil."

"He is," Ratchet said. "But this is one time he can do a solid for all of us. Too bad he can't do it any other way."

Revet nodded. "I know."

Ratchet hugged Revet's shoulders. "Why don't you go inside and sit. Your mech will need you."

Revet nodded turning to walk inside. He stood beside Blaster leaning against him. Blaster squeezed his servo and they watched together as the drama unfolded on the monitors.

"Magnus," Blackjack said as they paused to 'allow' something to happen on the way up to the chamber. "Will you be going to Crystal City for the dedication?"

Magnus who had moved to answer nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. How about you and Alor? I hear you get the sparklings for the holidays."

Blackjack smirked and nodded. "We do. The Festival of the Thirteen is a big deal in Praxus."

Shockwave listened to them, aware of who they were and tried to parse the content of their conversation. If they were real and he wasn't hallucinating Crystal City and Praxus were cities again, not crushed slag heaps. He tried to think of what could be dedicated at Crystal City, then he had to move.

"Come down to Capital City when you can, Blackjack," Magnus said. "When these hearings are over, we can go hunting in the Sea of Rust."

"I'd love that. I'll bring Ironhide too." Blackjack nodded to Magnus and followed Shockwave who was moving forward.

As they 'went upward' in the building that they were tricking Shockwave to believe he was in, the kinds and types of conversations playing began to change. They began to confirm Shockwave's fears. He could hear legal conversations, names of individuals he never expected to hear again, office chatter and the sounds of business that the building he feared he was in would conduct.

At long last they paused. Footsteps could be heard coming toward him and he stiffened expecting anything. "Is this the prisoner, General?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes it is, Thundercracker," Blackjack said.

"Thank you for allowing us to see him before things get settled," Thundercracker said with tremendous satisfaction.

"Yes, General. I am personally in your debt for this opportunity," another familiar voice said. It moved closer. "It's not everyday I get to say farewell to a nightmare," the voice said with deep satisfaction.

Blackjack smirked and nodded. "I am honored to be of service, Starscream." He waited a moment. Then he gave his orders. "Take the prisoner into the chamber and place him in the dock."

Springer and Drift who were smirking themselves tugged Shockwave, the big bot stepping forward as they walked through the open doors of the room where Prime would conduct their 'hearing'. The doors closed and the Seekers turned to Blackjack. "That was satisfying," Starscream said with a grin.

"It is," Blackjack said smirking himself.

"I suppose you have to attend the 'hearing'?" Starscream offered.

Blackjack nodded. "I saved a spot for you two in the booth," he said as he moved past them and entered the big room.

They watched him go and glanced at each other. "After you, my friend," Starscream said to Thundercracker.

Thundercracker grinned and demurred. "No, Star, after you."

The two turned and walked through the building to the control booth where they would watch the entire proceedings unfold.

-0-Inside the room

They stood in the darkened room, the only illumination the lights that shown upward to the seated figures high above and downward on the prisoner and a related raised platform nearby him. Ratchet standing in the pool of light with Shockwave glanced across the room. Prime who was standing in the shadows nodded. Ratchet keyed the code and Shockwave could see again.

He startled and looked around staring down at Ratchet for a moment. "Doctor," he said with surprise. "Where am I?"

Ratchet looked at him a moment, then smirked. "The nearest thing to the Pit we could manage." Then Ratchet stepped back and sat on the bench along the wall that witnesses and officers of court proceedings always used during hearings, trials and sentencings.

Shockwave looked at him, at Ultra Magnus, Silverclaw and others with Ratchet whose names he struggled to remember in his shock and surprise. When he looked up he froze. Sitting in their seats were familiar faces, ones he never expected to see again.

They sat illuminated in their spotlights, silent councilors staring down at him. He looked around and felt fear suffuse him. He was in the High Council Chamber before the Council of the Ancients. He saw Gravitas, Eronus and Templar. He saw Neo and Vraz. Alpha Trion was sitting where Kudon should have been. He flinched at the sight of that bot, a legend who might be one of the Thirteen himself. Then he paused again, his optic fixed on someone he feared and loathed more than any of them.

Standing on the platform across from him, a overhead light illuminating him, Optimus Prime gazed with a calm expression. Shockwave looked at him and shifted his peds. "Prime," he said in a soft voice.

Optimus nodded slightly. "Hello, Shockwave," he said quietly.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	128. Chapter 128

NOTE: Those who celebrate this time of year holidays such as Christmas (or not), I wish you the most tremendously happy days. This is the third Christmas Surprise of this story and it will be posted in part tonight with hilarity to follow over several pieces. I wish I could tell you how much I love you and how glad I am that you are here for the ride. Take care out there in the big world and know that someone in the snowy north lands loves you. -Me.

-0-And not back to the story at hand

The Diego Diaries: Shock 2: The Orn Before Christmas Surprise

-0-In the High Council Chamber

Prime stood in his pool of light, his gaze level and unflinching. Shockwave looked at Prime and noted a number of differences from the last time he had seen the big bot. He wore markings of office that he hadn't seen on a Prime since the fall of Cybertron. They were the tattoos that gave honor to the city-states and colony worlds under his rule, small silver etchings that ran down his left arm. His paint scheme was flawless, the result of a lack of conflict. That meant that the war had not marred him in a long time. How long had he been in stasis Shockwave considered as he continued to take in the scene.

The chamber looked identical to the way it once was before he saw it in rubble. The banners hung where they belonged, Cybertron, the Primes, the city-states in smaller form at a lower altitude around the great hall. He noted them too.

The benches that ran along the wall where petitioners and others sat to wait their turn were there on both sides of the massive space. Sitting above the fray, the Councilors looked down on him, their faces revealing nothing. He saw them all and they looked unchanged, flawless in their presentation as well. Neo, the only femme on the Council, Gravitas, Templar and Vraz. They were there looking down on him, evaluating him somehow. Kudon was missing but Eronus was there and in Kudon's place sat the implacable, indefatigable Alpha Trion.

He was glad at that moment that his facial features were minimal. It was easier to hide his hand when no one could find tells. The atmosphere was as intimidating as he remembered, though he had no idea that the councilors and the Museum's historian had recreated the chamber to be so orns before in meticulous time consuming planning sessions.

It was flawless.

Shockwave turned to look at Prime again. "What is this, Prime?" he asked in his strange voice.

"Don't you remember?" Prime asked quietly.

He considered that, then asked the pertinent question. "I was in stasis lock. I am not now. How long?"

The room was tense, funereal and Prime held all the cards. He seemed to consider that question, then he answered. "It has been 47 vorns, Shockwave."

It hit him like a fist but it didn't register on his exterior. 4,042 years in stasis. That changed the game completely. He was without a clue, without any leverage, without a starting point or reference. He was Prime's prisoner in a situation that appeared to be impossible. He needed more information. "Where is this?"

Prime stepped to the edge of his platform, the angle of the light giving him shadows that appeared menacing. "Don't you recognize this place?"

"The High Council Chamber. I see the Council of Ancients and Alpha Trion. I recognize General Blackjack and Ratchet. I am assuming you wish me to believe this is Cybertron and all that was broken is fixed."

"I don't intend for you to believe anything, Shockwave. Nothing about you matters to me or anyone else. You are our prisoner as you have been for 47 vorns. A lot has transpired in that time and you are just an anachronism, a piece of unfinished business."

"What about Megatron?" Shockwave asked.

"He's next," Prime said icily. "When you are disposed of, then its his turn. There is no place for you or him in the new Cybertron. We have worked too hard to defeat you and rebuild this planet to risk the returning millions on your continuation."

Shockwave considered that, then he shifted uneasily, his first tell. "I assume you have ended the war."

Prime nodded. "We have. You lost."

It was silent a moment. "What now?"

"It is time for you to stand trial for the crimes of the Decepticon Army."

"Me?" Shockwave asked.

Prime nodded. "There are so few left that can pay for the totality of the crimes your faction committed that you have been delegated that honor."

"I heard Starscream and Thundercracker," Shockwave interjected, his voice edged with tension.

His second tell.

"They defected vorns ago along with the Seekerkin but you know that," Prime said quietly.

Shockwave considered that, the insane death order that Megatron had put on the Seekers, the chaos when they began to leave. Prime was right about that. "They committed crimes themselves, Prime."

"They recanted their allegiance and we gave them shelter. They have redeemed themselves and helped us destroy the Decepticons." He looked to the side of the room and nodded to a figure who stood regally, turning to stare at Shockwave. He walked with dignity to another platform on the floor, one that lit up from overhead when he stepped upon it. It was Silverclaw, Elder of the Seekerkin, Chieftain of the Mountain Clan near Vos and evidently an ally of the Prime. He looked at Shockwave, every fiber of his massive form brilliantly displayed. His staff, taller than him by two feet bore the markings of status and privilege he had earned in a lifetime of honor and service to his people. He looked at Shockwave, then spoke. "Shockwave, you know who I am."

Shockwave took him in a moment, then nodded. "Silverclaw, Lord of the Sky."

Silverclaw looked at him, then walked to the edge of his raised platform, the overhead light making him almost terrible in his affect. He was luminously beautiful, his emerald green and iridescent blue coloration almost shimmering in the light. "You are here to answer for your crimes, Shockwave, including the near genocide of my people."

"It wasn't my order," Shockwave said.

"You are one of the two remaining to stand for these actions. You could have rescinded the order but you didn't. You supported Megatron as he waged his campaign against my people. You allowed him to hunt trines, kill hatchlings and drive us into near extinction. Only the wisdom and mercy of the Prime saved us. We served him to defeat you and we did. Now you pay for what you did to us, to Cybertron, to all of our people everywhere."

"It was Megatron's order. He was always in charge."

"You will have to do better than blaming others, Shockwave, to save yourself. We are restored. Cybertron is restored. Our people fly the skies and live here in dignity, with opportunity. We defeated you and now is the time to pay," he said, his deeply masculine voice echoing in the silent chamber.

Shockwave glanced at Prime. "Megatron ran the Decepticons and anyone who disagreed was purged. I had no say in his policies."

"You didn't step in to save our people when he went missing You had the power and you didn't use it. You would have allowed the Seekers to disappear. Blaming Megatron isn't enough to spare you a reckoning long overdue, Shockwave," Prime said.

"For those of us who suffered, there are more missing. **Where are they, Shockwave?** **Where are our people? Where did you put them?"** he said pointing his staff at the big mechanism. "If you can't tell us where our people are, it is better for you to die than to continue living. At least we get the solace of knowing you are no more."

He glanced from Silverclaw to Prime. "What makes you think I know?"

"**LIAR!"**

He looked back at Silverclaw, noting that General Blackjack stepped out of the shadows to interdict if necessary. "You accuse the wrong person, Silverclaw."

"No. You know where all the camps were. Where all the dispersals of our people went. You need to tell and mitigate your sentence before they condemn you out of servo," Silverclaw said.

Shockwave looked at Prime. "Is that what this is? A trial and sentencing?"

Prime stared at him without expression. No one said a thing. Shockwave looked up at the six figures staring down at him without expression either. "What say you?"

No one spoke, the echo of Shockwave's voice filling the space before fading, a feature that the original on Cybertron had as well. It was as unnerving here as it was there. "Alpha Trion, you are here."

That bot leaned slightly forward staring down below at Shockwave. "So it would appear."

"I heard you were dead. All of you were dead," Shockwave said.

"It would appear that you are wrong. We are all here but Kudon. Chalk that one up to your side," Alpha said lying.

Shockwave considered that, then turned to face them. "You are here to condemn me."

"It is in your servos, Shockwave. So far, you give us nothing to pardon you for," Alpha said.

"What does the Quill say? Does it say I must die? Or is there another path?" Shockwave asked.

Alpha appeared to think, then he shook his helm. "There is no path beyond this one, Shockwave. It would appear that you didn't succeed in gaining clemency. You took your secrets to the grave."

Shockwave looked at him, parsing the syllables in his increasingly worried processor. "You would lie for Prime."

"I might but the Quill is indifferent. It merely writes what is to be without choosing sides," he said. "Take it for what it is. I see no path beyond this one unless you make it so."

It was as silent as a tomb in the room.

-0-In the booth

Starscream and Thundercracker watched side-to-side as the drama played out. It was an audacious scheme by Prime, one that Starscream was awash in admiration over. :This is magnificent:

Thundercracker pulled Starscream closer into his arm and nodded. :It is no wonder now that Megatron has never defeated Prime:

:No, it is not: Starscream said with a smirk.

-0-Inside the room

Ratchet watched with great tension as the drama unfolded. It was clear that Shockwave had been thrown for a loop over the situation. Now they had to convince him that his best interests lay in giving up what he knew for the greater good.

Ha!

Shockwave never cared for the greater good, not in any normal way, he thought. His idea of that was to enslave the population and experiment to make them 'better'. Right now, he wanted to take an ax handle to the big mech. Ratchet considered his conversations over the course of Shockwave's incarceration about how to retrieve his information.

"Why can't we go into his databanks and take what we need to know, Ratchet?" Jazz had asked one night as the senior officers sat in a conference room in Ops Center working out a problem.

"For any other mech I could, Jazz, but we're talking Shockwave here," Ratchet had begun. "He's designed differently and a lot of his personal structure was adapted and implemented by himself. I had a conversation once with a doctor who had added modifications that Shockwave made himself. He is designed to purge his data if anyone tries to take it. He is mined by security technology. He won't blow up but his data files will. Everything he possesses goes up in smoke if anyone tries to enter him with that purpose in mind."

"There has to be a way," Jazz persisted.

Ratchet turned to a computer and threw Shockwave's specs gathered during his incarceration before stasis up on a monitor. He tapped a number of keys and red lights began to blink. "These are his fail safes. This is the security system that he devised to ensure that what he knows no one else will ever divine without his permission. He's probably infallible that way. Unless we can find a way to tap into him without pulling the trigger, all will be lost. The only way we will ever know what he knows is if he tells us himself."

Perceptor nodded. "That's right, Ratchet."

"He's slagging diabolical," Wheeljack said.

Ratchet watched Shockwave do the math and wondered what Micca and Jarro were thinking in the control booth.

-0-In the booth

They sat at a station one reading the sensor data and the other watching the big mechanism react. It was a difficult thing to read an outwardly blank individual like Shockwave. He was designed to be opaque. But the tells were there. He was nervous, coming to an understanding about his lack of options and under the belief that what he saw was actually real, not a nightmare of his stasis fueled none state of being.

They were winning.

-0-Inside

Prime watched him, this enemy of enemies and waited as the others poked holes in his hope. Silverclaw turned to go, then paused. "You will not walk out of here alive if you keep your secrets, murderer. My people will not allow it. Either talk or we will have you. Our petition is already in the hands of the Council." He turned and walked back into the shadows.

Shockwave watched him go then turned to Prime. "You would hand me over to them?"

"I have no say in this matter, Shockwave. You should know that. I am only the Prime. The matters of treason and traitors are in the servos of the Council."

He looked up at the six impassive faces. "I am to assume you have no mercy for me? That you will grant the Seeker's petition?"

Neo looked down at him, this demon of her nightmares and leaned slightly forward. "Why should you assume from us what you never gave to others?" It was silent a moment. "Give us a reason for mercy. Tell us where our missing people are or your fate is written by your own servo." She sat back, her imperious expression so famous on Cybertron, so missing on Mars back firmly in place.

Prime stood quietly as they all did waiting for Shockwave to come to a conclusion. It was a terrible hope that filled Optimus, that the effort of all involved would pay off in information. Shockwave would know. He knew everything. He was in his own way as bad if not worse than Soundwave in the amount and kinds of information he possessed. It had to work but if it didn't they tried their best. As he watched, it was with a very great hope in his spark that he could put Shockwave back in his stasis pod again while bearing away to good service all that the beast knew.

Shockwave turned slowly taking in the entire chamber. It was flawless, the combined efforts of IntraComm, the University Film and Art departments, the history department of the University and Museum and the entire collective memory of the surviving councilors, Alpha Trion and the senior Autobots including Alor, Blackjack and Ratchet. He himself had added his small part but the effort was citywide including the unions and guilds who had worked orn and night to make this copy of a dreaded unloved place on their home world. It was made to pass muster and as Shockwave turned slowly, Prime became slowly aware that it did.

Shockwave on the other servo wouldn't know about any of that. The level of skill rendered here was flawless. The war of his processor against what he saw was ferocious. It was just the way they intended. He looked at it carefully, age evident to his optics in the building itself, touches that he remembered that marked it as genuine clearly in place. He knew that the mechs and femme sitting in judgment over him were genuine. He had seen them enough to know. They were supposed to be dead. Starscream was supposed to have killed them when he tried to move Cybertron.

Starscream.

That bot was here along with his trine. They were here and he was a prisoner whose reckoning had obviously come. Starscream would live and he would die. It rankled inside, burning hotly and as he turned back to Prime he made his processor up. "You would let Starscream live and kill me."

Prime nodded. "He has worth," Prime said coolly.

Shockwave took in this new version of the old Prime. "And if I give you what you seek, what then?"

"You have to give us a reason to let you live. So far, you haven't," Prime said shrugging.

"I have the data you seek. I would trade it for my life," Shockwave said.

A wave of revulsion spread through the room in the downturn of auras of the mechs and femmes inside. Prime felt it but he pushed it aside. "You would have to download all that you possess for us to evaluate before we would consider granting clemency for you. I would have to be convinced because it would take a Prime petition for a criminal of your offenses to be considered."

"I would give you what you want," Shockwave retorted. "That would be all you would require to find what you seek."

"I would be the judge of what we require. You have no chips to bargain. You know what this is. You were tried and found guilty in absentia. Your life is forfeit."

"I was in stasis on your colony world. What do you mean?" Shockwave said.

"Megatron retrieved you. Many, too many died. In the battle you slipped away, carried off in your pod. He never let you out of it," Prime said with a slight smirk. "We found you still in it on Megatron's last ship."

Shockwave took that in, shifting in surprise as he mulled it over. "He wouldn't ..." Shockwave was silent, standing completely still. "He is here. I wish to speak to him."

"You have no latitude to ask for anything," Gravitas said, his sonorous voice filling the room. "You are a criminal without conscious. You will either comply with the demands of this court or die."

Shockwave looked up at the councilor that he hated almost as much as Kudon. "You would give my petition no accord if I did."

"I would give you no accord, Shockwave," Gravitas said, his voice an acid bath. "The Prime, I will give everything."

Prime looked from Gravitas to Shockwave. "War changes all things. Your life is in your servos. It now falls to you to choose the path you will take. The one with hope made by your servo or the one that even the Quill will not write for you."

Shockwave stood impaled on the dilemma that was before him. He remembered a story that he had found while rummaging through the worldwide web. It was a story of a man thrown into an arena for the sport of others. He was given a choice of two doors. Behind one was a beautiful woman and freedom. Behind the other was a ravenous tiger who would devour him on the spot. He faced that dilemma now. Behind one choice was death. Behind the other was relative freedom and a pardon of the obvious death sentence that awaited him if he did nothing. He looked at Prime, wondering if he could drop his barriers completely going against a lifetime of secrecy and allow someone to take all that he possessed inside. It was crushing and emotionally traumatizing. It was paralyzing and agonizing. He stared at Prime, then nodded almost imperceptibly. "Alright," he whispered softly. "For a Prime petition and my life, I agree."

Prime stared at him for a moment, the triumph of this moment etching itself on his psyche. He knew it would take a long time to process the idea that he had bested a mastermind of devious depravity. But he knew he had and it was time to take what was now freely given. Glancing at the shadows nearby, he nodded.

Wheeljack and Perceptor followed by Ratchet walked out carrying three machines. Pausing before Shockwave, Wheeljack looked at Prime. "I would prefer him to be cuffed."

Prime nodded, glancing into the shadows once more. Springer and Blackjack walked out, pulled Shockwave's arms behind his back and shackled him, the soft glow of the energon cuffs another memory Prime would never forget. Setting their gear down, hooking two of them up, Wheeljack rose and inserted a plug into Shockwave's communications and information management port. "Turn off your security. Don't make us lose data because you're being stupid. The noose is still waiting," Wheeljack said coldly.

A light blinked on the security device that Perceptor held. "They're down," he said and he would monitor the net during the entire procedure.

Ratchet took the device in his servo and pointed it at Shockwave. The bot stiffed, his optics off lining as the data began to be downloaded into the server that was hooked to the security monitor. It would pass through that device to check for viruses or other defensive protections including delayed de-rez and kill files before being formatted onto the storage server. It would take ten minutes at high speed download at minimum before the data already assessed in size would be theirs. It would take decaorns to uncoil the massive sends from their bullet like formats into something they could read. Ease was being sacrificed for speed. Nothing was going to be done that would allow Shockwave time to change his processor. And nothing he would download would be beyond their ability to decrypt. That was assured with the initiation. His master encrypt/decrypt/encoding files would come too.

They stood in the great room watching the procedure silently. At exactly one and a half breems, the soft beeping of the server told them that the download was complete. They unplugged and pulled back taking their gear with them. Pausing to check its integrity, they saw that the data was genuine, fully available, security screened and unencumbered. All was good.

Wheeljack nodded to Prime and he turned to watch Shockwave relax. Shockwave turned to Prime and waited. Prime looked around. "Are we completed here? Wheeljack? Ratchet? Blackjack?"

All of them murmured their assent. Prime looked up at the councilors. "Are we through? Anymore questions?"

Neo grinned slightly. "I think I speak for the Council, Optimus, when I say that we are finished here."

Prime nodded and turned to look at Shockwave. As he did a slow grin formed on his handsome face. "Well, that's a wrap then," he said.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) *The story is The Lady Or The Tiger. They end it before they tell you which one he chooses. ARGH! :D


	129. Chapter 129

NOTE: I have a phone that has auto correct which I think was invented by Satan. :D If you want to laugh until you pass out go to damn you auto correct dot com and laugh intensely for hours. Consider it my Christmas Surprise present to you. :D :D :D (Close the spaces in the addie)

=0=Now back to the story

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 1

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars a joor later

They gathered around the center table, councilors, senior Autobots, crew and other members of the deception. They waited as Prime and Prowl stood over the intelligence station watching Jazz for a moment. He had pulled up two promising files and had begun the decryption. As the data began to run, it began to formulate glyphs that spoke of the underground data constructions of Iacon. The system of computerization as laid down by the Decepticons was fully illustrated with all the possibilities for hacking laid bare. Jazz looked up at Prime and grinned. "Score," he said with a smile.

Prime nodded, his relief intense. Turning to the others, he smiled. "We have data," he said.

The sound of laughter, cheers and clapping filled the space as everyone finally relaxed. Servos were shaken, backs and shoulders were slapped and the pall of the past few orns was shaken off. Prime walked to the table and everyone turned to him. "We have gotten a chance to find our missing people. We all worked hard on this project and there are no thanks from me to you that are adequate. The hope for a lot of our people, for Cybertron itself is owed to you." He looked at Silverclaw. "You did well, my friend."

Silverclaw standing between Thundercracker and Starscream nodded his helm in respect. "I am humbled at your praise. I would do what it takes to save our people and to advance your cause, Prime. We are all on a long road together. We are unconquerable in unity."

"Until all are one, Prime," Starscream said with a smirk.

"Until all are one," everyone said together.

Prime nodded, his emotions filling him with gratitude. "Thank you. Until all are one." He glanced at the group before him taking in the images of their faces, then he nodded. "Time for Christmas Surprise and time for celebration," he said.

They nodded and relaxed, jokes, laughter and chatter filled the space where tension had lived. Turning, nodding to the senior leadership, the group began to break up heading out for the two orns of Christmas Surprise. Starscream pausing to watch turned to Prime. "I found that entire experience personally edifying, Prime. I salute you."

Prime grinned and nodded. "So did I, Starscream."

Starscream grinned and turned walking with Silverclaw and Thundercracker toward the door and the festivities beyond. Prowl squeezed Prime's arm. "I'm glad this is over. We can add the data to our ever long list of slag to complete in due time."

Prime snorted and nodded. "Indeed. Now is time for celebration in more ways than one," he said.

The others nodded in agreement.

-0-A joor or two before

"Well, that's a wrap then."

The words were delivered with a grin and as soon as they were everyone seemed to relax. It was as if a play had finished and the director had called for the curtain. Shockwave looked at Prime, his confusion evident even on a face without features such as his. The councilors leaned back, some of them rising, all of them smiling with relief. They stood and turned to go out of their high rise alcoves as if the session was called complete.

Lights came up, the darkness was illuminated and it was clear that the chamber was different than it seemed to be in the darkness. The massive passages that led back into the interior of the High Councilor building on Cybertron appeared to be missing here. They dead ended, the darkness concealing their lack of depth. Standing among those illuminated were others besides Silverclaw, Ratchet, Blackjack, Perceptor and Wheeljack. The benches filled with petitioners were empty, only filled a small amount of the space they occupied in the real Chamber and were easily seen to be temporary, rather than part of the original wall design.

He glanced upward and saw a lighting system that appeared to be that of a production studio design. The lights of the High Council Chamber on Cybertron were built into the ceiling itself. Looking about himself with gathering alarm, he could see any number of differences including as he fully turned around a sound booth filled with different individuals including a smirking Thundercracker and Starscream. He spun around, his optic flaring as he stared at Prime. Drift, Springer, Kup and Ironhide stepped forward from different directions surrounding him. "What is the meaning of this, Prime?" he asked, his tone filled with an edgy dread and outrage.

Prime stared at him with a smile. "This is paybacks, Shockwave. This is justice hitting you full on in the face. This is some small part of the price you pay for what you have done. This is checkmate," Prime said as he moved closer, his own outrage clear on his face. "You have been played."

Shockwave listened to Prime, the greater meaning resonating even as the local colloquialisms didn't. He knew what Prime was saying. It hit him like a full on missile strike from a brace of Seekers. He stared at Prime, then lunged. Optimus raised his servos and braced Shockwave's chassis as the security detail around him grabbed his arms dragging him back. Prime pushed him back and the group grabbed him holding Shockwave as he struggled in rage. Prime leaned in closely. "You're going back to the box, Shockwave. Hope Megatron never finds out what you did because if he asks me, I will tell him." He looked at the crew as Blackjack joined them. "Take him back to the cooler, 'Jack."

Blackjack nodded and turned toward Ratchet who was kneeling with Perceptor over the server. "We have to move, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded and rose following the group as they dragged a struggling Shockwave toward the door. Ratchet followed them outside and watched as they winched him down on a flatbed. He struggled, then lay still after Ratchet off lined his sensory mechanisms. It was a slow walk to the Fortress, Prime following behind deep in conversation with Starscream. The road was still closed so when they paused and lifted him off the truck, no one was there to watch and feel any anxiety.

Prime passed them and they followed, Shockwave walking in the middle of guards, Drift and Springer holding him tightly by his arms. His affect was seething and the ferocity of it made his aura surge. They walked through the empty rec room and took the elevator downward to the corridor that led one way to the armory, the other to punitive stasis. They walked down the corridor and into the large stone room where his pod still stood open.

Prime nodded to Ratchet. "Let him hear me, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded and dialed in Shockwave's audials. Shockwave tensed. pausing to listen.

"Shockwave, you were placed in punitive stasis as an alternative to giving you to the humans for crimes you and your faction committed against their sovereignty and populations. It was the only way to keep you from being taken apart and studied by them. Because of those crimes and others you have committed against the people and planet of Cybertron, I am sentencing you to stasis lock until it is possible for you to stand trial on Cybertron for what you have done to our world and her citizens. The only other alternative for us is to kill you and I won't allow it without due process presenting you guilty based on the evidence and a fair trial." He nodded to Ratchet who off lined his audials and dialed down his ability to resist security as they moved him back to the pod.

He leaned away from it but he hadn't the strength or coordination to resist. He was placed inside and strapped down once again. Ratchet worked out the process of his stasis and pulled the necessary parts back out of his chassis. He off lined, the lines for his preservation linked in and the pod slid shut. Ratchet keyed in the code to release him and they all walked out into the corridor so that Prime and Prime alone could set the lock on the giant steel doors. When it was all done, they turned and grimly walked out of the corridor back up into the light and the world of friends and family above ground.

-0-In the world of joy

The roadblocks came down and the city began to emerge fully once more. Ratchet and Ironhide stepped off the elevator and walked down the corridor to their apartment. Inside taking care of the hoodlums, Ravel and Tie Down waited. Sunspot was drawing pictures on the table and the toddlers were playing with blocks by the window. They all looked up and smiled. **"ADA! ATAR! COME ME!"** Orion said as he stood up and rushed over gripping Ironhide's leg in his little arms. Praxus joined him and they stood smiling upward at their atar as he looked down at them with abject adoration.

"They were good, Ada," Sunspot said. "Grandada and Grandatar are so good with them."

Ratchet grinned. "They had lots of practice with hoodlums. Do you have your little speech for the program, Sunspot?"

"I do. I left it on your berth so you could spell check it," he said grinning.

Ratchet nodded and grinned. "If you all ate, I think its time for you to go to school for your party and Santa Prime. Its about that time isn't it, Ironhide?"

He paused to check his internal timer and appointment book, then nodded. "It is," he said scooping up the infants. "We all better get a leg on."

Rising, gathering the infants together, the group stepped out to leave. As they did, Alor and Blackjack exited their apartment too and they all walked onward to the schools.

-0-At the Prime Residence

They gathered up everyone including a freshly washed Miracle. Venture had the little mechs, Miler had Miracle, Prowl had the little bag with the Santa Prime gear and Prime had a big grin. They walked out and made their way down heading for the schools first, then the Vos Senior Center for all infants that weren't in school yet as the next stop. There were also gifts for the elders made by students at the school. But that was a big secret.

-0-At the schools

The flood of students, genitors, related friends and family was vast as they entered and dispersed throughout the school system. Optimus stood with Prowl to one side as the logistics of Santa Prime was worked out. He was going to sit on a 'Santa Throne' in the lobby of the building and students would come down to meet him by class. Rather than going from room to room which were already filled with genitors and such, he would wait for them to come to him.

As he did, the segways of nearly all the humans on Mars entered and pulled up to one side. A platform from a number of low tables had been made and they took to it, especially the soldiers, their families and the soldier femmes. The scientists who were new to this joined them along with film crews who were not going to take images of Prime but of everything else. It was going to be awesome.

Prime turned and walked to his chair, a huge grin on his face. Jazz and Ironhide sulking (not) in their elf hats stood by him as he sat down, his Santa hat firmly on his helm. Pallets of presents were stacked to the ceiling with more outside waiting to be carried in. Teamsters and Construction union mechs, big and ultra content to help would do the honors of managing and handing gifts to Santa Prime in their own green elf hats.

IntraComm was filming and cameras all over town were feeding the live action into the control center at IntraComm who would broadcast as well as archive it. Prime sat trading barbs with Jazz and Ironhide as Prowl, Ratchet and the genitors of both families took pictures, their astonishment and happiness evident on their faces.

"Why do you wear that green hat, Ironhide?" Blackjack asked with a grin.

Ironhide looked at his atar and smirked slightly. "Because I'm a slagging elf."

Blackjack surfed the answer to that and snorted. "I can see that," he said to general hilarity all around. As they traded barbs, the first group of younglings came into the room in a line.

General Morshower and his wife stood with Colonel Fulton and his among the group of humans watching with grins. :Did you know that there is a football game tomorrow?: Fulton asked Morshower. Morshower glanced at him. :I bet large on Kaon. Some sucker in the Pentagon actually believes Vos can beat the twins:

Fulton snorted. :Fools: Morshower nodded and they both looked back at the fun.

Flashes went off, applause was given and the younglings, many of them new to this holiday watched with intensity as their Prime prepared to be Santa for them. They came up one at a time and took a shiny bagged gift from Santa Prime. Some of them completely overcome by the awesomeness of the moment were shy while others hugged him tightly, their delight overwhelming. Some of them had never received a present before this moment.

One by one, they came forward. One by one, they received a gift from the city. It contained an appropriate toy, a bag of cookies and candy and a card just for them. All of the presents had been prepared by the Art Guild over a period of decaorns in consultation with the schools. All of them were personalized for each student including the card inside. There were art supplies, toys for play, electronic games and devices for older younglings as well as baby dollies and wooden and metallic toys for younger infants.

When the first group left, Tie and Ravel watched them go. "Oh Ratchet," Ravel said turning to his son. "This is so wonderful. This is just wonderful. I wish there had been something like this for you when you were little. We never were able to give you much of anything for holidays."

Ratchet enveloped his genitors hugging them. "You gave me everything I ever needed," he said with emotion.

They hugged him back.

-0-Upstairs in Terradive's class as well as every other classroom in the schools

The infants sat with barely contained excitement as the room genitors under the guidance of Sunstreaker organized treats and drinks. They were going to have Christmas Surprise stories read in a moment, then they would go downstairs to visit Santa Prime. The stories were new ones written by local authors and were debuting in the schools for the first time.

Sunspot sat next to Silverbow, his excitement evident. "What do you think Santa Prime will give you, Silverbow?"

"I want to have a new dollie," she said. "My teddy bear needs a friend. I also want to have a truck like the format my ada makes."

"Jeeps are nice," Sunspot said nodding.

"I like jeeps," Turbo said glancing across the table at his two best friends. Spirit nodded. "Jeeps are nice but I like Peterbilt trucks."

"With red flames?" Comet asked with a grin.

Spirit nodded with a smile. "Those are the best."

They sat back as two of the room genitors began to place plates filled with treats and little decorated cubes filled with 'punch' down on the table before each one.

Sunstreaker who was stacking plates glanced at his brother and grinned. This was a slagging awesome orn. When he got to Kaon and the girls' party, he would stay with them. All of the family on both sides were divided among all the babies for the duration. All of their infants would have family attention during their parties.

It was slagging awesome.

-0-Ironhide

Ironhide watched Ratchet who stood nearby with a camera and Hero in his arms. He had ordered and gotten a little Christmas Surprise hat and booties for her, the red and white strikingly attractive against her satiny black paint scheme. He had gotten a Santa hat for Sunspot, Orion and Praxus, the latter two taking some coaxing to wear them. They did and they looked adorable. To Ironhide, his kids were flawless.

Until bath time. And sometimes bed time. And when they decided to play with their food. And when they had to relieve their holds. When they wanted up too early and wouldn't go to bed until late. And when …

=0=TBC

2012 (12) Happy Holidays to one and all!


	130. Chapter 130

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 2

=0=At the schools

Payload and Caro stood in line with their son, Mars. The class that their infant was grouped into, 'D', was called forward to visit Santa Prime downstairs. Scar, Arlot and their daughter, Beju were in this group as well so they wiled the time chatting.

"I think this is a great idea. 'Santa Prime'," Arlot said with a grin. "The younglings are going to explain this holiday tonight at the program."

Scar grinned. "If someone even a few decaorns ago had said this would be part of my life I would have slagged them good."

Payload chuckled. "I hear ya."

What they didn't say but was evident to all who cared to listen, both wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the universe and beyond. The line began to move led by a smiling Laret. They would enter an elevator and ride downward.

-0-On the deck

Prime sat on his 'throne' with a grin waiting for the next group to come. Lennox standing on the platform commed him. :Hey, Santa. What do we get for Christmas Surprise?:

Prime glanced over grinning. :Coal?:

At that moment, the elevators opened and all infants in Group D were carried out by genitors, aides and teachers led by Laret. She was wearing a Santa hat herself as she paused before Optimus. "Ho, Ho, Santa Prime."

"Ho, ho, Laret," Prime replied with a chuckle.

"We are here, Group D of the Sparkling Day School to say hello," she said whipping out her camera. "And take pictures."

Prime smirked as the first infant was laid in his arms. She was Meep, a tiny femme who had lost a leg and arm on one side during an attack on her migration. She had her leg back but several surgeries had failed to re-attach her arm. It would take a lot more time and a lot more protoform development before they would try again. Until then, this weak but happy little femme would follow her regimen of treatments, physical therapy and all the love her family, teachers, aides and doctors could give her.

Which was a lot.

Gifts were given, chat was made, family members stood in pictures of their infants with Santa Prime and all was good. Ironhide glanced at Jazz. "If Primus is on our side, we won't be in any pictures," he said softly.

Jazz smiled and nodded. "Hey, Optimus … Santa Prime. Ironhide thinks an elf should be in the pictures."

Ironhide shot Jazz nuclear optics as he turned and looked down at the hilarity that was the saboteur. Jazz for his part was snickering and he continued to do so even when ordered by Optimus to 'be the designated elf'. Ironhide on the other servo laughed hilariously on the inside. He knew better than to laugh out loud. He had missed family album immortality by a smidge. Primus indeed was on his side.

For now.

Mirage on the other servo, standing nearby would laugh off and on for orns.

-0-Nearby

Ravel held Hero as Ratchet took snaps, chatted with genitors and kissed babies. One would almost think he was running for public office. Tie Down crossed the room and worked his way to stand beside Ironhide. "This is so wonderful, Ironhide. I am so happy to see this for the infants."

Ironhide nodded. "This is a holiday started by those little femmes over there," Ironhide said nodding to a happy gaggle of female humans standing on a table nearby. "They wanted the infants to have a nice time."

Tie Down nodded. "Ravel and I will be going to Sunspot's party."

"We decided to divide up and go to all of them. Sunstreaker started that tradition. For an anti social mech with a hard helm, he's one conscientious genitor."

Tie Down nodded. "He's a very nice mech, that one."

Ironhide grinned.

-0-Leaning against a wall with his bond

Blackjack watched the fun commenting on the sweet little kids with Alor. The babies were beautiful and the genitors happy, some of them from their migration and colonies. It was good to see happiness after all the horrors of the past. "We're due in Sunspot's room at a particular time. Ratchet has us all rotating in and out of all the parties for the infants."

"Ratchet has it in servo," Alor said with a grin. "This is fun. I haven't had so much fun in so long, 'Jack I almost forgot how it felt."

He nodded. "I know."

They stood together watching the endless lines of little kids, their ecstatic parents and extended families.

-0-Upstairs

Nova leaned into Terradive's room and caught his attention. "Your turn, Mr. Terradive."

The squeals of the kids were roof raising and they turned to their teacher with expectation. "All stand and push in your chairs."

They did.

"Line up nicely."

They did.

"Contain yourself and mind your manners," he said with a grin as he walked to the front of the line.

They would try.

-0-Downstairs

They exited the elevator taking their place in the line up. There were two groups ahead of them so they waited as best they could watching the festivities ahead. Music was playing softly, a melange of Christmas carols from Earth and holiday tunes. Some of the tunes were Cybertronian and most of the best loved, most well known were Alor's.

Blackjack tapped Alor's shoulder and nodded, both of them grinning at the excitement of the little mechs and Sunspot who had moved up in line. They were shined and happy, Sunstreaker bringing up the end of the line as they waited their turn. Ratchet walked to Sunstreaker and the two chatted as all around them infants were being feted to the high heavens.

Prime for his part sat with a grin greeting each child, bold or shy, handing them the present that had been planned, packed and provided just for them. Teachers chatted with genitors, genitors chatted with aides, aides chatted with students as they inched forward. By the time Mr. Terradive's class was ready to greet Santa Prime, the little mechs were nearly jumping out of their exoskeletons.

"Silverbow," Prime said with a grin as she ran to him for a hug. He hugged her, handed her a shiny copper bag with her name on it. She smiled and hugged him back, turning to show the others her gift. "I hope its a dollie for my teddy bear, Uncle Optimus. He needs a friend when I'm at school."

Prime grinned. "I hope so too, Silverbow." Nearby watching with great happiness, Trailbreaker and Hound stood. They would be at both Silverbow and Rebel's parties.

She hugged him again turning to walk back to her group triumphant as other infants in the class walked forward to get their hug and gift. Comet and Turbo chatted a moment, their excitement almost overwhelming. Gypsy and Cambo who were watching and filming the moment were due to be in Mr. Terradive's class too. Gypsy would read one of the new Christmas Surprise stories to the younglings. The two walked back to their line as Spirit and T-Bar ran to Prime, hugging his neck. He hugged them back, looking at them with a smile.

"I love your hat, Atar," Spirit said with a smile. "It's cute!"

Prime snorted glancing at Prowl who had kept the gear intact between holidays. Prowl snapped a few pictures as he watched them, a grin on his own face. Venture and Miler were already in classes with Rambler and Miracle. They would switch off and sit with T-Bar and Spirit later on. "I wore it just for you."

They grinned at their father, patting his leg as Jazz handed Prime their presents. He turned and gave them to his kids, kissed them and watched as they ran back with excitement to their line. Sunspot was next and he walked up with confidence, his smile brilliant and his affect warm with delight. "Hi, Uncle Optimus," he said as he was enveloped in Prime's arms.

"Hi, Sunspot," Optimus said patting his wings gently.

"Isn't this fun? I like parties and fun. I never had it until I came here. Christmas Surprise is my favorite holiday."

Optimus looked at the little Seeker who was smiling at him without a shred of guile. "I love it too, Sunspot. I love the infant holidays best."

"You make the best Santa Prime," Sunspot said as Optimus scooped him up. He held the little bot in his arms for a moment, then set him back down. "Thank you, Sunspot. I love you too." He took the gift from Ironhide, who looked on the verge of tears. Handing it to Sunspot, Optimus grinned. "Happy Christmas Surprise, Sunspot."

He looked at the gift with intense happiness, then looked up at Optimus. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Uncle Optimus," Sunspot said with almost too much happiness. "I love you."

Optimus kissed the little mech's helm. "I love you too," he said quietly.

Sunspot turned and paused before Ironhide. Holding up his gift, he smiled. "Look, Atar! Look at what Uncle Optimus gave to me!"

Ironhide scooped up his son and kissed him. Holding him tightly a moment, he looked at Sunspot. "No one deserved it more, son," he said hugging Sunspot once more.

"Will you come to our party?" he asked. "Sunstreaker is making it all nice. We are going to have stories and things to eat. I'll save you a cookie," he said.

"You do that, son," Ironhide said with a husky tone. His emotions were squashed flat as he held his son. "I will be there. I'll always be there for you."

Sunspot looked at him for a moment, then lay his helm on Ironhide's shoulder. "I love you too," he said softly.

Ironhide would hold Sunspot until his group was ready to leave.

-0-At the prison

They watched the city nearby with all its festivities and traffic. It was clear that it was a major settlement with all manner of advantages. The idea of the Temple being restored, the relics included was an astonishing thing to consider. Prime was on the good side of Primus, Sentinel thought. But then, Primus had always favored that Prime over all the others. His own short reign was nothing on the scale of the achievement of Optimus.

He sat on a bench staring through the bars as the sun traversed slowly overhead. The orn would be long, the company dull and when the darkness finally came, the sound of rejoicing and fireworks from the air field would be another indication of his isolation.

Sometimes things just sucked.

-0-Here and there

Drift and Springer walked to the schools and made their way to where Santa Prime sat. Leaning against the wall, they stood watching, chatting with bots here and there as they did. Kup was standing across the way with Sandstorm watching as friends stood with their infants for their turn.

"This is fun," Springer said.

Drift nodded. "The infants are having a good time. So are their genitors."

Springer nodded. "This could have been us a while back."

"We were careless. I hear you can get that process short circuited. Ratchet did it for the trine. Most of them anyway."

Springer nodded. "You have to let Ratchet mess with your … dainty bits. You ready for that?" He glanced at his partner with a smirk.

"I let you. What's one more mech?" Drift replied with a smirk.

Springer snorted. "Alright."

Drift looked at him for a moment. "You serious?"

"Sure," Springer said watching as a little femme squeed back into her line. "I'll do it if you go first."

"No guts, no glory," Drift said looking at Springer with affection. "Leaders lead."

"Leaders delegate. You first."

They would banter and enjoy themselves until the last infant walked back to the elevator at last.

-0-In the Sparkling Day School, Group B

Bluestreak sat on the floor, two infants crawling over him as they clambered around enjoying themselves. The femmes were sitting on the floor perched on their knees. They had no understanding of what to do after that but they were trying. Sessions with their ada had made them capable of moving at least this much. "I wonder where Sunny is?"

"He's with Sunspot. He's going to stay with them until Tie and Ravie come up," Sideswipe said as he slipped his servo under Iacon's little belly. She tried to look at him to smile, but couldn't see him from her vantage. So she looked at her servos planted on the floor and grinned.

So did Bluestreak and Sideswipe.

-0-The Youngling Intermediate Day School

They came in, small lines of the older students reflecting the lack of volume in older students thus far in the system. All of them reflected their ages and greater maturity by their behavior. Prime nodded and a small Seeker femme walked to him halting uncertainly. He handed her a silver shimmering bag with a present inside. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Aurora. Welcome to Autobot City," he said.

She nodded. "Thank you, sir," she said. Then she turned and walked back, Rambler taking her place.

The youngling hugged his atar and took his gift, turning to pose with Optimus as Prowl and Ratchet took their pictures. They chatted a moment, then with a hug Rambler walked back to his line to wait. A small femme was next, receiving her gift from Prime. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Inspire. Welcome to Autobot City."

She grinned and nodded, looking at the bag with amazement. "Thank you, sir," she said. She returned to the line and when the last youngling was received, they all turned heading upward once again.

Prime looked at the others, watching as the empty pallets were stacked on a non-sentient truck from Specialty Fabrications-structural/scaffolding. It drove off when the last one was placed. "Where do we go now?" he asked the big mech standing behind him who was coordinating the show.

He leaned down and grinned. "The Vos Senior Center for the non school infants," he said.

Prime nodded and rose, glancing around to the spectators. "Time to take the ho-ho-ho on the road," Prime said with a grin. He turned and stretched, glancing at Prowl. "What ho, Prowl?"

Prowl referenced the expression and grinned. "What ho-ho-ho, Optimus," he said slipping his servo into Prime's. They turned, walking to the door and the short stop nearby for the rest of the city's most precious treasure: their youngest and oldest citizens.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	131. Chapter 131

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 3

-0-On the day of Christmas Surprise, at The Bakery At Metroplex

Rampage walked to the door and noted that traffic was down in the mall. The schools were open today for parties and presents with Santa Prime. He grinned. The idea of a dignified sanctified mech like Optimus Prime who he knew was a champion warrior sitting with a Santa hat giving presents to infants was a hoot. It was being broadcast online for the city to see, so many of them were still without infants of their own. Sharing the ones already among them was the next best thing.

All over the city, food preparation was underway. Tomorrow, before and after the football game, hundreds of parties would be had. He was supplying food and drink to several hundred himself. His students were surpassing themselves and he was deeply pleased. He walked back inside to watch as a number of delicacies were being made by servo by his 'pastry-confectioner' students. The things they were making were all Cybertronian, all Terran and a large part of the rest half of both. He used ideas from everywhere and made them his own. His food was appreciated, discussed and sought after. His skill at training chefs, confectioners and cooks was becoming legendary.

Who knew?

-0-On the way to Vos Tower

The senior officers and Prime chatted, pausing here and there to speak with a pedestrian, some of them elders heading for the Vos Center from the schools for the festivities there. The amount of effort to make sure elders had a good home, activities and outlets was one of Prowl's pet projects. Having been born over a few brews with Ratchet when the boys were on assignment, they had together devised an Elder Center that was ground zero for everything geriatric on Mars.

Walking down the street, crossing at the light, they turned the corner and entered the big lobby of the tower. A slight shuffling of apartments had allowed Metroplex to turn the floor above the lobby level into a giant facility with every manner of opportunity possible for elders to read, exercise, talk, relax and play games. A viewing room for television and movies was nearby and a play area for children was next to it for those who helped with child care.

It was bright, homey and always filled with those who made it their base of recreational opportunity. When they entered the lobby they were regaled as elders with their adult younglings stood waiting, infants in arms. Prime waved and walked to a seat relaxing next an open door through which pallets of presents could be seen waiting for their owners to receive them.

"Ho-ho-ho," Optimus said with a chuckle. The place erupted with laughter and applause as they gathered, babies in arms, ready for most of them for their first Christmas Surprise and present. Given the enthusiasm, it would not be their last.

Ramcharger, a mech who dominated the courtyard gaming area of the Fortress with his partner, who was attending to his mother at the moment walked up and shook Prime's servo. "I've been watching this, Prime and I want to say I approve."

Hoots and clapping greeted that as Prime shook Ramcharger's servo. "I am glad to have your approval. You do know that all the elders get a present too?"

He looked at Prime standing stock still with surprise, his little cane in servo. For a moment he said nothing. Then he nodded. "No one ever gave me anything, Optimus Prime. I worked hard all my life. I took care of my genitors, my mother now. My atar is somewhere, maybe lost. I worked hard and have nothing to show for it until now. I don't know what to say." He looked like tears would come and the room quieted as his partner and a tiny elderly femme walked up to stand beside him.

"You don't have to say anything. I don't know how to tell you, all of you elders how much I appreciate you here. Most of the younglings don't have any and they have no experience with them. You are a huge asset to our city. You add so much just being here. It is our honor to honor you," Prime said with feeling.

Ramcharger nodded glancing down at his tiny mother. "This is Sheer, my ada."

Prime rose and took her little servo, one that showed wear from hard lifelong unremitting work. "I am honored to meet you, Sheer. Your son is a stand up mech. He was ready to defend the city during the prison riot. He and his partner were as brave as it can get."

Sheer looked at her son, then Prime and smiled. "My son is a good boy," she said. "Thank you for noticing too, Lord Optimus," she said in the old manner.

Prime grinned and squeezed her servo. He sat and looked at Jazz who had managed to find her gift. He took it and handed it to Sheer. "This is for you as a small token of the great service you have always done for our people and the service you still do. You and your family are an asset and example to us all."

She looked at the shiny red bag, then Prime. Smiling with delight, she looked at her son. "Ram, this is beautiful. This is mine?"

Ramcharger nodded glancing at Prime with gratitude. "It is, Ada. You are one of the honored citizens of this colony." He looked at Prime. "Did you know she is one of the very few who can hand tat the grids on the electronics boards they use at the energon plant?" he asked with incredible pride. "She also is one of the few who can speak the language of her district, the one out of Stanix near the Sonic Canyons."

Prime nodded. "I am very familiar with that area. The little clans all had their own languages, some of them from the beginning of the world. Your mother is a treasure. She needs to tell all she can to the Talking History Project mechs at the University and Museum."

Ramcharger blinked and looked at his mother. "I will see what that is, Ada. Then you can show them what you know."

"They will be overjoyed to speak with you, Sheer as well as you, Ram. We are trying to reconstruct our culture and the elders are a treasure," Prime said nodding.

They looked at each other immensely pleased, then Prime handed a gift to Ram and his partner. "Thank you, all of you for your service to our people. I am honored to be your Prime."

They bowed their helms in the old manner and smiled. "And we are honored to serve you, Optimus Prime," Sheer said in an almost forgotten response to a Prime. They turned and walked to a table nearby to sit. Rampage's students were loading up the tables along one wall with food and drink for the residents and their families to partake in the long lazy orn ahead.

The infants were handed to Prime. He held them, all of them comforted by the Matrix as he and his 'elves' handed gifts to their genitors. Snaps were taken, good cheer exchanged and slag about the game the next day was given. When Ratchet handed Hero to Prime they were nearly finished. He sat back and grinned at the tiny femme who lay quietly staring at him with unblinking optics. "Hello, Hero. You're very cute," he said.

"She is slagging awesome, that far along the awesome scale," Ironhide said grinning proudly, his elf hat only giving him a slightly comical tone. "She figured out her favorite munition."

"Is that so?" Ratchet asked lowering his camera a moment. "What is it?"

"Dummy fragmentation grenades, the sizes made for the micro-mini-cons to practice with in the Home Guard," Ironhide said with an almost impossible sense of pride. He looked at his daughter and nodded. "She's one picky little femme. We looked over a lot of ordinance. She likes the taste of the shell casings I think."

"You are hopeless," Ratchet said shaking his helm. "Make sure they stay dummies, dummy."

"Oh ha-ha, Ratchet." Ironhide glanced at his genitors and grinned. "Old mech can't make me feel bad."

"I could have told you that, Ratchet," Alor said with a chuckle.

"Takes after his atar, does he"?" Ratchet asked.

"He does," Alor said grinning at Blackjack.

That mech just grinned and shook his helm. "I'm neutral here."

"Nothing like a little support," Ironhide said taking his infant back into his arms. Tucking her little frame into his crooked arm, he grinned. Her little hat and booties were a caution. "You know who loves you."

"That's it," Ratchet said. "She doesn't have a clue about the love as all can plainly see."

Snorts, hoots and chuckles followed as they returned to the task. When they were finished, Prime rose thanking the helpers and volunteers. They sorted out the clean up and turned walking to the door. Waving, they entered the street and began to trek to the school. All of them would spend the next two joors circulating through classrooms before they were all excused for the duration of the holiday, minus the program that would happen after sundown on the air field. All in all, it was epic.

-0-That evening as the sun was going down

Ratchet and Sunspot walked to the apartment to get ready and gather things for the program in a joor. They had dined at Blackjack and Alor's apartment, all of the extended family including the twins with Kaon. Bluestreak was dining with the little twins at the Prime Residence at the top of the building. Toys had been scattered about the apartment as Orion and Praxus played with their new steel blocks that had words and numbers engraved on their many faceted surfaces. The game they embodied was like mahjong. Only it was done with words not pictures.

Like that.

Ratchet opened the apartment door and they walked in minus Ironhide who was picking up toys at his genitors' who were keeping the babies with them along with Ravel and Tie Down. As Ratchet did, he looked down at Sunspot who was smiling at up at him. "Sunny, where is your present? Did you open it?"

He paused a moment. "I didn't. I thought I would keep it like it is for a while."

"Why, sparkling?" Ratchet asked.

"Because I didn't get a present very much," he said nodding. He looked up at Ratchet. "This is so nice."

Ratchet looked at him, then knelt caressing Sunspot's face with his servos. "You know, infant, you can bring me to my knees with a smile."

Sunspot unaware of what that meant slipped his arms around Ratchet's neck. "I love you, Ada. I love my family."

"We love you, son. We picked you out. That makes you special. The others? We got them handed to us but we picked you out."

Sunspot looked at Ratchet a moment, then smiled. "You did."

"We did," Ratchet said rising. He looked at the tiny trees lined up in a row. "Did you know your atar and I brought home more presents for you younglings?"

Sunspot blinked. "Can you do that?"

"I can give you a present anytime I want to," Ratchet said nodding. "Do you want to help me put them around the little trees?"

Sunspot looked at Ratchet, his smile growing. "I would like that! What a great idea! Then we can see them!"

Ratchet hugged Sunspot tightly. "We sure can. When the program is over tonight, we can open them."

"Can we?" Sunspot asked looking at Ratchet. "Maybe I can put my Santa Prime present there too."

"I would say so," Ratchet said turning to walk to the bedroom. They entered and he pulled open the closet. Sitting on the floor in a tall stack were many presents, all of them in the shiny bags that Cybertronians preferred.

"Wow!" Sunspot said. "I never saw such presents like that before!" He looked at Ratchet and smiled. "I once saw a store full of stuff but I didn't go in. I didn't have any shanix."

"You don't need them here, son," Ratchet said. "Your atar and I picked out everything and there's a present from each of your grandgenitors too. Let's put them under the trees." He set Sunspot down gently and looked down at him. He was staring at the presents with a sense of awe. Ratchet felt a pang for him and all the other infants who had never been given a chance to know the awe of surprise and the luxury of gifts. He reached down and picked up three small ones. He stacked them carefully into Sunspot's arms. Taking most of the rest, he led the way to the living room and the window where the trees twinkled in tandem with the window lights. Ratchet put them around the trees, then took the three from Sunspot. When those were place, he grinned. "There are more, Sunny Bunny. Why don't you get them? Don't overload your self, sweetness."

Sunspot smiled brilliantly and turned walking into his berthroom. He came out with his present, its emerald green bag glistening in the light. He walked into his genitor's room and after a moment came tottering out with all the presents that were there.

Ratchet willed himself not to assist. When Sunspot reached him Ratchet unloaded the infant stacking the presents decoratively around the trees. It was spectacular, the little pile of boxes and bags seemingly enormous to the tiny Seeker who stood in front of them with a look of awe on his face.

Ratchet knelt and slipped his arm around Sunspot. "Christmas Surprise is when you count things that you're thankful for. Isn't that what Mr. Terradive said?"

"He did," Sunspot said leaning into Ratchet.

"I'm thankful for Atar and his genitors. I'm thankful for mine. I'm thankful for the city and our schools. I'm thankful for everyone in it. I am thankful for my babies including you. Without you, Orion, Praxus Hero and the twins, I would be so lonely."

"I was lonely," Sunspot said glancing up at Ratchet. "I was always lonely. I just wanted to belong to someone."

"You belong to all of us," Ratchet said tightening his arm around his son. "You will always belong to us. We are so lucky that you are ours and we get to keep you forever. Merry Christmas Surprise, Sunspot. I love you."

Sunspot turned and hugged Ratchet. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Ada. I love you too."

They stood holding each other a moment, then Ratchet rose, Sunspot in arms. He walked to his berthroom and picked up the datapad that was Sunspot's. "Your story will be the best one again, Sunny Bunny. There were no spelling errors at all."

Sunspot grinned and leaned into Ratchet. "Do we go now?"

"We do. Mr. Terradive can't get enough of you," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Sunspot smiled. "He's a great teacher."

"He is, Sunny," Ratchet said as he walked to the door of the apartment. They turned to look at the lights in the windows, on the trees and the little stacks of presents. "It's show time, Sunny Bunny."

"It's show time, Ada," Sunspot said with a big grin.

Ratchet turned and the two walked out the door. It closed silently behind them.

-0-On Luna Station, orbiting the Earth

Burnoff sat quietly watching the Earth beyond in space. He was orbiting the allied world of their people feeling very lonely. His genitors would call in a couple of joors, their allotted time. He would have word if Prime would allow them to have more contact time via the comm system. He hoped so.

Rising to walk to the table, he sat composing two letters to his genitors and finished up the latest assignments of his electronic engineering classes which were conducted over the interlink with the University. He had twenty months left on his sentence Earth time. He was determined to put it to good use. He owed it to himself to be better but more than anything, he owed his genitors.

The Earth would hang in view, large and blue for joors. In the early morning he would be able to see a red star twinkling in the darkness far away. It would be Mars where his life was.

-0-TBC

12 (12) NOTE: The film crews now know who Prime is though no one has confirmed it. They agree to keep him off screen and his identity under wraps. If they ever want to come back to Mars, they have to.


	132. Chapter 132

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 4

-0-Outside the school tower

Ratchet waited with the genitors as Ironhide herded the infants inside. Orion and Praxus were actually in the program. When he returned, they walked with the rest of the city toward the air field where the schools would present their students and all their many fine efforts for everyone to see. They reached the viewing area and found a space up front, waiting for Prime and his crew to arrive.

"Kaon is in the show," Sunstreaker said pausing as Bluestreak commed him. "I didn't know that."

"We didn't either. I guess its sort of a last minute thing," Ratchet said with a grin. "Lucky them."

The space began to fill up, hundreds then thousands of bots coming. Around the vast area enormous monitors were set up, all of them arranged so that everyone everywhere would have a great view. The sound system was amazing and the Arts department of the University was going to manage all of the technical effort including filming.

The entire thing was playing in Channel 2 of IntraComm so that those who didn't want to challenge the crowds could still see what was going on. Skeleton crews or mechanical systems ran things and even the die hard businesses were closed for the show and fireworks that followed.

The soldiers, their families, scientists and filmmakers sans equipment drove through the throngs to reach the platform that was constructed for them down front. The filmmakers would borrow approved sections of the program so they didn't have to work. That met with universal approval among that crew.

The sun was going down and the skies darkened as lights everywhere began to come on. There was beauty as they stood congenially chatting together, waiting for the younglings and babies who had come here to show the city what they had learned. When the sky was very dark, the stars bright above them, the infants began to come in lines led by their supervisors from the school tower to the air field.

The flashes of cameras, the applause by families and friends, the waves and happiness on both infant and genitor was a beautiful thing to see. The warmth of the moment was joyful. They stood waiting with enormous excitement to show the city what they could do.

Herling and Nova moved to the stage to inspect and organize the sets, props and access both up and down for all. The program of the event was sent at that moment through the internal comm system of all plus placed on the screens that went live at that moment. When that was accomplished, the scene changed to a pan of the crowd and a beautifully clear intimate shot of the stage.

Music began to play, a Christmas carol from Earth and the crowd began to settle and turn to watch from whatever vantage point they had, their view deliberately constructed to be without impediment. As they did, Herling moved to the front of the stage, a smile on his face as he began to open the show.

"Good evening, Autobot City, family, friends, interested mechs and femmes. Welcome to the third Christmas Surprise among our people and the Second Program for Christmas Surprise by the schools and students of Autobot City."

The applause was enormous.

"You will be seeing the effort and hard work of our lovely infants designed for tonight just for you. I wish I could tell you how proud we are of our students in all three schools. I am proud of our staff, our volunteers, our genitors who support us so greatly and the city and colony who understand how vital our mission is. This school system is for everyone. I am honored to be Director for Education on Mars."

Everyone clapped, called out and stamped their peds, the usual Cybertronian statements of approval.

"I would like to introduce our great leader, Optimus Prime for a few comments."

The place went fricking nuts.

-0-In the crowd

"Optimus looks good."

"I think so too but then I was the missus for a while there."

Drift grinned and gave Springer the elbow. Springer snorting, bent rubbing the spot. "Thanks. I needed that."

"I know," Drift said, his optics firmly on the stage.

They both grinned. It was all good.

-0-On the stage

"Thank you, Herling. I am so honored to be here to add my appreciation to the night's performance and the players. I would like to say to all the teachers, aides, volunteers and support staff how much I appreciate what you do. You are guarding and protecting our future and there is no payment in thanks that can uphold the debt we owe to you. Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist and thinker of enormous influence on Earth once said, "Teaching is the highest and most responsible office man can fill." I am in agreement. I congratulate the younglings and sparklings who are going to show us what they can do. You cannot be more loved than you are tonight. Thank you, Herling for the opportunity to say so." With that, he stepped down and the crowd went nuts.

-0-In the crowd

"Silverbow is going to be epic."

"I think so," Hound said shifting Rebel in his arms. "She has worked really hard on her speech."

"I can't wait to hear it," Trailbreaker said nodding.

"Me too," Hound said.

-0-On stage

The stage was silent a moment, then the oldest kids in the city including Rambler who was also a student there filed onto the platform. They took up stations around the stage, then began to sing. It was acapella at first and lovely, the young voices blending together well. A simple keyboard began to accompany them played by of all mechs Alor who had slipped away from the group unnoticed. He was sitting in the 'pit' where a number of instruments were awaiting players, adding the musical accompaniment of a song he had scored. The words were someone else's but the music his.

Ironhide nearly threw a rod.

:Your ada keeps secrets, Ironhide:

:I think you're right, Ratchet:

The voices were beautiful and when that song was over, two more came. Then they recited a long poem from Cybertron in Standard, each of them telling a part of it. When they finally finished and the laughter for the ending died down, they came to the edge and bowed, turning with waves of their servos to step down to the side where they all were waiting.

Herling stepped up. "The Youngling Intermediate School is our smallest in population but it is enormous in the talent of our students. Thank you, Youngling Intermediate School for the wonderful performance." He clapped. The crowd went ape shit. Especially their families.

He stepped down and several classes of younglings from the Day School began to line up. They carried datapads and were to tell for themselves what they learned, what they believed and/or loved about their city in the tradition of Christmas Surprise and its homage to gratitude. Silverbow was first. She stepped forward all business and looked at her datapad. It was fortunate that she did. The crowd would eventually be estimated at nearly 422,000 individuals.

"What I love about Mars. I love it because it is ours and here we live together in peace. All of my family is here, the family that didn't die in the war. Our Prime and army protect us. I don't like it when my ada or atar go on duty. Sometimes I think they might not come back just like my real ada and atar did. But I am a military brat so I guess I will get over it." She grinned to herself. "I love my school. I am reading very well but my mathematics is still not so great. My friends help me and I help them. I have a brother in the sparkling school. His name is Rebel and he is my best friend. I can't wait until he can talk."

A ripple of laughter floated through the crowd then died down again.

"I wish all of our people could come here to live. I wish they could be as happy as me. Today, I got a dollie for Christmas Surprise. I got it from Santa Prime," she said looking up to smile at Optimus who smiled back. "I don't want to have the sparklings hear this but I think Santa Prime is really Uncle Optimus."

The crowd roared with laughter. So did Optimus.

"I want to thank my ada and atar, my teacher, my school and my friends. I love you. Today, I have to count my blessings and I want you to know I love you. Thank you for all you do for me. I will do my best for you too." She looked up and turned walking back to the line. She joined it as the crowd roared its applause.

Several other students spoke including a youngling named Hartley. He was a micro-mini-con who had a lot to say. His earnest little face and his cute little yellow and black paint scheme reminded a lot of soldiers in the crowd of Bumblebee as a sparkling.

"My name is Hartley. I am the son of Dar and Ar, who are learning to be cooks. I like that they are. They make good things and I get to be their tester," he said as the crowd laughed. He grinned and waited for them. Then he continued. "I came here in the mini-con village guarded by Omega and Fortress Maximus. I love them for taking care of us. I got to be on Fort Max and he was so nice to me. I still make him pictures and go visit him. Everyone should. He's wonderful.

"I get to go to school here. My genitors want me to be a college graduate. I will try. What I really want to do is play football."

An awww thing washed through the crowd and they tuned in higher to the soft spoken little waif.

"I am a wing and I'm pretty fast. My coach is Blurr and he's awesome. He is so nice and he teaches me a lot. Our team is ahead in our league and our goalies, Spinner and Kip are part of the reason. We don't like to keep score. We don't want anyone to feel bad but that is the rules. If I can't be a football player when I grow up, I want to be a firefighter. I want to help our colony because I love it here. Thank you, Ada and Atar for helping me with my spelling. I hate it."

The crowd roared with laughter, then died down.

"I love this city and always will. Thank you, Optimus Prime and our army and the Seekers for making me feel safe at last." With that, he grinned and turned stepping back into the line up. The crowd howled their applause.

Spirit looked at T-Bar and the two stepped out walking to the front to speak. Looking at Prowl who looked back at them with an encouraging expression, the infants began.

"My name is Spirit."

"My name is T-Bar."

"We are the younglings of Optimus Prime and Prowl." -both

"I like to run and play football." -T-Bar

"I like to play with my friends and family." -Spirit

"We love our family and our city." -both

"When we came we were the first group. We came to Earth after here and were taken care of by our adopted genitors, Optimus Prime and Prowl. We love them." -both

"I couldn't talk. Our life was awful. My genitors loved me but they were killed by bad mechs and my brother, Rambler had to take care of us alone." -Spirit

A chill went through the crowd, a tension that wasn't there before.

"It was so hard and we were so scared but Rambler was brave and saved us. I miss my ada and atar some times but I know they are happy for us that we are here, have really good genitors and will be safe. I feel them around me sometimes and it always feels happy." -T-Bar

"I love my family and my brothers. I have a lot of family. I have grandgenitors, older brothers, cousins and nephews. I have twin nieces and they are so cute. We are happy here. I want to grow up to do something good for the colony and our people. I also want to be a football player." -Spirit

A chuckle rounded the crowd.

"We are happy and love our teacher, Mr. Terradive. He got bonded to Mr. Roto and we gave him a surprise party." -both

Terradive laughing, nodded. The crowd hurrahed him and Roto who stood grinning nearby. The little mechs watched them with a smile.

"I like to stand on the terrace of the apartment and look at the city. Its so big and everyone is here. I want more to come. They will. Our atar is going to make sure they do."-Spirit

"Until then, my family and I will do our best to help where we can. Thank you, Ada and Atar for all you do for us. We love you so much." -T-Bar

Prowl and Prime swallowed tears and nodded to both of the little mechs.

"Thank you, Autobot City for being here." -both.

With that, they stepped back and the crowd applauded madly.

A figure slipped out of the line up and walked forward with a grin. He paused and looked at his pad. "My name is Turbo and I like to run," he began.

The crowd smiled.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	133. Chapter 133

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 5

-0-On the platform

"When we came here, my ada and atar had to work a lot and we felt when the refugees came that we had to do things too. Mr. Wheeljack made us brooms with our names on them and we kept the floors clean. Mr. Ironhide told us that we were really helping and it felt so great. He even got us Autobrands!" He looked up and smiled, his happy little face and energy meeting great approval with the crowd. "We also helped in the wash racks in the Fortress so refugees could have a nice towel. My brother, Comet and I did our best." He turned and looked back at the line.

Comet stepped out with his datapad and came to stand by his brother. He grinned. "My name is Comet and I am the youngling of Cambo and Gypsy. My brother," he said nodding to Turbo, "and I are so happy to be here. My ada is a sparkling, youngling and femme doctor. She also is the doctor and medic for the Wreckers. She had been on missions and in battles. She won't leave them because she's brave. So is my Atar. He's seen trouble too. He was a geologist but he trained to be a doctor too because the need was there. It was also his dream but he couldn't have it on Cybertron. Only here."

Turbo stood listening, nodding emphatically now and again drawing chuckles from the crowd. Comet paused and nodded to Turbo. He looked at his datapad and turned to the crowd. "We have a chance again to be a place where everyone can have their dreams come true. We have a city that is better than anyone I ever saw. I don't know that there was a better city on Cybertron. My ada and atar are sad that we haven't seen the places there that they love. We will some day. Some day Cybertron will be free and we can go there and come back here. I think that will be so because our army, the Seekers and Optimus Prime are awesome."

The crowd weighed in on their approval.

"I hope some day to be something helpful. We were told to tell what we were grateful for. I am grateful for my ada, my atar and my brother. I am grateful for my friends, my school and my home. I love this city," Comet said glancing up. "And I love you too."

Turbo who was nodding looked out at the crowd as well. "So do I," he said nodding again.

The crowd exploded. The younglings walked back to the line and Sunspot stepped out.

Alor who was sitting at the keyboard felt his spark tug as the tiny Seeker walked out confidently to the front of the stage. The Seekers were out in force Alor could see, their tall formats everywhere in the crowd. Starscream and his trine stood with Prime and his family, the expression on his face highly emotional for a mech with a hard bitten attitude like his. Alor glanced at Sunspot and settled just as the crowd did.

The tiny Seeker paused a moment looking out at the crowd. Then he looked at Ratchet and Ironhide, both of them nodding. His grandgenitors were there, Ravel, Tie Down and Blackjack. All of them gave encouraging expressions. He looked for Alor and saw him sitting at the keyboard. He smiled and Alor smiled back, nodding to him as well. Sunspot nodded back, glanced at his datapad and began.

-0-In the crowd

"This is going to leave a mark," Springer said tensing up as the little bot began.

"I hear ya," Drift said grimly.

-0-On the platform

"My name is Sunspot. I was a Decepticon warrior once but now I am not. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for my family, my home, my brothers who said they would always protect me and my school. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are great warriors and they take me with them when they do things. I get to see them practice in the dojo and they give me cookies."

A warm rumble filled the space, then subsided.

"I am grateful for being in a family. I was lonely a long time and I wanted to know that there was a home for me somewhere. There is now. I am the youngling mech of Ironhide and Ratchet. I have little brothers, a nephew, a sister and two nieces that are younger than me. I am grateful to be able to help them grow up. I am going to teach them things I know like reading and football. That is what I am grateful for.

"I am grateful that I don't have to be a soldier, that I have a room of my own and I can keep my badges on a bulletin board. My atar says I might need a new one for them and he may be right." Sunspot smiled over the top of his datapad at Ironhide, who smiled back swallowing his tears. "I am grateful for my teacher and aides who are patient and help me learn what I didn't get to know before. I love school. I always wanted to go but you couldn't on Cybertron. No one went especially Seekers.

"I am grateful for Starscream, Thundercracker and Sky Warp. They help me learn to fly. So does Red Wing and Cloudburst. Uncle Silverclaw teaches me about being a Seeker. He tells me stories of my clan and he helps me learn the language of my ada and atars, my real ones. I don't remember them. I remember a feeling but nothing more. That makes me sad sometimes. Then I go to my ada and atar and they make me feel better. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for all the Seekers who love me. I love you back and always will.

"I am learning to swim, to fly and to be a good football player. I am living in a city that is beautiful. Everywhere I look I see our own people. I was lost on Earth a long time. There were no Seekers and other bots there. I was scared, hurt and hungry. Then I got found and came here to live with my family. I will never forget how that felt. I will never forget when they told me that I was theirs forever." He looked over his datapad at Ratchet and Ironhide. Both of them smiled back, their agony an interior thing.

"I am happy. I am loved. I am safe. I am going to help our people. That is what I am grateful for. Merry Christmas Surprise, everyone." With that, he turned and walked to the line to stand once more.

For a moment it was silent, then the crowd exploded.

-0-In the crowd

:Ironhide … are you alright?:

:Ask me later, Ratchet:

Nearby

:That baby is going to kill me:

:We must redouble our efforts to make him happy, Thundercracker. He expressed a lot of happiness this time. I think he's progressing. Don't you?: Starscream asked with a trace of angst as wide as the Valles Marineris.

Thundercracker nodded. :I think so too:

Nearby

Silverclaw stood with members of his family, his angst internal. He had taken upon himself to educate the infant about his heritage and Sunspot was a sponge. He would sit for joors after school listening to the stories he told, the wisdom and lore he offered and speak the language of his clan slowly as he learned it. He loved the sweet guileless little bot and considered what would happen if someone even thought to harm him. The entire population of Seekers on Mars would jump on any would be assailant like an avalanche. He gathered himself and watched the infant with great pride.

Nearby

:That little bot hurts my spark:

:I know, Prowl. He's getting better though. He talked about his joy this time:

:I know:

-0-On the platform

More infants came forward to give their testimonies and as they did more lines made ready to do the same thing. When this group had finished, they were saluted by the crowd as they left. The next few classes did their part, then more and at last, they were finished.

Herling came onto the platform and paused with an enormous grin. "We are going to experiment with something we have been working on for over two decaorns. We have no idea if it will work. This might be the biggest fiasco in the history of the pageants. However, we feel that the littlest bots deserved a chance to shine. So we gathered a number of our oldest infants to show you how wonderful they are. If they can't do that, it isn't their fault. They are sparklings of the Sparkling Day School." He turned and nodded to Neo and Laret, Nova and Roto.

Neo came forward with a line in her servo. It was green and had silver threads entwined in its construction. She tugged it and when she did a helm popped up on the steps. Walking up with help from Roto and Laret, Orion appeared at the top. The crowd became still as the infants one by one appeared, all of them hooked together by the green and silver lead, little Antler hats on their helms. Around their waists on a leather belt were silver bells that jingled as they moved. There were sparklings behind Orion but none of them had the red nose that he had. It was fastened to his own by some sort of adhesive thingo but it couldn't be seen.

Neo knelt as she looked at them, waiting for them to see her. Orion was in front, Han next, then Miracle, Bleu, Mimi, Fifi, Diesel, Kaon, Praxus, Pip, Flit, Dart and in the rear, a tiny femme named Olo. They all looked at Neo who stood and turned moving forward slowly. They all stepped forward to follow, their little bells jingling. Olo at the end of the line staggered until she managed to match her tiny stride to everyone else. Laret and Roto hovered over her and then moved back to await further need.

The crowd didn't make a sound. They all held their breath figuratively if not literally and watched with an overwhelming sense of amazement and delight.

The little bots followed Neo who walked slowly forward. Alor who was sitting at the keyboard began to play a song, one he had rehearsed with them for two decaorns around assignments. He had kept the secret.

It had nearly killed him to do so.

Neo stopped, they stopped. Neo put a ped out, they followed. She put it in, so did they. Then she moved forward again, turning slightly to go back the other way. They followed, clapping their servos, looking at each other as they crept along babbling and laughing, all but Olo who took her role very seriously. Neo stopped and put another ped out, they followed. She pulled it back, they followed. They went around twice, each time doing something else as they paused with Neo.

When they were finished, she lined them in front of the platform and after getting Han and Orion to stop grabbing at each other, she got them to bow. Miracle almost tipped too far forward but he was caught by Laret who had hovered nearby the entire time ready to intervene. Roto who was also shadowing stood over them with a grin like he was Primus inspecting the troops.

Which he was.

Sort of.

They stood and looked out over the bright lights grabbing at their belts, sliding horns back upward from their downward tilt. Then Neo turned and led them off, each of them disappearing into the darkness off stage.

To say the crowd applauded would be putting too fine a point on it. Somewhere in Australia, a kangaroo was looking at the sky wondering if the thunder it heard foretold rain.

-0-In the crowd

Ironhide stood rooted to the spot. His two little mechs had danced for the city. They had worn reindeer hats, bells on their bellies and danced. He felt vapor lock coming on.

Ratchet stood rooted to the spot, then he turned. Prime was beside himself, clapping madly, his expression of amazement, delight and surprise almost too much for Ratchet. Prowl was jumping up and down pounding on Venture who was shouting back. Miler stood clasping his servos talking to Ravel and Tie Down who were nearly levitating with joy. Ratchet howled, then he caught himself as he felt Hero moving in his carry hold. Pulsing her a warm regard, he felt her settle again.

**:IRONHIDE! OUR BABIES DANCED FOR THE CITY!:**

**:I KNOW! DID YOU SEE THAT!? FAR END OF THE AWESOME SCALE! WHAT THE FRAG WAS THAT ON ORION'S NOSE!? I DON'T CARE! MY SON LED THE LINE FOR DANCING! PRAXUS WAS AWESOME!:**

It would take a moment for everyone to calm down.

The IntraComm feed would not be merciful for anyone in the crowd.

Even Prime.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	134. Chapter 134

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 6

-0-In the crowd

Starscream looked at the stage but parts of him didn't see it. The internal view inside himself that held him captive was filled with images of his infants performing. The entirety of his being was suffused with so much surprise and love he felt almost as if he were having an out-of-protoform experience. He blinked looking toward his trine and the other Seekers who were leaning in to congratulate them. He grinned from audial to audial, accepting their appreciation for **his sparklings** with as much coherence as he could manage.

All around the air field bots were laughing, clapping, awash with surprise and amazement. More of them than anyone would like to acknowledge had never seen a baby Cybertronian before coming here. Many of them who saw them now had never held one. They were just the cute little things who lived here, went to school, hung around with their families and trick-or-treated during holidays. To see them do this which apparently was super hard or Herling wouldn't have applied a caveat was stupendous.

As the crowd gathered together again, a youngling walked out on stage with a datapad. Attention finally began to focus and they turned to listen as a youngling mech from the Youngling Intermediate Day School began to speak. "My name is Fon. I am here to help tell you about Christmas Surprise. On Earth, it is a holiday for half of the world's population. It is a very religious sacred day for them. But it also has a secular side and that is what we celebrate now.

"When the Autobot garrison on Earth at Diego Garcia began to grow as soldiers heard our Prime and came, the call that our Prime made for them was also heard by refugees. We can all remember the moment we heard his voice. I will never forget it. Among the first group of refugees were nine orphans. I am going to have them come up here now." He turned and nodded to the younglings gathered at the bottom of the steps. They came up, four younglings of different ages as well as Silverbow, T-Bar, Spirit and Rambler gathering on either side of Fon. He turned to the crowd and read again. "We are the nine orphans that came that orn to Autobot City."

The crowd broke into applause and it built, climbing higher and higher before tapering off. The crowd grew silent again as they listened.

"Rambler, T-Bar, Spirit and Silverbow went with their adoptive guardians to Diego Garcia and lived there when their genitors had to be in residence. They came here when they weren't and for a long time we were the only kids on Mars. Then one orn a very kind thing happened. There are soldiers on the base at Diego Garcia that work with our army and Seekers. They are N.E.S.T. soldiers who are brothers to our own soldiers and some of them, the ones who are here now are among the best friends our people have on Earth among their kind.

"When it was Christmas time, the soldiers, especially the femmes were concerned that the nine of us wouldn't have a holiday like them. So they networked throughout their military, got presents for us from all over their world and had them shipped to Diego Garcia. They had a lot of presents gathered and they made the first Christmas tree there, sending a second one to Autobot City for the five of us who lived here full time. They said we needed a Christmas surprise too and that is what they called it. That is why we celebrate this every year. That is why we have it on the calendar. Not only is it a great family and youngling, sparkling holida, it is a celebration of an act of kindness that lifted all of us up. We love you for it. We won't forget it and we thank you for what you did for us, nine orphans without a home."

It was silent a moment, then several small younglings walked onto the stage holding things.

"I would like Aisha, Jessie, Molly, Clarice and Devon to please come up here now," Fon said.

For a moment, they froze, then the five femmes drove off the ramp and up to the stage where Springer waited kneeling. He picked them up and placed them on the stage, stowing their segways in the front. They lined up and waited, a dazed expression on their face.

Fon grinned at the humans who weren't much shorter than him. "I would like to ask the Prime to come up here please."

Everyone looked at Prime and the crowd parted for him. He stepped up and looked down at the femmes with a smile. Turning to the crowd, it settled and was silent. "When we first came to Earth, there were many who were afraid of us, some of them actual enemies. We were their first alien species and a strange one at that. But there were also allies. The N.E.S.T. soldiers and the command of the Allied Global Force, General Morshower and Diego Garcia base commander, Colonel Fulton among them," Prime said nodding to the men who watched them intently. "We were fortunate that the soldiers of Diego Garcia were open to us and we have become brothers and sisters, both at arms and at peace. All of them are tremendously dear to our sparks.

"During a holiday, the femmes of the garrison took it upon themselves to meet a need for our littlest citizens and provided a holiday for them that was spark felt and deeply appreciated. It was so good for our infants that it was put into our calendar. We celebrate Christmas Surprise for our infants and to honor our allies, the soldiers of Earth. We have taken them into our lives and sparks with the greatest of affection and respect.

"It was an honor that you all could join us this year for this holiday which is a little bit human and a little bit Cybertronian. As a gift to you, we would like to honor all of you but especially the femmes who through the generosity and kindness of their hearts made a very sad time happy for nine homeless children from a lost world. For that, we would like to present to you these tokens of our appreciation."

The younglings holding what looked like cubes walked to the femmes and gave them each the device. Jessie looked at it, a hollow appearing crystal cube with a incredibly detailed globe of Cybertron turning slowly inside. Glyphs on the outside said something she didn't know but one of them was the mark of the Primes and thus, it was an important artifact beyond the obvious. She looked up at Optimus. :Thank you, Optimus. This is so beautiful. What do the glyphs say?:

"They declare to all from this orn forward that you are a citizen of Cybertron, that you are a Cybertronian with all privileges of such citizenship for all time. You are ours and we are yours," he said nodding solemnly.

The femmes stared at each other, then the soldiers nearby. :I don't know what to say, Optimus: Molly said looking up at him. :This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. That is, after meeting all of you first:

It broke the tension and everyone laughed, the shouting, clapping and guffawing ginormous. They were hugged by the younglings then pulled to one side as all of the children in both schools moved to stand in lines on the stage. The femmes were engulfed by Silverbow and the little mechs, all of them making room for them as Springer moved their segways off from the platform.

Prime stepped off comming the soldiers and their families as well as Warren Roberts and his wife. He told them that they had the same honors but would receive their gift after the fireworks. From the shouting and happiness filtering over to him on their channel, he considered that his choice of gift was being well received.

Some days it was good to be Prime.

Nova walked out to stand in front of the stage, then knelt down as a group of mechs and a femme from the Intermediate School walked over from the side to gather the instruments that were waiting for them. Rambler sat down beside Alor to help him play the keyboard. Glancing at Nova, they began to play as the older mech conducted the music.

It was soft at first, then rose up filling the night sky with familiar sounds. It was the sound of Cybertronian celebration, the sound of a million intimate moments in a million intimate places now lost to time and distance. The crowd listened, their thoughts their own as the melody wound itself into their sparks. Then the singing began.

They sang together, nearly 1700 children. Their voices were full and vibrant, their purity thrilling. It rose up into the night and made memories stir. The children wouldn't have them, memories of home and family in a faraway place but their genitors and elders would. The soldiers would remember, most of them and so would Prime. It would be warm and painful, hopeful and hopeless. There would be ghosts smiling at them from beautiful moments that would never come again. The sweet and the bittersweet entwined as the children sang of Cybertron and their long last past.

Then it would change to other tunes, songs from another world that would elicit from the humans among them memories as well. The songs were filled with imagery that would perplex some and enlighten others. Songs of snow and reindeer, crackling fireplaces and herald angels, these were the memories of a people as well. All of it spoke of love and family, of place and home. The words appeared on the monitors and voices joined in. Thousands of voices rose upward into the night sky as hundreds of thousands of mechs and femmes joined their children.

Ratchet looked at the sky, at the stars above them and wondered as he listened where Cybertron was. Are you still there he asked himself? How are your people doing? How did we come to this he asked and then he felt the comfort of Ironhide's arms encircle him. He saw his ada and atar singing, their arms around each other. Alor was playing the keyboard with Rambler. Everyone he loved was right here with him, in this place, this good place.

His sons had danced before the city.

Ratchet snorted, then laughed aloud leaning back into Ironhide and joined him as they sang about chestnuts, silver bells and Cybertron.

Then it ended.

For a moment, all was still. All was silent. Then a missile lifted off and soared into the dark sky before it exploded. Overhead, glistening with gold, copper and silver, the Emblem of the Primes appeared across the skies. Thousands of voices roared their approval as more and more missiles lifted off.

Seekers flew in tight formation together across the dark reaches of the sky. Shuttles with the Autobrand followed, escorted for service to their people on their way through a bursting space bridge. Flowers from Earth, the flags of the combined forces of N.E.S.T's nationals exploded into a huge star burst before fading, then exploding once more into the symbols of those nations. Then a huge shell blasted apart and a gigantic image of Cybertron appeared slowly turning. It rotated 360 degrees before fading, the entire crowd stilling to watch it.

After that, it was silent a moment before a barrage of shells lifted off and exploded, all of them illustrating a feature of Cybertron from the glittering beauty of Crystal City to the Sea of Rust. All of the sights were someone's past and nobody's future.

For now.

More shells launched and exploded, all of them bursting into the symbols of units. The Seekers and their new Autobrand that reflected their mission, the Wreckers, the regular army, the security services and the senate as well as the mini-cons appeared. There were new ones as well worn by N.E.S.T. and those Autobots that served with soldiers. The blue sun with partial eclipse of the moon as well as the insignias of N.E.S.T. itself, the Elite Guard, some of whom were still among the soldiers of the Autobot Army, all of them were seen and acknowledged.

The names of districts of Autobot City were next, the images of Metroplex and Fortress Maximus glittering before disappearing. Then the giants were thrown up, Kappa's beautiful face, the stern visage of Omega and Zeta followed by the smiles of Gamma and the smirking swagger of Xantium. They received great applause.

More shells burst, the Aerialbots followed by Cosmos like a little brother trying to keep up with the older ones flashed across the sky, laughter trailing them as well. Then the list of battalions, groups, flights and battle units began to be listed, their glyphs appearing, then going away. Some of them were no more. Some were standing among them and the chanting of battle cries echoed off the buildings.

The forward stations were next, their residential moons matched with their enormous beautiful planets were seen as they took a tour of the solar system. That was followed by Cybertron and her three moons, all of it drawing a measured response from those who still mourned their loss. Then the sights of industry, building, the forward motion of their people filled the skies, all of the images underpinned by Alor and the school band, their music filling the spaces of images and between images with the perfect musical accompaniment.

A shell flew up followed by one behind it. A Deceptibrand appeared and was 'destroyed' by the next shell exploding. A huge Autobrand appeared and hung in the air over them, the enigmatic face of the first Autobot peering down at them. The crowd was stamping and yelling, clapping and hooting. Then they got louder.

Six shells burst into the sky exploding, the symbols and emblems of the six football teams appearing.

The place went nuts.

One by one they burst, fading away until only Praxus was left. Ratchet turned to Prowl who glanced at him with a self satisfied smirk. Then Praxus faded leaving the sky empty. They stood silently absorbing the sights, then turned to listen as Alor began to play.

The music newly composed for this occasion began softly, intricately weaving itself until it swept upward. It built and built, then ended softly, filtering away into the darkness until it was gone.

The combined programs of the Sparkling Day School, the Youngling Day School and the Youngling Intermediate Day School were over.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	135. Chapter 135

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 7

-0-On the air field, Autobot City, Mars

They stood together on the air field reluctant to leave and end the feeling of joy that suffused everyone in the enormous crowd. Over 422,000 bots had shown up to watch the school presentation. It had been new to most of them and completely wonderful to all of them. The atmosphere was sparkling as they stood talking, soaking up the unity of the moment.

-0-Nearby

"That was great," Wheeljack said with a grin.

Perceptor nodded. "I think it went rather well." He looked down and noted a small rocket in a box. "What is this, 'Jack?"

Wheeljack turned to look down at the dull gray missile that lay in the bottom of the box by itself. A glance around shown that there were no more fireworks but that one. "What does it do?"

"I don't know," Perceptor said looking at the technicians who stood at the launchers. They shrugged as well.

"Well," Wheeljack said lifting the missile out. "Let's find out."

"What if its a dud or inappropriate, Wheeljack?" Perceptor asked with concern.

"What if it isn't?" Wheeljack said loading it himself. "Boys, let 'er rip."

They did.

-0-Around the vast crowd

Ratchet stood next to Ironhide grinning madly as he listened to the excited commentary of the group around him. Hero was topside lying in his arms, staring at everyone who chatted so excitedly.

"He nearly fell off the stage," Miler said with a laugh.

Prowl nodded with a big smile on his handsome face. "He did. But he was so good. I remember seeing him do this sort of thing around the apartment but I thought he was just playing."

"It was a miracle he didn't fall off," Ratchet said to general hooting and groaning.

"Pip and Dart along with Flit would do something like this but I also thought it was only play," Thundercracker said with a chuckle. "They were practicing."

"Homework," Optimus said. He felt as elated as possible, the muck of Shockwave washed away at the sight of his children showing their skills.

Just then the sound of a missile launch froze everyone and they looked upward, two soldiers reflexively bringing their guns online. The missile went straight up and exploded showing the sky with silver sparkling light. Then the light coalesced into glyphs which made their meaning clear immediately. The crowd murmured for a moment, then a cheer gathered reaching up to the compelling life affirming message spelled out overhead.

:What does it mean?: Devon asked.

Jessie who had learned rudimentary glyphs to handle some of the business between the Embassy and the base smiled. :**I KNOW! IT SAYS 'UNTIL ALL ARE ONE'!:**

The chant started low, then built until it seemed to fill the sky. The glyphs shimmered, very slowly slipping away like drops of water on a pane of glass. They faded out about the time the chant reached its zenith, then it was quiet once more. The sky overhead was velvet with slowly flashing lights signaling devices in orbit. Then a soft melody began to play. Everyone turned to monitors to see what was happening at the stage.

Alor sat with his arm around Rambler. He was playing a quiet tune, his digits touching the keys lightly. Alor leaned in and whispered softly, Rambler nodding as he watched his fingers. The tune was famous. It was known by everyone in the audience including the children. Then voices picked it up singing it here and there. More joined and soon everyone was singing, a solemn sound of music and voices singing in a language that was unheard of in this part of space until shortly ago.

Prowl stood with his arm around Prime who looked at the stage, at his son, his good friend and extraordinary musician, Alor who were together reminding them of who they were. The tune amplified as more voices joined and it rose upward to the sky, to the last twinkling glyph before it finally faded away.

General Morshower stood listening to the oddly compelling sound of a language no human probably would ever be able to duplicate but he heard words that he had learned through osmosis with the bots.

Cybertron.

Home.

Primus.

They were singing the song that identified their species and their world, their own national anthem. He listened, his wife standing behind, her arms around him. He wished he could sing too and join in the anthem with his newly won fellow citizens. He wished at that time that he could speak their language so he could salute** his** Cybertron too.

Sarah Lennox stood beside Will watching the crowd before her. She would be one of them now. Her daughter, husband and her would be newly minted citizens of a world far away, one she would most likely never see herself. That these people would suffer the same fate weighed on her as she listened. She listened and loved them, just like all the humans here.

Warren Roberts and his wife, Wendy listened as well standing hand in hand on the platform made for them. Children had danced. Children had poured their sparks out saying what they were thankful for as they celebrated their version of his holiday. The women who were responsible had done a great thing making nine orphans feel happiness and hope once more. He loved them, all of them as he stood in this privileged spot. He wished he could sing too but he couldn't. So he watched with as much love for them as was possible for him to possess.

It was a lot.

They stood in a group, aides, teachers and therapists holding sparklings. All of them were still wearing their antler hats, their belts removed so they wouldn't be so noisy. They sat in the arms of their teachers, thirteen little 'reindeer' who had dazzled their city with their great learning and group cohesion. They looked at the sky, pointed at things, chatted and grinned as they too waited for their genitors to come.

They would never know how much they had helped their people with their efforts this night.

-0-At the launcher

Wheeljack grinned and glanced at Perceptor. "Now that is a rocket."

Perceptor merely nodded with a small smile.

-0-Nearby at the Autobot City Maximum Security Prison

They stood at the bars watching the fireworks, the singing and the cheering going on nearby. They were a mile away and the monitors that played content at the site over the citywide channels played content here. They could see what they were missing. They heard the stories of the younglings and saw the babies dancing. They saw an astonishing thing and some of them were smart and alert enough to understand it.

The city was an oasis where their people were gathering to reclaim themselves. Through a holiday most of them didn't understand, they had a chance to show each other that they were united, that they were rising, that they were one.

Until all are one.

It resonated in the processors of all of them including Barricade, Scorponok and Stiletto. Even if they saw it from another angle, they understood the power of those four words. They appeared in the velvet sky, shining shimmering glyphs floating for a moment as the anthem of their world began to rise up in the voices of nearly half a million citizens.

Some of them felt homesick, the nausea of displacement flashing through their sparks. Some felt as lonely as they could possibly feel as the tide of life and the rising future flowed away from them, the detritus of a terrible past. They were anachronisms, the dust bin leftovers after the sale. They were the things no one wanted or needed. All that was good and shiny was over there singing, feeling a solidarity to the state and to each other that was never attained on Cybertron.

Sentinel watched the celebrations, the feed from IntraComm transferred to his internals. He saw the cameras panning over the crowd. He saw mechs and a femme or two that he knew. He saw the hardest of the hardliners, Neo of the Council of the Ancients leading a line of shiny little sparklings across a stage, playing what the humans would call the 'Hokey Pokey' with the little ones. That was a breathtaking sight for him. He shifted, noting that Decimus and Proteus had walked to stand by him. He didn't speak, his interest focused at the air field but they spoke for him.

"This is an enlightening event, Sentinel. All manner of castes together celebrating their children and our culture." Proteus shook his helm. "I would never have believed it. Seekers, grounders … Starscream and Prime together, united. It would never have happened on Cybertron."

Decimus nodded. "No, it would not."

Sentinel glanced at them. "Did we ever try it?" he asked curtly.

They looked at him, then the air field. No one answered.

-0-Barricade, Scorponok and Stiletto

They stood together, held together next to Omega Supreme and Silverbolt. They were watching with their siblings, all of them dazzled by the beauty of their city's children. The Guardians all had the three miscreants on their sensors, their guard detachments aware and more relaxed. Three of them had infants in the program.

:What do you think?:

Barricade looked at Stiletto. :About what?:

:This: Stiletto said nodding to the crowd. :I've never seen so many younglings in one place in my life:

Barricade nodded. :I know. There are supposed to be 2,500 of them in this city:

No one say anything more. They just stood and watched, emotionally outside of the loop as always.

-0-In the crowd

Payload stood with his bond and sang, his spark filling with emotion as he considered the path his life had taken. He was a marauder, a ship boarding killer and now he was a bond, a father and a city asset. He felt his spark nearly burst as emotion filled him, emotion for his family and his long lost world. He had been a part of that, abetting a monster who had broken them and their planet, scattering their people all over the universe to fend as best they could. How many sparklings like his son, Mars were out there in jeopardy? The thought was never held long before being banished. It was a bullet straight to the spark to even think about it. That he might be responsible was a burden he exorcised every orn with every ped fall and positive effort he made.

He would not be the only former Decepticon in the crowd that felt that too.

Blackjack stood beside his son, their arms linked as they sang. He thought about how Alor had slipped through the space bridge to come here to practice with the students and sparklings. His joy was infectious as he related the latest step forward in the sparkling dancing and the youngling musicianship that was made that orn. He thought about their lonely existence in the Expansion protecting and collecting the suffering and lost of their people. At no point did he ever expect to see his beloved only child again. At no point did he ever believe that Ironhide would be lost to the war. He knew his son was somewhere in the universe bringing the hurt. His greatest longing was to be by his side when he did.

The night was extraordinary, then the song faded as the last chords of the music were solicited by Rambler's digits. It settled, a hush across the crowd, a hesitation to leave or make a sound gripping them. Then they slowly and with great reluctance began to move, their voices softly speaking as they walked toward the city and their lives once more.

Ratchet handed Hero to Ironhide who looked luminous in his pride for his children. Sunstreaker slipped his arms around Ratchet and hugged him. "Did you see the sparklings, Ada? Didn't they look slagging awesome?"

Ratchet chuckled and turned, an arm sliding around the chassis of the bigger bot. They began to walk forward slowly with the crowd. "They were high end on the awesome scale. Kaon looked like a champ with his little hat and bells."

"I'm going to get that and mount it on the shelf in his room. I want a picture of him too to put with it. He gave a performance for a half million of us and I want him to know that forever," Sunstreaker said as they moved forward, stopped, then moved forward again.

"You and me both," Ratchet said. Bluestreak who was behind them carried Uraya, the little waif wrapped in a Hello Kitty blanket that Sunstreaker thought matched her happy personality. She also wore a tiny Hello Kitty knit hat with room for her finials. "Doesn't my Uraya look like a sweetheart," Ratchet cooed, slipping into grandada mode almost unconsciously.

"She looks cute," Bluestreak said. Glancing back at Sideswipe who was walking beside Ravel who had taken Iacon from him, he grinned. "She is wearing Miss Piggy, whoever that is."

Ratchet glanced back and grinned. "Sunstreaker," he said glancing up at his oldest youngling. "You never disappoint."

Sunstreaker grinned and squeezed Ratchet's shoulders. They continued onward in the river of Cybertronians that were flowing back to their city and the night festivities at home.

Presents were to be had by almost all.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	136. Chapter 136

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 8

-0-On the way home

The thousands of bots moved slowly, the sounds of laughter and happiness a balm to everyone present. The Night Watch was standing here and there laughing and bantering as they helped move the traffic along. No one was in vehicle mode, all walked including a number of tiny elders who had been seated in the front row of the stage area to watch. They were surrounded by mechs from the Electrical Workers Union who were ensuring their arrival and departure in one piece.

Optimus Prime was feted and congratulated all the way to the highway and the right turn upward to the Mare Tranquilitatus. The city was full on lit up with the beautiful additions of Christmas Surprise decorations and colorful lighting adding a warmth to the evening that was affirming. Younglings who stood in rows with their teachers at the edge of the air field were released to their genitors who stood waiting in long lines to retrieve infants and their older siblings.

Silverbow ran forward and hugged Hound's leg before being lifted upward by Trailbreaker. They took her datapad and turned walking toward home in the Metroplex District, Silverbow exclaiming to both about the moment when she told her story and helped give the femmes their citizenship emblems.

Ratchet waited with Prime, Hero in arms as Ironhide and Prowl joined the lines to pick up the infants. Ratchet grinned and looked at Prime. "It is a great idea to take the good and make it ours. This holiday may be something completely different to the humans but the way it is done here is lifesaving to a lot of our people."

Prime nodded and grinned down at Ratchet. "You are responsible for Halloween and Christmas Surprise. Thank you, Ratchet for what you do. You are a very important mech in the life of our city. It can't be discounted or overlooked."

Ratchet looked at Prime and grinned slightly. "I live to serve," he said with a seriousness that Prime recognized. Prime nodded and they turned watching as Olo was gathered up by her genitors. She was luminously beautiful, pure white with a tiny red chevron and red winglets. She smiled a gigantic smile, the kind infants in all galaxies and dimensions have when they express their purity in delight. She wore her reindeer antler hat and her ada held her belt with the silver bells. Both of them, giant sized mechs who looked like they could lift buildings with their bare servos hugged and kissed her. "Olo, you are so beautiful," her ada said tucking her into his arm. They turned with great joy and received congratulations all the way to their apartment door in Metroplex District.

Prime and Ratchet grinned at each other. "That was satisfying," Ratchet said.

Prime snorted and laughed. "Almost as satisfying as watching my younglings excel."

"Alor has a knack with younglings," Ratchet said nodding. "Is that talented mech of yours going to continue with music?"

"He better," Prime said with a proud grin. "We got him what he asked for. We had a keyboard made and set into a copper and silver frame. Its waiting in the living room of the apartment when we get home."

Ratchet grinned. "You are a good atar, Optimus," Ratchet said as he saw Prowl and Ironhide turning to come back with a clutch of infants all singing, chatting and laughing in arms.

Optimus reached for Miracle and lifted Spirit handing him to Miler who caught up with them. He took Spirit and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. "You and T-Bar were brilliant. What a wonderful idea speaking together like that. I am so proud of you, sparkling."

Spirit blooming under the attention hugged his grandada and lay against him worn out from the relief of getting through the program and being received so well.

Prowl had T-Bar in arms and Rambler hopped along beside him. Ratchet knelt and hugged Rambler. "You are a brilliant musician. I hope you continue, sparkling."

Rambler did the Cybertronian version of a blush. "Thank you, Uncle Ratchet. I love music. Grandada Alor is going to be my teacher. I want to write songs."

"I want to hear them," Ratchet said with a grin. Sunspot appeared before him tackling Ratchet who rose and squeezed him. "You are also my hero, Sunspot. Between you and Rambler, I am well content."

"That was so fun, Ada. I got to tell them about our family." Sunspot grinned in that uncomplicated way that infants who feel safe and wanted did when they wanted to tell the deepest part of their hearts.

Or in this case, sparks.

"I told them about how fun our family is. I told them about my brothers. I love my family, Ada," he said hugging Ratchet hard.

"Your family loves you, Sunspot," Ratchet said.

Silverclaw appeared and waited beside Miler as Sunspot hugged his ada. Then he sat back up and spied his mentor. "Uncle Silverclaw! I saw you in the crowd!"

Silverclaw nodded and lent his staff to his son who stood beside him with a look of intense pride on his face. Silverclaw took Sunspot and hugged him, holding him for a moment. Sunspot sat up and looked at the big Clan Elder. "Sunspot, you did Seekerkin a great service tonight with your skill at telling your story. You spoke about our longing in a way that touched everyone's spark. We couldn't do things on Cybertron because we were Seekers. But here on this world you are showing the city that Seekers can do what they want and do it well. Our people are proud of you. You are a fine example for the hatchlings who are going to need one."

Sunspot looked at him and smiled, glancing at Ratchet and back to Silverclaw. "I wanted to do a good thing," he said. "I wanted the city to know we love them too."

Silverclaw nodded and hugged the youngling, gently stroking his wings. His sons, all three of them looked at the infant with expressions of great pride on their faces. They were an amazing group, the four of them. Others stood with them as it seemed every Seeker in the great mob conglomerated around Sunspot. One of them stroked Sunspot's wings, smiling when they flickered from the attention. Silverclaw looked at Ratchet who was watching with Ironhide and his genitors. "You have done great things for our son. We are well pleased," he said nodding in the old fashioned way to indicate equality between speakers.

Ratchet nodded back, returning the compliment. "We are honored to be able to raise and love such a beautiful child," he replied in the formal manner.

Silverclaw nodded and looked at Sunspot who was smiling at all the Seekers around him. "You have a flying lesson in two orns. I am looking forward to watching you glide."

"I love gliding!" Sunspot said with excitement. "Are you going to be there to watch me?" he asked looking at the Seekers around him.

They grinned and nodded, many of them giving their assent. They would all keep it too.

Sunspot looked at Ratchet. "They love me, Ada." He almost sounded surprised.

"Who wouldn't, Sunny Bunny?" Ratchet replied as the group nodded in agreement.

-0-Ravel and Tie Down

They walked along trailing Bluestreak who 'broke trail' for them. Sideswipe had surrendered Iacon to them and was following making sure they got through safely. The 'fam' was ahead of them gathering sparklings and younglings. Dinner would be held at Prime's house for both sides of the family. One present each would be opened there. If there were any more, they would be a home affair. Dinner would be catered and delivered with notable exceptions. Miler, Venture, Tie Down and Ravel along with Alor insisted on bringing special items that were family celebration food as well. Blackjack volunteered to be the taster.

Alor merely smirked.

"Ravel, watch your step," Tie Down said slipping his arm through the little mech's.

"I didn't see that," Ravel replied stepping over a bundle of cords on the ground. They continued. "I haven't remembered a better time except when Ratchet was home from school."

Tie Down nodded. "This was so much fun. I still find myself surprised that we aren't back in the Jumble."

"That was a miracle, Tie, that we could leave. I still feel badly for those still there," Ravel said shaking his helm.

"We'll get them out, Ravie," Tie Down said. "Our army and the Seekers will get them out. Optimus is too smart for those Decepticons."

Ravel nodded. "He is."

Sideswipe merely followed along grinning.

-0-On the way to the Tower of Fun (tm)

They reached the doors of their building pausing to wait. Miler, Venture and two of the infants were still coming but close. Ratchet, Ironhide and their younglings were in sight as well. Bluestreak standing beside Ravel with Uraya and Tie Down who had Iacon in arms could be seen with Sideswipe. Sunstreaker turned from Ratchet, Praxus in his arms and looked back. "Hurry up, slowpokes," he called out with a grin.

A lot of snark was handed back as they made their way forward. Through a crowded lobby and into a crowded elevator they made their way. "I hope this elevator doesn't get stuck," Sideswipe said.

He wouldn't say it twice.

Stepping off at the penthouse, they waited in the lobby entrance of the Residence for all to arrive. When they did, Prowl led the way. Inside they walked and stepped aside as the infants came along behind them. Standing in a corner by the window, a beautiful piano like device awaited. Rambler paused, glanced at his genitors with joy, then ran to it. "Wow! This is so beautiful! It was just what I wanted! Look, Uncle Alor! A keyboard of my own!"

Alor walked over, Orion in his arms. "This is a beautiful instrument, Rambler. We will have a chance for you to practice your lessons."

"I will!" he exclaimed. Then he turned and ran to Prowl. He hugged Prowl's legs, then Prime's. They knelt and hugged him, enjoying his joy as much if not more than him.

Prowl stood up and smiled at his botlets, all of them including Ironhide's shivering with excitement. "All of you find a place on the floor around the Christmas Surprise tree," he said. They did moving swiftly to sit, grinning at each other with excitement. Prowl looked at Prime, then drew a hat out of subspace tossing it to Optimus. "You do the honors. You're so good at it."

Optimus caught the Santa hat amid the hilarity and moved to the tree slipping it on. "Yes, Prowl," he said with a smirk.

A lot of banter, snark and hilarity met that remark as all of the adults moved to sit on the chairs and couches around the room, nearly all of them flipping out cameras. Prime reached taking a box from a stack of boxes turning to walk to T-Bar. "This is for you from Santa Prime."

T-Bar looked at him with a giant awe-filled smile. "How did he come in here and leave this for me, Atar?" he asked.

Prime grinned and shrugged. "Santa Prime knows but he isn't telling is he, Prowl?"

That bot lounging on a chair beside his genitors smirked. "Nope," he said.

Hilarity ensued.

Santa Prime gripped another package and turned pausing before T-Bar. "Don't you want to open it, son?"

"When everyone does," T-Bar said with a smile.

Prime grinned and handed another to Sunspot. "This one is for you, Sunny."

That little bot smiled a side splitting smile and took it glancing at T-Bar with delight. "Thank you, Uncle Santa Prime," he said because he was awesomely well mannered. Rather up that end of the scale if you want to know.

Turning, he picked up a present and walked to Miler handing it over. "Ho-ho-ho, Miler," Optimus said with a grin.

Miler chuckled and shook his helm. "I can't believe a Prime could be this much fun."

Hilarity ensued again.

Prime gave a present to Blackjack who harrumphed with delight. To Alor who smiled and hugged him. To Ratchet who sassed him, to Ironhide who snarked at him, to Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bluestreak who alone of the three didn't tweak his stunning "Santa Prime couture'. Bluestreak merely hugged him.

Prime turned to Ravel and Tie Down who looked at him with startled optics. Taking the presents, they sat up and nodded in great humility to the Prime of their world who was gifting them. "I don't know what to say," Ravie said looking up at him.

"Say nothing, Ada," Ratchet said his own present sitting on his lap. "Works for me."

Double hilarity ensued including much tut-tutting about **'sassing a Prime, Ratchet'**. **-BOTH** his genitors.

Optimus saw the presents for Miracle, Praxus and Orion. He handed them to Ironhide and Prowl, then walked to a seat to sit. Miler glanced at Prime, then Prowl. "Where is Optimus's present?" he asked his son.

"He's getting his later," Ratchet interjected to the undying laughter of most of the room and the mortifying nearly death defying angst of the remaining traditionalists.

**"RATCHET!" -RAVEL!**

Ratchet leaned over and hugged his ada winning back some cred with the little bot. Then he leaned back and grinned. "Can we open them now, Dad?" he asked.

Prime snorted and laughed. "Yep," he said with a grin.

Much opening commenced. Exclamations of **WOW! I REALLY NEEDED THAT! And OH ADA/ATAR/GRANDADA/GRANDATAR! I REALLY NEED THAT!** filled the room.

Here was the breakdown on the loot.

Rambler: Keyboard piano thingy by the window. Which he wanted to play with but didn't because he was well mannered and occupied that end of the awesome scale with Sunspot.

T-Bar: Half a dozen Kre-O sets of 'Transformers' including someone's idea of **'OPTIMUS SLAGGING PRIME!'**, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Prowl no less and something called 'micro changers. Reaction: **"WOW! THESE ARE SO CUTE! LOOK, ADA! YOU AND ATAR ARE INCLUDED!"**

Spirit: Forty pounds of LEGOS including a game boy that transformed into a bot of some sort, enough legos to make a bot his own size and a lot of pictures to help him build. Reaction: **"WOW! THESE ARE SO CUTE! YOU CAN HELP ME, RIGHT ATAR?!" **

Hilarity ensued.

Sunspot: Forty pounds of Legos and about twenty-four pounds of Lincoln Logs. Reaction: **"WOW! I *LOVE*** **LEGOS! WHAT ARE THESE?"** (Holds up Lincoln logs with a giant smile) (He would learn and love them as much as Sam Witwicky who had suggested them.)

Ironhide grinned and leaned closer to the little bot. "I think I will ask Sam Witwicky when he gets here tomorrow to show you. He suggested them himself."

Sunspot looked at his atar. "Is he an organic?"

Ironhide blinking sat back and nodded. "He is. I will help you too."

Sunspot looked at his atar, then his toys. "I am afraid of them, Atar."

"Alright," Ironhide said. "I will help you myself," he said picking up the tiny booklet in his giant servo, a totally comic affect. "You and me, Sunny."

Sunspot looked up and smiled gigantically. **"*Maybe you can help us too, Grandatar***," he said looking at Blackjack. He would. It would be hilarious. Two giant black chaos bringers kneeling on the floor building forts with a tiny yellow and white Seeker complete with sound effects of battle and building. Pictures would be had by all.

The chaos bringers would have a ball.

Everyone looked at Prowl. He looked back at them, then Prime with a wary optic. "Can I open this in mixed company?"

"You may have a point. He reads Maxim and Cosmopolitan. It could be edible panties," Ratchet said with a grin.

Initiate, search, panties, edible, noun, definition retrieved, **cut transmission!**. All of the adult optics in the room turned to Ratchet. "You are deeply disturbed," Prowl said with a smirk as Ravel nearly achieved vapor lock. Tie Down for his part merely smiled. As did Miler in spite of himself, Venture who laughed for some time, Prime who filed the notion away for other less public possibilities, Blackjack who thanked Primus once more that his son-in-law wasn't a bluestocking, Alor who joined Venture in a guffaw, Bluestreak who struggled not to laugh and the twins who looked at their ada with expressions just this short of worship.

Prowl opened his gift. He looked inside and smiled. Glancing at Prime, he nodded slightly. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Show us," Ratchet said.

Prowl looked at him and obliged. He pulled out a trophy and turned it. It said, "Praxus Science, Martian Adult League Football Champions of Autobot City, Mars" with the date left off.

Hilarity partisan as the Pit ensued.

The twins opened their boxes and smiled.

Sunstreaker: "Wow. Nice. Thanks." - an array of ultra exclusive expensive waxes that he would use in the most important occasions that usually involved fragging Bluestreak.

Sideswipe: "Wow. Thank you." -an array of exclusive expensive waxes that he would use in the most important occasions that usually involved fragging Bluestreak.

Lucky bot, Bluestreak.

Bluestreak opened his own box. "Wow," he said smiling. "Thank you." Inside were an array of beautiful tools made for his hobby that he had just begun to learn. He had begun to learn etching, or tattooing as the humans called it. They had the signature label of the most exclusive impressive tools known on Cybertron. They read RTR Tools on the handles. He looked at Tie and Ravel who smiled with delight. "These are awesome. Thank you."

They both nodded with delight.

Blackjack and Alor were next.

Blackjack: "**Slagging yeah!"** -Gun tool kit from RTR Tools.

Alor:** WOW! I CAN USE THIS!"** -A musical notation computer upon which to compose songs, the Cadillac version of the one he had had to use since the fall of Cybertron.

Tie Down and Ravel looked at each other as everyone turned to them. "Oh my, Tie," Ravel said as he opened his box. He grinned. Reaching in, he pulled out a picture album that would contain carefully selected images of Ratchet, Ironhide and the younglings of their life over the past six million years. He looked at it, his optics misting. "Thank you so much. I only had that one image of you, Ratchet. It was partially burned."

Ratchet nodded. "I know."

Tie Down gathered himself and opened his box. He looked inside and smiled pulling out a book with actual hair thin steel pages. It was the story of the colony in all its detailed glory complete with images on nearly every page. It was six inches thick, beautifully bound and would be much loved and consulted. The wafer thin pages were chock-a-block with Cybertronian and Martian history. He looked up at Ratchet and grinned. "I wanted one of these so badly."

Ratchet grinned. "I know."

All optics shifted to Miler and Venture who glanced at each other with a smirk. "I guess its show time."

Prowl snorted and grinned. "Open the boxes. I searched my digits to the exoskeleton for you two."

Venture snorting opened his box and paused. Pulling out the object inside, he stood and opened it up. It was an exact copy of the story of Primus and the beginning of their species tapestry that hung over Prowl and Prime's berth in the Residence. Miler blinking with surprise opened his and pulled out an exact copy of the glass sculpture that was residing on the dining room table in the next room over. They looked at Prowl nearly in tears. "Thank you, son," Venture managed. Miler merely nodded.

"You are very welcome," Prowl said with intense delight.

"Well, it looks like you, me and the sparklings, Only One," Ratchet said breezily as he leaned back in his chair.

Ironhide snorted and opened his box pausing as he looked inside. He grinned and pulled out a long black box with his glyphs carved into it. "Ironhide, Master of the Autobot Armed Forces, Chaos Bringer of the Autobots and Only One of his Only One." Ironhide began to laugh and shook his helm. "You are still in your detached from dignity phase I see." It held in all their greatest glory tools that rated a museum spot, etched with blessings from Primus and The one, all of them carefully handmade at RTR Tools. "You two are making out like bandits here," Ratchet said grinning at Ravel and Tie Down. They grinned and nodded.

"I am detached and very attached to that detachment, Only One," Ratchet said with a grin. He opened his box and smiled, reaching in to pull out a special wrench. It wasn't like any other. This one was carved out of a single large diamond that was found in the lowlands of Olympus Mons. Ironhide had asked for a big one from the Energon teams and they found a flawless blue diamond as large as a Cybertronian football. Taking it to Specialty Fabrications' Central Office, he found someone who could carve it into a wrench of the type Ratchet usually threw at malcontents. He also had a heart shape drawn with Ratchet on one side, Ironhide on the other.

Everyone paused to initiate, search, retrieve and download, cutting initiation in the end. An 'awwww' moment ensued. Ratchet looked at it, then Ironhide with misty optics. "Ah, Only One. I will always think of this moment when I hit you on the helm with this. Thank you."

Hilarity ensued.

"That leaves the sparklings and Prime," Ironhide said.

Ratchet leaned down and handed presents to Praxus and Orion who were noodling around on the floor. Prowl handed one to Miracle and the twins sat on the floor with the infants to help them and Kaon open the boxes. Kaon pulled out an overly large Prime dollie and exclaimed as he hugged it. Praxus and Orion pausing to smile at him opened their boxes and pulled out fluffy shoes that had dog faces on them. Holding them up, Orion and Praxus looking at Ratchet, the twins put them on their peds. After a moment or two of trying to pull them off, they accepted the soft brown shoes and looked inside once more. Little toys that stimulated their fine motor skills were pulled out and all of them put them into their mouths.

Typical kids.

Bluestreak opened the girls' toys and dollies were had by both to their delight. Hero got her own first toy, a fluffy dog her size. She gripped it with a smile. Her second toy was a micro-mini-con dummy grenade in a shade of turquoise that meshed nicely with her satiny black paint scheme. This toy wouldn't blow up even accidentally. She put it immediately into her mouth. Ironhide nearly threw a rod in pride.

Sitting back, all optics went to Prime. Prowl handed him a gift and he opened it. A tool set for his weapon was inside and he looked at it with great appreciation. "You can retire your old kit," Prowl said with a grin. "This one is luxe."

Prime grinned and nodded. "I think you're right. Thank you so much," he said opening it to marvel on the tools inside.

They chatted a moment, everyone relaxing, then Sunspot laughed out loud. Everyone paused and looked at him. He was pointing to the floor in front of Ratchet. Lying here and there were dollies and slippers. Here and there sitting in boxes were Orion, Praxus, Kaon and Miracle.

Hilarity ensued.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	137. Chapter 137

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 9

-0-In the night

He hurried toward the apartment tower having just landed. The crowds were thinned enough for him to get through relatively easily. He reached the doors, flashed through the lobby and waited for an elevator. Entering, he went up to the 24th floor, hurried to the apartment and let himself in. Dropping his duffel bag, he walked to the counter where a note was propped up to a couple of dishes.

"Bring them and hurry. - Alor"

He smiled slightly and turned dishes in servos. Juggling them, he exited and hurried to another elevator, stepping in to go upward. By the time he reached the top, the crowds were gone so he stepped out and walked to the door. Tapping it with a ped, he looked down as it opened and a little yellow and white faced botlet peered out. "Uncle Flint! Come in!" Sunspot said pulling the door open farther.

He entered and paused looking down at the floor. It was littered with toys and apparel. It was also littered with boxes, all of which contained a sparkling. "Slag. I knew I was going to be late," he said with a grin. Four little sparklings grinned up at him.

"What did you bring? Something edible?" Sunstreaker asked helping Uraya stand up, walk a step or two before sitting on her bottom again. She flapped her arms and looked at Sunstreaker, tweeting her request for **HELP ME!** in her own dainty way.

Flint snorted and grinned as Alor stepped around the corner to take the dishes. "You make the mistake of thinking I prepare food."

"You almost make the mistake of feminizing me because I do," Alor said taking the dishes out of his servos. A gimlet optic put him firmly in his place as the chief cook of Apartment 21, 24th floor turned to take them to the kitchen where half the bots were organizing dinner. Another door knock turned Flint and he walked with a grin to open it. Stepping back as delivery mechs brought in big containers with their dinners, he watched as they walked through the mine field of toys and other stuff to put the boxes on the counter in the big sprawling kitchen. Looking around, the delivery younglings smiled. "This is awesome."

"It can be yours in about nine million years and a Matrix later," Ratchet said as he sat at the table bouncing Iacon on his lap. She was standing, her level of contentment orbiting Jupiter as she flapped and laughed while bounced up and down.

"Sounds like work," one of the younglings said with a chuckle.

Prime grinned watching them go as he sprawled on the couch near the fireplace. Spirit was with him as they tried to decipher the directions for the Kre-O 'dollie' of Prowl. "Thank you," he said.

The younglings grinned and nodded. "You are welcome," one of them said as they left. Flint shut the door and walked to the couch to sit across from Prime. "Things look sixes and sevens here."

"You should have been here earlier," Optimus said with a chuckle.

"I tried. It took longer to leave the fort. We have planned the trajectory of the big migrations we have on the sensors. We can go over it when you call a meeting one of these orns."

Prime nodded. "Sounds good. Tomorrow is the last day of Christmas Surprise followed by the last day of weekend. Unless there is a worry we can wait until the week starts again. There are a number of things to discuss and some of them don't include football."

Flint nodded, then Miler walked out. "We are going buffet style. First the younglings. Then the adults. Sparklings can come next or take a sippie cup now. If you can let us know who wants to eat, we can organize their cups. Come and get it," he said with a grin. Then Miler turned walking back inside the kitchen.

Flint and Optimus glanced at the kitchen, then each other. "Are you hungry, Spirit?"

He looked up at his atar and nodded. "I am."

Prime gathered him and rose, putting the little directions sheet down. Walking with Flint, he entered the dining room and sat the little bot in his chair. The two of them gathered the younglings together arranging their places and handing them plates filled with all manner of 'traditional' Earth Christmas Surprise foods carefully styled to look human while having a full bodied Cybertronian flavor mix. 'Ham' and 'mashed potatoes'. 'Vegetables'. 'Salads' and 'eggnog' among other things Prowl had ordered, all of them personally organized by Rampage himself sat on plates looking appetizing. The 'desert' and drinks were purely Cybertronian. All of the fancy designs on the new foods were intriguing so the adults loaded up, gathering at the table together.

Dinner was leisurely, the occasional sparkling running over to 'take a bite' before running back to play madly. The little femmes toddled around, their courage growing with each successful ped fall. Sunstreaker never took his optics off them through dinner.

"Football tomorrow. You two ready?" Flint asked as he refilled his glass with high grade.

"We'll plant them," Sideswipe said lifting Kaon onto his lap. "Vos won't know what hit them."

"Are you going to cheat this time?" Ratchet asked with amusement.

They both looked at him and grinned. "No. Everyone is on to the scam," Sideswipe said.

"You will have to up your game, son. I am very shocked and disappointed that they figured it out last time," Ratchet said as he spooned 'potatoes' into Orion's pie hole. Praxus himself a very fine youngling mech stood and waited his turn, his optics merry and bright.

Keeping with the Christmas Surprise theme of course.

"I can't wait. You will win, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe," Sunspot said as the other little mechs nodded. "I think you will be winners tomorrow. No one can be better than you."

The twins grinned and Sideswipe kissed Sunspot's helm. "From your lips to Primus's audials."

Sunspot nodded. "That's right."

A chuckle greeted that as the conversation carried on, desert was had and lounging in the living room accomplished. They watched the rerun of the program on Channel 2 congratulating and cheering each youngling as they stepped forward. The hokey pokey with the little ones won the orn however as even the mechs and Sunspot agreed that they were 'way cuter'.

The evening passed, then groups began to beg off helping to clean up and gather things. The twins disappeared with the infants and Bluestreak, probably to get ready for the game.

/... vanity! Vanity! ... thy name is vanity, Sunstreaker …/ Ratchet thought as they put all the toys into one of the boxes. "I'm coming here tomorrow, Prowl, for leftovers."

Prowl snorted. "Standing invitation, Ratchet," he said as he helped Tie and Ravel gather their things.

"This was lovely, Prowl. I always enjoy your company, you and the family," Ravel said sweetly as he carefully put Tie's book into its box.

Prowl grinned and glanced at Ratchet who was smiling nearby. "I always enjoy having you and Tie, Ravel."

Ravel looked up and paused a moment. "We love this family. We were alone so long, I can't remember a moment of happiness since The Fall. It is so wonderful to be here, to do things and feel so happy."

Prowl nodded and squeezed Ravel's arm. "We are so happy you are here."

Tie looked at Ravel and grinned. "We will have to have dinner some night for you and Optimus, right Ravel?"

Ravel looked up at Tie. "Oh, Tie. Why would a Prime have dinner at our house? We are only working mechs and he's the Prime."

Tie snorted and grinned. "We're going to have to have Jarro come by again. You need a tune up, Ravie."

Ravel looked at him, then shook his helm. "I don't understand you some times, Tie." He turned to Prowl and nodded the old way. "This was so much fun, Prowl. I am so delighted to have come."

"Come again, Ravel," Prowl said with a grin. Optimus nodded as well as the two bots walked to the door. "We can hold an elevator, Ratchet if you want," Ravel said.

"Do, Ada," Ratchet said picking up the last thing and tossing it in the box Ironhide was holding. They walked out and Ratchet turned to Prowl and Prime. "My family is a working class family who hold traditions about the Prime like they were written in platinum. That is why they feel like they do and act like they do. They are very traditional and religious."

"They remind me of my genitors, Ratchet. I am delighted to know them," Optimus said nodding.

Ratchet nodded and grinned. "They are the best bots I knew. Present company excluded of course."

A chorus of hoots met that as everyone took a kid, a bag and headed for the door. When they were all gone, Prime turned to Prowl. "What a night."

"Fabulous night," Prowl said with a grin.

And it was.

-0-At the 24th floor or as it was called 'the long good night'

They stood in the corridor moving only when someone was coming as they chatted the last bit of chat possible. Pausing at last at Blackjack, Alor and Flint's apartment, they made their good nights. They continued on and chatted in front of Tie and Ravel's door, at last making their good nights there. When they entered their own apartment the sparklings were ready for their beds.

Ratchet looked at Ironhide who stood holding the heavily laden box filled with carefully packed toys. "Why don't we hold off on their last gifts until tomorrow morning, Ironhide. Everyone looks tired."

Sunspot who was leaning against Ironhide looked up at Ratchet. "I think that would be a good idea, Ada."

Ratchet chuckled picking Sunspot up as he walked to the berthroom. "Don't worry about a bath, Sunny Bunny. Tomorrow," Ratchet said putting him down on his berth, tucking in his blankets and quilts. "Good night and Merry Christmas Surprise, son."

"Merry Christmas Surprise, Ada," Sunspot said cuddling down into the warmth. "Thank you, Ada. I had fun."

"You're welcome," Ratchet replied. "You were an awesome sparkling."

He grinned and watched as Ironhide entered putting Sunny's boxes of toys along the wall by his toy box. Ironhide turned and leaned down kissing him on the cheek. "We'll play tomorrow. Go to recharge, sparkling. I love you."

"I love you, Atar," Sunspot said with a grin.

They turned walking out and shut off the light, his nightlight throwing a bit of illumination in the darkness. Turning toward the living room, they paused. "Which one do you want, Ironhide?"

"I'll take the one that looks like me," Ironhide said staring down at two little bots who stood looking up at them with ginormous grins and dollies galore.

"They both do," Ratchet said eyeballing both who eyeballed them back.

"I'll take that one," he said nodding at Orion.

"Good. I'll take the cute one," Ratchet said picking up his little doppelganger.

Ironhide scooped up Orion and turned smirking. "Ha ha, Ratchet. Your old Ada thinks you aren't as cute as your brother."

"Your old Atar wanted big yellow spots around your optics," Ratchet said entering Praxus's room. He leaned out. "Don't trust the slagger, sparkling."

Orion grinned at his ada from the top of Ironhide's shoulder as he disappeared into his berthroom. When that was accomplished, Hero was fished out of Ironhide's carry hold and placed on the soft nest of blankets that constituted the bottom of her crib. Tucking her in, Ironhide smiled. "She's slagging cute."

"She is," Ratchet said with a smirk. "Up the awesome scale with the others."

Ironhide nodded and followed Ratchet out to the living room where they paused to look at the little trees. "We have to take all this down eventually."

"I know. I'll miss the color and shininess. How about the first orn of the week. When I care more," Ratchet said moving to sit on his chair.

Ironhide nodded walking over to sit himself. "Been a fine orn, Ratchet."

"It has," Ratchet said. "Prowl makes me laugh and Prime does too. I like to see him unwind and be himself. Good bots, them. I'm glad Flint finally made it. The migration sounds huge."

"It does," Ironhide said nodding. He squeezed Ratchet's servo, the two linking digits. "Wanna frag?"

"Would."

Silence.

"You too tired too?"

"I am, Only One."

Pause.

"That is some fine heart on my wrench. I wish I could tell you how much I love that present."

"Thought about you when I saw a big diamond on the ground on the bluffs. I wanted to get you something romantic," Ironhide said.

"You did," Ratchet said with a grin. "I will treasure it always."

"Shined up really good. Fabrications has someone who knows how to cut and polish big hard stuff like that. I am going to be giving the schools a collection of geodes. Been finding them on the ground by the railroad tracks when I go around underground. Some humans call them thunder eggs. You cut them in half and polish the daylights out of them. They're pretty inside."

Pause. Initiate. Search. Thunder eggs, noun. Definition and sample pictures. Download. End initiation.

"I like those, Ironhide. Do you think you could make a couple to spare, nice ones?" Ratchet asked.

"Sure. Why?"

"My ada would like one I think. He's really keen on different things that are organic."

"Your ada doesn't get his good fortune sometimes, Ratchet."

"I know. He's so sweet. I wish I could tell you how many bots have asked if my genitors were always the way they are. They were, you know. Gentle and accepting of their lot in life. The backbone of Cybertron, those kinds of bots. They deserved the moon but they settled for what they could have," Ratchet said, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "Yet still, Ada doesn't sometimes get how things are changed. He's always going to be respectful and old school to Optimus. All Primes are treated that way as a matter of respect in his book."

"Even when they don't deserve it. Does he know Sentinel is here?" Ironhide asked looking at Ratchet.

"No, I don't think so," Ratchet replied.

They sat together quietly, then Ironhide rose and pulled Ratchet to his peds. "Let's go to bed. Tomorrow, the game begins and all that."

Ratchet nodded and together they walked to the berthroom pausing at the door. Ironhide looked at him and leaned in for a light kiss. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Only One."

Ratchet grinned. "Merry Christmas Surprise, Ironhide."

With that, they walked into their berthroom and the door closed behind them quietly. The lights in the window twinkled and the trees glowed. All was still. No one moved, not even a cyber mouse.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	138. Chapter 138

The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 10

-0-The next morning

He came online aware that he wasn't alone. Through the slits of his optic shields, he could see several short, several ecstatic individuals looking at him. Blinking, he looked closer and grinned. Sunspot was standing with the sparklings, a sagging Hero in his arms. He had her as best he could but her little bottom was beginning to get away from him. Orion and Praxus stood in front, Orion leaning forward to touch Ratchet's optics. **"ADA!" **he said with a gigantic grin, his little blue optics twinkling madly. **"UP! SANTA! UP ME! COME!"**

Ratchet blinked and raised his helm looking at Orion with a smirk. "New word, runt."

Orion looked at a smiling Sunspot. **"POT! ADA COME!?"**

"You need to come, Ada. Santa Prime has been here and my brothers want to look at the boxes and bags," Sunspot said as he adjusted his grip on Hero. She looked up and tweeted rather indignantly.

Ratchet sat up and stretched reaching out for Hero. Ratchet then leaned into the little group with a grin. "Wake up Atar." With that, he rose and walked to the door to watch.

Sunspot and the sparklings watched him go, then Sunspot hoisted them onto the big berth. He climbed up shushing them, sneaking toward Ironhide who lay on his back, one arm hanging off the other side of the berth. Looking at the babies, Sunspot grinned. "Let's get him."

And they did.

-0-Ironhide

He lay silently, his affect one of deep sleep as he heard his infants creep into the room. They were gathered on Ratchet's side of the berth. A simple tap on the bond confirmed that slagger was still asleep. He waited, listening to them awaken Ratchet and that formidable opponent arise.

The babies weren't exactly subtle.

"**ADA!"**

Pause.

"**UP! SANTA! UP ME! COME!"**

A comical rise in the bond signaled that Ratchet was awake. "New word, runt."

More conversation from the stature challenged, then Ratchet set them on him. It could have been any weekend at their apartment. Or any morning when he was slow getting out of the berth, which was just about any morning. He braced himself as they climbed up and stood together discussing their strategy. Then they charged.

Sort of.

Orion turned and ran forward stepping into the comfy hole that had been occupied by Ratchet and hadn't sprung back all the way yet. He tripped and face planted against the bed. Praxus pivoting behind him tripped over Orion and rolled into the big pillow that Ratchet used. Sunspot who was standing behind them paused and looked dismayed. He bent to tug sparklings up onto their peds as Ratchet choked on his laughter. Sunspot looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Help me, Ada. My troops are falling down."

A guffaw erupted out of Ratchet as he moved forward to assist. But by then it was too late. Their implacable enemy aka Atar rose up and scooped them all into his arms. They hung off the bed with shrieks and laughter. Sunspot who was captured struggled as Ironhide tickled his side. "**ATAR! YOU'RE CHEATING!**" he cried out as he laughed.

"You bet I am. How's a mech supposed to defeat an army this good without cheating?" Ironhide asked with a chuckle. "Do you surrender?"

"**NO SURRENDER!**" Sunspot said wiggling some more. "Ada! Save me!"

"I'm a neutral in this campaign," Ratchet said as he stood swaying gently, a fascinated Hero in his arms. She tweeted to Sunspot and he paused smiling. "I surrender, Atar if I can hold Hero."

"Surrender accepted," Ironhide said setting the little bot down. He ran to the edge and jumped off moving to stand next to Ratchet. The other two bots got raspberries before being settled gently on the floor. Stepping over them, Ironhide rose and stretched turning to smile as his younglings ran around the bed to huddle with Ratchet.

"Apparently I'm the 'fort' this morning," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"**ADA!"**

Ratchet looked down. "What?"

"**SANTA!" **Orion said pointing toward the living room.

"Go and find a place to sit," Ratchet said with a grin.

Sunspot took the babies by the servo and hurried out to the living room. Ratchet watched him go, then looked at Ironhide. "Nice having a live in nanny."

"I would say so," Ironhide said walking around to take Hero. She smiled at him tweeting her delight and the three walked into the corridor heading for the living room.

Sunspot had settled the babies in their spots but they were excited and kept trying to get up. "Sit, Orion," Sunspot said from his spot in between the two of them. "Wait for Ada and Atar."

Ironhide walked in pausing by the trees noting that there were three little presents left plus the one Sunspot had gotten from school. "Who gets to be Santa Prime?" he asked.

"You do," Sunspot said with a smile.

Ironhide grinned. He picked up a box, a small thing in his big servo. I think this says 'Sunspot'," he said leaning down to give it to Sunny. He took it with a smile. "Thank you, Atar," he said settling it on his lap.

Ironhide gave a small box to Praxus and Orion. They looked at them with delight. After a moment of futzing around, they figured if you lifted the lid there was a prize inside. Orion reached in and pulled out a round ring that was soft and puffy. Sunspot looked at it. "What is that, Ada?"

"That's a flotation device for the pool."

"The one at their school?" Sunspot asked as he carefully worked on opening his so that nothing was torn or mussed.

"No," Ratchet said with a smile. "The pool that is going to be opening at the new indoor sports arena in the satellite city being built three miles from here. They're calling it Terra after the Earth."

Sunspot looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "They're building a new city with a pool?"

"They are," Ratchet said. "We're starting a new settlement three miles from here for housing, schools and businesses. That way we can make sure all our living spaces are planned and not just spreading out from the city here and there, any which way. They're making an indoor sports center for games and a huge swimming pool for bots to use. Orion has a flotation ring for the pool."

"**WOW! THAT'S SUCH A GREAT IDEA!"** Sunspot said with a giant grin.

Praxus got his lid off and pulled out a similar ring. Both of the them were yellow with glyphs printed on them that spelled their names. Sunspot pulled the lid off his box carefully and gasped. Reaching in, he pulled out a datapad that was brand new, had more bells and whistles as well as his name in copper glyphs. **"WOW! THIS IS NICE!"** He looked at Ironhide and Ratchet with intense joy.

"You need a better one. The other one can be your back up. This one has more features, more video and audio possibilities and more storage. It's loaded with the programs you need and a couple of games that are fun," Ratchet said.

He jumped up and hugged them both before turning back to his datapad with joy. Setting it down carefully, he picked up his emerald bag from school and drew the strings open. Reaching inside, he pulled out a number of books, real paper books from Earth. They were graphic novels about his current cartoon favorites, Batman and Spiderman. He looked up and grinned. "This is awesome," he said looking at them again. "These are real paper."

"They are," Ratchet said grinning. :Interesting that he can like humans on paper but they scare him in the flesh:

:I know. I'll make sure the school and his counselor know that: Ironhide replied.

"Good," Ratchet said rising from his chair. "I'll get breakfast. Its a special thing from Rampage and The Energon Basket."

"What is it, Ada?" Sunspot said looking up for a moment.

"Something called doughnuts," Ratchet said with a grin. He pulled the pastry plate out of the small refrigerator, filled the sippie cups and Sunspot's cube, then put them on the table. **"BREAKFAST!"** Ratchet exclaimed as he swooped down on Praxus. He squeed and dropped his flotation ring as his ada plopped him on a chair.

Orion, his ring through one arm and not the other paused trying to fit it over his little helm and turned to run. He made it to his door before he as 'evacuated' squeeing to the table too. They all gathered and began to eat, the infants ending up on the table before they fell off the chairs from tilting their cups too high.

"When is the game, Ada?" Sunspot asked as he munched his 'doughnut'.

"In about five joors," Ratchet replied as he pushed Praxus farther from the edge of the table. Orion had tipped over, drinking his energon while reclining. He grinned at Ironhide each time he paused on his sip. Ironhide rubbed his belly and grinned back. Hero merely sucked on Ironhide's feeding tube in a haze of comfort and joy.

Such was the season.

"Can I go to the trine's house? They won't mind. I can help them with the sparklings. The twinnies are walking," Sunspot said.

"I saw that. Their old ada works with them orn and night. They're going to be awesome and ahead of their time," Ratchet said as Ironhide nodded.

"I'll take you," Ironhide said. "Call them and see if its alright. They're getting ready for a game you know."

"I know," Sunspot said slipping down from his chair. He ran to the monitor and took the remote, an oversized appearing device into his servo. Dialing in their number, he waited. Sideswipe came onto the screen. "Sideswipe!"

"Spud," Sideswipe said with a grin.

"Can I come over?" Sunspot asked.

"Sure," Sideswipe said as the sound of infants laughing could be heard. "Who is that, Sideswipe?" Bluestreak's voice could be heard asking. Sideswipe looked to one side. "Sunspot. He wants to come over."

"Come over, Sunny!" Bluestreak called out.

"I will come," Sunspot said as he said goodbye. He ran over to the table and climbed up on his chair. "They want me to come over."

They both nodded and Ironhide finished his meal. Putting dishes into the sink including Sunspot's, he looked at the Seeker with a critical optic. "You need a shower." With that, they disappeared into the berthroom to get a spritz.

Both of them.

-0-At the trines' domicile

They knocked on the door and entered to the call from within. Sunspot entered and grinned. He shown like a gilded thing and walked to Bluestreak for a hug. Blue picked him up, hugging him tightly. "You look so handsome."

Sunspot smiled at him. **"MY BROTHERS ARE GOING TO WIN AT FOOTBALL TODAY! I WANTED TO LOOK NICE!"**

Sideswipe who looked around the corner of the berthroom grinned. "You look like a champion."

Blue set him down and he ran into the berthroom where Sunny and Sideswipe were detailing for the big game. Ironhide looked at Kaon who stood below with his arms uplifted, his servos grasping to be picked up. Ironhide did and kissed the infant walking to the couch to sit. Placing Kaon on the seat next to him, they grinned at each other.

The twins toddling around walked to the couch and raised their arms. He picked them up, one on each servo, grinning at them as they smiled back. "They're really getting around."

"If they had been better at walking they would have been on the dance team. Neo told me so," Blue said sitting across from Ironhide. Outside the window, they could see across the street to Praxus Tower, the former home base of Ironhide and the 'fam'. The streets were busy and the windows of apartments in the Praxus Tower showed activity.

"That would have been cute," Ironhide said with a grin. "Next Christmas Surprise is going to be amazing."

"All we have to do is wait 36.5 decaorns," Blue said with a grin.

-0-At the Habitat

The scientists sat around the table finishing up breakfast. Some of the film's crew were here eating with some of the residents that had become friends. They were waiting along with the town for the game. Some of the film crews were gone to film already, each to follow a different player to the game and all its pre-rituals. Some would be following Kup, Drift and Springer who were hanging out together around town.

It was going to be epic.

-0-Around town

At Club Cybertron

They ignored the segways as nearly everyone in town had come to do and finished their breakfast. Springer had finished outlining the security for the orn, all of his different sub leaders finalizing their understanding of the possibilities. They left and soon so did the three, rising to walk to the door and beyond. They moseyed down the street heading for a substation near the arena. Entering, they paused and discussed the methods of exit from the two facilities should anyone have to be dragged away.

"Springer!"

He looked down at the film crew and nodded slightly. "What?" he asked with a grin.

"What do you plan to do if anyone acts up? How do you think you can get them out of the middle of 200,000+ bots?"

Springer glanced at his companions, Kup looking stoic, Drift smirking. Then he looked down at the humans. "**I** don't do anything. These two slaggers are going to do it to earn their keep. Right?" he asked looking at the two.

Kup looked at him for a moment, a gimlet optic on clear view. He took his stogie out, stared at the end, then looked at Springer with a bland expression. "Slag that," he said to the amusement of all.

-0-At the arena, the dressing room of the Vos Avengers

They sat leaning against the walls of the dressing room that was designated for them. It was modern, spacious and beat the slag out of the Youngling Intermediate Day School's community room. This was state of the art.

Their coach was talking to their goalies, telling them all manner of slag. The problem today would be Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Their teamwork had begun in the spark of their long gone ada and it had only improved with age. They would have to be stopped at all cost and none of their feints should be allowed to pass.

It would be a long wait until show time.

-0-At the trines' domicile

They came from the berthroom, two breathtaking individuals of such an eerie similarity that the twinship was evident even to the casual viewer. They stood together grinning down at their daughters who had stopped playing to turn and look at them. Gathering themselves, they stood and walked to their genitors holding up their arms. They were collected, suitably kissed and gently placed down again. They toddled over and sat stacking tiny blocks just for them that Sunstreaker had found in a catalog.

"You look great," Ironhide said.

"**THEY DO! THEY'RE GOING TO WIN, ATAR!"**Sunspot said with excitement.

Sunstreaker grinned and nodded. "Slag right we will."

They sassed for a few moments, hugged everyone, then turned to walk to the arena. Their team would gather in their locker room to wait, discuss strategy together and pass the time.

It would be a long wait until show time.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

Ratchet sat watching The Hourly News. The infants played on the floor. A rap on the door and a sweet face appeared. "Hi, Ada. Come in and rest your dogs."

Ravel paused to access 'dogs', then grinned walking to sit next to Ratchet. "I don't have dogs, Ratchet. They can't live here."

Ratchet grinned. "You don't have a slang file do you."

"I don't think so," Ravel said patting Ratchet's servo. "The picture album is so wonderful, son. Its so lovely to see you over the empty vorns we were apart. Thank you so much for that."

"You're welcome," Ratchet said squeezing Ravel's servo. "Where is Atar?"

"He's still reading his book," Ravel said with a grin. "He is engrossed in the history of this place."

"We all are. Did you know that the new city module, Terra is about to be opened to businesses? They have a school tower there that is now going to house all the sparklings. We're going to have to go three miles west of the city on the new highway to take the sparklings to school. That doesn't count the fact that there are 50,000 new apartments finished and twice that many more in construction," Ratchet said nodding. "That's a good thing because Flint says a huge migration is coming."

"Oh my," Ravel said nodding. He looked at Ratchet worriedly. "How are we going to get the babies to school, Ratchet?"

"We are going to discuss that at our next meeting. There's a plan for non-sentient buses to run a route from the park in Metroplex taking them out and bringing them back after school. I also have a medical facility out there that is going to be online because this puts us closer to the industrial parks. That will take me out there."

"Sounds exciting," Ravel said. The door opened and Tie Down peeked inside. He grinned. "Good morning, my best mechs."

"Good morning, Atar. Get in here and rest your dogs," Ratchet said with a smirk.

He walked in and sat, that preoccupied expression mechs had when searching for a clue on his face. "What are Terran canines having to do with sitting, Ratchet?"

"I am getting you both a slang dictionary for New Years," Ratchet said with a laugh.

-0-Up in the clouds

The mechs played with their toys carefully keeping their areas neat since they were that direction on the awesome scale. Miler sat working on a wiring project for a class he was taking at a tech school that was showing how to preserve a decorative art from Praxus. Venture was playing a Cybertronian version of chess with Optimus at the table as they bantered about this and that.

It was pleasant.

Miracle who was standing in the doorway of the corridor that led to berthrooms and other spaces smiled at everyone. No one noticed. He looked at them, then turned and walked back to his genitor's berthroom. He walked into the gigantic space and over to the windows where he stared out at the view. He patted the glass with his servos, then walked down the wall until he came to a part that pushed out a bit. He looked up unaware that it was a door. Then he pushed as hard as he could and it opened.

It was designed to open gently so the little bot walked out pausing to look up at the bluish-orangish sky above him. It was beautiful if not vertigo inducing so he moved forward walking boldly until he walked into a transparent wall falling onto his back. Sitting up slowly, rubbing his nose structure, he crept forward warily with his little arms and servos out. They touched nothing; or rather, they touched the transparent wall preventing him from going further. He stared at it, then patted it, turning to walk along the terrace.

Spirit snapped a piece onto his Lego building, then glanced up at the sight of a movement nearby. Pausing, freezing, he looked at Miracle who was trying to climb over the barrier that prevented him from falling fifty stories to the hard ground below. **"MIRACLE!"**

Everyone in the room froze, glanced at Spirit, then looked in the direction of his gaze. The image of Optimus rising up, the table spilling contents and Venture on the ground would stay with Prowl forever. The huge bot had jumped upward vaulting over the younglings on the floor, his ada dropping two orns worth of stitches as he levitated up himself.

Optimus reached the window and crashed through, his massive strength breaking an almost unbreakable fixture as he slipped out through the rain of pieces, grabbing his son as Miracle finally over-tipped and began to fall forward.

They both went over the railing.

All time slowed as the mechs inside rushed to the broken window, agonized screaming seemingly groans that dragged on forever. Prowl reached the edge of the terrace gripping the railing to look downward. Optimus was there with a terrified Miracle clinging to him. He had the veranda railing of the apartment below them gripped tightly as he swung back and forth.

Prowl turned and pivoted jumping over infants as he ran to the door. He wrenched it off its hinges and ran for the elevator. Down he went.

Venture looked over the edge with Miler, his voice sucked away in his terror. "Optimus! How can we help you?" he croaked.

"Prowl needs to come to this apartment and take him," Optimus called upward. Miracle was trying to climb into Optimus's armor as he cried his terror. As he did, Prowl appeared through the door to this verandah and reached. Optimus held up Miracle, who Prowl handed off to the startled older mech couple that lived below them with two younglings of their own.

Then Prowl reached down grabbing Prime's servo as he braced himself. He held the bigger heavier mech in his grasp straining to compensate for the greater dead weight. His father materialized at his side and the two gripped hard as Optimus began to swing his body. When he did, he caught the railing with his ped and clambered over. They all stared at each other in disbelief, then turned to the terrified mechs who lived there. "Thank you. I'm sorry. Miracle almost fell off the terrace."

They looked horrified and nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'm happy this is alright," one said. He paused, then leaned forward toward Prime. "This is alright?"

Optimus nodded willing himself to relax. "It is."

They turned walking into the apartment, then Prime paused glancing at the two mechs. "We will get your door replaced." They nodded, then the group exited.

The two stared at each other, then walked to the terrace and looked down. It was a horrifying sight to see how far up into the sky they actually were.

-0-Back at the home ranch

The little mechs stood crying quietly as they waited for someone to come home. They had seen their father and baby brother fall over the side and their ada run through a door to find them. When Venture came through the broken door of their apartment, Miler following, they gathered the babies together. "You were fine boys to be aware of Miracle. He's so small."

Prowl came in with the terrified baby, his little weeps plaintive and forlorn. Optimus followed and they stood quivering through their terror. Then they all looked at Spirit. Prime knelt pulling his son into his arms. "You did good, Spirit. You did very good."

It would be a moment before anyone felt up to anything let alone the football game that would start in less than a joor.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)

By the way, my spell checker reads 'twinnies' as twinkles. :D :D :D


	139. Chapter 139

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 1

-0-At the Residence of the Prime

Ratchet looked at the destroyed door laying on the floor and stepped over it entering the residence. Inside was a forlorn scene. The kids were cuddled with various emotional adults who were sitting on couches and chairs in the living room. Beyond was a destroyed window, a dining room all askew and a pulley system pulling up a replacement for the damage. A huge piece of transparent steel was swaying gently off the terrace, big mechs making ready to pull it over the railing. He walked to Prowl who sat holding a fussy infant, Prime's arm around the two. Ratchet paused and scanned the group. "You'll live. You won't like it."

Prowl looked at him and nodded. "As long as all of us live."

Ratchet nodded. He turned and scanned everyone in the room including Elita and Jetta. "All of you are going to be fine physically. Mentally, that is for you to make right." He glanced at Spirit who looked at him with big optics. "You are my hero."

The youngling looked at him smiling wanly. Then he got up and walked to Ratchet reaching for him. Ratchet picked him up hugging him. "You are a good little mech, Spirit. I am told you saved your brother's life. That is not a small thing."

"He was going to fall. Then he did, he and atar," Spirit said in a small voice. "I cried."

"I think I did too when I heard this," Ratchet said. "Crying is good. Never be afraid to do it. It makes your inside feel better. Even Ironhide cries. Don't tell him I said so. He's a big sparkling about some things."

Spirit grinned and nodded as he snuggled into Ratchet's arms. The big medic turned to Jetta who looked grim and strained himself. "Do we have a design flaw?"

"We do. Fortunately, there are only a handful of places that have verandahs. All of the others are restaurants or public places. We are going to raise the height of the transparent guards that go around the terraces. We will raise them to the height of the guard rail. That should prevent this from ever happening again."

Ratchet nodded. "Good." He looked at Prime who sat grim faced and intense. "Apparently, you are just as good an aerialist as ever."

Optimus looked at him and smirked slightly. "Like riding a bicycle," he said.

Ratchet snorted and laughed, the mood elevating as he did. "Good for you then," he said moving to sit in a chair. "We have a football game in a few breems. Do we see you there or do I get to be the stand-in Prime and get the honors? As you know, I am always ready for my close up."

Everyone in the room grinned at that, the infants turning to gaze on their genitors in expectation. Prowl shook his helm. "You're impossible. We almost have a national tragedy and you're ready to usurp the crown."

"What can I say?" Ratchet said with a grin. "I have a thing for hats."

Prime grinned at Ratchet, then chuckled. "You have the knack."

"Don't tell Ironhide. He thinks its voodoo," Ratchet said hugging the infant in his arms. "We need to pivot forward and be grateful. What better place to do that than a football game. Especially one that will help decide the championship lineup. You do know that trophy or not, Iacon is going to beat your aft, Prowler." A smirk began to form on the white face of his BFF as Prowl rose to the bait. Ratchet grinned. /... putty in my servos.../

"You live in such delusion, Ratchet. I pity you, fool," Prowl replied smugly.

Ratchet snorted. "You watch A-Team reruns too?"

"Where do I get my best stuff but for cable tv?" Prowl said with a smirk.

"Prowler! You made a joke!" Ratchet said. "I'm proud of you. Everyone! Prowler is rallying!" Ratchet leaned forward and grinned. "I have made up my mind. The next sparkling is going to be named Prowler. Don't tell Ironhide, the doofus. Slagging Praxian customs take all the joy out of life. I also don't want him to not want to carry."

Chuckles, laughs and snorts greeted that remark. Prowl looked at Ratchet with a level gaze, smirk supported. "Are you really going to name a sparkling Prowler?"

Ratchet leaned back and grinned. "You bet. I like your name too."

Prowl snorted, then laughed. "I will hold you to it."

"Do. Remember, don't tell anyone," Ratchet said looking around the room with exaggerated conspiratorial elan. Then he sat back. "Ironhide wants a dozen and I had a dream once where you, Jazz and a few others were our sparklings. We were having dinner. Ironhide was looking at the sparklings, all of which were grown up mostly and when he got to you he considered how you didn't look like him. He said something along the lines that because your name was 'Prowl' and you were such a cold blooded math dominated little slagger it probably was Cybertronian for serial killer."

Prowl laughed out loud at that one. "Is there more?"

Ratchet thought a moment. "Orion was a wild aft youngling with a mech fixation, Jazz was tiny, you were a youngling that if it couldn't be figured out by a slide rule, it wasn't interesting. There could be more but its a fading memory."

"You need to write it down and make a story, Uncle Ratchet," Rambler said with a grin. "I would love to read it."

Prowl glanced at his son and grinned. "Traitor."

They all grinned at Rambler. Then Prime glanced at Ratchet. "Thank you for coming. You never disappoint."

Ratchet nodded. "I make house calls. Wait until you get my bill."

Prime snorted and looked at Jetta and the mechs who were sliding the window piece into place. "Jetta, its almost game time. Why don't you just fasten that and finish it after the game? I don't want anyone to miss a thing."

Jetta looked at Prime, then turned to the crew. "Brace it. We can come back afterward. Go and enjoy," he said to the mechs who grinned and nodded.

Ratchet rose and looked at the others. "I'm going down and get the mob ready. Then I'm heading over." He looked down at Spirit who was cuddled into Ratchet's arms. "Do you want to come with Ada and Atar or me?"

"I like to come with you. I feel good here," he said somewhere from the middle of Ratchet's neck.

Prowl grinned. "You take Spirit and we'll take the others. We can meet you in the lobby and you can bask in the glory of our progress if you want."

Ratchet snorted. "You would allow me to be part of the train of the Annointed One? Why Prowl, I am humbled," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"If I didn't love both of you, I would slap you for blasphemy," Miler said as he stood up, a huge smile on his handsome face.

"Me too," Venture said. He stood up and walked to Spirit. Kissing his helm, he looked at Ratchet. "Thanks. You're good tonic."

"Don't tell Ironhide," Ratchet said with a wink. He turned and after sassing his way out the door, both of them walked to the elevator and the 24th floor.

-0-Apartment 24 on the 24th floor

"Orion, come here my angel," Ravel said chasing him around the table.

Orion was screeching with delight as Grandada chased him. **HIS FAVORITE GAME! SQUEEEEE!**

He was caught in jig time.

Ravel strapped him into his harness and turned nearly tripping over Praxus who stood silently smiling ginormously upward at his grandada. "Praxus, my sweetie. Come here, baby," Ravel said reaching for him.

He turned and began to run too. **SQUEEEEE!**

Ravel smirked and chased him.

Ironhide walked out of the berthroom after having bathed Hero. He paused as Ravel caught Praxus picking him up, giving him a flurry of kisses on the cheek. "I see they play the same game with you."

"I don't mind," Ravel said with a smile. "I love them."

"They love you and Tie too," Ironhide said reaching for the little carry device beside the couch. It was filled with blankets and would be Hero's base of operation during the game. The odds of being jostled were lower in a crowd of 200 plus thousand screaming fanatics. He put her in it, her tiny helm just seen over the edge of the sides. A dollie joined her and she smiled up at her atar, a wholly cute sight. Ironhide smiled back. Turning, he inspected the troops.

The door opened, Tie Down and Sunspot entering. They paused looking around. "Everyone looks very handsome," Tie said looking down at Sunspot. "Every little mech and femme in here looks very handsome."

If Sunspot could blush he would. He hugged Tie's leg and looked at the bots. "They are cute aren't they."

Orion smiled enormously fully aware he was being discussed. He went to Sunspot and hugged him tightly. Praxus watching did the same. The three tipped over under the barrage.

Ironhide snorted and glanced at Tie and Ravel who were laughing. "Better than teevee."

Ravel nodded and bent with Tie to sort out the infants. "I won't disagree, Ironhide."

The door opened and Alor peeked inside. "Hi," he said making a bee line to Hero. He picked up her basket and kissed her. Looking at the others, he smiled. "My, don't we all look handsome today."

The laughter was loud.

-0-Outside in the hallway

Flint and Blackjack walked out of their apartment just as Spirit and Ratchet arrived at the elevator. "Look, Uncle Ratchet. Grandatar 'Jack and Uncle Flint," Spirit said pointing.

Ratchet grinned inordinately pleased that the infant could name extended family. "There they are. Don't they look handsome?"

Spirit nodded and as they reached the two who turned to wait Ratchet smiled. "There are so many good looking mechs in this corridor I may get vapor lock."

Blackjack snorted and liberated Spirit. "That's us. We inspire vapor lock."

"In Decepticons. Does that count?" Flint asked glancing at Ratchet.

"It all counts," Ratchet said with a chuckle as he turned to walk to the apartment. The others followed, Spirit cuddling with Blackjack. Entering the apartment, adjusting to the hoo-hah, Ratchet rapped on the wall. When everyone turned to him, he began. "Prowl asked me to go upstairs for a moment. It would appear that Miracle almost fell off the terrace."

The drop in temperature and joy in the room was massive and instantaneous. They looked at him with shock and fear.

"Fortunately, there was an eagle-opticed little mech there," Ratchet said nodding to Spirit, "who noticed him before he actually fell and fall he did. Optimus jumped through the window and grabbed him. They both fell. However, because he is the Messiah of his people and a stand up phenom, he grabbed a terrace railing and halted the fall. Prowl ripped off their door and ran to that floor taking Miracle and helping Optimus back up. All was saved because of Spirit."

They all turned to Spirit who cuddled closer to Blackjack. That big mech looked down at the little white botlet and nodded. "So we have a bonafide hero and baby saver here?"

Ratchet nodded. "We sure do."

"Well, that is the best thing ever," Ravel said petting Spirit's little arm gently. "Can there ever be a better brother for a sparkling than this one?"

"There are two champs upstairs in T-Bar and Rambler but today's standout and all around winner is Spirit," Ratchet said with a grin.

For a moment, they gathered to praise him, the botlets on the floor looking up with confusion. **THEY** were the kings of **THEIR** house. What was this slag?

"**ADA?"**

Ratchet looked down at Orion. "What?"

"**WHAT HIM?"**

"Him is a Hero." Ratchet grinned at Orion's expression a moment.

"**HERO HER**," Orion said pointing at the basket in Alor's servos.

They all paused and looked down. "He can talk in sentences," Spirit said looking at Orion with a grin.

Orion grinned back basting himself in the attention of the room. Praxus watching moved closer to Orion and smiled too. If Orion was getting it, he wanted some too. Everyone snorted at that. They were picked up and cuddled, kisses were given without end and all was good.

"What a slagging thing," Ironhide said coming back to reality first. "This could have been so bad."

Ratchet nodded. "We missed a bad one," he said. "But they are all fine if not shook up. I prescribed football."

"Good call," Alor said with a grin. "Shall we go?"

A rap on the door caught their attention. Opening it, Rambler appeared. "Ada said get the lead out."

Initiate. Search. Lead, verb. Download. Cut link. Grins by all.

"Your ada is a big bossy," Ratchet said stepping out. He scooped Rambler up and hugged him. "I like that look on him."

Rambler grinned. "He is funny isn't he."

"The ones who don't know it are the funniest of all," Ratchet said as the group walked out of the apartment heading for the elevator beyond.

-0-At the apartment in Polyhex Tower

"Come on, Kaon," Bluestreak said picking up the basket with the twins. "We have to go. Ada and Atar are going to play footie," he said.

Kaon ran out of the berthroom, dollie in servo, harness in place. The red, white, black and yellow of its design reflected his parentage. Bluestreak scooped him up and they left, hurrying to the elevator and the lobby beyond. When he caught up with the others they were part of a stream that was gathering as it wend its way toward the Municipal Stadium. The overflow would go into the School Stadium where a gigantic monitor on permanent placement at the end of the arena would display the game so perfectly it was like you were actually there.

By the time the stream trailed off every single mech and femme in Autobot City would be there. The entire city would be on automation, the serious business tied into the relevent mechs and femmes. Red Alert himself would be routed with 127 different nodes all over the city.

You would need a calculator to count those that Prowl was monitoring.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	140. Chapter 140

NOTE: I have edited the hell out of Diego Diaries 1 and will be replacing parts as I go here. I will announce when that part of this long story is ready for those who have indicated that you have downloaded it for yourself. I am working on Diego Diaries 2 but really slagging at Diego Diaries 3 because so far its shorter. :D **I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT A KNOT HEAD I AM WITH THE SPELL CHECK!** I am thinking that its like my cellphone and it auto corrects to what it wants. My phone and Kindle do that, the slaggers. :D :D :D Yes, I am a doofus. -Me

-0-The Diego Diaries: Game Day 2

The walk to the stadium was slow and happy. The tension began to uncoil from the spark of Prowl and the family. There was a lighter energy that seemed to suffuse Optimus' aura, Ratchet could see because he checked such things. He followed along behind, his optics warily on point.

Prowl who was feeling much better squeezed Optimus' servo. :Are you going to be alright?:

:I am: Optimus said. :I'm glad I still have it. I worried that I might lose my edge being part of so few battles now:

:You will never lose it: Prowl replied. :Do you really think Ratchet will name the next sparkling after me?:

There was a sweet hopefulness in Prowl's question and Prime squeezed his servo back. :I believe him:

Prowl grinned slightly. :I always loved my name. It sort of suits me:

:It is your glory: Optimus replied as they waited for a large group of younglings to pass. :Prime to Ratchet:

:Ratchet: The big white and red mech was behind him, Rambler in arms and younglings gaggled around him as he and Ironhide soldiered onward.

:Did you mean it when you said the next one is named Prowler?: Prime asked feeling slightly foolish as he did.

:Yes, I did. I have always liked Prowl's name. Prowler is a cute version of it: Ratchet replied grinning broadly.

:I was just checking: -Prime

:Do you want to keep the name for yourself? Inquiring minds want to know: -Ratchet

:No. I was just checking: -Prime

:Woos: -Ratchet

Ratchet could feel the smile over the link before it diminished. They moved forward, family behind, beside and in front of them all the way to the arena gates.

-0-At the Habitat in the Sky, Mare Tranquilitatus

"**MAMA! WE GOTTA GO!" **Bobby Epps called to his mother. He stood with the others at the hatch door with his mask in hand. Everyone was hurrying as Lonnie Epps ran out of a bedroom to the main living deck. "I'm coming! Did everyone go to the bathroom? I'm not leaving the game to bring you back."

Everyone catcalled and yelled as she hurried over slipping on her face mask. "Smart asses," she said before the seal took and she was on the survival suit intracom that would be their link to each other and the bots everywhere. **:LET'S GO! THERE'S A BALL GAME WAITING!:** she said moving through the door to the airlock for pressurization. Everyone else followed her swiftly as the big airlock slowly closed behind them. When the outside was equal to the inside, the door would open and they would clamber on their jalopies, unplugging them from their electrical generators. A short ride to an elevator would lead downward, then they would buzz off to watch Kaon v Vos.

-0-At the Habitat on the ground

The scientists and filmmakers who had come over earlier hurried to get ready. Their places on the platform were assured but the drive for them to get there was a dizzying meander through the legs and peds of giants. They gathered and when all were ready, they headed to the airlock which would close behind them. Soon they were on their way whipping along the sidewalk to the game, moving in and out among the big bots who grinned down at them and waved.

It would be epic.

-0-In the tower

"Well, Blaster, this looks to be a good game. Vos is 0-1-1 and Kaon is 1-1-0. Praxus Science, the league leader at 2-0-1 looks barrin' disaster a shoe-in for the championship game final but the rest are still shakin' themselves out. Vos has a tremendous defense and the offense of Kaon is as feared in the league as it gets. The twins will be major factors in the outcome."

"I agree, Jazz," Blaster said, his perky visage and red horned-white faced handsomeness shared across Mars and Earth as the MCA broadcast the game as per agreement. There would be almost 5 billion eyes on this game as the shared broadcast made subtitled and re-translated viewing a possibility for anyone on Earth who wanted to watch.

They all did.

"I expect barring injury that Vos has its work cut out for them because the twins are just that side of awesome. Their ferocity in battle is brought to the game every time they play. Though Sideswipe was injured in the game with Altihex, I expect him to be fit and on his peds for this one. I talked to him earlier," Blaster said.

Revet cut to the footage as he worked the master board with 'Vette sitting on his lap eating a cookie.

"In an earlier game, Sideswipe, you had your bell wrung," Blaster said with a grin. "What do you think could and might happen in this game?"

"You can't predict but I think you have to be on your peds when Sunstreaker and I are on offense. We have teamwork that no one else can match. That game where I was hurt was a fluke. I could have gone back in but the referees wouldn't allow it. Goldwing wouldn't approve me."

"You have a strong goalie and you have a good defense but Vos is noted for its defense too. What are your strategies for your offensive game?"

"I can't tell you, Blaster. I'm not that slagging dumb," he said with a laugh. "But I will tell you, we are going to play full out. If power is gains, we will win. My in-laws are pushing for Praxus Science so we have to defeat everyone ahead of us now to get into the finals. I think its doable."

"Prowl is from Praxus. He's pushing for Praxus Science. A hometown mech, that one. What about Kaon?" Blaster asked.

Sideswipe got quiet, his expression serious. "Kaon had no respect. It never had any attention from the government to help the mechs there and it was always looked down on. We plan to change that, Sunstreaker and me. Our team is dedicated to Kaon and its honor. That's why we chose Kaon as our team designation and that is why we play so hard. We do it for Kaon and because Kaon never got a break, ever."

Blaster nodded. "I hear ya," he said. "Back to the booth, Revet."

The scene of the two broadcasters filled the screen. "Good interview, Blaster," Jazz said. "I was from Kaon too. I feel every syllable."

Blaster nodded. "I know."

-0-Johnson Space Center, Texas

They sat in a lounge, the big screen teevee filled with the images of a place all of them dreamed to see themselves someday. It was game day on Mars. The extraordinary beings that were their great allies were celebrating themselves in a way that was so similar to their own that entire divisions of social scientists and anthropologists were spending their entire work experience trying to sort out how such things could happen.

Cindy and Lola Teasdale, twins from Trenton, New Jersey, now interns at the Center knew instinctively. "They're slagging awesome, that's why."

They had applied during their junior year at M.I.T. to come here and work their way into the culmination of their lifelong (and ultra secret dream) of living and working at Autobot City. This was the result of intense focus, their grandmother's little trust fund for their education and a level of smarts that neither of them knew they had until that first time they saw the bots on the boob tube back in Jersey.

That was all she wrote.

They sat side-to-side, their snacks in their lap and waited. "I dibs Kaon," Lola said.

"You dibs'd it last time. It's my turn," Cindy said.

"Nope. I get the twins this time." Lola grinned at her own twin with a satisfied smirk.

"Piggie," Cindy said with a smile. **"GO, VOS!"**

Everyone else just grinned.

-0-At a nice home with a nice family and Pastor Bob

They sat in the living room, the Autobot City Adult Football League web page on their ipads. Pastor Bob, himself still in the prig stage of his transformation looked on as his mother, wife, two kids, little sister and father sat discussing the stats and players as they **EACH **read **THEIR OWN** personal device. His wife, Pastor Bob's Wife had gotten one to catch up on the 'doings at Autobot City, Bobby' she said. Even though he found them entertaining and slightly **AWESOME** as rides, Pastor Bob was still not sold on them as an ally.

"Really, Bobby … how do you expect us to save ourselves from the Decepticons if we don't have them as allies? Honestly, you really need to turn off Fox News."

His head was still spinning from that. Then it wasn't as she blocked that channel and substituted the two that played Cybertronian content instead. He had no control over the remotes she informed him as she stepped into the light of her own liberation without a clue that she had.

She just 'liked them, Bobby. Have you really looked at their sparklings?'

He gave in and came, sitting, enjoying it tremendously anyway, then ate diner with the rest of them as they discussed this and that nuance of this and that move and player. It was amazing.

He blamed his sweet little mama.

She secretly thought him a prig with potential and gently goaded her daughter-in-law to fly.

She did. Exultantly.

-0-In a bar in California

"Here we go." -man A

"We're too sober. Those two bots talking … Jazz and what's his name … I can see only one of each." -man C

"I like the little one. Jazz. He looks like fun. I hear he is a Porsche in his alt mode." -man B

"Alt mode? You sound like a groupie." -man A

"I read. It happens." -man B

"My brother-in-law drives a Porsche. I don't think that guy, Jazz would put up with him for ten seconds." -man C

"Your brother-in-law weighs three hundred, four hundred pounds." -man A

"Yeah. I don't know. I bet that guy would drive him into the desert and leave him." Pause. "I wonder if he would." -man C

"**MORE BEER HERE!**" -man B laughing

-0-A pub in Glasgow

Punk boy playing darts glances at girlfriend who tells him the game is on. "Piss off. I'm not watchin'. If they were worth it, they wouldna be concept cars. They'd be something less class ridden."

Everyone at his girlfriend's table turned to look at him. "You would turn down a Porsche, would ya?"

"Aye," he said throwing a dart, missing his mark by millimeters. It did nothing to cheer him up.

(Girlfriend turns to friends) "You're driving me home when this is over. Not that tosser," she said to general agreement all around. He merely threw another dart.

-0-At the arena gate

The family turned and walked to the steps that would take them to their seats. Prime stood at the door waiting to be played in by the Anthem of the Primes and the cheers of the crowd. It was one of his favorite perks as Prime. Mechs and femmes greeted him, pausing before going inside and when the humans came by they waved. He waved back watching as they ripped up the ramps that were built for them. He looked up, the sky clear and the sun brightly shining. It was -22 and balmy to him as he waited. A keyboard was carried to the center of the field awaiting Alor who had the great honor and all around slagging good fortune to play the Prime in. As the crowds arriving began to dwindle and the arena groaned under the weight of 220,000+ bots, the teams began to arrive.

Prime looked at them and nodded as Vos led by their coaches and Kaon led by theirs came to stand beside him. The coaches were all pros from the day and half the teams were either professionals or very talented amateurs. The twins stood together at the end of Kaon's line and grinned at him, nodding. He grinned back, nodding as he heard the sound of club songs rising and passing around the stadium like current through a cord.

It was thrilling to watch, incredibly colorful and rousing. All of the terror of the morning slowly slipped away as he watched Alor walk to the center of the pitch to sit and play.

"That is Alor of Iacon, the genitor of Ironhide, Master of the Autobot Armed Forces. Alor is a Commander and strategist in the Army as well as the most famous musician that Cybertron ever produced. Most of the music that is famous, treasured and loved, Alor created. He created the Anthem of the Primes which he is going to play now," Blaster said as the sound of music began to fill the stadium.

Everyone stood, all of them honoring the massively beautiful figure that stepped from the arena gates moving to the steps to take his place among them. He looked like a god, like an unimaginably dignified force of nature and he walked along the pathway to his family receiving the cheers and love of his people. No one on the other end of the broadcast could see him but they got the esteem the crowd held him in. The desire to see him increased several planetary diameters once more.

The massive crowd sang the words that were part of the music. They sang of Cybertron and the Matrix. They sang of solidarity and when he arrived at his seat, the song was over. Then they began the chant that had been their habit since the beginning. **"UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"**

It went up into the sky, even the humans shouting it to the heavens and when it died down, the applause was intense. It was even more intense when the first team began to walk into the stadium.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	141. Chapter 141

NOTE: LeslieM, you didn't leave a return addie so I will thank you and your colleagues here. **AN EQUINE COLLEGE!?** That is like heaven, right? :D My family may live in Alaska but we have horses too. My brother was born in the wrong era. :D The idea that a sweet horse is named after Orion is such an honor. I am aware of the care horse people give to naming their babies and the **IDEA THAT A HORSE IS NAMED FOR ORION!? SWEEEET!** Right, Spud?

"**ME GOOD! ME ORION! ME FLY GOOD! ORION GOOD!"**

Its unanimous. Please express to your school, all 200 of them that they are loved and appreciated. I have done this story for everyone who reads and you are all my dearly beloveds. You are all over the world living your different lives but on these pages we are one. I love you all so much. Take care and know that. No matter what is different, here we are one. Until all are one, my darlings. Happy New Year and may you all have peace, prosperity and TF dreams. :D

=0=And now back to the obsessive-compuls- … story ;)

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 3

-0-At the gate of the arena

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe watched as Vos walked into the arena in their colors, their captain leading the team as he carried their city banner. It was glorious to feel the ripple of energy flow over their armor in the gigantic burst of cheers and applause. Vos banners and colors were all over the field. So were those of Kaon and when they walked in they would look for the ones who bore them that mattered the most, Bluestreak, the infants and Sunspot.

The Vos team walked to the middle and lined up on one side of the halfway mark, their team captain planting their banner on its long pole in front of himself. The keyboard had been retired from the field along with Alor who had been cheered to the point of meltdown as he walked away, grin firmly in place. As Vos stood, the captain nodded and they began their war cheers and moves to the absolute delight of everyone. **AFTER ALL, THIS WAS SLAGGING FOOTBALL!** It was glorious and their roars were buried under the approval of the crowd.

:Frag, I'm glad these helmet things dial down the sound. I think we would be dead if it didn't even with the thin atmosphere: Jack Melcher said.

:I hear ya. Fortunately: Leonora Huttle replied before walking over to be enveloped by the femmes and Barbara Morshower.

"We better slag their aft from the get go," Sunstreaker said glancing at his brother with a grin.

"They can't outclass us in the looks department. That part is assured," Sideswipe said with a smirk. "Frag them."

Sunstreaker snorted and laughed. Glancing at his brother, the strange other half of his spark, he nodded. "Frag yeah."

Then they began to enter the arena.

-0-Prowl

He stood holding Miracle whose audials were dialed down. It was a self preservation program. The systems of underage mechanisms automatically adjusted for the environment they were in. At a point later on when they were more cognizant of themselves they would do it themselves. What Prowl felt as a nearly life threatening roar, Miracle heard at the conversational level. Glancing at the other younglings, he could see that they were still at the level their bodies recognized as vulnerable. No one had remembered that until the infants came among them. He wondered what else they didn't know.

-0-Down on the field

The team walked in behind their captain, their goalie behind him as the twins brought up the rear. Ratchet had asked them about that once.

"Why are you two at the end? I would think your vanity would make you want to take the lead," he had asked at a party, a smirk firmly in place.

The twins who were lounging on a couch feeling no pain grinned. "Ada, you think too small. We save the best for last," Sideswipe said glancing at Sunstreaker with a huge grin.

Sunny nodded and snorted. "Frag yeah. Best for last, Ada."

They walked in with helms held high, their quality proceeding them. They were beautiful, all of them. They were a credit to their species, incredible examples of the kind of mechanism they were. They knew it. All of the players knew that they were beautiful, that they were strong and brave. They were representing not just their teams but the entirety of their kind to a world nearby who had no idea that such things could exist let alone walk before them with their pride evident.

They reached the line and their captain planted their banner. When they did their war cries, their aggressive dance, the place rose as one giving them back the respect that they had earned by their mere presence on the line.

Prime stood watching nodding to their captain when he turned to their box, bowing. Then the officials came into the arena and were received with respect and catcalls as officials do whatever universe they tried to maintain order in notwithstanding. The place was screaming and the colors that flashed around the vast structure made an amazing display.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"Wow. The twins look fine."

"They do, Lola," Cindy said. "I think I want to visit them some day and check out their awesomeness first hand."

"You and me both," Lola replied.

Their supervisor grinned. /... could be sooner than you think …/

-0-The field

The teams were feted, then turned walking to the sidelines as their captains worked out the order of play. Sunstreaker leaned down to stretch, then rose as Sideswipe tapped him. Looking up into the stands, they saw Sunspot waving madly at them. They both grinned and waved back.

-0-Sunspot

"**ADA! MY BROTHERS WAVED TO ME! DID YOU SEE THAT?**" Sunspot sat in Ratchet's arms as the big medic held him up to watch. He was ecstatic, the idea of **HIS BROTHERS** showing their quality to the entire city almost overwhelming him.

"They look like a million shanix don't they?" Ratchet replied with a grin.

"**THEY DO! THEY ARE SO GREAT! THEY WILL WIN THIS GAME! THEY WILL, ADA!"**

"From your lips to Primus' audials, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said with a grin.

On the floor between them Hero sat in her basket playing with a favorite toy, a spoon and her dollies. Her audials were turned completely down, such were her delicate features at this age. Next to her grinning broadly, Uraya and Iacon sat in their basket. They were 'playing' too. They would for the duration of the game.

Kaon sat in Bluestreak's arms, his little wings folded protectively against his back. They were only mildly self aware and developed. The process of full function was a long journey and he had only just begun. He sat on Blue's arm, his own around his atar's neck and watched as Bluestreak pointed out things. He heard it at a normal conversational level, his development allowing greater transmission of sound.

Orion and Praxus sat on the arms of their grandadas, both Ravel and Alor caring for them. They wore their harnesses and their leashes were handy. So were at least eight adult carry holds if they became tired and needed a rest.

They wouldn't.

-0-Bracket

He stood in the goalie zone, his internals fine tuned to the moment. Nothing would come within meters of him that he wouldn't have a defense for. He was the best goalie in the league and someone who could have played to enormous acclaim in the professional leagues on Cybertron if war hadn't taken them all down. He chose Kaon because it was his town. Most of the mechs playing for the hard luck towns were separated and raised there in poverty and the indifference of the state. They all had the same story, poverty, no opportunity, a criminal record. None of them had an easy life. None of them ever received respect on Cybertron, not for themselves or for their town. All of them were determined to rectify that on the pitch here.

He was one of them.

-0-At the decision

"Kaon will defend." The officials signaled that and the lines came on, massive bots polished to a shine not possible on Earth. They wore their team belts, the colors marking their pride and set themselves for the start. It was called and Vos got the ball, turning to maraud up the middle.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe watched tensely with their teammates as the crowd rose to near riot levels of joy. The wedge play cleared a path for about 20 yards, then it lost 10 as the wall of mechs, some the size of small houses began the push back. That was when the ball squirted out.

-0-A bar in California

"**HOLY CRAP! LOOK AT THAT! THAT DUPLEX STOPPED THAT FREIGHT TRAIN ON HIS TRACKS!"** -man A, feeling no pain.

"On his tracks. ***SNORT*" **man C, feeling nothing including his feet

-0-At an equine college in the North of England

"**SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**

-0-On the field

The ball bounded out, its odd shape making it utterly impossible to catch. But caught it was by Kaon and as that unlucky bot grabbed it, the entire front line of Vos became airborne. They landed on him and the fight was on. Punches were punched. Grabs were grabbed. Pokes were poked. The refs ran here and there peering into the writhing mass of mechs and when it was clear no one was going anywhere but to medbay, they called the play.

Everyone staggered to their peds and turned to the refs. **"THE PLAY IS FOR KAON!"** one said signaling it to the crowd.

The crowd signaled their approval back.

"**FRAG THE REFS!"** -a batch of younglings whose genitors were from Vos  
**  
"AWESOME! FRAG VOS!"** -Sunstreaker and Sideswipe

"**FRAG VOS AND KAON! GO IACON UNITED!"** -Ratchet

/... in your dreams, slagger …/ -Prowl

-0-On the field

A heated exchange was had with officials who carefully explained to Vos that when a Kaon team player had the **SLAGGING BALL IN HIS SLAGGING SERVOS THAT MEANT THAT SLAGGING KAON GOT THE SLAGGING BALL! **

Like that.

-0-At an equine college in the North of England

"**SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**

-0-On the field

They lined up along the sideline as the Kaon back who had two new dents on his helm got ready to make the throw. Towers of Vos players hulked over him, their joints creaking from the fray so far. They actually threw shadows on the ground.

"**GO, YOU SLAGGER! DON'T LET THEM SET UP!"** Sideswipe said as the Kaon back 'go-ed'. The ball flew out, then bounced back into his servos off the startled face of a Vos mech at the bottom of a tower. Absorbing the blow, he staggered and the mech on his shoulders grabbed his face gripping him as he tried to hold on. They staggered into the next tower and the entire edifice fell like a grain silo after demolition.

-0-Glasgow, Scotland, in a pub

"I remember when they demolished my uncle's grain silo. It looked like tha'," a lovely lassie said.

Her boyfriend, a lovely lassie himself … uh, lad grinned. "I remember tha'."

She nodded. "Biggest event held in Newpitslago* in generations."

(Gentle call out for my grandma's papa's hometown*.) :D

-0-On the ground

They fell into each other as the Kaon back began to run heading for the goalie who was stunting in Vos's end zone readying himself to be cremated. The entire defensive line of Kaon was heading his way like heat seeking missiles.

"**GO, VERL! GO, YOU FRAGGER!"** Sunstreaker screamed as he gripped his brother by the neck. Wringing it as he screamed, Sideswipe managed to jerk free. He slapped Sunstreaker hard, then turned. **"GO, VERL! GO, YOU FRAGGER!"**

Verl go-ed. He ran like the wind. He ran like someone who had always been a brides maid and never a bride. He ran like his mortgage depended upon it, though he and his family had a nice three bedroom in a good tower debt free. He ran like he was carrying the diphtheria cure to a small snowbound town in western Alaska. (Tip of the hat to Nome, a town about four hundred miles from me. Did I tell you I live in Alaska?) The only thing missing from his run was the theme song from Chariots of Fire.

The mechs who were running with him to clear the run back ran with nothing to do. All of Vos was still rising up from their run in with each other. They turned and galloped along behind like there was hope, like there was joy, like the fear they felt from the dressing down their coach would give them at half time could somehow be prevented by sheer herculean effort and terror.

It was for not. Or naught, whichever is correct.

Verl in a move that would live in his personal video reel forever shouldered the goalie aside like he was a mere fleck of dust on the escutcheons of his own awesomeness. He planted the ball in the hoop and hung from the rim in a Michael Jordan move that would be discussed from Ops Center here to Cucamonga there for some time.

The place went ape shit.

-0-In the booth

"That was almost a ballet dance, Blaster," Jazz said with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Blaster replied. "If they had ballets with town cars and low flying planes."

Even 'Vette laughed at that one.

-0-In a nice house with a nice family and a prig-in-transition

"That was epic." -nice little Mama Annie

"That back has had his moment in the sun. He will never have a greater moment on the pitch ever," -Papa Leonard

"Vos is 3 behind, Grandpa. What do you think is going to happen?" -nice older grandchild sitting beside another who is now crawling.

"I think they will kick the slag out of each other," Papa Leonard said consulting his ipad and the Autobot City Adult Football League website just like everyone else was. Except Pastor Bob who was sneaking peeks on his iphone when he thought no one was looking.

/... I'm looking, sonny.../ -Mama Annie with a grin.

-0-On the field

They came off victorious and did the usual chest bumping and helm bopping all athletes do everywhere because at heart/spark they are all basically idiots.

"Time to go and run up the score," Sunstreaker said as he turned to walk onto the pitch. Sideswipe smiled and followed both buoyed as around the arena their names rose and fell with the wave which had circulated off and on since before the game. It stopped just this short of the macarena.

"Get ready," the ref said as he held the ball for the jump which because Vos had lost the last play would be going in their direction when thrown. It was such that short of transforming into a jet, the team who scored would be unable to get the pitch.

That never stopped Sunstreaker before.

The ball went up …

=0=TBC

2012 (12)


	142. Chapter 142

Note: LeslieM, hug your mama for me. :D Take care out there in the big world tonight, all.

-0-And now, back to the madness

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 4

=0=The Game

They would talk about it for vorns, the day that Kaon's yellow and black Cavalier got the ball from Vos. The number of times mechs had been able to do that on the toss could be counted on one ped. It was mathematically constructed to disallow the side that won the last tosser to get the following one.

It happened this time.

It was so fast, so comical, so **SLAGGING AWESOME** that some of the crowd didn't see it for a moment.

"What the frag is that fragger doing, Thundercracker?" Starscream said leaning forward as if that would allow him to peer more closely into the slagging sporting miracle happening before him. He had Pip in his lap, the tiny hatchling chewing on the pole that held his ada's Vos banner. Pip didn't care. He was content. His ada and the rest of his family however were puzzling for a moment, then it came to them.

A Kaon slagger had stolen the toss.

**WTF?! -**every Seeker in the stadium and all the other folks from Vos

On the pitch, Vos stood waiting for the moment to spring and flatten everything within the reach of their brawny arms. They stood, then peered over their shoulders as two big slaggers ran full bore for the goalie like two out of control bottle rockets looking to slam into some hapless doofus' crotch on a drunken Fourth of July.

Or Boxing Day.

Or Chinese New Year.

Or end of 'you name it' event.

Like that.

**WTF?! **-Vos Avengers offensive line feeling the offense

An entire army of Vos Avengers turned on the steam and began to converge on the two slaggers slowing down as they approached the goalie. That poor sod was stunting all over the place holding up his arms, dancing back and forth in front of the two Kaon forwards like a June bug on a barbecue grill. **"HELP ME, YOU SLAGGERS!"** he yelled over the suddenly rising roar of the crowd.

The **SLAGGERS** ***were*** trying, Primus give them that. They were thundering toward the two Kaon forwards like fifteen tons of shale sliding down a mountainside in a winter rain. They ran like someone wanted to beat them with their own fan belts, which their coaches probably would at halftime. They ran like a fat kid going for the last doughnut on the plate.

But it was for not.

Dancing on his peds looking **SLAGGING** beautiful without even knowing it, Sunstreaker passed the ball backwards **BEHIND HIS SLAGGING BACK** to his brother who caught it on a **SEVENTY DEGREE ANGLE.** Sideswipe turning again on a **FIFTY DEGREE INCLINE** passed it backwards to his brother, the ball flying off his servo at an impossible angle and speed as he faked the goalie out. Sunstreaker caught it and jumped, a beautiful long powerful jump, shooting it like Michael Jordan through the hoop to score.

Only then did the Vos cavalry arrive.

They stood together, the two, tall, beautiful, calmly pleased as if this were a battlefield and they had slain the last Decepticon with their **RIGHTEOUS FURY**. Then they turned and walked side by side to the other end of the field where the rest of their team was standing in the same place they had when they lined up for the toss. It was beautiful. It was amazing.

It was glorious.

-0-In the booth

"I am still tryin' to figure out how Sunstreaker did that, Blaster," Jazz said shaking his helm. In the broadcast, they were seen as the sportscaster and color mech to all the watchers and listeners everywhere on two planets the same as any Earth sporting broadcast. The humans would get their turn after the game. The deal with MCA and IntraComm was that Jazz and Blaster would run the game teaching human viewers as they did about what they saw and the whys.

Like now.

They replayed the tape and slowed it a little. It was easy to see then what Sunstreaker had done. The toss was made and the ref jumped back. Sunstreaker exploded off his peds at the moment the ball left the ref's servo. Up and up he went, his arms and legs kicking like he was swimming as he actually propelled over the Vos line snagging the ball as he did. He had flipped over behind his counterpart and began to fly like the win, his skates giving him the advantage. As he did all of this Sideswipe had leaped into the air jumping over the top of the line himself. They were on the ground and within scoring range before the mechs on both sides even knew the ball was gone.

Blaster blinked. "Let's see that again."

*Ball was tossed.

*Yellow and black bot leaps and begins to swim through the air.

*Yellow and black bot grabs ball and flips over the top of his counterpart

*Yellow and black bot lands on his peds and skates off

*Red and black bot does the same thing sans ball

*Both skate and sucker goalie out of his spark plugs

*Yellow and black bot scores

*Both stand godlike, like metallic Hercules', then walk back proudly

*But modestly.

*For them.

"Well, that explains things. I think," Blaster said with a chuckle. "I have done a lot of games both here and on Cybertron but I've never seen anyone steal the other team's toss. They don't throw the toss so that the other team can steal it, Jazz."

"I know. Sunny was **swimmin' in the air**. I think I need a drop cloth," he said with a laugh.

Blaster and Revet roared. 'Vette smiled around his cookie.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"I think I need one too." -Lola and Cindy Teasdale

/... you and me too, sister …/ -Louis from Flight Control

-0-In a California bar

"What just happened? Did that fragger **SWIM IN THE AIR?!** Can they do that?" -man A, B, C

Bartender looks at them and shakes head. /...Of course they can swim in the air. They're machines, right? Right?../ Pauses for a moment, then smiles. /... I'm way too sober for this.../

-0-At a nice house

"**WOW! THAT WAS AWESOME!"**

Everyone turns and smiles at Pastor Bob who is standing with his mouth hanging open. They grin at each other.

"That's right, son," Mama Annie said nodding. "It is awesome."

-0-Cucamonga

"What the hell? That was great. I think I just lost large on Vos."

"I told you but you wouldn't listen."

Loser rolls eyes and settles back with his pie and Jack Daniels. Winner plots a down payment on a Lamborghini. Its the least he can do.

-0-At the game

They walked to the sideline like the demigods that they were.

In the mind of those who bet on Kaon.

To Vos fans, they would need to acquire horns and a tail to match what they felt for both.

They were engulfed by their teammates. Their coach when he stopped dancing and waggling his aft at the coaches of Vos would hug them too.

Everyone lined up again.

In the stands, Ratchet began once more to explain what Sunstreaker did to Sunspot who missed the nuances, the actions were so fast. The replays on the monitors at both ends showing the play and Jazz and Blaster explaining it helped.

Prowl stood with a slight frown marring the perfection of his smooth white brow. This wasn't a good sign. He figured Kaon would be the opponent but this was scary. This had to have countermeasures. He would have to go and personally give the halftime speech to the team on that fabled orn.

Or something.

Ratchet who was watching him out of the corner of his optics grinned. All was good in his world. Maybe if Kaon and Praxus slagged each other hard enough his beloved Iacon would win by default. He had no pride. He would take it whichever way he could.

He never pretended to be a loyal ada. Not on the important things.

Mostly.

He grinned and the game began again.

-0-On the line

They faced each other, the Vos and Kaon teams. Vos was pissed.

"You slagger. You think that's funny."

The Kaon center, Hugo-not grinned. "Faked you out. Suck it up and bring your 'A' game. We did."

The Vos center looked down the line at his teammates. "Bring the slagging 'A' game he says."

They snorted, real smoke exiting their sinus passages and looked at the Kaon team with homicidal passion. "'A' game. You want the 'A' game?" they grumbled. "We'll bring you the slagging 'A' game."

A whistle broke up the moment and they all turned to a peeved ref. "If you ladies are through?"

Both teams glared at him and got set. This time the Vos center would get the ball. He would also be buried under eighteen tons of mechs from Kaon who dropped in -literally- to say hi.

The scrum was on as they punched and grabbed, all of them getting to their peds again to move like a massive turtle here and there around the field. They leaned forward on both sides each locking arms to push their team toward the goalies who could have taken up knitting so hopelessly deadlocked was the moment. Bracket glanced down field and spotted his counterpart, his angst and fury leaching off him like a leaching thing.

Been there, done that. Slagger.

Bracket hunkered down on the off chance that the ball would manage to make its way out of the pile of welds that made up the teams of Vos and Kaon.

It would take a while.

-0-In the stands

"Can I look now?"

"No, Only One," Payload said as he sat with Caro.

"You will tell me won't you?" His bond, a well raised and genuinely sweet office supervisor who managed the off world business, legal and patent matters of their planet cringed at the pile up.

Payload smiled and looked fondly at his onliest Only One sitting with his servos over his optics. "I will."

"Good. Is Mars okay?" Caro asked.

"He's asleep in my hold."

"Good. This might be too intense for him, Payload."

"I see your point," Payload said with a grin.

Nearby sitting together, Silverclaw, the trine, Red Cloud and his family including his ward, Aurora watched with a dawning realization that their city and city-state was going to get slagged to the Pit.

Probably.

Starscream futzed and fritzed. "This is the Pit. Who said that groundling slagger could fly like that? Who gave him permission to **SWIM** over our team?"

Thundercracker who barely contained his mirth shook his helm. "No one, Star," he said with as much sympathy as he could manage.

Silverclaw who sat with his many sons and grandsons smirked. "This is a debacle I will tell you but that pair, those twins have bearings."

"They are mad," Starscream said shaking his helm. "I don't have many older memories, Elder, but I do have their faces leering into my cockpit, the slaggers."

So it would go for the duration of the game to everyone but Starscream's great amusement.

In a corner of the stadium where the stature challenged seemed to congregate for games, Leader-1, his wondrous bond, Lumi and their wards, Mudflap and Skids watched with a large group of micro-mini and mini-cons including Bumblebee and his very tall enraptured pre-bond, First Aide.

"This is exciting," Mudflap said to Lumi.

Lumi grinned and patted his arm. "It is. Maybe one day we can have mini-con adult teams. Maybe you two can play."

"That would be wonderful," Skids said with a nod. "Don't you think so, Mudflap?"

That bot nodded. Leader-1 grinned. Lumi grinned. They were comical when they didn't try hard to learn and show their good manners and sociability. But they were progressing and learning a trade which made both of them very happy. When they graduated their first levels in the construction program they were working, a party would be had by all. The twins would be overwhelmed. It would be the first time in their lives anyone cared enough to do that for them.

They would still get plowed though. Some things change, some never change.

-0-On the field

They pushed toward Kaon, that group giving ground grudgingly.

**"PUSH THEM! SLAGGERS! MAKE THEM EAT IT!"** their center cried out as the group pushed and pushed. Kaon pushed back.

Vos made them eat it pushing harder.

Kaon pushed back.

Vos made them eat it pushing harder.

Then the ball squirted out.

=0=TBC

2012 (12)

I am going to be writing this all night if I can. I think I can. It is my goal right now. :D I want to go out of the third year and start the fourth of this story with a bang. If you are wondering where the New Year thing is, on Mars it will be in two weeks. Their calendar is askew because of the length of days and years. Right now, the party is on Diego. Unfortunately, no one is there. LOL!

I wish a beautiful and flawlessly happy year for all of you. Equine Colleges, hospital bound readers, soldiers, college students, parents, working people and all, you are dear to me. It is my privilege to share the madness with you who live on every continent and in fabled lands I only see in documentaries on the boob tube. There is so much story to write and then the sequel is making me already take notes that this is probably not the last Autobot City Adult Football League championship run up that there will be.

I want to give readers a world to inhabit for a while where there are laughs, love and good cheer. I like to think that hope is possible for all of us. In the world of Diego Garcia, that is something that they work for everyday. Thank you for the great cheer of your company. Happy New Year, my dear friends.

The management and Pip. (my dog) :D


	143. Chapter 143

NOTE: I tell you, it is always a delight to find that our Transformer fandom is spreading. First an army base, now an equine college. Tomorrow, the moon. Even Burnoff could use some love. :D This is the payoff for me, the joy of everyone enjoying themselves. Leoness, you are a love. Thank you and I would waive all rights of my own to see this made into a movie or show anytime. :D Especially the football. I wish you could see the pictures I have in the movie in my mind. I am delighted to entertain everyone. This story is my magnum opus I think and I give it to you as fast as my fingers can go. **HUGGLES!**

-0-And now, we pirouette that a way

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 5

-0-On the field

Then the ball squirted out.

Again.

The mass of mechs moved around the field shoving each other back and forth without a clue that it was in the free and clear. Seeing his chance, the Vos goalie lit a match under his chassis and booked it for the highly dangerous possibility that he could score one for the Ripper.

Seriously. That was his coach's name. Ripper.*

With a speed that goalies aren't really known for over distance, he grabbed it and turned booking it as fast as he could toward the enemy goal. Bracket noticing him doing that ran forward and kicked a Kaon defense mech in the aft to get his attention. It actually raised him off his peds. That mech turned, his attention got.

Before Bracket could tell him why he had kicked his skid plate, the big back punched him in the chin. Bracket lifted off his peds too and flew backwards. As he lay on the ground watching the cyber birdies sing, the Vos goalie took a clear shot at the goal and **FRAGGING SCORED!**

The place went ape shit redux.

-0-On the sidelines

Sideswipe clawed at Sunstreaker who in an out-of-protoform experience ran forward to tackle the goalie when he got the ball. He grabbed Sunstreaker by the shoulder and slid down until he was hanging onto a leg as tightly as he could. Sunstreaker who was screaming at his team to **'PULL YOUR SLAGGING HELMS OUT!'** clawed his way forward dragging Sideswipe behind him.

It was all for not. Or naught. :D :D

The Vos goalie was having his own out-of-protoform experience himself as he leaped and danced, flinging himself in all directions from the sheer joy of his life. He had scored a zillion yard goal all by himself. He almost tripped over the slagging Kaon goalie who was lying on the ground being a fragging speed bump but he had prevailed anyway.

It was 6-3.

The teams were climbing back up off the steaming pile of their shame and waywardness when the siren sounded for the halftime break. They stood glaring at each other, then turned and lined up. Following their captains out with limps and epithets, they made their way to the stadium locker rooms. Halftime would be music and videos of the first half. It would also include copious shots of the crowd so they would be happy.

Ratchet sat down with Sunspot who stood before him chattering excitedly about the game. He grinned as the little mech told of his admiration for his brothers and the hope that Kaon would win. Ratchet was hoping for the same but he also knew that if Kaon tied, Iacon would be eligible for the wild card slot in the playoffs. Either way he won.

Prowl on the other servo …

Prowl checked Optimus' carry hold to see how Miracle was doing. He was in recharge next to the healing soothing comfort of the Matrix. It all was good. Especially if Kaon won. Then Praxus was the one favored to win overall. With a tie, Iacon would be in the mix as the wild card and all bets were off.

Possibly.

Pushing the sordid details of his internal criminal tendencies to one side, Prowl the Slide Rule turned back to the important things. Like not letting Ratchet know how freaked out he was. That would not due in the math shaped data based world of his exterior life. What happened inside however was a **WHOLE** other thing altogether.

As Prime was slowly finding out to his** GREAT DELIGHT.** But that however was a **WHOLE **other thing altogether.

"Well, that was interesting," he said in his primmest calmest manner.

"Yeah," Ratchet said parsing the calculator standing beside him. He himself of the devious processor, the one who brought Chaos Bringers to their knee assemblies, he who adopted everything that walked in with a sad, he who would tie one on tonight with the big slagger of his waking nightmares could read the winger like a book.

Usually.

"So … if Kaon frags this up and from the look on Goldie's face regarding Bracket, they will take the last open slot leaving the wild card to my team. Since Praxus fears Iacon's offense and Kaon's defense, we could hand you your aft on a two by four."

"Keep thinking, Ratchet. That's what you're good at," Prowl said unconsciously mimicking the Sundance Kid.*

"If you say so, Prowl. Boy, I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals*," Ratchet said with a grin.

Prowl snorted and elbowed Ratchet. Ratchet turned and gave Prowl noogies of his own.

Prime merely grinned.

-0-In the Vos Dressing Room

"**WHAT THE FRAG IS WRONG WITH YOU, LADIES!? DO I HAVE TO GET A TARG TO BITE YOUR AFTS TO GET YOU TO MOVE!?"**

-0-In the Kaon Dressing Room

"Are you coming out of there?" -huge mechs standing around a locked door.

"I don't hear anything, Hugo. What do you wanna do? I can take the hinges off and we can send someone in there."

"I don't know," Hugo-not said. "Maybe he needs a moment." Presses audial to the door. "Yep. He does. You know, he looked insane when he came in."

Big mech walks over and pauses rapping on the door with mild to moderate irritation. "Hey! Sunstreaker! Open the slagging door!" Sideswipe said.

He wouldn't.

-0-Vos

"**AND I WILL TELL YOU NOW … WE WON'T GET INTO THE FINAL BRACKETS IF YOU** ***LADIES*** **DON'T GET THE FRAGGING LEAD OUT! THIS AIN'T NO TEA PARTY!"**

-0-Kaon

"Bracket? Are you alright? How many digits do you see?"

"Seven," Bracket said raising his bleary helm to focus on the two digits before him.

"Close enough," Hugo-not said looking back at the others. They all nodded. "Close enough."

-0-Vos

"**SO I WOULD SAY UNLESS YOU WANT TO SIT HOME WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE GET ALL THE SLAGGING GLORY FOR THEIR CITY-STATE THAT YOU GET THE GAME GOING THAT WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT AND NOT THIS SLAG THAT YOU ARE DOING! ANY QUESTIONS?"**

One servo goes up.

**"WHAT!?"**

"Coach … you really hurt my feelings here, right?" Big bot looks around the room and others nod too.

Coach clutches his neck.

-0-Kaon

Sunstreaker leaned against the wall, a sour look on his face. "This took a turn into the dumper."

"It did. We better break a leg," Sideswipe said.

"I think it goes, you better 'shake a leg', Sideswipe," Topper said as he rubbed his wrist with liniment of the Air Kroil kind.

"No," Sunstreaker said with a slight smirk. "I think he means break a leg."

Smirks went all around the room.

-0-In the stands

"Well, they're catching up, right Sky Warp?" Starscream asked as he lounged in his seat, Flit and Pip playing some kind of patty cake in the aisle in front of him. They almost clapped their little servos together most of the time.

"They are. We're only three behind. We need a tie to stay in the playoffs for the final game," he replied as he wiped Dart's little face. His cookie was that good.

"Well, if someone would take out those slagging twins things might be more equal," Starscream said unconsciously reaching for his null ray. It wasn't there. "Where is a good null ray when you need one?"

"Is that rhetorical?" Thundercracker asked with a grin as he picked Dart up and sat him on his lap. The hatchling smiled at both of them. They were entranced for a moment.

All was good with them.

-0-On the way out

They filed out and the booth continued the broadcast cutting off from the upload from Earth by sportscasters who asked questions of the two during the brief lull. The transcript would be posted at the web page for their league and rebroadcast all over the hell and gone on different programs on Earth later on.

"Here they come. What we want to know is who is benched and who is taking places for those who appeared injured during the first half, Jazz," Blaster said. He consulted a data wafer given to him by Revet.

"It would appear that Bracket is out of the game for Kaon. Tough break that."

"Yeah," Jazz said. "Bracket is a first class athlete and a tremendous asset to the team. He is so good that the defensive backs could play at the limits of their range knowin' he could cover more territory as well as the goal. I wonder who will step in at goal? This is a tough half. Kaon needs to keep Vos either shut out or down to one goal to stay in the championship brackets as at least a wild card."

Blaster nodded as they watched the team go to the benches, bow to Prime and take the field. As they did, Sideswipe stepped into the goal. "Well, that looks like the answer. Forward Sideswipe is in at goal, at least for now."

"He's a tremendous competitor. I think this will be interestin'," Jazz said with a chuckle.

-0-On the ground

Vos walked in, bowed to Prime and took the field. They were gnarly. So was Kaon. They were both hard luck towns and city-states. They both had extensive criminal records. They were just this side of the Pit, both of them and the second half would be as wild as the first, the only unpredictable thing being the body count at the end.

The ref walked in and tossed the ball upward as was the habit of starting the second half. Two entire lines body slammed into each other in a weird kind of airs about the ground. The sound was stupendous and so was the cursing. They slammed into each other as a mech caught the ball that was bobbling here and there over the top of the fifteen or so car pile up. A mech caught it and disappeared under the mash up.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"Ow." -The Teasdales

"That left a mark," their supervisor said. Ten astronauts nodded in agreement.

-0-On the field

The ball was called and Kaon took it out on the sideline. Towers towered, mechs stunted all around as they tried to get free. A fierce throw to a Kaon player resulted in everyone jumping down to run like the wind, visions of their respective coaches chasing them with crowbars an incentive. They thundered down to the Vos goal before the runner was tackled out of bounds.

The throw in was at the quarter pitch line. It was intercepted and the mob turned running after a Vos wing who was hot for the goal. Sideswipe for his part saw him come and braced himself. He wasn't good at goal but no one cared. He drew the highest card in the deck.

The loser.

The runner was approaching before a tackle lifted him off his peds with a blow that surely could be heard in Katmandu. It cartwheeled him into the first two rows below the stands where the humans stood watching in horror. A mech the size of a D8 Cat came winging at them at the speed of a bullet. He slammed into mechs who could take it and was promptly tossed bodily over the side to the ground below.

"Fragger needed to crash into the other side next time," one of the crunched bitched. "Slagging Vos put a scratch on my finish." He was buried in scorn by other spectators and the game went on.

They battled back and forth, going this way and that. Sideswipe fended off three goals to the great applause of half the stadium. Those that wanted Kaon to win, those that wanted them to tie and let their team stay alive for the playoffs and those who didn't care but thought he was hot. He battled royal leaping high and low, deflecting all manner of shots.

That is, until he didn't.

=0=TBC

2012 (12) (In 29 minutes, I will be putting another date on this stuff. Happy New Year one and all)

NOTE: There is an old movie with Ronald Reagan about a winning coach whose name was George something or other but his nickname was The Gipper. Apparently on his dying bed, he asked his quarterback (Ronald Reagan) to go out to the game and 'win one for the Gipper'. It is a hackneyed corn pone movie but the saying is common in America. That is my take on the saying. :D:D:D:D:D

*The two lines Ratchet and Prowl sassed each other with before the noogies come from the classic, 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. My dad took all four of us kids to that movie one at a time so he could see it over and over. :D :D :D


	144. Chapter 144

The Diego Diaries: Game Day 6

-0-On the pitch

That is, until he didn't.

Sunstreaker who was near the mid line of the field streamed in like a guided missile jumping bots and swerving through the mob on his skates like nobody's business. They felt a breeze pass as the tall yellow streak flashed by but it was too late. There was a toss back and forth between two bots and the ball went through the hoop.

The place went ape.

Sideswipe leaped, his long arm up to deflect the ball but it was going too fast and swished in. Or it would if there was a net. Which there wasn't. So it didn't. Swish that is.

*cough*

Anyhoo, it went inside.

The crowd rose on their peds as one giant organism raising the roof as they did. Although there wasn't a roof. It was an open sky arena. A roof would have been a stretch given the amount of space that the arena covered …

***SLAP!***

Okay. Where were we? Sideswipe fucked up.

The crowd cheered, the cameras lingering lovingly upon Starscream who jumped up and down hollering like a Decepticon. Which he was. Once. But now he's – okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a twist...

Where were we? Everything was tidings of great joy. Which is in keeping with the season if you think about it.

**PAUSE. STAND BY. TEST PATTERN PLAYS ON THE SCREEN OF YOUR COMPUTERS. SCREEN COMES BACK. A NEW VOICE CONTINUES.**

"We are sorry for that broadcast interruption. Now where were we? Oh, yeah. Sideswipe fucked up."

He lay on the ground momentarily inconsolable, his body as limp as a dishrag. He looked up at his teammates who looked down at him with varying expressions, their affect down the crapper too. Sunstreaker held out his servo and pulled Sideswipe up. "Shake it off. They're tied. They can't get one more score or we're toast."

Everyone nodded and they took their places. The lines came together and the ball was tossed to Kaon. They took it and ran it back missing the hoop by mili-centi-psychosyllabic-infintessimal-quintillagrams.

It was that close.

Sunstreaker fell back cursing under his breath and the group gathered in a huddle. They stared at each other, the twins kneeling as they pondered their strategy. Their coach who stood on the sideline looked at them with daggers. "That fragger over there is going to skin us alive. We need to put the game plan aside because it isn't working and do something else," Sunstreaker said.

"Like what?" Hugo-not asked.

"We run over them. Don't make a foul. But play hard. If we keep the ground game on our side, they will make a mistake," Sunstreaker said.

"You know, Sunstreaker, you almost sound sane," Topper said with a grin.

"Don't tell anyone," Sideswipe said. "Family secret."

They broke the huddle.

**HUT! SLAG IT!**

Walking back, they brought the hurt. They brought it to the other team who had their huddle too just before.

The Vos huddle...

"Well, that is nice. We tied the fraggers. They're going to come off the rails."

"Then we kick them back hard."

"Play like you could feel Ripper ripping ya."

"He will if we mess this up."

"Then don't mess it up. Kick them back to Cybertron."

"**HHHHUUUUTTTTTTTT! YOU FRAGGERS!"**

They came together like low flying planes on a strafing run, colliding with the intensity of small planetary fragments seeking to make an aggregate world. The sound was astounding, the jarring impact felt in the stands. The fans in a frenzy were on their peds stomping and screaming, a nearly lethal mixture of schadenfreude for some and homicidal get even-ism for others.

They punched and pushed, slapped and rammed, each side trying to either get/keep the ball or defend/offend with it. They moved like a big colorful congealed mass down toward Vos, then they pushed back toward Kaon. Sideswipe who was standing in front of the Kaon goal with a disgusted look on his face waited as the behemoths battled it out. The ball went out of bounds and Kaon got to put it back in.

The wing who had the ball on the sideline was immediately confronted with towers of Vos mechs, all of them grasping with their servos as the idea of a piece of just about anything at that moment seemed like justice. He moved in his small amount of legal space looking for an open teammate and didn't find one. So he did the next best thing and threw it hard into the face of a mech on the top of a relatively unstable tower, watching as they fell into a pile up. The ball itself flew off at an angle and was captured by Kaon who turned and began to run.

That mech was slammed into by a Vos defensive back in a flying tackle. He flew in a very pretty arc onto the Vos bench breaking it into many pieces. He rolled and landed on his peds, the ball still in his servos. Facing the entire bench of benchless Vos players, he grinned. **"SLAG THAT, FRAGGERS!"**

One did. He flew backward from the punch into a heap, ball still in servos.

The arena nearly rioted.

Springer and the Night/Day Watch as well as other security walked down the steps giving the restless natives the stink optic. Most of them settled down but for three Kaon youngling sub-adults who got the bums rush out of the stadium for drunken disorderly and all around slagging off the officers.

Drift who was standing nearby glanced at their genitors. "Do you want to go with them?" he asked with a slight smirk.

The small group of genitors which included a couple of elders looked at him and shook their helms. "Are you out of your processor? This is a good game."

That would carry him for a while as he turned and walked down the steps to bring the aura of peace or the reality of energon cuffs to the seething masses.

-0-In the all knowing optic

"Wow, the crowd is really getting into the game, Jazz. The Watch force is out in droves," Blaster said, the scene shifting to a bunch of unruly sub adult mechs giving slag and being carted off by security. "Little slaggers don't know when to shut up sometimes."

"Speaking from experience?" Jazz asked glancing at his partner with a chuckle.

"Of course," Blaster said with a nod.

"I want details," Revet said glancing over his shoulder from the corner where he sat rocking 'Vette to recharge.

"Oh oh," Jazz said with a chuckle. "Meanwhile back to the game," he began and they chatted up the plays, the players and the many differences between Cybertronian and Terran football. The biggest one? Humans would become tapioca if they played here. Even with the micro-mini-mini-con teams. Even especially with kindly sparks like Spinner and Kip. They showed the images of the two little goalies standing ready with their little servos gripped firmly together.

-0-Elsewhere

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -Asia

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -North America

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -South America

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -Africa

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -Europe

"AWWWWWWWWW!" -Australia

"Ork! Ork! Ork!" -three seals and a penguin on an ice flow in Antarctica

-0-On the field

Kaon took the ball to a penalty corner. Sunstreaker had it. It was his job to avenge the dented chin of his teammate who was arguing intensely with Goldwing who could have cared less. "You are not going back in, you slagger."

"Oh yeah!?"

"Yeah. How many digits?" he said holding up four.

"I don't care how many." Pause. "Three."

"I rest my case." Goldwing turned and walked away leaving the poor unsteady Kaon player to find his way back to his own bench from hostile territory.

The sound of the stadium shifted and it became very quiet. Sunstreaker feeling the pressure aimed as if his spark depended upon it which if this had really been a game in Kaon, it would have. It went up. It went through. The place went nuts.

Sideswipe who had changed with Hugo stood in the area outside the zone. He grinned. One more and they would be two over. Sunstreaker shot, the wayward Kaon mech stepped into the path and got his bell rung again.

The place went nuts.

The refs gathered to confer, Goldwing came out with a stretcher and a grin, Sunstreaker stood cursing under his breath as the coaches on both sides walked out to the refs. That dumb move didn't last long as a fight broke out and they both were dragged off by Autobots serving as security. They were tossed from the game.

The refs eyeballed everyone else with nuclear optics, then called the free throw over. Sunstreaker in his rage was intercepted by Sideswipe and they all went into a huddle, both sides.

Vos huddle-

"At least Ripper is in the slammer. We're on our own."

"Fragger. Now we can do whatever the frag we want."

"Let's do it."

**HHHHUUUUUUTTTTTT!**

Kaon huddle-

"Those fraggers."

"We'll beat them, Sunny."

"Not them. The refs. I had one more throw."

"Let's score then and put this inquest away. Coach is in the brig. Let's do this for him."

Everyone looked at Topper. He shrugged. "I saw a movie once."

They all nodded and the huddle broke.

"**SLAGGING, FRAGGING, HUT! YOU SLAGGERS!"**

The ball was tossed. The teams collided. It was on.

-0-Ratchet

He stood with Sunspot beside him standing on the bench seating. At times, he covered Sunny's optics. Grinning, he watched the irritation in the aura of the twins. Bring the hurt, boys, he thought. All was good.

-0-Prime

He stood with Prowl holding Spirit who was discussing odd points of the game with his atar. "Do they get to punch each other in the face, Atar? We don't."

"Not really, son."

"Do they get to stand on each other like that, Atar? We don't."

"Not really, son." (grin)

"Will Kaon win, Atar?"

"I don't know, son." (Glances at a tense Prowl whose optics were fused onto the action. Grins)

-0-Orion

He sat on Blackjack's arm and watched transfixed.

"**GO, ME!** **GO FLY, LELLO! GO FLY, WIPE!"**

He would call out from time to time as he watched the long distance train wreck unfold before him. It was awesome. Everyone was having a good time watching and so was he. Looking down, he saw Praxus looking at something on the ground. **"PAX!"**

The little bot looked up at him and smiled. **"O!"**

"**COME ME!"** Orion said smiling down at his brother.

Praxus grinned but shook his helm. He pointed at the ground. It was more fun playing with the garbage of someone else's dropped cookie. Picking it up, it nearly reached his mouth before Alor in a spectacular demonstration of optics behind his helm looked down and pounced.

-0-On the field

They lined up and glared at each other. Then they came together and when the ball went out, a Vos player was carted off on a stretcher. Vos got the throw and it was just them and Hugo. He set, he shot, it went in even as Hugo reached for it futilely.

Tossing the ball back to the fouled player, eating a lot of shit from Kaon for allowing him two shots when they only got one, the player set, shot and …

...missed.

The roar of the crowd was alive.

That is when the final siren sounded.

Kaon 7

Vos 7

It was a tie.

-0-In the stands

"That will teach them to mess with us," Starscream said with cold satisfaction. "Fraggers. I think I need to send a gift to the slagger who staggered out onto the field during that hellion's free throw."

"I think you do," Thundercracker said as they slowly began to gather up and turn to leave. "It would be a nice gesture."

"I think so too. That slagger got us into the playoffs."

It would be a happy crowd of blue and white fans that inched their way out of the stadium that orn.

-0-On the other side of the arena

They stood and waited as the humans turned to leave. They ran on a parallel track outside of the steps the rest would take to exit. They were going to manage to get out before the crowd got too thick on the ground. Alor watched them go and then kissed Orion. "You are a caution, sparkling." He turned and glanced at Ironhide. "Cafe Praxus?"

"Actually, we are going to a new restaurant in the new town site," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet who nodded. "We have reservations at a restaurant on top of a tower."

"Sounds nice," Alor said as they slowly moseyed along.

"We're just trying it out for this game. Some rituals are to be kept," Ratchet said with a glance at Prowl, a closet traditionalist on some things.

"Does this one belong to Rampage too, Ratchet?" Tie Down asked as he moved behind Ravel holding Praxus.

"One of his students," Ratchet said as they reached the steps and began to descend. "Optimus is going to show the flag and give support. They planned to open for this game and they have."

They continued downward heading for the gates, all them intending to wait for the twins outside the lobby entrance to the Polyhex Tower where they lived. It would take a while to get there.

=0=TBC

2013 (1) Hugs to all this new year. I will be doing replies to your kind notes. To all without an addie or who signs in as Guests, HUGS and such for your sweetness. :D


	145. Chapter 145

NOTE: I am going over the entire story fixing the spelling stuff and editing it like crazy. I wish I could tell you how idiotic some of my mess ups are. I think I type too fast, write words as I hear them rather than how they are actually spelled and somehow miss stuff in spell check. SIGH! I am a doofus. :D

-0-Here we go!

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 1

-0-In front of Polyhex Tower, Metroplex Highway 1, Autobot City, Mars

Gathering in front of the tower, they waited for the others to arrive. Ravel held Praxus who was singing at the top of his vocal capacity for whatever reason he had. Orion who was sitting on Alor's arm watched him a moment. Glancing at his grandatar, he pointed at Praxus. "Pax, him?"

Blackjack grinned. "He's happy."

Orion considered that and grinned. "Quack."

Blackjack glanced at Ratchet who snorted. "Don't ask me. Little mech lives in his own world."

"They both do," Blackjack said glancing down into the basket at Hero. She sat looking upward with a smile. All was well in her soft blankie and dollie lined world.

The crowds filed by as Prime and his group reached them. Behind came the twins, Bluestreak and their younglings. They stood commiserating with the **LOSERS** until Venture and Miler appeared. "How are we getting to the restaurant, Ratchet?" Miler asked liberating Miracle from his atar.

"We have to put the infants in the back of Ironhide's alt format and have the girls ride to Terra inside one of us. We can transform and go there on our own," Ratchet said pausing to look at the elders in their group. "You do have an alt format?" he asked them.

They looked at him, then each other. "We have Cybertronian formats. That won't matter will it?"

Ratchet snorted and shook his helm. Glancing at Ironhide, the big mech turned and moved to the street in a break in traffic flow. When he had changed, the little mechs were loaded up and then the infants placed in their laps. "Hold onto them," Prowl said firmly.

They nodded and waved as Ironhide slowly drove off. Ratchet glanced at Prowl. "How about getting train service for civilians to the city as soon as possible?"

"I am going to take that up with Jetta. They have a line already going that way. Maybe we can parallel a line beside it for civilian use. Perhaps even above ground. That should be easier and faster," Prowl said watching as Venture turned and the little femmes were placed inside his cab in their baskets. The others began to change following as traffic allowed. Prowl and Ratchet watched them as they waited.

"That would be the best way. Non-sentient buses are a possible idea but trains with enclosed cars that have aids would help for the new school and traffic will be cut down severely if residents out there can come and go on mass transit."

Prowl nodded and moved to the street. "Last one there is a rotten targ," he said peering back at Ratchet. He grinned. "Loser." With that, he transformed and moved out.

Ratchet snorted and transformed himself riding Prowl's tail all the way. When they arrived everyone was already there holding infants and bantering. Prowl and Ratchet transformed and Ratchet kicked Prowl in the aft. "Whiner."

They laughed and paused a moment looking around. The city was laid out in a grid pattern with the flow of traffic managed around four lanes going each way with a round about traffic device in the intersections. Towers stood all around them, grouped into neighborhoods rectangular in design. They weren't laid out around a gravel pit or quarry. They were placed on the grid strategically to create neighborhoods and business areas.

There were tall towers for offices, businesses and government workers. There were shorter more stylilized buildings for businesses. A tower for the Sparkling Day School was nearly finished, copper glyphs announcing itself glistening in the late afternoon sunlight. The place was immaculate where finished and the construction farther into the town rising ever higher.

"This place is going to be awesome," Ratchet said looking around.

"This is going to house up to 300,000 new residents," Optimus said. "That tower back there will be the one with the hospital for this area. Since we're so close to the industrial plants, we will cut time for anything that happens there a great deal. Also, the residents won't have to go so far to get treatment."

"That building over there," Ravel said pointing to a huge domed construction that sat on a large city block by itself, landscaping only just beginning. "What is that?"

"That is the Sports Center," Prowl said. "That is going to have a huge pool and space for games and families to come and play. The air locks for the pool are state of the art. Jetta surpassed himself. Again."

"That mech is a spark attack waiting to happen," Ratchet said nodding.

They turned and looked up at the tower before them, a business tower that reached up 50 stories. As the tallest building in Terra, the very top held a saucer-shaped disk that was home to the restaurant and bar they were attending. "Onward ho," Ratchet said with a grin.

With that, they turned and walked inside an immaculate lobby, heading for a bank of elevators that would take them up with gusto.

-0-Day/Night Watch Substation 4

They sat on a bench, their angst proceeding them. They had been hauled out of the game for disorderly and drunk in public. They had missed the game. They had pissed their genitors off. Their 'nana' would have a lot to say about it as well.

And they had missed the game.

That about summed it up.

Watching the mech on duty inputting three drunks ahead of them, the three sub adult younglings sat back. Bummed. "This is not how I expected this to turn out today."

"No."

Silence.

"My Ada is going to kick my aft."

"Yes."

Pause. (Heated look) "Is that all you have to say."

"Yes."

(Stewed silence)

-0-The Restaurant in the Sky

They exited the elevators and walked toward a door across a highly polished stone floor. The restaurant was spectacular and as they were led to their seat in a surprisingly full restaurant they could see all the way back to Autobot City. Sitting, parking infants, they looked around.

"This is so nice, Ratchet. I've never been to such a nice restaurant," Ravel said glancing here and there.

"Get used to it, Ada," Ratchet said with a grin.

The waiter came and took orders, walking away to bring drinks as the adas in the mix pulled sippie cups from subspace. Ratchet looked at Sunstreaker who was lounging in his chair watching Kaon grin at Blue as he waited for his cup. "Is it too soon to ask about the game or have you passed all the stages of mourning yet?"

Sunstreaker gave Ratchet a baleful look. "You're supposed to support me no matter what."

"I know," Ratchet said. "The doctor is in. Care to unload?"

Sideswipe glanced at Ratchet and grinned. "On the refs. Sunstreaker should have had the second shot."

"Poor mech got a shot to the helm, then he got another one," Ratchet replied. "That should count for something."

"I hope his family collected him, poor sparkling," Prowl said nodding. He didn't even try to hide his grin.

Everyone looked at him. The raspberries were intense. He grinned more smugly and sat up straighter. "Losers."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-In the all knowing optic

Blaster sat talking to sportscasters on Earth doing the post game wrap up. The game was becoming pretty clear to human viewers but the 'subtleties' were subtle.

"Blaster, how is it that they can land fists, kick each other in the back side and stand on each other's necks? That is foul territory here," a sportscaster from Spain asked.

"We never said we were a refined game," Blaster said with a grin. "This game came out of the hard luck neighborhoods and was an underground event like the gladiatorial bouts in Kaon. They were overlooked because they were so popular. No one would have had the bearings to stop them and they were eventually elevated to the whole society."

"This appears to be a mix of rugby, soccer, football American style and field hockey if those games were put together and played without rules. How do you manage not to have serious injury and have players died playing?"

Blaster paused a moment thinking, then nodded. "They have on Cybertron. The game was a status symbol for the players, a way out of the underclass. They held on with everything and the play was fierce a lot of the time. I've been at games where players died. No one on Earth can play at this level of ferocity even accommodating for your own species and not suffer injuries or death. We're stronger and we can take a lot more but we do keep medics and good doctors at the games."

"The little kids … we've seen their games and love them. They play tag football, right?" a sportscaster from ESPN asked.

"They do," Blaster said. "We have incredibly strict rules for our infant league. Only tag. Only touch. No tackles, no body contact. I want my son to play football at some point and I want him to go into the infant leagues. Whether he plays at the adult level is his decision. I will support him and so will Revet."

"Blaster, we get to see a lot of different Cybertronians, some of them infamous. Do you maintain that football is a way to bridge the gap of differences between you and unite your population again? Many of them are Decepticons," a French sportscaster asked.

"They are. There are thousands of former Decepticons here. They are united by war fatigue, hatred of Megatron and his lies, loss and the overwhelming desire to protect their families and friends from a mad tyrant. We are one here. We have made a way to move ahead and the support for our colony and Prime is overwhelming. Football is a good way to remember how to feel Cybertronian again. You can be Kaon or Vos again. We love this game and we're pretty tribal about our teams. All of our teams represent city-States and people line up behind them. It makes things exciting."

"Do you feel that broadcasting games and other shows about you helps humans to understand and support your people and effort? You are aware that there are outbreaks of violence here by those who oppose you in this solar system. They believe Earth should be for Earthers," a reporter for the New York Times asked.

"We are aware. We are also aware and pretty skilled at remembering other planets facing Megatron's wrath who wanted us to go and are now charred embers floating in space. We think allowing you to look around is a good thing. Anytime you can let others see you to understand you, that's a good thing. We would hope that understanding is the end product of our effort. That and respect too. We are after all placing our treasure on the line here too as we protect the solar system," Blaster said turning a camera toward Revet who sat in a rocking chair holding 'Vette who was sleeping. "That is what I fight for. That is what I will die protecting. That should never be underestimated. That is why Decepticons and Seekers defected, the threat to their families and the weariness of lies. We are all here making this our stand. They will pay in spades if they make the mistake of coming here. Football is just one window you can look through to see our resolve on this issue," he said.

The conversation continued.

-0-On the way to the Substation near Industrial Park 1

:Drift and Springer:

:Drift here:

:Springer here:

:We have a call of a fight in Old Maccaddam's Oil House:

:On our way: Springer glanced at Drift. "This is going to be fun."

Drift smirked. "I hear ya," he said as they turned and hurried through the crowds to the tower where Blurr's bar was located.

-0-At the Restaurant in the Sky

Dinner came and was had, drinks were drank and football discussed. Kaon's two cavaliers were thoroughly commiserated with, getting surprisingly little simpathy but loads of sass. The restaurant itself someone noticed after their second drink actually turned slowly. The view of the city they had seen when they came in was replaced by a view of the vast plain.

"This is pretty nice. I'm glad it turns," Ratchet said with his third high grade. "I thought I was getting overenergized faster than I planned."

Ironhide snorted. "Watch out for that, old mech. The last time you did that we got her," he said nodding to Hero who was sitting on the table chewing on her digits.

"And what a fine 'got' she was, Ironhide," Ratchet said reaching out to tweek her ped. Hero paused and smiled holding out her arms for him to pick her up.

Alor beat Ratchet to it and kissed the little waif. "Who loves ya, baby?"

"Telly Savalas. That cop show, Kojak," Ravel said with a grin. Glancing at Prowl, it faded. "No offense, Prowl."

"None taken," he said with a chuckle. He wasn't feeling any pain either. "I'll tell you what. Why don't Ratchet and I go on the town while you all take care of the sparklings?"

Everyone looked at Prowl for a moment. He blinked. "It was just a suggestion."

Prime snorted and grinned. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "We'll divide the infants up while you and Ratchet go play. Celebrate the wild cards and such."

Sideswipe snorted. "Rub it in."

"That's alright," Prowl said rising slowly. "Who loves ya, baby."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-TBC

2012 (12)


	146. Chapter 146

NOTE: I am using some older characters that might have ended up in prison but for being small fry and the evidence against them thin to prove. They are here. I am scouting back through the story to make sure they are out and not in prison. If they are, I will change the two that make me worry to someone else. :D:D:D

-0-**LET'S GO!**

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 2

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

They gathered at a cabin in the mountains of Lake Tahoe, Nevada in the western United States. There were any number of individuals there, some wearing masks to hide their identity. They had gathered through painstaking networking to discuss what they could do with their combined resources and influence.

The two guests of honor sat on a couch near the big window that looked out to the land below. Somewhere in that distance was Lake Tahoe. Somewhere was a casino with their name on it. But for now, they were here to tell all that they knew of the big mechanisms that had short circuited their careers and made them a national name.

James "Big Jim' Johnson sat with his beer, his eyes roaming over the strange mix of people that had come. Some of them were zillionaires he knew. One of them was taking care of them here as they hid out from the authorities who wanted to prosecute them for breaking their confidentiality agreements signed as a condition to work in special operations.

Some of them were fellow revolutionaries who were worried about the pollution of the aliens into their familiar and mostly comfortable world view. There were soldiers among them, all of them wearing masks to hide their identity. However, from their comments he was aware that some of them were special ops, probably active duty. Others were from sundry think tanks, a couple from media and some from business. There were over thirty individuals here and when the schmoozing ended all eyes turned to them.

Their host, a billionare named Larry Skinner stood and raised his glass. "I want to introduce you to Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges, formerly of Uncle Sam and now the leading edge of resistance to the alien incursion that is threatening us all."

There was clapping and nods of appreciation. The two men sat quietly nodding back, Johnson enjoying it immensely while Hedges was more reserved and introspective.

Skinner waited, then nodded. "We want you to tell us everything you can about the aliens. Anything you can tell us will be helpful in the war ahead. Gentlemen?"

Johnson glanced at Hedges, who looked at them a moment. "There is a lot we can tell you. We weren't there long but there is a lot we learned."

As he said that they saw a car drive up the driveway and a number of muscular military-looking men step out. They paused, then walked to the door together. After knocking, they were let in and greeted Johnson and Hedges like long lost brothers, which in some ways they were.

Jim Johnson turned and grinned. "I want you to meet some men that can help you as well to tell the tale of the aliens. This is Todd Baseman, Larry Winslow, Seth Thomas and Tim Bolton. These guys were actual mercs assigned from Intel-Martin to guard Jase Daniels during his stay at Diego Garcia."

The four new men were engulfed in welcome.

-0-Night on Mars

They walked together down the street after helping get the families back to town again. Dinner had been wonderful and the twins lightened up downing shots with the old folks who could pack them away like teenagers. Prowl deciding to loosen his corset a bit goaded Ratchet to join him for a ramble.

Given that Prowl only came to such things about once every seven hundred vorns or so, Ratchet joined him and they ambled along the sidewalk heading for Maccadam's Old Oil House bar in the business building nearby. Lights from the bar poured out of the long space it occupied that wound around a corner on the third floor, giving a reasonably lit oasis to the younglings courting below in the little pocket park that was added three decaorns before. It had become the gathering place of sub adult younglings who would beg any soft sparked adults walking by to buy them hooch.

The Night Watch watched it assiduously.

They made it through the night strollers and walked into the building taking the elevator to the third floor. Walking across the mostly shuttered space, all the businesses still observing the holiday but the bar, they reached its big open doors. Pausing to look inside, Prowl grinned. "Buy you a round."

"Your shannix is no good here," Ratchet said following the slightly tipsy winger. "Really, Prowl. It's no good."

Prowl chuckled and found a place at the bar tugging Ratchet to sit beside him. The place was full with mostly the younger crowd, some of whom weren't especially happy to see two of their most senior officers walk inside. The bartender however grinned and walked over. "Hi, Prowl, Ratchet. What can I get you?"

"The usual," Prowl said with a sappy grin.

Ratchet becoming more and more enchanted with every passing moment leaned toward Prowl. "We aren't on Cybertron, Prowler."

"Oh, right. I would like some of the old black label from Praxus." Prowl nodded and grinned.

The bartender, a really smart kid learning to be a doctor grinned at Ratchet. "Straight up or watered down?"

"I'm driving. Probably," Ratchet said with a grin. "Straight up, right Prowl?"

The winger nodded and grinned. "No rocks."

The bartender grinned and looked at Ratchet. "Two or do you have something else in mind?"

"Two and don't spare the rocks," Ratchet said snorting. "I collect rocks." He glanced at Prowl. "Did you know that?"

"Nope," Prowl said. "There's probably oceans and oceans of things I don't know about you."

"True, that," Ratchet said.

Behind them, a table of mini-cons were laughing and chattering, their own sheets flapping in the wind. These were civilians and therefore jail rather than brig bait if they reached the right intensity. For now, they were code yellow.

He brought back their drinks and walked down to wait on others. "This is so good," Prowl said sipping his drink. "I haven't had this brand since I was wasting my time with Sentinel."

Ratchet sensing embarrassing disclosures coming turned and spotted a table by the window. Taking Prowl's arm, he led the winger there and they both sat. If Prowl was going to tell tales, he didn't want anyone to hear them.

Except himself.

That was non negotiable.

"You were saying, Prowler?" Ratchet asked.

"I used to drink this at the bar on Cybertron. Whenever Sentinel needed to show his 'concern' for the masses we would go there and he would tie one on. I had to stay sober. We had security you know. He never went anywhere without security. Fat lot of good it did him."

Ratchet grinned and leaned closer. "You do know that slagger is in the prison, right?"

Prowl looked at him for a moment, then grinned. "That's right. Maybe we should take him a drink for old time sake."

Ratchet snorted and grinned. "Maybe we can. Later. You were telling me about slumming with Sentinel."

"Oh yeah," Prowl said taking a deep sip of his drink. He grinned. "We used to go and see how the other half lived. I didn't want to but he wanted me along. I was a cop, remember?"

"I can't forget," Ratchet said with a grin. He settled in to listen.

-0-In Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA

"Well, we came with the first group of new candidates for striker teams that worked through special ops with the aliens. We had passed all the tests and arrived about the same time as Daniels," Johnson said to the group who sat listening to him closely. "They were around and you could see them but they didn't talk to you. At least, they talked to the ones they liked but not to us. Some of them used to come out of the Embassy and sun themselves in their car mode.

"It was sweet looking at the concept cars all over the place. Their paint jobs are beyond what anyone anywhere can manage. Someone told me that the Lamborghinis, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had over forty layers of deep pigmented color on their finish. That doesn't count multiple layers of primer, the gloss coats and the scratch layers. You have to see it to believe it.

"The cars would hang out in the sun when they weren't on duty and some would drive around or hang out at the beach. They would usually walk around in what was called robot or root mode. It was the mode they usually moved around in when they weren't driving and it was said to be their most natural state.

"They are armed all the time. There isn't a time they aren't armed and they carry it in some sort of voodoo space that surrounds them called subspace."

A covered mech nodded. "That is physics. Subspace is part of physics. I'll explain it later," he said. "Continue."

Johnson looked at him and nodded. "Whatever. I just saw them pull out guns from subspace like conjuring magic. It was awesome to see. They all have incredible weapons. Some of them are plasma types and others shoot energon bullets. The winger, Bluestreak is the best marksman I ever saw. He shoots so fast and accurately I can hardly follow."

Hedges nodded. The mercs did too. "Fucker is a crack shot and I wouldn't want to trade any with him," Tim Bolton said.

"Fuck that guy," Laurence Winslow said. "That guy is a piece of crap. He's fucking the Lamborghinis, both of them."

The room was silent a moment, then Johnson continued. "They are in relationships which is fucking weird. The three … the Lambos and Bluestreak are in a trine. Ratchet and Ironhide are a couple and so are Prime and that calculator he lives with. There are others," he said thinking a moment. "That guy with the flashing lights ..."

"Wheeljack," Hedges said quietly.

"He and that red robot … Perceptor … I think they are too," Johnson said. "There are others. But safe to say, they are in relationships and have kids some of them."

It was silent a moment, then a big man with a mask nodded. "Tell us about Prime," he said.

Johnson did.

-0-Maccadam's Old Oil House, Mars

"That Sentinel," Prowl said darkly. "He's a slagger. He isn't one half the mech that Otimus was. Is."

Ratchet caught the slip and grinned. "Optimus?"

Prowl nodded. "Otimus."

"Well, I won't argue with you about that. Our Messiah has all it takes to make crooked things straight as they say," Ratchet said sipping his drink.

"He does," Prowl said. Then he snorted and chuckled. "Crooked things straight. I like that."

"Holy Bible or so I think. It's yours," Ratchet said with a chuckle of his own. "Keep going, Prowler. Unburdening yourself is good for the spark."

"The spark wants what the spark wants, Ratchet. I wanted Otimus about seven million years."

"I think its closer to nine but who's counting?" Ratchet asked staring at two Prowls with a grin.

"I did," Prowl said suddenly mauldling. "I missed every orn with him."

"You were with him mostly every day, Prowler," Ratchet said handing his drink to the waiter and taking another one.

Prowl watched as he put another one down for him, then walked off. "He has a nice aft."

"I agree," Ratchet said with a smirk. "Tell me again, you missed every orn even though you were with him mostly every orn."

Prowl fixed his gaze on all three Ratchets and shrugged. "I wasn't in his berth, Ratchet. He was always just so close. I never wanted to get fragged so much in my life. I think my spark plugs melted once from longing."

"Good thing your Ada isn't here. He might wash your mouth out with Air Kroil," Ratchet replied with a grin.

"He might. I don't care. I wanted to frag him in the worst way and for a long time I thought that was all I could manage. Never worked out with Sentinel. He was into conquest and victory and I was part of the path to glory or something. I never did listen to him very hard."

"Sounds like a parade," Ratchet said.

"I don't know. I just never felt it," Prowl said fixing his gaze on Ratchet. "I just never **FELT **it. Not like with Otimus. He's just so-" Prowl paused a moment considering his words. "He's just so … so ..."

"So you're saying he's so-so?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

Prowl looked at all four Ratchets and frowned slightly marring his perfect white forehelm. "I wouldn't say that. Try fragging a mech 30 feet tall and tell me that. One with broad shoulders and a great aft."

"He's thirty feet tall?" Ratchet asked with a slight frown of his own.

"Maybe forty," Prowl replied as he struggled to remember. "I don't care. He's got it all."

"He does. If I lose my memory, let me take him for a spin. I always wondered what he would be like in the berth."

"Oh, he's wonerful," Prowl slurred with a sappy grin. "Jus' so wonerful." He sat back and looked out the window, at the clear shot of the air field and the prison beyond. "I wanna tell ol' Sentinel jus' how much."

Ratchet looked at him a moment lost in his own fog and blinked. "Tell who what?"

"I wanna tell ol' Sentinel what a better frag Otimus is."

"You know, Prowler," Ratchet said with a slight surge of emotion. "I love ya. Yer my best friend. Let's go tell that slagger just what he's missing. Let's go tell him that in the frag department he can't hold a candle to Otimus."

Prowl looked at him feeling the love too. "I think tha' a good idea. You know, Ratchet," he said leaning slightly forward. "I never tole anyone what I tole you. You're my friend," he said reaching out to squeeze Ratchet's arm. "You're like the brother I never had," he said with misty optics.

"You too," Ratchet replied equally misty. "I want you to know that I love ya, Prowler. Let's go slag Sentinel to the Pit."

"I think so," Prowl said. It took a moment to stand up and go in the right direction but soon they were on the street heading for the general vicinity of the prison.

Again.

=0=TBC

2013 (1) Obviously, someone can't hold their booze. :D :D :D


	147. Chapter 147

**Chapter 147: Chapter 147**

* * *

NOTE: I am answering the notes to all who wrote because I love ya and I believe in kindness for kindness. :D I would like to say to all who post without return addies and those who post as Guest, thank you all so much. You are dear to my heart. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D At TF wiki, there is a great picture of G1 Prowl sitting on the ground next to Ironhide drinking something. The caption indicates getting loaded so there it is. Canon. Truly. They are lamenting being too old and useless. :D :D :D Apparently, Kremzeek is a brand of hooch in canon. I love the internet

-0-Let's Roll OUT!

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 3

-0-At the gate of the prison

They stood with the Officer of the Orn suggesting a number of reasons why they both needed inside. The Officer of the Orn was a member of the Home Guard doing civic duty as part of their role in protecting the city. He was joined by three Home Guard younglings who listened to the pair, distrusted their condition but were too uncertain to say no to such high ranking officers. The bars dropped and the two walked in heading for the barracks where Sentinel and his confreres lived.

Watching them go, the Officer of the Orn swallowed hard.

Metaphorically.

Then he dropped the bars again to follow. No one else came. They did what he told them to do. Go on station and await his call if necessary. They did so reluctantly.

Ratchet and Prowl walked to the courtyard portion of the barracks where the politicians lived. He stood in the pool of light thrown down by a tall pole, itself giving illumination to the entire space. "Sentinel!"

His voice sounded angry. It was. All the way to the prison a slow burn fueled by eons of unfinished business made its way into his processor. All of the humiliations he had endured, the slights, off hand treatment and lack of respect for him as a professional wormed its way out of the files where it had been under lock and key since literally the fall of Cybertron.

They were back, the undiminished flames of his past and they demanded their due. All that he had so carefully crafted to hold back the insults and defeats of his life since joining the Army fell before the inexorable march of untreated outrage. He had never expected to do anything about it. He had buried it deep. The fulfilling life he had now had more than compensated for the loneliness, painful social ineptitude and sad self defeating calculations he had made for himself as a mech supposedly without needs. Or it did for a long time. Now it came crashing down under the lubrication of Old Maccaddam's mighty fine brew and his own unease over the proximity of someone he thought he might be able to love once upon a long lost time.

What a load of crap that was.

He stood seething with rage behind his calm inscrutable facade as beside him Ratchet watched with a facade of his own. He was three sheets to the wind but he also knew he was more sober than Prowl. That didn't mean that he had figured out what a bad idea this was. He didn't know that he should. They stood side-by-side and waited.

Then Sentinel came walking out onto the porch.

-0-At a place in Nevada

Jim Johnson nodded. "Prime is so big it can give you vertigo just to look upward at him. He's at least 30 feet tall. He's massive. Just as huge as anything you can believe. He stands about as tall as a three story building. He's red, white and blue and has orange or red flames on his paint design. He transforms into a Peterbilt truck, one of the best years … 1986 I think. He's got a lot of friends and can do just about anything you can name. I asked an officer once for specs on what he could do.

"He has a grip that can tear steel like paper. He can lift five hundred thousand pounds easily. I am still trying to figure out that one. Two-hundred fifty tons. He can lift it. They all have some capacity to fly and Prime's good at it when he does. Its just not very often because Autobots are grounders and Decepticons are airborne. He parachutes like the rest of them. He has his own chute like the others.

"He has three stages to his body. One is the brain center, the next is a small car that can act independently up to 1200 miles away and an artillery deck. If you hurt one, all three feel it. He's among the smartest of them and they're all smart. He's tough and can endure a lot of abuse. He's got guts. He's gone hand-to-hand with Megatron every time they seem to meet and that bot is a death sentence. He's some kind of moral figure in his group and everyone respects him. They all totally respect and love him. The human soldiers who work with him do too."

Sam Hedges nodded. "It would be foolish to underestimate them. Prime is dedicated to helping people in trouble even if it hurts their side of things. That appeals to everyone who already is afraid of the aliens in and around our system. There's reasons why they all have good reputations in the public.

"His command cadre is topnotch. Even if I hate them and I do, I don't think its wise to underestimate these guys. Prowl may be a calculator but he's damned near invincible. Megatron had a 'capture not kill' order on him and Ratchet. Wheeljack and Perceptor too. If you were high quality brains, you were hunted. Prowl can identify a thousand men on a battle field, plot every possible direction they can go and have multiple ways to neutralize them by his own forces calculated in under a second. He's no one's fool."

It was silent a moment. "Who are the senior bots that have to be researched and understood?" a concealed men asked.

"Prime, Prowl and Ironhide. That mech is a weapons expert and he's afraid of nothing. He's smart too. Prime looks at him like a brother.

Wheeljack and Perceptor are the scientists and can make impossible things happen. Mirage can become invisible and Jazz leads the special ops faction. They are the head of the serpent but no one else should be under counted including the special teams like the Aerialbots, the Wreckers and the femme groups. All of them, really.

"Ratchet is dangerous because he's the public face of the Autobots. The twins are no one I would want to run into anywhere. You won't survive. Springer is tough and smart. He's also a Wrecker, their suicide mission special ops group. That old mech, Kup, he's forgotten more about being a soldier than most of us will ever know. None of them is a slacker. None of them are going to be easy. All of them know how to fight and do. They have air assets as well as ground. Hound can follow you across water. Don't ever think that opposing them will be easy. It's going to be the hardest most dangerous thing you will ever do." Hedges sat back and sipped his beer.

Everyone was quiet as they digested the information.

-0-At the prison

They stared at each other, two mechs who felt no pain and one who had no shame. "Prowl," Sentinel said nodding slightly. "You came to pay a call."

Prowl stared at the big mech who had never given him the respect he deserved. Sentinel had taken to dismissing him out of servo in front of others, criticizing and minimizing his work and taking him for granted at the end. When he had been 'killed' Prowl had gone to see the body for more than the usual legal reasons. He wanted to see if Sentinel was really dead.

"I wanted to see you, Sentinel. I wanted to tell you to your face how much I don't care about you, how much I am not sorry to see you in a cage," Prowl said.

"Is that so," Sentinel said stepping down from the porch. "You want revenge?"

Prowl shifted following the big mech as he began to circle around him. "Revenge means you matter and that I care. I don't."

"You always were cold, Prowl. I tried to warm you up. As you can see, Ratchet, I failed."

Prowl felt a molten flash roll through him, an unaccustomed feeling in the best of times. He contained himself because that was who he was. Prowl turned watching Sentinel as he stepped back into his old overbearing role again. Sentinel paused staring at the winger. "Are you drunk, Prowl?"

Ratchet feeling the cloud slowly lifting listened to the condescension in Sentinel's tone and wondered what it would mean to a mech like Prowl who had fewer social skills and less aptitude for biting glib repartee to battle another on that plane.

"I want to tell you something, Sentinel," Prowl said coldly, his voice breaking slightly.

Sentinel didn't seem to notice that tiny trace but Ratchet did. He stepped closer. "Prowl."

The winger didn't turn. He seemed to gather himself, a affect of extreme anger surging through his aura. "I wanted to tell you that you are the biggest coward, the biggest liar and the worst mech I ever met."

Sentinel stared at him a moment, then nodded. "Does it feel better telling me that? Do you feel better?"

"You're not controlling this, Sentinel. You are not in control," Prowl said as he turned again. Sentinel started to circle, pausing near Ratchet.

"Poor Prowl. Still socially inept. Still insecure about yourself," Sentinel purred. "Still thinking that you don't need someone to take you in servo, to help you relax and find your hidden potential."

Ratchet felt his ire rising as he watched. Behind him standing in the shadows, the Officer of the Day watched with dread. "Prowl," Ratchet said again.

"I'm fine, Ratchet. I'm more than fine. I have a family, an important job in the faction and the resurrection of our people … our people that you harmed, that you abandoned. We have half a million of them here and another quarter million are coming. We are going to overrun you and your turncoat friends. Then we're going after Cybertron. We're going to do it under Optimus Prime's command. You aren't even fit to be his foot stool, Sentinel. You are a coward and an abuser. You deserve to be put into punitive stasis for selling us out to Megatron."

Sentinel stared at Prowl dispassionately, then turned to walk back to the barracks. Prowl called out halting him. "Don't you walk away! Don't you pretend that nothing I said matters. You are a coward, Sentinel. You left us when we needed leadership but that turned out alright too. It meant the Matrix could choose the mech that was The Chosen One. The Prophecies were fulfilled with Optimus. For once, you did a good thing going away. It's just too sad that you didn't stay lost."

Sentinel turned and considered Prowl, a smaller mech but one coiled like a snake. He stepped closer and paused looking at Prowl with an expression approaching pity. "You came here to make a point. I am assuming you did. Why don't you go home, Prowl? Why don't you go home to that family you talk about all the time? To your Optimus," he said with an acid tone.

Prowl looked at him, at a face he had thrown into the back of his processor as deleted from his data files. Yet, Sentinel was back. Sentinel was still controlling him. It ended now. With that, Prowl of Praxus lifted off the ground and like an avenging bird of prey planted his ped into Sentinel Prime's smug face.

-0-At the Residence

He sat on the couch, all of his infants asleep in their berthrooms. Tomorrow, school would begin, the senior staff and community members would hold a meeting to discuss a number of things and life would move on following Christmas Surprise. Right now, The Hourly News played their end of the week wrap up when a message signaled him internally.

Prime sat up pausing to parse it, then rose sending one of his own. Turning and running for the door, he left and was in the elevator in moments. As he was going down, Tie Down was going up, Ravel in tow. Ravel and Tie stepped off at the Residence and entered turning to look at each other. The monitor was playing The Hourly News, the infants were asleep so they sat and took a turn at babysitting until Optimus came back.

-0-At the same time

Ironhide walked from the lobby and transformed moving swiftly through the diminished traffic of the night toward the Fortress. Making a hard left at the intersection he tore off down Airport Road to the prison nearby. Ironhide burned up the road behind Optimus as he sped toward the confrontation. Ahead of them, Drift, Kup and Springer had already reached the gates.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

TF Factoids: The Autobrand is supposed to be the first Autobot but TF wiki says that the brand is based loosely on Prowl's head.

IDW makes Prowl a dodgy amoral schemer who will allow things to happen if they help the Cause. He has a lot of presentations, our Prowl.


	148. Chapter 148

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 4

-0-On the way

They burned up the road, transforming on the fly at the gate of the prison. Glancing at a grim faced Ironhide, Optimus Prime ran down the short road from the Guard House Center parking lot to the gates. The guards who were intensely grateful to see him dropped the bars and both entered. Hurrying across the no mechs land toward the inner gate, they entered because it was down.

Nearby in a pool of light a fight was ongoing. Drift, Kup and Springer stood with Ratchet as Prowl and Sentinel traded blows. Prime paused quelling the urge to pull a weapon and drop Sentinel in his tracks. Prowl had pivoted as Prime appeared, slamming Sentinel in the mid drift with his ped. It had been a powerful blow but Sentinel gave with it grabbing Prowl's leg as he did. Pulling Prowl off his peds, he turned to slam the winger into the ground.

A round into the sky halted the proceedings.

Sentinel turned, pausing. A weapon was directed to his helm so he let go of Prowl who crashed to the ground. Staggering up, Prowl turned on Sentinel with a roundhouse fist but was grabbed by Drift and Springer. They pulled him back struggling and cursing, but held him fast. Kup glanced at Prime. The look of cold murder on his face was something he hadn't seen before. Kup turned and stepped between Sentinel and Prime. "Fight's over, Optimus. We best all stand down."

For a moment it was silent. Ratchet who was sobering up became aware of Ironhide standing behind him. He leaned back as enormous arms surrounded him. Then Prime powered down, the relief around him enormous. The Officer of the Orn shifted on his peds. "Sir, they asked to see the prisoner. I didn't think I had the authority to say no. Uh, even in their condition."

Optimus looked at him and nodded. "You are the Officer in charge. You do have that authority."

He nodded, an expression of regret on his face. "Yes sir. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Optimus said. "Why don't you take Prowl and Ratchet to the Guard House. I'll be along."

The youngling nodded and turned, pausing for a moment to gather his nerve. "Sir, you and Commander Prowl need to come with me."

Ratchet who was staring at Prime nodded. "Ironhide, why don't you stay with Optimus."

Ironhide squeezed Ratchet. "Go on, mech. I'll be along."

Ratchet nodded and turned taking Prowl's arm. "Come on, Prowler."

Prowl stood for a moment rooted to the spot, his emotional optics trained on Optimus. Then he nodded and turned limping toward the gate and the Guard House beyond. When they were gone, Optimus turned toward Sentinel. "Good thing you stopped."

"You would have shot me?" Sentinel asked.

"For the good of the order," Prime said with a coldness that even Ironhide had never heard before.

Sentinel considered that. "Prowl came here and began this. He landed the first blow. I don't suppose that matters."

"To me it does," Prime replied. "I know it wouldn't to you, Sentinel. You never did play by the rules."

"And you see what that got us," Sentinel said. "We have no home world, our people are scattered all over the universe as Megatron lives and flourishes. Playing by the rules is for losers, Optimus."

"Is that so?" Prime said quietly.

Springer shifted and moved away to stand across from Optimus on the other side of Sentinel. The big mech glanced at him, then Prime. "So you want to fight do you? Do you have some sort of point to make like Prowl? We were together once upon a time. I liked his mind. He is one of the smartest ones we ever produced. But he's sort of socially backward. He always was, even for a high caste."

Optimus felt rage suffuse him, a fire of an intensity that he had never felt before. He firewalled the link between him and Prowl, narrowing down his focus as he did to Sentinel and no one else. The big mech was goading him, he knew. He wasn't going to jump to the bait.

Until he wanted to.

"That doesn't bother you? Prowl and me? Together?" Sentinel asked.

"You are the dead past like your rule," Prime replied. "You don't matter anymore. It would have been merciful to everyone if you had really been dead. You came here to sell out our people and Earth. You don't know how to be a mech. There isn't anything too low for you to do, Sentinel. There isn't anyone, not even the smallest infant that is safe from you and your cowardice."

"Is that so? I did what I did to ***save Cybertron***. There was ***no way*** that we were going to win. It was only a matter of time before there was no leverage left. You put the Allspark into orbit. You lost it to Cybertron. Yet you blame me for what happened next. You have a selective memory, Optimus."

"**You** do, Sentinel. Curious how you forget that we weren't ready for Megatron even though you were told that revolution was coming by nearly everyone with a voice. There was plenty of warning but you didn't prepare. Then the Army defected. They left you, Sentinel. The Seekers and the Army defected and left you high and dry. They would rather follow a criminal than you. How does that feel, Sentinel, to know that in the history of our people the Army defected to the enemy under your command."

Bulls eye.

Sentinel's optics narrowed and his fists clenched. "You were the Prime who lost Cybertron, Optimus."

"You were the Prime that made the loss inevitable. You can count your blessings, Sentinel, that I got the AllSpark away before Megatron reached it. If that had happened there would be nothing left. You made a deal with a mad mech and sold all of us out. No matter how you spin your actions, you will always be the traitor who put your own fortunes over Cybertron," Optimus said moving closer, his own fists clenched. "You were aiming to keep command weren't you. You were aiming to make sure that even if you needed Megatron's help, you would be leader when Cybertron was reborn because you were going to eliminate him when he met all the objectives you needed for restoration of both you and our world. Tell me I'm wrong."

Sentinel looked at the big mech, the atmosphere electric. Then he nodded. "You aren't wrong, Optimus. Megatron was never going to rule Cybertron. That low caste clown was my vehicle to rebuild our home world but he was never going to rule it. No way, no how."

Optimus looked at Sentinel for a moment, then nodded. "Somehow, Sentinel, I don't think there's much daylight between you and him. One of you in charge would be just like the other."

Sentinel's fist flew out but Optimus ducked it dodging the follow ups as well. He spun and slammed Sentinel in the neck with the edge of his servo, a knife-like blow that staggered him.

Drift who was standing next to the youngling Home Guard mechs who were wide opticed with surprise turned and moved them back. "You younglings stay on your toes. These two can throw a shuttle a long ways. Don't get caught in the cross fire. Do you hear me?"

They nodded and moved farther back, their optics fixed on the two behemoths. Ironhide moved back and watched intently as they battled, his own intentions to cut Sentinel into confetti if necessary clear in his processor. The angst from Ratchet was clear over their bond so he pulsed soothing energy and tamped the link down. Poised and ready to step in, Ironhide watched side-by-side with Kup.

No one noticed that Ultra Magnus, Jazz and Mirage had arrived nearby.

Optimus ducked one blow and took another, the electrical sensations of pain filtering through him. He dampened that and turned with a flurry of blows that knocked Sentinel back. Say what you will about the big mechanism, Sentinel Prime knew how to fight. He was feared as an opponent and very skilled with his weapons of choice, which if he still possessed them would make a battle royal for Optimus. As it was now, the footing was level and the outcome unknown.

Optimus spun and slammed his fist into Sentinel's helm coming to the conclusion that he had the edge. His fury alone would carry him a long way but the simple fact that his combat practice had never ended while Sentinel's had was enough to give him the edge. The Prime's formats were built to be nearly invulnerable. They were the spear tip on the weapon of the Cybertronian armed forces. They were designed to be invincible. At no point in history had two Prime designs ever had the opportunity to combat each other before. This moment in its own way was historic. It was becoming evident that between the two, Optimus was going to win.

Sentinel spun and moved warily with Optimus, the multiple blows given by that big mechanism resounding inside his processor. "You are still good at fisticuffs, Optimus. I suppose I'm supposed to surrender the fight now. I suppose you can declare victory over the bad mech who hurt your bond's feelings and ruined his life."

A hard blow to the nose structure met that remark as Sentinel dodged but not fast enough. It sent warning flags off all over his processor. So did the next one. He spun and moved away waiting for the fog to lift. "Nice one," he said rubbing his face. "It isn't a good tactic to allow your enemy to needle you on your sore spots. I would figure even you could grasp that knowledge."

"Coward," Optimus said. "There isn't one mech here who doesn't agree." Prime moved closer, his fists raised. "You left our people at the mercy of Megatron. You allowed them to be used as slave labor, to be experiments for Shockwave. You allowed our world to become a charred wasteland and the AllSpark to be lost because you and the others are cowards."

From the windows and the porch the others could be seen standing silently, watching the show without expression. None of them came out of their barracks. They stayed inside the relative safety of the porch watching without comment.

"Your great good friends aren't coming to your aid, Sentinel. No one is coming to your side," Optimus said moving in swiftly to plant a round house onto Sentinel's chin. The big mech lifted off and landed on his backside, sitting dazed for a moment.

He looked up at Optimus, his optics flaring with anger. "Does it make you feel better, Optimus, to beat up the former lover of your bond?"

Optimus paused, then moved swiftly forward lifting Sentinel off his peds. He looked at Sentinel with murder in his optics, then pulled him closer. "Yes," he said softly. Optimus held him a moment, then let him go watching with satisfaction as Sentinel staggered backward struggling to stay on his peds. Glaring at him with great purpose, Prime turned and walked toward the gate, Ironhide behind him.

Kup stared at Sentinel as he stood glaring back. "You aren't too bright, Sentinel. I'll say that for ya." Kup glanced at Drift and Springer. "He ain't too bright, that one." Then he turned with a smirking Drift in tow, walking for the Guard House too.

Springer looked at Sentinel. "You need a doctor? I'll send one in."

"Don't bother," Sentinel said. Then with that, he walked back to the barracks and disappeared inside with the others.

Springer grinned and turned walking to the gate. He talked to the nervous and thrilled younglings there, then headed for the Guard House too. The younglings locked the gates and turned moving back to their posts. It would be a much more thrilling night than usual on their internal chat line.

-0-Inside the Guard House

Prowl sat at the table, his arms folded, his helm resting on them. Ratchet sat next to him leaning back into Ironhide's chassis as the birdies sang in his slowly sobering processor. The door opened, Springer and Drift entering with First Aid and Bumblebee behind him. Glancing at Prime who sat at the front of the table, Aid got the go ahead to dispense sobriety. He did. Gently and kindly, just like his basic nature, he injected the antidote. Then First Aid and Bee stepped back to wait.

It was almost instantaneous, the sobriety. Prowl stared at his arms, scanned the room around him and felt intense shame and upset. He slowly sat up, his optics fixed on the table. A huge servo gently squeezed his arm. "Are you alright, Prowl?"

He thought a moment. "Aside from the dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, abuse of prisoners, assault and battery, public drunkenness and the idea that you will bear embarrassment, I am fine."

Optimus grinned slightly. "Quite a record for a single night."

"He has to share that with me. I was the adult here. If he swings, so do I," Ratchet said glancing at Optimus with a baleful expression.

Optimus snorted. "Volunteering for the gallows are you?"

"I am nothing if not loyal," Ratchet said with a smirk.

Prowl smirked too. Then another voice spoke. "You're nothing if not mad. I was also say you are a bad influence on others as well, Ratchet."

The anger from Ironhide was immediate as Ratchet gripped his wrist. Ironhide turned locking optics with a very peeved Ultra Magnus. Mirage and Jazz stood behind him as the door opened and Arcee entered with Elita and Jetta. The three looked at the tableau and Arcee grinned. "Why does this make me think that Ratchet led someone down the primrose path to the Pit again?"

"Because he did," Magnus said hotly. "Brawling in the prison, abuse of prisoners, public drunkenness are just a few of the many offenses of the night."

"I want to go with you next time you paint the town, Ratchet," Arcee said with a grin. Elita and Jetta nodded as well, chuckling.

"I'm glad you find this funny, Arcee. I would think the last prison brawl would be enough but apparently I underestimated your ability to create havoc, Ratchet."

Ironhide stepped forward but was tugged back by Ratchet. Prowl watching with a frown shook his helm. "I did the mayhem, Magnus. You are blaming the wrong person."

"But he's the catalyst. He always is the catalyst. I suppose you're going to get a slap on the wrist again?" Magnus looked at Prime. "Officers have a duty to present a decent command image to the lower ranks. We have Home Guard younglings doing night duty here, Optimus. What kind of message does this send to them? To the ranks?"

Optimus sat back regarding the mech he considered a brother. For a moment, he thought abstractly about all the mechs here, Jetta, Magnus, Springer, Jazz and Ironhide. Brothers all. Springer maybe more over all given the intimacy of their past but a brother nonetheless. Their company and abilities made his job tolerable. Prowl made his life worth living. He considered the number of things Prowl had covered up to protect everyone in this room from his own wrath should he have found out things they had done without his permission and found a small smile forming on his lips. "You are never dull, any of you."

They all looked at him, Magnus with great exasperation. "I suppose you're going to overlook this."

Optimus looked at him. "No. I am not. I didn't before either, Magnus, no matter what you thought of my decision. There are some circumstances where leeway should be given and since we have nearly 300,000 refugees and others on our sensors, putting them into the hole would be counterproductive." He looked at Prowl and Ratchet. "You will however spend time in the brig tonight and tomorrow night. I want you on duty when you are due, then back to the brig. I want to think about what can be done to rectify this situation."

Prowl looked at him, his anguish evident. "I am sorry."

Optimus nodded. "I know."

"Are you hurt?" he asked taking Optimus's servo into his own.

"No. I am upset by your anguish. We will discuss that privately. I will care for the infants. I would however consider it a given that your genitors will want to speak to you about this. I suppose there is some yet unknown Praxian custom to apply here?"

Prowl smirked slightly. "I'll have to ask."

Optimus nodded and squeezed Prowl's servo. "Springer, Drift, take them to the Brig. First Aid, will you check them over, especially Prowl?"

First Aid nodded and turned with Bee, the two following Prowl, Ratchet, Springer and Drift out the door. When it closed, Magnus turned toward Prime.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	149. Chapter 149

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 5

-0-At the prison

First Aid nodded and turned with Bee, the two following Prowl, Ratchet, Springer and Drift out the door. When it closed, Magnus turned toward Prime. "Optimus, you understand that the prison is my responsibility and when things go wrong here I am the one who has to straighten it out."

"I know that, Magnus," Prime said. "It makes my job easier knowing that someone as conscientious and selfless as you does the job you do at the level you perform. That will factor into my final decision but you know as well as I that there are tens of thousands of refugees coming and that among them are unknown entities. We need everyone on the job working at top capacity. Having Prowl and Ratchet in confinement is counter productive for them and for our ability to meet the need."

Magnus frowned. "What the slag is wrong with them? How can they do this time and again knowing the effect it has on the ranks?"

Ironhide bristled. "There's nothing wrong with either of them. Why is it, Magnus that you never seem affected by the war? Even in the middle of defeats you would fly in to get come slagging criminal that had violated the Tyrest Treaties. How is it that you couldn't pivot and do something that might have been slagging helpful to us at the same time? Everyone of us have been in the Pit for eons. It marks ya. Sometimes with the right circumstances you let the demons out. There's nothing wrong with Ratchet and Prowl. What the frag is with you?"

Magnus turned to face Ironhide as Prime rose. "Stop. Now."

They paused and turned looking at him, both of them with belligerent expressions. Prime sighed. "I am the one who makes the final decisions. I base it on everything, not just someone's personal ax to grind. I am aware of what happened and what is at stake among the troops. I will make the decision and you will abide by it. If you don't agree, make an appointment. That is my final decision."

They both looked at him, glancing at each other. Magnus nodded and shook his helm. Turning, he paused looking down at Arcee. She grinned. "Come on, Magnus. I'll buy you a drink." The two turned and left.

It was silent a moment. Ironhide and the others turned to look at Prime. "Ratchet does a lot of good for everyone, Optimus. He didn't let Prowl go off by himself and he always checks to see how everyone is progressing. Sometimes even I don't know why he does things but there's always a reason to what he does."

Prime nodded. "I know. You're going to have to arrange babysitting for a while. They're both going to be in the brig for a few orns."

Ironhide nodded. "I will. You?"

He grinned faintly. "We'll work it out together."

Prime glanced at the Officer of the Orn who stood silently in the corner, an anxious expression on his face. "You are the officer in charge of the shift. You have the right to refuse anyone who wants to enter the prison. If you find a problem brewing, call the Night or Day Watch Commander that orn or night and ask them to call me. They will dispatch a team while they do and you will have back up. No one is above your command while on duty but me. No one."

The youngling nodded, his optics wide open with anxiety. "Yes sir."

Prime grinned slightly. "You did a good job, youngling. I am trusting to your discretion about what happened here tonight. It doesn't serve the good of our people for them to hear a disturbance with Sentinel happened. I don't want anyone with grudges against him ganging up with others to make a problem for anyone let alone you and your crew. Do I have your word?"

He nodded emphatically. "Yes, sir. You can count on me."

Prime grinned. It would turn out that he could. The other wide opticed younglings on duty who weren't asked to promise, not so much.

-0-At the brig

Ratchet walked alongside Drift, his servo through that bot's brawny arm. They were talking about this and that as Ratchet pried into his personal life. Springer who was walking behind with a mostly silent deeply mortified Prowl grinned all the way to the brig.

He had entered the service about the same time as Hot Rod and some of the others. Ironhide had been their instructor and Ratchet had been the shoulder they cried upon. The duo already was legendary and when they heard Prime's call to come to this solar system, Springer knew there was a great likelihood that the two would be where Optimus was. Springer was right. They were.

Springer couldn't count the number of times they had tied one on together, laughed themselves silly and grieved over something that had befallen them and the Cause. Now they were here in a city they were building themselves, their own space at last to live their way and the same razzmatazz was flowing out of the one bot that consistently made him laugh. He was content here in a way he never was anywhere else and part of that contentment was the bots he saw around himself every day.

They entered the Fortress, crossing the busy pre-shift filled rec room and walked to the Central Hub's elevators that would take them down to the brig and armory level. Entering, leaning against the walls, Ratchet grinned. "So, Springer … what's up? Your BFF here won't tell me, the slagger. You did explain to him the rules?"

Springer snorted remembering The Rules one boozy night on a world they were losing. Ratchet handed him the bottle and grinned. "You don't know The Rules do you, youngling."

"The Rules of Prank Warfare? I think I know a few," Springer said with a grin. The buzz of bombs flying overhead made them duck now and again but they were relatively safe as they waited for Prime and his squad to come back so they could leave together. "Do tell though," he said handing the bottle to Kup.

"Well, the first rule is 'Ratchet must be told all'. The second rule is, 'Ratchet must be updated always'. The third rule is 'the first rule takes precedence over all other rules'."

A nearby hit blotted out some of Springer's laughter. He quashed it now as they stepped out of the elevator, Ratchet slipping his arm around Springer. "You are one sexy bot, mech. You always were. Drift is sexy too. You both almost cancel each other out."

The chuckles were had by all as they entered the brig office where Red Alert sat. He had heard the fuss and had come with the ever long suffering Inferno. "Here they are," Drift said nodding to Prowl and Ratchet.

"Inferno, did you ever tell that slagger here that you were hot for him yet?" Ratchet asked swaying slightly, his grin the usual insipid one drunks everywhere usually have.

Red Alert blinked and looked up at a slightly smirking, slightly mortified Inferno. "No, Ratchet, but thanks for asking." With a grin, he turned and led the party down to a cell block that was empty. "Do you want separate cells or together?" Inferno asked pausing with a grin.

"I'm Prowl's doctor. Bunk us together," Ratchet said with a wink.

The bars dropped and they stepped inside. Then they went back up. Watching the mechs turn to leave, Ratchet smirked. "Inferno! Tell him, you slagger! Life is short."

Inferno turned and chuckled. "I will," he said, then turned and left them to each other.

"You aren't drunk," Prowl said staring at Ratchet with a knowing optic.

"I know," Ratchet said straightening up. "They don't know that. I heard Inferno lamenting to someone the other day about how oblivious Red was. Nothing like a nudge."

"You have no shame," Prowl said with a slight grin of his own.

"You're just noticing? Really, Prowl," Ratchet said moving to sit. "Keep up."

The winger looked at Ratchet fondly. "You are a piece of work. If I didn't think you wanted the best for everyone I would call you an old meddler."

"You would be right anyway," Ratchet said as Prowl sat next to him. "I am. But its a compulsion brought about by the idea that why should everyone else have a happy life alone with they can have a life like mine paired up? After all, why should I wander in the swamp of bonded slaggery by myself?"

They snorted and laughed together. The moment's tension lessened. "You're very good at that."

"What?" Ratchet asked glancing at his most unlikely BFF.

"Helping others," Prowl said. "When things are tense you stick in a joke and it lowers the temperature. You go and talk to mechs to see if they're alright. I remember when you did that for Springer after he was brought back. You did it for Arcee too. You do a lot of good and I know its intentional. Some would call it meddling but I don't. Or mostly I don't. I am on to you, Ratchet."

Ratchet grinned and patted Prowl's leg. "Don't tell anyone. Forever, I was the only doctor and processor specialist around. I got to see things that others missed, the loneliness, the need. I knew when you wanted to tie one on that you couldn't go alone. I figured we'd end up in trouble but I was so drunk I couldn't do more than go to the Pit with you."

"I know," Prowl said. "If you hadn't agreed, I wouldn't have gone. I'm sort of gutless that way. I need a wing man."

"I know," Ratchet said patting Prowl again. "You're wired differently. You're a good mech, Prowl. I know what you do every day, the things you let go and the things you pursue. I know what it means to you about Sentinel. You need to work that out. Beating him to slag might feel good but it does undermine discipline and brings Magnus to a broil."

"I know," Prowl said venting a sigh. "I do like to watch Magnus get all wound up. He's me on steroids. If I had not found another way to live, I would be him, all rules and no second glance. I was for most of my life. I am so sorry for the endless orns where I didn't see the forest for the trees."

They sat quietly together a moment. Then Ratchet nodded. "I hear ya." He glanced at Prowl. "Nice human sayings. They have a bit of wisdom, those humans. I like them."

"They're too illogical for me, most of them," Prowl said. "But I will always protect them anyway."

"All of us will," Ratchet said nodding. "You need to unburden yourself of a lot of slag, Prowler. The past is over. Tell yourself you did your best and forgive yourself for the moments when you didn't. You are so important to so many, you need to remember that."

Prowl slipped his servo into Ratchet's. "I don't feel that way around Sentinel. He brings me back to a version of myself that I'm not proud of. I was ..." he paused a moment. "I was so lonely."

Ratchet squeezed his servo. "Look at the bounty you have now. Look at the family you field. You are the platform from which they all launch every orn. I always knew that Optimus had a great sense of humor but he didn't show it very much. Do you know why I make a mess of staff meetings so much?"

Prowl looked at Ratchet. "No."

"I like to watch you and Optimus banter. I like to watch him smile and be happy. You two are fun."

"No one would ever apply 'fun' to me before," Prowl said. He shook his helm sadly. "I was the anti-fun. Old 'stick up his aft, Prowl'. Sentinel zeroed in on that and played a lot of processor games with me. He made me feel grateful for being with him, grateful that he 'let me be S.I.C.', grateful for everything."

"You were **specifically** recruited to be S.I.C, Prowl. He didn't have a say. He was one or two Primes after your appointment," Ratchet said, a trace of anger in his voice. "You earned every rank and appointment you ever got. Thank Primus that we had you. We would have been in a bad way without your amazing intellect and skill. Prime would be fragging someone else if you hadn't enlisted."

Prowl snorted. "No. I would have crawled over broken glass on my servos and knees to find him. I would have swam through burning oil to be with him. He has made so much right."

"I know," Ratchet said nodding. "You deserve happiness. What you have to do now is tell the universe that you want to move on. Tell the universe I am sorry for all I did wrong and I forgive everyone who wronged me. Do it."

Prowl looked at Ratchet a moment with that look that spelled out 'WTF', then he smiled slightly. "That's all it takes?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes you have to say it twice. All you have to do is mean it," Ratchet said squeezing his servo.

"Alright." He sat a moment, then glanced at Ratchet. "Do I say it silently or aloud?"

"Whichever floats your boat, Prowler," Ratchet said with a grin.

Prowl considered that, then looked forward as he gathered his thoughts. "Universe, this is Prowl of Praxus. I want to ask forgiveness for all the dumb slag and bad things I ever did. I mean it from my spark. I also mean it when I ask anyone I ever bothered or hurt to forgive me." He sat a moment, then vented a sigh. "When does it feel better?"

"In a moment," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Did you include Megatron and Sentinel in the forgiving?"

"Not yet," Prowl said. "I do want the universe to know that I know my blessings. I will always try and do right by them." He grinned. "I'm glad you're my friend, Ratchet."

"I am too, Prowler," Ratchet replied with a chuckle. "By the way, that's the name of the next sparkling, mech or femme."

"Really?" Prowl asked, his expression lightening with surprise and happiness.

"Yep," Ratchet said with conviction.

"Thanks, Ratchet. I have always liked my name," Prowl said with a big grin on his handsome face.

"I have too," Ratchet said with a smile.

Nearby, standing by the door listening and watching Optimus Prime smiled too. Stepping back with Ironhide, the two walked back down the corridor to the Ops Center. They did so with a lighter step in their tread.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	150. Chapter 150

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 6

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They sat around the table looking at the roll up map that showed the location of all of their out-of-system obligations. Fort Apache was on line with them now and that entity's data was coming in with every pulse of the communications array system that was their optics out nearly 16 light years. The moving mass of refugees were breaking into four different groups, some of them heading their way faster than the others. Fort Apache would be sending Seeker data collectors and their heavy escorts out later in the orn.

Ironhide sat musing on the data even as he futzed over the gangling medico of his nightmares currently residing in the brig. Prime sat back and looked at Ironhide. "You know, I think we don't take enough notice of the strain war has put on us over the eons."

Ironhide nodded. "That's part of what Ratchet does. He has."

Prime nodded. "It felt good hitting Sentinel. Not just for Prowl but for everything else."

Ironhide nodded. "I know. That mech sure knows how to push the right buttons."

"Well, we can push back," Prime said coldly. "I think they're going to be spending five orns in the brig. Overnighters with on call status."

Ironhide nodded. "I can get Tie and Ravel to help with the younglings. My folks are at the Fort. Not much help there but Flint is off for a couple of orns to assist with us on the rescue. We can count on him."

"Does he have experience with younglings and babies?" Prime asked with a grin.

"No," Ironhide said. "Serves him right."

Prime snorted and grinned. "I'll have Venture and Miler help. Venture mostly. The space bridge will require Miler's assistance. He needs to train a few more mathematicians to help him."

Ironhide nodded. As he did, Springer and Drift wandered in with a data pad. Pausing by the table, the big green and yellow bot grinned. "How is it going in stir?"

"They're going to be there after joors for five orns," Ironhide said.

"Wow. Hard core," Drift said with a grin. "No one gets a pass then."

"Nope," Prime said with a grin. "What's it like out there tonight?"

"We picked up a tagger in Terra," Springer said consulting the data pad. "We have some drunk and disorderly. Other than that, a quiet night. When the new refugees come we're going to have to cover Terra more closely. We have two full shifts ready to come online there. The substations and the remote lock up are just about done. Construction had a few things that came up before they could undertake that part of the development. When do we expect refugees?"

"Two orns for the first group. Tomorrow, I want you to pay close attention to the possiblity that we have hostiles in the mix. They appear to be breaking up as a single mass. The ones in the back could be just running out of umphf but then again, it could be trouble," Prime said.

"What about Soundwave's fort? Are we ready to send spies?" Drift asked.

"We are but things came up and it got re-prioritized. We will discuss it and a couple of other pending items including the Cybertronian missions tomorrow," Prime replied. "How much of the Watch is covering Terra? No one lives out there full time yet. We still have housing here in the city. I expect that the Housing Authority will utilize that before they move anyone out to Terra."

"That's what I heard. We have ten mechs who are splitting the shift between day and night. They're caretaking right now. We will establish a full presence when the refugees start to live there," Springer said.

"Good. I want this to be ultra smooth. We can't determine what kind of refugee we will be getting and if they require special handling we won't be needing anything going wrong here," Prime said.

Springer nodded. He handed the data pad to Drift who walked to the officer of the day to hand over the data. Springer sat down and looked at both mechs. "Ratchet and Prowl were awesome tonight. I knew Prowl could fight but that was amazing. Circuit Su is bad enough but Sentinel should be glad he didn't use Metallikato on his aft."

Ironhide nodded. "I heard you slagged him once yourself."

Springer glanced at Prime with a rueful expression as Drift walked back and sat down. "We had a difference of opinion."

"Over the rescue of Kup," Prime asked with a slight grin.

Springer nodded. "He was different then, harder and less patient. He hated how we all fragged up his plans to win. He even mentioned that he thought you were a slagger now and again, Optimus."

Prime nodded and grinned. "I probably deserved it. I don't think anyone understands how Prowl works. He's deadly serious about winning and not having casualties if he can help it. He factors everything and weights it. Between the two of us, we usually come to a good conclusion but more than once I got the brunt of his temper for disagreeing."

"He has a temper?" Drift asked with a slight smirk. "He's a very controlled mech. That, I really admire. He never goes off the handle. Usually."

"He has the same emotions as the rest of us. He just keeps them under control. 'Logic is the path to peace' he always used to say," Prime said with a nod. "Its to his advantage for others to underestimate or misjudge him. Ask Barricade," Prime said with a grin.

"That mech is a slow learner," Ironhide said. "Prowl is bonded and has a family yet that aft still pushes his luck."

"Some mechs never learn," Prime said.

Springer nodded and rose gazing down at the two slightly forlorn mechs. "Ratchet is a wild aft but one of the bravest and best mechs I know. He and Prowl deserve the benefit of the doubt. They gave up enough to the Cause to get a pass."

"Some might not think so," Ironhide said darkly.

"Magnus," Drift said with a grin.

"Magnus," Ironhide said nodding.

"You're the boss. Be the boss. Tell anyone who thinks otherwise that the missus has your back," Springer said to Prime. They both grinned and Prime nodded. "I'll take it under advisement."

Ironhide and Prime watched as the two turned and walked to the door heading out into the night to do battle with the taggers, braggers and drunks.

"Those two are bonded," Ironhide said glancing at Prime.

"Really?" Prime asked glancing at Ironhide with surprise. "I didn't know."

"I found out before Ratchet. Don't say a word. I want to see how long old mech takes to find out himself," Ironhide said with a grin.

Prime snorted and rose, nodding. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go and relieve the babysitters."

The two turned and walked into the rec room heading out for the barn.

-0-A moment or two later

Prime walked into his house and paused. Tie Down and Ravel stood and smiled. "Are things alright, Optimus? We hope nothing bad happened," Ravel said.

"Actually, Ravie," Optimus said with a slight grin, "Ratchet is in the brig."

They both looked at him a moment, then nodded. "Alright," Ravel said finally. Tie nodded, both exhibiting expressions of extreme shock on their faces.

"He and Prowl had too much to drink and went to the prison to have a conversation with Sentinel Prime. They were taken to the brig to sober up. No one is hurt. No one is in real trouble. They just raised a ruckus and were brigged."

Tie and Ravel glanced at each other, then down at the floor. "We are sorry, sir. Ratchet was raised to be a good mech," Ravel said.

Prime blinking in surprise gently lay his servos on their shoulders. "No, its alright. They just overdid and are wearing it off in the brig. Like the younglings at the Business Center. No one is in trouble and you have to know what my feelings are for Ratchet. He just overenergized with Prowl."

"Prowl? This is awful," Ravel said looking up at Prime with a worried look on his face. "What about the infants? We can help you, sir and Ironhide." He glanced at Tie Down. "This is not a good thing for the babies, Tie."

"We can help you," Tie Down said resolutely.

Prime grinned, suddenly aware that their demeanor was formal for a Prime. "I know. What I don't want to have is either of you worrying about anything."

Tie nodded. "Don't worry for us. We're going to be fine. We are on call for you, Optimus, sir."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you for coming tonight. I know I can depend on you."

They chatted a moment, then Tie and Ravel stepped outside to go home. Walking to the elevator, they rode to their floor and walked to Ratchet and Ironhide's apartment. Knocking on the door, it opened and Ironhide's face peered out. "Ravel and Tie. What are you doing up?"

Tie Down's expression changed to a firm one. "We need to talk, Ironhide."

Ironhide who could read the energy wall before him stepped meekly aside. "Come on in, Ravie, Tie."

They did.

-0-Inside

They sat on the couch looking at Ironhide. "Who took care of the babies when you were at the prison, Ironhide?" Tie asked firmly.

Ironhide feeling slightly ridiculous that such tiny mechs could make him feel like a sparkling leaned slightly forward. "The mechs across the hall come over on short notice. I called your apartment but you weren't there."

"We were taking care of the infants upstairs at the Prime's house," Ravel said nodding. "What is this about Ratchet getting drunk, making a spectacle and ending up in jail? We didn't raise him to be disrespectful of the law or the Prime. We don't understand what happened."

Ironhide told them and they sat staring at him without a comment for a moment. Ironhide sat feeling like a youngling outside the office of the director of his school waiting for the ax to fall. Some things never change he thought.

"Well, we don't approve but we know he is a loyal friend. Poor Prowl. He must carry a lot of anger," Tie said.

"That is no way to live, Ironhide. We have had a lot of injustice in our lives. We could never give Ratchet all the things that we wanted him to have but we didn't get bitter. We tried harder and accepted a lot of things we couldn't change. We know we were nice hardworking mechs and had a lot to give to our people but we never held a grudge even when it wasn't allowed. How can you live to be happy when you are always upset?"

Ironhide nodded. "We have had a lot of pain in the war, Ravie. I think that's a large part of what happens with the army here. I know Prowl has a grudge with Sentinel that he has to deal with but for some its a process. It takes time. Ratchet went with Prowl because they're good friends and because Prowl wanted to let his walls down. He does that with Ratchet. Ratchet is good for him and he's good for Ratchet."

"That's good to know, Ironhide. We only want our son to be an appropriate mech who understands that he can't always have his way," Ravel said nodding.

Ironhide snorted. "Good luck with that," he said with a grin.

They grinned back. After a few moments discussing the coming orns, the two got up and left. Walking to their door and going inside, Ravel turned to Tie Down. "I want to visit Ratchet in the morning before work, Tie Down. I want to talk to our boy."

Tie nodded. "You and me both, Ravie."

-0-Nearby in the Polyhex Tower

They commed off with Prime and glanced at each other. "Well, that is … interesting," Miler said leaning against the counter. "What do you think, Venture?"

"I think I need to visit Prowl in the morning. If there is a disturbance in this family, I need to understand it fully to do my duty as patriarch," Venture said with an edge in his voice.

"You won't be fighting Sentinel," Miler said glancing sharply at his bond. "He's in the prison already and that would be dishonorable."

Venture considered that and nodded. "That's true but I will have a conversation with him. I will draw the line."

-0-At the trine's house

Sideswipe commed off the monitor and looked at Sunstreaker who was sitting on the couch with Kaon on his lap. "Wow. They're in the brig. Again."

Sunstreaker nodded. "I think I'm going over."

Blustreak walked out of Iacon's room, Uraya still in his arms. "What's up?" he asked.

"Ada and Prowl are in the brig," Sunstreaker said.

Bluestreak looked intensely surprised. "What? Why?"

"Apparently, your atar kicked Sentinel Prime in the face," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "I wish I had been there. Bumblebee just told us."

"He's in the brig? Prowl?" Bluestreak asked with gathering dismay.

"And Ada," Sideswipe said with a nod. "He was there too."

"No," Bluestreak said. "I have to go see Prowl."

"We'll take turns," Sunstreaker said nodding.

Bluestreak walked swiftly to Sideswipe and gave Uraya to him. "I'm going first." With that, he turned and hurried out the door. It closed behind him. "Well, that was fast," Sideswipe said with a grin at his daughter. She looked up at him disturbed by Blue's alarm. Then she grinned broadly. "Atar," she said for the first time ever.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	151. Chapter 151

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 7

-0-The next morning in the brig

It was coming on shift change when they heard footsteps in the corridor. Sitting up, glancing at the door, Prowl and Ratchet waited with expectation. The night before had been quiet, conversation had between drowzes. They had traded off on the berth, one sleeping on the floor and trading halfway through.

Prowl insisted.

The door opened and Inferno peeked in with a grin. "You have visitors."

"Who?" Ratchet asked standing slowly.

"Both of you," Inferno said stepping back from view. He moved aside to allow a number of individuals to enter. Prowl who had stood up glanced at Ratchet with a look Ratchet was sure was on his own face. The individuals paused before the bars and stared at them.

With disapproval.

"Hi, Ada, Atar," Ratchet said lamely. Prowl looked at his genitors and nodded. "Hi," he said softly.

Venture and Miler who stood side-by-side glanced at Ravel and Tie Down who were standing next to them, extreme disapproval on their own faces. "Do you wish us to step out, Tie? Ravie?"

"No, Venture," Tie Down said glancing at the big winged mech. "I think we shall be fine with your presence." He looked up at Ratchet who felt like a sparkling in spite of the years and experiences of his life. "Ratchet, we were told **personally** by **our Prime** that you were overenergized and jailed for violence."

"Thanks, Optimus," Ratchet muttered to Prowl who looked at him for a brief moment with a rueful expression. "Ada, Atar, I'm sorry. We just got out of servo. It only happens once in a blue moon and frankly, I like to go out with Prowl when he's up to it. I am sorry to make you feel badly."

"Ratchet wasn't fighting, Tie," Prowl said looking at the pair with a serious expression. "I was."

"I want to know about that, Prowl," Venture said. "I need to know what it means for our family. I want to know what you need from me, Prowl to make this better."

Prowl glanced sharply up at his genitors both of whom were gazing at him with concern. "I don't think an honor fight is appropriate, Atar. He's in jail already. For that much, honor is restored."

"But there are other things I have to do, Prowl. I won't have him have some strange hold over your spark. Not now. We are aware that you had an unhappy relationship with him. If he is abusing you in some way even from a distance that is my duty to end."

Prowl stared at his father, then his ada as if searching them for meaning. Then he stepped closer and did something he had never done before. He told them something personal that mattered. "I hate him."

It was silent a moment, then Prowl stared at the ground. "I hate him for treating me like I was a pity case. I hate him for condescending to me about what I did and could do. I hate him for making me feel small and worthless and I hate myself for letting him." He looked at his genitors who looked stricken. "I never told you anything," he said quietly. "I didn't want to be a disappointment to you. I know I went my own way and did things you didn't approve of. But I was trying to find myself. I have now and yet he still has a hold on me. I tried to tell him that he couldn't bother me anymore but I failed. All I wanted to do was hit him and I did. I am sorry, Ada … Atar for this."

Ratchet watched the display of emotions on the faces of Prowl's genitors, the depth of it, then the solidification of their anger. Venture opened his mouth, then paused as if to gather himself. "You have never disappointed us. You have never been less than the child we wanted. I had no idea that there was this much pain from this relationship. If you had told me I would have challenged him. No one hurts my son and walks away unscathed."

"You can't defeat him. He would have hurt you terribly," Prowl said. "I used circuit su on him and I had trouble. I know how to fight, Atar beyond what the schools taught us for honor fighting. Yet, I still could barely move him." He stepped closer. "I don't want you to feel you have to do that. I don't want you hurt."

"And we don't want you hurt either, Prowl," Miler said. "You are our son. We are proud of you and we love you. You have acchieved so much and your family is our life. That mech will never hurt you again. You must let him go."

Prowl looked at Miler and nodded. "I know." He looked at the floor. "I thought I had."

"You understand that I will have words with him," Venture said looking at his son with a stern expression.

Prowl nodded. "I wish you wouldn't. He will say things to hurt you."

"It is my duty to you and our family. I want you to know that I knew Sentinel a bit but I never liked or trusted him. There is something unsavory about him that cannot be discounted."

Prowl looked at Venture and nodded faintly. "I'm going to be brigged for a while. Optimus has no other choice."

"You will be in good company then," Miler said glancing at Ratchet with a faint smile. "We will help with the children. Don't worry about that."

"I don't," Prowl said looking at his ada with a fond expression.

"I heard about your first incarceration," Venture said with a grin. "I approve of it entirely, though the idea of Kaon having a prison record so young is daunting."

Prowl looked at his father and grinned. "I thought it gave him a kind of dash."

Venture snorted and glanced at Tie and Ravel. "Shall I get them released?"

"Please, Ven," Ravel said nodding.

Venture stepped out and came back after a moment, a chuckling Inferno behind him. He released the criminal element into the custody of the parental units, then they turned walking to the door and beyond. When they stepped off the elevator and entered the rec room, the entire place stood up and applauded. Frozen to the spot, Ratchet and Prowl looked at the hooting smiling soldiers and others present in shock.

:Slag. Everyone knows: -Prowl and Ratchet

Glancing at their chagrinned but game genitors, they took a right turn into Ops Center and walked to the center table. Pausing as Ironhide and Optimus turned to grin at them, Ratchet shook his helm. "Apparently we are the laughing stock of the city."

"I wouldn't say so," Ironhide said squeezing Ratchet's shoulders. "I think Prowl did what a lot of us want to do when he slagged Sentinel."

"I wouldn't say I slagged him," Prowl said grimly. He looked at his genitors and Ratchet's. "We are sorry for all of this."

"We know." -Venture, Miler, Tie Down and Ravel

Prowl turned to Optimus and gathered himself together a moment. "What are the terms of incarceration, sir?" he asked staring at the far wall grimly.

Optimus who was standing beside Ironhide grinned down at the tense ultra embarrassed center of all his most intriguing dreams and waking hours nodded. "You will sleep in the brig. You will work here. Same as usual but for that one change. Since I helped slag Sentinel after you left, I am cutting you some slack. Executve decision. Don't tell Magnus."

"You slagged him?" Prowl asked turning to face Prime with surprise.

"You didn't think I would allow him to talk to you the way I am told he did and walk away unscathed did you?" Optimus asked.

Prowl looked at him a moment. "I don't remember what he said."

"I do. It is enough for me to remember even if you don't. Suffice it to say, he won't be slagging you again. Of course, I have to have your solemn vow not to go to the prison again with mayhem in mind."

Prowl blinked in his embarrassment and nodded. "Done."

"And what about me?" Ratchet asked like some little kid who didn't want to be left out of the cake. "What about me, Dad?" he asked Optimus with a grin.

Optimus snorted and smiled at Ratchet. "You are a menace to society. I am going to let Ironhide decide what else you need to do about this."

"Well that's easy," Ironhide said with a big grin. "A bottle of high grade and a good frag."

That met immense groaning from around the room and daggers from Ravel. Tie Down himself chuckling got the stink optic from Ravel as well. "Really. There is a Prime here. Have some decorum," Ravel said before Ratchet enveloped him in his arms and kissed his helm. "What's decorum?" he asked grinning down at his ada.

The ice was broken and the ease in Prowl's frame was a welcome sight for Ratchet. He looked at his genitors. "I'll walk you to the shop and you can slag me all the way there if you want."

"No," Tie said with a grin. "You stay here and get ready for the refugees. The Hourly News says a lot of them are coming. We'll paddle you later."

"He'll just enjoy it, Tie," Ironhide said with a big grin. His father-in-law nodded and chuckled. "I am sure you're right."

"Prowl, we shall talk later," Venture said with a sympathetic tone. "I am concerned over your hurt."

Prowl nodded. "Thank you, Atar," he said as his ada squeezed his shoulders. "We will have to address your sorrows, son," Miler said with a nod. Venture turned to look at Optimus. He bowed his helm as a sign of respect. "I am senior member of our family, sir and as patriarch I have a duty to our family in general and to my son in particular to make this incident right between us. I will have to see Sentinel."

"There can be no more violence, Venture," Optimus said.

"There can be no more violence because he is behind bars and it would be dishonorable," Venture replied. "But the moment demands that I speak to him about how he can deport himself around my son. It is the custom of our culture to ensure that any further contacts be proper."

Prime glanced at Ironhide who nodded slightly. Prime looked at Venture. "I will be there when you do."

Venture thought a moment, then nodded. "There is no convention against that. I will not be interrupted, sir. That is the manner of our way of life."

"I will allow it when we find out what is out there and when its coming. I will tell you when the opportunity is available," Prime said.

Venture bowed his helm and looked at Optimus. "Thank you, sir. I am honored for the opportunity to make a wrong right again." With that, he turned and hugged Prowl gathering him into his arms. They stood together, then Venture stepped back staring at the unreadable expression on Prowl's face. "I have not always been the right mech for what you needed but from now on I am. This will be done and you will be avenged. What I want for you is peace and happiness. That is all I want, Prowl. You are my only child and I love you. I am proud of you," he said quietly.

Prowl stepped back into his father's arms and hugged him tightly. Nodding, he watched as Venture followed by a proudly smiling Miler turned and walked to the door. Tie and Ravel watched them go, then turned to their own wayward boy. "You two are going to be the end of me," Ravel said looking from Prowl to Ratchet.

Ratchet scooped him up and kissed him. "I can carry you to the shop if you want. I'm good for pennance, Ada," he said with a grin.

"You can do pennance later, Ratchet. You need to save our people now," Ravel said grinning at Ratchet as he lay in his son's arms.

Ratchet set him down gently and kissed his atar on the helm. "I will come and visit you today. Thank you for helping Ironhide. I am sorry for the chaos."

"We know," Tie said glancing at Prowl. "You both are a pair to draw to," he said as he bowed his helm at Prime. Ravel did too. then the pair walked out of the Ops Center, a grin on their faces.

Everyone watched them go, then Ratchet turned to the group around the table. "Well, that went well," he said as he ducked flying objects.

-0-Ops Center, during a quiet moment

Prowl walked to the table and sat, the datapad in his servos more armor than aid. He looked at Optimus who paused and looked back. Leaning forward, speaking in a soft voice, he said, "I am sorry that I put you in a bad way. I am sorry that you had words with Sentinel. I wish I could take it back."

Optimus looked at Prowl for a moment, then leaned in closer. "I'm not," he said back softly.

Prowl looked at him a moment, a ghost of a smile forming on his handsome face. :What did he say to you, Only One? I fear what he said:

:He tried to make an issue out of you but it was only part of his problem. I called him a traitor. He confirmed all of our suspicions about Megatron and Cyberton. Megatron would rebuild our world and Sentinel would rule it. Megatron wouldn't be around when he lost his usefulness to Sentinel according to his delusions. I dissuaded him of that notion all around:

Prowl nodded. :I don't want you to think that he mattered to me. Once he did. I had no confidence and I was a different mech then, cold and lonely. You are all I need and always were. I don't want you to think badly of me:

Optimus gripped Prowl's servo and squeezed. :I don't want you to think that such a thing could ever happen between us. I am aware of what he did to you, Prowl:

:The bond: Prowl said with a wince.

Optimus nodded. :He is lucky to still be alive. But he's old news, sad old news. Right now, we are rewriting our history. Put him away and don't let him hurt you:

Prowl nodded. :I will try:

:Then that's good enough for me: Optimus said squeezing Prowl's servo.

They sat together companionably, then leaned in together to work on the reclamation of their people.

All 324,000 of them currently on their way toward Mars.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	152. Chapter 152

NOTE: I am editting Chronicles of Orion and getting the usual craptastic mishmash of typos and misspellings worked out. I will repost them over the next day or so and try to add more stories there. I try to tie them into Diego Diaries and will lost the part they correspond with. :D Huggles!

-0-NOW, LET'S ROLL OUT!

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 8

-0-Later that morning

Ratchet sat at his desk working through the plans for the reclamation. A meeting was set for a joor from this moment due to intel that was still being sorted that was pertinent. He looked at the datapad in his servo, then smirked. "I see you."

Ironhide peered around the corner, a grin on his face. "You sober?"

"Indubitably," Ratchet said with a grin. He put his pad down and looked up as Ironhide walked inside and sat on the couch, putting his big old peds on the low table in front of him.

"Nice word," Ironhide said.

Ratchet grinned. "A big birdie told it to me."

"A big black bird I bet," Ironhide said.

"I picture it with big yellow dots around its eyes. That kind of bird," Ratchet said putting his peds up as he warmed to the moment.

"You really are a demented old mech fixating on the stupid," Ironhide said with a snicker. "It** will** help with the night vision, old mech."

"I never said it wouldn't," Ratchet agreed. "I just said it would look stupid. Imagine Orion with big yellow dots. By the way, how are they?"

"Good. Miss their old Ada. If you would stay out of jail you might be able to raise nice younglings. I have my doubts though. I think I saw a criminal tendency in Hero this morning," Ironhide said with a grin.

Ratchet snorted. "You are a big liar," he replied. "If they have criminal tendencies, it's from your side of the CNA."

"How's doing time with Prowl? That mech needs a long vacation and a frag or twelve," Ironhide said nodding.

"Poor Prowl. Sentinel played some serious processor games with him and it stuck," Ratchet said, his grin fading.

"Another reason to slag him to the Pit," Ironhide said. "What did Bluestreak do last night when he came over? I talked to the twins this morning but not Blue."

"He was really upset. You know what a good kid Bluestreak is. He consoled Prowl and traded jokes eventually. Then he finally had to go home. The twins never made it over," Ratchet said.

Ironhide nodded. "I know," he said. "They decided to save their slag for today."

Ratchet grinned. "Thanks for the warning."

He nodded. "You better get good with your genitors. They're really scandalized. They aren't as used to your shameless slag the way I am."

"I know," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "They're very traditional, my genitors. They really feel the burn when things aren't done the way they feel they should be especially concerning a Prime."

"I know." Ironhide vented a soft sigh. "You ready for the blitz?"

"No. You?"

"Nope," Ironhide replied.

"Prime thinks trouble is coming," Ratchet said. "What's the likelihood?"

"As good as any," Ironhide said.

Ratchet nodded. "I guess we better be ready," he said. "Terra had better be on-line now. The hospital center in the Terran Business Tower is ready to go."

"Good. One less worry on the list," Ironhide said glancing at the wall clock. "Let's go. We can stop by the bakery before we get there."

Ratchet rose and paused as Ironhide walked through the doorway. They passed Breakdown who was coming on shift, pausing to chat a moment, then moving on. They passed Knockout going to the elevator, a word or two on special surgeries with the Officer of the Orn, then they moved onward. The ride down was swift and the walk outside ambling. They walked together side-by-side heading for the Fortress. Along the way, they traded slag with this and that bot, this and that femme who had found out what had transpired the night before.

By the time they reached the Fortress, the senior community and military crew were massing to enter. Walking inside, snarking across the rec room, they entered Ops Center and walked to the conference room for the first major meeting since Christmas Surprise. They entered the room and sat in their usual places, all of them chatting and organizing their presentations for solutions of the many obstacles ahead of them.

Prime and Prowl entered, both sitting. Prowl nodded to Ratchet with an business, no slag expression and slid datapad agendas here and there. All were present so he looked at Prime. That worthy who was lounging in his chair considered Prowl. "Thank you. If you would like to begin."

"Yeah, Prowler, tell us about you and Ratchet getting slag faced and brawling with Sentinel at the prison," Jazz asked with a smile.

Prowl glanced at him with mortification, then looked at the datapad in his servos. He looked at it like it was a lifeline and Optimus flashed back on the sit rep that Prowl had organized about the soldiers and the things they had said about their soldiers.

USB cables anyone?

"Last night two of our senior officers had a difference of opinion with a prisoner at the lock up. That's about all that anyone needs to know." Prime who could barely suppress his smirk nodded to Prowl. "Shall we start?"

Prowl nodded gratefully in return. "Mirage and ***Jazz*** … if you would ***mind***?"

Jazz snorted. "Sure. We have a lot of intel comin' that indicates that the refugees headin' our way number way over 320,000 individuals who may or not be all civilians. There is an indication that there are Decepticon ships in the mix. The wave is breakin' into four different segments. We haven't gotten any messages from the two laggin' groups. The first two are huge. They're probably in the 200,000 range from the math. We can only extrapolate the size for now. We have Seeker data collectors with heavy escort goin' out in a joor to do the initial surveys. We should have a better idea by evenin'. We will also know if there are hostiles among them. We are also going to give the frequencies for them to send data forward including the data list that we hope to get."

Optimus nodded. "Good. Keep me informed."

Jazz nodded. "We will." He glanced at the ill-at-ease winger down table and grinned. "I'll send it to Prowler."

Prowl whose wings were tense stared at his datapad. "We would need an update on the Fortress and its readiness for whatever comes."

The monitors overhead held the visages of Blackjack and Alor. They were listening at their end, smirking at Ratchet when he gazed up at them. "We are ready to send troops and ships, Optimus as the need is called. Our medics are also ready for anyone who is in such great need that the time it would take going to Mars would be detrimental. We have the back up surgical team from the University and they will take the emergencies that can't be held up during the line up around Mars. We will also turn on the boosters to the outer arrays to help facilitate information. Two of our dishes are pointed toward the base Soundwave is building and if there is a change there, we can shoot you the information."

Prime nodded. "Very good. If you find that there is any trouble at your end, we can send standby troops to the Fort immediately. All we need is the word. You are the to the migration. We will be dividing the bridges between two places. The emergencies will come straight to us through the small bridge which will be fixed on you. The rest will go past you on their way to the Trigger jump gate some distance out."

Blackjack nodded. "We are ready."

"Thank you," Prime said nodding.

"Ratchet?" Prowl asked quietly.

"We are ready to move. The beta team is with Blackjack and we prepped that group to do emergencies. If the need is too great, we will send more doctors. We also have prepped Zeta and Gamma to be hospital ships who will be bringing the cases from Fort Apache to Mars directly to the hospitals. They won't be part of the lineup in orbit but come down through priority flight clearance through the Command Tower at Fort Max. They will be off loaded and taken by runabout directly to the hospitals.

"The possibilities are being planned for including anyone who needs protective custody for mental health or anyone underage who isn't in good custody with their families or guardians. We don't want anyone lost in the mix. We have had a couple of infants who were put in care in the last group at the new care facility because their genitors were in the hospital. A couple of mechs I think, very young. They are back with their families. I commend Jarro and his group for the job they have taken to make a secure and homey facility for the stray babies. We will be working together on this problem if it arises."

Jarro nodded. "Our system is well in place with the emphasis on preserving families and getting them back together as soon as possible."

Prime nodded. "Very good. Herling?"

"We expect given our ratio of school aged infants to adults in previous big migrations to receive at least 2-3000 more school children. Our tower in Terra is almost finished and will house the Sparkling Day School when we are ready to open. That will mean one more move of the school and free up for a quick remodel the entire current tower to the the Youngling Day and Intermediate Schools sharing space with the University and Sciences at the top. The largest group of school students we have are the sparklings. As the population ages, we may have to dedicate a tower to each of the upper elementary groups but that is in the future. We are hoping that there will be more educators in the new group but we can manage with the future projection due to the accelerated program for teachers, aides and support staff in the University."

Prime nodded. "We are going to have to continue to build and we will add the educational needs in as we go. I think its also important to keep up with personnel, Herling. How are we doing on teacher and specialist recruitment?"

"We are holding on pretty well. I am going to be posting openings in the folder in the Community Bulletin Board and Nova is going on "Good Morning, Autobot City" when the migration is over and outline the need. We have a lot of good individuals either in the programs or starting so we can plan a bit into the future."

"Thank you," Optimus said nodding. "That is good to know." He looked at Prowl. Prowl looked at Jetta. "Jetta?"

That bot who was leaning against Elita grinned at Prowl. "We are building madly. There are several hundred thousand housing placements in the city, half of them completed. With the housing still available here in Autobot City, the housing in Terra can manage the incoming unless there has been an under count. We are hoping that's not so. However, we have three shifts running full-out and the plants are meeting all the deadlines. We are in the ground breaking stages for the new industrial park as part of Phase Four construction and that will be made once we have a breathing space following this migration. Our energon needs are met at 105% and all the ores and raw materials we need to make our Cybertronian as well as the newer products are being met by harvesting the debris field around Mars. It is a short and simple supply line with our stockpiles of on hand materials fully ready to meet our needs and demands. We are at peak in our game, Optimus."

"Thank you, Jetta. I know how hard everyone works. Please express our gratitude," Optimus said nodding.

"Done deal," he said glancing back at a smiling Payload and Bulkhead. Scar who was there as well nodded with pride.

"Now we need to know about security of the city, of the reclamation and the rest," Optimus asked glancing at Springer who was sitting along the wall with Kup and Drift.

"We have beefed up the Day and Night Watch at Terra. When the refugees are placed there, we will be in force to help and keep the peace. As for the city and the orbital part of this, we are doing double shifts to make sure that everyone is safe and has directions. The usual security will be in place at the air field when the ships come in."

Magnus who was sitting beside Arcee nodded. "We have the city departments working to enact as smooth a transition as possible for the new refugees. We will have the usual civilian volunteers manning the stations for induction of the data and escorting newbies where they have to go. Our new computer storage is ready to receive and sort data at four times the rate of our last migration. We have new programs designed to process the information, find any pattern we seek and correlate reports. We can find criminals, lost families and friends to reunite and skills among other things almost immediately."

Prime nodded. "Thank you." He sat back and considered the group. "We have had some bombings on Earth that have made things difficult. At some point Ratchet is going to have to go to congressional hearings as well as one at the United Nations. It might be to our advantage that I go with him to that one myself."

The room was silent as they considered that possibility.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	153. Chapter 153

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 9

-0-In the Conference Room

They all sat silently mulling over the possibilities, then Ratchet sat forward. "I would consider that, Optimus. You get one chance to make an impression. Your mystery has been an asset. That being said, you know how I feel about controlling the message. There has been tremendous speculation about you in the press all over the world. It might be time to let the Earth in on the joke."

Prime nodded. "I agree. We will have to discuss the final decision together. What I want to know now is what and when with the Congress. The United Nations can be at our convenience but some in the House of Representatives are starting in once more and I want it handled. The intel on the troublemakers is not good. The Family is back and so is a techie group that goes by Mech." He glanced at Elita and nodded.

She leaned forward glancing around the table. "Jazz and I have been dividing the intel and working on our own piece of the big puzzle. Jazz has concentrated on the possibility of 'Cons in the migration and why the mass has broken into four parts. I on the other servo have been working all the angles about the trouble on Earth.

"There is a shady organization called Mech that is financed by wealthy businessmen and paramilitary organizations that are trying to acquire tech and making their own to use against us. They are very hard to trace. Apparently they have upped their game since Intel-Martin but we're working on their network. They open it, use it for a day, then move on. We have endless broken links and dead ends. But in the end, they can't withstand our own tech.

"The Mech organization is military. It has regimented organization and participants including perhaps even current military personnel," she said. "They cover their faces and have advanced skills and weapons. There is talk in the underground doom prepper boards that they are working out tech that can 'handle' us."

"Doom preppers?" Starscream asked. "That sounds odd."

"It is. The participants are odd as well. They're working out their own survival against the end of the world. They're armed, dug in and dangerous, many of them. All in all, they are fertile ground for the ideas of these extremists and would provide assistance and safety for them given a chance. Not all of them are doing so. But enough are that it's worrisome.

"There is word that some of the mercs that Daniels had with him are gathering into this group. That means they will have direct intel on us that they can exploit. Even if the mercs are biased and slag us, the others are smart enough to understand and glean out what they might need anyway. The money that is supporting this is supporting seven House members that are scattered through important committees on defense, national security, the military and us. They don't like the idea of supporting our soldiers participating with us. That could become a real issue."

"They will know about you, Optimus. They will get the first shot at making you known to the world," Ratchet said sitting back. He considered that. "I know how important first impressions are. You have an almost god-like status due to your invisibility. Maybe it will be beneficial for you to show up and let them see you. The Washington Convention Center is big enough to allow you inside. We can think about it depending on what Elita can turn up."

Optimus nodded. "I agree." He glanced at Jazz. "What do you know about the migrations if anything?"

He paused a moment and glanced at Blackjack. "The flights lifted off didn't they?"

Blackjack looked to one side and nodded. "They did a breem ago. We will have an overview of things in about three joors. It will come back in bullets that we'll have to unwrap and decipher for the data."

Prime nodded. "Alright. Right now, the migration is priority one. We will have to have a military response waiting if they get out of servo. Then the issue of Earth and the problem there is priority two. Those are the ones that matter right now. The rest will come. I would like you to convey to your departments and your personnel my personal thanks for the work that is being done. I know we are always seemingly under the gun but we have triumphed. We will be over eight hundred thousand citizens when this migration has landed. That is no small achievement for a group that came here with five individuals looking for the Allspark. I am proud of you. All of you."

They sat a moment enjoying the praise, then Alor grinned leaning forward to the camera. "I understand that you're keeping Flint handy since Ratchet is in the brig."

Amused optics turned to Ratchet and Prowl who looked like he wanted to crawl under the table. He sat staring at his datapad which he clutched in both servos. He looked like a very small child who was trying to do good. Optimus smirked slightly. "That is what we have to do. We have to part out a lot sparklings over the next few."

Magnus sat staring at Prowl, then the grinning face of Ratchet. "What exactly is the final verdict on these two miscreants."

Venture glanced at Magnus. "Prime has made his decision. I doubt that he has to share it with all of us."

"These two are senior Autobots. Officers. They have a duty to be appropriate for the ranks. They weren't. I for one want to know what the final verdict is."

Venture and Magnus shot nuclear optics at each other, then turned to Prime who sat grinning at Prowl's discomfort. He glanced at the two stern mechs, then sat straighter. "They will overnight in the brig for four more nights."

Venture nodded. "That is fair. We have a lot of work ahead and my son is an integral part of the operation. It would be detrimental to all if he weren't able to function fully."

Prowl glanced at his atar, then Magnus. Then he glanced at Ratchet.

That bot was grinning. "Too bad my atar isn't here to give you hell, Magnus. He would."

"Your atar should have paddled you more, Ratchet," Magnus said glancing hotly at Ratchet. He looked at Prime. "Then they will be roaming the earth during the orn?"

"We have too much to do to play by the book for now, Magnus," Prime said oddly enjoying himself.

Magnus sat back and shook his helm. "You are much more magnanimous than I am, Optimus. There would be serious jail time for this offense. Abusing prisoners, drunk and disorderly, abusing rank and privilege … those are just a few of the charges."

"You were busy," Alor said grinning at Ratchet. "Make sure I go with you next time."

Magnus looked at Alor. "Really, Alor. You do get my point don't you?"

"I do," Alor replied. "But I also get the idea of relaxing sometimes. I don't approve of you going to the prison to fight, Ratchet. I am very disappointed that you and Prowl went there without me."

Snorts and grins went around the table and Ironhide grinned like a Cheshire Cat. Magnus tapped his digits on the table in irritation. "There is no hope."

"Nothing a good frag won't cure, Magnus," Ironhide said with a grin. He looked at Arcee. "I delegate that to you."

"That's very generous of you, Ironhide," Arcee said with a chuckle.

Magnus shot her a pained optic, then Optimus sat forward resting his elbows on the table. "I don't think that we have taken into consideration the effect that eons of war has had on all of us. We are now in a position where we can relax a little and things we have put to one side seems to be seeping out. I am ordering you to speak to Jarro if you find yourself feeling distress or someone around you mentions that they feel you are not yourself. I want us to recover here. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. This is our home now. We want it peaceful." He sat back. "Anything for the good of the order."

"Uraya said 'atar' last night," Ironhide said with a **HUGE** grin.

"What?!" -Prowl, Ratchet

"Yep," Ironhide said. "If you two would say out of jail you could hear a few new things now and again."

"Where's Hero, slagger. Where did you stash her?" Ratchet asked giving Ironhide the stink optic.

He looked at Ratchet, then caved. Pulling her out of his carry hold, she was gently placed on the table. She was inside her little carry bag, the Seeker one that Ironhide used to take her around. She was recharging, the ears of a soft bunny poking out of the neck of her little sack bag. Everyone leaned forward and looked at her.

She was tiny and shiny, her little chevron gleaming along with her satiny black infant armor. She was as cute as a button, her little pug nose and sweet face as adorable as could be. Prowl reached over and stroked her little cheek. She stretched, then settled and everyone had an 'aww' moment.

"I want," Alor said looking at her from above on the monitor. "If you come later today, Ironhide, I expect that she will come too."

"I'll bring her, Ada," Ironhide said basking as he was in the lavish love flowing from everyone to his daughter.

"Not until I get some goodness," Ratchet said picking her up. He cuddled her against his cheek, then grinned as she lay in his servos. She was still asleep and comfortable luxe in her little sack bag. "I guess we have to work now."

Everyone nodded as they sat staring at the infant Optimus included. No one moved.

Ratchet snorted and looked around the room. "Class dismissed?" he asked glancing at Optimus.

He looked at Ratchet with a grin, then nodded. "Yep."

Everyone got up, some petting the infant, the rest moving out to go do their part of the miracle until only the four usual suspects were left. Prime reached over and took the baby. "She's so tiny."

"She's going to be tall. Maybe." Ironhide grinned. "I think she will be tall."

"Why?" Ratchet asked sliding his arm behind Ironhide's chair.

"She has tall genitors. Our CNA has to count for something."

"Could be," Ratchet said with a grin. "Do you want a daughter?"

Prowl shrugged. "I want a football team. A Praxus Science farm team." He grinned at Ratchet. "Loser."

Ratchet snorted and kicked Prowl's ped. "Do I detect our winged wonder rallying?"

"No," Prowl said with chagrin.

"Get over it, Prowl," Ratchet said with a smirk. "It's just one more page in the legend."

"Is that what it is," Optimus said glancing up at Ratchet with a grin.

"Magnus threw a rod," Ironhide said with a trace of satisfaction.

"Magnus is a good spark. He's just tightly wound. He wants everything to matter for the Cause," Optimus said sliding Hero gently onto the table and pushing her toward Ironhide. That big mech picked her up and tucked her into his arm. He grinned at her. They grinned at him. They all broke up to go their way.

-0-In the rec room by the door to Central Corridor

"I suppose I won't see you for lunch."

"I'll come by with lunch," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet. Hero was waking slowly. "Little femme needs her beauty sleep. I think I'll go hang her on her peg in the office. We have to get the orders ready for the fighter groups that we're putting together."

Ratchet nodded. "I'm going to the medical center at Terra. I hear they're doing a test run of an underground train system to carry passengers back and forth. Anything you know about that?"

"They plan to cut congestion and allow the run to the schools without clogging the roads. They're testing them for the next three orns. I would plan to be stuck here and there because they're debugging the system ahead of the crowds."

Ratchet nodded and kissed him. "Go. Play."

With a grin, he nodded and turned walking toward the armory and his office with its pile of work and Hero's peg. It would be a very pleasant morning once Holi returned Hero back to him. How could a mech get anything done when their sparkling was being cuddled by a sparkling-crazed little femme? It could give a mech vapor lock he thought as he stepped out of the elevator and tried to sneak into his office unseen.

He wouldn't make it.

-0-On the road to Shambala. Or Terra. Whichever came first

He walked down the steps of a new subway entrance that was just outside of the Fortress. They were being contructed all over the city and Terra, designed to handle and direct flow on a subway system that was being utilized to move hundreds of bots swiftly here and there in the fastest least congested manner.

He walked out onto a large platform that had been cut out partially under the fortress and marveled. The tracks came in and went out into the darkness of the tunnels beyond. Yet he stood on a well lit platform with benches along the walls. Across the way on the far walls, a diagram of the system could be easily viewed. It had directions for all locations and the system covered the entire city and Terra. It would next be expanded out to Aerie Hill. It was going to be awesome. The sparklings could ride to school much easier than above ground.

A soft sound of air wooshing filled his audials and he turned along with three other mechs he didn't know and watched as a light blue train breezed into the station. It was enclosed with enormous windows and plenty of seating inside. The doors opened and he stepped inside turning to watch as the door closed. The mech driving hit the gas and the train pulled out heading to the switching station at Central Hub underneath Fort Max. From there, every line radiated in and out, crossing in some places with the industrial train system that carried things here and there. Some lines would have to wait as freight trains passed by but it would be a small wait.

When he reached Central Hub, he exited and waited for the "Terra West" train to arrive. When it did, he climbed aboard and headed out, one of the first citizens to do so for now. Soon the place would be crawling with citizens newly minted heading for work and home, happy and safe, nourished and healing from their hurts mental and physical. It would be like Cybertron for the first time in eons.

It would be glorious.

-0-Cybertron

They sat at the campfire watching as the youngling metallurgist worked nearby heating up shell casings. They were making bombs. There was a gathering of intensity that the two hadn't felt in a long time. It was both worrisome and exhilerating. Kestrel leaned against Tag. "How do you feel?"

"Better," the big bot said.

"You mustn't do things like that, Tag. We don't have the medical options if you drop something on your ped again like you did."

"I know, Kestrel. Don't worry," Tag said patting his bond's servo.

"It will be night soon. The younglings will go out to patrol," Kestrel said.

"I know." Tag looked at the weary face of his Only One. He was completely different than the mech he bonded with long ago. The color of his paint, the shape of his finials, all of it was changed. But then, they had no choice. They couldn't be found. They couldn't be captured. It would be disastrous if they were.

The parents of Optimus Prime had vanished into the chaos and under no circumstances could they surface again. So they sat in the camp of Dai Atlas doing what they could, waiting for something to happen. There was an air of expectancy going around. Something good could be coming. Dai Atlas knew they all thought but he wasn't saying. It was the way of all the cells. No one knew all of it. Many knew a bit of it. But only Dai Atlas seemed to know all of it they were sure.

And he wasn't telling.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	154. Chapter 154

The Diego Diaries: Moving On 10

-0-On the road to the Medical Center, Terra

He ambled along after coming out of the subway station that was located in the center of the new satellite city. It opened into a park-like communal sitting-gathering area that was the anchor for the design of the newest growing urban center. It was filled with places to sit, play board games and hang out. The sculptures that dotted the landscape and reminded one of home were commissions by the Art Guild after a long contest for the honors. The tower that held the Terra Medical Center was just ahead, one of ten that ranged around the open space, all of them facing inward, their glossy windows reflecting the sunlight of the new orn. Behind them, the carefully planned high rise continuation of the city could be seen, some finished, some still works in progress.

Construction was farther out now, into the towers of buildings that would house the next five hundred thousand citizens of their city. There were storefronts on every building at street level to provide services as well as separate business plazas already in place. The Martian Sports Center which housed an actual Cybertronian sized swimming pool was nearby, its domed roof gleaming its burnished copper top in the gathering light of the orn.

It felt good Ratchet thought, a place for life and living. When he reached the intersection, one of four main traffic hubs around the enormous central plaza, he crossed the street and entered the tower that would house businesses, gathering places and public offices along with the Medical Center. In another tower next to this one, theaters for movies, plays and live performances would occupy the first three floors.

They were a long way from the little movie center in the Fortress Ratchet thought as he took an elevator to the eighth floor and stepped of into a brand spanking new facility. Sassing with the skeleton staff that was working to make the opening date of three orns from now, he walked into the office of the Officer of the Orn. It was in full swing with the techs, data clerks and nursing staff working out the logistics and routines of the big care center.

This hospital would be specializing in geriatric care and illnesses, rehabilitation for everyone everywhere and would have a facility for the treatment both of in and out patients for mental and emotional processor health. The old facility in the Medical Tower in the city would be turned over to counseling led by Jarro and his newly emerging teams of processor doctors and related staff.

It was being spread out, all of it getting a special area for the expertise of the staff that had grown from him alone all those orns ago. Having been the only real doctor available when one thousand refugees finally made it to safety, he had worked overtime to ensure that the kind of near tragedy that could have happened then would never be possible again.

Sitting at the computer, he ran the diagnostics on the Substation-Terra system that would be linked to Substation-Metroplex which would be part of MainFrame-MedTower/A-City, itself a substation to Teletraan III-Medical Nexus housed in the substrata of Ops Center. There were redundancies built into the redundancies in this system and he felt confident short of a direct nuclear hit, the data would always be safe including their burgeoning Medical Database-Autobot City mainframe.

All was good.

A rap on the door caught his optic. He grinned. "Hey."

"Hey," Sunstreaker said with a big grin. He walked in and sat. "What the frag happened?"

"We got oiled and decided to pay a visit to Sentinel," Ratchet said sitting back.

"Slagger. Come get me next time. I hear he got into it with Prowl. I heard that Prowl got some good shots in and if he hadn't been drunk he would have bested him."

"Keep repeating that. Prowl could use a boost," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I was too soused to even move let alone help him."

"I heard you were blotto," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "What's the deal with Prowl and Sentinel? What does Prime think about it?"

"He hates it. I think he could actually let go and trounce Sentinel. In fact, they did trade blows and Sentinel got the worst of it. Prime has kept up and Sentinel has been having his beauty sleep since forever."

Sunstreaker nodded. "That's what I heard happened. I would have loved to see that. Sentinel is a slagger."

"Do I detect personal stories hidden under a layer of incredible male sex appeal?" Ratchet asked.

Sunstreaker snorted. "You got that right. The sex appeal part," he said with a smirk. "Sentinel and I don't care for each other."

"Since when does Sentinel and anyone get along? Do I need to ask Splice or do you spill?" Ratchet asked.

"You're not psychoanalyzing me, Ada."

"No but I'm in gossip collection mode," Ratchet replied.

"Suffice it to say, he liked to slum."

Ratchet considered this a moment. "Prowl mentioned that. He hated to be dragged along."

Sunstreaker considered Ratchet a moment, then nodded slightly. "He didn't take Prowl sometimes. Most of the time."

"Really," Ratchet said considering the enigma sitting before him. He decided to jump right in. "Don't sit on the good stuff. Spill. This is your old Ada here, not your drill instructor."

"Atar?" Sunstreaker asked with a smirk.

"He's babysitting and getting the war on. Tell me things. Impress me even more than you have already," Ratchet said with a smirk of his own.

Sunstreaker grinned genuinely a moment, then considered the request. "I wasn't a good boy sometimes. Neither was Sideswipe."

"You were deprived younglings with no supervision. Check."

Sunstreaker snorted. "We sort of ran wild. We were in some of the gladiator contests and there were street gangs. We were in an opposition gang to Barricade's Race Track Patrol. We have a number of run ins. Jail was the ultimate goal."

"For who? You or the Security Force?" Ratchet asked.

"Staying out. That was the goal. They knew us. They had us tagged but they never arrested us. We were always too slippery, too fast … too smart." He grinned. "We did alright. We didn't get too many dents, we got to learn a lot of stuff and we got even with the high castes every time we could."

"How?" Ratchet asked.

Sunstreaker considered that. "We robbed their apartments sometimes. The most obnoxious ones, that was what we did. Splice was part of our team. We fought, drank, robbed and fragged around. Megatron was watching and we knew he wanted to have us under his management. We never agreed."

"He came to you and attempted to recruit you?" Ratchet asked.

Sunstreaker nodded. "He did. We said no. He said he could get us banned from the games, there would be no one to hire us or let us have a shot at the big pot pile ups." He sat a moment pondering the past, then looked at Ratchet. "He never got us. We fragged with him. We fragged with everyone. No one was too scary. No one was too tough or connected. He sent Barricade and some of his goons eventually and we flattened them, Sideswipe, Splice and me. There were others but I don't know what happened to them."

"Did you rob anyone I knew?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"Decimus. We hit his house at Capital City. We lived a good time on his bribe money. He had a safe stuffed with shanix. Nothing like earning your keep," Sunstreaker said with a cold humorless grin.

"Him or you?" Ratchet asked.

"Both of us."

Ratchet considered him. "You two do know that nothing you can say will ever change a thing between us and if you want to talk about slag, you know Ironhide and me are here."

Sunstreaker nodded. "We know."

Ratchet grinned, then he sat back regarding the big handsome format before him. "I hear my little baby said 'atar' last night."

"Both of them are talking. They're slagging awesome, those girls," Sunstreaker said proudly. "Kaon has words and they talk to each other. Most of it is nonsense but they're starting to have conversations that we can understand."

"They **are** that far along that end of the awesome scale," Ratchet said with a grin. "Ironhide is at the armory. He's bringing lunch to my office in town. Bring your brother and we'll have a picnic."

Sunstreaker nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Running a diagnostic on the new system," Ratchet said. "Are you going out as a field medic on the new migration?"

"I am," Sunstreaker said stretching. His physique was intimidating if not luscious but Ratchet quashed that thought. He was the big mech's ada. /... you aren't dead yet, Ratchet … you can admire beauty …/ "Where are you going now?"

"Going to the firing range," he said walking to the door to pause. "Blue's there."

"Hug him for me."

"Easy duty," Sunstreaker said as he turned and walked onward, a tiny segway turning to buzz off with him.

Ratchet watched him go considering what he had learned. They had a terrible growing up, both of the mechs. He would have to see that their adulthood was awesome. Glancing at the screen, he pressed the next key for the next interminable round of numbers to flash. He sat back to watch the screen, make the adjustments, enter the codes and set the wheels in motion for the influx now only an orn and a half away.

-0-On the way

They flashed through the night, the air wings that specialized in data collection/flyovers. They had lifted off at Fort Apache and buzzed in tight formation toward the amorphous mass that was coming. It had broken into four big groups, like oil bubbles floating on the top of water. Their job was to fly in fast, cover the entire spread with their interlocked sensors and fly out faster.

One didn't know what they would find.

They sped off into the darkness, Cloud Burst leading the group as they headed toward a point in space that was going to exist when they got there, then disappear when they left. Such was the vastness of space.

-0-Office of the Master of the Armed Forces, Fortress Armory

He had tried to sneak in, his daughter in her little sack secreted in his big arms. Tiptoeing with the grace of a cyber gazelle, he had still been caught. Holi, his 'work wife' had him and the infant on automatic sensor alert. She had clicked over into her **'GIMME! GIMME!'**mode and snagged the sparkling. Walking to her desk, a big miffed Autobot boss behind her, she lay Hero down and considered the infant in all her majestic cuteness.

"What is this, Ironhide?" she asked touching the soft bunny ears sticking out of the neckline of her little soft bag.

"That's her dollie. It's a little plushie bunny. I saw it in a catalog on the Requisition home page. Someone in Sydney, Australia makes them. And kangaroos too. Her kangaroo is coming."

Holi glanced up at him and grinned. "You're a four star atar, Ironhide. You could write a book."

Ironhide considered that and filed it in his 'to-do and surprise the bolts out of the old mech' file. "Good idea. Might be useful to the newbie atars coming up."

"I think so," Holi said peeking into the little bag. "Awww. What cute little booties. They look like little animals from a cartoon I saw once."

"They're Little Blue Dog booties. The cap is the same. Look at the little floppy ears," Ironhide said proudly. "I picked them out myself."

Holi grinned. "I can see that. Very cute. She's probably the best dressed little femme in the city."

"I try," Ironhide said. "A doctor on 'Good Morning, Autobot City' said if you keep their processor warm it helps them learn and grow easier and better. I thought I would try it. She seems more alert and trying things when she wears her little hats."

After much kissing and cooing, Holi surrendered Hero to her atar who turned and walked into the office to sit at his desk. Putting the baby on the desk before him, he looked at her with a grin. "You're one beautiful little baby, Hero. Mechs and femmes really like you. They see you're one pretty little sparkling." He checked her bag, tucked her bunny in and checked the hook on the back of her carry sling. Rising, he walked to the peg with her name over it and hung her ultra carefully on it. After fussing a moment, he peered inside and saw that she has slipped to the bottom curling into a ball with her dollie clutched in her arms. He grinned and walked back to sit.

Pausing a moment as he looked at his mess of work, he grinned. Opening a file, he put a title on the page: 'How To Be An Atar' by Ironhide.

He considered that, then added more. "'How To Be An Atar' by Ironhide of Praxus. Considering the addition, he grinned. /... I'll write this slagging book and be one up on you, old mech … we'll see who the slagger is in this family …/

With that, he turned to his work and continued diligently until lunch with his onliest wily mech and his daughter brought him back to the world that he loved the best.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	155. Chapter 155

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 1

-0-The afternoon

Prime sat with Prowl in the conference room going over the data that had been sorted from the flyovers. That had been a real ordeal for the flight teams who were just now returning to land at Fort Apache.

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache one and a half joors before

"The data got sent through, 'Jack," Alor said walking to the command table where Blackjack sat sorting through intel. They were bundling it, breaking it into smaller packets to send through the space bridge that was due in less than a breem. It would be jetted along the relay to Ops Center in Autobot City where the specialists under Jazz and Mirage would help sort out the data. "We have it ready to send on the relay to Autobot City."

Blackjack looked up and nodded. "Good. You might signal them. Maybe they can open the gate sooner. I think we have a problem here."

"'Cons in the mix?" Alor asked.

"'Cons and something else," he said holding up a datapad. A strange signal was embedded in the mix along with Seeker transmissions. It was a strange conglomeration of identifiers.

Alor nodded and turned walking to the comm station. "Apache 1 to Autobot City."

A slight delay, then the return was made. "Autobot City here."

"We need a bridge sooner. There are anomalies in the data that Prime needs to see," Alor said. "Over."

"Stand by, Apache 1," Smokescreen's voice could be heard saying over the big intercoms. For a moment there was nothing, then Smokescreen's voice came over again. "We are opening one now, Apache 1. A ship is coming through with the dish circuits requested. We are clear at our end for the send."

Alor turned nodding. The space bridge would send the data faster than the regular high speed relay system that piggy backed off the low end frequencies of the Seeker relay grid. Blackjack turned to his communications officer. "Send the data when the bridge is ready," he said.

"I'm on it," Sandstorm said turning to the board.

Beyond the fort in the darkness of space a burst of energy appeared. It burned like a flame before settling into a whirling vortex that seethed energy. Out of the middle of it a ship came heading their way and passing it unseen, a large bundle of data jetted past going the other way. In seconds, the vortex collapsed and space was calm again.

The ship flashed to the fort and landed on the air field next to the big stone monument to Autobot sovereignty. When it dropped its ramp Ironhide stepped out and walked to the fortress entering through the big doors. Crossing the lounge/rec room, trading slag with the inmates, he entered Ops Center and walked to the table.

Alor watched him come with a big grin. When Ironhide reached them, he leaned toward his son. "Give her over."

Ironhide snorted and forked over his daughter, the little Seeker carry bag showing nothing but her tiny little helm. It was swathed in her Little Blue Dog hat and looked adorable. "Ah, my little angel. So nice and pretty in your little hat." Alor grinned at Ironhide. "You're a good atar, son, figuring out all the things an infant needs. Amazing how you managed to get to full grown size without little hats."

"Learn something everyday," Ironhide said with a grin as he sat down. "Little femme needs all her processor bits. Hats help her develop. I won't argue with the experts."

"What does Ratchet say about this?" Alor asked grinning at his son even as he cuddled his granddaughter.

"Whatever I tell him," Ironhide said smugly.

Blackjack looked up at his son with a smirk. "Shall I call and ask him?"

"Slag no," Ironhide said with a grin.

They chuckled and sat going over the ordinance still needed in the armory three stories below and extending outward nearly three football fields wide. A supply line to keep the fortress in ammo was already in place and functioning well. What they needed to finalize was the master list of ordinance needed to be brought on a regular basis to keep the garrison up to fighting trim. They would sit and chat when that was over for some time.

-0-Prime and Prowl

Jazz had explained it to them, showing them the oddities and the knowns. The migration was huge, more than 320,000 individuals strong. The mass had broken into three main groups with one sub group that was worrisome.

"It appears that the big group in front are civilians with some soldiers and Seekers givin' them cover. That group might be about 150-180,000 individuals, Optimus," Jazz said glancing at his data. "The next largest group seems to be ships that are on their last legs, large vessels that can't go fast and the like. The third group is the one that's not good."

Prime nodded. "Go on."

"It would appear that there is a Decepticon force here," Jazz said nodding. "This force seems to have an alien component that appears to be similar to the acid monsters that we had run-ins with before. There are also Seekers with them which might indicate that we are dealin' with rogues."

Prime considered that. "We can assume that there might be Seekers that don't know about the death sentence Megatron put on them. Then again, not everyone is going to give up the bad life just because others have."

Jazz nodded. "I think we're goin' to have a problem here. My recommendation is to go out in force to get the others and lay down the hammer. Make an example if they act up. It can't be good that the acid monsters are among them. The aliens that control them are snoopin' around the edge of our sensors anyway. We don't know what this is goin' to be but it can't be good."

Prime considered that a moment. "What are the impressions of the Seeker flights?"

"Not good. They flashed over and were on the radar of the 'Con ships. They were in the gun barrels of those ships the entire time they were passin' through. They noted on their sensors that the guns followed them until they were out of range," Jazz replied.

"And the Seekers with them?" Prowl asked with a slight frown. "What did they do if anything?"

"They shadowed them. The flights signaled them but they didn't answer." Jazz considered that a moment. "We might have a rogue group that won't settle here. It could be that the Seekers with them are just bad, Optimus."

Prime nodded. "Thank you," he replied.

They sat together, Prime and Prowl considering their options. "You know they had to hear your call and the one you made with Starscream. We can't have them come here and be a problem. They have two options if they don't agree to settle here. Move on and find their own way which means we could have another problem in another direction to worry about or go to Soundwave."

"Either way is bad for us. They could become a tool for Megatron to use against us if they settle somewhere else that isn't too far away," Optimus said quietly. "We have to prepare a force to go out and collect them, armed to the teeth and ready to kick their afts to the Pit if they step out of line. I think I need to go out and so does Starscream. I want to know what is going on with the Seeker element. IF they are criminals, we have a problem. We could have a shooting war in the blink of an optic. I want the force big enough that we can take the migration into servo without too much trouble. I want them to go through the two bridges from there to an end point at Fort Apache. We can sort them there behind the lines if there is a battle and not have them pile up here if we can't get them organized more clearly."

"The fortress is paying off already," Prowl said nodding.

"I think so," Prime said grimly.

With that, they both turned to make it so.

-0-Ratchet

He logged off with Prowl and considered the enormity of the problem ahead of them. First, they had to establish a medical platform at Fort Apache, both on the ground and in space nearby. Ships would be brought through swiftly and without organization which meant that the triage and tagging aspect of their reclamation would be held there in the space around the Fort.

Secondly, they would have to have every medic and tech that could be spared loaded and in the air with all they needed for everything from mental health patients to major surgeries in a matter of four joors. All of the giants would be hospital platforms. They would be using all the reformatted Decepticon battle ships due to their size for the war component and it would have to happen now.

That didn't count supplies, portable surgeries, data collection equipment, energon of all manner in bulk, gear, tools and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Fortunately, they had trouble shot such eventualities. He turned and walked to the computer station next to his desk. Opening a toggle cover and activating the grid, he pressed it. All over the city everyone on the Alpha emergency medical response team paused, then turned to do their part before heading to the air field. He pushed another button and the Beta team paused. They would come too.

Ratchet turned and drew up screens. Pressing message alerts, mechs from all manner of professions dropped their projects, left their homes and hurried to the Emergency Response Center at the Labor Union Hall. Jetta who was already there had them moving, all the relevant stuff heading out and everyone jumping.

Then Ratchet turned and walked to the elevator to join his doctors, nurses, specialists, technicians, field medics and aides as they raced for the air field gear in tow.

-0-Autobot City Air Field

The giants had already transformed as emergency medical supplies, surgical theaters and other relevant items were pulled from the underground storage systems and taken to the big vessels on pallets. Once the teams arrived they would be unpacked and set up ready to receive patients before the giants and other vessels even lifted off.

Gypsy and her femme team raced to their station on Kappa. All of the sparklings, younglings, femmes and sparked individuals would be their call. Ratchet would take the worst and most damaged cases along with Goldwing who was certified as a processor surgeon and neuro-net doctor to Ratchet's exacting standards.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe rolled up and paused, watching the enormous effort being made. They had received the medical call, both of them certified as surgical assistants. Sunstreaker who was also certified as a field medic looked for Ratchet in the mass of mechs struggling with the daunting task of fielding not just a major medical response team but a massive military expedition.

The former 'Con battle ships were moving into line ready to carry troops for anything that was coming. Groups of soldiers were already mustering, their gear and weapons in servo. Wrecker crews, sharpshooters, heavy weapons experts and ship boarding specialists gathered together with other less specialized soldiers.

In the air, Seekers were coming, hundreds of them landing to the north of the air field waiting for the call to go. Among them were boarding specialists, heavy weapons experts, specialized combat and tactics experts and fighter wings.

Starscream walked toward them as he and his command group headed for the Ops Center. "What are you two maniacs going to be doing this time? Are you going to be fixing them or breaking them?"

Sunstreaker snorted. "Both," he said as the smirking Seekers continued onward. Sideswipe watched them go, then spotted Ratchet. "There he is," he said as they both turned and skated toward the big medic struggling to hoist a large box of equipment into Gamma, his own platform. The twins would help.

-0-A classroom in a high rise nearby

They stood at the window watching the show below. The Seekers had been the first tip off and they had come to the window to see what was going on below. Great ships were moving at the air field, the place was swarming with activity. Sunspot, himself a veteran of many a muster looked up at a grim Terradive. "They're going to fight aren't they?"

Terradive looked at Sunspot, then picked him up. He hugged the little Seeker. "We don't know."

"They're having a muster. I know. I've been in some," Sunspot said worriedly as he looked over his shoulder at the goings-on.

"Don't worry about it, Sunny. Optimus Prime is the boss. He'll know what to do. He has the Matrix," Terradive said soothingly.

Sunspot looked at Terradive. "I know. I just worry about my ada and atar. My brothers too."

"Who in the universe could hurt them?" Terradive asked with a grin. "Ask Uncle Starscream what he thinks about the twins."

Sunspot grinned. "I already have," he said with a chuckle. He looked outside, then at Terradive. "I hate this," he said quietly. "I wish I could go and help them."

"I'm glad you can't, Sunny," Terradive said. "You are a child. Be one."

Sunspot lay his helm on Terradive's shoulder. "Okay," he said softly.

Standing beside Terradive, the children of soldiers watched with uncertainty at the activity below. Silverbow did too. With frightened optics.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	156. Chapter 156

NOTE: BLONDEKELPIE! Check the bottom for a note, sweetie. HUGS TO ALL!

-0-Let's roll out shall we?

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 2

-0-On the way

The sound of ships being prepped drew every human on the planet and they gathered on the usual spot, the shipping crates on the edge of the air field to watch. The troops going out were more than had ever mustered for a rescue and the ships were all types and sizes. They noted that the number of hospital ships was quadruple the usual complement, the number of Seekers and types of their models equal as well. The heavily armed newly designed Wrecker fighters stood out and joined everyone in the sky above as the tower okayed them in the line up.

A flickering light that was barely perceptible in the bright sky indicated that the space bridges were being pressed into service. They watched as the well oiled drill of getting going unfolded before them. The filmmakers filmed, the soldiers watched with appraising eyes and the dance went on.

-0-At the line up topside

The Seekers formed up into flights in the highest orbit of Mars. Below them were the Wrecker designed fighters, fast heavy shuttles and Silverbolt who would be the fighter command platform for Starscream. Below them rising up one at a time, the true heavies began to make a flight. The Supremes, Gamma, Zeta, Xantium and Kappa were joined by Omega who would serve as command central for Prime. Prowl would ride on the former 'Con battle cruiser that was once the command deck for the brig rat, Turmoil. Somehow it felt like justice taking a 'Con ship to fight 'Cons. The ship's new name was City of Solitude after a location in Crystal City that was no more.

Miler who sat at the console with Wheeljack running the Trigger glanced at the line up. Prowl's ship was beautiful, painted a gleaming white with Autobrand affixed on the side. He considered the way things could change in the blink of an optic. One orn it was Christmas Surprise, the next it was war.

It was awful.

"We are go, Wheeljack," Miler said glancing at the big Autobot with a nod.

"Good," Wheeljack replied. "Autobot Armada and Fort Max Flight Control, you are go through the gate."

"Fort Max Flight Control, we copy. Autobot Armada, you are go, go, go."

"Copy that, Flight Control," Rem said as he sat on the flight deck of Omega Supreme. He looked around the corner. "Are we go, sir?"

Optimus looked up from the maps and datapads that littered the central command table. He nodded. "Yes," he said quietly.

Rem sat back and looked at the blinking light that signaled Omega's presence on the console. "We are go, Omega."

"Affirmative. Condition: Optimal. We are go," said the deep sonorous voice of one of the most honorable Autobots ever. Then the great heart of Omega Supreme began to power up, his great strength evident under their peds. With that, he led the way for the massive force to enter the maelstrom and come out again on the other side of time.

-0-Around the city

Rampage walked to the subway station to visit the restaurant in the sky on a tower at Terra. The massive liftoff had caught all of the city by surprise and many were the bots standing on sidewalks or terraces, rooftops and windows watching. He had paused himself, watching a happening which he was well aware he had once participated. He had been a soldier, a very dangerous, murderous solder. He had mustered out with battle groups for eons of time. But as he stood watching he couldn't bring more than a sense memory of such things to his processor. He was aware of what it felt to do this thing but he had no actual memories of being a part of it.

He had lost that side of himself. It had been taken away to save his life. He had accepted that with an equanimity that he wouldn't have possessed before his surgery. It wasn't a lobotomy that had found for him balance, intellect and another way of life. It was a removal of all of the bad, the horrible and the dangerous. What had replaced it was what would have been possible without the processor damage and the design flaw.

How many more were out there he sometimes thought who were just a visit to the processor doctors away from a real life? He had no idea. He was just glad he had his own. He had brothers they said. He didn't remember them. It was probably all for the best he thought as he walked down the steps to the underground station. They wouldn't approve of his new life he knew. That was one feeling he hadn't lost at all.

-0-Herling

He walked from classroom to classroom checking out the situation among their charges. Whenever a battle group stood out, there was always turmoil among the younglings and infants. They had tension, fear, tears and actual decompensation among some children who had suffered already and weren't prepared for the sudden imposition of turmoil into their lives after finally have something stable here.

They had counselors available. They had play times revised, including more of it into the schedule. Everyone was stepping up to assist. The only thing he knew that would put everyone at ease was the return of their soldiers, Seekers and leadership. Only then would the children of Autobot City relax and turn back to the carefree life of school, families and city activities.

He walked to the elevator to go to another floor where he would visit the classrooms, talk to the students and get the word on how things were going. It would be a mixed bag of responses. It would be just like before. The door closed behind him as he stepped inside and went upward to the next group of anxious children and their sympathetic teachers and aides.

-0-RTR Tools

Ravie sat at the finishing table where he was polishing a set of rifle tools for a client. They had heard the noise and watched it having been given a quick rundown by Ratchet before he left. They had felt lead in their tanks, the sinking feeling only parents can have when their youngsters were going into harms way.

He worked the tools on automatic pilot as memories of Ratchet as a child came to him. He was a gangling mech, their Ratchet. He was bright, smiled and laughed a lot, ended up in time out often and was their world. They had labored long and hard for his education such as it was in the illegal underground schools. They scrimped to buy books and the things that all younglings desired. Most of the time they couldn't and Ratchet was very chipper about it. He was kind, their Ratchet. For all his seeming lack of seriousness, their Ratchet was a good mech.

Looking up, Ravel watched Tie Down cut templates for a set of medical knives out of sheet metal. It was exacting. Their personal templates were of such high quality, it only took a minimal amount of work to bring them to a brilliant finish. Tie looked as tense as he felt himself. It would be a long hard wait for their son to come back. Until then, they would have to do their best with the infants. Flint was going to Fort Apache. Venture and Miler had the Prime infants as well as the trines' own. They would have Orion, Praxus and Sunspot. Hero was at Fort Apache as Alor had taken responsibility for her care. It would be fine, Ravel thought rising to the occasion. His Ratchet would come home and all would be well again. He bent closer and began to detail the tools that would be someone's pride and joy in three orns.

-0-Jetta

He watched the flight leave knowing Elita and her team were aboard one of the big ships. They were going to work with the Wreckers. He was also aware that they were going to go to Cybertron for deep cover assignments there as well shortly. He would be eating out a bit for a while he considered. He grinned and looked at the roll out datapad that held the listings for the city and its available, under construction and soon-to-be finished housing units. If they took the high number already finished or soon to be and used it for the newcomer total, they would be able to cover everyone who was coming.

It was all good. He grabbed his portable datapad with the same information and turned walking past Venture and Magnus as they labored in their offices. He walked out of City Hall and headed for a subway that would take him to Terra and the work that was ongoing there. He disappeared underground with the mid afternoon crowd.

-0-Orion

He sat in the middle of a rug listening to an aide reading stories to him and his group, D. They were entranced although they didn't know all of the words. It was just amazing to hear someone say things, then show pictures. It was just like nighttime with Atar.

Han sat nearby, Bleu by his side. They were fast friends. Companionable and connoisseurs of the same type of dollie, they had an almost inseparable alliance of personality. Bleu was shy and sweet. Han wasn't shy.

Orion looked at them, a tiny frown marring his brow, then he turned to listen as the tale of Dora the Explorer Cybertronian style continued onward. Even Mimi watched, her most deeply beloved dollie of Wheeljack almost forgotten in her tiny lap.

-0-Kaon

He sat on a little stool watching a puppet show by Mr. Roto. It was a story about a boy who cried wolf. Cybertronian style of course. It was a story in which dollies acted and talked and even sounded an awful lot like Mr. Roto. When the story was over, he stood up and dragged his little stool to the wall where it was supposed to be. No one else did. Their adas weren't as strict about neatness it would seem. When he was finished, he paused and looked across the room. The little femme that he liked was sitting on the floor propped up by pillows. He smiled and walked over to her leaning down to see her little face. She paused and looked up at him. Then she smiled enormously.

Meep was recovering from losing an arm and leg. Her replacement leg had taken hold but several attempts to re-attach her arm had failed. Her protoform needed more time. Kaon looking around found a little book lying nearby. Taking it off the couch, he came back and sat down beside her. Opening it, he began to point to pictures as well as 'reading' words. Meep watched him, then the book, then Kaon. She smiled, he smiled.

Nearby smiling as well, Neo sat on the floor watching as Kaon cheered up her little charge. Meep was sweet but she was still exhausted from her ordeal. The two little sparklings were tonic for each other. They certainly were for her.

The afternoon passed quietly in the sparkling school as the battle group reached the Fort on the other side of time.

-0-Fort Apache

Alor and Blackjack stood in the front courtyard of the Fortress watching ships and Seekers pour out of the space bridge that had flared to life nearby.

:Are you sure you'll be okay?: Ironhide asked his ada.

Alor looked at him and grinned. :Fine and dandy:

Ironhide nodded and hugged both. Turning, he walked to a roundabout that would take him to Omega and Prime's command center. They stood watching as he lifted off and flew to the big gleaming Autobot who led the group. It paused long enough to off load Ironhide, then turned and flew back to the air field next to the fort.

Alor glanced at Blackjack and grinned. :Fussy thing, our Ironhide: He patted his carry hold where the infant was recharging in her tiny bag.

:He hates to miss his sparkling's orns: Blackjack said with a nod.

Flint walked out pausing beside them. :We're starting to organize the reclamation here when they rescue. I thought you might want to know its in servo:

:Good: Blackjack said as they all watched the battle group form up and start to move onward. :I hope we have an easy retrieval. I'm tired of fragging 'Con slaggers:

:From your lips, 'Jack, to Primus's audials," Flint said.

Alor merely swayed gently and nodded.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

-0-Note to BlondeKelpie in Oz: :D :D I would be totally delighted to help you name a few of your cows. In my own family, we have cowboys and ranches, sheep herders and farmers. Taking care of animals and driving them here and there to the winter and summer range, branding and tagging, hugging and loving, that is what my family used to do not so long ago. :D Some of my family actually lived long enough to talk about coming west on the covered wagon trail to Oregon. :D We live a long time.

I welcome you so much to the story, BlondeKelpie. :D I am delighted to entertain you.

NAMING YOUR ANIMALS AFTER CHARACTERS?! THAT IS SO AWESOME! BLACKJACK! OMG! There is a Fell pony in an equestrian school in northern England named Orion from the story. You should look up Fell ponies, readers. They are BEAUTIFUL. This story is my delight. The chance of hearing about you and your doings, readers, makes me feel terrific. I love you all. BlondeKelpie, I don't have an addie for you so if you want to PM me or let me know how to tell you names, I would be honored to help. I know about how names for animals are that important. I love cows too. I used to go to the home ranch of my aunt and uncle and feed the cows grass over the fence. They would all see me and come in a huge bunch. It was awesome. :D

I love including other countries in when I can. Australia is on my bucket list. :D So are a lot of other countries from people who read this story. Until all are one. A little birdie told me that. ;)


	157. Chapter 157

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 3

-0-At an apartment near Johnson Space Center, Texas

"What's up with the teevee?"

"The MCA is playing reruns tonight," Lola Teasdale said taking a coke and plate from her sister. Their pets were coiled up here and there as both sat to watch the evening download from Mars. Dinner and Martian teevee. Life was good.

"Why? It must mean something weird is going on over there," Cindy said settling her plate in her lap. "There must be trouble with the migration. Did you watch 'Good Morning, Autobot City' this morning?"

"I did," Lola replied turning up the sound. "They said the migration was coming but little else."

Cindy nodded. "At least the new ep of 'Platoon' is on. I'm glad that is being allowed to be shown."

"Thank Primus for that," Lola said with heartfelt feeling.

-0-Platoon

The opening sequence ended and the peds of someone walking down a street could be seen. They paused, then crossed the street heading along a highway that bordered the air field. The usual working day was going on hot and heavy there as the bot continued. The scene changed.

Several bots were seen standing outside Day/Night Watch substation 3 which was across the street from the Temple of Simfur Restored. They were discussing the shift change from Night to Day Watch. Lon, a tall youngling was standing with Drift and Springer who were briefing everyone who was coming on duty.

"The shadow side of the Polyhex Business Center has a lot of younglings, pre-sub adults. They like to sit and shoot the slag. We found some of them trying to get mechs to buy them beer. Keep an optic on that corner. Its just like the old alcove in the Fortress. You can't see them unless you want to." Springer grinned. "Punks," he said with a chuckle. The others grinned and the three turned walking away toward the Fortress.

"Time for breakfast, youngling," Drift said with a grin at Lon. "How was your beat?"

"It was quiet, Drift," Lon replied. "The traffic to Terra was mostly construction. That new restaurant on the building top is drawing customers. I hear the food is good and the view amazing."

"If you weren't so cheap you'd take me there," Drift said glancing at Springer.

"Yeah, like it costs shanix to go," Springer said with a big grin. As they bantered along Ironhide appeared walking through the gate of the Fortress. "Hey," Springer said with a grin as they paused.

"Hey," Ironhide repeated. "How was the night?"

"Quiet," Springer replied. "There's that little femme of yours. What is that on her little hat?"

"That's a Hello Kitty," Ironhide said with a look that could peel paint off a wall.

"What is a Hello Kitty?" Drift asked admiring the tiny femme who looked at him with a smile.

"Look it up," Ironhide said with a trace of defensiveness. "I can't do all the work, younglings."

"I don't know. Four kids in three years … sounds pretty busy to me," Springer said with a chuckle.

"Well, some of us have it and know where to put it," Ironhide said with a smug grin. Then it faded as he looked downward. "That isn't one of those camera things."

"It is," Drift said as they all looked down.

"Frag. Don't put that in the show," Ironhide said with a shake of his head. "Ratchet slags me enough."

"Aw. Mech up, stud," Springer said as he slapped Ironhide on the arm.

"You mech up," Ironhide replied. "I don't see you getting too spry around old mech."

"I'm not suicidal," Springer said with a grin. "What's good on the menu?"

"Everything. Rampage is a genius," Ironhide said as they turned to walk around him. The camera stayed in one place and Ironhide looked down at them, his expression becoming less amused by the minute.

:Hey, you're Ironhide, right?: the voice off screen asked. Fortunately it was Leonora and she was given what some of the other camera crews weren't. Genuine regard as a female. In the mech shaped world of Cybertronian life, femmes and females of all stripes were given high regard. It was just the way it was. Perhaps it was their rarity or perhaps in the mech shaped world of Cybertronian life, manners were manners were manners. No matter what, the humans found out early on and Leonora was given a camera crew and mission of her own. She would always be received with great respect and care.

Unlike some of the men.

Sometimes.

:I am. Maybe: Ironhide said unwittingly endearing himself to seven billion pairs of eyes on the next planet over.

:Is that a baby?: Leonora asked.

:She is: Ironhide said glancing at the little femme in his arm. :She's my daughter: he said proudly. :The sparkling doctors say that if you put them in little hats it helps their processors develop. The warmth.: Ironhide looked down at the little crew and felt like a dolt.

:I think she looks wonderful. What good advice, Ironhide. Nothing like taking care of your baby the right way: Leonora said with feeling, inadvertently sealing her fate as one of 'the good ones'.

He looked at her and smiled faintly. :I am as servos on as I can be:

Leonora nodded, beaming at him. :Can you bring her closer? I would love to see her:

Ironhide thought a moment, then knelt holding his arm out. Hero was lying on a soft blanket, her little Seeker sack in her old pa's hold. She was wearing a pink and white Hello Kitty hat and matching booties that Ironhide had picked out the decaorn before. She looked adorable.

:Oh, she's so cute. What a beautiful little girl: Leonora said as she stepped down from the segway and walked closer. She touched Hero's ped and the little femme smiled brilliantly. :Oh! She smiled at me!:

Ironhide who nearly dissolved into a puddle smiled proudly. :She's that far along the awesome scale:

:No doubt: Leonora said nodding. :I would love to film the families of the soldiers. I think it would be awesome to have the viewers see the great care all the little kids get here. I think seeing families will help humanity know you better:

:Ask Jazz and Blaster to put it to Prime. I'll ask him if I see him today: Ironhide said as he watched his daughter reach out for Leonora. She took Leonora's hand and squeezed it. Drawing back, Leonora smiled. :She's strong:

Ironhide nodded proudly. :She's trying to sit up and almost can without help:

Leonora smiled. :I love her. She's wonderful:

:I'll talk to Prime. If you film the families, he might say yes. I hear you're a good femme yourself:

She looked up at him, this improbable giant with a tiny much loved infant on his arm. :Thank you, Ironhide. I like your people and this place:

Ironhide nodded. :We know: he said rising. Nodding to the crew, he grinned slightly. :I'll put your request through today: With that, he turned and walked down the street heading for the housing district and the hospital.

Leonora watched him go and smiled. :What a cute little girl that was: With that, they turned and rolled into the Fortress hot on the trail of Drift, Springer and Lon.

-0-In an apartment near Johnson Space Center.

"**ARGH! I WANT TO BE THERE!" **

Lola looked at her sister. "You and me both. When we go, if we go, I want to work in the Sparkling Day School on my time off. If we get any."

"We have to work harder. We have to go. We made it this far. M.I.T. almost didn't take us," Cindy said.

"They were convinced. We worked our butts off and graduated in jig time. This was a better idea than working in a brokerage." Lola frowned. "Who were those girls?"

"They weren't us. Not now anyway," Cindy said sipping her coke. "Here we go," she said as the science minute ended and the show resumed.

-0-At the air field

They followed Nitro as he made his way to the hangars where the workers labored on the ships and fighters. Nearby, below ground, the local armory cache was located. He was there to do servos on inventory. Passing Omega who sat in flight mode as routine maintenance was being performed, a voice off screen asked him a question. :How many ships around here are sentient, Nitro and how many are not?:

Nitro paused looking around, then down. :The huge ones are sentient. None of the others are. Except the Aerialbots and Astrotrain: he said nodding to a group of enormous robotic mechanisms sitting on a hillock nearby talking and laughing together. :That group is sentient:

:It's a struggle to imagine that anything that big is alive: -voice

:Metroplex and Fortress Maximus are alive: he said nodding in the direction of the giants glittering in the sunlight.

:Is there a way to talk to them?: -voice

:Go ask: Nitro said staring at the camera with his stern visage.

:The bots themselves?: -voice

Nitro nodded. :Sure: He turned and continued onward.

-Cut scene to a lighted corridor and a bot. Lon the Security officer was their guide. He walked ahead of them and as they reached a set of large doors he paused. :Inside is the command center of Metroplex. You will see a lighted panel that is the largest monitor in the control room beyond these doors. Address yourself to that. It is his interface module:

They nodded and waited as he rapped on the doors. :Metroplex. You have visitors:

:Enter: a sonorous voice replied. The doors opened on their own and lights inside came on filling a huge space with illumination. They entered and paused to look around. The space was lined with equipment panels and consoles, all of them working without operators.

The camera panned it, then a voice began as Lon walked to a seat and sat down to watch. :Thank you, Metroplex for having us visit you:

:You are welcome. Prime explained. I will do what I can to help you understand us and our culture:

:I have never seen anyone as big and as complex as you, Metroplex. How did you come to be?: -the voice

:I am unclear. I have always been:

:There are three parts to you I am told. What does that mean?: -the voice

:It means that I can assist and explore beyond the range of my sensors. Three parts of me are defensive as well as investigative:

:You are a beautiful city. I am amazed at your beauty: -the voice

There was a pause and he didn't answer. Lon leaned forward and grinned slightly. :Metroplex is a very humble bot. He doesn't have a towering ego. He's just good:

The voice answered. :Compliments are hard? I see: Pause. :Metroplex, we have heard that you were injured during an explosion a while back. There were residents in your confines trying to get out while you were actually burning yourself in the flames. You didn't get up off the fire because of them. Could you tell us about that?:

There was a long pause, then a soft sound like a sigh. :There was an energon explosion. My residents were fleeing. I house over five thousand. I had to allow them to leave before rising up. I would not cause them harm even by accident. They are mine and I am theirs:

The humans considered that, then the narrator stepped into the view. :That is remarkable. I don't know if I could be so brave:

Pause.

:It was my duty. I live to serve. I get company and harmony in return. I get more than I give from my residents. The infants and younglings make a lot of things right for me. I am weary of war. But if my Prime needs me, I will answer his call. It is my duty to our people and to our Cause:

The human walked to the panel and touched it lightly. :Would that we could say the same about some of our leaders and protectors, Metroplex:

-0-Cut to the street paralleling the air field. Three bots were heading toward what seemed at ground level like a slightly rising hill. They were Jolt, Blurr and Bumblebee. After a moment the hill was overtaken and they were going down the slight rise toward a big installation nearby. The bots didn't see the rise. To them, the road was level. To the tiny segways and their riders, it wasn't.

:Where are we going?: -a voice

Bumblebee looked back and grinned. :Jail:

:I heard about your prison. I heard your CMO got a riot going there once: Laughter greeted that and the bots looked down as the segway moved ahead, the camera view turning back to get them in the frame. :What about it?:

:Someone slagged Ironhide. Ratchet doesn't take anyone slagging his old mech: Blurr said with his trademark smirk. :He went to the prison and punched the offender in the nose. That led to complications:

:Half the mechs on the forward bases buzzed home because of the 'riot': Jolt said chuckling. :Everyone in the city with a shovel and crowbar came to 'save Ratchet'. It was hilarious. We had senior citizens waving their canes, mini-cons trying to stand on each others shoulders so they could climb over the fence and Starscream laughing his aft off. It was memorable:

The chuckling was unanimous.

They reached the turn and walked toward the guard house. As they did, Bumblebee stopped and looked at them. :This is the end of the road for you. Security won't allow you closer:

:There's bad mechs there?:

Bee nodded. :Very bad: With that, he turned and hurried to catch up with the others. They would do their shift here to allow some of the Home Guard mechs to attend finals in the University.

-0-Cut to

A shot of Club Cybertron filled the view, the doors standing open and the bar clearly seen inside. Mechs were standing around it laughing and talking as the little segway navigated inside. Moving toward the one they wanted where Payload sat with his family, they caught the optics of a few dining nearby.

"Hey! You!"

The segway stopped and turned toward the group. They were mini-cons, all three of them staring down at the segway from the table where they sat eating lunch. Games played on the many monitors, most of them micro-mini-con youngling league match ups. The one who called to them was a red bot with silver horns. He looked at them with a slightly displeased expression. "You! Come here!" he said with emphasis.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	158. Chapter 158

NOTE: Hugs to all the 'Guests' and a few who don't have return addies. Eride among many. One of the things I like to demonstrate how being an older father can be a wonderful thing. It has been in my own family as well. :D Hugs to all from rainy Alaska.

-0-ROLL THE FRAG OUT!

Follow Up: 4

"You! Come here!" he said with emphasis.

The segway paused and all aboard looked toward a table with three mini-cons. One who was speaking was looking at them with a frown. The other two were rolling their optics. Jack Melcher looked at his crew who looked at him minus the camera. That had now swung to film the giant mini-con with the frown. Giant to them anyway. "Are you speaking to us?" he asked.

At that point, the mechs around him including the families paused to stare at what was happening. The filmmakers used one of three communications lines that were designed for humans on Mars. The first was a private line between just humans which was voice activated. If you said, "Jessie, Will only", the line from you led only to them excluding everyone else on the programmed list of users. If you said, "All humans", every human in the city could hear you. You could be as widely or narrowly gabby as you wanted.

The second human designated line was one that led to the greater bot world beyond. If you said, "Line two, all" then anyone who talked could be heard and hear you. If you said, "Line two, one way", then you could hear but they couldn't hear you. Line three was a translation modality. If you said, "Line three, translate _", it would.

The first two lines were wired into the security and emergency frequencies of the city so that they could cut in in case of catastrophe or attack. It took a bit of getting used to but the comm system was as efficient and neat for their purposes as anything they could have designed themselves.

Cliffjumper leaned in closer and nodded. "I am. Come here."

They glanced at each other, then the segway turned and putted to the table where the mini-cons sat. Melcher looked at the two who were looking at them with dread. One was Brawn. The other was a small bot named Wheelie who had very high pitched child-like voice and a nervous manner. "What do you want, Mr...?" Mellar asked.

"What do I want? I want to know why you didn't put any mini-cons in the film you're making? Not even a micro-mini-con." Cliffjumper was pissed but sober. He glared down at them with his bright blue optics and his glittering horns.

Mellar considered that. "We did. Bumblebee and Payload are mini-cons. We were told they were. Jolt and Arcee are also we were told."

"Four. Four minicons. Out of how many?" Cliff persisted.

"We only have one Seeker," Mellar offered in return.

"So what?" Cliff said hotly.

Payload sitting nearby with his bond, Caro and their son saw the writing on the wall. Rising, pulsing reassurance to Caro, he turned and began to walk to the conversation/not quite confrontation. Caro, a middle caste who had grown up free of bullshit and flying bottles looked at the moment with dread. Even watching football made him want to hide his optics sometimes. There was no physical contact in patents and co-op business transactions.

"What's up?" Payload asked pausing next to the segway.

"I don't know," Jack Mellar said honestly. "I think he thinks there aren't enough minicons in the program."

"There aren't," Payload said with a grin. "But we're making due with Bumblebee, Arcee, Jolt and me. Considering what a great beauty I am, we have it in servo, Cliff."

Cliff looked at Payload with a sour expression. "Your great beauty, huh."

"Sure," Payload said. "Why don't you just enjoy your meal and relax. Its all in Prime's plans."

"Well, he should have included me. ***I*** was a star in the Transformers: Prime series."

"And Megatron slagged your aft, Cliff," Brawn said sourly. "Megatron cut you in half."

"He did," Wheelie said nodding. "It was awful."

Cliff looked at the two of them and frowned. "It was **tragic**. I was the **slagging show**. They killed me in the first few episodes."

"You did come back to duke it out with Shockwave. You even beat him. What the frag more do you need? Sit down and eat," Brawn said with his usual light touch.

Not.

Cliff turned to Brawn. "You should be helping me. This is a mini-con thing."

"It's a Cliffjumper thing," Wheelie said with a grin. "You are upset about not being on teevee. I'm not on teevee. Do you see me crying?"

"You need to be in school, you slagger," Cliffjumper said.

The little red bot looked at him and grinned. "You're a sore loser, Cliffjumper. Maybe they can make a movie of the Transformers: Prime and you can get slagged again."

Mellar and Payload watched them trade barbs, then glanced at each other. Shrugging, Payload turned and walked back to the tense bond and baby that were the center of his life. Mellar nodded to the driver and they followed. By the time that Cliffjumper turned back no one was there.

Cliff turned looking at the group who were gathered at Payload's table. Leaning back with a frown, he looked at his equally disgusted table partners. "You two are hopeless."

"We're the mirror," Cliffjumper," Wheelie said with a chuckle.

Brawn actually smiled.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"That little red bot is cute as it gets but a real primadonna," Cindy Teasdale said. "I dig his horns."

Lola nodded. "He is. I have dibs."

"We'll see," Cindy said with a grin.

They both laughed. The show continued.

-0-A scene at The Infant Center

Sunstreaker knelt and looked at a row of new acquisitions from a local company in the Polyhex Business Plaza that had been started to make and distribute to local outlets educational and fun toys for infants, younglings, sub-adults and elderly. They were designed to maximize processors while maximizing fun. Sideswipe was looking at a number of new toys that had been made by the same company. "These are cute," he said holding up a teething ring that looked like a row of little cars driving in a circle. They were made of the kind of steel that humans could only dream about. It was hard like steel but had a tension built in that would give slightly at the bite of a determined child. The design was made to last through repeated gnawings while preventing damage to a child's mouth as they worked their inner sparkling out on an approved item rather than the barrel of their ada's favorite rifle.

We are looking at you, Iacon.

"That is cute," Sunstreaker said looking up at the colorful little ring. "Uraya still likes to chew too."

"I'll get it for her. They can share," Sideswipe said looking at it closely. He looked at the shelf and picked up two others. "Or do you like these two?" he asked holding up a ring that was a series of tiny Primes and another that was a series of tiny Cybertrons, all of them linked in a circle.

"I like the Cybertronian one," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

"I do too," Sideswipe said putting the other two back. "What do they have that's new in the games?"

"I like this one for Kaon. It teaches counting," Sunstreaker said holding it up for Sideswipe who took the box to read the directions.

"This is good," Sideswipe said nodding. "He's getting new words. Lots of them. Counting is coming along too. This one is sort of older for him."

"He can get ahead," Sunstreaker said. "We can work with him on the stuff he knows and add more as he goes. He's so slagging smart he'll lead his group in no time."

Sideswipe smirked slightly and nodded as he watched his brother look through the array of educational toys and games that were designed for the infants of the city. He was almost darkly dedicated to their kids, determined that they would have the life the two of them never did. Kaon and the girls would become **someone **he would say often**.** They wouldn't be soldiers. They wouldn't be overlooked. No one would dismiss them out of servo by sight. They would not have the life of invisible contempt that the two of them had survived.

Not their kids.

Splice had been a regular visitor and they had talked about the old orns, mostly away from Bluestreak who as a middle caste mech wouldn't know anything about the struggle their own life had been. They didn't want him to know. That part of them was the well from which their personalities sprang. It was the beginning but it wasn't the now and it wouldn't be the future. The two would see to it as they grappled with their demons and worked them out through their family and the new life of home and acceptance they had carved for themselves.

A clerk came to the aisle and smiled. "Your order is ready, Sunny."

He rose and nodded. "Thanks, Cisco. We want these three games and that teether too."

The clerk took them and turned to pack it up at the counter. They followed and chatted as the clerk packed their bag. "Thanks, Sunny. I will tell you when the new hats come in for the girls."

"Thanks, Cisco," he said taking the bag in servo. They turned and walked out, the segway following.

On the street …

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe," a voice asked.

Two fierce visages, handsome, dangerous, even beautiful looked down. "What?" Sideswipe asked with a grin.

"Tell us about your babies." -voice.

Sunstreaker paused and looked at them for a moment, his expression unknowable. Then he leaned down slightly. "You don't have enough days in your life to hear about them." He turned and walked onward.

Sideswipe watched him go, then turned to the camera. "Come by the studio. You got him at a bad moment. There's nothing in our lives that matters more than Kaon and the girls. Come by later and ask." With that, he turned and walked onward catching up with his brother.

The view of them turning the corner near Club Cybertron to head for the studio finished the scene.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"Those two bots curl my toes."

"In a good way," Lola replied with a nod. "They love their babies."

"They do. They're good dads," Cindy said. "Is it just me or did you find that whole thing poignant? There's something awesome about a dad trying to do right by their babies."

"I hear ya," Lola said. "Bluestreak is one lucky mech."

Cindy nodded. "I know."

-0-Scene opens to the armory

Youngling mechs were working and laughing together as they went through the orn's quota of deadly fire power. Nitro was standing at a computer console with Holi discussing things. It was a normal afternoon in the armory. The segway turned and rolled toward the office of the Master of the Autobot Army who was sitting at his desk working through the slag. Hanging on a hook was a little white bag with an Autobrand printed on its immaculate surface. The view shoots upward. Ironhide noticed and looked at them, staring down without expression on his face.

Or one they could detect in that dark featured visage.

It was intimidating.

They didn't care.

"Ironhide, what can you tell us about the armory and your ability as an armed force to bring the hurt?" -voice

Ironhide considers that and leans back in his chair. "No slagger anywhere is big enough, tough enough or smart enough to frag with us. No one."

"You are the master of this armory and all the allied hubs, right?" -voice

The big bot nodded. "I am. This is a very big operation. We have tens of thousands of munitions on stock in armories all over the city with inventory depletions being filled every day from this station. Some of the armories are very deep in the ground and all of them can deliver the specified munition in the specified amount of time to anyone in need. The hubs serve their local groups based on where they live and where they would muster when a call came. They have clientele that live in their radius which prevents any pile up or slow down of services by going out of district to load up. We also have a major munitions stockpile at Aerie Hill to serve the Seekers. They have specific needs and requirements that the rest of us don't usually require."

"We have toured the hub system on the trains. That's an awesome set up. Now that there's a passenger system being built down there, how is that affecting what you do and can do?" -voice

"It isn't. The plans are being managed through the City Engineer's office. His design team's members are among the greatest architects and engineers Cybertron ever produced. Jetta has it in servo. The train system always allowed passenger travel. There's sidewalks along all the tracks anyway for the repair teams and mechs have always hopped empty cars to get here and there."

"Its pretty amazing. There is going to be major traffic between here and Terra. Will the armory system expand out that way too?" -voice

"It already has," Ironhide replied. "We have armories diversified in all the major habitation areas because that's a smart thing strategically. We also have soldiers who will be living in Terra so they will need served from local hubs. All in all, its a well planned thing."

"So it is," the voice agreed. "Can you tell us about the prison riot a while back?"

Ironhide looked at them for a moment. Then he grinned in spite of himself. "Nope," was all he said.

-0-Johnson Space Center

"That bot is getting on my future husband list," Lola said with a chuckle. "He's got it all and then some."

"I agree. You know, Blurr is a hot bot with a great body and a lot of pizzazz but give me old steady and true Ironhide."

There was a pause, then they looked at each other. "We do agree that this kind of thing stays between us alone?"

Lola grinned. "No doubt."

-0-The scene was the Flight Maintenance and Operations Center of the biggest hangar on the air field. Sitting in the pilot's lounge working out his flight log, Revo noted optics on him. Looking down, he saw a segway and a camera. He nodded and went back to his log book.

"Revo, you've been a pilot on missions for the Prime." -voice.

He looked down and nodded. "I have."

"What does that mean to you as a former Decepticon to fly the ship that carries the Prime into battle and conflict against your old faction?"

Revo looked at him and considered the question. He considered his bond, Heva and their infants, Han and Lef. He considered his genitors and Heva's, their siblings and the life they had now that they had made their greatest hardest decision. He considered the fear and hardship of their flight, the worry that failure would mean the end of all that he loved. He remembered the crowded ship and the desperate journey across the Empire. He remembered it all and looked at the camera. "It feels like justice," he said.

-0-Cut to ending segment

Scar graced his amazing selection of images as the credits rolled. Sitting on a couch watching, the twins considered the show. "That was epic."

Lola nodded. "It was. I love them. I admire them. I will live among them. Count on it."

"I am," Cindy Teasdale said with conviction.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	159. Chapter 159

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 5

-0-On the road

The fleet gathered on the other side as they added and subtracted members. The medical staff minus Ratchet and Gamma would stay behind and prepare to receive casualties. The bridges would be able to jump them to the site of any disaster that required them to move into place but until then, the leaner the spear the better.

Ratchet stood at the big view port near the cockpit of Gamma and looked outside as the giants pulled back minus his own. Some of them would touch down on the planetoid of the Fortress and set up there. Some would stay nearby in fixed orbits. They on the other hand would bug out with the battle group.

Ratchet looked at his team, a mix of youngling newbies and grizzled vets. Goldwing who was making himself completely indispensable sat against the wall going over a datapad of something or other. Several younglings stood tensely leaning against the berths for patients or sitting in the passenger seats left for them. He noted that three of them were the same ones with him on the last venture. He grinned. "I am sort of surprised to see you back. I didn't think you were cut out for this, which is fine and dandy with me. I think a few screws have to be missing if you don't hate this kind of slag."

The younglings looked at him and nodded. "I'm scared to death, Ratchet but I'm here. I don't want to not help. Someone helped me when I came. I have to pay back."

"You three are good younglings. Remember, we … Goldie and I will fight if things get to that. We are the only combat certified mechs on the deck here. You will go below to the hold and slam shut the hatch. Bolt it and don't open it unless its one of us. We will defend. You will live."

They looked at him with sober expressions. "We will all live, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded. "You better believe it."

Goldwing looked at Ratchet, that mech's expression as determined as the one he knew was on his own face. Outside, the realignment of the fleet continued as inside everyone sat tensed with expectation.

Everyone but Goldwing and Ratchet.

-0-Prime and Prowl

They stood in the Ops Center gathering more intel and discussed the situation as it would stand with the refugees. The fleet's smaller vessels would be guiding them here with Seekers. If there was fighting, the Seekers would lead them through the bridges which would realign themselves based on new coordinates given at the point of combat. The refugees would be herded in bulk to the surrounding space of the fort and those here would have the duty of sorting them out. If there was shooting, convenience would be sacrificed for speed and safety.

Ironhide sat at the table listening and giving input as he held his daughter. There was a bed nearby, a familiar little box filled with dollies, blankets and other homey things. The bag for Hero that he had brought sat on the table. He kibitzed with Ratchet who was organizing the medical set up above them in space. He would not be able to see Hero before they departed.

Life was fragged some times.

Prowl turned and stroked Hero's cheek. "She sleeps really well."

"She's that kind of femme," Ironhide said with a faint grin. "This is fragged. The 'Cons have to learn this time that this is a payment they can't afford."

"We'll bring them the hurt," Prowl said quietly.

Prime turned and nodded to Ironhide. "Time to go."

Ironhide rose and turned handing Hero off to his ada. Alor hugged him as he held the sleeping baby. "Don't worry about her. She's got more attention here than back home."

Ironhide nodded, his tanks tossing from the misery he felt. Slagging 'Con punks he thought as he walked to the door following his father and the others. They walked outside and Ironhide hugged his atar. "I'll see ya."

"I expect it," Blackjack said sternly. His visage was stern but his guts were churning. Ironhide nodded and turned heading for one of two runabouts. Prowl would take one to the City of Solitude and they would return to Omega. They lifted off and were gone. Blackjack looked at the sky noting the glittering lights that marked ships. It marked their power, their quality and he felt deep pride. They would prevail he decided. They were united. They had leadership. His son was going to be part of it. They couldn't lose. With that, he turned and walked inside the Fortress as overhead a very large mass of the gathered lights began to move away into the night time of space.

-0-Omega Supreme

Prime leaned against the bulkhead going over plans with Prowl who stood in the command center of the battle cruiser, City of Solitude nearby. They communicated internally as others around them went through the tasks before them with an ease that comes only to those most veteran and tested.

Ironhide leaned against the bulkhead watching through the view port as Gamma Supreme flew nearby carrying Ratchet. :Ada has Hero in servo. I took her emergency bag to him:

:Did it have her favorite things in it, Ironhide? I forgot to pack it when we were mustering:

:I put them in:

:I sent the message to the younglings. Ada and Atar will take good care of them: Ratchet said as he sat staring out the view port at the sight of Omega Supreme flying nearby.

:Good. Tie and Ravie will do great. The little ones can always go into the emergency day care at the school. I gave them permission. I don't want them to over do. They can keep Sunspot with them for the duration but the sparklings might be too much even if they are staying in the apartment:

:Good idea. I hear they took all the army genitor recommendations about the day care into servo. It will be better: Ratchet said as images of Orion's suffering during extended breaks or deployments came unbidden to his processor. He quashed them with effort.

:It will be alright, Ratchet: Ironhide said.

They sat and lied to each other as the battle group covered ground between safety and the great unknown.

-0-Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Kup, Drift and Springer

They sat together on the Xantium with the others. They were chatting quietly as they waited for the unknown to announce itself with the usual casual nonchalance that had come to characterize them, this fabled band of brothers. The Wreckers were the last chance, the last possibility, the last hope. You didn't last long on their rolls. Only the most hard bitten, the most agile, the luckiest survived. Skill was only part of what it took to survive the life the Wreckers lived.

Yet they were here ready to defend their people and their way of life to the bitterest of the bitter end. They were here to do whatever it took to make sure that they continued as a culture, as a species even as a mad mech tried to ensure otherwise. Their habit of humor, of a certain elan that seemed almost to be indifference was legendary to those outside of the team who watched.

They weren't indifferent. They weren't unconcerned. What they were was dedicated, capable in the extreme and focused. They never went into a fight to lose. It was always to win. That they did more often than not was a testament to their endurance.

:Blue:

:What?:

:Where the frag are you?:

:I'm on the Solitude with Prowl, Sunny:

:Good: Sunstreaker replied as he leaned back against the hull, his knives partially sheathed as he waited for battle. :Did you get the bag on the table?:

:I did. I gave it to Miler. That teether is going to be a good thing. I saw that Iacon has been chewing on the couch leg again:

Sideswipe grinned as he listened. :Goes to show how much they've changed that Miler and Venture didn't get vapor lock over knowing that:

A smile reached them over the link. :I didn't tell them:

-0-Kappa Supreme

Gypsy who stood by the window looked at the Fortress below. She had tried to leave ship to enter the Xantium but Ratchet had anticipated that move. She was not allowed to leave her vessel until the fleet pulled out. A short message from Ratchet had been amusing but frustrating. She had sent one to the Xantium and had gotten sympathetic responses from 'her boys' back.

Sometimes life sucked.

-0-Around the fleet

:You there?:

:I am: Revo said as he flew inside the cockpit of Omega Supreme. Omega was flying himself. Revo was present because of the rule that when a Prime flew somewhere on a sentient vessel, a back up pilot was always part of the crew in case of emergencies. Revo would have no work to do until the battle if it came and then he would be spotter for Omega for incoming.

Heva sat in the cockpit of Silverbolt, the platform for Starscream. The same rule was adapted by Prime and applied to four other bots considered indispensable to the effort, Prowl, Starscream, Ironhide and Ratchet. The big concord-sized bot was doing all the work. Heva would help him do the spotting as well in combat. :Did your ada get my messages about the school schedule?:

:They all did. I directed it to everyone. It's all in servo, Heva: Revo replied.

Heva nodded to himself. :I know. It still is going to leave a mark:

Revo nodded. :I know. We need to speed this up, get our people, kick the slag out of the opposition and get home:

:From your lips to Primus's audials: Heva said quietly.

They flashed onward into the night.

-0-In the mix ahead

They stood by the view ports watching the ships that shadowed them. They were moving in closer, their Seekers flying alongside of them as escort. They felt the menace across the distance and worried. The call of their Prime as well as Starscream was still clear on their speakers even now but the others didn't seem to be affected by it.

Their migration had grown to an almost unmanageable mass when the others arrived. There were seemingly thousands of ships, all of them flying onward in their desperate hope to reach the safety of their Prime and their army. Among them were Autobots, many Autobots and they did their best. They shared their doctors, their food and their good cheer.

But it wasn't enough. Some of them were in weary ships and they were falling behind. With each ship that slipped backward into the night, some of them felt a dagger in their spark. It could be them. It was them somehow. That they all couldn't reach the promised land together was a spark ache that everyone felt.

Desperate calls reached them and they radioed back for positions. They promised they would come back for them when they reached the Prime. They had heard rumors that guardians were with the Prime, that they came and scoured the darkness for everyone. No one was left behind.

But they were. The others scared them, making breaking out to go back impossible. The strangers pulsed messages that told them to stay in line, to not leave the formation and so they did. They flew together into the night with the menace of the unknown alongside of them. It was terrifying.

-0-Prowl

He sat on the soft chair of the command table where the business of his business was spread out feeding him information about the problem as he generated dozens of possible solutions. The mass coming toward them was approximately 193,000 individuals occupying ships as small as runabouts and as large as commercial passenger liners and freight haulers.

They were the part of the migration that still had stamina and stability among their vessels. The data was showing that some were slipping away, falling back into the darkness over a wide spread area. He marked that area and sent Seekers to scan beyond it to find stragglers that weren't showing on sensors. The Pit would freeze over before they would even accidentally miss a single individual.

The data told them that a mass of ships and Seekers were flying alongside the first group, their menace evident, their intentions still unclear. They could be coming to surrender. They could be slaggers waiting to be slagged. They could be anything.

"Prowl to Prime."

"Prime here."

"Sir, we have a clear count. There are 293,000 individuals before us with about 167,000 falling behind. I have dispatched a team to fly around and come up behind several diameters of the end of that group. I want them to talk to the stragglers and see if there is anyone behind them. We cannot miss anyone, Optimus," he concluded with uncharacteristic informality.

"We won't, Prowl," Optimus replied. "We will get them all."

Prowl nodded to himself. "The others appear to have 300 Seekers, about ten large cruisers and an indeterminate number of smaller fighter style vessels."

"Copy that," Prime said. It was quiet a moment. "Prowl, signal Fort Max to send the rest of the Seekers and their tanker support. I want overwhelming numbers on our side."

"Affirmative," Prowl said rising to walk to the communications console. "Send the message, Blaster. We need all the Seekers on standby. Have the Master of the Muster call up replacements just in case."

Blaster nodded and made it so. Prowl walked to his station pausing to look out the window. In front, Omega carrying Optimus and Ironhide flew onward. Beside his own vessel, Gamma flew carrying Ratchet. It seemed like other times in other places that the same thing had happened. It had. More times than he liked to count. But perhaps this time they would send a message that a fight with them was a loser. Maybe this time they could beat the swords of war into plowshares.

With that, Prowl sat and began to study the problem with the idea of finding a perfect permanent solution.

-0-TBC

2013 (1) NOTE: I find playing the bayverse TF soundtrack while writing and reading this adds to the moment. :D Just a helpful reading tip from the management. :D


	160. Chapter 160

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 6

=0=On the way

Prime sat watching the ships out the view port as they closed on the leding edge of the migration. It was coming as plotted and would be in their direct sensor range in three joors. Behind them, squadrons of Seeker specialists were doing two things. The group having reached the trailing edge of the main force had divided into two groups. The first was flying forward from the farthest point of the detected refugee mass while the others were flying beyond them scanning the path of the migration to find anyone who might be stranded.

They had flown slightly askew of the Decepticons passing them, continuing onward, their formats chosen for speed and sensor capacity. They would be detected but not followed as nothing that appeared to be with the unknown group was fast enough to do so. While this was happening, a second huge flight of Seekers and their support vessels were flashing through the bridges heading for the battle group ahead.

-0-In the front of the migration

He stood on his deck watching as the Autobot soldiers sat in the pilot and co-pilot seats flying the ship he had stolen during the Fall. He had a group of rag tag kids, older mechs and a femme who had no family to help them and a lot of adults, some in bonds that had no way to flee. He had been a foreman at a factory and his sense of responsibility was well honed in the hard scrabble life of a working mech in the industrial parks of Capital City.

The army was standing outside the city limits and it was clear that they would be overrun. He had gone to the factory with friends and employees he supervised collecting more as he went. They had stolen anything that remotely looked like food and tools, weapons and spare parts. They loaded them on a big ship that had been abandoned that had carried finished products away from their factory. He crammed everyone inside, waited for several dozen more to come running from the building and away they went. They stayed together wandering the Diaspora. They had come to be known as the Tinkers.

The Tinkers would come to a place and settle for a time working on things that needed fixing, systems that needed updating and anything else that required highly trained workers. They had a vast array of skills among them and hired out to the locals. When they were re-provisioned and ready to go, they would load up and leave. The last world they worked had been attacked by strange aliens with acid monsters who forced them to leave. They had fled and so did everyone else. Grouping up, they made their way onward to anywhere that didn't have danger.

Then they heard Optimus Prime.

That day, its memory would stay with them forever as the group turned heading toward the coordinates from which the call originated. They would fly onward picking up more and more ships until the migration was massive.

No one left. More joined. Even those who had other notions of where to go found themselves driven back into the group. Someone was herding them. As they passed through alien space they were given information from traders and travelers from other worlds.

The Prime was located in a locked down system. He had made a pact with the Seekers. Even Decepticons were finding a home there. It was a world with abundance. There was opportunity. The System wasn't allowed. There was opportunity, education and decent places to live in his city. It was even said that a great number of Guardians were there as well, even the possibility of Metroplex.

It had kept them going through all the troubles and breakdowns, shortages and illnesses. When they found the Autobots, those footloose mechs had joined, helping where they could with what they had. 200 Autobots among nearly half a million or so refugees was a drop in the bucket. But they were disciplined. He had organized the migration, seeking out the leadership among the ships, making a council who helped with all the many tasks such a voyage demanded. He was good at that. He had been a foreman at his plant, helping his workers against the studied indifference of the plant owners and the system.

He was respected. He was decent. He was Jetta's brother.

"We're getting a message on a low frequency, Mack," an Autobot said as he looked over his shoulder.

Mack, a big black mech with red details, black wings and the names of his lost family etched down his arm nodded. "What does it say, Galan?"

Galan paused translating the data. Then he smiled. Turning toward Mack, he nodded. "Prime is coming. He's coming large."

Mack felt things crack inside as the sheer overwhelming burden of the task he had taken on fell into bits at his peds. He nodded. "That's good news. Do we signal or will that be seen by them?"

"I can bullet a message on this frequency and heavily encrypt it. It would appear that it is a little used band. Hopefully the 'Cons and their fly boys won't be able to detect it."

Mack nodded and turned walking to a table nearby. He took a datapad and thought a moment. Then he stuffed a message with information not only of the migration but the enemy who had attached themselves to their progress. When he was finished, he turned and handed it to Galan. "Send this, Galan. Do it fast. Keep your digits crossed that no one in the enemy group can tell we sent it."

He sent it.

They detected it.

-0-On Omega

"Sir, we have a message." Rem leaned out and handed a datapad to Ironhide who handed it to Optimus. He read it and nodded. "Rem, send this to Prowl and Starscream please."

Rem nodded and turned back into the flight deck to comply. Ironhide looked at Prime who handed him the datapad. He read it and placed it on the table. "Interesting," Ironhide said. "We have organization there and we also have a dangerous force described clearly."

Prime nodded. "We have confirmation on 300 Seekers, ten battle ships and small fighters, some of which are attached to their mother ships like they were with Overlord."

"The Seeker heavies can manage them in tandem with the light fast gunners," Ironhide said. As he did, Starscream's face appeared on the screen. He didn't look pleased at all.

"Prime, I have an idea," he said.

Prime nodded. "Tell," he said and Starscream did.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

The message came through and was routed to the Flight Command Center at Aerie Hill. The mech on duty signaled the necessary individuals and they came together in the main room. Discussion was had and they agreed sending a response to Starscream through the space bridge. By the time it reached him they were already airborne flying with haste through the bridge, over the Fortress on the other side, heading out into free space to catch up with the battle group.

-0-At the home front that evening

He stood in the living room, a dollie in his servo. Playing with his brother, Orion futzed around the room as his grandgenitors watched and took care of the evening routine. The monitor was playing a film about something but he didn't notice. He was waiting for his genitors to come home and the evening routine he really knew to begin. Ada would give him his dinner and he would sit on the table with Praxus to dine. Sunspot would tell about his orn and then they would all play together going out of each others rooms as they rummaged through their toy boxes.

When that was over, Sunspot would go over his home work with Atar. He, Orion would kibitz alongside watching as they discussed his school work. Praxus usually came up too, listening with his brother with an almost comical intensity. When Atar would say, "It looks great" to Sunspot, the little Seeker would smile. They would smile too and pat him. Then the play would continue.

When it was time to go to sleep, they would sit with Ada while Atar chased them down for a bath. Bedtime was jokes and a book, then 'sleepy bed'. They would lie in their cribs, the night light beaming a low illumination as they listened to Ada and Atar watch teevee and laugh. When it was time for them to sleep, all would become dark, footsteps outside their doors would signal their retirement for the evening and the apartment would become quiet.

That was what they knew.

All they needed was their Ada and Atar.

Orion stood staring at the door, his dollie in his little servo. He was waiting.

-0-At the Residence

Two little femmes stood at the couch holding on and looking at their great grandada as Miler gathered up toys. They were at their grandgenitors house playing with everyone. Their atar had taken them to school and talked to the teachers before leaving for the battle group. Sideswipe had told them that they were all three standing out. Sending a message to the whole family, they gave anxious last minute instructions before heading out.

"Miler, I have washed Kaon. Could you catch him? He's still a bit damp," Venture said from one of the two wash racks in the apartment. The one the younglings used was as immaculate as the house, but today it was filled with towels and toys.

Kaon who had made a break for it left wet ped prints in the hallway as he ran for the living room. The amount of space at Granny's house was stupendous and running amok was perfectly understandable for him. The others? Not so much.

"Kaon," Miler said turning from the kitchen to spy a slightly shiny infant pausing to turn toward him.

Kaon's smile was gigantic. **"ADA!"** He screeched with joy and ran onward. Miler chuckling to himself pretended to chase him, 'almost' catching him a couple of times before doing so. "Come on, squeaky. Time to get ready for bed." With that, they turned and walked to the corridor that led back to Venture and the berthrooms.

Iacon and Uraya watched them leave, then looked at each other. Smiling, Iacon looked down spotting what she wanted. Gently bending down, she paused on her servos and knees. Moving forward, she crawled to the leg of the couch she had clung to. Leaning forward, she began to gnaw on it with gusto.

Uraya just grinned and patted the couch.

-0-On the way to the battle group

They sat together, five of the most venerable Seeker Elders that were known to still be alive. Silverclaw was the senior member of that ratified group and he sat quietly with two of his sons. The others were the four who commanded clans now that the Fall and subsequent hard times had decimated their numbers.

Seekers treasured their elders because in them resided the entirety of their kindred's existence. They were the keepers of the law, the repository of history and the brokers of disputes and agreements among the Seekerkin.

They were the ones who decided. They were the ones who were obeyed. They were the ones who remembered. Even Starscream whose role was beyond dispute even among the youngest rowdiest Seekers deferred to them for appropriate decisions and opinions. The elders sitting in the ship were the clan leaders that had been recovered. There may be more but it was still unknown. All that mattered right now was that Starscream had sent for them. They sped through the night heading for the battle group and whatever Starscream wanted to do concerning the rogue Seekers.

-0-At the apartment

Orion looked up at Ravel who came to get him for his bed time. "What are you doing, baby?" Ravie asked.

Orion looked up and grinned. Then he pointed to the door. **"ADA? WHERE ****ATAR?"**

Ravie looked at him a moment, then knelt. "Atar is busy, honey. We're going to take care of you."

Orion looked at Ravie, then walked to the door patting it. **"ADA! WHERE ADA? WHERE ATAR? COME ME? ME, ORION. ORION AND ATAR."**

Ravie stood up and turned glancing at Tie Down who stood in the hallway with Praxus. "Oh oh, Tie," he said quietly.

=0=TBC

2013 (1)


	161. Chapter 161

NOTE: Eagle opticed readers noted a name problem with the sparklings. I will fix that. Bad me. :D:D:D Thank you, darlings. You are awesome. :D

-0-Here we go, Joe...

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 7

-0-On Silverbolt

"You are assuming a lot, Star," Thundercracker said glancing at his bond.

Starscream nodded. "I perhaps am but you never know until you try."

"They are a joor behind us."

"I know. Prime will wait." Starscream looked at the datapad in his servos. A huge mass of Seekers had been stationed off Fort Apache to be back up for the team already in the field. They were now on their way escorting a battle shuttle that carried the Elders of their kindreds. It would be soon that they would catch up and Starscream would be able to assuage his deep and burning irritation. It couldn't come too soon.

-0-Elsewhere on the same time continuum

"**ADA! ATAR?"**

Ravel sat with Orion on his lap, puppets on his servos and a grim smile on his sweet face. "Atar has to work, angel. Look at the puppets."

Orion did.

-0-Farther up

"Miracle, what are you doing up?" Miler looked at the tiny image of Optimus Prime with the hints of Prowl etched on his armor as he stood in the corridor peeking out at them. He had a dollie on one servo and a thumb in his mouth. Miler walked over and knelt.

Miracle looked at him for a moment, then removed his thumb. "Atar? Ada?" he asked with confusion.

Miler glanced back at Venture who was sitting in a chair working on some projections for economic swaps with Earth. "We have a problem, Ven."

Venture nodded and rose.

-0-Elsewhere

"Good night, Ada."

"Good night, Silver bunny," Hound said with a grin. Trailbreaker who was standing beside him holding Rebel nodded. "Good night, baby girl."

She grinned. "I'm glad you didn't go with the battle group. I would cry if you did."

They blanched slightly. "I know. We weren't in the rotation this time, Silverbow. Don't worry about a thing," Trailbreaker said nodding. "We're here."

"Good," she said pulling up her covers. She watched them turn to go, shutting down the lights as they left. Walking to the next room, Trailbreaker put Rebel in his bed with two servos. He had a modification done on his left arm removing the weapon he once carried there for a servo with which to handle his children. He didn't regret it. It was about time for an upgrade he considered the first time he bathed his daughter when they took her home. Rebel grinned up at them. **"ADA!"**

"He's pretty noisy. Must be playing with Orion," Hound said with a chuckle. He leaned down and kissed the infant, pausing long enough for Trailbreaker to do the same thing. Then they turned out the light and left the room. Walking to the living room, they sat and switched on The Hourly News. The latest projection of the battle group for arrival at the migration was under a joor. There was no more latest breaking news of yet but like all the soldiers of the colony both professional and Home Guard, they waited with great expectation.

-0-Elsewhere

"He looks sleepy, Ravie."

"I think so. Let's put him to bed, Tie," Ravel said putting down the puppets and laying Orion on his shoulder. The infant snuggled down and Ravel rose with care, turning to walk to the berthroom where the little mech slept. Laying Orion down in his soft crib, they tucked him in and snuck out. Praxus had given out earlier and they had given Sunspot a break, letting him retire on time even though he was good to go with helping them.

The nice little mech.

Walking out, settling in their chairs for a moment, they kicked back. "I think I'm out of practice, Tie."

"I think so, Ravie," Tie Down said with a grin. "They're very darling but energetic."

"Remind you of anyone?" Ravie asked with a grin.

Tie picked up the remote and held it up.

"**ATAR!"**

They glanced at each other and gulped.

-0-Aerie Hill

Sky Warp stood in the infant's berthroom staring into the round crib that was the custom of hatchlings during their infancy when they slept together as a group. It was large, round, filled with blankets and soft dollies as well as three bright opticed little babies who sat grinning at their atar.

"Atar, where Ada?" Dart asked standing and walking to the railing that rounded the bed. The crib stood in the middle of the room. The moonlight was weak as it filtered in, Phobos making its circuitous orbit of Mars. "Where Ada? Where Atar?"

Sky Warp walked closer and kissed the infant on the helm. "Atar is doing his duty to protect you and this colony. Atar is showing his quality with the leadership to anyone who would think they could harm this place and you three even accidentally. Ada will be back and so will Atar. Until then, you must recharge."

Dart smiled at him and patted the railing. **"ATAR! COME HERE! FLY DART!"**

"You have had all the flying you are going to get," Sky Warp said with a smile. He lifted the infant and lay him down covering the three of them with their little blankets. "Go to sleep."

He turned and walked to the door shutting off the light. Walking to the living room to check for mail, he settled and began to read. Watching as best he could, Dart stood at the rail and was joined by Flit and Pip. They glanced at each other grinning broadly. "Come," Dart said as he lifted his leg and dropped over the side.

Pip and Flit looked down at him laying on the ground and grinned. "Dart. Come me," Flit said and he joined his brother with a face plant on the rug. Pip looked at them, then gripped the railing. He swung until he hung, then let go landing on his peds. Turning, smiling at his brothers, the three exulted in their freedom for a moment. Then they began reconn.

-0-Back yonder

Orion sat in his crib staring at the ceiling. There was nothing there tonight just like last night. Pulling himself up, he considered his brothers and sister. They had their own rooms and beds. They were in them. He decided to join someone somewhere. Gripping the railing, he lifted himself doggedly and fell landing on his bottom. Sitting, frowning at the floor with deep unrelenting loathing, he stood up and snuck to the door. Looking out, he turned the corner and headed down to Praxus's room.

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, out there

Alor sat at the tactical table rocking gently as he held Hero. The tiny femme was falling asleep. Tweeting softly, she looked up at Alor with heavy lidded optics. Alor smiled. "Go to sleep, wisp. Time to recharge."

She tweeted softly and gave in to to the cyber sandman, her optical shutters closing with the burden of her fatigue. Rising gently, Alor turned, tucking Hero into her sleeping box and covering her with a blanket. Taking the box, Alor slid it under a console, then returned to the table.

Blackjack glancing up grinned. "Been a while since we had to do that."

"I remember," Alor said with a grin...

...back in the orn

"Ironhide!"

He ran and paused by a doorway. Looking back, he chuckled almost too loudly. Looking around in the big room, he saw three mechs grinning at him. Running for them, he crawled under the console and hid behind the leg of the navigator of the ship his genitors were commanding at the time.

Blackjack walked in and spotted his little aft sticking out from behind the navigator's leg. "I wonder where Ironhide went. Has anyone seen him?"

"Nope," the duty mechs said with grins.

Ironhide listening quivered with excitement, his little chuckle escaping in spite of his servo covering his mouth.

"I guess he's not here," Blackjack said turning toward the doorway. "I'll have to eat all the cookies myself." With that, he walked out of the room.

Ironhide watched him a moment, then looked at the mechs. They grinned down at him. "Cookies, Ironhide. Atar is going to eat all of them," the navigator said.

Ironhide's little blue optics grew two sizes bigger as he climbed back out and ran as fast as his tiny little legs could carry him. He ran out of the door and it was silent a moment but for the sound of his tiny ped falls.

"**GOTCHA!"**

A loud wild screech of utter surprise and delight filled the corridor as Captain Blackjack walked back to his cabin with his son. The mechs in the flight module grinned. "That little mech will never learn," the navigator said with a chuckle.

"That one gets him every time," another one said...

...In the here and now

"He is a good atar, I will say," Alor said with a smile. "I'm very proud of his servos on approach to being a father."

"Learned from his genitors," Blackjack said with a nod. "If we couldn't fit him in a duffel bag, we didn't go."

Alor nodded and grinned. Then they turned back to the task at servo.

-0-Aerie Hill

They stood in the shadows stalking their atar. Sky Warp who was aware of them pretended they were still in their crib. When they got close, they ran out and grabbed his leg. Grinning up at him, they laughed. **"WE GOT YOU!"** Pip said as he was pulled up onto the couch. They sat in a row next to Sky Warp and grinned. He grinned back. "Looks like a Loony Tunes night for the four of us." With that, he turned on the monitor and found the channel with cartoons from Earth.

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck would do the trick.

They were pulling for the duck.

-0-High up there in the air

"Atar."

Venture lifted Miracle and hugged him. "He's working, baby." As he said that another baby stepped from the shadows followed by Spirit. "He was crying, Ada," Spirit said about the dispirited little winger with the weepy sad.

Miler picked Kaon up and cuddled him. "Maybe they can sleep together, Ven. What about that?"

"We can try," Venture said. "Come with us, Spirit. You can be our guide."

The little white and red mech smiled and nodded. "This way, Grandatar," he said as he turned and walked to the berthroom of Miracle. His grandgenitors followed with a smile.

-0-Down below

"Do you hear something, Tie?" Ravel asked as he looked toward the berthrooms.

They paused. "No, Ravie," Tie said as they both looked back at the screen. Beyond their visual sight, two pairs of bright blue optics watched them, then turned and walked onward into the berthrooms.

-0-Up there

"There, babies," Miler said grinning at Kaon and Miracle who were lying side by side in the same bed. "Go to sleep."

They turned and walked out. The infants looked at each other and smiled. They would 'chat', play with dollies and fall asleep side-by-side for the duration of the night.

-0-Down below

Sunspot popped open an optic and blinked. Two little mechs were standing by his berth holding servos and grinning broadly. "What are you doing out of your beds?" he asked sitting up. He looked at the two little babies and grinned. "Come on in."

The two little bots climbed up, their little afts getting a lift from Sunspot. Crowding in, a baby on each side, Sunspot lay caught in the middle of a sparkling sandwich. It wasn't comfortable but it was fun.

"Pot."

Sunspot looked at Orion as he tried to whisper. "What?"

"Orion loves Pot."

Sunspot grinned. "I love you too."

"Pot play?"

"I have to sleep. School is tomorrow."

"Orion play." He turned to get down but Sunspot grabbed his arm. "Go to sleep, Orion. Grandatar and ada are tired and have to work tomorrow."

Orion lay back and considered his options.

Sunspot had to fall into recharge eventually.

-0-Some time later

He tip toed around the corridor looking at things and hanging. The other two were asleep and Orion was unsettled. Things weren't right. Someone had to stay up tonight and wait for the folks. It looked like it would fall to him.

Ravel and Tie Down had no idea whatsoever.

-0-Far away

"I think you need to move, Kestrel. I'm having you escorted to a safe house outside of Altihex. A cell that is led by one of my best mechs will be waiting for you. All you and Tag have to do is stay low. I am expecting intel from the underground soon and we will be working to get you off world before our luck runs out. We have been incredibly lucky so far," Dai Atlas said.

They both nodded and watched as their benefactor turned and walked onward. The shelter where they sat was adequate to keep the steady drip and drizzle of acidic rain off them as they waited through another endless orn.

"What do you think, Tag? Do you think they will get us to Orion?"

"I don't know, Kestrel," Tag said. "I hope so. I just want to recharge for a vorn. I'm so tired."

Kestrel nodded and slipped his arm around the broad shoulders of the most unassuming, hardworking, downtrodden mech he knew and loved, one who had once been ready to take on the world. "When we get to Orion, it will be alright. Trust me, Tag."

Tag nodded and vented a soft sigh. "I do," he said simply.

-0-Later that night in a moderately high up place

"This is a big berth, Tie. I can see why Ironhide and Ratchet need a big one but I've never recharged on a berth this big," Ravel said in the dark as he lay on the berth in the master bedroom of his son's apartment.

"I never have either. Its very comfortable, just like ours," Tie said nodding. Moonlight shown through the windows as they lay down for the evening. It was quiet and pleasant.

"Are you comfortable, Tie?" Ravel asked. "Do you need a blanket?"

"No. I'm fine, Ravie. You?" Tie asked.

"I'm very comfortable, Tie. Thank you."

It was quiet a moment.

"Do you suppose Orion is comfortable, Tie?" Ravel asked glancing at his bond.

Tie looked down between them where a grinning sparkling lay wrapped in a little blue dog blanket, his atar dollie tucked in with him. "I think he looks fine, Ravie," he said with a grin.

Ravel nodded, grinning himself. "It's going to be a long deployment, Tie."

"I know," Tie down said with a grin.

Orion grinned too.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	162. Chapter 162

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 8

-0-Out there

They saw them as lights on the map, seemingly thousands of them. All of them represented unclaimed treasure and the rescue group was determined to get all of it. Prime sat quietly watching as the distance between that mass and their own armada began to shrink. :Prime to Prowl:

:Prowl here:

:I think its time to talk to the unknowns:

:Affirmative. I am connecting you to Starscream as well:

:Affirmative:

Prime waited and heard the pings from Starscream and Prowl that the line was live. He thought a moment, then began. "Unknown alien force, this is Optimus Prime. I am asking you to identify yourself and outline your intentions."

There was silence on the line.

"This is Optimus Prime of Cybertron. You are traveling with civilian ships that are coming to my call for safety and support. Identify yourself and your intentions."

For a moment there was nothing. Then a voice was heard over the intercom. "This is Paragon. I command the fleet that is traveling with the refugees. Our intentions are to re-provision and move on."

Prime considered that. "If you wish for us to help you, then you need to pull out of the migration and wait. We will consider your request. The refugees are our foremost objective at the moment. They require immediate help and attention."

"We require a great deal of help too, Prime. We would expect to be treated the same as anyone else according to the laws and rules of space."

"We have stated our requirements as well. Pull over and wait. Let us move the refugees away from you. Then we can talk about how we can help you," Prime said.

The map didn't show them slow down or stop. Instead, they began to edge closer to the migration. Prime looked at Ironhide. "We are going to have a fight if they make their way into the group."

"Then we need to show them our big stick," Ironhide said nodding.

"Prime to Starscream."

"Starscream here."

"Drop the net," Prime said sitting back.

"Affirmative," Starscream replied. The line went silent but the map on the table began to show what the Seeker had in mind. The Seekers in the battle group began to move away in groups, some of them flying past the outside edge of the migration and others forming a line of firepower between the coming migration and the battle armada that was commanded by Prime. Some of them peeled out and flew toward the alien force stopping within the sight of the unknowns and magnetizing on the hulls of the refugee vessels.

It was utterly silent.

"Refugee migration, this is Optimus Prime. We are here to help you make the rest of the journey and to protect you while you are here. We are aware of an alien force with you. We have asked them to identify themselves and stand down. We are placing our considerable assets strategically so that if there is any trouble, there will be an extreme price for them to pay. We are here with Guardian Autobots and battle cruisers that are designed to obliterate opposition in close quarters. We also have with us shock troops that can board vessels and tear them apart. I would like your leader or leaders to identify themselves to me."

The line was silent a moment, then a ship opened contact. "This is Mack of Capital City. I am the leader of this migration."

"Mack, I would like you to send to us all the information you have about the population you are leading, their condition, the condition of their ships and those that are in greatest need. We are aware of the stragglers and have sent rescue. Send it to us now."

Mack stood on the deck of his ship and stared at the blinking lights on his sensor screen. There were literally hundreds of friendlies out there, some of them gigantic. The Autobots who were flying the ship looked at him expectantly. He nodded. The data was sent and Prowl received it.

"Alien fleet, we are asking you to move away so that the refugees can come forward without hindrance. I am giving you a breem to comply."

There was only silence.

Prime glanced at a monitor that showed Prowl working on the data. He glanced at Ironhide. "Send a message to Autobot City. I want to know who Paragon is."

Ironhide nodded and bent to the task. They sat silently waiting for someone to reply.

-0-On the warship Destron

Paragon sat on his command throne and considered the enemy before him. He was the last Prime of Cybertron and word had it that there was an amazing city just beyond their position where lions had laid down with lambs.

He himself was an unusual Decepticon. He was an intellectual who had a voluminous mentality, emotional control and applied a ruthless analytical precision to all he did. He was the anti-Prowl, a bot with a conscience that he refused to exercise in his logic shaped march to perfection and domination. Few had ever met him. Megatron found him fascinating. Nothing he could proposed to Paragon was met with the usual duplicitous deception that everyone else gave him. The smile hiding the sharp teeth was what Megatron was used to. With Paragon, there was only the intellect sorting through the possibilities and giving a bloodless assessment.

It was refreshing.

The drama queens that were part and parcel of the Decepticon High Command made life tense, short and brutish. You had to earn your position. Then you had to earn it again and again and again. There was never a moment when the awareness that someone else equally as sparkless as you climbing into sniper rage wasn't clear in your processor.

Paragon had risen to the highest echelons by stealth. He had done so by out thinking, out lasting, out dueling both intellectually and psychologically all his rivals. Had Megatron not bonded with Shockwave, Paragon would have eliminated him earlier on. Even with his skill as an assassin, Shockwave wasn't invulnerable. Yet, kill Shockwave, kill Megatron.

He didn't want that.

He preferred the shadows. He preferred being the master of puppets with the lowest public profile possible. He could manage Megatron. Megatron would take the risks, he would reap the rewards. This was the way to go in the arena of Decepticon life.

You lived longer.

Prime would be hard to defeat. The odds were against him with his current armada. He would have to rendezvous at the spot where the others were going to regroup and consider his strength and options. The Empire was in chaos.

That was always an opportunity to a smart young mech.

Soundwave held Cybertron.

For now.

He would regroup, gather the tattering edges of the Decepticon weave and braid his own dominion from which to march forward. There would be more enemies than he had planned.

Soundwave.

Prime.

Megatron when he came. And he would come.

He sat back. The troops needed and wanted a leader. The battle groups he had contacted were going to the place of rendezvous to wait for him. There were also strange aliens in this sector that he had heard rumors about. They managed acid monsters. That was always interesting. He would consider overtures as soon as he built his base, collected his supporters and considered the new paradigm. Then he would stand out to reclaim what he wanted.

And he wanted it all.

A voice came over the intercom, a voice he thought lost forever.

"Decepticon battle group. Decepticon Seekers. This is Starscream. I am calling to you to tell you that Megatron has put a death order out on all of Seekerkin. He has a shoot to kill order on all Seekers wherever found. I am asking all of the Seekers who are supporting Paragon's battle group to come forward to us. We will receive you. There is a place ahead with good skies and possibilities for us that we have never in our history had before us."

"Starscream," Paragon said over the intercom. "I heard that you defected."

Starscream sat at the command table inside Silverbolt. He considered the voice and decided he didn't know it. Glancing at Thundercracker, he could see that worthy didn't either. "I don't know this voice."

"I wouldn't. I didn't run in your circles," Thundercracker said. "You probably did, Star but forgot."

Starscream considered that and nodded. "Paragon, I am asking that the Seekers with you be allowed to leave and meet me at the coordinates that I am going to send to you. I wish to speak to them."

"Why should I allow that, Starscream?" Paragon asked quietly.

"Because I ask it," Starscream said nodding to Thundercracker. He leaned into the flight deck and looked back out nodding. :You are on to the whole battle group, Star:

"Seekers of Paragon's battle group, this is Starscream. You know who I am. You know what I was in our faction. I am asking you to go to the coordinates I am sending at the end of this message to meet with me. I wish to speak to you and I am bringing others who have something to say to you. When we finish, you may return to the battle group or you may come with us. You owe me this interlude."

Starscream looked at the map. Nothing happened. Then it did. Seekers began to peel off heading away toward a rocky debris field. In the center was a large planetary fragment that would hold the meet up. Sitting back, Starscream opened a channel on the low band frequency that they used for private business.

:It is time:

Pings greeted that affirmation as Starscream and Thundercracker arose and walked to the hatch. It popped revealing a view filled with the machinery of their own forces. He stepped out and transformed flying in the direction of the meeting place. As he did, the ship delivering Seeker Clan Chieftains disgorged its precious cargo as five Cybertronian fighters escorted by half a dozen others transformed and set off as well.

Prime sat and watched them flash past heading into the darkness beyond. As he did, Paragon was back. "Prime."

"This is Prime."

"What do you think you can expect? Defections?"

"Sense. A change of processor. It happens," Optimus replied.

"Do you think so," Paragon replied. As he did, Rem leaned out of the flight deck and handed Ironhide a datapad. He read it, then handed it to Prime.

"I always believe in redemption," Prime said as he glanced at the message. It was the 411 on Paragon. It wasn't good. "What do you intend to do? We won't allow you to remain in close proximity to either us or the migration lanes. Our people are innocent. They are neutral. They deserve to come here unmolested."

"There are no neutrals in war, Prime. I would have thought you knew that by now."

Prime stared at the map. The Seekers had begun to land. Right now, the migration was halted waiting for something to happen that didn't require shooting. "I am going to begin taking the refugees. I want you to know that if you interfere, I will personally kill you myself. Understood?"

It was silent. "I don't care about the refugees, Prime."

"What do you care about, Paragon?" Prime asked.

The line was silent.

-0-On a planetary fragment nearby

They landed, 300 Seekers. They were different from the usual run. These Seekers had their colors. They had their tattoos and other clan details in full view. They were all mechs, all of them fit and loaded for war. In orbit around the fragment, hundreds of Autobot Seekers circled, their firepower evident in this intentionally intimidating display.

When the Elders along with Starscream and Thundercracker landed, they stood apart from each other, all of them staring, absorbing, waiting for something. Then a big red and white Seeker stepped forward. :I am Arrow. What do you want, Starscream?: he asked over the internal line.

Silverclaw and the four chieftains with him looked at him with a cool optic. Silverclaw, his staff in servo walked forward stopping before the big mech. Without a warning, he gripped his staff and slammed it into the big mech's chassis. He bent over in pain and stepped back, his optics blazing with anger.

Starscream who looked at him coolly shook his helm. :You would dare speak to your betters in that tone, youngling? What is the matter with you?:

Silverclaw stared at the mech, then turned his fierce glare on the others. :There isn't one of you here that is granted the right to disrespect. Who else wants a lesson in manners?:

The sound of silence was deep. Then two big mechs stepped out of the crowd.

-0-TBC

2013 (1) NOTE: Man, am I tired tonight. :D I am writing to all of the note senders. I wish you could know the coolness that lands in my inbox. :D :D :D I am going to be sending more responses tomorrow when my eyeballs aren't falling out. :D Hugs and goodnight out there. :D


	163. Chapter 163

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 9

-0-Out there

They stepped forward, two big Seeker mechs and paused before the half circle of Elders, Starscream and Thundercracker. Arrow who had gotten a punch in the gut stood up straighter, his servo clutching his chassis. Silverclaw who stood with his staff in servo glared at the three. "Who is next? Who **dares** challenge me?"

The three stood for a moment, a flash of what it meant to them as Seekers to call and be called out by an Elder filtering through them and fading as swiftly. Then one of them moved nearly faster than the optic could follow. He rushed at Silverclaw but the big mech gave ground, allowing the enemy to crash his energy against the void. Empty space greeted the mech and so did Silverclaw's staff which whirled with him and clipped the Seeker against the helm. He flew sideways landing in a heap while Silverclaw finished his spin. The Elder landed on his peds and turned twirling his staff into position. "Are you next?" he asked Arrow and the other mech.

They glanced at their fallen comrade, then each other. The unnamed mech stepped back but Arrow didn't. His pride wouldn't let him. He glared at Silverclaw, then turned toward Starscream. "We're here, fragger. What do you want?"

Before he could move, the staff spun and caught Arrow beside the helm forcing him back as the Elder Seeker spun twirling his staff in an amazing display of a nearly forgotten art form. Arrow staggered, then dug in glaring at the Elder with fury.

Starscream chuckled and shook his helm. "Yield, fragger and listen up."

"I won't yield," he barked at Starscream before a staff dropped him to his knees. He clutched his chassis and gasped. Then he looked up with murder in his optics.

"Yield," Silverclaw said planting his staff in the neck lines of the big rogue Seeker.

He looked at Silverclaw for a long moment, then yielded with the barest of nods. Silverclaw moved back, paused and began a kata that had not been seen by the group before them since before the fall of Cybertron. He whirled and spun, his staff cutting and flashing as he showed the lethal deadly possibilities in challenging him. The others, four of the oldest Seekers yet known to live stood watching with approval. They called out to him, glancing at the others among them with pride and confidence, the kind born of a lifetime of achievement and knowledge. When Silverclaw was finished, he planted his staff and looked at them with enormous satisfaction. "If you speak to us, the Elders of our people, the Chieftains of the greatest clans of the Seekerkin, you use respect. Commander Starscream wishes your attendance. That is enough for you to obey." He turned and looked at Starscream who was watching with enormous amusement. Nodding slightly, Silverclaw stepped back into the half circle with his confederates.

Starscream chuckled. "You are not very smart to challenge a chieftain. They are such not just because they are elders who have wisdom. They are thus because they know how to fight. What about you, younglings? Are you fighting for the faction that has a death warrant on us? A kill on sight order? Are you completely out of the loop news wise or are you stupid?"

Arrow stood up slowly, his rage filled optics fixed on the tall Seeker with the smirk on his handsome face. "We don't fight for Megatron. We heard the order. We fight for someone else."

"Paragon," Thundercracker said with scorn. "You fight for a mech who has no spark. He will use you, then throw you away when he is done. He has no loyalty or need to do more for you or any of us. You might as well put a blaster to your helm and pull the trigger yourself."

"We work for a leader that we respect. We work for a leader that is going to pull the faction together and we will regroup again. Our Seeker people will join us to fight for what we want. We will take what we want. We will be slave to no one."

"You already are," an Elder said coldly. He was a Southern Clan Chieftain who was famed for his integrity and his many sons, all of them great warriors like he was. "You are the dogs who chase the beast wounding it and bringing it down. Yet you will only get the scraps. You won't get the choice pieces. Paragon won't allow it. He is a cold mechanism with a calculator for a spark. He will use you and toss you aside. You are a fool to believe otherwise."

Arrow looked at him, the Chieftain of his own faction and considered his words. "We don't choose to believe you."

"If you go with him, you will be the first to die in any battle that he plans. He won't worry about your needs. He will use you. If you come with us, you can live as we were intended by Primus to live," Silverclaw said. "Free. Educated. Respected."

"Prime respects you?" Arrow asked with a sneer.

"He does. We are one," Starscream said quietly.

It was silent a moment, then Arrow shrugged. "You had your say. We're going now."

"There is a city in a system that is secure. We will be nearly a million strong when these refugees get there. We have professions, opportunity. Our infants go to schools and learn. Our younglings go to University and we live in our own enclave, Aerie Hill. There are thousands of us there, Seekers from all clans. They fly and fight for the city and everyone there. They wear the Autobrand to signify that we are all one, united under one vision, for one united cause. Our own infants go to school where they excel everyday. What do you have, youngling? Can you read? Are you a doctor or architect? Do you live in a nice home with a family? Do you have anything to show for the vorns of doing other mechanism's visions without reward? Or is it enough to live with the illusion that you will have a future at some unforeseen and as yet unreached future point?"

They looked at him, 300 mechs. All were young, fit and without much expression. They had learned to conceal themselves as was the way all their kind did outside their own circles. But they were here, some of them facing the Chieftain of their personal clan and the mask was firmly in place anyway. It didn't bode well.

"I will give you this option. Come with us now and have a future with unlimited possibilities in a city that is more Cybertronian than some that existed on our long lost home world. Come with us and have a chance to be all that you were born to be. Stay with Paragon and we will eventually kill you. We are tens of thousands strong. We have families to protect, infants. You know what that means. When Paragon comes for us and we know he will, we will kill him in numbers. We won't separate you out of the kill zone. If you stand against us, your own kindred, then you are our enemy."

It was silent as they stood on the planetoid, the darkness of space and the massed light of stars and galaxies shining overhead. Arrow looked at them, then turned to his host. "I'm going now. Come with me." With that, he leaped into the air and transformed, blasting away into the night.

There was hesitation from some, then they began to transform and leave. Dozens then more, all of them changed and flew away. When there were only three, they stood together staring at Starscream. One of them stepped forward. "Do you lie or not?" he asked.

"I am Starscream. You know what I did for our Kindred. You know what I have suffered. I do not lie," the big Seeker said. "I am here with our Elders to save you."

The youngling looked at the others, then Starscream. "He's going to build a fort and gather scattered divisions and battle groups to his command. He is going to make a challenge to Soundwave and Megatron. He wants Cybertron as a base, then the rest of the universe. He's smart and he's not mad. He will make alliances and do what he says."

"Then we will be waiting. Come with us," Starscream said glancing past him at the other two who stood uncertainly.

"They are my trine," the young mech said. "We will go with them but we will find a way to get word to you. I don't trust Paragon but there were few options. When the time is right, we will flee. Until then, we have to go."

"You will be taking a dangerous risk," Starscream said.

"My brothers are with them," he said. "They flew off and we can't defect without them. When we can bring them we will come."

Starscream nodded. "What shall I know as your sign?"

The young mech considered that. "Know me as Hope." For a moment he stared at Starscream, then he turned and nodded to the others. The three transformed and jetted away swiftly.

The group stood silently, then Silverclaw turned to Starscream. "We have to tell Prime."

Starscream nodded. They turned and transformed, flying upward into the mass of circling Seekers. They formed around Starscream, Thundercracker and the Elders as they turned to go back to the battle group.

-0-Omega

A rap on the hull popped the hatch. Starscream, Silverclaw and Thundercracker entered and it sealed. Walking forward, they took a chair with Prime and Ironhide.

"How did it go? I see you came back without them," Prime asked.

Starscream nodded. "They are how is it said by some? Feral? I think we have a number of mechs with a point to prove. Paragon plays them enough to make them think they matter. They have their colors and clan markings. They believe that they are regarded with aplomb by their fearless bloodless leader.

"They also told me a number of things," Starscream continued. "Three of them stayed a moment as the others left. They mentioned that Paragon plans to fort up somewhere and rebuild an army to challenge Soundwave and Megatron."

"So we are having armies form around us," Ironhide said nodding. "This could be interesting. Consider what this means as a challenge to Megatron? To Soundwave? We could use them to our advantage if we play this right."

Prime nodded. "What is your assessment of the group, gentlemen?"

"They are young and have had combat. I see the scars of encounters," Silverclaw said. "They are young and full of themselves. They didn't observe the code of respect for us. That is a serious failing and does not bode well for an easy reclamation. We schooled them on the error of their ways."

Starscream smirked. "I have not seen that kata since I was a hatchling watching a ceremony of installation of a Chieftain in my clan. They won't forget it very easily."

Thundercracker grinned. "I hope not. They have a few dents they didn't bring with them." He looked at Prime. "The three who left last are a trine and wished to come but for their brothers who won't. They said they would help us with information if they could."

Prime nodded. "That's good news," he said. He leaned back. "You made an impression. We shall wait and see if it bears fruit. Right now, we have a migration to move and a battle group to stare down. I am thinking that if they want to continue this plan, they will need us to re-provision them. Until then, we hold all the cards."

"We move the migration through the gates then," Thundercracker said.

"We do. I would like you to make the Seeker support for this to be punitive and foreboding, Starscream," Prime said.

Starscream nodded and rose. "That will be no problem."

The three rose and turned departing out the door to Silverbolt. When they reached it, Seekers were turning toward the migration to take up stations that would bring the hurt against anyone stupid enough to challenge that much firepower.

It was silent a moment, then Prime looked at Ironhide. "Call for the bridges. I want the small one directed to the appointed spot for the stragglers. I want the big one for everyone else. Put on a show for them, Ironhide."

The big mech nodded. "Done deal, Prime," he said. Then he turned to a console and made it so.

-0-On the deck of the enemy command ship, Perilous Venture

Paragon watched them come and position their firepower in his direction. Hundreds of Seekers, more than he had seen in one place for ages turned and pointed their weapons at him. There were heavies and fast fighters. They were ready to deliver destruction on a scale he would be hard pressed to defend against. His own Seekers were back but they were not numerous enough to do more than prolong the inevitable.

As he watched an enormous eruption of energy appeared near the half circle of big ships that carried troops and the enemy to this point. He had scanned the group and knew its composition. A Guardian held a hospital. The others held Prime and his soldiers.

Lots of soldiers.

Xantium was there so he could only assume that many of the troops were Wreckers like him, shock troops that would be unflinching in their willingness to skin him alive.

They arrayed themselves around him, the fighting forces of Optimus Prime as the energy vortex of a gigantic space bridge came into being.

They had space bridges. Big ones.

He could see the signature of two on the screen before him. One was here to take refugees and one was far away to gather stragglers. They were taking them some place, the system that intel had told him was nearby and completely buttoned down.

Prime had gotten very good at this he thought. He wasn't that young mech who had been given a spark crushing job by the Matrix without a lot of skill or knowledge to do it right. But he had. Prime had come out of the gate swinging and had been a daunting formidable opponent. He had studied the big mech, seeking his strengths and weaknesses. He had studied his command staff.

He had studied Prowl.

Some said they were alike, opposite sides of the same coin. Some said they were even alike temperamentally. He didn't know about that. He had never met his doppelganger. Their conversation was long distance, through the chess board of strategies, counter measures and maneuvers. He was aware of Prowl. He was also sure that Prowl wasn't aware of him. Few were.

That made the game more fun.

He knew about Prime, about Prowl, about Ironhide, Ratchet and the others. He kept up on his intel and updated his profiles as he learned more. That was how you won in his world. That is how he managed to become the most powerful unknown major player of the game in the history of the war. That is how he considered that victory would be his.

No one would see it coming.

They never did.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	164. Chapter 164

The Diego Diaries: Follow Up 10

-0-Out there

They began to move forward, a hundred ships at a time. They began at the edge of the migration farthest from Paragon's group, taking them into the bridge with Seeker escort headed for Fort Apache. Along the line from the stand off to the farthest limit of range for the Decepticon vessels, Seekers stood on hulls, their weapons poised to strike against any aggression made by the intruders.

The Decepticon Seekers stood magnetized to their own ship hulls watching, the silence between the sides adding to the tension. The big mech, Arrow stood on Paragon's ship staring across the void. He was filled with fury and revenge but he waited. He would get his turn.

Red Wing landed on a hull of a vessel nearby, one that had born some brunt of fighting during the initial 'adjustment' phase of the groups combining. He looked at it, then walked to the hatch rapping on it. It slid open when he showed his Autobrand through the window. Entering, the door slid shut. A group of frightened weary passengers stood staring at him without a sound. He nodded. "I am Red Wing. I am the field ops commander of the fighter group that is guarding you. We have stationed a lot of Seekers here to protect you. What you have to do is tell me what you need and we'll get it to you. Because you are on this side of the group, we will be taking you out later than the others. Do you have anyone who needs medics or taken to the hospital ships?"

The oldest appearing mech shook his helm. "We're hungry and tired but otherwise in good shape."

Red Wing nodded. "What can you tell me about this? Prime is collecting intel."

"He's here? We heard his voice but is he really here?" another mech asked with a strained voice.

"He is," Red Wing said with a nod. "So is Starscream and Omega. We have Guardian Supremes and battle cruisers filled with Wreckers and front liners. You don't have to be afraid."

They looked at him, then nodded gravely. "We were part of the original group fleeing with the Tinkers."

"Tinkers?"

"A group that had left Cybertron and made their living going from place to place working for the locals, doing all manner of things technical and otherwise. They are led by Mack, the manager of this whole thing. He and the Autobots got more organization and discipline into the migration which saved a lot of us. We wouldn't have stragglers but for the Decepticons. They wouldn't allow us to help them. You will get them won't you?" the older mech asked anxiously.

"We already are," Red Wing said. "Our other bridge is collecting them."

"You have more than one bridge?" a youngling mech asked with big wide optics.

"We have two with more in development," Red Wing said. He grinned slightly. "These slaggers have picked a bad foe."

The mech smiled slightly, glancing at his party with relief. "I think so."

"I will have someone bring food. I would suggest that you rest and wait for the word to go. You will move out under heavy escort. Don't panic or get upset. We are here to protect you," Red Wing said.

"The others, the Seekers with the 'Cons. What about them? We know there's a kill order out on you," the mech asked.

"We know about that. So do they," Red Wing said. "We are going to have to show them the error of their ways." He nodded and turned tapping the hatch release and climbing outside onto the hull. The hatch closed and they watched him as he walked to the view ports in the flight deck outside. He bent down and wrote glyphs detailing the ship, her passengers and their need on the windows with a glowing marker. With a nod, he jumped off and floated to the next ship. As he did, two Seekers floated to their vessel and magnetized, their weapons on display for the other side to see.

The mech turned and glanced at the others. "I think we will be alright. The Seekers are here to protect us."

They looked at him, the cognitive dissonance as clear on their faces and he knew it was on his. Food would come and they would energize, feeling relief for the first time in ages. Then they would settle in to wait.

-0-Omega

The hatch opened and a mech slipped inside, a black mech with red details. He was a winger, a mech who looked strong and able. He walked to the command table with Cloud Burst. "Prime, this is Mack."

Optimus looked at him and nodded. "Welcome, Mack." He stood and offered his servo. They shook in the Cybertronian way, then Prime nodded for him to sit. The hatch opened again and Prowl appeared walking to the table to sit as well. "Mack, this is Prowl, the S.I.C. This is Ironhide."

They all nodded and the mech startled as Cloud Burst returned with a cube of energon. He took it and sipped it blinking with surprise. "This is good."

"Its Class A," Prime replied.

Mack looked at him a moment, then the cube. "I've never had the good stuff."

"Get used to it," Ironhide said with a slight grin. "That's all we have at Autobot City."

Mack looked at him levelly, then nodded. "Alright."

Prime nodded to Cloud Burst who turned and walked to the hatch. He stepped out and the hatch closed. "I understand that you lead the migration."

"I do," Mack said sitting back against the hull, his fatigue evident. "We began to come together early on when we were being driven this direction. There were smaller groups, sometimes one or two ships as well as big ones. They needed organization and we had to help each other. There was no going back, no deviation from the route we were on. Then the others came."

"Where?" Ironhide asked.

"From the general direction of the Benzuli Expansion. We had a conversation when they appeared. They told us they were coming along and that no one was allowed to stop. They would protect us, they said."

"The Autobots and Seekers with you," Prowl asked. "Was there conflict?"

"Verbal, but no shooting. The Autobots and Seekers on our side actually helped us. They were professional soldiers and very hard afted about the migration. I think they helped keep the 'Cons away from us overall," Mack said.

"Did you ever meet Paragon in person?" Prowl asked as he took notes.

"No. Only on the screen. He is one cold fragger. He wouldn't let us help the ones who fell back. They are being assisted, right?" Mack asked anxiously.

"We are taking them ahead through the other bridge," Ironhide said nodding. "They are being scanned and we're checking the ships we retrieve against your manifest list of the migration. No one will be left behind."

Mack sagged slightly, his relief immense. He nodded and looked at them. "I will do whatever you need me to do to get this done. My group were called Tinkers. We went from place to place working and looking for others. I can't find my family, my brother. All of us are missing family. I am told Autobot City is big. That there might be family there."

"We have good luck that way, Mack," Prime said gently.

Mack nodded. "I haven't seen him since The Fall. We were separated. He was in prison and I was in Capital City gathering everyone I could to leave. I couldn't find him. The prisons … were they freed?"

Prime considered his question. "Some were. Some weren't. We have intel and we're going to be going back to them soon. We had to retrieve the migration."

"My brother was imprisoned because he was a dissident. He wasn't a criminal. He was a patriot," Mack said clarifying his remarks. "Jetta was locked up by Sentinel and his goons."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Prime straightened. "Are you Mack? The younger brother of Jetta?"

Mack paused and nodded. "Yes."

"Jetta is free. He's at Autobot City. He's one of my oldest and dearest friends. I never met you but he talked about you a lot," Prime said.

Mack stared at him, then set the cube down. He blinked a moment, then looked at Prime with disbelief. "My brother and I have the same paint scheme. He's very tall and a good mech. He organized unions, mostly in mining and got rounded up for being an activist dissident."

Prime nodded. "I know. He's the City Engineer for Autobot City and Mars, the world we have settled. He's bonded with Elita-1."

"He did?" Mack asked. "He did," he said softly. He sat back and hung his helm. "Jetta is okay."

They sat together a moment, no one speaking. Then Prowl leaned over and touched his arm. "You can go through the bridge if you want to. You can see him."

He considered that a moment. "I would love to but I have to help our people."

"You're Jetta's brother alright," Ironhide said with a grin. "Self sacrificing slagger just like him."

Prime nodded with a grin. "Truer words never spoken."

-0-At the other end of the migration

They had scanned to the last ship, a small shuttle that had broken down. The passengers were in various stages of grief and fear when the Seekers arrived with two Wrecker fighter shuttles and medics. Spotting them, they stood helplessly at the windows, their fright evident to the rescue team. They wouldn't open the hatch until they heard from Prime personally. Then they did. It was bad inside. They were starving, there were two very ill younglings and a hysterical elder who needed hospitalization for emotional distress. The adults in the group were seriously depleted and obedient to a fault for the rescue team.

It was agonizing to see.

They towed the vessel forward until they reached a rendezvous point where others were coming from other directions. They were checked off the master list provided by Mack's ship and by the time the gathered group was ready to go through the bridge, all of the stragglers would be located and marked for pick up.

No one would be left behind.

-0-Gamma

They began to get injured and sick patients, the worst of the worst who couldn't wait much longer. Working feverishly, Ratchet and Gold Wing along with three trauma teams operated and repaired so that their patients could be transported. Shuttles stood by waiting to receive stretchers filled with the injured as they were passed from Gamma for transport to the city. Any medical cases coming through the bridges were given priority on the other side.

The Seekers had dispersed along the danger side of the migration and the shuttles filled with soldiers were used to help with the field medics, the stragglers as well as to show the flag to Paragon. The size and power of their battle group was intended to not only fight any battles that were necessary. It was also designed to inspire fear and loathing in the processors of the enemy. Whether they accomplished that, Prime couldn't know. That would happen when they began to move the groups closest to Paragon's forces.

They would see who blinked first.

-0-On the other side

Blackjack stood in the middle of the frenetic reclamation going on in all the open space of the fortress. Supremes were parked in a giant circle as they operated as hospitals and receiving stations. Femmes, infants and younglings along with the elderly were lined up with Gypsy at Kappa. Her team was working inside Kappa as well as out.

The place swarmed with refugees, some in hysterics, others with that deadly calm that the completely emotionally exhausted exhibited when the end was in sight. Overhead, the space bridge disgorged hundreds of ships which then took up station nearby waiting their turn according to their priority.

The bridge would pause shortly and allow the first transfer of reclaimed refugees to go to Autobot City and the final leg of their journey. Right now, the bridges brought them here. Taking them away to there would be next.

It couldn't come too soon, Blackjack thought as all around him nearly every available space was crowded with suffering and bewilderment. Alor who was standing with him turned and looked upward. :More are coming. We better signal a halt to clear the decks here:

:Agreed: Blackjack said nodding. Alor turned and walked back inside to message Prime. Blackjack didn't know how the 'Con slaggers were doing but he didn't care. There was enough firepower here to destroy worlds. He looked around and walked toward the fortress to do his part in the miracle.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	165. Chapter 165

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 1

-0-Paragon

He sat on his command throne going through the many options that lay before him. He also listed his liabilities. The first and foremost was the fuel situation. It was bad and not going to get better. He would have to challenge Prime or give up something to get re-provisioned. That worthy would not arm the servo that was prepared to sever his fuel lines. He would have to give up and give in in a major way and that would be unacceptable to his own autonomy and plans for their future here. He would have to anticipate being stranded in their current situation because Prime was pragmatic and smart. He turned to his comm station. "Tell Arrow to come inside. We need to discuss a matter."

His comm officer nodded and complied. Several minutes later the big Seeker walked into the flight deck and paused beside Paragon. "You called?" he asked with a trace of humor.

Paragon smirked slightly. "I did. Prime won't refuel and re-provision us. We are going to have to do that ourselves. I want you to send your flights outward beyond here and search for something we can mine for fuel and food. If we leave this area on our terms it will be best for our overall future strategy. Power down weapons and go. Find me a place that can be secured, fortified and will serve our needs."

Arrow nodded and turned walking away. Paragon watched him, then turned to the screen. A wall of refugee vessels were clearly shown on the monitors overhead and the view ports below. Also clearly shown were the several hundred Seekers who stood and knelt on their hulls, their weaponry pointed directly at him.

-0-Omega

Prowl looked up and tapped the table. Prime turned from Ironhide and looked at him. "The Seekers are leaving."

They looked at the map on the table, its layout showing the green lights of the enemy Seekers moving away, leaving the migration and their battle group behind. "Theories?" Prime asked.

"There are several. They could be leaving to go to Soundwave whose fort is in that general direction. They could be leaving altogether. They might not want to come to us but they might have decided to leave Paragon. Starscream and the Elders were pretty brutal. Arrow, the leader might have something known or unknown in mind. Then again, Paragon might have them scouting for a location in which to set up a base of operations. Either they are on their own and are truly an unknown, or they are doing his bidding. Either way, not good for us."

Prime nodded. "I would put them in the scouting category. The youth said that they were going to a place to gather others. It could be that the Seekers are going there now. Track them on the long distance system. I want to know where they land if we can manage that. If it appears that they are setting up shop around here then we will build a sensor grid that reaches out to them."

Prowl nodded. He rose walking to the flight deck to talk to Rem and the communications officer there. Prime sat back. "This might not be the disaster it seems to be. Soundwave has a fort in this direction. Now Paragon. Megatron is the common thread for all of us."

"We want him gone. They could be the bullets. We just have to be the right caliber gun," Ironhide said nodding.

Prime nodded back.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

The space bridge opened, its violent vortex settling. As it did a flight of Seekers burst through followed by five hundred ships and a number of smaller military vessels carrying the sick and injured. Those were given priority to land and they disappeared into the atmosphere of the orangish-red planet below. The rest took up re-entry orbits waiting for permission to land.

Seekers flying air traffic control gathered their portion of the orbital line up waiting the call to take them downward. On the ground ships were landing and taxiing where they were directed. Lines of civilians were waiting for them. Medical and administrative civilians were waiting for them. Autobot soldiers and Home Guard civilians stood around the air field for security.

Nearby on the shipping crates, the humans of Mars were watching the brilliant precision of the reclamation while some filmed it. Ships were taxied forward. Their passengers were helped off, paired up with a civilian or two to help them and led away to various stations set up around the city. Doctors and aides took the emotionally and mentally distraught gently to runabouts for airlift to the three hospitals. The grim, the grateful, the agonized and the sick were given gentle professional handling as they were taken into care.

The ships were stripped of their possessions which were labeled and taken to a warehouse in the hangar district for storage until they could be returned to their owners. Databases and other electronics were taken, labeled and hauled away for study and later return. Only then were the ships moved. There were no Guardians here to pick them up so they were towed expertly away if they were on their last legs.

:They are so good at this: Warren Roberts said.

Sam Witwicky nodded, himself just arriving in the city. :They have a lot of practice and face it. When did a human mind ever top a machine mind at anything?:

Warren thought about it. :Beats me:

Sam nodded and watched as more ships began to take the place of those who were moved. It would go on for two orns. Endlessly.

-0-The Rogue Seekers

They flew onward heading into the distance, their sensors flung wide and interlocked. They were looking for a secure system, preferably one with a decent sun, several habitable planets and energy sources. They could use geothermic, solar and/or mineral bases for their needs. A decent energon strike, if even small would be welcomed. Manufacturing energon from other sources was more than adequate but lacked the taste and undefinable extra something that real energon had.

They flashed through the Oort Cloud, a zone that stretched from just inside the Sol System to one quarter of the way to Proxima Centauri unaware that the two factions would share the same material space. This space was the home ground of billions of comets, icy conglomerates, fragments and aggregations of failed planets and other ancient debris. They were only marginally aware of other alien groups using the same space. Some were traders passing through. Some were wandering civilizations unused to or needful of a permanent place to live. Some were old civilizations that lived here for all the existence of their species. They gave no offense and expected none. That they could pretty much annihilate aggressors was a good thing since they were peaceful otherwise on their own.

Arrow spotted a large planetary fragment surrounded by a halo of smaller ones. Flying toward it, he landed and stood waiting for his flight. They landed and looked at him waiting. He turned slowly scanning the surrounding areas. Breaking up his flight into several would cover more ground he considered as he thought about where each group would go. As he turned, he stopped. Pausing, rechecking his data, he glanced at the others. :Wait here: With that, he stepped off and floated on the thrust of his boosters toward a haze of fragments nearby. Pausing, he gripped one or two, then turned and floated back landing in the middle of his crew. :Look at this:

They moved closer and scrutinized the debris in his servos. "That's energon," a large mech said taking a piece. He had been their group's energon specialist. He looked at it breaking it apart in his servos. The unmistakeable light blue glow of energon could clearly be seen. "Primus," he whispered. He licked it and analyzed the flavor. Glancing sharply at Arrow, he grinned. "This is Class B energon. Raw Class B."

The game was changed instantly.

-0-At the end of the line

Sunstreaker floated between the small gathering of ships that had fallen to the end of the line. The manifest declared that there were no others left to find. Conversations with the stragglers confirmed that. Half the migration had faded but they were moved forward to join the stalled group at the line of confrontation. These were the last, those the main group were forbidden to assist. They were the most in need of support and he did his best treating the injured, stabilizing the ill and by his fierce gentleness assuaging the majority of their paralyzing fears.

Sideswipe was moving among other ships all of them being scoured for need and endangerment. By the time they met up at the last vessel, all of them had been helped. Wreckers moved here and there writing on the hulls, getting stalled equipment to work, refueling the vessels for the last short hop to safety. Refugees stared out the windows watching, the journey and its cares clear on their faces.

:This is the last one. This whole group needs priority. Springer: Sunstreaker said.

:Springer:

:This group needs to go now:

:Standby:

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe. :We need to kick the 'Cons in the aft:

:We do. When this is done, we can go back and help do security: Sideswipe said as he floated above the last ship with his brother. :This is fragged. If we have to fight every time a group comes, Prime is going to have a fit:

Sunstreaker nodded. :I know:

:Springer to medic teams. Report to the ships. We have go for the group. They get medical priority. Optimus is telling them now. We will be here until the Seekers come through and take them in, then we have to go give security to the rest:

:Affirmative: Sunstreaker said as he watched the faces of refugees nearby in ships as they listened to Optimus tell them they were going to come to safety. There were tears and utter disbelief as they listened, then some turned to face them. A few waved. Others just looked at them with love and gratitude. They both waved back as Seekers burst through the space bridge. They turned around and gathered the vessels, all of them moving as well as they could to form a group. When that was accomplished they slowly moved to the bridge, two of them being flown by Seekers and entered, disappearing into the darkness and home. The bridge fell into nothingness behind them.

Hanging in the darkness, staring at the empty space around them, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined the others heading for the Wrecker battle fighters. When they were all aboard, the hatches closed and they jumped to full speed to head back to the battle group once more.

-0-Paragon

He sat on the throne of his command deck musing over the information that Arrow had given him. They had found energon fragments in the debris field. They were of a grade he had only read about. Class B. Maybe there was higher grades around. They would have to search with great care. Beyond the area where it was found were wandering planets with moons. There was no sun nearby to illuminate their darkness but they could take care of that themselves. What they needed most, they had.

Staring at the screens where diagrams of the reclamation were displayed in great technical detail, Paragon watched as another bridge lit up the darkness. Sensor readings told him that the stragglers had been rounded up and retrieved, the space bridge facilitating that winking out at last. Now it had reappeared. Prime was a very technologically advanced mech he considered.

They would have to spend some time digging in and developing their own infrastructure. They would send new coordinates to the groups that were coming to meet up with him. Gathering his own power base would take time and effort. But they would do it. What they wouldn't do is bother any more migrations again. Nothing would happen that would draw Prime toward him until he was in a better position to withstand the scrutiny. His plans were still in order. They didn't change just because of this. He would follow them on his inexorable march to victory and dominion of Cybertron. Then he would turn and deal with Prime.

He glanced at his communications officer. "Open a channel to Prime." He nodded and made it so. "Prime, this is Paragon."

After a moment, Prime answered. "Prime here."

"We have decided to rescind our request for help, Prime. We are going to be taking our leave of this migration. In future, you can depend on the surety that migrations will pass our dominion unharmed."

It was silent a moment. "Just like that," Prime replied.

"I know. It's very strange to me as well but we find nothing of value in the refugee flood and give them over to you to care for. We cannot do it ourselves. We are going to be leaving. Our weapons will be powered down. I am asking for your word that we can go unmolested."

Optimus Prime sat considering the request, Prowl and Ironhide watching him. "We live in this sector peacefully. Our reputation in the universe has been sullied. Don't make it worse by being stupid. I can only assume you are moving on for a distance. I would remind you that we can field battalions through our bridges any distance in a moment's notice. You would do well to leave and go far away. We will destroy you if you ever set foot here again. On that, you have my word."

"Your threat is noted," Paragon said smoothly. "We are leaving now."

He turned and nodded to his helmsman who sent the message through the group.

Prime and his team sat watching as the hatch opened and Starscream entered. He walked forward and sat down with them. "That slagger is regrouping. Something pulled him away, something that he could use for his needs. I think, Prime, that he found his own energon source in the Cloud."

"I agree with you, Starscream. He wouldn't leave unless he could refuel. I think we have another enemy at our flanks," Prime said nodding.

"One more slagger to slag," Ironhide said darkly as Prowl nodded.

"This mech is a strategist," Prowl said. "He works from logic and exploits everything to his advantage. I would concur with Starscream. They found energon in the debris or maybe even another seeded planet. This is going to be a long game."

"As long as they don't have bridges or make alliances with Soundwave, we can play them against each other, Prime," Starscream said. "I feel that they will be too clever by half. They will be foolish like Megatron. Dominionists always overreach."

"I agree," Optimus said looking at his team grimly. "If they bring a pipe to a fight, we bring a knife. If they bring a gun, we bring a warship. We need to look for our people and get them where they are and not hope they come to us. We need to search for them. I don't want them ever to be pawns in a standoff again. He said we have free rein on migrations but when he sets up and feels strong enough, he will use them against us. We can't allow that. Ever."

The others nodded. Starscream sat back against the hull. "Count on it, Prime."

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	166. Chapter 166

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 2

-0-Air field, Autobot City, Mars

They sat on the shipping crates, their legs dangling as they watched the reclamation as it continued unabated. Ships were brought down, passengers sorted and sent off with either medical personnel or happy civilians who gently helped them along. Their personal belongings were gathered and tagged, their databases claimed, the ships stripped of all the 'easy stuff', then towed away. More came with every batch that left. It was like waves lapping against the shore.

:I missed the game. I caught it on the MCA channel 1. I think I can't love football enough, then the Martian League comes around. You know what I mean?: Sam asked glancing at Bobby Epps.

:I hear ya. It gets better with each game. I'm surprised there aren't any deaths: he replied.

Sam nodded. :You know, the football games are good for humans to watch. They see that we're completely outclassed against the Decepticons every time the lines come together. Even humans that hate Cybertronians get it:

:Good: Epps said grimly. :The idiots better. I can't go against these people by myself:

Sam nodded as they watched a big liner crawl to a stop and the hatch open. A large ramp came down and at the top a pair of Autobot medics emerged, one talking to the ground crew and one leaning back inside to speak to the crowd that they could see through the liner windows. When whatever it was had been sorted out, they began to come out, the stretchers first.

The humans watched as the group began to gather on the tarmac, a lot of children among their numbers. They had no idea if they were orphans gathered or infants born on the Diaspora. That was the thing, Sam thought. Each one of them have a story but what was it? Where had they been? What had it felt like to hear Optimus? All of that he thought about while he watched. Glancing at the others including the new humans and the scientists, he could see the same thoughts on their faces.

A group began to walk to the Port of Entry stations that were set up to sort out the preliminary inductions. A long row of tables supported computers and mechs who worked under the direction of Blondi. She was standing in front of a large group explaining in her kind way what would happen next.

The refugees had the same overwhelmed, shell-shocked expressions on their faces. They hadn't expected a full blown city with major amenities and wide open opportunities. They hadn't expected to see Cybertronian architecture and tens of thousands of their own people working so hard for them. They had expected to see Seekers among them, maybe even working to help them like they were. But not so many. They had not expected bridges and Guardians, Metroplex and Fortress Maximus. They had expected considerably less.

Many of them stood silent in their tearful amazement. Some wept openly. They were dazed, all of them. Their infants stared around wide opticed, some clinging to their family members, some venturing a little bit around to see it all for the first time. It would become an indelible memory, the orn they arrived in the promised land.

All around them was the energy of hope and the genuine application of kindness. Here was a home that was defended and they were being taken in with all the possibilities being explained. They could go to school, work at jobs they liked, learn jobs they always dreamed about but could never have and live in a decent home with plentiful food. The Prime ruled the colony and the planet with the justness of one who bore the greatest Matrix ever devised by their people, the Matrix that carried the essence of Primus himself.

Many were among them that felt shock to see the gleaming roof of the Temple of Simfur in their midst. Many was the grateful refugee who was greeted by the gentle priests and their accolytes. That segment of their existence had been lost forever, or so many of them thought. Too many. Yet, here it was restored under the rule of Optimus Prime. This place was blessed. This place was holy. They were going to be allowed to live here, work here, be protected and cared for here.

It was overwhelming.

Processor health aides walked among the throng pausing here and there, sometimes taking a little group out of line to a station where they could be evaluated for treatment. Those who had been wounded or were ill beyond the ability to walk were gently removed from ships and placed in runabouts, their families taken into servo by techs who would march them through intake, then send them to the hospital to be with their family members.

It was astonishing.

The numbers were even more so. Fully 186,000+ had already been processed and taken to their homes so far. Terra would manage the bulk of the influx with the new housing additions coming online in a decaorn. There were at least nearly a quarter million waiting to be brought to the city. It was dizzying to the humans.

:I can't imagine having to do this on Earth. They are so … what's the word? Docile?: Jack Mellar mused.

:Shocked maybe," Leonora said as he watched a little infant hiding in their genitor's legs as he stared at the humans. She waved and he ducked back, peering out after a moment. :I think they are exhausted and hopeful. They know they are going to be safe after all that insecurity. I admire them. All of them: She waved again and the infant looked at her for a moment before the ghost of a smile formed on his little green face. Then he ducked back into the safety of his family again.

-0-Ops Center, Fort Apache, Out there

"The 'Cons are moving away, 'Jack," Alor said as he looked up from the map on the table.

Blackjack who was holding a sleepy Hero turned and walked to the table staring as the gleaming lights of the enemy began to pull out of the line up. "Prime's letting them go."

"He's sort of up against it," Alor said nodding. He squeezed Hero's ped. The infant grinned. So did her grandada. "He can't afford a shooting war. Maybe you can call and get his thinking on this."

Blackjack nodded and turned walking to the communications station. "I need Prime, Lexus."

The big mech nodded and complied. "Prime here."

"Prime, what is the theory behind letting them move off?" Blackjack asked.

"We don't want shooting. Right now, we figure they found an energy source. We're going to shadow them to find out where they settle. That part of the surveillance will fall to you and your crew. We're going to have to beef up the deep space arrays and dishes where you are. He's a sore spot but he's also seeking dominion of Cybertron. The more daggers Soundwave and Megatron have at their throats, the more it works for us."

Blackjack nodded. "I agree. Do you want me to alert Sciences that the sensor grid needs an overhaul?"

"That would be advisable. In the meantime, we are going to redirect the small gate to the fort. Wheeljack has been working on portable bridges, even some that can fit on ships. We will have to have a big discussion. We now have two enemy installations forming close enough to us to be a bother, if not a major threat."

"Affirmative. I will call Sciences now," Blackjack said.

"Atar."

"What?" Blackjack asked with a slight grin.

"How is Hero?"

"I think she wants to move in with us, Ironhide." There was a pause and Blackjack could feel the angst filter over the link. "Do you want me to hold your servo while you cry?"

"Ha-ha," Ironhide said at last. "I'll be back to get her."

"I'm sure you will," Blackjack said with a chuckle.

"How's old mech holding out? Is the rush too much or what?" Ironhide asked.

"Ratchet is managing just fine. There aren't that many terribly out of sorts refugees. They are more in the line of starved, ill or less than massively damaged. They are doing a yeoman's job, Ironhide."

"That's good. We still have the majority here but the threat level is falling. We'll be back when we are," Ironhide said.

"We'll be here. Loving on the infant. I'm holding her now. She's smiling at me. I think it means she wants to move in with us," 'Jack said with a smirk.

There was a pause. "You really are a slagger aren't you."

"You had to get yours from somewhere," 'Jack said with a grin.

"You didn't get it from me," Alor interjected. "Get done and get home, all of you."

"We will," Ironhide said before signing off.

Alor looked at 'Jack with a smirk. "That's youngling abuse, you old reprobate."

"Serves him right having such wonderful younglings. I would take all of them in myself if they didn't have such a good home," Blackjack said smiling at his granddaughter. She smiled at him. "Maybe they can overnight with us when we get back. Sort of on a rotating schedule."

Alor smiled. "You won't get an argument out of me." He took the baby. "Go get with Sciences. It's my turn now."

Blackjack snorted and pulled up a chair before a monitor. "Slagger," he said with a grin.

-0-At the Trigger

Sciences had rerouted the call to the Trigger where Wheeljack and Perceptor were working to run their part of the reclamation. Sitting down before a monitor, the two looked at the image of Blackjack. "What's up, 'Jack?" Wheeljack asked.

"We have to beef up the deep space arrays and the dishes. Paragon is moving off and Prime believes he's forting up around an energy source."

"Slag," Wheeljack said. "There must be energon fragments in the Cloud that we haven't reached yet."

"Or worse, a seeded transient planet. There are a number of free ranging bodies out there. Maybe they are refuse from the formation of this system that are trapped in the Oort Cloud."

"Could be," Wheeljack replied. "We will do a complete redesign. I think we also need to set up arrays out in space beyond your fort. If we can set up about four we can link them and extend our reach into the Cloud. That will be a problem you know, the Cloud. Its filled with reflectives and the density of that much ice and slag is a problem in some areas. The ambient radiation isn't the biggest factor but it is one. This is doable."

"Good," Blackjack said nodding. "What is the word on the new bridges? I hear you're working on putting some on ships. That would be outstanding. We could place mechs inside enemy ships that way without them knowing we could. It would also be important to be able to scan and receive schematics of the ship's interior before we send our troops in. That should be considered too."

Wheeljack nodded. "We will. Optics will be incredibly important. We have two prototypes for ships. There were ship bridges back in the orn but they were primitive compared to these. One is for a large ship that can shift big loads or large groups of soldiers wherever they are needed to go. The other is for small ships and will be of necessity smaller in their capacity. They will be coming up for testing shortly. I think equipping your based vessels with them would be imperative. You never know what you will be expected to do out there."

Blackjack nodded. "I know." They talked a bit more, then signed off, the big black Autobot returning to the table to sit. He studied the map, then looked at Hero who had been staring at him for a while. He grinned. She did too. Blackjack of Praxus was in love.

-0-On the City of Solitude

Bluestreak stood by a window watching the scene outside. He was going to transfer to Gamma to help Ratchet when a runabout was due. They had come to fight but they had stood down the enemy. It was good. For him, it was victory. He would rather come to show the flag and scare bad mechs away than fight. He hated fighting with all his spark.

Sunstreaker had told him about the stragglers. He and Sideswipe were field medics for that forward team. He was proud of them. They had only rudimentary knowledge about medicine before Autobot City. All of them had. They knew how to plug holes and do field patches until a real doctor could be found. But now, both of them knew actual medicine. That was something awesome to the quiet winger who felt their sparkling energy over the trine bond.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw the command crew working quietly, all of them relieved that the enemy had departed. The conversations with Paragon had played over their comm system and he had listened. He had never heard of Paragon before now. He didn't like the idea of them going off without restrictions but Optimus knew what he was doing.

Soon, they would go home. It was a good thing too. Sideswipe was due to work in the school for his shift as a genitor. He knew that both the twins hated to miss that duty. Watching Kaon and the girls excel fixed a lot of bad things inside both of them. They were genuinely dedicated servos-on genitors and that made him proud too.

A large group of ships began to move forward escorted by fifty Seekers. They entered the bridge and were gone. He watched as many more came to take their place, gathering in larger numbers now that the enemy was gone. They would be at this one more orn, then they would all go home. It couldn't be too soon he thought as he watched the intensity outside the view port.

-0-TBC

2013 (1) Ship based space bridges are canon. :D


	167. Chapter 167

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 3

-0-Out there

They stood on a planetoid that was part of three which were left over fragments from the early formation of the solar system which Prime ruled. The cloud was aptly named although they had no idea that it was called that. It was just the debris field that would now be home. This was the biggest planetoid, one large enough to settle a very big contingent of Decepticons without much trouble. There were two others that would handle overflow or air fields, whatever his design would call for.

Floating nearby, dozens of pieces of ice circled their planetoid and in them were crystals of energon. It had been part of a larger cache that had been seeded they knew by ancient drone Seekers. The system had fragments going out for some ways. Some were as small as grains of sand, others were very large pure veins, enough to fuel and meet their needs for an enormous amount of time. And that was what they had found scanning just the local area. It was thrilling.

:This will be our home base: Paragon said as he turned slowly taking in the vistas. :There is a great amount of stone with which to build. We can build a steel making facility and reinforce all our structures. We'll start underground. If they come and attack us, that will be the easiest to defend. We will begin to refine the energon as well:

:Its such a pure grade: the Seeker who was their energon expert said, :We don't have to use much to make a lot. This is so pure that a little bit goes a long way:

Paragon nodded. :I want you to survey this system. I want every grain of it accounted for. If we are energon autonomous, we are free:

He nodded.

Paragon looked at Arrow. :We can put our ships down here to be our temporary quarters. We can make repairs and rebuild them to higher specifications. Prime is technologically advanced and has a large base of expertise to draw from. We will be at a disadvantage until our allies arrive. Until then, we stand at a war footing and work around the clock to get dug in and ready to stand off anyone and everything that would strike us:

They nodded and turned, heading out to do what was asked of them. When the ships were landed, crews would be working everywhere on everything. 8,500 soldiers and 300 Seekers would be making their position secure while Paragon would be planning for the arrival of more.

-0-At the reclamation

Prime sat by the window watching the stars sweep by. They were heading back to Fort Apache, the reclamation firmly under control of the many ships and their commanders further out. Starscream on Silverbolt was given operational command of the process and would come back last ship the next orn when everyone else was safely through the bridge. For now, they themselves were superfluous.

They slipped into orbit around the Fortress and stepped into a runabout heading for the installation below. Stepping out, they walked to Ops Center entering through the rec room. Alor who was sitting at the command table grinned. "I see you have signed off."

"We did," Optimus said with a grin. "Starscream has it well in servo."

"Who would have thought?" Alor said with a chuckle.

Optimus grinned and nodded. "I know. The cognitive dissonance is still there sometimes."

"I'm sure it is for him too," Alor said watching as Ironhide moved to stand behind his atar.

Being well brought up and respectful of his genitors, Ironhide didn't dare ask for his daughter. He just stood behind his father waiting expectantly to be handed his little femme. His father, well aware that his son was well brought up held the little femme which he had come to adore as much as all the other infants knowing full well that Ironhide would never ask for her.

It was a standoff.

Alor smirking at both turned to Optimus, determined to let them hash out their dilemma alone. "We have about 80,000 refugees left to go."

"That's good. How is it back on Mars?" Optimus said sitting, one optic fixed on Ironhide's emotionally charged face. The depth of his angst was hilarious. The depth of his good manners was working against him. Best show in town.

"The reclamation is going smoothly. They had to take a few mechs into custody due to mental anguish. They wanted to fight and are in the psyche ward of the hospital. Jarro's preliminary report is that they had thought they were back on Cybertron and wanted to hurt someone."

Alor considered that. "The effect must be incredibly jarring. I can remember it myself. I am still unclear fully that this is actually happening."

"You should have been here from the beginning. It would be worse," Ironhide said nodding. "The five of us and a hangar on a forward base. That was it."

Alor nodded looking at Prime. "It is a slagging miracle but I'm not surprised. You are The One."

Prime grinned slightly. "Thank you but this is a major servos on project by all of us."

"Maybe," Ironhide said glancing over his father's shoulder. Hero spotted him and smiled. She tweeted softly. Blackjack grinned. "Are you tweeting to your old grandpa?" he asked to be ornery. "Did you hear that, Ali? She tweeted to me."

Alor snorted and grinned, glancing at Ironhide who looked like he was going to plotz. Yet still, he kept his manners intact even as his tear ducts began to fill up. Alor looked fixedly at Blackjack. "Is there something you need to do, 'Jack?"

Blackjack who was enjoying himself immensely nodded. "Yes. Jetta still doesn't know his brother has been found but I told Elita. She is elated. She really loves Mack. She said to hold the news until Mack gets there. She says he's as haywire as Jetta about staying and doing stuff before taking care of himself. Whoever raised those two younglings did a slagging fine job."

"I remember their genitors. Really nice mechs," Optimus said accessing an old video file. "I never did see much of Mack after he got older. But Jetta is one of the oldest mechs I know."

Blackjack nodded. "It's covered."

"Are you going back to the city now?" Alor asked.

"I think so. It might be helpful to meet and greet as well as check the stats on this and the intel on the situations on Earth. I think barring Paragon making trouble, that's the next set of fires to put out." He rose and looked at Ironhide. "Let's go. Comm Ratchet and see what's up with him. If he can come back, we'll wait. If not, we'll go now."

Ironhide nodded, pausing for a moment. Then with intense angst, he turned and walked to the door and beyond. Blackjack watched him go with a grin, then winced as Alor punched his arm. "Are you going to let him hold his daughter or do I punch you again?"

"I will," Blackjack said rising, a big grin on his face. He turned and walked to the door heading into the rec room. As he did, a big black shadow turned and followed him. With a swiftness that belied his size, Ironhide relieved his father of the infant, pausing to gloat at him with triumph. "Ha-ha."

Blackjack showing a finesse that even Alor hadn't known he possessed relieved Ironhide of the infant and turned to walk onward. "Ha-ha yourself, you slagger."

Ironhide who stood staring at his servos turned and followed purposefully after his atar until they disappeared together out of the door.

Alor who was watching grinned. "Those two are hopeless."

Optimus who was laughing nodded. "That's true," he said squeezing Alor's arm. "Let me know if things change. We're a space bridge away."

Alor nodded and watched as they left, then turned back to the desk and the business of keeping all the plates spinning in the air.

-0-On the other side

They slipped through the atmosphere, the enormous bulk of Omega getting priority. The detachable decal of the Primes affixed to his hull gleamed alongside the enormous Autobrand. Whenever a Prime flew in a ship, the decal of the Primes was affixed to its side. They descended and landed near the hangars exiting together. Ratchet was still on Gamma helping the medical relief. Prowl was still on the City of Solitude soon to come through the gate with the next wave of cleared ships.

The twins were with the Wreckers back on board the Xantium. They would come through with the third group after Prowl. The Wrecker heavy fighters would remain along with half of the allotted Seekers to guard the remaining operation. The rest would come back to base to stand down on Code Yellow for the duration of the reclamation. They would be free to step back into their lives but on call if anything bad happened.

Walking toward the Port of Entry, they were spotted by refugees who turned and mobbed them. Prime was touched, thanked, hugged and otherwise worshiped by the grateful exhausted and utterly awestruck thousands. The word rippled out to the masses and they pressed forward. Prime moved to a shipping box and climbed on top. Opening a frequency that all could hear, he began. "Welcome to Autobot City," he said before being drowned out by a massive roar so spark felt it made optics water. "We are honored to have you here safely. You will be housed, treated medically and offered opportunity. All of our infants go to school. That is the law," he said as the crowd hushed at the unbelievable idea of universal education. "You will be given the opportunity to do so too, infants and adults. There are jobs here that need you. You may choose what you want to do. The System is dead. I cannot emphasize it enough." He looked at the crowd, spotting high castes here and there. They were blank slates, their expressions the same as everyone else's: exhausted, worn out and weary to their spark.

"We don't allow the system and if you have a problem with that go to the Temple and talk to the priests. They will counsel you on the new life we have devised. You are protected. We have worked a miracle here. Decepticons have come to live among us and they are among our most dedicated citizens. Seekers are as well. There is no discord among us over faction. That part of our history is dead. No agitation will be allowed. You will be jailed if you try. We live by Cybertronian law, fairly applied and decently settled. You are equal to everyone else here. We all are one."

The crowd murmured, then began to chant. "Until all are one! Until all are one!" It continued onward and then settled, the crowd training their attention back to the revered figure of their Prime.

"We are indeed all one. We all work for the common good. When you get settled use the Community Bulletin Board to find out what the opportunities are for you. Look at the maps. Walk around the city, eat at the restaurants, get what you need to be comfortable. You will be a part of our new Cybertron when you join us to work for the future and all the lost civilians, Seekers and soldiers who are trying to reach us even now. If you know anything about the galaxy out there make sure you tell your intake official. Remember, you are welcome here. You are safe. We all are one."

The roar was enormous and when he stepped down he was engulfed. It took a while to get things straightened out but the lines began to move again, this time with more zest and ease. Prime glanced at Ironhide who was standing slightly behind him with a 'cat ate canary' expression on his face. :You look happy:

Ironhide patted his hold where Hero was stowed, humming and playing with her dollie in the warmth of the center of her atar. :Got what I need:

Prime snorted and grinned. :Hopeless:

:Can't make me feel badly, Prime: Ironhide said as they stood receiving grateful individuals. They would stay there until the last ship landed.

-0-RTR Tools

Ravel stood by the grinder smoothing the edge of a tool handle. Standing on a stool, Sunspot watched carefully. "That is so great, Grandada. You are so good at that. I bet there is no one who can do it as good as you."

Ravel smiled and leaned over kissing Sunspot on the helm. "I have had a lot of practice, Sunny Bunny. Some day, you will be so good at this that mechs will stand in line to get your tools."

"They do that here," he said turning to look as the door bell rang. Grandatar was working on a steel mold in the warehouse so they were the ones who would 'help the customers, Grandada'. Three youngling mechs entered and stood staring around. They looked at Ravel as he walked around the corner pausing by the counter. "Hello, younglings. What can I do for you?"

"You make the greatest knives," one of them said with a smile. "I just got here on the migration. I want to get a knife for my ada. He lost his. I think it would make him feel a lot better if he had something he remembers from home."

"Your ada is sad to be here?" Ravel asked as Sunspot came around the corner to stand beside him.

"No," the youngling said. "He's just so tired. He looked at the pack he had with him and the knife must have fallen out."

"They gather things off ships and store them until they can be returned. Maybe its in that," Ravel said helpfully.

"I hope so," the youngling said. "It belonged to his ada."

"What kind is it, youngling. Let's see if we can find one like it."

Ravel pulled a tray from below that held a sample of all their many beautiful knives including several that were already chosen by others. "Is it like one of these?"

They looked at the knives, wowing for a moment, then he pointed at one. "It was like this one."

Ravel noted that that particular knife was slated for someone else, someone who had been in the city a long time. It only had to be engraved. "Then this one he will have." Ravel pulled it out and put the tray away.

"I don't have any shanix," the young mech said haltingly. "I thought I could work for you to pay for it."

Ravel smiled seeing in the youngling something of himself. "You don't have to do that. I make things and preserve my skill. You commission things and get what you want. We don't have a money economy here. All you have to do is work or go to school. Find a way to earn your keep that way and improve yourself too, youngling. But first, make sure you rest up. The city is wonderful. Explore it for a few orns."

"I love it here already. We took the subway to our home in Terra. We have an apartment, one with enough berthrooms for each of us to have our own," he marveled as the others nodded. "I have never lived in a place so beautiful. I thought it was a mistake," he said with a trace of awe in his voice. The others nodded, his brother and cousin.

"It's your new home. What do you want to do with your life? You look like sub adults ready for university or work," Ravel said.

"I want to be a pilot," the youngling said. "At least, I always hoped to be one."

"Then be one," Ravel said simply.

Sunspot nodded. "I want to be a doctor and a soldier. I also want to be a fireman."

They looked down at Sunspot, peering over the counter to see him smiling up at them. "I think that's great," the youngling said with a grin. "You have a lot of dreams."

"I do," Sunny said with a smile. "You can here."

They looked at him, then Ravel. Grinning, he nodded. "I would like that knife for my ada please."

Ravel smiled. "Come on back and tell me names and verses. I'll engrave it and you can have it in a moment."

They did. Sunny followed and perched on his stool. He regaled them of the stories of his own life in the Decepticons and here in paradise with his family. He would do so innocently, unaware of the appalling horror they all felt for his life up until now. When they left, they had a new knife and a greater appreciation for the lucky situation they found themselves in. Three orns later, they would apply for professions and be accepted. It would be the first orn of a new life for them all.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	168. Chapter 168

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 4

-0-On the Air Field

The last ships landed including the Wrecker heavy fighters and Silverbolt. The space bridge which had become more and more visible as the evening gathered finally flickered out. The lines were still long but the need was lowered as these were the healthiest and calmest refugees in the migration.

The twins rolled down the ramp of their heavy fighter and sped toward City of Solitude, pausing beside Silverbolt who had just lowered his ramp. Starscream appeared and walked downward stopping at the bottom. "You two. I see you survived."

Sideswipe grinned. "We do in tribute to you, Starscream," he said.

Starscream rolled his optics and marched on as Bluestreak and another soldier appeared in the doorway of City of Solitude nearby. He grinned and walked down to be surrounded in the arms of the two worst bad asses in the army. "Hi," he said happily as Sideswipe grabbed his duffel. They turned and began to head toward the city.

Nearby standing on the top step of his ship, Mack and his committee of leadership for the migration stared out. They were stunned by the scene before them, of the organization and the greatness of the city. It was a genuinely Cybertronian metropolis and he was overwhelmed for a moment as were the others. Then he moved walking down the steps to the ground below.

Tarmac.

There was real tarmac beneath his peds. Not dirt.

All around them ships were parked, being moved, unloading and some were even being carried by Guardians. There were crowds near an information station that read 'Port of Entry-Intake for Refugees'. As he stood staring he felt a servo touch his arm. Glancing back, he froze. He stared a moment, then stepped forward enveloping Elita into his arms. "Elita," he said with a shocked voice. "You made it."

She grinned and hugged him. Then she looked at him with a smile. "Come with me. I'll take you to the VIP you need to see now."

-0-Ironhide

He turned and looked at Ravel who had come with Tie and Sunspot to the Port of Entry. Sunspot hurled himself at Ironhide who picked him up for a giant hug. "Hey, Sunspot. Were you a good little mech?"

"He was. Very very good, Ironhide," Ravel said with a smile. "He is learning how to make tools too."

Ironhide grinned and kissed his son who clung to him. "You are a right smart little mech, Sunny."

"I had a good time with Grandada and Grandatar," he said, his voice emanating somewhere from the crook of Ironhide's neck. "They're so nice."

"They are," Ironhide replied. "They took care of all three of you."

"They did," Sunspot said with a grin. "Right now, they're in the army day care."

"We'll get them in a while," Ironhide said hugging Sunspot again. "How did it go? They didn't wear you out too much did they? Little mechs like their routines."

"They do," Tie said with a grin. "I'm afraid we had to have Orion recharge with us. He kept going to the door and pointing at it."

Ironhide nodded. "Sorry about that. Mech likes to do what he does. He doesn't get it that things can be different."

Ravel nodded. "They were so sweet. Praxus is so sweet," Ravel said as he stood petting Sunspot's little yellow ped. "Has Ratchet come in yet?"

"He's out there somewhere. He's not going to the hospital," Ironhide said. "The crews have it in servo. We're just sort of waiting for him to come through the crowd."

Ravel nodded and turned to watch the crowds. "This is so nice. All of our people being found. The city just doubled, Ironhide. Isn't that wonderful?"

Ironhide grinned and nodded. "It is, Ravie."

At that moment, a shout was heard as they turned to see a white arm waving in the crowd. Sunspot wiggled down and ran disappearing into the masses. By the time Ratchet finally made to them he was carrying Sunspot who was holding him tightly. "I made it."

Prime grinned and nodded. "About time."

Ratchet snorted. "You're sure frisky for someone on their peds for three orns."

"The Matrix," Optimus said as the crowd parted and a heavily laden Prowl stepped through. He had a bag of datapads over his shoulder and three rolled maps in arms. "You're late."

Prowl grinned slightly. "You're lucky I made it. I thought the last ship would never leave."

"Debrief or is that for tomorrow?" Ratchet asked.

"Tomorrow," Prime said turning to greet new refugees as Prowl set things down to join him.

"How long will you be here, Ironhide? Maybe I should round up the felons," Ratchet asked.

"Do. I have Hero," he said patting his hold. "Why don't you take your genitors and Sunspot to go get the babies? I'll catch up with you."

"I'll keep some dinner for you," Ratchet said nodding. They turned and made their way through the throngs until they came to the relatively lightly populated highway that led to Mare Tranquilitatis. "How was things? Did they run you over?" Ratchet asked as they walked along.

"Not much," Tie said with a grin.

"That bad, huh," Ratchet said with a knowing look.

"Just about," Ravel said with a chuckle.

They disappeared into the crowds.

-0-At the Fortress

He walked with Elita, his servo in hers as they headed for Ops Center. Entering the command center, Mack paused to look around at the state-of-the-art massive display of Autobot power. The Autobrand on the floor looked at him enigmatically as they stood together. "Where are we going?"

"To a conference room," Elita said tugging him along. They walked through the facility and paused beside a conference room with tinted walls. "Go inside, Mack. I'll be there in a second."

He nodded and walked around her, opening the door and entering. She dialed the tint down and revved her audials up. Mack stood rooted to the floor as an oblivious Jetta sat at the table working on a datapad with something important on it. He didn't see his brother nor did he sense his energy so engrossed in his task was he.

Mack turned slightly, the expression on his face one of a terrible happiness, a deeply painful joy. "Jetta," he managed to say.

The big winger looked up and froze, his optics widening with surprise. He dropped the datapad on the table and sat back as he frantically took in the stranger at the door. He couldn't speak. He could barely move but he lurched to his peds. Leaning against the table, he looked at the apparition before him. He reached out a servo as if to grasp his brother but they were too far apart.

"Jetta," Mack whispered again. He moved and grabbed the older mech holding him tightly. **"JETTA!" **

Jetta gripped him, holding him tightly. His brother, his little brother who he took care of while his genitors slaved in the mines was before him. He held him in his arms. He couldn't believe it. He gripped Mack's shoulders holding them tightly. He scrutinized the younger mech. "Mack ..."

"Jetta, you made it," he whispered. "You got out of jail."

Jetta nodded, a haze of red flashing through his processor. "Mack, you came. You came to me."

"I thought you died in prison. I didn't know that you got out," Mack said.

"Optimus freed me. I joined the Autobots and worked undercover. Mack, are you alright? Are there others in the family here too? Do you know where they are?" Jetta asked.

"I don't know," Mack said. "We had to flee from the plant. I didn't get a chance to go home and see about the others. The city was on fire."

Jetta nodded, then he pulled his brother into his arms. He held him in a death's grip and wailed. Elita who was standing outside watching tinted the windows once more.

-0-At the Youngling Day School in the room of the Army Emergency Day Care Center

Ratchet stood at the door with his genitors for a moment before stepping inside. Sunspot stood with his grandgenitors waiting and watching as the much wished for ada of his life walked in to save the school from his brothers. It had been a hard few orns. When night rolled around the the routine didn't become what they were used to and fussiness invariably set in.

"Hi, Rolo. I'm here to liberate you from the hoodlums," Ratchet said grinning down at the mech who was helping a little femme try to stand.

He grinned. "You know where they are, Ratchet. Help yourself," he said.

"Will do," Ratchet said as he turned to walk to the main room of the facility which was separate from the rest of the school. It was here that many of the sparklings whose genitors were deployed came to be cared for after school. If they had no family to take them at night, they bunked here. If they did, they stayed until they were picked up. It worked out well for everyone.

The main room was filled with familiar little sparklings some of whom reached up for the familiar crazy uncle that they knew so well. Ratchet kissed and hugged his way to the sand box where Praxus was pouring buckets of sand over Orion's helm. They were cackling and enjoying themselves immensely. That is until they saw Ratchet.

"**ADA! WHERE YOU!? I WANT YOU COME ME! WAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"** -Orion

"**ADA! ME! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"** - Praxus

He picked them both up feeling the tingling of sand grains falling off them both sliding down his body. Holding one crying infant in each arm, he turned with a grin and walked to the door. Rolo looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks, Ratchet."

Ratchet snorted. "You're welcome." With that, he turned and walked out of the building, his parents and a plucky little yellow and white Seeker-let in tow.

-0-Moments later

He sat on the couch in the embrace of his grandfather while Ratchet washed Praxus in the sink. Getting the sand out of their infant armor took a lot of patience and resolve. When Praxus was finished, he wrapped the baby in a tower and handed him off to Ravel. Taking Orion to the sink, he plopped him in drenching him with water.

Orion sputtered and looked up at Ratchet with a frown. "Ada!"

"What, shortie?" Ratchet asked drenching him again.

"**ADA! WET ME!"** Orion said looking at Ratchet with deep unhappiness.

"So what," Ratchet said putting his nose structure close to Orion's. That little bot leaned back, a slight uneasy smile on his face. Feeling flummoxed a moment, he gripped Ratchet's face and kissed his nose structure. Sitting back, looking up at Ratchet with a slightly uneasy fake smile, he waited.

Ratchet snorted and grinned. Orion looked relieved. "You are a piece of work. You're sleeping in your own bed tonight, Orion. You already know that Ada is not as nice as Grandada and Grandatar."

He looked at Ratchet, then his genitors who were grinning with amusement nearby. **"ADA! ORION LOVE ADA! LOVE OTHER ADA AND OTHER ATAR!"**

They all blinked a moment. "Other Ada? Other Atar?" He looked at his genitors. "I think he's figured out that you are both but more. Mech is figuring out hard things."

"I can see that," Ravel said with a smile. "He's a very smart little mech."

"Smartaleck little mech," Ratchet said with a grin. He then began to scrub the sand out of Orion's aft. Orion for his part gave a running commentary about how much he wasn't happy. It was all very entertaining. As Ratchet stood holding Orion by one ankle, a bottle brush in the other servo ready to be inserted into unusually hard to reach places, the door opened.

Ironhide stepped inside, a grin on his face, Hero in his arms. "Honey, I'm home."

Even Orion had to grin at that. From upside down in his Ada's servo.

-0-Later that night

"I hear that Jetta has his brother back."

"He does. Its all good."

"I'm glad when things happen that are good, Ironhide. There's been too much of the other."

Pause.

"I wonder who will get arrested tonight? Terra is just about full and they're all newbies."

"I don't know, Ironhide. I imagine that Springer has it in servo."

Pause.

"Ironhide?"

"What?"

"I was thinking about Paragon."

"Yeah?"

"What would Prime do if we let them know that Prime had a family?"

"I don't know. He does. What would that do?"

"I was thinking about Springer, Bumblebee, Arcee and us."

Pause. Huge grin. "That would be hilarious."

"It would."

"You are out of your processor, old mech."

"That's true."

Pause.

"I'm bringing it up at the next staff meeting."

"I'm right behind you, Ratchet."

(grin) "Good night, Only One."

"Good night, Ratchet." (grin)

-0-TBC

2013 (1) Tip of the hat to Megatron Owes Me Money. ;)


	169. Chapter 169

**NOTE:** **OH MY GOD!** I am so happy to have such an awesome readership! I wish I could tell you how important readers are to a writer. Megatron Owes Me Money and everyone out there. I love writing this everyday and I have to because the movie in my head is never ending. :D LeslieM and your friends, **I HUG YOU!** The horses sound **awesome** and **ORION! YOU GET ORION!?** How lucky you are, my dear. All of you at the school, I love you back. I am so happy to entertain. The last time I started a story this big and long it took me 14 years to write it. :D It was a Voyager long form. :D Yeah, I know. I'm nuts. It was supposed to be one piece and ended up an endless journey. That is what this feels like. Rcollege, please tell everyone there that you are the best. **HUGGGGGGGGSSSSSSSS!**

-0-And now, let's canter back to the story **SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 5

-0-The next morning, Autobot City, Mars

"**IRONHIDE!"**

"**WHAT!?"**

"**GET YOUR AFT OUT OF THE BERTH AND HELP ME HERE!"**

Ironhide opened an optic and glanced around. He was splayed on the berth face down. No youngling was in sight. The chaos outside in the rest of the apartment however was noticeable. He rolled over and rose slowly, his joints creaking for a moment. Peeking out, he sat infants forted up under the table, one sitting on a chair grinning while Hero sat on the bouncy chair on the table grinning at Ratchet.

Ratchet was standing before the table servos on hip assemblies as he glared down at the two botlets under the table. "Come here, you little slaggers and let me … hug you."

"**ADA! ADA MAD! ORION HIDE! COME GET ME!" **he screeched with barely contained screechiness.

"If you think speaking in good sentences will allow you to keep your body parts intact ..." Ratchet said moving forward.

"He sure can talk," Ironhide said as he walked out and paused.

Ratchet turned and fixed him with a gimlet optic. **"HE SURE CAN! HOW** **ABOUT HELPING ME HERE!?"**

Ironhide grinned. "You mean to tell me that two little toe biters are getting the best of you?"

Ratchet looked at Ironhide a moment, then reached under and grabbed at whatever he could reach. Pulling Praxus out, the tiny bot hanging upside down by his ped in his fuming Ada's servo, the baby grinned. **"ATAR!"** he said with a giant smile.

Taking that little bot, Ironhide hugged him, kissing his little cheek. "I suppose bathing is in order."

"It would help," Ratchet said looking at Ironhide with a pointed expression.

Ironhide turned and walked into the berthroom heading for the wash rack. Putting Praxus on a stand, he began to scrub the baby. "Atar."

"Praxus."

Praxus smiled. "Atar." He smiled in expectation.

"Praxus," Ironhide replied with a grin of his own.

Praxus crossed his arms across his tummy in hilarity, laughing loudly. Then the hose hit him and he sputtered. Looking at Ironhide, he laughed loudly. **"ATAR! YOU FUNNY!"**

Ironhide paused as he stared at the tiny grinner looking up at him. "Where did you get those words?"

"From the hoodlum," Ratchet said standing in the doorway. He stood with his servos on his hips, Orion hanging by one ped as he did. That little bot was cackling and laughing, singing weirdly as he enjoyed the view.

Upside down.

"What are you mad about, old mech?" Ironhide said as he grinned at his oldest smallest son.

"Your boy here," Ratchet said holding a dangling Orion up for his atar to see, "has learned how to open his trap door if you get what I mean."

Ironhide paused and looked at Orion. "He has? That takes two numbers to release."

"You don't think he wasn't watching all this time?" Ratchet asked as he crossed his arms in aggravation over his chest, Orion still dangling happily upside down like a very cute ragamuffin dollie.

"No. He's really smart," Ironhide said as he soaped Praxus up again. "What are you mad about?"

"He did it on the kitchen floor."

Ironhide paused, then continued. "Oh."

Ratchet grinned and moved closer. "You are a slacker for recharging past me and avoiding the crap details."

"I wash them every orn. I help feed and water them. I am even known to park them in the chairs of doom when necessary," Ironhide said smirking at Ratchet. "What more do you need from a steady servos-on atar than what I put on the table?"

Ratchet smirked and watched as Praxus was rinsed. Wrapping the baby in a towel, Ironhide handed him over. Taking Orion and spinning him upright, he grinned. "You and me have to talk, spud."

Ratchet walked out and sat on a chair at the table that stood on their newly cleaned floor. Sunspot who was eating 'ham and eggs' looked at him with a grin. "That was funny."

"I'm glad you think so, Sunny Bunny. Someone has to laugh I suppose," Ratchet said with a smirk. He rubbed Praxus dry and put him on his chair. A sippie cup took care of his contentment. "Dumping four days of spent fuel on the floor is an awful way to begin the orn."

"You got it really clean, Ada," Sunspot said peeking under the table.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Ratchet said with a grin as he listened to 'the hellion v the hard aft' going at it in the washroom.

"Orion really likes showers," Sunspot said. "He just likes to play with Atar."

"I know," Ratchet said with a grin. "He's bad to the bone, our Orion."

"He is," Sunspot said. He smiled. "I love him."

"He loves you. He follows you around. If he gets to be a problem, let us know. A bot your age needs their alone time too." Ratchet began to make breakfast for the two who had come to some sort of accord due to the suddenly prevailing silence. Ironhide walked out with a grinning bot swaddled in a white towel cocoon. Tossing him literally to Ratchet who caught him with one servo like a demented baseball, Ironhide leaned down and engulfed Sunspot in his big arms. Sunspot hugged him back.

Sitting, grinning at Ratchet, he slapped the table with his servo. "Food, old mech! **STAT!**"

A slap on the helm and a plate plopped without ceremony met that demand as Ratchet 'complied'. Sitting, he grinned at Ironhide. "So far this morning gives me the willies for the afternoon."

"We have a meeting with Prime this morning, then whatever happens, happens this afternoon. We don't have to replace much ammo. Mostly, the armories will be taking it all back in. Then I'm going to have to help move the sparkling school. I will be part of that for the next two orns."

"Will the bots be in school anyway?" Ratchet asked pausing as he was unwrapping Orion. That bot sat with a giant smile on his face as he entertained Praxus while he was being unspooled.

"They will be in their classrooms until they get moved one at a time. When they have the classroom relatively set up at the new school, they will transfer the sparklings on the subway. The teachers moved almost all of their stuff and supplies already. The stuff that's left is heavy and big. We are going to be doing it as organized as possible."

"Do they need me?" Ratchet asked as he 'buttered' his 'toast'.

"Come on by," Ironhide said. "Sunny, Blue and Sideswipe will be helping and Prowl will come later in the afternoon if things don't come up. All of the genitors are being asked to help."

"I can imagine we got a few thousand more babies and younglings with this new group." Ratchet set Orion in his chair and handed him his sippie. He instantly tipped back to swig it and landed on the floor. They all looked down at him and he looked up at them from flat on his back.

"Sparkling fell off. Silly sparkling," Ratchet said turning back to check on Praxus.

Ironhide and Sunspot looked down at Orion who was still trying to figure out if it was worth it to cry. Sunspot climbed down and took the sippie cup placing it on the table. Then he began to try to lift Orion's dead weight off the floor. They watched him groan under the load, then he paused looking at both of them. "I can't. He's too heavy."

Orion who was lying on his back with a big smile pointed at Sunspot. **"POT! POT HELP ME! I LOVE POT!"**

Sunspot grinned and bent down trying again. This time he had help. Ratchet grabbed a tiny black ped and helped Sunny lift him off the ground. Sunspot held him with his servos under Orion's arms. Ratchet had his ped. Sunspot's grip slipped and Orion hung upside down by one ped.

Again.

He looked up at Sunspot. "Pot. Ada bad me. I need help."

Ratchet and Ironhide blinked, then Ratchet raised his servo until the little bot was optic to optic with him. Orion grinned massively and leaned forward kissing Ratchet on the cheek. Ratchet grinned and moved his servo toward Ironhide who took the baby and righted him. They stared at each other, then Orion kissed Ironhide. Looking at Sunspot, he leaned forward to kiss him and ended up hanging upside down.

Again.

"You know, Ironhide, I'm starting to worry about that sparkling."

"So am I," Ironhide said with a grin. He pulled Orion upward again and they set him on the table with his sippie cup. He grinned and began to glug it down.

Sunspot sat down and began to eat again. In no time, they were finished and on their way to school.

-0-At the Ops Center in the Fortress

Mirage sat whispering with Jazz as they discussed something saboteur-ish most likely. Elita and Jetta were sitting with a younger version of Jetta, talking happily about this and that. Starscream walked in with Thundercracker, Cloud Burst and Red Wing taking their usual places.

Arcee, Magnus, Payload, Nitro and Bulkhead sat along the wall talking quietly together as Optimus walked in to whisper with Barron a moment. Then he walked back out intent on doing this or that thing. Leader-1 sat with Blackstone and Nova as they kept a space available for Herling. He was still at the City Hall, Office of Refugees getting the final numbers. He would just make the start of the meeting.

Others walked in and sat including, finally, Ratchet and Ironhide. They leaned back, their own datapads before them as they waited for others to come. Ironhide grinned at Jetta and nodded, that good sparked mech's happiness nearly radiant. :Jetta has his brother back:

:I know. Handsome runs in that family: Ratchet said.

:Sort of like mine: Ironhide said with a smug grin as he preened in his chair.

:Feeling your oats today are you?: Ratchet asked leaning closer to the big mech.

:Sure. Got grub, got the younglings to school, got fragged last night … what more can a mech ask for?: he asserted with another smug grin.

:How about getting up from the berth without me using a crowbar?: Ratchet asked with a grin of his own.

:Mech, what would you do in the morning without the routine we have?:

:I might get here on time: Ratchet said as Prime and Prowl walked inside. They sat and the datapads got slid to everyone. Ratchet counted down the list to where his report was and set an attentive expression on his face plates.

On the screen looking at the crowd, Flint, Alor and Blackjack watched. The Ops Center there looked on its game as well. Prime looked at the three. "Good morning, Fort Apache. How is the situation there?"

"We're good to go, Optimus," Blackjack said with a nod. "Wheeljack and Perceptor are here showing and directing the first stage of the sensor grid redesign. They will report from here. Right now, they're looking at the dishes."

Prime nodded. "Good." He looked at the crowded room and grinned. "I think Jetta has some news for us first off."

That handsome winger grinned and rose staring down at his doppelganger. "This is my brother, Mack," he said simply.

Claps and whistles rounded the room as Mack stood and nodded in the formal manner. "Thank you. I wish I could tell you how much I love being here."

"You don't have to," Jazz said with a grin. "Just come over and wash my apartment windows."

Hilarity ensued.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

There are many who sign in as Guest or have no reply address. You are so appreciated. All of you are but I want to make sure that everyone who writes to me knows I read and appreciate your comments so much. You never know how a story is going sometimes. Having your comments is not only gratifying but also has a lot of good stuff to consider inside. Hugs!


	170. Chapter 170

**NOTE:** Envy, HUGS! I am so glad you are feeling better and were entertained. HUGS! Write fanfic of my story. Others do and I love it. I am going to print this off this summer and try and get it in book format. Getting it bound sounds awesome. I am fixing the boos in the story so that its good to go. HUGS, envy. Leoness, I agree. Bots get wise really fast, the little goobers. Ratchet and Ironhide are finding out the hard way what a smart little bot can do with time on his little servos. LOL! LeslieM, OMG! Your mom is a wonder of the world. I am so happy for you. Your poor course manager. :D Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were a challenge here to make them make sense across the universes of TF. They are punching bags like Prowl. Both sets of characters are my cause celebre. :D Guest, hugs to all of you as a group because I can't write to you personally. I am editting the story and fragged up moving on 3. I am trying to find it. ARGH! I am not sure that it saved on this computer. I will put it back up when I check the other one. Me-screwing up. :D

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 6

-0-Conference Room, Committee Council-Senior Autobot Meeting, Autobot City, Mars

"We welcome you to Autobot City, Mack. I remember when you were a small child but its been a long time. I am sure that Jetta will settle you in," Optimus said with a smile.

"He is, thank you, sir," Mack said.

"I am. He's my personal assistant," Jetta said.

"About time you got one," Elita said with a grin.

Everyone grinned.

"Now that we have our newest member of the City Hall staff, I think its time to hear from you, Magnus," Optimus said leading back in his chair with a greater sense of comfort than he had felt in a while. Prowl who was looking at the agenda noted that Magnus was really fourth on the list. Ordinarily, that would have twirled his gyros for a week but not anymore. He merely repressed the feeble rise of his reflexive angst tide and let the good times roll.

For him.

"We have absorbed over 449,000 new individuals, Optimus. That makes our total population over 871,00 total," Magnus said as he perused his datapad, the one Blondi made for the meeting. She sat behind him taking notes and carrying on a sassy conversation with Ratchet on the internal comm line.

Everyone sat a moment to consider that. Jazz glanced at Optimus. "We probably have the largest population of any place outside of Cybertron in the universe."

Prime nodded. "This would have been impossible without the energon finds," he said.

Jetta glanced at his brother. "This planet is about 45% energon tops and all of it Class A and A-."

Mack nodded blinking as he did. "That's a miracle."

"The report for the system and beyond I have forwarded to you, Optimus," Beachcomber said looking around Arcee and Magnus at Prime.

"I saw it but I have to confess I didn't have time to read it. I am sorry. Can you give the highlights?" Optimus said. "Things have been hectic."

Beachcomber nodded. "I know. We have nearly 45% energon of the highest quality here in the interior mass of Mars. We use it for all manner of things. I would like you to know that we have found Class B, B- and C on the moons of the other planets in the solar system and on Mercury. Venus had Class A and A- with caveats. The heat of Venus's surface is about 900 degrees so the concentration of the energon there is of greater intensity than it is here because Mars is for all intents and purposes a dead or inert planet. There is geothermal activity down near the core but little elsewhere which is good since we are camping on the foothills of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the system, which itself is the source of the Tharsis Plain, a feature that covers nearly 30% of Mars' surface.

"The Venetian energon is so highly concentrated that if we mined it, we could use way less than 1% of what we use now with Martian energon to make the same quantities. We are 10 tons of raw energon ratio to production output of 2,000,000 tons of energon base to create our goal of fulfilling the needs for the city's aviation and industrial needs, the strategic reserves and our food industries every six decaorns. That is why we mine only every sixty orns for two orns to fill the quota. If we mine Venetian energon we could create the same quantity of energon base using 0.0005% of raw energon."

For a moment, they did the calculations. Then Ratchet leaned forward. "You're telling us that the sun will burn out in four or five billion years before we run dry?"

Beachcomber nodded. "Pretty much."

"That's good because if they sandbag us in here, we can still function," Ratchet said sitting back. "What about the other planets?"

"Mercury has unstable energon on the solar side of the planet. The sun holds it in place so it doesn't rotate very much on its axis. One side gets burned to a crisp all orn, every orn. It does rotate, about one and a half times during its orbital year which is about 87 days. That means that the energon on Mercury is pelted with radiation and extremes of heat, therefore making it unsuitable unless we want to blow something up way big."

Buffer, his bond was sitting behind him taking notes and nodding. The side that was facing Beachcomber and the youngling geologist grinned each time he did.

"Venus is a great resource. Earth has traces of energon concentrated deep in the soil at the roots of the larger volcanoes. There are rings of volcanoes everywhere on Earth but it takes big volcanoes and lots of sustained heat to make the crystals grow. If we had to mine it there, we would have to use strainers to catch the small grains in most places. Only if things were dire would that be a good idea. It's also so deep that the humans are unaware of it. Mostly. There are two sites where good sized crystals are in reach of digging. Etna in Naples, Italy and Kilauea in Hawaii. Kilauea is a very holy site and would be totally off limits unless we were at death's door. Even then, I wouldn't advise it.

"Mars of course you know. The Van Allen Belt has many chunks in orbit around our planet that can be taken into servo at any time. We are focusing our retrieval out in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Field. Saturn and Jupiter are gas giants and have trace elements of energon in their core make up. It didn't develop but the gas is useful. It has the properties in that state similar to neon and would be useful in decorative lighting or other esoteric uses. It would take a lot of skill to extract especially on Jupiter with its winds and storms. The moons of both worlds have energon to a large degree, especially Io with its volcanic action brought about by Jupiter's gravitational pull. Those forces grew the stuff there like weeds.

"Neptune and Uranus have energon, gaseous in form and doable. Pluto doesn't. It had no geothermic activity. In the Kuiper Belt from Neptune out aways, we are harvesting that and other minerals and ores. Some are for the humans, most are for us. We can make Cybertronian steel and other items from this stuff. Farther into the Cloud, we see it in tiny grain sized pieces up to planetary fragments. We are blowing up the manageable fragments and bringing them to storage on the moons of the gas giants and fragments in the system like Ceres. We are good to go to infinity and beyond," Beachcomber concluded.

"You saw 'Toy Story' too?" Jazz asked with a grin.

"I did. What a cute story," Beachcomber replied.

Buffer nodded. Half the table grinned.

"That relieves my processor," Optimus said. "We are going to try and get everyone we can and I am going to resend a message as are you, Starscream for the Seekerkin as we discussed earlier. We want to connect with the Seekers that still think the Decepticons are viable."

Starscream nodded. "Very good."

"What is the situation with housing our newcomers, Magnus?" Prime asked. "Include the new Seekers from the big migration."

"We have everyone covered. The construction element is being done brilliantly. The third phase of construction at Aerie Hill is going to begin in three orns. We have begun the two new districts of Terra that will be the foundation of the housing for all non-flight specific newcomers. The central plaza fronts ten towers, all of them facing into the park that anchors the city. Grid patterns will hold the new construction, all of it on large rectangular sites that are going to hold three rows of three towers. They will be close enough together to feel like Cybertron.

"It will be similar to that experienced by living in the Metroplex District, a site with a back up waiting list for vacancies I might add. All of them will have good views including the one in the center of this configuration. We have 24% occupancy of the business footage there with applications that are being processed for double that in the short term future. The new businesses are preserving some of the oldest skills our people possess.

"We have a design schedule for the city that expands out into the plain for three miles. It's surveyed and ready to go when the need arises. We also have dedicated spaces for more school towers and community centers. The quality of life figures high in the design formula."

Jetta nodded. "We want the city to have the neighborhood feel that Cybertron had. Its the one that makes our population feel the most happy according to our surveys for the planning commission. They want as much Cybertron as we can manage here and so we have factored that into our designs. We may have been urban and built up but the feeling was of neighborhoods and close contact with others while still preserving privacy."

"That's wonderful. I grew up in a moderate range tower in Iacon. I remember that," Prime said nodding.

"What about the schools, Herling?" Prime asked.

Prowl looked at the datapad agenda. They had started at four, skipped to one and were now on ten. Typical meeting he thought. He didn't see Ratchet grinning as he read the winger's processor from experience.

"We are halfway through our move to the new facility in Terra for the Sparkling Day School. We are finding the subway system that is now open throughout the city to be perfect for us and our clientele. We can't thank you all enough for taking our needs into consideration with that newest development to our transportation system."

Everyone beamed especially the three behemoths representing guilds, unions and industries, Bulkhead, Scar and Payload.

"We have been moving all the room contents for each teacher and specialist to place them in the classrooms ahead of time. Our staff have worked overtime getting things put away and online. We want the remodel for the Youngling Day School expansion to have all the time they can get. We are now moving the heavy duty things and because of the enormous interest and assistance of the genitors and others who are supportive of our schools, I can keep the schools open. We should be done by end of the orn tomorrow.

"All who can are welcome to come visit and/or help us over the next two orns. The more the merrier. I would also like to thank the individual whoever they are for suggesting the swimming center. We are going to offer swimming lessons for our students when we get settled. We are also going to use it for expanded therapy for those who need it. We have damaged infants and younglings that benefit from low impact exercise.

"We also have 2,333 new students, the majority of which are sparklings. That makes the entire city population of sparked, sparkling, youngling and intermediate younglings at 5,333. The way this usually works is, one quarter are younglings of the Youngling Day and Youngling Intermediate School age. One quarter are too young to attend the Sparking Day School or are known but not separated yet. The rest are sparklings. Our largest school population are sparklings. As they grow up, the population will expand in the other schools and we will have to look at the needs of everyone at that time. The Genitor-School Committee is working on a future projection of needs assessment and recommendations that we will give to you when we finish."

"Thank you, Herling. I will try and come this afternoon if things permit," Optimus said nodding. "I know Prowl wants to go as well."

The winger nodded. "I do."

"Thank you," Herling said sitting back with a grin.

"How about security?" Optimus asked.

It was seventh on the list Prowl noted absently.

Ratchet grinned.

"We have had few major disruptions. Several mechs tied one on and got jailed. Some got lost. We fixed that. Adding small signage on the transportation grid will help prevent this. A few fights broke out when mechs with grudges from back in the orn spotted each other. There were also a few high cast younglings acting up. They got jailed. I am sure Magistrate's Court is going to be interesting this afternoon. We will have the relevant Watch officers there to testify about the cases, Barron," Springer said with a grin.

Kup nodded. "Half wit younglings. Need a thumping. I volunteer."

Wit and witicisms flowed as Kup sat stoically, his stogie in his servo.

"I will take that under advisement, Kup," Optimus said with a grin.

"Best advice you will get all orn," Kup said sticking the stogie back in his mouth.

"We have word, Optimus, that there are two rival groups of younglings from the same city that have been exchanging words," Springer resumed. "They apparently have a school sports grudge going. High caste of course. We are watching them. There are a few mechs fighting over another one, a very good looking youngling mech with a great paint scheme. I think he's high caste and egging them on because it feels like fun. I am watching that slagger myself. We're still having trouble with younglings asking soft sparked elders to buy them beer at the Business Plaza. Blurr had some underage younglings bounced from Maccadam's the other night as well. Same old slag, different orn."

"I may have to sign up for the Night Watch," Ratchet said. "Sounds like all the action happens there."

"Like you need to find it," Magnus said sourly as he glanced up at Ratchet. "With your rather extensive criminal record, I doubt that they would take you on as a recruit."

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet grinned. "Got up on the wrong side of the berth, Magnus?" He glanced at Arcee. "You need to get on that, Arcee."

She snorted and grinned at Ratchet, one of her oldest and closest friends. "Like flies on shit, Ratchet," she said.

After access was made and meaning gleaned, hilarity ensued.

Magnus looked at Arcee with a slight frown. She patted his servo. "Roll with it, Magnus," she said.

"What the frag is the subtext here?" Blackjack said from a monitor overhead. Alor nodded, a huge grin on his handsome face. Venture and Miler sat next to a smirking Wheeljack and a clueless but getting there Perceptor. Prowl's genitors listened with all audials even as they smirked at their son who avoided their gaze with an intense scrutiny of the datapad in his servos.

"The prison riot," Jazz said to be ornery. "Ratchet had the starring role and like everything else, the rest of us were bit players in his awesomeness."

"I don't know," Optimus said casting a gimlet optic at Ratchet. "I did fall down and squash Prowl. That was more than just a walk-on part."

"What?!" Alor asked, his grin enormous and his sense of wonderment at his unpredictable son-in-law growing by the nanosecond. "Why the frag does this happen when I'm not here? What happened?"

"Optimus got hit in the face with a barrel. He fell like a water balloon dropped from a orbital platform onto Prowl. Prowl got a sad," Jazz said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad you find that funny," Magnus said hotly as he glared at Jazz.

"Oh, Magnus, I'm still laughing," Jazz said.

"You were stuck in the studio," Blaster said with a grin. "I was on the scene doing live reporting in the middle of the Pit."

"You and Revet had a great romantic interlude in the middle if memory serves me," Mirage said glancing over his shoulder at Blaster. "Some of the city folks wanted a program made around your great love."

"What the frag? Where were we, 'Jack?" Alor asked with a chuckle.

"Fragging around in the Expansion. Slag that. Continue, Jazz," Blackjack asked with a big shit eating grin of his own.

"Don't, Jazz," Magnus said hotly. "You know it will only encourage him."

"There were elderly mechs shaking their canes at the inmates, mini-cons climbing on top of each other trying to throw Cliffjumper over the fence and all around awesomeness everywhere," Ratchet said fondly. "Even the forward bases came back to Mars to save me. I was so touched."

"You are, Ratchet," Magnus said hotly. Ironhide glared at him even as Ratchet put a ped on Ironhide's own.

"Everyone in the Industrial Park that had a shovel or a pick came to the prison to help," Jetta said glancing with a big smile at his brother. "We came too because we wanted front row seats. It was the damnedest thing I ever saw. The 'Cons were sort of standing there looking at all of it with loathing. That is, the ones who weren't standing behind you, Blaster making faces and giving the camera the finger."

"I know. I didn't know that was happening until I saw the repeat later. Revet and I were having a discussion," Blaster said with a chuckle.

"You were discussing his past love life if I remember," Jazz needled just to be ornery. He got a slap on his helm for his trouble.

Optimus listened to the commentary with an intense sense of well being. It was hilarious.

To him.

"You were laughing your aft off, Starscream," Ironhide said with a grin. "The entire city walked out to help and you were part of the herd laughing your aft off. I'll never forget it."

"I remember it from the other side of the fence," Scar said with a chuckle. "I remember trying to organize a resistance but no one would join. Everyone was so damned overcome with the floor show."

"I still laugh. That was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen in my life," Starscream said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad you thought it was funny," Magnus said. "I got punched in the face for being the only one on this planet who could see the long term effects of the whole slagging thing."

Everyone looked at him. Then everyone went, "awww".

Even Arcee.

He tossed his stylus on the table and shook his helm. "Fraggers. Everyone of you. Especially you, Ironhide, you slagger."

"Magnus, you need a time out? I'm sure we have a corner big enough for you. As for punching you in the face, don't slag my old mech. That's my job," Ironhide said with a grin.

"Then do it some time and give the rest of us a break," Magnus said hotly. "And you sucker punched me, you slagger."

"I punched a sucker," Ironhide said. "We got brig time. I don't understand your complaint."

Magnus rolled his optics.

Then they heard it. Looking toward Optimus, they all paused. That big mech was laughing, his helm thrown back, his mirth coming from somewhere down deep in his peds. They grinned and waited until he sat back up and looked at them with a terrible fondness. "Did I ever tell you that staff meetings are the highlight of my orn?"

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

NOTE: I am editting this entire story and The Chronicles of Orion to eliminate boo boos. I however transplanted Moving On 3 which is part 147 with Game Day 3.

**BAD ME! SMACK!**

I am trying to locate the copy from my permanent flash drive file to replace it. I apologize for that. I am a dork. :D :D :D


	171. Chapter 171

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 7 edited for boo-boos. :D

-0-A while later that day in the CMO's office, Autobot City, Mars

"Old mech."

"What?"

"What are you doing?" Ironhide walked into the CMO's office in the hospital and sat on a couch parking his big old peds on the low table before him. Hero was sleeping on his arms, her thumb in her little mouth.

"Studying for the big exam," Ratchet said looking up to grin at both of them. "I have a hearing scheduled on Earth apparently in less than a week. The hostile congressmen of the U. S House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee abd Subcommittee on Autobot Affairs and Treaties want to chew me up."

A frown formed on Ironhide's face as he considered what that meant. "No."

Ratchet grinned.

-0-At the new Sparkling Day School

Sunstreaker knelt on the floor of the room where the infants learned fine motor skills and other manipulation oriented objectives. The wall of drawers awaiting their contents lined the whole side of the room. It was soon-to-be filled with toys, creative shapes, things to string and bend as well as dollies, soft and hard tactile manipulatives and teacher materials. He had been delegated to fill the drawers with the objects listed on their tabs. It would take a long time to get them all put away but he didn't mind. This was the first school his infants would attend and he was on the committee that helped make its decisions.

That was all he needed to be here.

Sideswipe peered in and watched a moment, then slipped back out. Sunstreaker was kneeling in a mountainous landscape of boxes and bags. He himself was helping move furniture. It would take many trips from the city to the school here in the suburbs. Blue was somewhere doing something. They were all here. It was with enormous satisfaction that he helped put together the school that his children would attend. He would stay here until it was time to get the babies.

-0-Earth, somewhere in the mountains of America

They had dug in deeply, the hardened bunkers below ground holding their caches of guns and ammunition, bomb making materials and communications devices that would be a part of their campaign. They had been preparing for this with the aid of their rich benefactors for a long time. Just after public disclosure of the aliens on Earth, the rumbling disgruntlement had begun to shake out. The idiots, gun boobs, slackers with a grudge, wack jobs and unreliable mouth breathers had been purged in favor of the dedicated, skilled, bright, well trained and cunning.

Mech was the 'professional army' part of the 'Resistance'. Such was the umbrella term that covered the elite forces that had risen out of the chaos and stupidity of the nativist movement to become a real obstacle to the peace. They were highly trained and disciplined, military in organization, multinational and able. Many were still active duty. All of them were special forces of some kind or another with many diverse skills related to their objectives. All of them were combat veterans.

The Family had become the political side of their effort, the hard core ideologues who would in the end be the public face of their movement. Right now, they were the ones who secured funding, sorted through recruits and networked into corporate and public life on an international scale with like-minded believers.

They had secured the billionaires who were easy gets in the end. They didn't like the Autobots and their science making their own human technologies obsolete. They didn't like the idea of machines having a footing in an organic world. Although they were very willing for the Supreme Court to define corporations as people with the Citizen's United ruling some time back, they were not willing to extend that courtesy to the alien machines that had streaked from the sky and taken up residence in their solar system.

This was the group that tracked Autobot money, their companies and their ability to bring materials from space to Earth for use by human as well as alien industry. This was the group that worried about the growing influence of the machine aliens through the broadcasting of their programming and the growing affection in the populations because of it.

Both groups didn't like the idea of someone else owning 'their' worlds, living on them, making them their own. They didn't like the implications that the universe had diversity of a scope that was beyond their ability and/or willingness to understand. They didn't like the idea of their obvious reproduction, however it was and the implications that had on every area of their philosophy regarding creation and life. They didn't know how it worked but it couldn't be good. They didn't like the idea that they were stuck on Earth while the rest of the solar system disappeared into the control and exploitation of a shadowy leader and his ruthless unknowable followers.

They just knew that they were the bulwark, the Maginot Line for humanity and if they didn't step forward the end would be all too clear. They would disappear under the iron fist of the aliens and end up in slavery or worse. They would fight back, take what they needed of the enemy's technology and save their species from extinction. They would make no distinction among the 'good' aliens and the bad. For Mech and The Family, for The Resistance, there was only bad.

He stood in the shade of tall trees considering their meet up with the mercs, Johnson and Hedges and their benefactors, the billionaires who were as wedded to them and their cause as the gun he carried on his hip. They were feeling it, the inroads of Transformer technology into their bottom lines. That the world was better for it didn't enter into the equation for any of them on this side of the dividing line. It didn't matter. Earth was for the Earthers. When that was secured what lay out there afterward would be next.

He turned and walked back into the hidden bunker that led to their HQ and the international network that they had spent two years laying out. Behind him, the work of clandestine war preparation would continue.

-0-Working in Ops Center

"Here," Prowl said handing a datapad with the agenda for the meeting on Earth to Optimus. He took it and perused the data. Nodding, he glanced up at Prowl pausing as he did. Grinning in spite of himself, he saw the mild reproach in his partner's optics. "Still steaming?"

"No," Prowl said with a slight smirk. "'Sir?'"

"It was the best I could come up with. I was rather bedazzled by the fact that half my senior staff uses my name in 'facing games."

Prowl leaned back and grinned. "They do. What does that say about the caliber of your leadership?"

"You tell me," Optimus said with a smoky optic.

Prowl swallowed. "Uh, what was the question?"

They grinned at each other. Leaning forward, helms nearly touching, they began a conversation internally that would melt solenoids.

Mirage who was sitting nearby waiting for data from Jazz watched knowing the signs. :They're having a discussion about the meeting and its disclosures:

Jazz glanced over his shoulder and grinned. :Good. It's about time. I wonder what Prime's safe word is?:

Mirage grinned. :Do you really think they need one?:

:I think Prowl needs one every time he gets into the berth with a bot that big. I imagine it runs along the lines of 'You're squishing me, sir! Ooh, ooh, ooh!:

Mirage snorted and chuckled. Then he rose and took the data wafer Jazz had handed him. :You are a piece of work, my dear Jazz:

:I know: he said with a smile. He watched Mirage walk to the corridor that led to the offices, one of which belonged to Elita. He glanced at Prime who was smiling at Prowl who was smiling back at him. Maybe raucous staff meetings were good for Prime. They certainly didn't hurt him. Turning back, Jazz continued to work through the endless mountains of data that had been downloaded from Shockwave in anticipation for not only rescuing their missing enslaved people, but also someday to aid in the rescue and retrieval of Cybertron.

-0-City Hall, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

"It just fries my circuits. Its not, Arcee that I'm a prude. I'm not. I just believe that there are certain positions that need to be taken seriously. We are nearly a million strong here. What if all the senior staff ran amok?"

Arcee who was relaxing in a chair across from Magnus grinned. "You do realize that Ratchet does that to aggravate you. He thinks you need a way to relax."

"I do relax," Magnus said pausing in his pacing to gaze at her, the only individual that actually made his dainty bits tingle. "I just feel that I can't do enough, that there aren't enough joors in the orn to do all the things that Optimus needs."

Arcee felt an 'aww' moment rising inside. "Magnus, you do so much, I wish you could understand and appreciate it. Optimus loves you like a brother. Just because some of us need more to blow off steam doesn't mean we aren't all dedicated to the effort. It also doesn't mean that we don't see and appreciate you."

"You know that doesn't matter to me," he said pointedly.

"I know," Arcee said. She rose and walked to him staring up at a mech that was a good six feet taller than her. As a proto-femme, Arcee was like her companions in the saboteur group that had become legendary during the war. She was nearly 21 feet tall and robust. Yet there was that something about her that made one pause. She slipped her arms around him and hugging tightly. "Unwind, Magnus. I don't want to be killed by flying bits of metal when your main spring shatters."

He grinned slightly and hugged her back. "Is that an order?"

She looked up at him and grinned slightly. "That's 'sir' to you, big boy."

Magnus rolled his optics but he hugged her back anyway.

-0-Down the corridor

"This is where I work when I'm in the office," Jetta said as the two stood in the big oversized room. "Elita is down the hallway with the femmes and they run some of their intel there as well as devising incursion teams and planning. This can be your corner," he said pointing to a drafting table nearby. "We can clear it off and get it organized for you until I get a better space. Most of the time I'm out in the city and the job sites. You can come with me and learn the layout and get a chance to settle in. I really need an assistant. If you want to do other things though, you can tell me."

Mack nodded and grinned. "Assistant to you is perfect. I can't think of anything better, Jetta."

Jetta smiled and nodded, slipping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "The only thing better would be having our folks here. I wish I could know what happened."

"I know," Mack said quietly. "Think about this. I made it. Maybe they did too."

Jetta nodded, his usual good hopeful nature rising up again. "I'll hold that thought. In the meantime, come with me to Terra and check out the new construction."

They turned and walked out heading for Terra, passing Magnus and Arcee talking quietly together on the couch in his office. It was good to be alive, Jetta thought as he led his brother to the elevator and the great big world beyond.

-0-Flight Center, Aerie Hill, Autobot City, Mars

He finished composing his message to Seekerkin in the greater universe and turned nodding to the communications officer on duty. He pressed the relevant keys and the message was sent to anyone and everyone in the great universe beyond. It would reach the main dish at Io and split into seven parts, each being shot out in seven different directions into space. Everyone everywhere would get it on the low band channel that all Seekers used.

"Come to me. Megatron wants you dead. Don't be fooled by the liars and users who would tell you that you are safe with them. You aren't. Come to me and live in free skies, raise a family and be who you were born to be. Come and be lords of the skies here. I am waiting for you. I, Starscream am waiting."

When it passed by the rising Fortress of the Decepticon Paragon, all of the Seekers with him would hear it. Some of them would be swayed. Some already were. Others wouldn't.

Not yet.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

NOTES: Leoness: Thank you so much. What a kindness to suggest that for your next Kindle book. :D I think having that information is so essential to making everyone well rounded. In the LOTR movies, they even embroidered the inside of costumes they made for the movie though the work wouldn't show to make it real. I can appreciate that a lot.

In G1 Transformers, Arcee is just a head shorter most of the time than Magnus who is as big as Prime. Thus, the femmes who are original are huge.


	172. Chapter 172

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 8

-0-On Cybertron

They followed their guards through the drainage system of Kaon to the open destroyed landscape beyond. It would take three orns of hiding and dodging the minimal security that Soundwave kept in these, the no man's lands of their desiccated world. No one lived there but criminals, the despairing, the mad and the opposition. Keeping them penned up was the only strategy Soundwave had for now. He would come to clean the area out when time and resources allowed. Until now, the inmates roamed and the guards watched, picking off the odd stray who was foolish enough to show their helm.

Kestrel limped along the underground tunnel, an equally limping Tag following. Tag's ped was still recovering but his own sore knee was resurrecting itself. Dai had told them that there were medics at the next stop who could help them. He hoped so. They felt the urge to earn their keep heavily on their sparks but their condition made that difficult. So many had taken such good care of them for so long that the need to repay was ever constant.

Their status was unequaled. They were the genitors of the Prime. They would be defended with the last ounce of energon by the resistance that had protected them since The Fall. Now they were moving out of Kaon and traveling west. No one told them where. They never did. They just told both of them that it was time to go. And ever onward they went, going from safe house to safe house in the endless cat and mouse game between the defiant free mechs and femmes and Soundwave.

A light metallic rain continued to fall, their peds splashing in the run off that made its way through the underground system. The lights of their guards were the only illumination as the genitors of Optimus Prime moved ever onward toward the illusion of safety.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

Prowl stacked games on a table from boxes that had been brought over from the old school. The new one was beautiful. It followed the design of the old one but the views outside were different and intriguing. Some of them were vistas of Mars that stretched out seemingly forever before merging with the horizon and the sky overhead. Others were views of 'The City' as Autobot City was becoming known as and 'The Suburbs' for Terra.

The subway had been simple and straightforward. The school was reached easily he had found out as he took it to gauge what his children would have to do to go here everyday. The 'Orange' train, one with a special route throughout the orn was the one all the infants would take to get to their new building. They would wait for the orange decal train to arrive and get aboard. It was designed to go from The City to the school in one stop. It would make the first stop on its circuitous route directly under the school tower. The platform for the tower was huge, well lit with transparent walls that blocked the platform from the tracks but for the exits on the train. Little fairy tale images of famous Cybertronian children's stories were laid into the wall tiles and gave the place a real charm. The huge elevators went straight up to the main lobby where banks of elevators would take everyone where they needed to go. He was deeply impressed with the security and simplicity of what could have been the Pit.

Optimus had come with him. Herling in his joy at the new facility had taken him on a guided tour. Prowl had gone for a short portion before being dragooned into the media center and all its beautiful new and older familiar things. New companies in the city had begun to make things for children including supplying general and specific items to the schools. The depth of opportunity for all the children of Mars to be as educated as he was impressed and gratified him deeply.

The mistakes of the past would not be revisited here. He personally would take care of that. The Convocation on the Matter of the Caste System had been deferred barring new incidents. Prowl was convinced they would come and then the Convocation would become necessary. For now, all seemed calm but for the warring younglings from other places, half of whom appeared to be high caste.

A sporting rivalry had landed on their doorstep and the baiting of the low caste younglings who had been on one side by the high castes who were on the other had resurrected itself here. He wanted to slag them all to the Pit. Their hearing at the Magistrate's Court was in the afternoon and he planned to be there to lay down the smack. Until then, he would take the beautiful games and computers, laptops and sketch pads out of their boxes and arrange them on the shelves so that all the babies including his own could use them to become better than what was before them.

To Prowl of Praxus, nothing in his life mattered more.

-0-Copperton

He worked to haul out the stone that had been a problem to the foundation of the new tower that was going up in phase four. It was a giant thing, perhaps needing strategic demolition. Climbing out to wait with the others for the sapper chief to come and decide, he stood in good stead with his comrades. They were mostly low caste mechs, hard working and decent. They didn't have his education and they didn't have his paint scheme but they had his respect and they gave him their friendship.

He had labored since his son's crime trying to redeem himself from a lifetime of indifference and ignorance. He had actually thought that these mechs needed his guidance and that their capacity to be who they were was limited to their circumstances and caste. It had been a terrifyingly painful revelation to learn otherwise. They were decent. They worked hard and asked for little. They had good families, most of them and they loved them. They were loyal to the Prime, to Cybertron and to their people. They wanted a good life and they didn't ask for handouts and generally laughed off sympathy. When something went wrong, they were good natured and fixed it. They didn't bitch or moan. They just made it right.

He had never been around mechs like this. He had lived in the bureaucracy, in the middle of the machine that denied these same mechs a decent home, decent food and opportunity. He was ashamed in a way that was hard to express even in his own deepest thoughts. He knew that the debt he owed them was incredibly vast. He had been part of the iron fist of suppression. But the strangest thing was, they didn't hate him for it.

They knew he was high caste. They knew he had never had their life. But they respected that he was trying to redeem himself and his family by joining them and doing so with consideration and decency. They included him in their jokes and conversations. They told him of their lives and their dreams for the future. They spoke with pride over the achievement of their infants, the first nearly all of them had ever been able to provide for to the degree that they did here. Their babies were in school. Some of them themselves were taking night classes, the greatest number he found sadly just to learn to read and write. They were living in the first decent housing they ever had and their elder genitors were living well too.

It was good, all of it. They were good to him and he was transformed. The ideas of his bringing up had melted under the grace of their acceptance. He had been charred by the actions of his son and it was his fault. He and Turquoise were working as hard as they could for the good of all while helping their son through his own personal hell. The Temple was their godsend. The priests their lifeline. They were climbing back to happiness and peace one small step at a time.

That their son had graduated his engineering program was a phenomenal moment for them. The son who was slated to be a lawyer, to work in the repression machine, who would never know want had finished a difficult course of study while alone and was working on advanced courses even as Copperton stood here in the warm sun of Mars. His son had done the right thing. His son was going to be alright. He could tell when they talked to him. The Prime had approved a joor a day for them to speak together. It was the greatest most anticipated moment of his orn.

Turquoise had recovered his poise and was working long and hard on the problem of the carrier-soldiers. It would be solved he thought. His Turquoise would not be denied. He turned and looked to the road where a number of mechs had transformed after coming their way. They were the sappers who would decide if the rock needed demolition. He watched as they approached and shook servos with them just like the other mechs. Then they discussed the problem together. He would never feel in any other job the intensity of satisfaction that he felt right now, here in this place.

-0-Elsewhere

"We will be going to Earth with Ratchet in a few orns. I want you and Nitro to come with us. He can rep the Seekers. There is a possibility that Optimus will be coming either this time or for the United Nations meeting. He's still considering the possibilities. I also am going to have Elita and perhaps Gypsy come. It's time they saw a femme. Ratchet has discretion about any of us transforming," Springer said as he sat at his desk in the Security Central Station in City Hall.

Drift nodded. "This is about the militia hassles and their requests for a permanent human settlement here, right?" Drift asked.

Springer nodded. "Among other things. This is our new group of slaggers who have to learn the hard way. Apparently, this bunch didn't learn a thing from Daniels and his crew. We're going to have to read them the riot act again."

"At least they don't live that close to us," Drift said putting his peds up on the desk. "No chance of anyone harming a youngling like before."

"That's a blessing," Springer said with a grin. "Makes you wonder who would be allowed to come. If the humans in the Foreign Relations Committee had their way any who did would be armed to the teeth with full permission to shoot."

Drift nodded. "What have you heard about the missions to Cybertron? I know the femmes are probably going to go. Elita and her team."

"I haven't heard much yet. But the orn is young," Springer said with a grin. "I am more interested in Paragon and the flyover of Soundwave's fort."

Drift nodded. "The Seekers are supposed to check out Soundwave. I wonder if he knows that Paragon is forting up out here too?"

"I don't know. I wish they would cancel each others ticket," Springer said leaning back in his chair. "I was thinking you know about something funny."

Drift looked at Springer and grinned. "Oh, do tell."

So Springer did.

-0-A few moments later

"Hey."

Ratchet looked up at the two tall good looking bots standing in the doorway of his office. "Do come in, good looking. Don't tell Ironhide I said that."

"I won't." -Drift and Springer, both of whom filed it away to tell Ironhide later.

They came in and sat down relaxing on the couch as outside the business of the air field could be clearly seen. "This is a nice office. Great view. Who do I have to frag to get one too?" Springer asked with a smirk.

"Well, frag me and I'll put in a good word for you," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"Don't tempt me," Springer said with a grin. "Where is Ironhide?"

"Who knows? I think he's helping at the school with the move," Ratchet said tossing his stylus on the desktop. "Why? Are you thinking of experimenting with trines? I would require Drift if you do intend to experience the awesomeness that is me."

They both chuckled. "Count me in," Drift said with a glance at Springer.

"Of course, if you want to do the Sexy with me, it requires intense wrestling and body slamming before the fun stuff," Ratchet said leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desktop. "That's Ironhide's idea of foreplay."

They looked at Ratchet for a moment, then burst into laughter. Springer shook his helm. "Will you adopt me too?" he asked with a chuckle.

"That would be incest, youngling," Ratchet said sitting back with a grin.

"I'm good to go," Drift said with a smile. "Truly, I am."

Ratchet snorted and grinned. "I'll put the paperwork in today."

They grinned at each other. "You really think we're kidding," Springer said.

"Hard to tell with you two I'm so blinded by the handsome," Ratchet said. "What brings you here besides an intense need to be mothered?"

Springer grinned. "I was wondering since you're such a bad aft what it would be like to psyops Paragon."

"In what way?" Ratchet asked, a glimmer of a clue starting to form in his processor.

"We were thinking about leaking personal information into the ether," Springer replied. "You know … personal information..."

"Ah," Ratchet said, his suspicion confirmed. "You want to send the family letter."

They looked at him a moment, then googled it. Grins flashed across handsome faces at the same time. They both nodded.

"I think this calls for professionals. Elita and Jazz. But first, I think we need to ask Optimus," Ratchet said. They nodded so he turned and commed the big bot on the monitor nearby. Prowl's face appeared.

"Prowler, where's the Messiah? I need him to lay down some wisdom."

Prowl stared at Ratchet, then rolled his optics. "You are insane. What madness are you going to put into motion, loser?"

Ratchet snorted and grinned. "I was thinking about releasing the family album."

Prowl just stared at Ratchet. Then he blinked. "You wouldn't dare," he said.

Ratchet merely grinned.

-0-TBC

2013 (1) Tip of the hat to a number of folks who give me notions. :D


	173. Chapter 173

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 9 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Magistrate's Court later that orn, Autobot City, Mars

They sat in the seats, lines of youngling mechs with their genitors occupying chairs in the audience. They were tense, their genitors. The high castes had been made clear at their arrival intake as well as by other high castes in the city that the system was dead and the tolerance level of acting up because of or for it was in the negative numbers of colonial support. They were tense because their younglings had brought attention to their status in a way that portended bad things to come.

The low castes sat dreading the courts which always slammed them to the Pit even when they were innocent. The 'justice' system was a laugh on Cybertron. Justice and system in one statement usually meant injustice for them and their own applied systematically. No one expected any but everyone on their side of the former status divide held hope that in this place the idea of equality was more than lip service.

Semi sat at the judge's podium with the case datapads before him. He was in conference with lawyers for both sides, his clerk blocking the view of the spectators and defendants as he took the record. No one noticed that Prowl had entered until he walked to the front row and took an empty seat. They all glanced at him a moment, then turned their optics on him to stare.

/...This couldn't be good.../ -Both sides

Prowl sat impassively, his dignity and gravitas speaking volumes for him without a word uttered. He was spectacular in his personal appearance … as usual … and he stared at the banner of the Primes and the Seal of Cybertron that graced the wall of the courtroom behind the judge. It was restful.

Finally, the lawyers walked back to their clients and the prosecutor who had been standing beside Semi nodding from time to time took his place as well. Semi began. "We are here to ascertain the facts in the case of Jolun, Carris, Talin, Flashpoint, Lotin, Barin, Ture, Reese, Mako and Swin versus the Prime of Cybertron. I am assuming that both counsels have discussed the legal ramifications of this matter with their respective clients?"

Highrode, attorney of record for the high castes nodded. "We have, your honor."

Sims, a youngling lawyer with a burning sensibility for justice nodded. "Yes, your honor."

Semi nodded. "Very well. I would like the Prime's counsel to present the state's case against the defendants." He looked at Lash, a dissident lawyer who specialized in the rights of younglings. He was the senior prosecutor for the state under the directorship of Blackstone and would begin the proceedings. He nodded respectfully and rose walking to the podium. "Last night, an incident occurred that disturbed the peace, broke a number of misdemeanor laws regarding public conduct that resulted in damage to property and the discomfort of a number of individuals that were caught in the middle of a melee through no fault of their own. Two of the civilians that were walking into the establishment where this happened had to be treated at the hospital for injuries.

"The facts of the case are these. Two groups had come to Maccadam's Old Oil House to recreate. One group composed of formerly high caste individuals who are represented by Highrode were already seated and drinking heavily as reported by witnesses who are available to offer testimony. The group represented by Sims were formerly low caste status mechs. They entered moving to the bar and began to drink as well.

"It was reported by the bartender and an off duty Day Watch security mech who was there with family that the high castes began to taunt the group at the bar. Apparently, the former high castes are from Praxus and the former low castes from Kaon. Their sports rivalry was a catalyst for what the state intends to present is high caste hatred for low castes. It is our theory that this was motivated by hatred.

"It was at this point that a youngling, Mako stood and threw a bottle at Talin who had his back to his taunters. It landed on him and a melee began. Before security restored order, there were two mechs who were innocent bystanders who needed medical attention. The security officer there placed responsibility for this on Mako and Swin. I would like to call Rover to the stand," he concluded.

The bailiff walked to the door and opened it, leaning out to speak to someone. A big mech entered and walked to the podium pausing to look at the judge. "Are you prepared to state the facts without prejudice or embellishment on the matter at servo?"

The mech nodded and looked at Lash. He began the questioning. "I would appreciate if you would relay the events as they happened last night in the bar between the younglings sitting over there,"he said nodding to the younglings all of who, looked like they wished the floor would swallow them up whole.

"We were having a relatively quiet evening when the younglings there," he said pointing to the high castes, "came in to drink and talk. We checked their ages and found they were old enough to be there. They sat by the window near the bar and drank a lot."

"What happened then?" Lash asked.

"That group of younglings walked in," he said pointing to the low castes, "and stood at the bar talking and laughing about whatever younglings talk about."

"Did they notice the others?" Lash asked.

"I'm not sure. The mirror reflected that part of the room but they didn't do anything so I am assuming they either noticed and ignored them or didn't see them."

"What happened then?"

"The mechs at the table began to taunt the mechs at the bar. My partner and I were in the back helping the bartender change a keg. We weren't aware of the trouble until someone came and got us. By the time we got there the taunting had become a fight with things flying and mechs getting hit."

"You saw the two innocent victims get hurt?" Lash asked.

He nodded. "I saw a bottle flying toward the bar and bounce off the helm of a mech who wasn't involved. A chair hit another customer who wasn't a part of this. Both items were thrown by the younglings, Swin and Mako. The other mechs were fighting with their fists."

"What did you and your partner do?"

"We called for the bartender to signal the Night Watch to come and we both waded in separating the two sides. I had to drop a couple of them before they stopped. By then, the Night Watch was there and arrested them, hauling all off to jail."

Lash nodded. "You weren't there to see the first blow landed or to see the taunting. How do you know the individuals did what you say they did?"

"We interviewed the bartender who was there for all of it and reviewed the cameras. Cybertronian law requires security cameras in bars and restaurants that serve high grade. We submitted the data to your office as you requested."

Lash nodded. "No further questions at this time, your honor." He turned and walked back to the prosecution table to sit.

Highrode and Sims leaned in together a moment, then Highrode arose. "Your honor, our clients are not disputing the evidence that there was a fight. Both sides take responsibility for what they did. What we would like to do is discuss what can be done to prevent this from happening again and to make restitution to those injured from this unfortunate incident. Our clients are remorseful about this matter and would like a second chance to prove themselves worthy of it.

"All of the younglings before you are employed or attending school full-time. All of them have good genitors who are concerned about their behavior and wish to make changes. They are ready to step up and take the punishment deserved for their immature and inappropriate actions. We are asking the court to take into account that they have been busy adjusting themselves into this new, more secure environment. They were among the new arrivals just recently and are having to shift to the idea that they are safe and well in a new and complicated city."

Sims nodded. "The younglings have expressed great remorse and a willingness to make restitution to those injured. They implore the court to take into account the dissonance of their life here compared to what it was mere orns ago."

Semi considered that and nodded. "I would be willing to take that into account in any decision I make regarding this incident but there is someone who has petitioned the court to speak regarding these younglings and their actions." He looked at Prowl and nodded. "I grant the petition of Commander Prowl, Subcommander of the Autobot Armed Forces."

The room became silent and tense as Prowl nodded. As he rose, Highrode looked at Sims, then Semi. "With all due respect, your Honor, what standing does the Commander have in these proceedings?"

"The Commander has petitioned to speak as a citizen, as a senior official tasked with the protection and guardianship of our planet and everyone who lives here. He would like to speak to the court regarding the situation that is underlying this event, the caste system and its status, or lack of one in the colony." He looked at Prowl. "Sir, you may speak." Semi leaned back to listen.

The younglings and their genitors watched him walk to the podium and turn to look at them with his cold blue optics, his gravitas as a seriously dangerous soldier and his emotion-free, unknowable expression intimidating. He looked at them a moment, then began. "I am Prowl, a high caste mech from Praxus. I was born into the high castes and lived with advantages all of my life that such a stroke of fortune and luck granted to me without effort, without even deserving such favors.

"I attended the best schools, had opportunity all of my life and knew what it meant to be warm, housed and full every night. As with most high castes, I didn't know there was any other life because I didn't find myself in those places, among those mechs. When I did, it changed me forever because underlying the caste system is a fundamental set of facts that too many of us ignored and continue to ignore. The system was a brutal repression regime with a basic racist undertone and a callous disregard for the fundamental idea that all of us were one from Primus. That some of us could feel that we had an intrinsic right to everything while denying others even the basics is a seriously evil set of beliefs that have led to us being here arguing this case on another world and not on Cybertron.

"The Caste System is repressive, evil, immoral, blasphemous and over. To create a system that favors some over others for reasons that cannot even be articulated without the sensation of shame is a blow to the sovereignty of Primus and The One. They were very clear from the beginning that all are one. All. Not some. All of us. But some of us didn't listen. They created an artificial system that gave a gloss to some that wasn't even real in order to preserve a social and economic disparity that led directly to the near annihilation of our species.

"We are on the brink. We could still disappear. Our civilization is in tatters and much of our learning is still gone from us. We have just now begun to reproduce and there are many … too many who had never seen a sparkling or youngling until now. All of this happened because someone imposed the blasphemous, evil construct of caste upon a people designed to be united from birth as one.

"Our army is filled with low and middle caste mechs and femmes. They stepped up to defend us and always have. Three meals a day and a roof over their helms motivated a lot of them but they stayed because they loved Cybertron and wanted to protect our people, our culture, our world, a world that denied them even their basic parity with others as a child of Primus and the One. Yet in the end, Cybertron fell anyway. There was no acknowledgment of the terrible deprivations and hardships of the many by the few who held all the power. Not once was there an apology or even simple nod.

"War was inevitable. What genitor would passively allow their infants to starve because someone somewhere said that what you had no matter how inadequate it was would be all you would get? What mech would allow his genitors to suffer in their old age? What kind of society were we to allow this?

"We have evidence in this matter that the former high castes started the fight and created the injuries. I believe that the former low castes were victimized by these mechs," he said turning to fix his cold emotionless gaze on the five high caste younglings and their squirming genitors. "They deserve a punishment fit to the crime. They didn't care that they were attacking mechs who did nothing to provoke it and they didn't care that their actions could and did hurt others who were innocent. It would be a miscarriage of justice for the most guilty to get a slap on the wrist for what they did.

"They are bringing the caste system to our shores. They may have a football rivalry but make no mistake. This is about caste. This is the cancer of the caste system revisiting itself upon our shores and I speak for the Prime and the majority of our citizenry that it won't be tolerated. We have a prison for those who wish to undermine our unity with their bigotry. I respect the lawyers present who have done their jobs well but I would ask the court to make the punishment fit the crime. Our unity is at stake if they receive less. They won't understand that we are resolved. Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter, your honor." He turned and nodded respectfully to the two lawyers. "Gentlemen."

They nodded back and looked at Semi. "Your honor, with all due respect, I would like to point out that Commander Prowl is the bond of the Prime. I don't wish to imply that he has a vested interest here beyond a desire to see the system end and these younglings to understand that they have to obey the laws and change their opinions, but that is a factor we don't wish to have precedence over the actual facts. We wish that our desires for leniency and the opportunity for restitution be granted so that they can have a chance to change for the better without prejudice."

Semi looked at them and felt a tiny smile grace his lips. "I appreciate your arguments, gentlemen but the opportunity to change is in their servos no matter what I decide about this case. **They** have the burden to change. The state has the burden to protect the population from the predations of those who feel above the law and make no mistake, this is a case of those who knew better but feel they are above the law." He looked at the younglings. "Stand up, younglings."

They did, uneasily glancing at their worried genitors and then the judge. Highrode and Sims along with Lash stood as well. Semi thought a moment, then looked at Prowl. "Sir, I agree with all your points. I think and know that effort has been made to ensure that everyone who lives here knows the system is dead. They know it. Maybe their journey has made thinking about change and the new order slower or even difficult but that doesn't change the facts."

He looked at the younglings. "You were told from orn one that the system was dead, that your complaints from Cybertron even if they are sports derived would not be tolerated and that the Prime and the laws of Cybertron were in force here. All are one here. Yet, when younglings walk into a bar as they are allowed to do you make a fight happen," he said looking at the high castes who looked like they wanted the earth to swallow them up. "You acted with callous disregard when you threw things and injured two innocent mechs. That won't be tolerated here. It isn't like I have to guess what was what and who is the most culpable. I have video evidence. Your lawyers acknowledge your guilt by asking for mercy. What else can they say and do? Some things are just that evident. And indefensible.

"Jolun, Carris, Talin, Flashpoint and Lotin, you are remanded into the custody of your genitors. You are under house detention for a decaorn. You may go to school or work but nowhere else. I am going to ask the Day Watch to put you on the detention grid. If you go anywhere at any time without asking permission of the Court, you will find yourself in jail for two decaorns. One for the sentencing and one for contempt of court. Your detention will be supervised by the Parole Office and you will tell them if you need to leave for any other reason. It will be a good reason, younglings if you ask."

They nodded, their expressions filled with relief. Their genitors nodded behind them, their expressions filled with determination and relief as well.

Semi looked at the other five. "Barin, Ture, Reese, Mako and Swin, you are remanded to the jail for two decaorns where you will serve your sentence in full. You harmed innocent mechs with your behavior. You will undergo anger management training through the Parole Office so that in future you will be mindful of your behavior and the consequences if you act on your bigotry again. You have shamed your families. It is up to you to redeem that. Do you understand?"

They nodded, their genitors standing behind them stiff with mortification and upset.

"Very well," Semi said. "This case is closed and the younglings are remanded to their places of punishment for the duration. Any attempts to short-circuit your sentences will be met with resistance from the Courts. We are in recess. Bailiff, take the younglings to the jail in the Fortress."

The genitors of the jailed looked at their younglings as they walked away into the courthouse with the bailiff. The others turned and walked out silently with their increasingly aggravated genitors. It was a fine line between intense fear and anger and gut wrenching relief. They would find out when they got home and the word was laid down.

Prowl nodded to the lawyers, prosecutor and judge before turning, pausing as the genitors of the high castes looked at him. He nodded and turned to go. Exiting the room, he was halfway down the corridor when a voice asked him to wait. He turned and watched as all the high caste genitors walked to catch up to him.

-0-TBC

2013 (1) NOTE: HOWWDDDEEE! It is -25 here. I hope you are warm as toast where you are. :D :D :D Just saying. ;0)


	174. Chapter 174

edited for boo-boos :D

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 10

-At the school

Sideswipe sped into the main classroom where their daughters spent their orns. Pausing beside Bluestreak, he smiled. "Hey, Babe."

"Sideswipe," Blue said looking up from where he had been placing chairs around tiny tables where the smallest sparklings learned to sit and do things as a group. Pausing, he smooched his bond. "What's up?"

"We have duty shortly, Sunny and me. Change of schedule. Someone's sparkling is separating who works at the prison. We get to do their duty for the next few orns. Where's Sunny?"

"He's upstairs. He's helping with the pool," Bluestreak said. "When do you start and how long is the shift? A full shift?"

Sideswipe nodded. "Yes," he said. "A full shift in about three joors."

"Why don't we get the babies and eat out? Miler and Venture can come along too," Bluestreak said.

Sideswipe nodded and hugged Bluestreak tightly, blowing a raspberry on his neck. Blue hugged him back, looking up at him with a grin. "You're feeling good today."

"We were shifted off the outpost duty schedule for a while. That's enough reason to celebrate."

"True enough," Blue said with a grin as he watched Sideswipe roll to the door. He transformed to peds and glanced back. "Meet ya at Cafe Praxus in half a joor." Blue nodded and Sideswipe left heading upward to the pool room several stories above them.

-0-Upstairs

"Hey."

Sunstreaker looked up from the middle of the pool which was beginning to fill with water. He had helped with the transfer of tools and other things they used in the pool with the babies. Now he was helping them get the water temperature right. "Pretty shallow for you don't you think?"

Sunstreaker grinned. "I'm testing the water temperature."

"Beats working," Sideswipe said with a smirk.

"Someone has to let them know. They're having a problem making the water warm enough," Sunstreaker said moving to sit on the side of the pool, his peds resting in the water. "Right now, its 69 degrees. Too cold for the sparklings to feel comfortable."

Sideswipe nodded and sat himself, his peds in the slowly swirling water too. "This feels pretty good."

"You just noticed?" Sunstreaker said with a grin. "When this is over, lets go to the Sports Center in Terra. They have hot tubs that swirl."

"Sounds awesome," Sideswipe said. "However, in three joors we have to be at the prison to do a tour for someone whose bond is separating any second now." It was silent a moment. "This really feels good."

Sunstreaker smirked. "I think so," he said. "We have night shift at the prison for how long?"

"At least a few orns,"

Sunstreaker nodded. "I wonder if we're going to see Sentinel."

Sideswipe looked at him, a hard expression forming on his face. "I hope not. Slagger."

Sunstreaker nodded. "Might be fun," he said without a trace of mirth in his voice.

-0-At Sciences

Wheeljack considered the question and the possible answers. Then he knew that he couldn't explain it simply enough for the humans to understand. He had tried with the scientists. They had come around to the edges of understanding. These filmmakers hadn't a chance to reach that far given the circumstances. It seemed too much like magic or voodoo for the humans to grasp. "I can't explain it to you in a way that would make much sense. Just take it for truth that we can carry things in subspace that we need and use."

Jack Mellar nodded. "Tell me about space bridges then," he said.

Wheeljack grinned.

-0-In Ops Center

They sat together as Springer explained things to all of the gathered mechs and femmes. By the time he was done, Optimus was grinning, Prowl was scandalized, Ratchet was amused at Prowl's unease and general befuddlement at the notion being fronted, Jazz was pacing from the sheer joy of it, Mirage was lounging enjoying Jazz pacing, Starscream was musing on the oddity of grounders and their flights of fancy, Ironhide was enjoying everyone's enjoyment as well as Prowl's disquiet and Elita was chuckling.

"Springer, you are certifiable," she said with a grin.

"That's been true forever," Springer said with a wink. "I just think that the more we frag with him, the less able he will be to make good judgments and build measures against us."

"Telling them that you are his bond, Ratchet and Ironhide his genitors and Bumblebee his youngling among other family yet to be named is good tactics?" Prowl asked as the fritz began to gather in his guts.

"Consider it this way, Prowl," Kup said gathering his own flights of fancy together as he sat quietly at the end of the table with the rest of the security mob. "He won't know what's true or not. If we can set up a reliable drop for him to get information, we can feed lies and he'll buy them. Using this as a starting point is one way to get his attention and keep it."

"But telling him military trivia and the like could solve the same thing, right?" Prowl replied with an earnest expression.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Springer replied with a grin.

Optimus snorted and grinned at the big mech who had been his personal savior on many a cold night in the midst of their long defeat. He looked at Prowl whose expression he filed away for future scrutiny over a brew. "Since nothing he would be getting would be true anyway having a little bit of fun couldn't hurt. Leave your enemy guessing about you. I rather like the idea of slagging him myself."

Prowl looked up at him, a slight frown of complete oblivion on his face as he tried to digest the detour through crazy town and failed. "I guess that will do then," he said.

Optimus grinned. "It will for me. Elita and Jazz, prepare what you think will be a good scenario for us to feed him information on a continual basis, then present it to me and this team when you are ready. I also want the scheme drawn up with me included in the planning. Since it was my idea in the first place, I would like to be part of this slagging."

Springer grinned and nodded. "Consider it done."

Prowl looked at Springer as the second crazy event of the day unfolded before him. Earlier he had spoken at a Magistrate's Court regarding the younglings being held for trial...

"Sir." A voice gave him pause so he stopped his journey down the corridor to the elevator and turned, his game face firmly in place. Several of the high caste youngling's genitors were walking to catch up to him. One of them, a big mech with an exquisite paint scheme looked at him levelly. "Sir, I would like to know why someone with your busy schedule took the time to come here and speak at the trial of my son for misdemeanor charges." The others closed the gap and paused looking at him with varying degrees of emotionality that was beyond Prowl to decipher.

"I came here to make it clear to those in a developing ongoing problem that this kind of behavior is not tolerated here. I am responsible for the safety and well being of everyone. Anyone who is in opposition to that is my responsibility. Your son and the other four younglings have been causing discord since they got here."

"My son is not the problem," the mech said. "He and his friends aren't the problem."

"Then enlighten me," Prowl said levelly.

The big mech looked at him and considered his words carefully. "Those younglings, the other ones … they have been harassing my son since we came here. Even before that. We have had trouble with them before we left for the migration."

"Where did you originate that you would have contact with them?" Prowl asked.

"Folix 2. We had a colony there and these younglings were harassing my son and his friends since then," the big mech said.

"If I asked others from Folix 2 for information regarding this allegation would there be truth to your statement?" Prowl asked calmly.

The mech stared at Prowl with an expression that was hardening into something he had seen often. It was an expression high castes suffering from mech entitlement syndrome often formed on their faces when they weren't 'getting through' to the one to whom they were speaking. "I don't doubt it."

"Then consider it done. I would like to know the sorts of individuals that live here and what they pose to the greater whole myself. I will ask personally," he said, his poise perfection even as his wings betrayed his anger. "No one is allowed to assume that they have advantages by reason of some now outlawed social designation over anyone else who lives here. We practice the concept of unity. Everyone is as valuable as anyone else and no one more so by reason of some arbitrary designation by those with a vested interest in dividing our society into the haves and have nots. You would do well to understand that. High castes before you learned to their detriment that thinking otherwise was a sad trail to roam."

"You assume that we are the aggressors, that we are the natural bad element here. I will have you know, sir that my family served Cybertron for generations and did so with distinction," he said stiffly.

"So did everyone else. So did the families of the mechs your son has been brawling with. Who created the wealth that you possessed? Who did the work that made life sustainable on Cybertron? You? I heartily doubt it," Prowl said coldly. "The video shows your son and the other four cowardly taunting peaceful mechs and fighting them in a public space. They harmed two other individuals as well. I would think that would be of more consequence to you than chastising me for doing my duty."

"Your duty," the big mech said bitterly. "We know of the situation as it exists here for high castes, how Kudon was murdered and how there is little concern for the issues and problems of our caste."

"You haven't heard me," Prowl said moving closer even as he lowered his voice slightly. "There is no caste system here."

They stared at each other, then Prowl turned and walked off, his dignity intact and his anger firmly under control. As he entered the elevator, he sent word to Springer and Drift to do intel on the colony on Folix 2. He would have chapter and verse if he had to dig it out himself. The elevator door closed and he disappeared from view altogether.

Sitting at the table in the present moment, listening to comedy surrounding the idea of slagging Paragon with falsehoods about the bonded and genitorial status of most of the mechs and femmes at the table, Prowl of Praxus chalked it up to the fact that some things passeth understanding. By the time everyone got up to go, a drop scheme was in place that would 'allow the 'Cons to receive intel without the Autobots knowing about it' and all manner of interesting and intriguing ideas were part of an ever growing list of possible 'intel' with which to deceive.

He would live another nine million years and not get it. But he didn't care. As long as Prime was happy, he was.

-0-Later that night

"You can do perimeter patrols," the Officer of the Orn said as the prison night crews gathered to go on duty. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker nodded knowing that their duty would pass faster if they could move around. When the briefing was over, they stepped out of the Guard Center and transformed their peds. Moving off in different directions, they slowly rolled around checking this and that outside of the fence perimeter.

Cell block A was silent, the inmates inside watching the television. A new ep of Platoon was playing. The two had Bluestreak tape it for later consumption, so they wandered along slowly without much of a care. The sky was beautiful, filled with the lights of stars and the city beyond including Terra was intensely beautiful. The illumination pushed back the soft darkness of evening and the air was a balmy -45 degrees.

Sunstreaker skated slowly along, his optics scanning a ridge nearby that rose gently from the flat empty plain that defined their life. As he moved along, he heard a noise nearby. Pausing, turning with his sensors on full, he noted a familiar figure standing by the fence also looking up to study the night sky. Pausing, Sunstreaker moved closer, then stopped. He smirked humorlessly. "You are out tonight. Bored are ya?" he asked coldly.

Sentinel Prime considered the familiar figure before him. "Maybe." He grinned mirthlessly. "Good to see you again, Sunstreaker."

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	175. Chapter 175

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 11 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Night, outside

"If you say so, Sentinel."

The big mech stared at the figure before him, a beautiful dangerous mechanism with a serious lack of fear. He had it all. Sentinel stepped closer to the fence, the soft glow of the bars illuminating his face. "I do," he said quietly. "It has been a very long time. I wonder … where is that brother of yours?"

"Here."

They both looked to the left and saw Sideswipe standing in the shadows, his swords fully extended. Sentinel nodded. "Sideswipe. You look well."

"You look jailed," Sideswipe said, a dangerous expression forming on his face.

Sentinel looked at Sideswipe a moment admiring the beauty and menace of the mechanism, then turned back to the one that really lit his fire, Sunstreaker. "You two live here. I should have known. When I heard you were in the army I had to have it checked out. I couldn't believe it."

"Why?" Sunstreaker asked coldly. "You another one of those fraggers that figured the 'Cons were a better fit?"

"It seemed more like you, Sunstreaker. You didn't seem the law abiding type if I remember correctly."

"What would you know about us?" Sideswipe asked as he rolled closer to his brother. His swords slid up and back down, their razor sharp blades glinting in the glow of energy.

"A bit. Maybe even a lot." Sentinel looked back to Sunstreaker who was staring at him with barely concealed anger. "The question isn't what I know about you and you know its more than the usual slag. The better question is, what do the mechs here know about you?" The twins stared at him, their faces mirror images of each others molten rage. Sentinel watched them, gleaning information from the moment.

"You seem to think that anyone cares what you say, traitor," Sunstreaker replied in a low menacing voice. "I don't think it would be too hard to tear you apart. I think it would be easy to say you were trying to escape. Right, Sideswipe?"

"Easy," Sideswipe murmured, his optics never leaving the face of their nemesis.

"Think about the old times, boys," Sentinel said as he warmed to the moment. "Think about all the times we were together."

Sideswipe snorted, his grin mirthless. "Together. You make that sound sexy."

"Maybe it was," Sentinel replied. "For me perhaps."

"You and I remember the past differently, Sentinel," Sunstreaker replied. "I do believe you may be delusional."

"What can you expect from someone on that side of the tracks coming down to slum with the low brow killers? Danger junkie," Sideswipe said. "You liked to come down and get into the mud with the rest of us. You liked rough trade didn't you, Sentinel. It was more to your tastes than those phony bastards that you had to deal with in the penthouses and mansions of the city."

Sentinel shrugged. "Doesn't matter why I came. I just did. And fancy that, you two were always there no matter what was going on. Your criminal tendencies were one of the things that attracted me to you, that and your beauty. There was always your beauty."

Sunstreaker stood watching Sentinel as images of other times flooded his processor. Sentinel would come down to the slums and hard streets to get a fix of brutality, coming alone most of the time. The few times either had seen Prowl outside of avoiding prosecution by the dogged detective was when he had to accompany Sentinel as SIC to the bars and clubs of the Jumble in Iacon and Industrial District of Kaon. The big mech had a thing for the gladiatorial games, dangerous mechs of a certain physical beauty and pushing his slagging luck.

"Makes you sad doesn't it, not getting to frag Megatron," Sunstreaker said. "Or maybe you did. What was it like to frag someone that ugly, Sentinel? Or did you notice?"

Sideswipe snorted and chuckled. "I doubt he did," he replied glancing at his brother with a smirk. "Time to move on."

Sunstreaker nodded and glanced at Sentinel. "I would say it was a pleasure but it wasn't." With that, Sunstreaker turned and with his brother disappeared into the night.

Sentinel stared at the darkness for a moment, then turned and walked inside the barracks beyond.

-0-In Polyhex Tower

Bluestreak felt the blast of emotion, then it faded as firewalls blockedit from him. He probed it, cursing to himself that he was a beginner in the arena of hiding shit from someone, unlike his bonds. When the blast settled Blue tried again. :Sideswipe. Sunny. What's going on?:

There was a pause, then Sideswipe spoke. :Nothing. We're just fragging with Sentinel:

:You better not. You know Optimus won't be pleased and you have to know, you two that Venture will have to step in and maybe even invoke if something happens here. You do remember Praxian customs don't you?:

:Frag yeah. Why weren't you from Kaon?: Sunstreaker broke in.

Bluestreak relaxing slightly, smirked. :Because you have good taste:

The slag continued for some time. Neither of them fooled Bluestreak.

-0-In a meeting

"We need to set up a situation where they believe that we don't know they're listenin' in and yet we are. We have to set up a drop." Jazz thought a moment. "We want it on a low band so they'll be fooled into thinkin' this is real."

Elita nodded. "We have to drop a device with our 'bands' on it and make it so real that they believe we have lost one or that we aren't aware one has been compromised."

"We need to glitch a communication device from a relay. They have to know that we have long distance relays out here and we use Seeker bands to communicate. We need to 'stealthfully' place a device aimed at them but have it become faulty in some way. That way they can tune in without being aware that its a dummy line that runs one way. We can feed them whatever we want them to know in this manner," Mirage said. "I would suggest a line of communications relays with a faulty beacon switcher. Let it leak enough signal that they pop it. Don't make it easy. Make them work for it. When they tune in, we can give them anything we want. We will have to give them truth sometimes. We don't want them to catch on."

"We can expand a runner out toward their location and fill it with gadgets … sensors and comm lines to make it seem real. They will believe we would do that considering they're squatting here now," Wheeljack said. "Then we can design it to fracture and allow a signal leak. That way anything that is part of the communications linkage with Fort Apache can be read by them when we want them to. We can make dummy broadcasts and sends to make it seem like we're broadcasting in a normal way but all of it will be false. They will get our feed. We can work out detection devices and wire taps when we're sure they have bitten but not before. We get one shot at this. We can also assume that they will send us fake information if they detect this can go both ways as well so whatever the sensors and other devices pick up must be treated with the idea that its a lie."

"Then there has to be a total redrawing of the sensor net that we're going to be laying down in that direction. The one on the boards won't have our special needs wired inside," Jazz said.

"We need to have it maintained as well or they won't believe it. We should believe that they will be watching things," Mirage said.

Wheeljack nodded. "We can do that. Seekers do the routine maintenance on the relays and dishs all over the system. They can do this one too and install add ons that we might want to introduce to do our own intel as well. What we need to do now is lay out the systems. There should be the three. The first has to be a deep dish array down the migration route that boosts our scans farther out. That one is going to be legit. Then there will be the subspace Seeker relay that will be used for communications. That one should be off their grid too. Both are on the planning list and are normal expansions brought about by changing circumstances.

"The Seeker relay is so low band and so minimal in hardware construction that we can pretty much gather that they won't find it. The migration array is going to be hard for them to reach because it is planned to be placed closer to us than to them. The one we have to devise for this is a sensor array with relay system that attaches to a dish router close enough for them to figure out the configuration but not enough for them to sort out what we're really doing."

"Sounds like a plan," Jazz said with a grin. "We need to put this to Prime and then step on it. I can't want to feed Paragon slag. That mech is a calculator. If he gets a scrap of information, he adds it to the proper mental file. From there, he builds his plans. We need to throw a wrench in the process."

Wheeljack nodded, then grinned. "We also have to frag with his processor. Nothing like getting word out on the family to help with that."

Everyone had a good laugh but Perceptor. He sat scandalized.

Wheeljack enjoyed his confusion with great mirth. Perceptor and Prowl were bookends.

-0-Later that night

"Its quiet."

"About time." Ironhide turned on the television and The Hourly News was on. "Missed Platoon. Did you tape it?"

"I did," Ratchet replied as he sat sprawled in his own chair. "We can see it whenever."

Ironhide nodded. "The school looks good."

"It does. Its newer and all shiny. Tomorrow, we are going to have to take the sparklings to their schools. Too bad that school wasn't built for the older younglings. We could put Sunspot on the train and he could get off at the school stop all by himself. It's only one stop from our building," Ratchet said.

"It would be a nice first step for him to run around a bit by himself," Ironhide said. "I know that youngling was on his own all his life but there's something about letting him go off alone that worries and bothers me."

"I hear you," Ratchet said. "We have a sparkling lurking."

"I know. I've been tracking him since he flipped out of the crib."

Tiny blue optics stared at them out of the intense darkness of the hallway. They stared at the genitors and then lowered as the sparkling began to stalk them in stealth mode. Orion paused at the edge of light considering how far it was from where he was standing to the backs of their chairs and the wall. Watching them, making a calculation that he wasn't seen, he ran as quietly as he could toward the chairs and disappeared behind them.

It wasn't very quiet. It was however sincere.

"Did I ever tell you how funny he looks when he's stealthing?" Ratchet asked glancing at Ironhide with a grin. A bump against the wall was quickly followed by instantaneous stillness. Then the tiny sound of feet moving carefully forward continued. When the feet got to the space between them, a tiny black servo was seen reaching upward toward the plate Ironhide had put on the arm of his chair. A tiny servo glommed a big cookie, then both disappeared back into the darkness below.

"Ironhide, did you eat my cookie?" Ratchet asked with a grin.

"Nope." Ironhide forced himself not to look downward.

A tiny chuckle was ruthlessly cut off behind them. Ratchet considered that, then began to make whimpering sounds. "I wanted a cookie, Ironhide. My cookie is gone. I feel so bad." Ratchet continued the whimpering sounds. The silence behind the chair was intense.

Then a small figure came along the back of Ratchet's chair pausing by the arm to look at Ratchet with a stricken face. He held up the cookie. "Ada. You?"

Ratchet looked at Orion and felt his spark melting around the edges. He leaned down and scooped the infant up. Orion sat on his lap looking at him solemnly. He looked at the cookie in his servo, then held it up. Ratchet grinned and took a little bite. Orion looked deeply relieved as he stared at Ratchet. Then he looked at Ironhide. Holding out his cookie, he nodded. "Atar? You?"

"I have one, Orion. Thanks," Ironhide said nodding to the plate where a cookie lay waiting to be eaten.

"I think little mech thinks he can sleep with us," Ratchet said.

"I think that's probably true," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "Fat chance."

Ratchet grinned. "Finish your cookie, sparkling. You're going back to the berth in a moment." Ratchet grinned at Ironhide. "I think we need to nail a lid on his berth."

"I think you're right," Ironhide said with a grin. They turned and looked at The Hourly News which was discussing the new school opening in the morning.

"Tomorrow, the new Sparkling Day School will be opening and the travel system's dedicated cars for the school will be running their priority route to the building. All students heading for the Sparkling Day School should take the train with the orange decal. They will run for the school without a stop. There are three, one for each district. When the zone identifier at the front of the train is showing orange, it will be a priority run for the school. If any other color is showing on the trains, wait for the orange one unless you are willing to make changes on the routes.

"In other news, the sandstorm technology in the north of Mars has checked out in all its marker objectives. The possibility of controlling the sandstorms that wreck havoc on the city each spring is a real possibility," Lim-Lee said. "We sent Jacx to Sciences to talk about the program with the project directors, Wheeljack and Burris." With that, the switch to Sciences was made and the interview began.

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "Are you ready to be the atar of a Prime, which I think is a brilliant concept by the way?"

"I was born ready, old mech. I am **IRONHIDE, DESTROYER OF WORLDS!** Every sparkling I have is prime."

Ratchet snorted. "When are you going to put Hero in her crib?"

Ironhide, busted again glanced at Ratchet even as he patted his carry hold. "When she tells me to."

Ratchet shook his helm. "Woos."

"You can't make me feel badly, Ratchet. Right, sparkling?" Ironhide said looking at Orion.

Orion just grinned.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	176. Chapter 176

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 12 edited for Boo-boos :D

-0-The next morning

"**ATAR!"**

"**GET IN HERE!"**

Ratchet grinned as he cleared away the morning's dishes and turned to watch as Orion hippity-hopped around the table 'avoiding' bath time with all the panache of a runaway pony.

"**ATAR! COME GET ME!"**

Ratchet blinked and added more words to his internal list as well as the observation that his tendency now was to try full sentences. **"GO,** **SPARKLING! BE FREE!"** he said with a grin.

"**ADA! I GO ME! ATAR NOT GO ME! I FLY!"** With that, he ran under the table and wound himself around the legs going in and out in a tizzy.

Ironhide walked out and stood, servos on hip assemblies as he watched the sparkling be free. Grinning, he walked closer and pounced, 'missing' Orion as he screeched an audial splitting burst of overwhelming joy and excitement. He hippity-hopped back under the table and peered out.

Praxus was standing next to Ratchet ready to duck behind him. He pointed at Orion. **"O! RUN! O! GO, ATAR. ATAR COME! FLY!"**

Ironhide and Ratchet paused looking down at their second oldest youngest son, then each other as they blinked in surprise. "Good thing their conferences are coming up in a couple of orns. This could be exciting for a change, Ironhide."

"That's what I think," he said bending down and catching a sparkling in each servo. Turning to walk into the berthroom and the wash racks beyond, an upside down sparkling laughing maniacally in each servo, Ironhide, Master of the Autobot, Cybertronian and Martian Armed Forces and slave to the lovin' headed back in to squirt the little ones up the ying-yang.

"I love mornings," Sunspot said as he sat on the couch all spic and span himself. He was holding his backpack as he waited to go. He would go with them to the new school, then ride back with Ironhide to go to his own. It was a win-win.

Ratchet chuckled. "You and me both, Sunny Bunny."

The hoo-hah in the wash racks was finally over and two shiny little mechs came dancing out. They sang their own songs as they bounced around the room grinning at everyone as they entertained each other. Ironhide scooped them up putting harnesses on their little butts and hooked them up with leashes. Ratchet grabbed their bags and with Sunspot in tow followed Ironhide and the sparklings out the door to the corridor and elevator beyond.

The ride down was noisy and filled with **"ATAR! WHY ME!?"** and **"ADA! WHY YOU?!"**, neither of which made any sense to Ironhide and Ratchet. They however had perfected the only reply any genitor in any dimension, in any format ever needed to answer fully and completely, without a shadow of a doubt such questions: 'Because'.

Exiting, they walked through the lobby pausing to chat with this and that neighbor before hitting the street. The stroll to the subway entrance and the stairs that led down to the platform was reached by merely crossing the street. When they arrived on the platform, it was filled with genitors waiting to take their infants to Terra and the first orn of their new school.

Prime and Prowl stood on the platform holding Miracle, the mechs already delivered to the Youngling schools. The platform was crowded so when the first train bearing the orange designation came, they opted to wait for more.

"This is much better than driving or above ground transportation," Prowl said as they watched an orange train from Aerie Hill go past, the cars filled with Seekers and their infants.

"I think so. I think I may just spend a while this morning riding around the system," Ratchet said with a grin. "It's a bucket of fun."

Prowl nodded, the ghost of a grin on his face. "I know. I already have. Makes me feel like I'm back in Praxus or Iacon." He glanced at Ratchet with a grin. "You know Iacon. That place filled with losers."

"Prime's from Iacon," Ratchet replied smoothly, his enjoyment **LUX** as he watched Prowl's grin fade slightly.

"Loser," Prowl said smugly as the next train rolled to a stop before them.

"Whiner," Ratchet said nudging him aside with a smirk. Sunspot followed Ratchet who held Praxus and climbed aboard. Ironhide glanced at Prime and shook his helm as they watched Prowl enter. They followed and the doors slid shut. The ride to school was very swift and traveling through the tunnels bright from overhead lighting entertaining. They waited for the doors to open and stepped out.

The lines to the elevators were moving well and when they entered the huge device it was a short ride up. Stepping off, the teachers, aides and others were out in force to help genitors and infants into the school's first orn.

"Optimus," Neo said as she paused before the big bot. She smiled. "Isn't this lovely? Only two orns of disruption in the move and we still held school."

"It was a monumental task, Neo and everyone did such a good job," Optimus said as he watched Prowl put Miracle down. He ran to Orion and hugged him, turning then to hug Praxus. They began to babble together happily. "You have one of the best jobs on Mars."

"I think so," she said taking the two leashes. "You couldn't make me give this up."

They chatted a moment, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bluestreak arriving with the girls and Kaon. "When are you going to fork over Hero?" Sideswipe asked Ironhide as they stood watching the entire platoon-let meander off with Neo.

"When the Pit freezes over," Ironhide said patting his hold. "This little femme is getting all the advantages. She needs to know the lay of the land before going to school. Little femme can learn a lot from me about important things like tactics and stealth. The crucial things every femme should know."

"They already do," Ratchet said with a smirk. "I think femmes are born with it hard wired in."

"No doubt," Sideswipe said. "You had breakfast?"

"We did but I can hang with you a moment or two. What about you, Bluestreak? Do you have duty today?" Ratchet asked.

The winger nodded. "I get to work at the Trigger on comm detail," Blue said. He looked at the twins. "Are you two going to recharge today or what? Night duty at the prison is going to be tough if you don't recharge."

"We will," Sunstreaker said. "Right after we eat," he said glancing at Ratchet.

They chatted a while, then the groups split up, Optimus and Prowl heading for Ops Center, Ironhide and Hero on an inspection of a new deep ammo storage facility under the proposed extension of Terra fter dropping off Sunspot. The plans were still in flux and they needed his expertise. He left and then it was Ratchet, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. "Where to, boys?" he asked.

They turned him and walked on either side to the elevator. "Club Cybertron," they said in unison.

-0-At the Club

They entered sassing with Hot Rod, Drift and Springer who were having one at the bar now that night shift was over. Heading to a table, they ordered and sat staring at each other. Ratchet felt the subtext and considered his moves. "How was the prison last night?" he asked in his opening gambit.

"Same old, same old," Sunstreaker said noncommittally, parrying Ratchet's opening move.

"Really," Ratchet replied as drinks arrived. He sipped his 'beer' and looked at both of them levelly. "You are terrible liars."

Both of them looked at Ratchet, at one of the very few individuals they had ever come to trust in the entirety of their lives and came to the same conclusion. "We talked to Sentinel," they answered in unison.

Ratchet nodded. "I see. How did that go?"

"As well as you can expect from a total douche bag," Sideswipe said.

Ratchet grinned. "I like some human insults. Especially that one."

They grinned slightly themselves and nodded. "I know," Sunstreaker said. His grin faded. "It fits him."

They paused again as their food arrived and Ratchet waited a moment as they began to eat. "His remarks bothered you, his remarks or his presence."

Sideswipe considered that. "He did. It's strange to see someone that was never anyone you ever wanted to see again pop up like this. I celebrated when I heard he was dead."

Sunstreaker nodded.

"You want to tell me specific things or do you just want to be general in your angst? I am a one-way street when it comes to confidences like this. What goes down the road never comes back out," Ratchet said quietly, his expression solemn and concerned.

"We know," Sunstreaker said taking a bite of food. "We knew him from way back. We saw all of you from time to time. Ironhide once in the streets when he was helping to pacify an outbreak of violence in Kaon. He came with troops. I don't know if he remembers seeing us but we saw him."

"He told me about that," Ratchet said. "He wanted to pen you both and make you see the error of your ways. He was concerned about all the homeless younglings without anyone to care for them."

They looked at him a moment, then nodded. "After the Clampdown, the streets were a hard place to be. The authorities were really kicking our afts. We were still freelancing in the Games, betting on ourselves and winning all the time."

"I suppose Megatron wanted to 'manage' you," Ratchet interjected as he sat back to sip his drink.

"He did. We never allowed it. Sometimes he would send goons to persuade us and he got back scrap heaps in return," Sunstreaker said with a humorless grin. "Splice was with us then. He hadn't gone off on his own with the Neutrals and the Circle yet."

"I like that mech," Ratchet said. "He's got class."

"He always did. We grew up together in the Youth Center in Kaon. We were tossed out with the trash like he was."

"You don't know anything about your genitors?" Ratchet asked gently.

"Nope," Sunstreaker said pausing as he stared at his plate. "We did have dreams, the same ones."

Sideswipe nodded. "They were always young faces, young mechs with nice faces, good looking. They were smiling at us, then they fade away. It's always the same."

"Could it be them or something else?" Ratchet asked softly.

"We don't know," Sunstreaker said. "I thought it was us making slag up to fill the hole but it feels more real."

Sideswipe nodded. "We grew up together and stayed together until the Army beckoned for us. Splice had begun to hang out with Neutrals who were connected with the Knights. The Circle mechs around Slaughter City were also part of that. We were still pissed off, still needing to slag things. So we decided to go with the army to do it legally," he said with a grin. "It was either that or go to prison."

Sunstreaker smirked slightly. "We did that too. Our road rage gang was putting dents into Barricade's own so he framed us by leaving stolen property at our club house in the loop."

"That was one seriously dangerous place to be in Kaon," Ratchet said remembering a series of streets near the industrial park that made freightliner ships, which was the home of clubs and bars that were worth your spark to enter. "Which one was your club?"

"The Pit," Sideswipe said with a chuckle. "It was too but we liked it and only the toughest of the toughest youngling hard afts ever had the nerve to come inside. Even Barricade didn't try it."

"He had his own club three streets away, The Null Zone. We used to 'dance'," Sunstreaker said with a savage grin. "Slagger fought but never won. He was always betting against us in the games and finally got us banned by Megatron and all the other promoters."

Ratchet nodded. "I know Sentinel used to slum. He even dragged Prowl along a few times. How did you run into him?"

Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker who stared at his plate for a moment, lost in thoughts. Glancing at Ratchet, Sideswipe grinned slightly. "Sentinel was stalking Sunny," he said.

Ratchet grinned slightly. "Frag," he said quietly. Sunstreaker looked up at Ratchet and nodded. "Too bad I wasn't there," Ratchet said. "I would have slagged him to Pit for fragging with one of my younglings."

Sunstreaker looked at Ratchet, emotions that would stay with Ratchet forever playing across his handsome face. "I wish you were too, Ada," he said quietly.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

ENVY: YOUR TOOTH! HUGGLES! I agree with your doctor. ;D

Elita-2, Cry4Me, Lockdownthegunner: Thank you. :D Hugs to all of you. More of the backstories of a few characters coming along here. I am working up to three big threads and laying the groundwork with a little backstory of the fam. :D


	177. Chapter 177

Edited for boo-boos :D

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 13

-0-Out there

The fort that would be their home base was rising swiftly under the experienced servos of the large contingent of Decepticons that had followed his command. They were making their quarters and command center below ground for security even while living in their ships until circumstances improved.

He himself lived on the Destron in rather palatial quarters as in keeping with the ego-driven entitlement mentality of the senior command.

He stood on the command deck of Destron watching the construction as he considered the messages he had received from Decepticon groups coming his way. Prime was out there as well and so was Soundwave. That backstabbing mech was intriguing. There were Decepticon signals that came out of nowhere and always ended in the same place. That meant a bridge and fort system by his now nemesis and rival, Soundwave.

It had been clear to him that Soundwave was working on a lot of things that had little to do with his very clear and very limited mandate from Megatron. Take care of Cybertron and do nothing more was the message they had all received. It was evident to Paragon that Soundwave was moving beyond the short list into some kind of composition of his own. He had sent Arrow and a scouting party to check out the situation around the edges of his outland sphere of influence. They would communicate on a channel that he knew Autobots used. The longer it took Soundwave to know about him and his group, the better.

Let the Autobots get the blame if he discovered the communications. He walked back to his throne and sat down to contemplate whatever corners he could cut to get what he wanted, control of everything Cybertronian without any of the blame from Prime, Soundwave or Megatron. Play them against the other was a very promising path to take.

-0-Club Cybertron at the same time

He looked at Ratchet, his expression as open as Ratchet had ever seen of him. "Sentinel was a fragger. He was tough, smart and he always went after what he wanted. You do know he tried to take the Matrix from Nominus Prime when someone tried to assassinate him and he was in the hospital."

"That was what was said," Ratchet said. "Someone saw him leaning over Nominus's berth in the hospital talking to him. He didn't get it obviously."

"No, but he always wanted it." Sunstreaker thought a moment. "You know, he can really fight. He's slagging tough and fast. I used to see him at the games and I know a part of him wanted to be in the mix. Part of me wanted him there too so I could slag him."

"He stalked you?" Ratchet asked quietly.

Sunstreaker looked at Ratchet calmly. "He always chased the ones he considered most beautiful. No one he was with could be less than that. His ego was beyond bounds when he was out of the high caste areas and into ours. He could act like he wanted and he enjoyed it, especially when he could drag Prowl along. Prowl really hated to come. He wasn't comfortable. There were a lot of us he either chased or arrested so the chances for violence were always there. Sentinel liked it. Prowl didn't. One night he saw me and that was it. I had everything he wanted. Looks, ability to fight ..."

"You were dangerous. That was huge with Sentinel. He loved danger, being on the edge of violence and death. He loved it and he sensed it with you," Sideswipe said looking at his brother. "I never gave him anything but slag. You didn't give him any attention. That didn't sit well with Sentinel. He always got what he wanted. He rose through the ranks, sucked up to the money class and ended up Prime. No one ever deserved it less. He wanted Sunny and you knew it from the first time he saw you."

"You get to know 'the look'. You know, the one that says trouble is coming. I've been wanted by a lot of mechs. Lots of them. Some I even wanted back. But on my terms, Ada. Never on theirs. They were the suckers, the marks. We were hungry, had no one and were criminals. I don't pretend we weren't but I drew the line on some high caste fragger thinking he could have me just because he wanted it. Fragger would have gotten a shiv in the necklines for that

kind of thinking."

"Wouldn't have harmed the world if you had," Ratchet said sympathetically. "You clashed I take it."

"He would come to the bars and hang out staring at me. Sometimes he would show up at the apartment and want in. It was weird," Sunstreaker said. "Then he harassed Sideswipe, told me he would put him in prison and I'd never see him again."

"Did he?" Ratchet asked with a slight frown.

"I climbed into the window of his villa at Capital City and caught him recharging. I destroyed a couple of things and left my glyph with a note. Don't frag with me or my brother or you will die." A cold look of contempt featured on Sunstreaker's handsome face.

"What did he do?" Ratchet asked.

"It turned him on more, Ada," Sideswipe said with a slight grin.

"Sentinel has high caste entitlement syndrome. He thinks because he wants it that its enough," Ratchet said. "He's where he belongs." He looked at Sunstreaker. "You need to stay away from him in the prison. Ignore him if he wants to talk. Don't give him what he wants and don't allow him to control you so that he does."

Sunstreaker looked at Ratchet, a thousand stories shimmering in his optics. He nodded curtly.

"You have a great family, a great home, the esteem of the community and me. You have Ironhide and me. There is nothing Sentinel can do to touch that," Ratchet said squeezing Sunstreaker's servo.

Sunstreaker looked at him and nodded again fully aware that even if the intention was true, the content seldom was. They settled back and talked about football and upcoming conferences. The shadow of Sentinel Prime kept them company as they did.

-0-At the Trigger

Bluestreak sat at communications helping set up the relay that would be starting out from Fort Apache as ships lined up to go through the bridge when it activated. They were ready to lay out the dishes and drops that would facilitate their 'frag with Paragon plan' and make things interesting for special ops and communications mechs who would be watching for receipt tags to ping back to them that their prey had taken the bait. Those were built in to send a nanosecond before the communications fully opened so that Paragon would not know they were tracking his activity.

It was awesome.

Wheeljack and Perceptor were awesome.

Blue sat and considered the muted emotional stuff that had been plaguing Sunstreaker and to a lesser extent Sideswipe since the night before. Something had happened when they had talked to Sentinel and it wasn't good. It had something to do with their past lives and they were doing an admirable job of hiding it from him, the slaggers. The content was unassailable by him thanks to their expert firewalls but the emotions were heavy and omnipresent, if somewhat muted.

It was aggravating.

:Sideswipe:

:Babe:

:What's wrong and don't frag with me. I want to know. This has something to do with Sentinel, right?:

:You know what we think of Sentinel, Babe. This is just that:

:You're lying:

A chuckle drifted over the link. :You are so cute when you get mad:

:Don't give me that. What do I have to do? Find you and slag you both? What's going on?:

:Later. Tonight: The link with Sideswipe went muted.

Bluestreak considered that, then dialed in Ratchet.

:Ratchet:

:Bluestreak:

:What's going on with the twins? I know you're with them. I have you on the translator grid. You're all at the Club:

:We are and having a slagging fine time. What's up with you?:

:Something's fragged with Sentinel. They won't tell me. Tell me:

:Not yet. Later. They would hide my aft if they thought I broke a confidence and they don't disclose often. Slag them when you get home and make them tell you:

:If I need help, will you come over?:

A grin filtered back to him. :I will take your call:

:You're being coy now, Ratchet. I hate that:

:I do too but they're sitting right here giving me the stink optic:

:I will see you later then:

:Good, Blue. I look forward to it. Ratchet out:

Blue commed off and spent a fretful shift in spite of soothing energy from Sideswipe. There was nothing on the link from Sunstreaker but an edgy silence.

-0-Ops Center

"What then is your decision?" Prowl asked.

"I think if I do break cover that it should be at the House Foreign Affairs meeting. The world's attention will be fixed on that one and the set up could accommodate my size. I would be able to answer questions if needed there but not at the United Nations General Assembly speech. I want to sucker punch these opposition representatives in the chin as hard and as fast as possible. I am still not convinced that its time but I will go with Ratchet when he leaves just in case the meeting presents an opportunity."

"Optimus," Smokescreen said pausing by the table with a datapad. "New off the lines."

Optimus took it to read and handed it to Prowl. Prowl read it impassively and looked at Prime. "What do you want to do?"

Prime told him.

-0-Out there

The Hish commanders stood on the planetary fragment waiting for the new metallic creatures to come to speak. They had received their signals and after conferring with the Great Hierarch, they had permission. So they waited.

-0-At the prison

The senators lounged on the yard of their cell block. They sat chatting, playing board games or alone. Sentinel Prime sat on a chair near the gate and stared at the sky as he thought about the yellow and black mechanism that had occupied so much of his free time during his tenure as Prime.

Sunstreaker was here. His brother was as well. This was good news. It was a way to alleviate his boredom to think about Sunstreaker and consider the possibilities. And the memories.

He had reached the pinnacles of power when he had achieved the Primeship. It had been his lifelong dream. But the office had its own encrusted patterns of behavior that constituted acceptable and unacceptable conduct in the rarified heights of Cybertronian society and leadership. He had enjoyed it a while, then he chafed. He was used to the military life of fighting, brawling and fragging around.

The high caste society he lead was calcified and corrupt. Even he could see that. Over the course of his Primeship he had come to the conclusion that the survival of Cybertron depended upon him and so he sanctioned draconian social restrictions, makong for himself a prison of propriety.

No more could he wander the slums and back alleys of the city-states in his free time partaking in the life he had enjoyed before. Fighting, drinking and chasing mechs was out. The life of danger that fed his personality … dangerous pasttimes and dangerous romantic pursuits were harder and more challenging to continue.

Sunstreaker had been a goal. Twins were rare to the point of nonexistence and the novelty of the two was intriguing. That they were both footless and homeless, dangerous to the extreme and utterly amoral was an added bonus. They headed the worst and most feared road gang on Cybertron. Even Barricade's road posse was secondary in all measurable ways to them. They were ruthless but they had odd exceptions. They didn't steal or bother low castes no matter the circumstances. They were barely tolerant of middle castes to the point of not extorting them. The high castes bore the brunt of their rage.

Even the security forces didn't enter their club.

He did.

Often.

He considered that as he sat on his chair watching the sparce clouds float by overhead in a late spring afternoon. They would pass and so would the sunlight as the orn gave way to the night. He would sit here and wait. Sunstreaker was coming back on duty he had heard when the shift changed earlier. They would do so for at least a decaorn. Things had just become tolerable he thought as he sat quietly waiting.

-0-At the studio

Sadee left, her latest assignments in servo. Her spirit was infectious and her youthful optimism about the possibilities of life was uplifting. They sat together sprawling on the couches as the moments before school's dismissal ticked by.

"Sentinel is playing with your prosessor. Again."

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He's caged up and he can't get out. Our duty will pass and he'll still be there."

"Just so you know," Sideswipe said nodding. "Time to get the kids."

They rose and walked out of the studio speeding to the school over the roads. They raced each other to the new facility, then transformed their peds to walk inside. The short ride up rounded up the blossoms of their little garden. When they walked back out, three tiny infants would do so on their own little peds, their genitors walking behind holding the leashes to their harnesses with pride.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)


	178. Chapter 178

Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-On with the show

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 14

-0-Later that afternoon

Ironhide stepped onto the train to go back to the city from Aerie Hill. The huge expansion of the Seeker habitat had been a marvel to see and the big armories and depots below ground just the thing to facilitate their arming as well as weapon repair-upgrades without clogging up the system. He had also gone out to the new armory in Phase Four of the expansion of Terra that was being built several stories below ground with blast shielding strong enough to withstand nuclear weapons. Terra would house soldiers and Home Guard members too so they would need cared for as well.

Hero lay in his arms staring at him as they stood in a beautiful shiny subway car flashing through the system, overhead lights filling the tunnels with brightness as the car tripped their sensors. When it passed, the lights dialed down waiting for other cars to go through. Hero was on a tour of the new spaces, meeting new mechs and the odd femme, going about the city that would be home for her with her old pa. He was intensely proud to show her and filed away every compliment given by anyone who spoke about her. He may be an older genitor but he was in love with his infants.

The train pulled into their station and he stepped off walking with the few passengers across the platform, heading upward to the steps that would take them above ground to the city. They would emerge into the light and facing them would be the Cultural Center and the tower where they lived. Its shadow would be long on the ground. Pausing to look up, he grinned. "Let's go see your old ada, Hero. Let's go see what that slagger is up to." With that, he turned left and walked toward Mare Tranquilitatis and the Autobot City Hospital Tower where Ratchet hung his hat.

Metaphorically.

-0-The Mole in Sector Seven, New York City, New York, USA, Earth

He sat staring at the screen as he watched the last bit of data being downloaded into the special drive he had been given to facilitate huge data dumps by his benefactors. He had been selling bits and pieces of his research project to this and that individual before finally connecting with real money and expertise.

Some loons in a group called MECH had given him a call through the circuitous grape vine asking for a chat. It had been had, commitments made and his future immeasurably brightened by the conversation. He was going to be taking a 'much needed break' from his job and spend part of his 'recuperation' time with their scientists as they went through the masses of data he had been slipping out of Sector 7 for some time now.

He had a enormous bank account in the Cayman Islands, a warehouse filled with concept cars including his dazzling red Lamborghini and a secret apartment in London from which to launch gaudily expensive forays into the world the way he had always dreamed about. No one was on to him. He had been aware that Seymour had been poking around in his usual 'nondescript' manner. That is, Simmons had telegraphed his intentions clearly enough for him to fake an illness as well as seek and receive medical approval for a lengthy convalescence.

There were two other translators working on the data blocks but they weren't in his class. They were still poking around the edges while him himself had built a computer interface that could decipher Cybertronian code in his overwhelming frustration with the Alien's strange language. .

Mostly.

It certainly wasn't in the Indo-European language family he decided early on.

It was good enough that he could build his financial beachhead and have the life he had craved since he was a little nerd getting slapped around in public school. Now he was divorced, filled with unlimited pocket money and aching to be free. A few meetings with MECH and he would be on his way. He watched as the interface device downloaded massive chunks of alien data into the small black box MECH had given him which was on the floor hidden by his new Guccis. When the shift was over, so was he. He was off to meet with the money geeks, get another huge deposit to the account, then head off for his 'medical leave' in Fiji.

Life was damned good.

-0-In the hallway

Seymour Simmons walked down the corridor holding a small data device in his hand. He was working on alien data too but having only minor luck. The three geeks they had doing this for Sector 7 continually mentioned the difficulty of breaking a code that looked like a cat puked on their shoes. It was maddening. So he did the next best thing. He decided to become a code breaker too. How hard could it be? And now that their lead man was taking a medical for shot nerves, it was his national duty to try.

So he did.

He walked past the mole and continued onward to the computer room unaware that the one he sought was watching him go with a big grin on his face.

He would plotz if he knew.

-0-In the office of the CMO

"Give."

(Reluctant compliance. Sitting with much old black ped flopping on small tables)

"You look good."

"Why thank you, Ironhide. I do try to keep up appearances. I have an image to live up to."

"You do, slagger. What is the word on the meet up on Earth?"

"Well, Ironhide, it will be in about two or three orns. They're talking about it now on the news channels from Earth."

"Will Prime go too?"

(Shrugs) "I don't know. He feels there is value to being mysterious but I believe we are losing the narrative. The speculation is getting out of servo. If we go and turn the tide by showing his awesomeness and overwhelming messianic divinity, it could calm things down."

"You have a few screws loose, old mech. Might have First Aid check your processor."

(Smirk) "You're just peeved I have the sparkling. She's quite the little diva. Look at this."

(Tiny sparkling is set down on desktop of the CMO. Held between two red servos, she looked at her Atar and grins. Atar commences melt down into puddle as little femme flaps her arms in joy)

"Look at that, Ratchet. Little femme is flying."

"I noticed. She's been conspiring with Sunspot lately. I have seen lots of whispering going on between them."

(Grin) -both

"Watch this, Ironhide."

(Red servos hold femme as she sits, then slip back. Little femme who is watching her Atar grins in a big familiar way. She flaps her arms and falls flat on her back.)

"Oh, oh. That'll teach her to multitask."

(Grin) -both of them.

(Red servos sit her back up. She smiles) "Tweet." (It is a dainty tweet. Soft and gentle. Two big genitors have an 'awww' moment. Then she grins at her atar) **"A!"**

(Two big genitors look at her, then each other, then her) **"WHAT THE FRAG!"** -both.

"Ratchet, she said, "'A!' Who was she talking to?"

"Me." -(Ratchet)

"Me. You were talking to me, right?" (Big black Autobot World Bender/Blah, blah, blah, etc leans forward) "You were talking to me, right baby?"

(She grins at him and clutches her servos tightly as she absorbs the singular attention of both her most favorite mechs. Then in her excitement, she punches herself in the face with her balled up fists. Sitting, blinking, she is the spitting image of her genitors who are doing the same thing. Looking at Ironhide, her little face crumples into a very sweet sad)

"What the frag?" Ironhide said picking up his daughter. He held her before his face, then kissed her. Her little weeps slowed and stopped.

"A."

Ironhide looked at Ratchet who was leaning on his elbows as he sat behind his desk. "See? Me."

"Slagger. It could mean any of us." Ratchet sat back and fixed a smirk on the slagger of his dreams. "Are you trying to repeat the Orion Caper again?"

The images of his little baby sitting on a couch in the little lounge off Central Corridor in the Fortress while Uncle Optimus and himself tried to get Orion to call his ada 'ada' and not 'ass' flooded his processor. "No."

"Good. Just checking, **IRONHIDE!"**

/... slag …/ -Ironhide.

He still beamed at his daughter anyway.

-0-On the street

They wandered along, a tiny mech and two tinier femmes. Kaon was slightly ahead and the twins were following, their tiny legs only able to step so wide. The twins followed with leashes and when the film crew drove up, they paused. Looking down at Leonora Huttle and her crew, they smirked. :What's up?:

:I saw your kids. They're **SO CUTE!**: Huttle said with a smile. She looked up at the two bots she had come to enjoy greatly. :They are adorable. They can walk now. The girls:

They both nodded. :The girls are ahead of schedule. Kaon has been walking for a long time.: Sideswipe said.

:I love them. Did they just get out of school?: Huttle asked.

:They did. We're heading for the studio: Sunstreaker said nodding. He was filled with joy that someone was loving on his infants. They were the greatest creative act of his life and they made a lot of bad things good. He filed away the comments as they came for later review. :What about you? I thought you were following the femme team:

:We are. We have an interview scheduled with all of them for later: She paused a moment. :I was wondering, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe. I was wanting to know about what makes a mech or femme attractive from a Cybertronian point of view? What makes them appeal to others? I know that both of you are considered extremely handsome. I don't know how to understand Cybertronian sex appeal. What makes a mech or femme alluring from your point of view? I was hoping that you might consider possibly answering some questions about that. They don't need to be recorded. I am at the point where I think I just want to know for myself. I find it extremely easy to find your species handsome and all of that. I just was curious about what **you** thought among yourselves. If you could think about that, I would be in your debt:

They looked at her, then each other. Sideswipe looked at her. :You are looking for background for your own understanding then:

She nodded. :I know that there are enormous taboos on a lot of things. I would not want to transgress on that. I am just interested a great deal in your species and how you view each other from the inside:

They considered that. She watched them more than aware they were discussing this internally. Then Sunstreaker looked at her, at a human that appealed to him. He had wondered if it was because she was nice, loved his kids and their species or if it was a femme thing hardwired into his mechhood. He didn't know. He just knew that she was sincere. :Come with us. We're going to the studio. We will answer what is allowed and nothing more. You can't record it:

She smiled and nodded. :Thank you, Sunstreaker. We're right behind you."

Sunstreaker nodded and picked up his daughters as Sideswipe picked up their son. Then they turned and walked onward, a segway filled with human females following, their cameras filming the enormous bots as they covered ground to the Cultural Center beyond.

-0-On the street, NYC

He stood outside the building where he had worked for years. He had made a decent living with good benefits but it wasn't enough for his restless spirit. He had fought with the wife over money and aspirations, both of them finding that neither had the same ideas. The divorce was inevitable and his freedom afterward less than the moment he thought it would become.

The alien data had fallen from heaven into his lap. It was his ticket to the life he had dreamed of all his life. He took a deep breath and exhaled, a grin forming on his rather nondescript face. With a spring in his step, he walked onward to the subway that would take him to the apartment where he lived. Gathering his things, he would take a cab to the airport and fly to Las Vegas and his meeting with MECH.

After that, the world.

He disappeared down a subway entry to the darkness below, swallowed up by the late afternoon rush hour crowds.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

He walked upward out of the subway heading to Ops Center with his brother. Mack had turned into a find as his assistant. The two had always been close and the rapport was paying off. Jetta had cleared a number of issues under the organizational effort of his younger brother. All was good he thought as they chatted their way down the street toward the Fortress.

All indeed was good.

-0-TBC

2013 (1)

NOTE: If you haven't seen the anime cartoon series, "Avatar: The Last Airbender" do yourself a favor and watch it. It is the best thing I have done for myself in ages. I get a lot of channels with anime cartoons. Dragonball Z Kai and GT are psychotic hoots. I love them. :D I am watching more cartoons, The Voltron Force, Ben 10 and the like than normal tv. Life is good. :D (By the way, someone asked how you pronounced Atar. You can do it how you like. Ah-tar or atter or otter. Two syllables or one. Ah-duh or Aah-daah. Just like their appearance, this is open to you to decide.) Thanks for the question. :D :D :D :D :D


	179. Chapter 179

NOTE: edited for boo-boos :D

-0-THUNDERCATS, HO!

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 15

-0-At the studio, Cultural Center, Autobot City, Mars

They entered, the segway following. It parked near a couch and all aboard watched as the two big bots gently, tenderly put the infants into a portion of the room that was a play area. It was filled with dollies, toys and soft blankets for the babies to lie down upon. Turning, staring down at Leonora Huttle and her femme film crew, they both regarded the women and the conversation to come. Then they turned and walked to the two chairs across from the humans and sat, their keen blue optics and savagely beautiful faces regarding the women silently. Finally, Sideswipe nodded. :What do you want to know?:

:I want to know what do you mean by Cybertronian beauty? What do you find in your culture and point of view that makes you think that someone is beautiful or attractive to you?: she asked earnestly.

They considered that, glancing at each other as they discussed it privately. Then Sunstreaker looked at her. :I'm beautiful. I have been all my life. I know and accept it because it has been made clear to me since I was a youngling by more mechs than you can count. Same with Sideswipe. Among our own kind, we are slagging good looking, maybe in some ways too much. I don't know if you see that when you look at us but Cybertronians do and always have. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad but it is what it is:

They considered that a moment. Then Leonora nodded. :I can see that. I can see a wild kind of masculine beauty in you and its reflected in your alt formats. Lamborghinis are lean and fast, beautiful. Among our own kind, we know beauty and attractiveness by body type and facial characteristics. Its not always agreed upon in all our cultures but there are certain things that are commonly held to be beauty and are like archetypes for it. How do you do that among each other?:

Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker, then Huttle. :Prowl is considered very good looking. Tell me if you see what we see. What do you see when you look at him?:

Huttle considered that. :I see a very fastidious bot with a great deceptively simple paint scheme. Black and white is very elegant and classic even among us. He's perfectly turned out all the time, he's got a great balanced body type and he has a face that would be handsome in any culture because its balanced, intelligent and calm. He carries himself like a gentleman but he has an aura of intensity that probably means it would be bad to mess with him:

:That's pretty good: Sideswipe said nodding. :What would attract mechs to him in your opinion?:

:Among humans, the biggest sex organ is our brain. We think and create all of our impressions and actions in the space between our ears. For me, from my perspective, I would think his mystery. He's very closed up and quiet. Yet, he has this amazing sense of determination and competence that sort of hangs around him like a cloud. His unknowable stillness, his overall polish and his intellect. That would be what I would say myself:

Sunstreaker regarded her. :What about us?: he asked, his optics fixed upon the fascinating figure before them.

-0-Nearing Soundwave's fort

They landed on an asteroid in a thick cloud of debris and gathered themselves together. They had flown through the space bridge at a spot calculated to be far enough away from Soundwave's sensor range to allow them to look without being detected. They were specialist Seekers who were surveillance and reconn experts, all of them networking together to extend and expand their range without being close enough to be in harm's way.

They were on a reconn mission to find out the scope of the effort that Soundwave was putting into the nearby area as he established a fort for yet unknown reasons. He was either expanding out to meet the threat of Prime and to monitor the migrations which were even now being detected on the sensors at Fort Apache or he was building a fall back position from which to fight Megatron if he should come back and be disappointed or angry about things on Cybertron. Either way, it was a puzzle.

They gathered themselves, established flight patterns and lifted off heading into the night time with a purpose in mind. They were to do an ultra fast flyby, then turn and head back with their data. No one was to be a hero. No one was to be fancy. All of them were expected to come back in one piece. The dust was barely filtering to the ground when the last Seeker disappeared into the night.

-0-At the studio on Mars

Huttle considered the two, then nodded. :Okay. I see two mechs that are very balanced in their formats. Two mechs that are extremely self aware in the sense that you know how to handle your bodies for the moment you are in and get the maximum out of them for the job at hand. I see two mechs that are extremely conscious of their appearance and work at looking good because you look good anyway. I can see the question of beauty clearly in you. You have a beautiful design and your personalities animate them even more to create interest in others about you.

:You are twins. I know how rare that is for your species. You are also different in your temperaments and personalities. Sunstreaker, you are harder to know, more closed off and less open. I think you have a lot in you but you don't share easily. You seem more intense, more dangerous if that is the word. Competent describes both of you, but Sideswipe is easier to know. I would love to be your friend, but would hate to be your enemy. You are incredibly able and put a lot of store in your ability as warriors.

:Sideswipe, you seem easier to know, more outward in your personality but both of your personalities are attractive. The side of you that is quiet and intense, Sunstreaker, is very intriguing and I think that some of those that have had designs to know you personally find that part of you the thing they want to explore. Your quiet and intensity is attractive in you just as it sometimes is for humans. 'Bad boys' are always interesting. Sideswipe is more accessible and more 'typical male' as we would call it, an outgoing and funny guy type. I can see in the two of you, in Prowl and even Optimus why the attraction is there but what about other types? The big bruisers and bots like Ratchet? How does that work?:

They glanced at each other, surprised by her comments. She had obviously given this a lot of thought. Sunstreaker regarded her. :Ratchet is considered very good looking, very sexy if that is the word and a great catch. He's always had mechs of his own and Ironhide is considered a lucky bot. Do you see it?:

Leonora considered that. :Is it a sort of processor thing? Like a meeting of the minds? I think Ratchet has a really sweet face but then, he's so nice and funny that might be influencing me. Is it possible that I will never understand it because you are so different? I want to:

They considered her. :I don't know. You might not be able to get it. When I first met Bluestreak, we were in the same unit and heading for battle. He was younger than me and rattled over the loss of Praxus. For a long time, he was the only survivor of the barrage that leveled the city and killed all his own family. There were two million bots living there and he thought he was it. There are more coming that were from Praxus which helps but for a long time he was traumatized from the experience. I remember wanting to protect him. I remember thinking he was really cute. I liked his paint scheme: Sideswipe paused a moment. He glanced at Sunstreaker and they both nodded. Looking back at Huttle, he began again. :I think paint schemes are a big deal. I liked his, his color and design. I like the cleanness of black and white, the gray chevron. Chevrons are considered sexy among some of us. Ask Ironhide: Sideswipe said with a grin.

:Blue was with me in the beginning. After a while, we got together, Blue and me. I liked the idea that he needed me and that he actually 'got' me. I don't mesh with too many bots. I have worked my way forward as a soldier doing all the shit details and fighting at the front when battle comes. I built my reputation one Decepticon at a time and I'm secure about it. Blue is the best shooter that probably ever came from Cybertron and that appealed to me too. But the fact that he was hurt from his childhood and he was smaller and needy, that mattered to me:

Sideswipe nodded. :That he can slag us good when he wants to doesn't hurt: He grinned. :Don't get the idea that Blue is a shrinking violet or a femme. He's not. But he's smaller than us and genuinely sweet and good sparked. That makes him the one we naturally turn toward to protect, that and the sparklings:

:You know, when it comes to Ratchet, you should know a few things. He has a lot of bots here that he's helped, fixed and listened to over the millennia. There are a lot of bots here who would be hanging around his door but for Ironhide: Sunstreaker said. :Ada is a good looking, smart, tough bot with a lot of appeal to just about everyone. I know that he isn't seen that way but in our culture and among our population, Ratchet is a looker. I think that's what you meat sacks call it:

Huttle grinned at Sunstreaker. He was given to speaking about humans in the strangest terms but he treated her like a queen. :That's a new one. I haven't heard meat sack before:

He grinned down at her. :It's yours:

:I can see that Ratchet has a lot of pizzazz and sass. He's so fun to be around. He has the place tied in knots sometimes and lots of bots are very close to him. Springer and Drift love him and so does Jetta. I can see his draw but if I had to label his format as beautiful or sexy, I don't know. I hear he was once a yellow-green. I love the white and red on him. He looks sharp: she replied.

:He did that for Ironhide: Sideswipe said with a smile. :It's a long story. Suffice it to say, Ratchet has always had a lot of mech company in his life. He's been bonded with Ironhide since the beginning of time. That is the best bond I know and if we get half as lucky in our own, we will do okay: Sideswipe said.

Huttle nodded. :Is there a list of characteristics that spell out sex appeal or beauty in your culture? In ours, tall men are considered attractive. Long hair on women, a certain figure and long legs. All of that is considered appealing. What about your culture?:

Sunstreaker considered that. :I think wings are sexy. I don't know if that word fits us but since you're using it and I think I know what you mean by it, I will use it. Blue's wings turn me on. His body type appeals to me. There are a lot of big bots out there who are to me not as attractive. That doesn't mean that they aren't. They just aren't to me. Maybe its like the pictures of body builders I've seen among humans. I find them ugly as the Pit. What about you?:

Huttle smirked. :I think overly muscular men look odd. I don't personally find it attractive but my sister does. She's married to a body builder. I can see your point. Wings are pretty. I love them on Prowl. You can read his mood by how he carries them:

:There's a whole language about wings. Wingers can actually have conversations among themselves by how they move them or hold them. I don't know all of the lingo but I know the positions and movements for 'I'm going to slag you' and 'frag off': Sideswipe said with a grin. "I also like a solid color face. There are some with a lot of detail or multiple colors. Solid color faces are beautiful to me. I also find chevrons sexy. Blue's chevron is an information gathering device but its beautiful. I also like gray. Red is ultra sexy but gray suits Bluestreak:

Sunstreaker nodded. :Long legs is considered beautiful in our culture. Servos are too. The shape of servos, the length of the digits, that is attractive. Or not. Optic color matters. I love blue. There are other colors … red, orange, yellow, amber. It depends on the model and their genitors' choices. Blue is perfect for me. He has all the features I love. Blue optics, wings, tall and slim, but shorter than me. He's tough, smart and sweet. He is perfect:

Sideswipe nodded. :Optimus is considered extremely handsome and it helps that he has that dignity and integrity. Ratchet likes to tease him and make him laugh. He loves to have fun but he also understands he is Prime and has to act in a certain way most of the time. Jazz is considered really sexy and he has a lot of mechs giving him the optic even if he's with Mirage. He's really cool and fun. Jazz may not be tall. Height isn't as big a deal among us as it seems to be among you but Jazz seems to be twice as tall as he is because his personality is so big:

:I love Jazz: Huttle said nodding.

:I don't know if we can explain it to you. I don't know if we can match our points of view closely enough to see what the other does. You might want to talk to the femmes about this. We can only tell you what we can: Sunstreaker said.

Sideswipe nodded too.

:I also want to say that I don't care what humans think about us and our species. We have been space-going since you were peeling bananas in trees. We fight for you and will continue until Optimus says no. We understand how weak you are to fend for yourself alone against our species. But I want to make clear that we don't allow slagging from anyone. Blue is beautiful. So are our kids. Our culture does what it does because that is who we are. We don't apologize to anyone. Those two slaggers, Johnson and Hedges, they tried to mock us and put us down in the dirt. We don't like it and we won't allow it. No one has to understand us or figure us out. They just have to respect us. That is the bottom line for me: Sunstreaker said.

Sideswipe nodded.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	180. Chapter 180

NOTES: Shadow Box 15 was supposedly posted last night but it wasn't. That's what I get for staying up too late. Sorry about that. :D :D :D

By the way, a new Chronicles of Orion: The Tales of Hero is posted in the Chronicles of Orion and it follows this piece. Read this one first. :D

-0-Now, hidey ho!

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 16

-0-Center table, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars, mid afternoon

Prowl sat at the table sorting data. The flyover of the fort that Soundwave seemed to be building was conclusive. It was a big installation, very big. There was a large energon producing component, the kind that forts had when they were building up to a campaign. A space bridge terminus was also located there and it was evident that a lot of the coming and going was expedited by it. A steady stream of ships came and went through it as well as along a space lane that had been established by them between there and Cybertron. He had it covered both ways.

Their sensor capabilities were good but only extended so far. Most of their sensors were adapted to face Cybertron and the 180 degree radius of space that way. Since part of two other big arrays turned in a scan that covered every direction out five light years, Soundwave wasn't underestimating the possibilities of being attacked from any direction. But the set up indicated he considered his vulnerabilities lay in the direction of Cybertron.

He was building a fall back place.

Sitting back, Prowl considered the possibilities. Paragon was a rook. So was Soundwave. Prime himself was a king and queen combined. He was the ultimate prize but he had more mobility and power, hence his queen-like ability to slap them all to the Pit. Prowl considered that. He needed to learn more about chess. He wondered if it was like their own board game of stylized warfare and strategy. Rising, he walked to the doors that led to offices beyond. It was time to discuss things with Elita.

-0-Bluestreak

He came down from the Trigger and stepped off the runabout. The twins had already gotten the babies and were at the studio. He had checked. Walking toward the city, taking the straightest route to the Cultural Center, Bluestreak made his way to the floor where the studio was and paused. The Dojo was going great guns with new recruits to the Circle and Knights working out with the masters who would train them to be deadly weapons for the greater good.

He sensed that Sunstreaker was in there so he hesitated. Then he continued onward to the studio. Opening the door, he saw Sideswipe on the floor holding blocks for Kaon. That little bot was happily stacking them and telling his atar what he was doing. The little femmes were standing side-by-side watching, their smiles enormous and their dollies held lovingly in their arms. They all paused and looked up smiling. "Atar!" Kaon said happily.

Hugs and kisses were had, then Blue sat beside Sideswipe to watch.

"How was shift?" Sideswipe asked.

"Good. I want to know about yours," Bluestreak said with a pointed glance.

"We were talking to the human filmmaker femmes about what makes a Cybertronian beautiful and what was considered attractive and sexy."

Blue blinked at him. "For the show?"

"No. Just for Leonora. She wanted to know for herself," Sideswipe said nuzzling Blue's neck.

Blue allowed him to for a moment, then leaned back fixing him with a stink optic. "You aren't answering my question."

"We said you were perfect." Sideswipe smiled his most charming smile.

Blue smirked slightly. "Maybe I am. Answer the question anyway."

Sideswipe snorted. "You're getting better at this."

"I am. What happened on shift last night?"

Sideswipe paused a moment to discuss things with Sunstreaker. Then he looked at Blue. "Sentinel tried messing with us, with Sunstreaker mostly."

"Why?"

"Because Sentinel has always had a thing for Sunny."

"You never told me that." He paused a second. "Don't let Venture know. He will have to slag Sentinel prison or no prison."

"He will?"

Blue nodded. "Tell me about this 'thing', slagger and don't leave anything out."

A pause was held, then Sideswipe looked at Blue. "There's a lot about our life that we don't want you to know. You won't get it and we don't want you to think badly about us."

Blue flinched. "What? Do you get me at all? You can't do anything that would make that happen, you idiot. Idiots."

Sideswipe looked at Blue, then grinned. "You're incredibly cute when you're about to slag me."

Bluestreak looked at him with a solemn expression. "You have to hear me, Sideswipe. I mean it. What happened?"

Sideswipe hugged Blue, then he sat straighter. "We did a lot of bad things growing up. We had no one. We were dangerous and big trouble to anyone who was a fragger. We never bothered low castes or even most middle. High castes were fair game. Sentinel liked to slum and he saw Sunstreaker one night. He wanted Sunny but Sunstreaker hated him. He hated that this high caste bum could walk into a place, see a stranger and decide that he would have them."

"Did he ever? Did he and Sentinel ever get together?" Blue asked.

"No. Not that I know of. Sunstreaker tells me everything, even the worst slag ever. He never told me that," Sideswipe said. "They spar, they snark, they stick it to each other. Sentinel is the one with the needs. Sunstreaker would kill him if he had a chance. He used to threaten to put me in prison and throw away the key if Sunstreaker didn't give in. Sunny never did."

"You were in jail. Even prison once," Blue countered.

"I was. I got caught. We used to rob high caste houses and apartments. We lived large off the proceeds. We used to fight in the arenas. I think that's another reason Sentinel wanted Sunstreaker. Sunny never lost."

"I think you need to trade work details. You go do communications and security on the Trigger. I'll take your detail and recruit one of my sniper students too."

"Sunny will never agree."

"I don't care if he does. You have done your last shift at the prison," Bluestreak said, the expression on his face that usually read '**DON'T FRAG WITH ME!'** plain to see.

-0-Ironhide

He walked down the wide steps of the underground station entrance and stood on the platform with a handful of others waiting for different trains to come. He himself was heading for Terra and his tour in the Sparkling Day School. They would be having conferences in about a decaorn and he had to have his allotted required time on the books by then. Ratchet had already done his stint there and in the Youngling Day School for Sunspot.

He was behind.

The orange decal train came and stopped, the doors sliding open. Several got off and he got on with two others. The doors slid shut and he was off. He stood by the door, his servo gripping a hangar. Inside his hold, Hero drowsed in the heated interior of her old pa. She had all she needed to make it through the two joors he would be helping in the school. All of the crouching, holding, handing out and picking up would be cushioned by her old pa's body. When it was over, they would leave and head out. Hopefully, she would be sound asleep by them.

**AND** Ironhide would have bearded the lion's den once more, leaving with his sparkling firmly inside her home away from home. It would all be good.

-0-House Caucus Meeting, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC, United States of America, Earth

They sat around their conference table, the seven members of the House who had joined forces across committees to thwart Autobot interests. The meeting with Autobot Ambassador Ratchet was three days away and already sides were drawn in the press and media about what would be best for the country.

They were firmly anti-Autobot and anti-alien. They didn't like the idea of them having such influence, their products making entire industries obsolete and the imagination of the public being so firmly behind them. It was maddening.

"I think we're pretty organized. We have to make sure that we keep the narrative during questioning. This Ratchet is a very good speaker and can turn things around on a dime. We also have to continue to press the idea that there are sinister motives behind the concealment of their leader, Optimus Prime rather than strategic."

They all nodded. They would continue to work together on their questions and the follow up effort after the meeting itself. They were going to control the narrative and change the minds of the people of the world if it took every penny their wealthy backers could conjure.

-0-At the edge of Autobot Autonomy

They were coming in hot, their transitional forms blazing with burning accretions, trailing icy cometary debris and the aura of a force of nature. They flashed past Fort Apache without an acknowledgment, heading on the original beacon signal of the army from the beginning. Alor who scanned them sent word ahead. Then he sat and grinned, going back to what he was doing until the final moments of his shift ended and they could go through the bridge for a few orns at home.

It couldn't come too soon. There were sparklings out there with their names on them.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

The message from Fort Apache reached the overnight dump and landed in the queue. It would be read as it usually was by Prowl the next morning. Anything that didn't have a priority code was put in the cache for senior officers aka Prowl to deal with on their own time without a sense of priority rush. Right now, that winger was walking out the door with Optimus as they finished shift and headed for the schools for their kids. Optimus would get the older ones. Prowl would get Miracle.

It would be just like any other day on Mars.

Probably.

-0-On the beacon run toward Earth

They flashed with gathering speed as the beacon took over navigation of their transitional forms. They were on target to land at Diego Garcia and find themselves back in the fold once more. The beacon flashed their designations ahead to Diego and the Officer of the Orn as well as his counterpart, the human Officer of the Day. That man would receive the message first. He would opt to walk to the Embassy and check in with his alien counterpart about the newcomers. His counterpart would read their designations, then look them up in the Autobot Army Personnel Database as he was a Home Guard recruit on duty at the Embassy to learn about humans. He didn't know who the newcomers were but when he did, he would signal Autobot City Ops Center for clarification over the handling of 'special circumstances soldiers'.

Which they were.

The transitional formats coming in on the sensor nets like guided missiles.

Those ones.

Autobot City Ops Center would receive his inquiry and that mech would know the score. He would personally comm Prowl who would tell Prime who would gather Ironhide out of finger painting to take a shuttle to Earth.

Like that.

-0-Three joors later

They stood on the sandy beach just outside the base, Colonel Fulton with them along with half a dozen heavily armed Wreckers including Hot Rod, Drift, Springer and Kup. The optics of the bots could see the bright flares of the transitional formats in space beyond the atmosphere of Earth. The humans would take their word for it. When they were finally visible in the sky tracking systems all over the planet were watching. The images of their skyward transition would be broadcast live worldwide but not their landing and transformation.

They came screaming across the sky and with a jarring thud that lifted and scattered the humans around, they landed in the sand with pinpoint accuracy. Kup who was watching with his stogie in servo shook his helm. "Well, this marks the turn of a new era in our history so far. And I can't say its a good turn. Not yet."

Prime nodded. "I hear ya."

The formats lay in the sand, then began to transform. Rising, becoming ever taller, they began to unwind and grow themselves into several different kinds of transformers. They were of a kind that none of the humans had ever seen nor knew even existed. One of them, the biggest turned and glared all around. Then he paused, nodding. "Prime. Hot Rod. Me, Grimlock glad to see you again."

What Prime, Hot Rod and the rest thought was anyone's guess.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)

NOTES:

Rcollege: **HOWDEE!** I am so glad you are entertained. I am tip-tapping my fingers to the bone for you and everyone else. It helps to have a diversion in college. I was in school nonstop from 1959 to 1976. I remember elves and space ships keeping me sane that whole time. If there had been Transformers, I doubt I would have graduated from college. :D LeslieM, you are one incredibly lucky gal. More twin stuff to come along with everyone else. Guest appearances as well. ;) HUGS to you and to all of you in the college. :D

Leoness, Maraluch and Guest(s) Hugs for all your questions and comments. More to come. This is going to have a few threads going at once but it will tell a lot. HUGS!


	181. Chapter 181

NOTE: There are many different avenues to take for the Dinobots. They can be G2 dolts or other uni's versions of them as anti-social, smarter and more capable horrendous war devices. I am using a blend of this. I think having them smarter and more nuanced makes for better stories. TF wiki has the 411 on all the possiblities. Enjoy!

-0-Here we go, dina-ho! edited for boo-boos :D

The Diego Diaries:

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth

The downed humans stood up brushing themselves off as they watched the big formats standing before them talking to Prime. They weren't strictly humanoid in configuration. They appeared to be relative in image to dinosaurs with horns and stegasaurus-like plates on some, pteradon-like helms on one other. One of them, a big mechanism that appeared to resemble a lizard-like being with small hooked claws on his wrists turned to look at them. Fulton stepped back automatically along with all the other humans with him in visceral reaction to the menace of the beast.

Prime noting this stepped forward. "Grimlock, you made it."

"Me, Grimlock did. Optimus Prime needed us. We heard your call."

"Good, Grimlock. We used to live on this planet and to here the first of our recovered people came. But now we have a colony on the next planet over. That's where we're going now." Prime watched him as Grimlock turned to the others to confer off line.

"Where is this colony, Optimus Prime?" Grimlock asked glancing over his big shoulder.

"That way," Optimus said nodding to the sky. All five Dinobots turned to look, then turned back to him. Swoop who stood quietly gazing at individuals he hadn't seen in eons nodded. "I will come with you."

Prime nodded to him. "I am glad, Swoop. What we have to establish is chain of command. Are you here to work for me or are you going to go off on your own when you want to?" Prime looked from one to the other. "You cannot be renegade here. We have a city with nearly a million residents and a highly organized command structure. Our army could use you but only if you give me your word to the Matrix that you will obey orders and follow me."

They looked at him, then each other. Grimlock looked at Prime again. "I lead the Dinobots. I am the boss of my unit."

"You are an Autobot unit and I am the Prime. You must pledge your allegiance to my command and the Matrix or you can't come to Mars where we live," Optimus said.

Fulton stood on the bank nearby where he had climbed after getting dumped on his butt when the formats landed. The conversation was perplexing and the robotic figures before him, five malevolent figures of a type he had never seen before including one that seemed capable of flight were not respectful of Prime at all. He had never seen that from anyone other than Decepticons.

Ironhide stood beside Prime, his canons in full view and the others stood around the group with their own weapons casually at servo. Fulton noted that as well; this, the first time that a fight might seem possible between soldiers and newcomers. Prime had asked Fulton to pull everyone out in the vicinity and blockade the airspace over the island long enough for the retrieval. He was just told that 'special circumstances' bots were on the way and there would have to be a negotiation before Prime would be able to take them away.

It had been foreboding and Fulton stood nearby ready to duck at the slightest sign of danger. Danger appeared to him to be imminent.

-0-Earlier

Optimus Prime stepped down from Silverbolt and walked to the beach where John Fulton was waiting for him. Kneeling, they conferred. Prime had explained to him that the protoforms heading their way were unique among Cybertronians. These mechanisms were formatted to copy organic figures from a faraway world, dangerous figures that bore a great resemblance to the prehistoric monsters that had once roamed the Earth.

They were anti-social, some more than others and as close-knit a unit as any on either side of the war. They were also contemptuous of Prime which made them dangerous beyond the norm. If they didn't obey his commands and acquiesce to his leadership, they would not be allowed to run around without limitations.

How they would react, Prime didn't know. Most of the Autobots found them difficult and some of them such as Sludge not worth the effort to them if circumstances required them to be rescued. Unless things had changed, they were a big question mark for the bots on their side.

Five big mechanisms stood before Prime gauging him even as they talked together off line. It was silent. The breeze was warm and gentle, the waves very slight along the ocean's edge. Overhead, the sun was bright and the sky deeply blue, puffy clouds moving along slowly. Then the big mech who claimed leadership nodded. "We will come with you for now, Prime."

"Not good enough, Grimlock. You have to swear on the Matrix that you will serve my command and not go off on your own."

Grimlock turned as Slag shook his helm. "I don't want to promise anything to the cowardly Prime. I don't like anything and I don't like you, Optimus Prime."

Optimus regarded him levelly even as he noticed the ramping up in the demeanor of his crew. It was 'Wrecker light', microscopic but noticeable. Springer stepped closer in the most causal way to cover Drift reaching down to pick up Fulton and his adjutant. Drift stepped back and turned moving to place them on higher ground farther away. Turning with a grin, the big white and red mech walked back to his spot, his arms hanging loosely by his sides ready to grab his swords should the need come.

"You followed **my** call. You are here in **my** solar system. You will obey **my** command by oath on the Matrix or you cannot stay, Slag," Prime said evenly. "That is how it is. Take it or leave it."

Grimlock turned to Slag and shoved him. "**I** make the decisions. You follow **me**."

"Because **I** want to and only when **I** want to. I, Slag do what the frag **I** want!" he said hotly to the bot he often clashed with. "You can't tell **me** what to do."

"I **do** tell you, Slag. **I** am the leader. You will obey **me**.** I** say we go to Autobot City and live. We will obey the Prime. If you don't agree, then **you** will fight **me **now." Grimlock loomed over the smaller Slag but that bot didn't give ground. The punch that landed on Grimlock was swift and hard.

Grimlock roared and slammed his fist into Slag's chest pushing the bot backwards. Everyone watching stepped back, their weapons coming up to point at the two battling in the sand before them. The other three Dinobots stepped back watching the fight almost impassively. As they did, Swoop transformed and rose upward on the light breeze, flying away into the sky.

Fulton watched Swoop with extreme surprise, not noticing that Trailbreaker had knelt down before him, his gun pointed at the ground ready to use. Swoop disappeared into the sky but the fight didn't end. It continued as the two behemoths slammed each other, wading into the surf as they clashed. Standing knee deep in water, the two fought, fire enveloping both for a moment as Slag exhaled molten flame onto Grimlock.

They traded blows, then Slag stepped back seething as he glared at Grimlock. The conversation inside must have been intense as Grimlock pointed at the bot with jabbing thrusts of his servo as he argued some silent point with the raging horned format standing before him.

Slag was an extraordinary appearing Cybertronian and Fulton took in his format with wide eyes. Slag was huge, a large metallic helmet appearing device pointing upward from where it was attached to his back. Three gigantic curved horns protruded from it and they looked deadly. His yellow optics blazed with fury and he was extraordinarily fast for a huge mechanism. But he looked much smaller than the one he challenged.

Grimlock was a big fragger Fulton thought as the sound of his own heart beating in his ears almost blotted out everything else. That bot was huge but not as tall as Prime. He was vast in the scope of danger he exuded and didn't appear to be the kind of bot who was afraid of anything. He had called out Prime, calling that giant cowardly. He still felt the shock reverberate. It was hard to detect from the features of Grimlock's helm what he was really made of. He had blue optics but a rather featureless face, a ton of menace and apparently a low IQ. Fulton looked at all of them and felt a sinking sensation of foreboding about future trouble.

The conversation ended and the two turned walking back to Prime. "Slag is getting over it. Anyone else need to speak to me about what we do?" Grimlock asked looking at the others.

Sludge, himself deeply scornful of Optimus looked at him. "I think Grimlock leads. But Sludge loves Autobot Cause. Sludge will follow Optimus Prime even if I hate you."

Prime smirked slightly. "Thank you, Sludge."

"Your welcome," Sludge said with his customary good manners.

Springer felt a smile creep onto his face. He had a lot of experience with the Dinobots and thought them lost to the universe forever, which in and of itself would have been the easiest solution. Sludge and Slag hated Prime. They thought him weak and cowardly. But Sludge was a true Autobot and Slag was a slagger. They would make due.

"Make an oath on the Matrix," Prime said calmly.

Grimlock glared at his troops and turned. "Me, Grimlock take an oath on the Matrix to follow Optimus Prime." He turned and looked at the others. "Me, Grimlock say you swear too."

The others glared back and looked at Prime. "I, Sludge, swear."

"I swear too," Slag said reluctantly. "I still say Grimlock should lead. The strongest should lead."

"What about Swoop?" Ironhide said glancing at Snarl who stood looking sourly at the group around him. "What about you, Snarl?"

Snarl turned and glared at Ironhide, his anti-social tendencies clear on his face. "What about Snarl, Ironhide?" he mimicked, his servos itching to blast the big Autobot to pieces. No one in the Dinobots enjoyed battle more than he and it was all he could do to rein in his anger.

"Me, Grimlock say you agree," Grimlock said glaring at Snarl.

Snarl looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I agree. For whatever good it will do."

A cry split the silence as a big mechanism landed transforming back to root mode. Swoop looked at Grimlock. "What do we do?"

"Swear on the Matrix for Prime. Me, Grimlock tell you so."

Swoop looked at him, then Prime. "I swear."

Prime looked relieved. "We're leaving here and going to Mars. We will help you settle in there. All you have to do is walk with us to Silverbolt. With him, you can hitch a ride to Autobot City."

Grimlock looked at him. Then he glanced at the others nodding as he did. "Me, Grimlock says we go now." With that, he turned and began to walk toward the base. They did so in the company of six Wreckers.

Prime watched them, then turned to Ironhide. "I want to speak with Colonel Fulton. Why don't you do what we agreed to do with them on Mars, Ironhide?"

Ironhide nodded with a grin of his own. "It's done, Prime," he said as he turned to follow.

Prime watched him go, then turned to Fulton. Kneeling down, he grinned. "Welcome to 'special circumstances soldiers', John."

Fulton looked at him and grinned. "Lucky you, Optimus."

Prime grinned and held out his hand. Fulton sat down and the two walked up the bank, heading to the tarmac where the Dinobots were standing talking to the Wreckers. A lot of the humans at the base had come out to watch the landings, finding themselves held back by Embassy and base security. When they saw the giant new Autobots, most of them were glad. The menace of a couple of them was a new experience.

Ironhide walked to Prime and Fulton, pausing. "We have the quarters set up and mentors ready, Prime. They will not be off the radar. Their first few orns will be chaperoned."

"Thank you, Ironhide. I will leave here with Cosmos when he comes. Keep me in the loop," Prime said. Ironhide nodded and turned walking to the group. He spoke to them a moment, then they turned and walked to Silverbolt entering one by one. The hatch closed and Silverbolt lifted off gracefully, disappearing into the sky almost immediately.

"That bunch looks like trouble, Optimus," Fulton said as he gazed at the sky above.

Prime nodded. "They are feared by the Decepticons. Grimlock should keep them in line."

"You must tell me about them sometimes. I have never seen formats like them before," Fulton said.

"You never will either. Thank Primus they are on our side. Most of the time." Prime grinned. "I think we need to talk about a few things including new developments out there."

Fulton nodded and the two turned walking toward the communications hangar for a conference.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They touched down, taxing to the north hangars where the Dinobots would be living. Standing nearby waiting to assist were their 'mentors'. Kappa, Gamma, Omega, Xantium and Zeta Supreme who watched as the elegant figure of Silverbolt transformed and followed the group as they came closer to where the giants stood. Omega nodded to Silverbolt, his bond. "How was the flight?" he asked, his optics fixed on the wayward children of the Cause, Grimlock and Company.

"It went well," Silverbolt said as he paused, a grin on his handsome face. "I suppose you know each other."

Grimlock, Snarl, Swoop, Sludge and Slag stared up, way up at the giants who looked down at them. Omega glanced at Xantium who stood with the usual smirk on his face. "Choose, brother."

Xantium reached down and clamped on Slag. Rising, holding the startled bot in front of his face, he grinned. "I like the nasty one. I will enjoy slagging his aft to the Pit if he gives Optimus Prime even the slightest worry. Understand, Slag?"

That bot nodded silently. He hung in Xantium's servo like a rag doll.

Omega nodded, reaching down to gently take Swoop into servo. "I like this one."

Swoop looked at him, a slight smile on his face. "Swoop likes Omega."

Kappa grabbed Sludge and held him close to her beautiful face. "This one has a bad attitude. I don't like bad attitudes. I hope that is clear. This city is our home and you will live here with all the grace as the rest of us or I will 'accidentally' step on you. Accidentally."

Sludge looked at her with an unreadable expression. The usual sour anger was missing. It was a good thing.

"That leaves you or you for me," Zeta said with a smile. He reached down and grabbed Snarl who had stepped back at the sight of his brothers getting their afts handed to them by mountain sized bots with attitude. Zeta held him before his face. "I wonder how hard it would be to pull this one's arms and legs off?"

Grimlock ducked but the servo who got him clamped on tightly. Rising up, he looked levelly into the optics of his 'mentor/keeper'. Gamma smiled. "Don't give me one reason to slag you to the Pit, little mech. I have a short temper when it comes to dumb afts."

Grimlock looked at him, then his brothers who were held in the grip of the other giants with the exception of Swoop who sat comfortably in Omega's servo. "Grimlock understand," he said nodding.

The others nodded too.

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth

"That's their story."

"Wow," Fulton said. "They're genuine worries then."

"Not really. The Supremes are going to 'mentor' them. I don't expect trouble."

"Even from Slag? After all, his actual name is a swear word," Fulton said with a grin.

"Fits him too," Prime said with a grin.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)

TFwiki calls them the 'boy band of the Autobots'. I lurve them. :D


	182. Chapter 182

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 18 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth, in the Communications Hangar

Prime nodded. "That is the story out there. We have a pair of problems and they could be explosive or we could exploit them to our mutual benefit. Soundwave is making a fall back site base and Paragon is working one out from which to exploit the refugee route."

"Which one is the most immediate threat, Optimus?" Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Morshower asked from a monitor screen overhead. The Vice President of the United States, the United Kingdom's Chief of the General Staff, Sir Aubrey Jenkins and the head of NASA's deep space project relating to the Autobots, Walter Constant listened in on other monitors as well.

"Paragon," Optimus replied. "He's the closest and he's digging in to be both offensive and defensive. I am also aware that he is recruiting free floating Decepticon units that have no home right now. Their army is fragmenting and Paragon will gather more to him."

"He has eighty-five hundred bots and three hundred Seekers with more coming. We have Seeker specialists scanning out that way along with our arrays so we can detect a lot of movement with a great deal of accuracy. We believe they are staying and digging in because they found a source of energon in the debris field around their compound."

"That's not good," the UK Chief said. "They could draw a lot of soldiers into his service just from that."

Prime nodded. "They could and probably will. But we have long vision that way and tactical advantage. Our flights are swift and able to map their progress without getting caught. We are staging flights to Paragon's base on an irregular basis to take data so we can gauge his progress. He's smart and will adapt but there is an advantage at our end due to superior numbers, technology and depth of talent to draw upon."

The Vice President nodded. "When I was at Autobot City, the population was less than half what you said it is now. That is a lot of refugees over a short period of time. What is the threat to them by all of this new activity out on the trail?"

"We have space bridges that drop us wherever we need to be almost instantly. The threat is there but as of now its only a threat. They don't have the strength or depth to take us on. What we will be doing is monitoring the refugee migrations and going out farther to take them in before they can become close enough to be pawns for Paragon or others."

"The news about space bridges is now in the public domain," Morshower said. "The opposition has gotten a lot of information that we haven't allowed to become common knowledge. You can count on the committee grilling Ratchet about that among all the other issues that appear to be on their minds."

Prime nodded. "We are anticipating a range of commentary from the committee as well as questions that we are going to either declare off limits for security reasons or offer only the most limited information. We don't intend to be abused nor do we intend to come unprepared. Ratchet is very good with situations like this which is why he is our ambassador-at-large."

"Ratchet will mow them down," Morshower said with a grin. "I intend to be there along with John Fulton. It always comes back to the combined mission and the base. So we will be able to back you up. Lennox will be there for the boots on the ground."

Optimus nodded. "Prowl will go with Ratchet to be a resource as well as to intimidate. He is rather formidable. We will send a security team and include a femme. If the issue of gender rears its ugly helm, we will have evidence of our specie's diversity available."

"Frag them, Prime," Morshower said.

"I agree, Glenn, but it is also good politics to meet every possibility in the race to win public opinion, or so says Ratchet," Optimus said with a grin.

"Well, there you go," Morshower said with a chuckle. "Who's going to argue with him?"

"Not Ironhide," Optimus said chuckling himself.

"Have you considered asking Ironhide to come along? Perhaps bring one of his famous children along for our people to see up close? We see them on the television but maybe having one of them available at the meeting will cement in the consciousness of our people what exactly is at stake for you as well," the Vice President suggested.

Optimus considered that a moment, then nodded. "I will suggest that to Ironhide and Ratchet. It would be their decision. We are very protective of our children. They are the future of our species, one that still is in doubt of survival. You can understand how important each and every infant is to our future."

"I do, sir and I would hope you would consider the possibilities. We are all bound together, all of our futures and anything that will be useful in defeating our enemies both in space and on Earth would be helpful," the Vice President said nodding.

"I will discuss it with my staff," Optimus replied. They continued on for two more hours, then Prime signed off, turning to walk to the airfield, leaving Fulton's company as he climbed the ramp into Cosmos. Boarding, they disappeared into the sky and space beyond. Diego returned to normal once more.

-0-The next orn

They sat in the staff meeting, the last one before Ratchet and his party lifted off. Prime having been in conversation with Ratchet and Springer over the past two orns, the itinerary and all the related hoo-hah had been ironed out. It was time for them to troubleshoot it with everyone now and get opinions, information and suggestions.

"So the plan will be that Ratchet will drive to the Washington Center in Washington, D. C., our usual venue and take the hearing with the House Foreign Relations Committee and Subcommittee on Autobot Relations. There will be observers from the Senate counterpart but they won't be speaking. Their hearing is being scheduled for next month. It is my hope that if we nail this one, that one won't be held.

"We have discussed the meeting with the Vice President of the United States and the UK's Chief of the General Staff. Glenn Morshower was present as well. There were a number of suggestions for handling the representatives and a number of suggestions to help influence public opinion. I am only going to tell you what they suggested. I have no opinion as yet."

They nodded, their attention on Prime complete. Ratchet lounged on the chair aware of all of them. He hadn't discussed it with Ironhide preferring to let Prime broach that himself.

"They suggested that the idea of a femme being present in the group was a good thing since they are a conservative group and still have misconceptions and ideas about who and what we are as a species. I have asked Elita to come along," he said as the tall Autobot nodded. "They have also suggested that bringing an infant along would be a way to wed public opinion to us more closely because they have become extremely popular in the press and among the general populations because of the television programming."

It was silent a moment, then Ironhide leaned forward. "Which infant?"

"It was suggested that yours would be appropriate since they are the best known. No names were mentioned. Just the possibility of having one there to show if the moment presented itself," Prime said calmly.

Ironhide sat back, his servo rubbing his chassis for a moment. Hero was playing with her dollies and tweeting softly inside. No one could hear it but Ironhide. He looked at Ratchet who had no expression on his face. "What about it, Ratchet? What is your opinion?"

"I don't know. I know that we would protect the infant and they would be taken off world at the drop of a hat. Springer will be coming along and he can transform and fly any infant away to Diego Garcia at the drop of a crowbar. As for ours … I want to know what you think."

Everyone looked at Ironhide as the thoughts in his helm played out across his face. His knee jerk reaction was a big hell no. But the father in him wanted to hold his sparklings up to the sky and say **"SEE! FRAGGING AWESOME SPARKLINGS HERE!"**

Sitting back, he glanced at Prime. "No kid of mine goes anywhere without me. There would have to be redundancies built into the redundancies security-wise before this would even be possible. Springer? He's on the detail?"

"Only the best looking mechs, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a grin. "Only the handsomest. That one of them has a flight alt form is icing on the cake."

Springer smirked at Ratchet and Ratchet grinned back.

"I don't know. Which sparkling? Which one would go? That is, if I ever agreed which I don't say I will," Ironhide said casting a gimlet optic at Ratchet.

"Orion? Hero? I don't know. What do you think? Praxus is very sweet and relaxed. Orion is less predictable though he would love the attention. Hero is probably the best and she's also femme," Ratchet mused.

"Let me think on it, Prime," Ironhide said sitting back on his chair.

Prime nodded. "Very well," he said. They continued for a moment, then the good of the order arrived. "Do tell me things." He sat back and grinned.

Springer smirked. "The Dinobots are settling in quite nicely. Right now, they're under the supervision of the Guardians. Xantium, I am told is having a great time intimidating them. That is, Slag and Sludge actually. Swoop and Snarl are actually minding their manners. Grimlock is overwhelmed by the city. He likes it here. 'Me, Grimlock like it here' he was known to have said a few times. Swoop would like to get back into medical work. Maybe he can be a sort of orderly at the hospital in the hangar for the flight mechanisms, being one himself. I suppose that will be for you to decide, Ratchet."

"I'll check into it. I like Swoop. He can be an arrogant doofus but he's genuinely pretty sweet all around," Ratchet said with a nod.

"What the slag are we going to do with them, Optimus?" Kup asked. "Those idiots are going to get into trouble."

"We have given that job to the Supremes. Kappa told me last night that she likes taking care of the problem. She said it gave them more to do on their down time," Optimus replied.

"Those five are going to be the death of me," Prowl said to no one in particular. "They need babysitters all the time. The first time they get into a brawl someone's going to get smashed. Do they even know to keep their proximity sensors on?"

"I put them on permanent scan. I disabled their ability to turn them off," Ratchet said with a grin. "Grimlock is just a big galoot and he's his own worst enemy, but he keeps the others in line."

"They got into a fight at Diego," Prime said. "They slugged it out, Slag and Grimlock in front of John Fulton and his adjutant. It was a very startling thing for both to hear the bots tell me that they hated me and Grimlock should be in charge of things."

Groans met that.

"If they didn't fight, they would be more trouble than they are worth," Springer said with a chuckle. "Imagine this place being run by Grimlock."

Prowl looked at Springer like he had lost his processor. "Please. I can't even hear that in jest."

Comedy rounded the table as everyone gave Prowl the scorn and derision he deserved. That bot sat almost primly. "You will find out in the long run that I am right about these bots. They are trouble with a capital T. Then laugh."

Everyone did.

Prime who was enjoying himself immensely rapped his knuckles on the table. Everyone looked his way. "I have made up my mind. I am going to Washington, DC with Ratchet. We will play it by audial if I show myself but I am leaning toward Ratchet's opinion that to keep the narrative, I will have to reveal myself."

"And what a fascinating reveal that will be," Kup said with a straight face.

"As the first Missus Optimus Prime, I can personally attest to that," Springer said with a waggle of his optical ridges.

"I thought you promised not to bring that up," Drift said with mock hurt. "After all ..."

"What? Why?" Ratchet asked zeroing in with laser focus on that off hand remark.

Drift and Springer glanced at each other, then grinned. Springer stood and looked around the room. "I want to announce that Drift and I bonded."

Ratchet looked at them with a slow beady-optic gaze. "Really. When?"

"About a zillion orns ago," Springer said sitting with great satisfaction.

"I knew that."

Everyone turned to look at Perceptor who looked up from his datapad with a mild expression. "By the way, congratulations, both of you."

"How did you know?" Ratchet asked, his umbrage rising.

"I knew too," Nova said glancing at Herling. "Remember? We knew."

"So did I," Neo replied. All around the table including Starscream and Thundercracker, everyone nodded.. "We knew. Didn't you, Ratchet?"

Ratchet looked at them, then turned a **SEVERE NUCLEAR** optic on Ironhide who sat with a big grin on his pug face. "When did you know?"

"I can't remember its been so long," Ironhide said with a smirk. "It would appear, old mech that I knew something you didn't know. Ha-ha, Ratchet."

Ratchet looked at Ironhide, then Springer and Drift, then everyone else, then Ironhide. "Slagger."

Ironhide snorted. "Some of **us** have it, some of **you** don't, Ratchet. Get used to it.** I, IRONHIDE OF PRAXUS, I, IRONHIDE OF THE AUTOBOT ARMED FORCES KNEW SOMETHING!"**

Ratchet snorted and rose, staring down at him with amusement. "Slagger. Are you declaring war?"

The air sucked out of the room as everyone stared at Ironhide with genuine fear.

Especially Perceptor.

"Uh, no." Ironhide looked up at Ratchet with optics the size of truck tires.

"Good," Ratchet said glancing at Optimus who wiped his grin off his face immediately. "I will be in my office. I will have the data you requested shortly." He looked at Ironhide a moment. "Slagger." With that, he walked to the door pausing long enough to thump Drift and Springer on the helm. When the door closed, everyone turned to Drift and Springer.

Drift and Springer turned to Perceptor. "We didn't tell you , Percy."

Wheeljack looked at Perceptor who looked back with a prim grin. "Touche, Ratchet," he said to Wheeljack's everlasting joy.

"I didn't know you were bonded," Neo said with a huge smile. "Congratulations."

"Neither did I," said everyone else in the room as they all weighed in with their congratulations too.

Ironhide merely sat and grinned.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	183. Chapter 183

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 19 Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-At the CMO's office a few moments later

"I see you."

A big smug face peered around the corner, a tiny begoggled femme-let in servo. "I come bearing gifts."

"I can see that too," Ratchet said sitting back with a grin.

Ironhide entered the room and set his daughter on the desk, moving to sit on the couch himself. "You mad?"

"Nope," Ratchet said with a grin. "How did you find this out?"

"I was walking through Central Corridor and down Engineer to the plant beyond to sign off on modifications of a shell type when I heard them in the alcove. Must think they're still younglings, aft helms. They were chatting between The Sexy and I heard it."

"Springer and Drift still frag around in the alcove? It must be true love then," Ratchet said as he rubbed Hero gently against his cheek. "Ah. Nothing like a sparkling facial."

"Is that what it is?" Ironhide asked as he parked his peds on the table before him.

Ratchet sat Hero down and handed her a stylus. She put it in her mouth and Ratchet removed it. "Not in your mouth, baby. You'll be sorry when it shocks you."

"What about the suggestion?" Ironhide asked as he watched his daughter's tiny wings seeking information they were too immature to receive.

"I have an idea myself, Ironhide," Ratchet said as he sat forward. He explained it. Ironhide considered it, then nodded. "I like it."

"So do I. That's why I thought it up," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"You're missing a few screws, old mech. But that's the way I like it," Ironhide said with his own smirk.

"I'll run it past Prime this afternoon when I bring the data on the dinobots," Ratchet said. "We'll see what he thinks and if we're go. What is plan B?"

"Whatever you want it to be, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a chuckle.

Hero chuckled too.

-0-That afternoon with Prowl and Prime

"And that is what and why I think would this plan would be stellar. Those are the redundancies and all that slag. What we want to do is save the best for last. There is no way no matter how things went that we won't come out on top at the end with this." Ratchet sat back and looked at the two, the image of a painting he had once seen on the internet coming to processor for the barest of nanoseconds.

American Gothic by Grant Wood.

He stifled a snicker and waited as the two had an internal conversation inside. Then Prime looked at Ratchet. "Do you really think this will be a good idea?"

"Sure."

"Okay." -Prime and Prowl

Ratchet grinned.

-0-RTR Tools

Sunspot stood on a stool watching his grandpa beat metal into fine sheets to be applied when die cut as beautiful inlays on a chest of drawers. "Wow, Grandatar, that looks pretty! You must be very good at this stuff."

Tie Down leaned over and kissed his grandson's helm. "I find that I do a better job when you're here, Sunspot. Did you know that?"

Sunspot looked up at him and smiled brilliantly. "No! Wow!"

Tie Down chuckled and paused. "You are such a good little mech. I am so proud of you. I hear that your conferences are coming up shortly and we get to go."

"You do?" Sunspot asked with a big smile. "What about Grandada Alor and Grandatar Blackjack?"

"They do too," Tie Down said. "I was told by your ada and atar that we can come and hear all about your great progress and the teachings you know. I can't wait to hear about what a great little mech you are in school, sparkling."

Sunspot hugged Tie's chassis. "I can't wait either. I will draw you a picture and write something under it just for you and Grandada."

"That would be wonderful. If we get to keep it, I will make a frame and hang it up on the wall," Tie Down said as Ravel came into the warehouse and paused beside them. "It's cookie time. Who wants one?" he asked.

"I would please," Sunspot said with a smile. Ravel handed him one and another to Tie. "This place is so fun," Sunspot said taking a bite. "I like coming here after flying."

"We love to have you, son," Ravie said with a smile. "Come on. I'll show you how to make chains out of wires."

Sunspot hopped down and took his servo, a cookie firmly clutched in the other. They walked to the front of the warehouse and sat down. By the time Ironhide came to collect him, Sunspot had made a little bracelet for all four of his grandgenitors.

-0-At the hangar

Xantium paused in the doorway of his home hangar looking toward the city beyond. It was beautiful. He loved to go there and talk to friends who lived in the towers, often face to face with them in their apartments through the windows. The planet beyond was beautiful and intriguing for a desiccated organic world. His siblings would sometimes fly out into the badlands near Valles Marineris and wander around exploring. He wondered where the dinobots were. He wanted to take Grimlock and Slag on a tour of the deep valley with all its wild turns and steep sides. :Kappa:

:What?:

:Where are the dinos?:

:I have one. Which one do you want?:

:I want Grimlock and Slag:

:Zeta has them:

:Where is he?:

:Valles Marinaris:

Xantium smiled. :Thanks, Kappie. Who do you have if anyone?:

:I have Swoop and you can't have him. Take Snarl. He's getting on my last nerve. Take him out to where Zeta is and run them hard. Omega and Silverbolt are off somewhere and I don't want them disturbed:

:Got it: Xantium stretched and turned walking to a nearby hill where Kappa sat with two dinobots, one on her servo and another under her ped. Reaching down, Xantium picked up Snarl. "Come on, Snarl. Boys orn out." With a nod to his sister, Xantium turned and transformed, stowing Snarl in his hold. He lifted off and disappeared into the sky.

Swoop watched them go and looked up at Kappa who gazed down at him fondly. "He does that good."

She nodded with a slight smile. "You have no idea."

-0-Evening in Autobot City, Mars

The shifts from Day to Night Watch gathered in the stations and substations of the city as the Watch Commanders in each location briefed and debriefed their officers. The day had been mild with only a few odd incidents including a confused elder who thought they were back in Iacon and had gotten lost trying to find the Jumble where they lived. He was checked into the hospital for care and his family notified.

Substation #6 in Terra had gotten a wagon load of sparklings stopping in to visit to welcome the new station to town. They had been delighted to see the little babies from the Sparkling Day School, all of them smiling and holding up their arms to be picked up. Pictures were gracing the bulletin board of the station already.

A couple of younglings playing hooky from school and a couple of older younglings over celebrating their graduation from apprenticeship programs into the regular workforce were the heaviest cases of the orn. Night would have its own share of shenanigans due to the darkness but that was to come. Right now, everyone got square on their beats as Springer sat in his office in City Hall going over the data of the orn while Drift sat with his feet propped up on the desk, kibbitzing in his own inimitable way.

Blurr walked to the plaza and took the elevator up strolling to his bar down at the end of the concourse. The big doors were open and the sound of chat and laughter drifted out along with the smell of bar food and high grade. A pair of poker tables had been added to the back and the games that were going last night were still in play as he walked to the back to check the overnight data. Smokescreen glanced up and grinned. "You're late."

"You're nuts," Blurr said smirking as he passed the game that had begun the morning of the orn before and was still going. Entering the backstock room, he noted the endless rows of potables and felt good. The breweries had made their deliveries and they were ready for the night crowd. Walking back out, he nodded to the three musicians who played on the stage nearby. Walking behind the bar, he surveyed his domain. Life was slagging good was his conclusion.

-0-At the Bosom of Love, et al

They sat around the table eating and telling lies. The sparklings sat on laps or the floor as the grown ups chatted and told of their long wondrous orn. Blackjack and Alor were back in town for the next three orns and arrangements were made for the kids as Ratchet geared up for the trip to Earth. Ironhide had appointed himself as 'going and that was that'. Ratchet didn't care. He could use muscle to impress the provincials. They were going to put on a show.

"Will it be on the teevee, son?" Ravel asked as he held out his fork to Orion who stood on the floor waiting to be fed by soft sparked baby lovers. He took the bite and grinned, turning to run off to play while he chewed.

"It will, Ada. Yours truly will be a star," Ratchet said with a grin.

Guffaws and rolled optics greeted that remark. Sunspot who was sitting on Grandatar Blackjack's lap smiled. "I will watch you, Ada. You will be a star to me."

Misty optics and awww moments were had, then the conversation rumbled on with arrangements made for kids, arrangements made for grandgenitors to come to student conferences and arrangements made for the weekend which would come up when they got back from Earth. That a playoff game, Iacon United v Altihex was coming shortly didn't hurt a bit.

-0-In a trine aerie

Sky Warp nodded. "Which one?"

"I would say all but Dart appears to be deeply responsible and exceptionally well mannered."

"Does it matter in your thinking that he takes after you, Star?" Thundercracker said as he cleared dishes from the table.

Starscream who was lounging with Pip and Flit on the couch grinned as he watched his doppelganger, Dart, grab a bear dollie and toss it in the air. "Nope," he said with a smirk.

-0-On the beat

They walked their long circuitous route that would wind through the cities, the underground, the industrial sectors and the housing districts. They would shake doors, shake servos and shake up the rowdies as they did.

"Ratchet cracks me up."

"I know," Springer said with a grin. "We bested his aft. That is hard to do. He is the most devious and cunning opponent I ever faced."

"I hear ya," Drift said with a chuckle. "Ironhide scored."

"I wonder what his payment will be for his insolence?"

Drift snorted. "You've been watching too much teevee. 'For his insolence'," he repeated before laughing.

"It's yours," Springer said as they began to descend into the underground to go to Terra.

"Thanks," Drift said as they both disappeared from view.

-0-In the bosom of love

"Thanks, Sunstreaker. You do good work. I'll recommend you to all my friend," Ratchet said with a grin as he admired himself in the mirror.

"Your 'friend'," Sunstreaker said with a snort. He grinned at Ratchet. "Don't get fragged up between now and tomorrow."

"I won't, *DAD*," Ratchet said as he watched Sideswipe detail Ironhide's aft. "Take good care of that big old aft. It has my name stamped on it."

"In your dreams, old mech," Ironhide said as he leaned forward braced against the wall.

Ratchet reached down and pinched his butt. "There it is. My name."

Sideswipe grinned and patted Ironhide's aft. "You can claim it, old aft that it is."

"I will have you know, that old aft has been mighty admired in the past," Ratchet countered half seriously.

"Thanks, Only One," Ironhide said with a smug grin.

"In the pleistocene," Sideswipe said. "In the time of Unicron. I bet old Unicron said, 'Bring me an old saggy aft' and you were carted to his berth room."

Ratchet snorted and grinned at Ironhide who was glaring over his shoulder at Sideswipe as the front liner buffed his dainty bits. "What did you do in the berth with Unicron, Ironhide?"

Ironhide snorted. He looked at Ratchet with a smirk. "Taught him all he knows."

Retching sounds from the twins vied with laughter from Ratchet filled the room with mirth. It was a good thing that the infants were asleep in their beds. Ratchet sat in his chair and admired the fine sheen of his bond. "Looking good, Ironhide. I can almost see Unicron's face in your aft."

More sass rounded the room before Sideswipe stood up and pronounced Ironhide finished. Several pairs of optics gave him the once over. "I think you missed his codpiece," Sunstreaker smirked.

"I'll take care of that. With my tongue," Ratchet said, his slag meter pumping out crap overtime.

"Oh Primus," Sunstreaker said wincing. He stood up. "Let's go, Sideswipe. I might purge if we stay."

"I want to stay and take pictures for the family album," Sideswipe said gathering up their kits. Tossing one to Sideswipe, they bullshitted their way out of the apartment. When the door closed Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "I don't know, Ironhide. You're too pretty. I might not let you come with me tomorrow."

Ironhide snorted and grinned. "I am aren't I."

Ratchet laughed. "You are." He rose and turned to the hallway.

Following along behind, Ironhide smirked. "About that cod piece, Ratchet," he said as he entered the berthroom too.

The door closed behind them.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	184. Chapter 184

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 20 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Autobot City, Mars

The sun had barely broken over the low horizon beyond the city as big ships began to transform to take their places on the flight line. Small carts were driven here and there, plugging in to help the giants gather their strength for the ceremonial duty they would fulfill today.

Kappa and Gamma, the two who would carry the party according to protocol glistened in the gathering light, their hulls gleaming with burnished effort from crews in the big craft wash racks earlier. Xantium stood beside Omega chatting as he waited his turn to transform. They were going to show the flag, making their quality known to the allies on the next planet over.

Decals of the Primes were already fixed to their hulls beside those of their various military and civilian associations. Xantium bore the Wrecker insignia, itself gleaming beside that of his Autobot emblem. Their personal tattoos and glyphs stood in stark relief against the impeccable white of their bodies.

Standing nearby to fly escort, fifty glistening Seekers chatted in groups, their families and clan elders standing with them. Three of those would come including Silveclaw. Two of his sons would provide honored escort for the three. Starscream stood with them holding Pip and Dart, Sky Warp nearby with Flit who was tottering around looking at things. Thundercracker was chatting with the Master of the Muster as he organized the first truly Cybertronian official state visit ever from Mars to Earth.

Ratchet walked out, Hero in arms. She wore a little Avatar: The Last Airbender cap and was wrapped in an Airbender blanket against the chill of the morning. Ironhide was somewhere around but Ratchet couldn't see him. He walked to where Springer, Drift, Sunstreaker, Bumblebee and Goldwing stood chatting. "I'm blinded by beauty."

Springer snorted. "You should be."

A nice clip across the back of his helm greeted that venture. "Be good to me. I could hold grudges," Ratchet said.

Springer grinned. "Got ya. That's a cute little sparkling."

"When can we expect yours now that you did the deed without me there taking pictures?" Ratchet said with a smirk.

"It would have been crowded in the berth," Springer said taking Hero. He smiled at her.

"I'm up for it," Ratchet said gamely. "You haven't answered my question."

"We almost had one a while back but Springer stole one of your meters and scanned himself. False alarm," Drift said with a big grin.

Springer looked at him with a severe optic. "Traitor."

"So you had a shotgun bonding?" Ratchet asked.

A pause for reference held up clarity, then Springer snorted. "Nope. We did it for love. Right, baby?" he asked Drift with a grin.

"That's us. Romantic," Drift said as Gypsy joined the group. She took Hero and snuggled her. "She's so cute. Those hats really help infants. On Cybertron, we had warmth. It wasn't as infernally cold all the time as it is here. It helps their processors to wear a warm cover outside."

"You're the one who told Ironhide, right?" Ratchet asked.

"I was. It is my duty to help our babies adapt in this new world," Gypsy said earnestly.

"He took it to spark. You should see him pouring over the catalogs and all the cute things in her closet. The little mechs are getting hats too. They're on their way," Ratchet said.

"It won't hurt, Ratchet," Gypsy said. "Until they get old enough to self regulate their interior heat, the coverage will be good for them. I'm giving a presentation to the schools next month about it because winter is so cold and its coming up eventually. I want our people to prepare the little ones. Its not bad for us per se but for the babies? It is."

"Ever conscientious, our Gypsy," Ratchet said with a grin.

"She wrecks," Springer said as he and the others stared down at her.

She smiled and nodded. "I have to take care of my boys."

The sound of Xantium transforming could be heard as the big mechanism changed from root mode to ship. The hold opened and the ramp came down as gear for soldiers and cargo for Diego began to be loaded.

"Prime's really putting on a show for the humans," Drift said as they stood watching.

"This is a Prime progress," Ratchet said. "You younglings might be too young to remember what it meant for a Prime to visit another planet but we do. There will be a large Seeker escort, a military show of force with Xantium and the soldiers, a transport for me as the Ambassador-at-large and the other Supreme for Prime himself. The protocol for this has already been sent to Earth and it will be discussed in the media for a while before we land. No one knows that Prime is on Gamma for now and Kappa is mine."

"I wondered if you would do that, babies and all. Ironhide doesn't mind?" Drift asked.

"He minds. Springer has his orders and has the responsibility to evacuate if needed but there is a larger vision here. Humans love their children. They know what they will do to protect their own. We have to show them that this is a point of agreement between our two species. They might not 'get' us on a lot of points but they understand children. Most of them anyway. A baby will be a link between us that all can relate to. Consider what you would do to protect their children if something happened to Earth," Ratchet said.

They all nodded. "We would, Ratchet," Springer said.

Sunstreaker nodded too. "You know we would."

Ratchet nodded. "That is what we have to make, points of agreements. These men today are going after our unity. We have to defend that. We have to show them that for all the outward dissimilarities, inwardly we are one."

"Until all are one," Gypsy said as she swayed holding Hero.

All of them nodded in agreement. "Until all are one," Drift said.

Behind them, the group was coming together waiting for the moment when for the first time a Prime Flight would leave the ground and carry the moral, spiritual, political and cultural center of their existence forward to represent all of them to the gathering crowds of Earth.

-0-Earlier, the night just passed

Bluestreak showed up for duty with a handpicked member of the Home Guard bound and determined to do the duty that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had drawn at the prison. He had gone over their helms and had the duty schedule redrawn, displacing both to the Trigger and himself with a student to the prison. The conversation went about like this:

Bluestreak (BS): "Prowl, I want to change the duty schedule for Sideswipe and Sunny. I don't want them working at the prison. I want to swap duties for them with me. They go to the Trigger during the orn. I go to the prison with a student from the Home Guard during the night shift."

Prowl: "Why, Blue?"

BS: "Because Sentinel is messing with Sunstreaker." (Grim expression of barely contained outrage expresses itself on the handsome face of the winger as he stands in high dudgeon in the Ops Center. All that is missing are crossed arms and foot tapping.)

Prowl: "Why, Blue?" (Face becomes ultra calm and a sense of coldness rather like french kissing Antarctica emanates from the composed tightly coiled winger before him.)

BS: "Apparently, back in the orn, Sentinel was stalking Sunstreaker. Remember? When you would go slumming? He sometimes went without you and chased trouble."

Prowl: "Oh." (Quiet pause as glacial effect slowly encapsulates handsome winger who wished he had tried Metallikato on the big mechanism when he had the chance, the two-timing, two-bit slagger.) "And if you take the shift and Sentinel is out?"

BS: "Nothing will happen." (Lie)

Prowl: "I can believe you?" (Intense disbelief)

BS: "You can. If Venture finds out he will invoke and do an honor fight wherever he can get Sentinel in his grasp, prison or no prison." (Stares with Prowl-like intensity at Prowl)

They discussed it and Bluestreak 'won'.

The Officer of the Orn looked at the change in duty schedule and assigned Blue and his handpicked student, Chevy to go around the perimeter of the prison to make sure that things were 'copacetic'. After a moments romp on the internet to ascertain meaning, they both turned and walked out heading for the prison cell blocks to make sure that 'excellent' was achieved.

The night was clear, the stars bright overhead, the lights of the city and airfield soft against the velvet of the darkness surrounding them. The rise of the plain that led beyond the prison was smooth appearing in the dusk and gathering night. It wasn't. The surface of the plain was broken as here and there rocks and boulders poked out of the hard crusty layer. Dust and sand were the prominent features of their area while frozen water and smooth hard stone was common in other places. They walked along chatting quietly until they came to the cell block that belonged to the political prisoners and Sentinel.

"Chevy, I want you to make a round of the prison by yourself. I will be coming behind you. Remember, you are here to practice your skills for the Home Guard in a real life situation. I know you will be awesome." Blue nodded with a grin to the youngling, Chevy who had been thrilled to spend actual time doing 'actual things' for the colony in service as a Home Guards mech. Ordinarily, he was a very mild mannered accountant with a vivid imagination and a Jones to serve the city he had come to worship.

He also wanted to impress his girl, a femme named Flica.

He nodded and turned shouldering his rifle properly, disappearing into the darkness as he walked from pooled overhead light pole to pooled overhead light pole. When he was far enough ahead, Bluestreak turned and with night vision located the one he sought. Sentinel Prime was sitting in a chair next to the fence waiting it would seem for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to appear.

Blue could feel them seeking him out over the bond link, gauging with expert skill his mood and actions. He tamped them down nearly to the point of exclusion, a feat that was no longer fully available to him and considered what he would say to the big mechanism waiting nearby.

Blue knew that Sunny and Sideswipe had a terrible life and had done a lot of things that weren't good or even halfway reasonable. They were gangsters and criminals, fighters of mechanisms sometimes to the death and indifferent to a lot of what he had taken for granted growing up in a better life with love and attention.

That they would become such good mechs, that they would be such good parents … it was a miracle. He had become the beneficiary of a miracle. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the other half of his processor, a part of his spark and the center of his happiness. He would not allow anyone to frag that up. Stepping forward, he walked to the fence and paused. Looking at Sentinel who gazed at him impassively, he smirked. "Hi, Sentinel Prime. I don't know if you know me."

Sentinel looked at the handsome winger, a dazzling young mech with a handsome face and a tall slim format. "I don't know if I do."

"I'm Bluestreak."

Sentinel nodded. "Bluestreak," he repeated.

"I'm here to tell you that the schedule has been changed. Sunny and Sideswipe are stationed on the Trigger and not here. They will never do any duty here, ever."

Sentinel stared at Bluestreak considering his words. "Why not?"

"Because I said so," Bluestreak said as he savored every syllable.

"And you are? I am assuming you are someone to make such things happen," Sentinel said with gathering irritation.

"I am Bluestreak, the youngling of Prowl and the trine bond of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe of Kaon. That is why I say so, Sentinel," Bluestreak said softly.

They stared at each other, then Bluestreak turned to go. He paused and looked back at Sentinel. "By the way, we have three kids. A son and twin daughters. Sunstreaker is the ada." Then with a grin, Bluestreak continued onward walking into the darkness to re-emerge in the next pool of light.

Sentinel watched him go as he digested the news. He would sit outside all the length of the night shift watching Bluestreak pass him in silence, doing his duty for his city and his family. He would only go into his barracks when Bluestreak and his partner ended their duty with the first light of dawn.

-0-At the mustering ground

Will Lennox motored to the air field pausing beside the tall mechs that stood with Ratchet. He was ready to go to Earth and speak for N.E.S.T. at the hearing. He had been briefed by Morshower and Fulton in a conference call the night before. Epps and Graham had added their voices and were waiting to watch the show on the MTC upload from Earth to IntraComm for broadcast on the informational channel, 6. All of the humans, filmmakers, scientists and soldiers were going to watch the proceedings together in the tower habitat.

:Will: Ratchet said glancing down at the human.

:Ratchet. Who do I go with?: he asked.

:Go on Xantium. He's a hoot. Expect slag: Ratchet said with a grin. He glanced at the group around him. :Watch over him. He's tiny:

Lennox smirked. :Yeah, babysit me, boys:

:We get the crap details: Sunstreaker said with a grin. Beyond him, Xantium was loading a Wrecker crew and several front-liners as the countdown to lift off began. :We better go. What's that?:

They all looked down and saw a bundle on the segway behind Lennox. :That's my uniform. I'm going to have to change on board Xantium. You're going to have to tell him that I need it pressurized all the way to Earth because I have to come out of the habitat suit:

Springer nodded and paused as he relayed the information. Then he looked down at Lennox. :When the door shuts, he's pressurizing. It will stay that way until we land. Uh... you're going to change your clothes on board?:

Lennox nodded. :I have to be in uniform when we get there:

:You will be taking your outer garments off and we will see your body without clothing?: Drift asked curiously. His experience with humans was very limited.

:That's right. You can see my magnificent manly physique in its natural state: Lennox said with a smile.

The sounds of disgust and derision goodnaturedly delivered echoed over the call band as the big mechs reached down scooping up Lennox and his segway. They turned nodding to Ratchet and headed for Xantium and the big boy ride to Earth.

Ratchet watched them go, then looked down at Gypsy. "I suppose you'll be taking the sparkling for now."

"I am," Gypsy said with a grin. "When I bring her out, do you want her little cap on?"

"I do. Ironhide picked that out for her because he likes that show. Aang is a sweet little avatar and so is she," Ratchet said as they turned to walk to their respective ships. Ratchet watched her go and then nodded to Prime. Prowl kissed him and turned walking with Ratchet to their ride. They glanced over and saw Bluestreak speaking animatedly to Sunstreaker who leaned down and hugged him tightly. They kissed and he boarded as Bluestreak stepped back to let the ramp retract.

Entering their ship, they paused at the top as the swirl of activity quickened. Ironhide walked up the ramp pf Gamma to fly with Prime. The carts and technicians pulled back as the thunder of fifty spectacular Seekers shined within an inch of their lives began to lift off. The elders had boarded with Prime along with Sky Warp, the hatch finally closing. Ratchet and Prowl entered pausing by a porthole to watch the Guardians lift off.

First Xantium, then Gamma rose with great power and grace following the Seekers. When they were clear, Kappa lifted off and the sensation of moving filtered to them through the floor.

Daylight gave way to the darkness of space as the fleet gathered to present itself in the manner of a Prime Flight. Gamma was first with Kappa and Xantium on each side and slightly back. Seekers in groups of ten arrayed themselves like a great arrowhead, their glittering light reflecting on the shining sides of the Guardians.

When all was ready, Optimus Prime looked toward the flight deck of Gamma Supreme. Rem who was the back up pilot looked at him. Optimus nodded and sat back against the hull, his glistening beauty merely one aspect of his majestic presence.

Outside, Gamma signaled everyone and for the first time since the fall of Cybertron, a Prime was flown to a diplomatic meeting by a proper Prime Flight. They disappeared into the darkness in the blink of an optic.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	185. Chapter 185

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 21 (Edited)

-0-On the way

:Ratchet:

:What?:

:What are you doing?:

:Preparing. What did you think I was doing?:

:Uh, just checking: (grin)

:Oh. Okay: (grin) :Are you watching the teevee from Earth?:

:Nope:

:You should, Ironhide. They're really covering this story out the wazoo:

:Okay:

-0-In wazoo land (The studios of MSNBC, one of three worldwide consortium groups who along with the British Broadcast Corporation World Service and a partnership of channels from South America transmitted Autobot content under the MTC agreement for viewing worldwide.)

"Welcome back," the moderator said as he sat with a panel facing a camera as the down feed from NASA of the Prime flight played on a huge monitor behind them. "We are watching a down feed of the flight bringing Ambassador Ratchet to Earth for the hearing in the U. S. House of Representatives this afternoon. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Autobot Relations are holding a joint hearing on a number of issues that have come to the foreground since the last time the Ambassador was here.

"Our panel is going over a list of possible topics that might come up in the hearing. Keith? You were saying before the break," the moderator began.

"We were talking about the anti-alien movement that was making itself known through violence and public relations campaigns. They have also been lobbying Congress as well as enlisting super PACS to fund all manner of protests and other strategies to bring about a change in public opinion regarding the Autobots and their influence on Earth."

"The meetings of constituents with their representatives have been pretty scary in a few places and the impression is one of large disapproval of the aliens. However, a review of polls that have been taken over the last two months hold at majority support of the Autobots. People seem to understand that there are good aliens and bad," another panelist said.

"The problem for most of those people is the idea that our solar system is being settled by outsiders, that the planets that have always been ours in an emotional rather than practical sense are being taken away from us. It doesn't really matter that we don't have the level of technology to reach them or develop a colony of our own. It is the idea that someone else can and is. It also is part of their litany that the stream of aliens has become a torrent. There are estimations of nearly a million aliens on Mars right now with no end in sight."

The others nodded. "Ambassador Ratchet is a formidable force and not one that the opponents of the Autobots should underestimate. He speaks with the authority of their Prime and he is after all enormously older and more experienced than anyone on the panel at this sort of thing," a panelist commented.

The moderator nodded. "That's true. There are rumors that a number of others are coming as well, perhaps even the Prime. The fact that he's a shadowy figure doesn't allay fears in some. The strategy of being low key is understandable but the downside to me is that it leaves the field open for others to fill with their own impressions and ideas."

The woman panelist nodded. "That's true. There is also the idea that we are completely dependent on them for any and all activity beyond our own atmosphere. They have been more than generous with our requests and efforts but they haven't spoken about our request to make a permanent settlement and that raises eyebrows among the more paranoid among us."

"The topic of a permanent human settlement on Mars will be a big one and I expect that the committee members will grill the Ambassador very hard on that subject," another said.

The conversation went on for a while, then an up link to Mars was made with IntraComm. On the monitors, the smiling faces of Blaster and Jazz appeared.

-0-In the Family Habitat

All of the humans on Mars conglomerated in the tower habitat gathering in the gigantic common area to sit in front of the 209 inch monitor that they had moved around for everyone to see. The monitor was made on Mars just for them and was hooked into all the entertainment modes available. They arranged chairs, gathered food, drinks and sat down to watch the 'Autobot ipad' and the show going on next planet over. Jessie Landon had flown to Mars with Sam Witwicky and both sat on a couch with the others.

"This is going to be awesome," Jessie said dipping her nachos into homemade salsa. She sat back and ate it, moving her beer to the end table next to her.

"This is going to kick ass," Sam said nodding.

The room was filled with everyone who was human in the city of the Autobots and they listened and discussed things together in harmony. It would be in sharp contrast with the committee.

-0-**!*THE JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW SPECIAL*!**

"Thank you for having us," Jazz said with a grin. He and Blaster were in the foreign and off world broadcast booth at IntraComm with the Emblem of the Primes hanging behind them.

"Jazz, can you give us any information about whether the Prime is among the delegation heading this way?"

"I can't," Jazz said with a grin. "The delegation will be arrivin' in Washington, D. C. shortly and they will go to the meeting area in good order or so I'm told."

"You and Blaster are the colony's information officers and public faces," the moderator said. "We are happy to have you here to make ongoing commentary and explain what we're going to be seeing and hearing. What can you tell us to look for and expect today?"

"Ambassador Ratchet is a very smart, agile debater and he is no one's fool. The committee had better have their questions ready and their facts at servo."

"Tell us about a Prime Flight. This is also on the screen if you notice. We are broadcasting their flight to Earth," the moderator pointed out.

"We know. We have the same feed among other things here," Blaster said with a grin. "The Prime of Cybertron is a leader in every possible area and level of life among our people. He bears the power and authority of our species in and on his person. The flight is an honor accorded to the Prime where he is taken to meetings or events regarding Cybertron or our people. Each part of the flight represents something important in our culture.

"If a Prime is present, he represents Cybertron, her people, history and aspirations. Wherever the Prime is, that is Cybertron. The three Guardians are representative of our three moons. The flight of Seekers represent the great cities of our world. The Prime is the personification of the will and spark of our people, the entire spectrum of our history and the future as well. It has been literally millions of years since the last Prime Flight took off from a Cybertronian city for a formal function."

"Then it means the Prime is with them?" someone asked.

"I can't say. There have been Prime flights organized for Ambassadors on important missions to give honor to the group they are coming to see," Blaster said.

The conversation continued.

-0-On the Xantium

Lennox stood by the door with his garment bag. He looked at the hold farther up where the soldiers sat in their chairs watching him with smirks. He considered that there wasn't a place to hide anywhere to be seen so he sucked it up. :Springer:

:What?: the big lanky bot asked as he turned to stare down at the human.

:Is this place fit for me to take off the habitat suit?:

:Yes: Springer replied as all of the soldiers turned to watch Lennox.

He paused, then grinned. :I'm going to change my clothes:

All of the soldiers present nodded. With practiced hands, Lennox took off the mask and tossed it in his bag. Looking around, he rubbed his face. "That's great to lose."

"Not if you're on Mars," a big Wrecker mech said. He grinned at Lennox. "What comes off next, Lennox?"

Will looked down at his suit and decided to bite the bullet. "Everything." That wasn't true but they didn't know and he wasn't about to let them. He began to unfasten the front of his suit. He then pulled the skin tight form fitting hand features that fit like a second skin and were worn all the time, even to bed. The next step was to shrug on the suit until the upper part of his costume was off.

The mechs sat silently watching him as he stripped off his 'skin' and stood half naked, his body pale around the chassis but tannish around the helm, arms and neck.

"You have a two tone paint scheme, Lennox," Topspin said as he looked at the human with fascination. "How is it that you can peel off your outer layer? Not that its much for protection."

"These are clothes. They cover my nakedness. Armor I have." Lennox pushed his suit downward unveiling his boxers and white legs. His ankles were tanned but the rest of him was white.

"What the frag is with this human?" a deep voice asked from the middle of nowhere. "What is he doing?"

"He's changing his skin, Xantium," Sunstreaker said glancing toward the cockpit. "Haven't you ever seen a human change their skin? They're like … snakes. They shed their skin every day and get a new one."

"What the frag?"

"Never mind Xantium, William. He's led a sheltered life," Kup said as he sat beside Drift with his stogie in his servo. "Mech didn't know about 'facing until last week."

Rude commentary and loud laughing broke out among the ranks and the air held the tinge of humor from the giant mechanism. "Yeah. That's me. A virgin. You must have me mixed up with Zeta."

They laughed, the soldiers sitting along the walls enjoying the moment, then all of them looked at Lennox. "Look at those legs. Those are legs aren't they?"

Lennox pulled on his uniform and brushed his hair with a grin on his face. He was used to the rough humor of men-at-arms and nothing was different here. He smirked and rode the wave.

"If you peel them, they have no color. Most of them," another mech said. "The color spectrum on Earth is sort of limited to the primary spectrum." He grinned. His own format was a beautiful blue and white. "I didn't know you had two tones too."

"We do. Its called a tan," Lennox said stuffing his gear bag. Turning, he looked at the ship filled with soldiers staring at him with grins. "Say it. You want to."

"What?" Sunstreaker asked taking the bait for everyone.

"You would love to be me."

Hoots and groans, laughter and commentary greeted that as Lennox walked to where Springer sat. The big mech leaned down and picked Lennox up placing him on a shelf with a chair. "Sit before you get stepped on, William."

"Don't mind if I do," Will said settling into a very comfortable chair. The bullshit continued all the way to Earth.

-0-On the way

Ratchet watched the passing of space as they came into the aerial control of Diego Garcia Flight Command. They were the ones who handled all Autobot traffic when it came into Earth's sphere even if they weren't stopping at the island. No one in the world had the right or duty to direct Autobot craft but them.

"Prime 1, you are cleared to go to Washington, D.C. They are expecting you."

Ratchet heard Rem reply in the affirmative and felt Kappa begin the descent into the planetary orbit that would allow them to come into the airport in the capital city of the United States of America. They would come in one at a time with Seeker escort, gleaming with all the glory of their alt formats. When they landed and taxied to that part of the airport set aside from them, the cameras would be trained upon the doors of all three Guardians. Everyone would stand in flight mode for a moment until the Guardians came to a halt.

Then the magic would begin.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	186. Chapter 186

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 22 (Edited)

-0-Getting there

Ratchet watched the tone of the view out the window lighten as they began to descend through the clouds to land at an airport within five miles of the convention center that had held their first appearance before a congressional panel. During that memorable event, the 'Cons still on Earth blew up a bunch of the area.

Kappa leveled out so Ratchet walked to the window to view an impressive sight by any measure. Three Guardians gleaming in the sun were making a joint landing on the cleared air field. They touched down together rolling forward and slowing nearly immediately. Overhead, the Seekers flashed past pulling up at nearly a 90 degree angle to disappear overhead into space.

Cameras were everywhere and some of them would remain focused on the giants for the duration of their stay. Commentators and reporters, camera people and curiosity seekers would watch them and anything else that would be in the cordoned off area for diplomatic delegations reserved for the Prime Flight.

When the giants stopped, the hatches slid open and ramps came down. Xantium was the farthest away from Prime, all of the Guardians lined up with their hatch side facing the airport. Security was huge and a delegation was waiting for the party to come down and organize the quick drive to the Center, a mere five mile journey.

Prowl moved to stand next to Ratchet. "Looks good so far."

Ratchet nodded. "I think so. I'm impressed and I've been on three of these things in my orn."

"I've been on five," Prowl said glancing at Ratchet with a slight smirk. "Loser."

Ratchet snorted. "Should there be questions about football, I intend to tell them that any ability Praxus Science has was brought about through cheating by you."

"You would," Prowl said with a grin. "I think I'll let you. This is a new world. Maybe its time I got a new reputation, something with a little bit of flair."

"That's you. Flair," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Stick to what you know, winger. You are the best Prowler there is. Why fix what isn't broken?"

Prowl glanced at Ratchet, at the most unlikely best friend he had ever had in his life. Ratchet meant what he said. He had learned to read Ratchet and knew when he was slagging and when he was serious. He squeezed Ratchet's arm. "If you say so."

"I do," Ratchet said as they turned to see the hatch slide. "Kappa, is it time to rock and roll?"

"I don't know, Ratchet. But I think its time for you to go," Kappa said in her lovely lilting voice.

Ratchet snorted and glanced at Prowl. "Show time." With that, he turned and swished to the door pausing in the hatch to scan the area.

Prowl followed with a grin and together they began to walk down the ramp to the tarmac beyond. "I feel like a diva," Ratchet jested to Prowl as he stepped onto the ground.

Cameras flashed like solar flares and televisions crews focused on the two as they walked toward the group of humans that were greeting them. Kneeling down, Ratchet spoke with the officials who would be part of their journey up and back to their meeting. Prowl stood watching and counting the seconds before the Seekers would be back.

Three, two, one … bingo.

Ten Seekers streaked over barrel rolling as they screamed by. Flying straight upward, they hung in the air, then fell transforming into root mode. They slammed down, the shudder rolling under everyone's peds as the big mechanisms stood up, staring at the humans gathered in startled groups at the terminal. Behind them, ten more came echoing their entrance. By the time all fifty had landed the sight of them altogether was astonishing.

They stood silently, their Autobrands evident, then moved out taking positions around the group. They would stand silently in place until it was time to go and everyone was in the air again.

The group that was meeting with Prowl and Ratchet stood wide opticed as the amazing tableau arranged itself, then looked back up at the two mechanisms again. "They're on our side," Ratchet said with a grin.

The humans glanced at each other, then Ratchet. "Good," one of them said with relief.

Prime sat at a window watching the scene outside. He would wait on the ship until called. Ratchet would call him when he felt the Prime needed to show up. Prime had the call as well. He would monitor the proceedings from Gamma, leaving if the moment arose. He would not do that alone. Glancing down, Prime grinned. "Hello," he said.

The sparkling looking up at him smiled broadly, holding up his dollies. He was scooped up to sit on the servos of the Matrix Bearer of Cybertron as they settled in to watch the monitors and share cookies.

It was a great way to start he considered with a grin.

-0-At the Center

They sat in their conference room near the hearing area gathering their plans together as they waited for the Autobot delegation to arrive. The ipad in the chairman's hand played the scene at the airport. The aliens were talking to the officials that were there to assist the journey to the Center. The Ambassador was chatting, then stood and turned to the other, the one called Prowl. They spoke a moment, then moved away and began to transform.

It was astonishing.

When they finished a white and red Hummer search and rescue vehicle and a black and white police patrol cruiser stood on the tarmac. Another big vessel had activity at the hatch as a progression of incredibly beautiful cars began to drive down the ramp. They moved slowly to the Ambassador and formed up around the two. Some of the humans walked forward and entered them, settling in as they began to move forward. Outside the VIP fence, security forces were waiting. They would go to the Center under police escort complete with helicopters overhead.

Ratchet moved toward the gate, his passengers sitting comfortably on the front seat. One of them was Warren Roberts, their agent on Earth and the other was the Secret Service official, Len Steward that was assigned to the visit. Ratchet pulled out onto the street and the security outside the fence gathered in, their lights spinning as they took the show on the road.

"I can't believe we're riding in a car and not steering," Len said with a grin.

"I'm pretty good at that," Ratchet said, his voice emanating out of the radio.

Len blinked. "This is new to me, Ambassador. I am honored to meet you. I am here to facilitate your stay. All you have to do is tell me what you need and I will do what I can to help you."

"That's mighty nice of you, youngling," Ratchet said. "Mostly, I am fine. Hopefully, we can get there in one piece."

"We have that covered," Len said nodding.

"We have brought some of our own along for the ride. The vehicles you see around us and following are some of our best soldiers."

Len looked in the side view mirror and noted that a string of concept cars the like of which he had never seen in one place were following them. It was astonishing. People who had lined the route were equally impressed and expressing it as they drove past. Ratchet let a whoop of his siren fly and the waving smiling crowds went nuts.

"I think they liked that," Ratchet said chuckling. "Warren, how have you been?"

"Good, Ratchet. I hear there's a game coming up, a play off game between Iacon and Altihex."

"There is. We're going to kick tail pipe. You coming?" Ratchet asked.

"I am," Warren replied as Ratchet took the 12th Street exit toward L'Enfant Promenade.

"Bring your wife too. I like her."

"I will," Warren said with a grin. "She thinks the world of you. She says football was never as entertaining as watching you and Prowl beat each other over the head."

Ratchet chuckled. "Poor Prowl. He's so going down."

They laughed and talked football all the way to the Center.

-0-In the parade

Will sat in Sunstreaker chatting about the upcoming game. Everyone was going to come to Mars to watch it. Among their group, being there was the only acceptable thing. Even with the amazing coverage IntraComm gave of the play nothing was better than actual attendance.

"Ratchet will be pulling for Iacon. Who are you going to root for?" Will asked.

"Altihex. I want them to defeat Iacon so that they can play against Polyhex. That leaves us with Vos. I think we can take Vos out and that would mean Altihex would be the last obstacle to the finals."

"Do you think Praxus can go the distance?" Lennox asked as he watched the crowds along the route.

"I think it will be us and Praxus. We have our line up back on their feet and Praxus has a problem with their goalie."

"Blurr is solid."

"I know. But he has to get past Polyhex and they have a big grudge against him from the last game," Sunstreaker said as they turned up Constitution Avenue, N. W. for the final stage to Mt. Vernon Place, N. W.

"Are they going to take him out?" Will asked considering that news for his future betting plans.

"I won't say they will but I won't say they won't." His grin could be felt through the radio.

They turned onto Mt. Vernon Place and drove through the side streets to the back of the Center. The entire group drove out of view heading for the parking lot and service area behind the Center where they could gather to wait for Ratchet and Prowl to come back out.

Ratchet rolled to a stop, his doors opening. "Time to get out, boys," he said. Both men stepped out and watched as Ratchet and Prowl began to transform. Len Steward stood gazing upward in awe at the most unlikely alien he could ever have imagined. Ratchet stared down at him and grinned. "It is rather on the awesome side isn't it?" he said.

"Won't get an argument from me." Len grinned. "I will go in and tell them you are here and to get ready. The big doors are open, Ambassador so when you're ready, we are too." He turned and walked toward a pair of huge doors that had been built into the walls when the first meeting had been held. Glancing at Prowl, he looked at the others. "Sunstreaker, Springer, Drift, I want you with us. Stay in vehicle mode and find a place inside. Go in first and dazzle them with your beauty," Ratchet said.

They grinned over the link and pulled forward driving into the doors to disappear inside one by one. The drive to the huge open room would be negligible, the open space emerging before them almost instantly. The mass of cameras and people inside turned toward them, everyone becoming still as Drift drove in, his racing format a clean white and red. He rolled past the panel and pulled up covering as he did one third of the huge room. People sitting in the audience were close enough to touch them. One of them did, drawing his hand back quickly.

**:GET YOUR MITTS OFF OF MY MECH!:** Springer said over the link in jest as he rolled to a stop behind the platform where Ratchet and Prowl will sit. :You have a magnetic personality, ba-bee:

Drift's chuckle whispered over the bond. :I do don't I:

They sat together quipping and discussing Drift's new 'boy friend' as Sunstreaker rolled his hotness into the room. He revved his engine, then settled, the aura of his menace deferring any pats from the goggled audience sitting near him.

Ratchet at that point appeared in the doorway and grinned. Warren standing with him led the way and the giant Autobot followed, Prowl bringing up the rear. In the courtyard behind them, the rest gathered waiting for the moment when they might be needed. Around them, dozens of security stood admiring their design and deep rich colors. No one on the Earth could match the depth and intensity of the soldier's pigments. But it was a discussion point on most car forums and discussion boards around the world how it might be achieved.

It couldn't.

-0-The panel

They gathered at the committee tables and watched as the cars rolled into the room. A beautiful white and red Ferrari, a big green and yellow Top Kick truck and an incredibly beautiful Lamborghini Countach settled into place silently. They entered and parked rather pointedly, almost as if they were covering the room in surveillance. Of course, that couldn't be the truth most thought. It might be possible to believe so after watching the aliens on television but the real thing happening before them required belief that they hadn't altogether mustered yet. It was a work in progress.

The big figure of Ambassador Ratchet appeared in the doorway with the enigmatic Prowl behind him. They paused chatting with someone there, then stepped forward. They towered over the humans as they walked to the area where they would sit, an area that was directly in front of the panel's long tables. Cameras flashed and that sound filled the otherwise silent room as everyone took in the giants.

Ratchet paused and looked at them. They looked back unaware that they were being scanned and their physicality compared against the vast medical and psychological database that Ratchet carried. When the meeting was over discrete messages would be sent alerting two members of the panel that they had the beginnings of two types of cancer and one had untreated diabetes. They would act on the tips. It would save their lives.

It would change nothing for them whatsoever.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	187. Chapter 187

Edited

Autobot Trivia: Optimus Prime and Elita-1 say the same thing: Number One, Optimal/Elite. The number 1 best. :D Pays to advertise. :D

-0-Now back to the story

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 23

-0-Washington, D. C., United States of America, Earth

Ratchet and Prowl stood in the giant room allowing the multitude to satisfy their curiosity. It was one thing to look at awesome vehicles but another to see those vehicles standing before them in alt robotic mode. The two were so tall it hurt the neck to look upward at them. The ceiling was about forty feet high and both were in the mid range, Ratchet slightly the taller. Yet they seemed enormously tall, enormously impossible to believe. The tiny toy bots of children's playtime were so far out of this league as to render any kind of comparison moot. These were phenomenally complex mechanisms.

The committee stood for a moment, then took their seats. Ratchet watching turned and looked toward the platforms that would become their own benches for the duration. Moving there, they both carefully sat down as nearby William Lennox, Glenn Morshower, Warren Roberts and Len Steward sat in their own chairs. The audience whispered, the odd photo flash adding a sparkling quality to the proceedings.

When the chairman finally turned to the two Autobots, the hammer of their gavel quieted down the room. He looked at the two, then the committee before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call to order this hearing into the matter of the Autobot treaties, the disposition of Mars and the relationship that exists between the people of Earth and the Prime of Cybertron. I will be directing the hearing by allotting time and opportunity for the membership of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on Autobot Affairs and Treaties to ask their questions for the duration of these proceedings. I would like to caution the audience that decorum must be observed at all times. Anyone who would disturb the meeting will be removed and detained by security."

:Wow. What a douche bag: -Ratchet

Pause. :What does a cleansing device have to do with the chairman being a jackass?: -Prowl

:Go to the Urban Dictionary, Miss Priss: -a grinning Ratchet

Pause. :Ah. Nice description. And that is **Mr**. Priss to you, sister: -Mr. Prowl

:Nice one, Prowler. You may actually develop a sense of humor yet: Ratchet barely contained his mirth as they waited, the banter between the two of them comforting in the expectant, even hostile environment. The chairman looked at Ratchet. "Mr. Ambassador, I would like to inform you that the testimony you give today will be made available to the House of Representatives to use in developing policies, even those that might not find favor in your eyes."

Ratchet nodded. "I am aware of that every time I come here, sir."

The chairman considered that. "We are not all fans of the Autobots, Ambassador. We have many lengthy and legitimate concerns and we are going to be aggressively seeking answers. I am warning you in advance."

"Thank you for the warning," Ratchet said. "I am not a newcomer to this sort of thing, Mr. Chairman so be forewarned that I can be equally aggressive in preserving the positions of the Prime and his government. I do come here however in the interests of peace and harmony between our two species. We consider the relationship between your species and ours to be special and deeply important."

The chairman nodded. "Then we understand each other. We expect truth and answers to our questions. We have studied your other presentations and find that you have a pattern of evading questions that are inconvenient. We would appreciate answers to our questions today."

"Understand this, Chairman. There are things that aren't your business and have nothing to do with the main topics. We won't be giving answers to questions that fall outside of the scope of this hearing. We are adamant about that and our position hasn't changed," Ratchet said.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, then the Chairman looked down the table. "I think we should begin. Do you have an opening statement, Ambassador or do we begin with questioning?"

"I reserve my remarks for the end of this hearing," Ratchet said with a nod.

"That is your prerogative," The Chairman said nodding. He was Martin Carter of Idaho who was his party's 'expert' on aliens and their oddly obtuse -to him- ways. He was senior member of the committee as well as chairman by virtue of his party's control of the House of Representatives. Even though they didn't control the Senate and therefore couldn't make law a number of their many extreme points of view, they could wreak havoc as they were prepared to do now. "Mr. Foretti of Florida may have the first opportunity. Sir, you have the floor."

A tall man with a thick thatch of gray hair and dark eyes, Kyle Foretti was a man on a mission. He was a former Governor of the state and a man with a Jones for the Senate. This was going to be his vehicle, this and the small but vocal wave of anti-Autobot sentiment in the country. "Mr. Ambassador, I would like to talk to you about the settlement of Mars by your species."

Ratchet nodded. "Alright."

"What I want specifically to know is how you came to make such a settlement on Mars? When you first began, it was to keep the criminal Shockwave in custody but now we understand that there are literally hundreds of thousands of your people there. You do understand that the idea of that gives many of us great pause."

"We can understand that actually," Ratchet said nodding. "We do know that this is all new and very difficult because it didn't start in peace but conflict. Fate brought us together. It wasn't a choice by you we know but then you held Megatron in captivity for eighty years and set in motion all the events that followed. It was a good thing that we were available to help you retain your sovereignty because of that. Otherwise, you would either be enslaved now or a burnt out cinder floating in space."

"Megatron is gone now but you have stayed. Why don't you leave and allow us our own destiny? Why are you still here?" Foretti asked.

"We aren't theoretically here. We live on another planet. We keep an Embassy on Diego Garcia and offices in New York and London to manage our business and political interests."

"You **are** in **our** solar system," Foretti challenged.

"**Your** solar system in the emotional sense but in the practical and formal sense, its not. It seems odd that you would challenge someone settling on a perfectly empty planet to rebuild a broken civilization and have space for our people to regather and live. We have been an asset to you and since you can't get there, how is it your planet?" Ratchet asked.

"This system is where our species came into being. This is where we live and all of the planets here are part of the set to which Earth belongs," Foretti countered.

"You have devised space law that gives ownership of Mars or any other stellar body including your moon to no one and no country. No one is allowed to own a planet, star, moon or other object and/or body outside of Earth for their own exploitation. No one is allowed to assume or presume ownership of Mars, Ceres or any other place that we have settled by your own agreement. We also share the bounty of the system with you supplying materials for your industry and taking care of waste byproducts in a spirit of cooperation. We don't have to but we do." Ratchet glanced at Prowl a moment. "There is no legal basis on Earth for you to hold a claim against us for the colonization of Mars."

"We have made a petition to the World Court to rectify that situation," Foretti said. "We also have challenged the authority of the treaties that bar us from exploration and ownership of planets, moons and other space bodies. We have legislation in the House that will rectify what we feel are shortsighted and ill advised agreements in a time when the data about our solar system wasn't as complete as it is now."

"Good luck. I am sure that the Senate will have their say, sir, about this business. I would also remind you that treaty issues are their tasks to decide, not yours in the House. You do also understand that if you don't possess it, its hard to make a claim," Ratchet said.

Prowl nodded. "Congressman, it is commonly held on Earth that 'possession is nine points of the law', meaning that minus clear and compelling testimony to the contrary, he who holds the property has a better right to the presumption of ownership than he that doesn't. Your argument might have a chance to succeed if you could show to a reasonable degree that you held ownership of all of the things that you claim before we came here. The treaties that you are trying to erase more than demonstrate that you don't and you never did. You by mutual agreement with the signatory countries of the world declare that all things beyond your atmosphere belong to no one here."

"We are prepared to challenge that in court," Foretti said.

"To what end, Congressman?" Prowl asked. "You might be able to conjure a paper or ruling that says what you want but what then? How will you enforce it? You don't even have the capacity to reach your moon. How can you reach Mars or the outer planets? How can you live there?"

"We are working on that right now. We have technological advances that are going to take care of that," Foretti said.

"If you say so," Prowl said coldly.

The conversation continued, a rehash of questions about a permanent human settlement on Mars and Autobot claims to hold the planets for their own settlements. By the time the Congressman's time ran out, an edge of hostility had been established between both sides.

A momentary lull occurred when Congressman Foretti finished. The crowd murmured and some of them even reached out to touch the three vehicles that were parked behind Ratchet and Prowl. A young man who was well dressed and looked like an office worker touched the paint job on Sunstreaker. It was smoother than it even appeared and flawless, the depth of the color stunning and the reflection of his own face mirror like. Sitting back, he whispered to his friend who was at the hearings with him. "That is amazing. The color is so deep I can't believe it. I bet there's about 20 layers of paint on that car."

"Forty."

They looked at each other, then the car. Then they looked at each other again. "Did the car just speak or am I losing my mind?" the first man asked of his friend.

"Forty layers of color, five layers of wax and two coats of surface shine. That doesn't count the scratch layers and the stuff we use for combat."

The voice was coming from the car.

"Oh crap," the friend of the man whispered. His friend, a bolder type leaned forward. "Its gorgeous."

"I know," the voice said.

The man blinked. "I've never seen a finish like this."

"You won't," Sunstreaker said. "Only a Cybertronian can get this finish. You don't have the technology to make armor look like this."

The man nodded and glanced at his friend who was looking at the car with fear. He looked at Sunstreaker. "I'm Bob Taney. I work in the GAO."

"I'm Sunstreaker and I kick aft for a living."

It was silent a moment. "Thank you for doing that. I would hate to think what it would be like against them without you. Don't let these bums get you down. We appreciate you more than you can know." He paused a moment. "Are you one of the football players? What team is it?"

"Kaon."

"Yeah, Kaon. You're a twin. Damn. That team is bad ass. I hope you win the championship. I never miss a game."

Sunstreaker grinned to himself. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Bob Taney said.

Then the hearing began again.

-0-

-0-TBC

2013 (2) This is for Pip.


	188. Chapter 188

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 24 Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-A hearing room in Washington, DC

"Ambassador, we want to talk about a permanent human settlement on Mars,"Dane Piccolo said. He was a congressman from Missouri who represented the area of Johnson County. He was older and rather rotund. His hair was white and his manner folksy. The folksiness didn't reach his brown eyes which were hard and piercing. "Our country would like to establish a permanent human colony on Mars and have put that suggestion forward to the Prime, yet we have heard nothing back. Why?"

"We have been busy,"Ratchet began.

"My question was serious, Ambassador," Piccolo said, cutting in on Ratchet's reply. "We are all serious individuals here. We expect serious answers."

"I would give you one but you keep interrupting,"Ratchet replied with a smile.

"I have yet to hear it," he replied.

"If you would stop interrupting, you would," Ratchet replied. "I don't intend to speak to you if this is the manner in which it will unfold. I don't like ill mannered people interrupting me before I can finish."

"Ill mannered? You just gave me a flip answer to a serious question," Piccolo continued.

Ratchet looked at him, then glanced at Prowl who was staring at Piccolo as if he were a stain on his ped. "When you are ready to be reasonable I will attempt to finish my answer. If not, then I pass on discussing anything including the weather with you."

"What are you trying to hide, Mr. Ambassador?" Piccolo asked coldly.

Ratchet grinned. He looked at the Chairman. "Oh, I get it. This is 'good cop, bad cop' right?"

The audience snickered as they sat watching. The commentary among the three vehicles parked behind Ratchet was less amused. Ratchet looked at the Chairman. "I am an Ambassador of a government who is here by invitation from you. I deserve a modicum of respect and good treatment. If this person is going to sit and abuse me and by extension the leader of my government, I am through talking to him. Get him in line, Mr. Chairman, or I am through with him."

"Mr. Ambassador," Martin Carter began, "You should answer the questions."

"Not if I am going to be interrupted two words in. I don't intend to be mistreated in these hearings. When you abuse me, you abuse my government and that means the Prime of Cybertron. I won't participate in that kind of disrespect."

Ratchet could feel the heat rolling off Prowl as he sat staring impassively at the humans. That is, he was impassive to anyone who didn't really know him. A stickler for protocol and proper etiquette, Ratchet knew that the ultimate target of any bad behavior here on the part of the humans was Optimus. It didn't sit well at all.

"Mr. Piccolo, please allow the Ambassador to finish his remarks." Carter looked at Ratchet. "Please continue."

Ratchet considered that. The Chairman had a better read on the room than Piccolo it would seem. "As I was saying, we have been busy. We have been tracking refugee groups as well as Decepticons."

The room became deathly quiet. He had their attention.

"There are two groups that give us concern. One of them has decided to settle in a system along the trail that leads directly here. They're small for now but there are indications that more unaffiliated Decepticon battle groups are coming to join them. That means they will be a focal point of danger not only for our refugees but ultimately for Earth and Mars. The other group is a fall back base site for the current caretaker government of Cybertron. They are building a refuge with which to go to if Megatron decides to go rogue on them. That makes two danger points for Earth within a decent travel range. Those have occupied our attention for some time now. Among other things."

"Tell us more about this. I am surprised you haven't mentioned this before now," Piccolo said with a tinge of anger in his voice. "I would think as an ally that you would have said something before today."

"We have. Just not to you. We are good allies and keep our human counterparts up to date on what's going on out there. We have a long reach, Congressman. We have also established forward bases out in the universe along the migration path to help us not only protect our own helpless people but Earth and this system as well. Just because I didn't write you a letter doesn't make your insinuation of negligence and subterfuge right. You aren't on the 'must inform' list, Congressman."

"Tell us about this matter," Piccolo said ignoring the comments. "Logic dictates they are there for you, rather than us. What do we have that they could possibly want and why would they come here but for you?"

"First of all, logic doesn't apply to Megatron anymore. I can also only tell you that these infiltrations exist but nothing more. That is classified information. Suffice it to say, they are there, they are being monitored and planned for and that is all I can say. As for 'Cons being here? … they are here because of what **you** did to Megatron for eighty years. If you think that they are only here for us then you are self deluding. That they haven't struck again and they could given the size of their forces, you would all be dead. They haven't because of us."

"You tell us this exists. How do we know? What if you are making this up to allow your presence in our system? What if this is just a scam to stay here?" Piccolo said.

Even as the words came from his mouth, Ratchet was calling for an answer. A roar overhead caught everyone's attention along with a huge thud of a heavy body landing that followed. Ratchet rose. "Excuse me a moment. I am arranging for your question to be answered." He turned and walked to the door where a large figure appeared. They stood a moment chatting internally, then Ratchet walked back to sit. The big mechanism followed and stood in the space by the door looking down at everyone with an expression of slight disdain. "This is Sky Warp. He is a Seeker and a former Decepticon who is part of our air forces and an integral part of the leadership of our colony. I have asked him to come here to corroborate any commentary related to the two new threats. You may direct your questions to him."

Piccolo looked at Sky Warp, then Chairman Carter who nodded. "Very well. We have been told about two incursions by the Decepticons into local space. We need to know about a fall back base for the commander of Cybertron and a fortress supposedly being built by renegade Decepticons along the migration route. What can you tell us about that if anything?"He sat back and looked at Sky Warp with disdain, which was the wrong attitude for the dour Decepticon to see.

"What do you want to know, meat sack?" Sky Warp replied with a look of his own disgust.

"Meat sack?" Piccolo asked startled. "Are you calling me that?"

Sky Warp glanced at Ratchet, then Piccolo. "Are you hard of hearing?"

A chuckle spread through the room and someone in the back called out, "Yes!" Sky Warp looked at them and smirked slightly. He turned to Piccolo. "There are two forts being constructed in the local group. One of the incursion forces is being led by a renegade mech named Paragon, who is smart, ruthless and ready to climb higher. The other is a fall back base for Soundwave, the current ruler of Cybertron just in case Megatron comes back grumpy which he will. None of them give a frag about you and they will eat you if you get in the way. That you would have a problem with us defending your ungrateful afts is beyond me. I have better things to do with my time but I am here to defend you, ingrate."

It was silent a moment. Ratchet sat with a slight grin on his face. Prowl was seething beside him but looked cool and calm. Sky Warp glared at Piccolo who sat looking back at him with a slight look of concern. Then it was masked. "Your tone is unworthy of these hearings."

"And yours isn't? You've been slagging Ratchet since you opened your mouth. He's the fragging Ambassador of our species here to tell you things that you want to know. How the frag is it that you are abusing him because he doesn't tell you exactly what you want to know? I can tell you as a former 'Con and as a current Autobot that Soundwave and Paragon will have your skins on their walls if they can. They don't give a frag about you, your world, your kids or families. They just want what they want. They even kill us when they feel like it. I was one of the most elite soldiers in the Decepticon Army but when they decided for whatever reason they wanted to end us, they tried. There's a shoot to kill order out on all Seekers to be executed wherever they are found. That is why we came here. We stay here because the Prime has created the world we all wanted and deserved on Mars. We will defend it and in doing so defend you. Frag you if you don't like it. Frag all of you."

Ratchet grinned and glanced at Sky Warp. "Are there any other questions for Commander Sky Warp?" he asked.

Piccolo who sat glaring at the Chairman looked at Ratchet. "No. I think I've heard about all I need."

Ratchet snorted and grinned, then glanced at Sky Warp. "Thanks, Sky. You can go back to the ship now."

Sky Warp nodded and with a glare at the committee, he did what he was famed for. He warped away. One moment he was standing before them, the next he vanished. It took a moment for that to sink in but when it did the collective gasp nearly exhausted the oxygen in the room.

-0-On the air

"Did that Seeker just disappear?" a commentator asked.

Blaster nodded and smiled. "He's a teleporter among other things. He can do that."

"He can flash away from point to point? Sort of invisible while doing it?" the commentator asked incredulously.

"Not sort of. He can. He's one of seven teleporting Seekers in our army. There are thousands of Seekers and their families living with us. Sky Warp is among the highest leadership of the Seekers and a feared fighter. He's a real asset for us to use in our efforts to protect the system."

"No doubt,"the commentator said with his own incredulity.

-0-In the hearing room

"Nice theatrics," Piccolo said at last.

"That would be the wrong way to evaluate what you just saw. Sky Warp is a teleporter. He can come and go without being seen and is a great asset to our forces. He's not the only one either. The Seekers are a venerable force and they are with us. Megatron is a fool to chase them off. We have been made incomparably stronger by their inclusion."

"Tell me about the Decepticon element in your population," Piccolo countered. "How are we supposed to trust them?"

"You should trust them because we do even after millions of years of war," Ratchet said. "There are thousands and thousands of former Decepticons and their families living in the colony. They are upstanding citizens and work in all areas of our world. They came because many of them wanted a better life. Many of them wanted to serve a leader that valued them and didn't consider them expendable. They are here to protect their families. They are here to build a safe life that has opportunities for them too. Megatron doesn't allow families. They are considered distractions. There are death orders on families, especially children. They come to us for many reasons but they all stay for one: Mars is the last stand homeland for all of us and we defend it and the system because we all are one."

It was silent a moment, then the Chairman called time on Congressman Piccolo. "The next questions will come from Representative Mel Steiner of New York. Mr. Steiner?" he asked glancing behind himself to the slender intense figure of the rep from upstate New York.

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ambassador Ratchet, Commander Prowl, I am honored to speak with you about important considerations between us and your government, items that will determine the future of all in the face of our mutual threat. I would like to discuss the request to build a permanent human habitat on Mars. I see it as a collaboration between our worlds and species that can only enhance our understanding."

"If that is the philosophy behind your request, its something we can entertain. We don't want to build another front against us on our home ground, Mr. Steiner. We have two or three already," Ratchet said.

"We know that our species is unequal to the environment of Mars without a lot of effort and special equipment. The idea of having a colony there is a big deal among our people. Maybe you can explain the special needs that would have to be addressed by us to live there since you already have two human habitats at Autobot City already," Steiner asked.

Ratchet nodded. "We have two and they are specially designed for human limitations. There are so many dangers that you would have to overcome that its hard to know where to start," Ratchet said as he thought a moment. "I would begin with the climate and atmospheric configuration itself. Mars has about one third the gravity of Earth which means that your health would be severely compromised over time due to the lighter pull on your bones. Your skeletons would thin and your bones would become depleted. Returning to Earth after a long stay would be dangerous to your continuation. inside our human habitats we have made artificial gravity to take care of this problem.

"Most of the atmosphere of Mars is carbon dioxide, a lethal configuration for humans. Our day is a half hour longer that Earth which means your internal biological clocks would become compromised. We also have a longer year and our seasons last twice as long. In winter, it can be as cold as -191 degrees Fahrenheit which means you would freeze to death instantly. Given the make up of the atmosphere, your bodies would take thousands of years to decay.

"The winds are seasonal and we are working to control them and the overall climate to alleviate dust storms for obvious reasons. There is also the threat of the sandy soil abrading habitat suits as well as all of your equipment and housing units. A single piercing of a habitat suit would kill you in less than three minutes from the bends. The bends are a ailment that is extreme in the suffering it causes by dissolved gases forming bubbles in your blood stream during decompression which is what is immediate after suit failure. The symptoms that follow are terrible and often fatal. They include extreme joint pain, enormous suffering, rashes to paralysis and death. Unless treatment is immediate, death is assured.

"Since we have humans living on Mars with us, we are extremely careful with their care and protection. Not only does everyone in the city set their proximity sensors on full to avoid stepping on them, we also have created suits and habitat quarters that are equal to the task of protecting them. The suits that the humans wear are of one piece. That is, when you step into them they cover every inch of your body from your toes, your finger tips and up to the top of your head. Habitat suits are not changed but left on at all times. The foot and hand coverings are designed to be absolutely mesh tight but also indestructible. Our guests wear them all the time as well as individually designed face masks that fit completely snugly. Nothing is exposed. Nothing is chanced.

"Our science division is taking data from the users and constantly refining the clothing they must wear to be alive. The suits are even able to compensate for the temperature outside. It can range from 90 above to -271 below zero, just about the temperature of vacuum. It should also be known that the suits reflect the damaging radiation that hits the planet due to our weak atmosphere, something that would kill you in a short time if you didn't have a mechanism in place to compensate for it. Even a few hours outside of a habitat could cause damage to your bodies at a molecular level. We prevent that with our technology. Our guests are safe.

"Since there is no decently breathable atmosphere and you require oxygen, the mask and suit is designed to pull the proper configuration of molecules out of the atmosphere, configure them to the proper breathable mix and allow the wearer to utilize it for their use. No matter how little the amount of necessary molecules there are in the atmosphere short of the vacuum of space, our suits are designed to multiply and supply the right mixture.

"That is the level of technology we bring to the table to ensure that the soldiers, scientists and filmmakers that are part of our city life are not only comfortable but completely safe on Mars. Our species is unaffected by anything I have mentioned. We do not breathe air nor do we suffer from cold. Our infants sometimes wear hats on their processors to help keep them at a certain temperature for development because Cybertron wasn't this cold but that is about it. We thrive on Mars because we are designed for it. You aren't. That is what you are facing at a basic level. That doesn't even address food and water, the affect that your bacteria and viruses would have on the world itself and the radiation sickness that would in the end kill all of you because you can't shield against it enough."

Steiner sat a moment, then nodded. "I know that our people are working on this idea and have for decades. We know we are the underdogs. We are however still game to try."

Ratchet grinned. "That is why some of us like your species so much. Never say die."

Steiner grinned. "True enough."

"Then we have one more thing in common," Ratchet said with a grin.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) This is for Pip.


	189. Chapter 189

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 25 (Edited)

-0-At the hearings

"Thank you, Ambassador for your information. I appreciate it and so does most of America," Congressman Steiner said in conclusion of his time allotment.

"Thank you, Mr. Steiner. I appreciate talking with you," Ratchet replied smoothly.

The Chairman looked at his list, then down the dais. "Mr. Ducker from North Dakota, you have the floor." He sat back to listen.

James Ducker was a youngish man with dark brown hair and a smooth style. He had just enough folksiness for a state that had a rich history of self reliance but enough polish to appeal to the urban set who determined national elections for higher office. He sat a moment, then began. "Mr. Ambassador, tell us about the Prime. You mention him a lot. We see his emblems and hear about him but we have never seen him. Why is that and will that change?"

Ratchet pinged Prime who pinged him back. :Up to you, Ratchet:

:Okay: Ratchet replied. "The Prime of Cybertron is our moral, spiritual, political, military and cultural center. He is chosen for a lifetime and leads us in all areas of our life and culture. Optimus Prime is the greatest Prime in the history of our people and the only duly appointed legal leader left after the Fall. Optimus Prime keeps a low profile because it serves our purposes to keep the enemy off guard and prevent exploitation and diminishment of his person by general knowledge of who he is.

"He leads us and we follow including former enemy soldiers. The Decepticons who are with us are some of the most senior in their ranks, some of the most autonomous and dangerous Decepticons ever known. But they came to us and gave up their autonomy to follow him. They did it for their families, for Cybertron, for themselves. Prime is that much of a figure that even the most ruthless intractable enemy can lay down their arms and follow him."

"He should show himself to us," Ducker replied. "We are allies aren't we? He should show himself to us so we can have a better understanding of who and what he is. It would be morale building and ease fears among many of us."

"That could be possible. Maybe at the end of the questioning period I can put that proposal to him," Ratchet said.

"Not now?" Ducker asked.

"You aren't the only one with questions. I am here to supply information. If the Prime decides to come here, it will prevent some of your colleagues from getting to ask what they wish to ask. I am here because you have questions. Otherwise, I would be working at home on a lot of slag that needs done. I also have a family and obligations."

"Tell us about families. You mention it and we've seen the children on teevee broadcasts. We have a lot of interest in your family life," Ducker suggested.

"I can give you general information but no specifics. We have infants in our city ranging from new to sub adults. You would call sub adults teenagers. They attend school which is mandatory. School wasn't allowed for great numbers of our population on Cybertron before the Fall. Even as Prime, Optimus had little luck in changing unfair and destructive systems. On Mars, we have changed everything.

"The schools are among the first buildings built and they are the center of the family life of our city. We had our Christmas Surprise program recently and it was attended at the air field because of the crowds. Our children performed their programs and it was witnessed by over 422,000 individuals. Nearly everyone in the city was there to support them.

"Less of us knew about children than I like to state but that is changing. We have a city now. One that is like home. Families are being made and supported. Infants are common though not as common as I would like. But we are recovering and the babies are the linch pin for our progress. We have a focal point in our redemption."

"You have many taboos," Ducker said. "I am no expert on Cybertronian life but it would seem that they are convenient. I don't see the problem with telling us about some of the things that interest us."

"How about you showing pictures of your personal reproduction. You have children. Perhaps you can show me a sex video. I hear that's a pretty common thing to do here among some types of humans. If you find that request ridiculous or unreasonable, then you feel what we feel about such a request from you." Ratchet looked at him, Ducker holding his gaze levelly. "Some things are taboo. Onions and chives are taboo in some forms of Buddhism. Touching someone's head or pointing with your feet is taboo in Thailand. I could go on. Would you require others to break taboos if they were here too knowing full well that they are off limits or do you have exceptions for humans and not us?"

"Those are trivial items, Mr. Ambassador. Surely you cannot compare what you have held back from us to that?" Ducker asked. "We are asking for basic information by which we can then develop an opinion about you and your people based on fact and not speculation."

"You have been pretty handy with the speculation, you and your friends, Congressman. You have made a spectacle of our smallest, most vulnevable people without a thought to what it might mean to me as a parent and doctor. We value our children as greatly as you do. Perhaps even more. We feed, house and educate all of our children no matter their status. They are loved and defended. I am a parent and a grandparent. All of my babies are precious to me and I would die willingly to protect them."

"That is something we can understand but we don't have facts to help shape public and private opinion."

As Ducker drabbled on Ratchet put in the call. By the time the next question was over, his wish would be granted.

-0-On the Gamma

Gypsy gathered up her sparkling and turned looking at the others. She walked to the door and down the ramp. Sky Warp transformed and Gypsy entered his cockpit, the baby safe in her hold. When she was secure, he flew upward and away. The others transformed and drove off heading toward the center with precious cargo. Prime watched them on the monitor which had diverted to the airport to broadcast the activity.

-0-In an apartment in Texas

Cindy and Lola Teasdale sat in their apartment in Texas watching the show as they continued their internship with NASA at the Johnson Space Center. "There's Gypsy," Lola said pointing out the petite femme as she climbed into Sky Warp's cockpit. She fit snugly and when he was ready, Sky Warp lifted off and flew away.

"I wonder what's up?"

"I don't know but I am thinking shoving sparklings into Ducker's face would be justice," Cindy said with a cold tone.

Lola nodded. "I agree."

-0-At the Center

The sound of vehicles arriving drifted into the room and some of the audience turned to look out the door. Several vehicles had pulled up and right behind them the tall Seeker, Sky Warp was hovering. His hatch popped and a small feminine appearing figure climbed out and down. When she was clear, he transformed and stood on the ground staring at the big doors with the others.

Ratchet who was watching with everyone else stood. "Excuse me a moment," he said to Ducker. Turning, he walked out and looked at the arrivals. "Good. They're all here?"

Ironhide nodded. "They are. What do you want us to do?"

"I want you to bring yours in, Ironhide. I will call for each of you in turn." Ratchet grinned and turned, Ironhide following. He moved to sit at the bench again as Prowl watched the doorway that held the imposing figures of a number of individuals. "You wanted to know about our families and in particularly our infants. We have brought some for you to see." He glanced at Ironhide. "You know that Ironhide is my bond. We have our infants here for you to see. Ironhide?" Ratchet asked.

Ironhide stepped closer, the door to his carry hold sliding back. Inside could be seen two bright sets of blue optics. Reaching in gently, he pulled out Praxus and Orion. Putting them on one servo, he reached in again and got the remaining sprite, a tiny bundle of infant which he held in the other.

Prowl arose and walked to Ironhide taking Orion and Praxus. Turning, he handed them to Ratchet before taking Hero into servo. As he did that, Bumblebee walked inside and pulled Miracle from his hold. Holding him out, Ironhide took him into servo. Then Bumblebee walked out and came in with Rambler in his arms. Behind him, Gypsy came into the room holding Kaon. She paused by the door and made room for Sky Warp to remove the twinnie femmes from his hold. At that moment, Sunstreaker transformed and reached for them, taking them into servo. Sky Warp stepped out and returned with Dart who he retrieved from another mech outside. They stood silently, the infants looking around equally silently. Then Ratchet grinned and stood. "You said you wanted to know about our babies? Here they are. Let me introduce them."

Ratchet turned and looked at the audience. Holding up Orion and Praxus, he began. "This is the first infant born on Mars, Orion. This is his brother, Praxus. His sister is that tiny bit of fluff. Her name is Hero. Her older brother, Sunspot named her that because she is that to him. These little ones are twin femmes. They are the only twin femmes in our specie's existence and they are called Uraya and Iacon after cities on Cybertron. That little mech," he said pointing to Gypsy, "is Kaon, their brother who is named after his fathers' home town. The mechanism holding the girls is one of their parents, Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker is also my son which makes the little femmes and that baby, Kaon, my grandchildren. The three of them are also the grandchildren of Commander Prowl and Optimus Prime because Prowl's son is the bond of Sunstreaker. That little Seeker over there is Dart and he is a wonder. There are two more hatchlings in his family, Pip and Flit who couldn't be here because that much beauty in one place can be detrimental to your health," he said with a grin.

-0-Mars

"That's absolutely correct," Starscream said bursting with pride. "That doctor may be partly psychotic but he's spot on about hatchlings."

Thundercracker merely smirked as he nodded.

-0-Hearing

"The youngling with Bumblebee is called Rambler, who is a talented musician and all around wonderful little mech. He is the oldest youngling of Prowl and Prime. There are two other little mechs too, T-Bar and Spirit."

Rambler grinned and looked around the room curiously.

"That little baby," Ratchet said pointing to Miracle, "is the son of Prowl and Optimus Prime, the first ever Prime sparkling in our species history. All of these babies are loved. They are all spectacularly important because they are the future." Ratchet turned and knelt before the committee. Putting Praxus on his peds on the table in front of Ducker, he grinned. "You wanted to see a sparkling. Here's a rather wonderful one. His name is Praxus after my bond's home town."

Praxus looked up at Ratchet, then Ducker who looked at him with surprise. Pointing at the human, he looked up at Ratchet. "Ada, who?"

Ratchet grinned. "Bad men."

They were discussing the situation in Standard speech, the most commmon dialect of Cybertronian utilized by the population. English and the rest of the human languages would come when they were older but for now, the Sparkling and Youngling schools taught in Standard, the lingua franca of Cybertron. Praxus looked at Ducker. Turning, he stepped closer as the cameras clicked. The take away photo this day would be Praxus extending his arms to Ducker like the sweet trusting baby he was and Ducker leaning as far back in his chair as possible, the look of fear on his face unmistakable.

It would be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for 2013.

Ironhide grinned slightly as he stood holding Miracle on his servo. He leaned down and set the baby on his tiny peds. Gypsy put Kaon down and he ran to Miracle hugging him tightly. It would be another Pulitzer nomination as well. Prowl put Orion down and he sauntered over to the two with a giant smile on his little face. Hugging the two of them, they tipped over. The laughter was loud and joyful as the audience began to stand up to watch.

Prowl pulled the babies back up, a smile on his own face evident to all. Dart ran over and looked up at Prowl. Prowl knelt and all four of the infants came to him with their arms out. He gathered them for a hug, then stood up, the four staring up at him with smiles. Then they noticed the audience. Orion who had the biggest bearings of the group smiled and walked to where the two young men were sitting who had spoken to Sunstreaker earlier. He paused and looked at them, then held up his dollie.

They stared at him, then looked up at Sunstreaker who was looking at them with a big smirk. "You have to kiss it. Its his thing."

The young man who had touched Sunstreaker grinned. Then he leaned forward and kissed Orion's dollie. Orion overcome with joy hugged himself as he looked up at the smiling man. That would make the third Pulitizer picture of the day. Orion looked at all of the people in the row and grinned. He held his dollie up for each of them as he ambled down the row and everyone there kissed the Wheeljack dollie while some stroked his cheek and little arm with utter enchantment.

The babies wandered who could and the ones who couldn't were held in such a way that the audience could see them. The femmes were exclaimed over, some of the audience standing to look at them more closely. Dart was described to the audience and shown to his best advantages, something that brought Starscream to near nirvana back in Ops Center on Mars.

By the time Ratchet began to gather up the infants to go everyone had seen every baby and then some. Outgoing little mechs like Rambler and Orion had wandered the room checking out everyone. Rambler had been his companion pulling him out of aisles and keeping him in line. Praxus and Miracle had made time with the committee some of whom were enraptured by the babies. The femmes were still sitting on the committee table, all three of them smiling and patting each other sweetly.

All of it was broadcast to a worldwide audience.

All of it was awesome.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	190. Chapter 190

NOTE: Editing stoopid stuff. :D

-0-And now, on with the show (hopefully)

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 26

They gathered the infants together herding them to their carriers for transport. As they walked back out of the door, Ratchet called for Gypsy to pause. She did, walking to Ratchet as he gestured her to come. Pausing next to him, she looked up at both Prowl and Ratchet. Turning to the committee, Ratchet introduced her. "This is Gypsy. She is the head doctor on Mars for infants, younglings, femmes and the elderly. She is a rare creature among our kind. She is a femme."

The place got quiet. The committee listened without comment. Ratchet looked at her. "She has two youngling mechs that are outstanding, a bond that is a gifted mech with multiple skills and she possesses a spark of pure gold herself. Gypsy can tell you a bit about gender as it pertains to us. I have already discussed with her the taboos that are to be held. But I want her to explain from the position of a minority femme in a majority mech species what it all means to her and to us."

Ratchet sat as Gypsy looked out over the room. She turned and looked at the committee who were transfixed by her. "My name is Gypsy. I was born on Cybertron but have lived most of my life in colonies here and there. Autobot City is the first real home and real Cybertronian city I have ever lived in.

"I am a minority. Saying that about me is actually generous. There are so few of us femmes as to make it difficult to gauge our numbers in the greater population. Our species is mech oriented and populated and has been so since the creation. It was supposed to be that way. It is who we are. Femmes came into the population a long time ago but are only a tiny marginal portion of the overall population. We propagate ourselves without a thought to gender. Almost every infant that we have is mech. There were the odd femmes here and there but they were incredibly rare. Now there is time and choice so femmes are increasing. How is unnecessary. It is enough that it is so. The idea of three of the infants you saw being femme would be statistically improbable in the size group that was brought here for you to see if this had been Cybertron.

"We are as a species genderless. We do have a population that is majority mech but gender is not an issue with us. It doesn't matter. We don't have that kind of thinking in our culture, languages or mental processes. We don't even have words in our languages and dialects that are gender based. Gender is irrelevant. Mechs bond with mechs. Mechs bond with femmes. Rarely, femmes bond with femmes. We don't consider gender in our relationships. It doesn't matter.

"I am aware that it does to some of you. That is **your **cultural point of view. For us, this is irrelevant. I could give you a lot of science to explain things. I could tell you a lot of stories that fill in the background but that is taboo. It should not matter that we are a predominantly mech society with bonds established among the mechs. I would state that if the same thing happened here among you, it would be the same. Seeking affection and having relationships is a drive most species have intrinsically within themselves. We are no different." She turned and looked at Ratchet who nodded. Turning to the committee, she bowed her helm politely and walked to the door and beyond. She joined the group moving the sparklings back to the airport and was gone in seconds.

The committee considered the testimony, then the Chairman nodded. "I would like to have Harold Praeger of Indiana ask questions now."

That member was an older man with a thatch of gray hair and a kindly grandfatherly demeanor. He was intensely conservative and given to conspiracy theories. He looked at Ratchet. "That was interesting. I will grant that it was interesting but it only underscores the fact that you are settling Mars in great numbers. How many of your people live in the city now?"

"More than 847,000 individuals," Ratchet said.

There was an audible gasp in the room, then Praeger nodded. "That is a serious invasion of our solar system, Ambassador. You were only supposed to hold Shockwave on Mars, not nearly a million of your people."

"We have been very open about our situation on Mars. We allow film crews to go about the day with our soldiers. We allow scientists to come into our labs and go about the system with our scientists. We also allow a great number of soldiers and their families to come and go at will. We broadcast endless hours of programming that is not limited to special events like football games. We also broadcast The Hourly News four times a day, our own programming such as !*The Jazz and Blaster Show*! and much more. We have been open with you. We have allowed access from day one. You should not be surprised by the size of our population because we allow broadcast of our refugee reclamations. Your outrage is strange to me."

"How many more are coming? What does this mean that you are populating a planet that is next to us? You have space going capabilities and we don't yet. How can we trust that you won't turn around and dominate us?"he asked.

Ratchet considered the man and understood from his scans that he was deeply serious. His concerns were real to him. He wasn't stunting for the cameras. This was what he really felt. "We haven't yet and we won't. We have a serious technological advantage over you and we have only been allies anyway. Our Prime is the most ethical individual in residence in this solar system. He would not countenance any behavior that would bring dishonor to our people."

"We have your word alone. How can we believe that?" he asked.

"Because you have our collective word. We have been hurt and some of us pushed to the edge of death protecting Earth. We could have left with the end of The Fallen but we didn't because we understand that you would be put into the worst kind of jeopardy. We could not leave you alone in that situation," Ratchet explained. "It is who we are."

He looked at Ratchet, then his list of questions. "I don't believe you. I don't believe that you will be an ally for the duration. If you were you would allow human colonization of Mars. You would be more open about yourself. You won't tell us about your deity or even if you have one. What was the meaning of the Festival of Primus?"

Ratchet looked at him a moment. "What do you know about that festival?"

"I have heard about it, that it 's a festival that deals with your deity," he replied. "You have rituals dealing with your god but you don't talk about them?. You don't talk about your temple and what happens there. I am told that relics of a strange magical variety are housed there and that rituals go on that have a tinge of demonic intentions about them. Why don't you clear that up for us?"

"I have never told about our festival, feelings about creators or our Temple and I am not aware that anyone else has. We have pulled our broadcasting for festivals but we have never mentioned what they were or what happened. Maybe you can enlighten me about where you get your information, Congressman," Ratchet said.

He looked at Ratchet. "There is information in the world that tells a lot of things about you and your culture, Ambassador. I don't have to tell you my sources. Google it."

"I will be looking into this, Congressman. I would like to tell you that very little of what you said is correct and your characterizations of demonic behavior are demented in and of themselves. If you feel stung by that remark, good."

"Did I hit a nerve, Ambassador? Did I actually shine a light into your closet and allow our people to see the truth?" he asked.

"No, actually. You just proved that you are a bigoted nut case," Ratchet replied.

General laughter met that remark and the Chairman's gavel hit the table. The room settled. He looked at Ratchet. "I would appreciate it if you would hold negative characterizations in check, Ambassador."

"You don't consider being accused of demonic behavior negative?"Ratchet replied sharply. "Or is that different when it comes from one of you toward us?"

The Chairman looked at him. "You might want to answer some of the questions he asked and maybe that will be cleared up a bit."

"And you might want to pull your personal bigotry back into your skulls when discussing ***aliens* **and their cultures. If I decided to discuss the disconcerting things that humans do, I could be crude like Congressman Praeger too."

"Ambassador, I would caution you regarding this tactic. We are here to divine information of mutual interest that will in the end influence future legislation that has a bearing on you and your people."The Chairman sounded as testy as Ratchet felt.

Ratchet ran the algorithms and sent a ping to Prime. He leaned forward slightly. "You are making a threat to me that you can't actually make happen in reality. If you decide to make negative legislation against us, what would it mean? You will kick us off Mars? Since you are threatening us, maybe you can tell us what you actually intend to do."

The Chairman leaned to another sitting behind him, the two talking together for a moment. Then he turned around and looked at Ratchet. "Your attitude has been noted, Ambassador."

"And so has yours. We are very much aware that you and six of your colleagues are in favor of breaking the treaties and pushing us out of the system. Why you would think that is a good idea calls into question in my mind your fitness to serve. Be that as it may, we are here to stay. We are here to protect this system because without us, you would be dead. All of you."

They glared at each other. Prowl glanced at Ratchet a moment. :Hey. What's up here? I have no idea what this means. Other than they hate us:

:There's nothing to lose here, Prowler. The Earth is going to evaluate us by what happens here and now. I am not going to be a pushover:

:Okay: Prowl looked at the committee chairman. "Mr. Chairman, you are puzzling to me. You seem to have a fallacy about what the Decepticons are going to do if for some reason we do leave this system. You seem to believe that they will follow us. They won't. I am unclear about how you believe you will survive them if they stay, which they will. It is in our experience that they never leave an adversary alive or free. If you could enlighten us on your thinking, we would be happy to have that clarity."

The Chairman looked at Prowl. "You seem to think you can tell us what you want and we should believe you. We seriously believe that they will follow you."

"Why?" Prowl asked. "What data do you have that will support that claim? You must certainly have that conclusion based on something more than your … gut?"

He looked at Prowl. "We have no argument with the Decepticons. They don't have a grudge against us. We can negotiate a treaty and they will leave us alone."

Prowl blinked and glanced at Ratchet who sat looking at them with incredulity. The big winger looked at the Chairman."You are in need of help if you believe that. You ignore that Megatron was held and humiliated for eighty years by your people. You forget that the Allspark was destroyed here. His mentor, The Fallen was killed here. He has lost two major campaigns on this planet with human intervention being part and parcel of that effort. You forget that your people have been our allies for several years now. You are deluded if you think that there is anything that you can say or do that will change Megatron's mind about you."

"You don't have all the information." The Chairman looked at Prowl with a cold expression. "You can't tell us what to think or do. We are very clear that given a clean break with you, the Decepticons will find that there is nothing here that is a threat or a benefit."

"You are under the delusion that Megatron can be reasoned with and that such considerations matter to him," Ratchet said. "We just told you about two new Decepticon installations that are being built within the range of this system and that one of them is recruiting Decepticon units to join. How is that reality not part of your thinking? How do you imagine that grudges can just be wished away? There are grudges that you humans still bear against each other over lesser events that are a thousand years old. Seriously, what the frag?"

The mood of the audience was becoming tense and restless as the committee exploded into arguments. Those that had a clue on the panel argued with those that didn't. As that happened, the scene outside was changing.

-0-At the airport

The side ramp for Gamma opened and he slipped out transforming on the downward slide as he did. The ramp was an emergency exit on the backside of the big mechanism whose great bulk afforded a screen for his transit. He made good time past the big ships and then a cover of warehouses. They allowed his progress to be unseen as he traversed around hangars and buildings to finally reach the gate. He slipped through once a N.E.S.T. official boarded and headed for the Washington Center five miles away.

No one paid more than passing attention to the spectacularly detailed semi tractor truck as it sped along the highway. It glistened from layers of attention and when it reached the Center entered the secured area pulling to a stop in their waiting space. Opening his door, the N.E.S.T. official stepped out standing back to give the big mechanism room.

Ratchet had a conversation going all the way from the airport to the Center with Prowl adding the odd pointed comment here and there. When it was clear that Prime was outside, he looked at the committee whose arguments were winding down. "Gentlemen," he said.

They paused and looked at Ratchet. "Ambassador," the Chairman replied.

"There seems to be a difference of opinion here that needs clarification by someone with more experience in his little finger than your entire species had if it could be distilled from everyone. You need to speak to someone of great responsibility, experience and even greater wisdom than me. So I am asking for an indulgence for a moment." Ratchet stood up and walked to the door blocking the view as outside the sound of a big mechanism transforming could clearly be heard.

Ratchet grinned at Prime who nodded."Allow me to do the honors." Ratchet turned and walked back to his seat where he stood facing the committee, Prowl rising to join him. He looked at the representatives, then the audience who were watching. Staring directly at the Chairman, Ratchet did the honors."I would like to present to this gathering, the greatest Cybertronian alive, the bearer of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, the Creation Matrix of Cybertron. It is my great honor to present the only duly surviving legal leader of our people, Optimus Prime."

The sound of heavy treads echoed in the great room as a massive mechanism walked to the doorway. He stood staring inside, his charisma proceeding him. Then he stepped inside to pause before the committee. He looked at the audience who looked up at him. The committee stared with surprise and no little amount of intimidation when he turned and looked at them. Glancing at Ratchet and Prowl, he nodded.

He was beautiful. He was powerful. He seemed sixty feet tall and he exuded incredible intelligence and power. He shimmered under the lights and in the flash of cameras, the colors of his chassis gleamed deep and rich. His chrome features glistened as well. His optics were piercing and his manner calm as befit the wisdom and ability such a figure would represent. He had a very handsome face oddly enough, one that was expressive and oddly compassionate. He exuded ability and knowledge, an unfathomable age and a gentlemanly manner that was reassuring. He was magnificent and unexpected. No one afterward would be able to say to another that this was what they expected.

This was beyond what they had seen among the Cybertronians already and off the scale of expectations by even the most imaginative among them. The big mechanism stared at the committee, then spoke. "My name is Optimus Prime,"he said in his rich beautiful baritone.

No one spoke for a moment.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	191. Chapter 191

NOTE: Editing all and sundry stuff. :D

-0-And now, let's go

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 27

-0-The Hearing

The room was silent in a way that was akin to vacuum. The air seemed sucked out, the surprise and shock intense from all present. Every eye in the room was fixed upon Optimus as he stood absorbing the scrutiny. Cameras flashed around the room and down in the front where the committee sat as the professionals moved closer to get their own shots.

Ratchet stood beside Optimus as did Prowl but he towered over them, overshadowing both with his sheer size. Ratchet was not a small mechanism. He weighed more than even Ironhide, his bulk required to handle his function. That it was brilliantly distributed over his frame made him seem less large. Prowl was a smaller mechanism with half as heavy a frame and a more 'delicate' distribution of his bulk. He was as powerful as a bulldozer but alongside other bots didn't appear to be so. Optimus was no exception.

There was a rap and everyone turned to the Chairman who was standing, gavel in hand. The room took a moment to come to order, the photographers moving back jostling to find a position in which to film their subject. It finally became quiet again. The Chairman looked at Optimus a moment, then sat. "Welcome to the committee hearing, Optimus Prime. Is there some salutation that is proper for us to address you by?"

"Prime is fine," Optimus said nodding.

"Would you like to sit or is there something we can do to make you comfortable?" he asked uncertainly.

"I am fine. It is less complicated if I stand," Prime said with a slight smile.

The Chairman nodded. "We have been talking about the list of concerns some of us have about the relationship between your people and ours. We are concerned about the lack of transparency in a number of areas. Your Ambassador has been very adept at keeping your secrets from your best allies."

"My ambassador is following orders, Chairman. He is giving you that which I have authorized and nothing more. We have limitations culturally on what we can share. I am shocked that you find that sinister. Given that there are taboos among your own different cultures, I would think you would be amenable to these requests."

"Telling us about your relationships and religious thinking hardly seems to be an unreasonable request," Carter replied. "We have transparency about both topics here on Earth. It would be helpful for us in our understanding of your species if you would be forthcoming to us."

"I am uncertain how it will help you. It should be enough to know that both are of consequence for our species. Our relationships are not welcome here. We have been aware of your media's remarks and coverage. Their speculation is a matter of concern for us and we don't wish to step into the ring with them over it. We have chosen to ignore the ignorance and bigotry involving our personal relationships and offer the greatest possible support for those living here in human relationships that are of the same type. You cannot even accept among your own kind relationships that fall into the category of same gender. Why should we expose ourselves to more ridicule than we already endure by sharing more of our life with you? You, Chairman are among the worst offenders."

The Chairman looked at Prime. "Same sex relationships are outside the bounds of our species intended behavior and we don't have patience with this abnormal business. I would tell you, Prime, that your observations do not apply to us and are not welcome."

"Really," Optimus replied. "I have been on many organic worlds in the nine million years of my life and I have noted that they almost to the last world have some component of this relationship among the major sentient population. The intriguing part for me is that none of them cared. That you care makes you the outlier in my rather enormous experience. As for you telling me that my observations and interest are unwelcome, I would say the same thing to you."

Snickers from the audience got their attention. The Chairman frowned and rapped his gavel.

"You don't wish outside intrusion into your personal mores, Chairman. With that remark, you have explained our own reservations. You can't have it both ways."

"What about your religion? Your Festival of Primus? You went off the air for a couple of days during what we understand was a major religious festival among your people. I would like to know more about this, about your Temple and what you believe," he persisted. "There is a lot of speculation among humans here about what it means and what exactly the magical objects are that you keep in that temple."

Prime stared at him a moment, the immensity of what Carter sought filling his processor. He felt the soft energy of the Matrix suffuse him as the endless comfort of The One met him at this moment on an alien world as he confronted his enemies. There were good souls on the committee but the ones who hated them were evident to him. He didn't understand their mindless fears but he knew that fear drove otherwise normally clear headed individuals to do stupid things. Here was no exception. His great experience and the wisdom of the ancients made his thinking very precise on that matter. "You have been made clear about what our people share with outsiders, Chairman. Your aspersions about us and our sacred sphere are rejected out of hand by me and my people. There is nothing to be gained by sharing things that have no meaning with you. You give no respect. You show no decency to us. Therefore, you will not be getting the information you seek because in the end it is none of your business. I will not help you harm my people any more than you and your friends already have. Be aware, Mr. Chairman, that as deeply as you scrutinize us as opposition, that is how deeply we scrutinize you."

Carter blinked and sat back. "Then you're saying you monitor me and my colleagues."

Prime nodded. "We do. Considering your philosophy is based on hatred and that your publicly expressed aims are to expel us from this solar system the consequences be damned, we have classified you and your friends as individuals of concern to my government. We are monitoring you and your pronouncements. I would be remiss in my duty to my people not to educate myself on the opposition and you are that. You are enemies of my people and because of your wrong-headed thinking, enemies of your own."

"You have no right to monitor me or anyone else," Carter said sitting forward on his chair.

"We monitor your speeches and your visits to televised programming. We monitor your publicly issued pronouncements. All that we investigate is public information and therefore accessible. What you do below the surface I leave in the capable hands of your intelligence community. You are aware are you not that your own government allows the complete collection of all emails, phone calls, printed materials and televised conferences that occur in your borders since the mid 2000's? You should be more afraid of your own government than us. We only scrutinize the information you dispense freely to everyone."

"When can we expect visits from you in the night?" Praeger asked, his outrage enormous.

"Never. You don't really pose a threat to us beyond your efforts to paint us as dangerous and different," Prime replied.

"What if we asked you to leave our planet?" Carter asked hotly. "What if we told you to leave?"

"You have the right to do that. If your people as a nation and a world asked us to leave Earth we would go. You have the right to choose your own destiny," Prime said. "But you would have to be very careful about making that request, Chairman. The Decepticons thrive on foolish thinking and there can be no greater foolish request than that one for a planet with your level of technology and vulnerability."

"What if we asked you to leave the solar system? What if we asked you to leave Mars?" Praeger demanded.

"You would have no luck with that one," Prime said looking at the blustering man from Indiana. "We have settled on Mars to protect Earth and the solar system from invasion. We have to protect nearly a million of our own people with more coming and provide for them. There would be no way to do that if we had to leave."

"You have no right to settle Mars. Mars is ours," John Berry asserted. He was a youngish representative from Kansas with national aspirations.

"You have no right to Mars at all," Prime said looking down at the young man who was pointing at him. "Your treaties from the 1960's are clear and you are a signatory. You are forbidden by your own agreement to have ownership both real and presumed over any body or object beyond the boundaries of your atmosphere. You cannot order us to leave Mars because you have no legal standing. We have gone there and carved a haven for our people. We work every day to defend this system and Earth in particular. We have bled to protect you and we don't expect thanks for it. We do it because its right and just. We are brothers, your people and ours. We are one. It is a sad thing for me to see you attempt by these hearings to try to derail that unity. My people believe in the right of all sentient beings to have life and liberty. That extends to our people as well. We believe in the concept that some day all will become one. One peace, one liberty, one prosperity. I will not allow abuse of my people by you and we will not be leaving Mars. If you wish to dispute our claim to that world, come and make a plea in our courts. Come on over if you can."

Carter glared at him. "You know we can't."

"I do know that and that is why we have stayed here. You can't even reach your own moon but you have a deluded idea that you can talk the Decepticons into giving your world a pass. No one in my lifetime has ever accomplished that, Chairman and I don't have a feeling that you will be the first. Your people need protection against an implacable mob. It is disturbing to me that you don't see that. It bothers me deeply that you are relying on magical thinking against the hard reality of facts." Optimus looked at his officers. "We are going now. There is no point in this meeting. You aren't here to discuss things of mutual import, Chairman. You are making a propaganda point and we are unwilling to be part of it." He looked at the committee, his gaze resting on each face. "I know there are some of you that have the best interests of your people in mind, that you work hard for them and care about the future. If this group succeeds there will be no future. That is why we stayed and will stay. Even if they don't love their own people, we do. Thank you," he said quietly. Then he turned and walked to the door exiting the room.

Prowl turned and looked at the committee. Bowing his helm slightly, he turned and followed Prime. Ratchet watched them go, then looked at the committee. The room was very quiet, everyone watching the big mechanisms as they gathered outside. Then they looked at him. He grinned slightly, shaking his helm. "Delusion is a treatable condition. Get some help." With that, he turned and walked out the door.

Sunstreaker, Springer and Drift followed forming up in line for the drive back. The friends of the Autobots, the N.E.S.T. officers and Len Steward sat in the vehicles as they began to pull out of the big space. Crowds who were silently standing along the fence began to shout and wave. Prowl recorded it for later analysis. Pro? Con? He would find out later. Right now, he wanted to go home.

When they reached the streets, cars formed around Prime leading the way, riding along side and behind him and Ratchet. They made good time through the streets and highways that led to the airport. People waved, cars honked as they drove along and they honked back. When they reached the VIP entrance, they entered and drove to the giants who were waiting inside the circle of silent Seekers ringing them. Letting the humans out with great thanks, the bots began to transform. They walked up the ramps disappearing inside. When all were aboard, they retracted, the hatches closed and the Guardians began to taxi. When they began to move, the Seekers transformed almost as one. Hovering alongside the Guardians as they began to gather speed, nearly all lifted off at the same time and disappeared into the sky in seconds. It was silent a moment after they left, then the cameras turned onto the reporters for the final discussion of the day.

-0-On the MCA download

"Wow," the announcer said as the panelists nodded in agreement. "Jazz, Blaster, what do you think about what happened?"

Jazz smirked slightly. "Someone thought they could punk Prime. Prime is no one's fool. I can't say the same for some of the committee."

"Tell us about Optimus Prime, Blaster," one of the panelists asked. "Tell us about what this means to us here on Earth. Is the relationship intact or are there cracks?"

"Optimus is a good mech. He's so good that it almost works against him sometimes. I was surprised that he walked out to tell you the truth," Blaster said with a grin. "His patience is endless. He is absolutely truthful in saying that he is here to protect the Earth. He is here to do that. We could have left when The Fallen was killed but he knew that Megatron would come back locked and loaded. We have a lot of other places to go and we could even make a good go at Cybertron right now but that would leave you hanging. That will never happen with Optimus Prime. His commitment to Earth is rock solid. If there are cracks, they are at your end. The relationship is intact at ours. Whether that it true at yours is up to your people."

Jazz nodded. "Never heard a truer thing."

-0-On the way

Prowl leaned against Optimus's arm as he sat on the seat holding Miracle. Rambler sat in Optimus's lap watching the others around the hold. :That was edifying:

:I know. But now we will see what shakes out. We are no longer going to take abuse and slander. I am resolved:

:What if they agree that we have to leave the Earth?:

:We will leave but that is as far as they can command:

"What if they change the treaties, Optimus? What if they manage to win at the World Court and they can extend human autonomy over Mars and the rest of the solar system?" Ratchet asked as he helped Orion crawl over his ped.

"Then they can come and evict us," Prime said with resolve.

Ironhide only smirked.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip

HOWDY DOODIES TO ONE AND ALL:

Guest: He is in the house. Now he's left. :D :D

JC: Back atcha! :D

Wackedgourd, Leoness, SkyenhaMarisa, Maraluch, cball671, Elita-1 and everyone: Thank you. The sparklings thank you. Prowl and the gang thank you and I thank you.

:D Truly. I am sorry about FFNET being a bad machine but hopefully its fixed. HUGS!


	192. Chapter 192

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 28 (Edited for boo-boos)

-0-Back on Mars

Prowl looked over the intel that had come into the Ops Center while they had been on Earth. It was a mass of many things, all of them important. A rumbling, rolling sound near the door entered the edge of his consciousness as he stood working. He waited until he had downloaded what he needed to attend to first into himself before looking up, the sound of segways entering the vast room fulfilling a request he had made earlier. Turning, looking down, he nodded. :Thank you for coming. I require information:

Lennox, Epps and Graham nodded back. :Not a problem, Prowl. What's up?"

:I am puzzled about the situation that happened on Earth. I am puzzled by the ideas and attitudes of the members of the committee. They hold opinions and beliefs that don't make sense to me. I was hoping you could shed some light:

The men looked at each other, then stepped off the segways. Prowl set them on the table and retrieved chairs. Sitting himself, he waited.

:There are some people on Earth that have such strong beliefs about things that they can't be moved by facts or logic: Lennox began. :They believe what they believe and you can't move them. Daniels was that sort of person and so were some of the committee members. They are illogical and even stupid about what they believe and they can't be swayed:

:Why?: Prowl asked as he tried to sort through the information. "Don't they understand that there is grave danger in sending us away?:

:Most of the committee did and do. If you had stayed longer you would have found most of them are like Steiner. The majority opinion everywhere that polls around the world is behind your presence. Anyone with a foot hold in reality is behind your presence. You can't beat yourself up trying to understand people who manufacture their own facts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but no one is entitled to their own facts. You are very admired and loved in Europe and my country. The children will make the leap for some. They understand you have families to defend even if they don't understand how you actually manage that feat: Graham said nodding.

Epps nodded too. :Don't kill yourself trying to understand assholes, Prowl. They are a minority who thinks the world works the way they want it to rather than how it actually does. They are a small but noisy group:

Prowl nodded. :We must make sure that they remain that way:

The three nodded. Then they sat back and talked about really important things such as the first playoff game coming up in a decaorn.

-0-CMO's office, recording an interview for IntraComm

"Thanks for the comments, Ratchet," Blaster said as he shut down his recording equipment. "What do you think the outcome of this is really going to be rather than what you just told me for the news?"

Ratchet chuckled. "I think we have another Daniels like group working against us but we're prepared and experienced this time around. With MECH running amok and the Family as well, we can't underestimate anyone but I will tell you, these politicians have only about 19-24% of the American population listening to them. The rest of the country like the rest of the world understands that we are necessary to their well being. They might not like it but they will not be happy to see us go."

Blaster nodded. "I will agree with you because you're closer to the problem than the rest of us. But I do feel unloved."

Ratchet snorted and chuckled. "Take the afternoon off and frag that little mech of yours. Doctor's orders."

Blaster grinned. "I think I'll take you up on that," he said as he turned to walk to the door. Then he paused and glanced at Ratchet. "When's your conferences?"

"Tomorrow," Ratchet said with a grin. "I think it will be wonderful. The grandgenitors are going to be there too."

"That sounds great. I think I might have Revet's genitors come too," Blaster said. He grinned and nodded, walking out the door.

Ratchet watched him go for a moment. :Ironhide:

:What?:

:Where are you?:

:Finishing up my time in the schools, old mech. I got dragged out of the school for that meeting on Earth and now I have to finish up:

:They won't put you in prison if you don't complete your joors this educational period, Only One:

:No, but I'll feel badly. I am a good atar, Ratchet. I have a reputation to live up to:

:You do, Ironhide:

:So … what are you doing?:

:Thinking about you. Beats thinking about the meeting:

:Have you watched the human's talk shows afterward?:

:I am now. I channeled them into a file. Right now, I want to think about what a great looking bot you are:

(grin) :Well, that goes without saying, Ratchet: (Preen felt over the link)

Ratchet chuckled. :You really put the sparklings out there. They all looked like you and everyone was really impressed. Must be all that handsome everywhere. They were overcome by it:

:That's probably true: (grin)

:I have to say, Ironhide, that it's too bad you are working in the school. I could use a frag to unwind: Ratchet grinned.

:I would, Ratchet but I'm helping with the nap room. Might wake up a few sparklings if we tried the Sexy:

:Can't grow them up too fast, Ironhide., What would they look forward to?:

Ironhide snorted, then settled down. The infants were recharging in their bassinets that were lined in rows. The big room was darkened with the tinted windows dialed down to keep out the light of the orn. He had to sit and watch them as their regular caretakers took breaks or did other things that had to be done or gathered for the conferences that would begin the next orn.

It was quiet and the ambiance was wonderful. There was nothing like the peaceful happy energy of children to make things better. He could think of few places he wanted to be after the turmoil of the orn on Earth. Ratchet's energy was still filled with tension so he dialed in on the periphery to monitor the big mech through the afternoon.

Ratchet would do the same with him.

-0-In the reading pit of the Sparkling Day School, Group D

Orion sat on a tiny chair in the sparkling circle with a dollie in his servos as he listened to the teacher reading to his group. The other sparklings in his learning unit were there too, all of them focused on the story of a little sparkling who was sailing a little boat down a magical stream. He was entranced in the skillful reading and the pictures which were shown with each page that turned.

Books were filling the shelves of the school's library, the result of the city's effort to support the arts. The Art Guild supported writers, illustrators and storytellers as well as the more traditional arts. The Book Store in the Mall of Metroplex had a full time program of writers and artists working on recreating on hair thin steel pages as well as digital texts and frames the cultural content of their people's genius. The books were made for the store's customers and multiple copies of everything were given to all the schools.

That was what was going on now. The book that was being read was an old fairy tale that most adults knew. It would be remembered among the current generations because there was opportunity for them to reclaim it from the shadows of their past. Orion leaned forward in his chair to look at the pictures of 'Lala' who was walking through the park to get to the other side. The images were beautiful, hand painted for the template that printed it and shiny for the sparklings to look at.

"**TO-TO**, what she?" Orion asked pointing at 'Lala'.

Roto paused and grinned. "She is a he and Lala is going to see the pond on the other side of the park."

Orion looked at him, a serious expression on his face as he considered that. "Okay."

Roto blinked, then grinned. He began again and the group followed his every syllable.

-0-At the Sciences Center

Sheila Conroy and Michio Yamaha stood on the counter and watched as a protege of Wheeljack worked on a circuit for a ground bridge panel that would allow transport of individuals from space bridges that fit on board ships. They had worked on a way to miniaturize the technology from orn one. Space bridges for ships had been in use for a long time but forgotten in the fog of war.

:What do you expect to achieve with this new technology, Suva?: Sheila asked.

:We will be placing space bridges on the battle ships and the smaller military vehicles. Their range is going to be long because they will draw their fuel from the engines of the ships. We are also going to array them around Mars so that we can go here and there with speed and ease. There is also talk of placing one on Diego in the Embassy so that we can come and go with speed on a moments notice. We would also be able to go here and there on Earth with speed and be retrieved as quickly:

:That is awesome: Sheila said. :Can I leave my address with you?:

Suva chucked and looked at them pausing his welding device. :Consider it done:

-0-Prime's office

He sat at his desk and finished his last assignment for his physics class that night. He would not be able to attend due to other commitments so he worked to get the work ready to send to the University and his professor. He was more knowledgeable about the vagaries of the universe but he also knew he would never be a physicist.

Tapping the button that would send the file, he relaxed as it disappeared off the desktop of his personal computer. He stared at the screen and considered the meeting they had just finished. Ratchet had been right. The appearance of himself and the children had been a powerful affirmation of their commitment to Earth and her people.

The polls that were coming in were overwhelmingly in favor of the Autobots and their effort. It was strong enough that several of the committee members were back peddling from their hardline positions. He himself was given the once over as the media speculated on what a Prime was and what a Prime specimen, Prime was. Someone had also finally picked up on the tiny red, white and blue sparkling being his son. That had brought about a lot of speculation about the creation of children but in a different manner than usual.

There were the usual aft hats who made their 'humorous' remarks but the majority had been affected by the babies and had made more effort to discuss their existence based on science, not 'comedy'. Scientists were called onto talk shows to speculate and the speculation was respectful. They made the case that the aliens were 'alien' and therefore their processes and needs, culture and expectations would also be 'alien'.

It was a good thing. It elevated the discussion greatly.

He rolled his neck, the tension bleeding away. The door opened as Prowl entered. He paused by the desk and considered Optimus. "I can't remember a time when you were more handsome and noble."

"Thank you," he said with a grin.

"I talked to the soldiers about the committee. Apparently, they have delusional people living on Earth. They have their own facts and create their own reality."

"Sounds like Megatron," Optimus said nodding. "Speaking of reality, you were very beautiful. The camera captures that with ease."

Prowl smirked slightly. "It would appear you finished your assignments for class tonight."

"Does it show?" Optimus asked as he patted his lap.

Prowl nodded, then moved to sit on the big mechanism's lap settling in as he did. "It does."

Prime enveloped Prowl in his arms. "We are going to be okay. What we have to do is focus on MECH and The Family. And the wild cards out there. And the committee. Not to mention the rest of the Earth Firsters."

It was silent a moment.

"Buzz kill," Prowl said with a smirk.

Optimus just snickered.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	193. Chapter 193

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 29: Spam-A-Rama (Among The) Ding-Dong(s) (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-Around the city that same afternoon

"Did you watch the hearings on Earth?"

"Yes."

"What did you think of it?" (Turns to put another tray of cookies in the oven)

:I don't know. If I could figure out their thinking I would be able to answer that question. But I don't. Its too strange."

"I think so too. Ratchet did a good job. But I still don't think half the members of that committee understand the threat of the Decepticons."

Rampage paused a moment to look at his apprentice, Bon. "That is what Megatron counts on, Bon." He looked around his bustling kitchen at The Bakery in The Mall of Metroplex. "Fortunately, we have our own world and it won't matter if they throw a fit on Earth. We will still be here to protect them."

Bon nodded. "I'm glad. I saw this happen once in a colony where we stopped to refuel. They didn't think Megatron would bother a neutral world but he did. He destroyed it. I can hardly stand thinking about it, they were so sure."

"Well, they don't have to pay the price here for their dumb thinking. We won't allow it," Rampage said turning to the counter. "Come on, youngling. We have things to do."

The two turned back to their order sheet.

-0-On the street

"What did you think of Prime? He looked good."

"He always looks good. Prowl is one lucky bot."

"Prowl looks good. He always does. Very elegant and handsome."

"He does. I don't really have a preference. I would frag either one of them."

"I can't imagine fragging Prime. My old mech is seventeen feet tall which is tall enough. I can't imagine adding another eleven feet."

"I could." Pause. Evil grin. "I wonder if size matters … you know."

"No. What?"

Pause. Frowning glance at walking partner. "You know. In the berth."

"I would think Prowl would have to put out flares, Prime's so big."

"Not that kind of big, you stooge."

Pause.

"That wasn't nice. It's not my fault I like tall mechs."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about … you know. That."

"What?"

"That part of you that tells your mech **all** they need to know about you."

"Your optics?"

(**SIGH!**) "Who do you think is going to win the championship?"

-0-At a cafe table on the curb

"I liked Prime's finish. All the bots looked good."

"They did." Pause. "Which one would you frag?"

"All of them. Anyone of them."

"Ratchet is a looker but he looks like he would crush you in the berth. You are a mini-con after all."

"Are you saying I'm short?"

"You are."

"You're right." Pause. "Maybe those big bots could use some concentrated goodness."

Smirk. "I can imagine."

"What? What can you imagine?"

Pause. "What you said."

"What did you **think** I said?"

Frown. "You are so touchy."

"Frag that. Actually, I would frag Drift. Then Springer. Prowl and Prime together. Ratchet because he looks like a sport."

"What about Sunstreaker?"

"In a padded room."

"What?"

"It would take a padded room. By the time he got through tossing me around, I would be in pieces without pads to break the falls."

"What makes you think he would toss you around?"

Cool pointed gaze. "A bot can dream."

"Oh."

"I wonder if he has a safe word."

"Maybe you can ask Bluestreak."(smirk)

"I think I just might."

"What? Ask me what?"

Two sets of optics look over their shoulder at a smiling bot sitting behind them having lunch with a smirking Miler. "Uh, nothing."

They left nearly immediately. Blue and Miler laughed a long time.

-0-On the main line, Industrial Plant #7

"Pass that back through the heater."

"Got it." **(SLIDE! HEAT!) **

"You got five to wait on this one. Look at the slag that's coming off it."

"Yeah. Who you want for the championship?"

"You know that already. My son plays for Vos."

"Kaon wants to play Vos. They think they're the easier team between them and Iacon."

"Let them. My boy will stomp aft."

"He's pretty fast for a center."

"He is. I hear there is a party for the old neighborhood at the Senior Center. You going?"

"Sure. I want to play cards with Wiffle. That slagger owes me."

"From when?"

Pause. Deep thought. "I think Unicron was a sparkling?" (Grin)

"You need therapy."

"I won't argue with you. Here it comes." Steel slides out and two big old mechs handle it like pros.

-0-Elsewhere, in a hospital break room

"That hearing was a waste of time."(Intense tensing of wings because it makes him look good and he knows it as he sets a tray down on a counter next to buff partner who is a real turn on himself)

"Maybe. What do you care?"

"I don't. I am just registering my feelings about it."(Turns best profile to window and checks his finish. A bot can't be too careful around chemicals)

"Oh."

Pause.

"What do you want to do tonight? **Now that the solar system is going to hold together for another orn**?"(Sneer. Smirk. Folds arms just so because it makes his tires look hot)

"You are one sarcastic little bastard aren't you?"

"Would you want it any other way?"

"No." (grin)

(Smaller bot loses concentration a moment.) "What were we talking about?"

"Fragging."

(grin) "I like the way you think, Breakdown."

(evil grin) "Good."

-0-Here and there

"I think the conference on Earth was a success for us."

"I suppose. It was nice to watch good looking mechs on the teevee."

"You're bonded."(Grin)

"I'm not dead. Drift is nice. Neat colors, smirkalicious."

"Smirkalicious?"

"Yep."

"Thanks, Springer."

"No problem, Drift."

They both smirked and continued out to Substation #6 to begin the Night Watch.

-0-In an alcove in the Fortress

"I think it would be a nice thing to find another place to hang out."

"Why?"

"You practically have to book a time to frag around here."

(grin) "This was our first place."

(grin) "It was. Do you remember?"

"I do. I remember the Night Watch told us to move on." (grin)

Pause.

"I don't remember that."

Pause.

"I do."

Pause.

"Slagger."

"Uh, how about that hearing?"

**SMACK!**

-0-In the Data Center, City Hall

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Magnus and Arcee are getting serious."

"Really. How do you know? Details."

"Magnus smiled at Arcee yesterday."

Pause

"That's it?"

"We're talking Magnus here."

"Ah. Right."

(Nearby) "Hey? I need those stats STAT."

"Keep your pants on." Walk, walk, walk, **SET DOWN!** "Hey."

"What?"

"Did you hear that Arcee and Magnus are getting serious?"

"Really? That's news to me. And besides that, I don't care."

"Wow. I bet your mech really has a swinging time with you."

"My mech is doing **just** fine, thank you very much."

"Sour puss." Walks back to desk. Worker sitting nearby only haphazardly listening opens emails from another department. He adds his attachments to the reply and writes at the bottom, "What do you know about Arcee and Magnus?"

Reply short time later …

"I hear that they bonded."

Recipient considers that and hits reply (to 300 recipients accidentally): "Magnus and Arcee are bonded!"

Three hundred recipients in fourteen different divisions and groups all over the city: "Magnus and Arcee are bonded!"

Three hundred recipients smile and send their individual emails to three hundred other recipients for a grand total of 90,000 potential recipients. About 2200 of them don't delete it as spam and read it. They then turn around and email 55 on average of their friends for a sum total of 121,000 more potential optics. Of those 121,000 recipients, all of them resend the email to 22 of their closest friends and family for a total of 2,662,000 optics.

There are approximately 847,000 +/- pairs of optics in residence at Autobot City.

It is theoretically possible that the aforementioned speculative email was also received by Unicron, the Borg Queens three of which are currently upside down up a tree, The One who sent flowers because he is The One, Megatron who was pissed that he was still single, Kup who didn't give a frag because he always deleted all of his emails unless it was porn, Springer who read it to Drift, had a laugh and a high grade before getting back to fragging, Bumblebee who got tears in his optics over the slagging romance of it all as he sat on First Aid's lap watching The Rock kick ass on the Wrestling premier channel, Ratchet whose radar snapped completely in two, Ironhide who stepped on Ratchet's radar 'accidentally', Elita who shared it with Jetta and had a huge laugh which was immediately followed by three joors of background information so that Mack when they were finished could laugh too.

It was worth it.

Metroplex who was told by Kappa who was making a Valentine e-card for the mechanism of her dreams, Metroplex, Zeta who told Xantium who didn't give a frag because he was **TEN KINDS OF AWESOME! -WRECK AND SLAGGING RULE!**, Silverbolt who was happy because he is that kind of goodness, Omega who didn't believe it because he's that kind of sceptical, Gamma who did because he's just a big softie.

Ask Astrotrain.

Fort Max who was glad because it meant that Magnus might actually remove the wrench wedged three feet up his aft and return a few of his calls in a timely manner, Starscream who thought it was impossible because 'That is the most humorless, sexless and efficient bot I know and he wouldn't announce **anything** let alone his bonding over a slagging e-mail … did you find out from Ratchet yet, Sky Warp!?', Orion who overhead the staff at his school talking about it with smiles … he would have cared if he got it but at the moment he was trying to get a wad of play-doh off his aft all the while walking in circles trying to see it on his butt … like that.

Oh and Prowl got it too. Four times.

"Did you get a strange email about Arcee and Magnus?" Prowl asked looking up at Optimus who was reading the Autobot Daily News at the dining room table, his plate sitting with his dessert waiting for him.

Optimus looked up at the winger of his dreams. "What?"

"Did you get a message about Magnus and Arcee? I got about a zillion of them. I've been spammed, slaggers."

"I don't know. Really. I don't know. I don't know about anything until the last minute. Why is that, Prowl?" he asked with genuine befuddlement.

Prowl grinned. "A daddy never knows what the kids are doing until the police knock on their door."

"Is that so," Optimus asked with a grin. "I guess that makes you the mom."

He didn't get dessert that night.

-0-In an apartment in a tower in the Mare Tranquilitatis

"That's the fiftieth call about our 'bonding'," Arcee said turning off the monitor in self defense.

"I know. I've been getting congratulations all day. I didn't have a clue why until now."

Arcee grinned. "That's because you're a doofus, Magnus."

He smirked at Arcee. "If you say so."

She grinned and nodded. "I do."

They bonded that night.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip

NOTE: My valentine to all of you: Go to some ecards . com and howl with laughter. It is the website that Ratchet and Springer would put up if they thought of it. :D :D (Close up the holes.)

This ep was courtesy of KamiCountD who suggested a telephone ep. :D

ENVY: Let me know about Julian. Sounds like my kind of interlude. :D And I hear you. *cough, cough* ;)


	194. Chapter 194

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 30: Ring-a-ding, ding-a-ling, dong (Edited for boo-boos)

-0-Around town, on the corner of Metroplex Highway and Cultural Center Road

"They're watching us there."

"Where do we go then?"

"The old fogies have the alcove in the Fortress."

Everyone nods.

"That little park by the Business Plaza."

"Drift and Springer are onto it."

"I don't care. They're cute."

"Aurora, I don't care if they're cute. They're the Night Watch."

"How about Metroplex Park for now."

Everyone nodded. Everyone turned and walked toward the subway station that would drop them off at the city park. Metroplex would monitor them while there as he always did when younglings and infants visited his environs and when they finally conned someone into buying high grade, he would ping Springer.

**BUSTED!**

Such was the life of a sub adult mechanism in the big city.

-0-At Maccadam's Old Oil Bar

"Ops Center was weird today."

"Why?"

"I was doing my job, minding my own business and the conversation that Prowl was having with the soldiers sort of leaked over to where I was sitting. Uh, doing my job."

"You said so. You were eavesdropping, right?"

Pause. "Maybe."

"What did they talk about?"

"Well, there was the committee and how weird their attitudes were, the game coming up and something called Goku."

"Goku."

"Yeah. Just like I said."

"What's a Goku?"

"Well, that's the interesting part ..."

-0-Earlier in Ops Center where a mystified ada asks questions about many things including Goku...

:My sons are watching Japanese cartoons and I'm concerned. They want to be Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo:

:Well, that's cool. I wanted to be Goku once: Lennox said.

:Goku kicked butt: Epps said. :I remember Dragonball Z when I was a kid:

:I did too. I lived in Japan as a child for a little bit. I think I still have the comics: Niall Graham said with a smile.

:You have the comics?: Epps asked with surprise.

:Damn. I wish I still had mine: Lennox said as the three sidetracked into their own world.

Prowl looked at them. :Ahem:

:Oh, yeah. What do you want to know, Prowl?:

-0-At Maccadams Old Whatsit Place

"So this story is about a boy with a tail who is looking for Dragon balls."

Pause to access language database. Gives startled doubletake to companion. "What do dragon testicles have to do with a boy with a tail? Or are you saying this is a boy's 'tale'?"

"You're not tracking."

"I'm sure Prowl wasn't either."

Ops Center where Prowl is trying to track...

:So anyway, they all get together and battle any number of foes. There are androids...:

:Did you think Android 18 was kind of hot? I thought she was: Epps said with a grin.

:She was cute. She had a nice butt: Lennox said with a smirk well aware that the telltale signs of Prowl's befuddlement were beginning to emerge in the handsome mech's otherwise doggedly passive face. :I don't much care for stories about robots ... no offense, Prowl:

:None taken. I think: Prowl replied as he tried to follow the conversation.

:But this story was filled with them. Some of them were hot. I would tap Android 18: Lennox said with a wicked grin.

:Tap?: Prowl asks.

:Uh, she's hot:

:She has internal thermostatic control issues? Perhaps her maker missed a step:

:That's it: Epps said with a grin. :Anyway, she comes to kill Goku with her brother, Android 20 and he gets absorbed by Cell. She gets absorbed too in some timelines but not others. On the one where she lives, she marries Krillin and they have a baby named Marron:

Prowl looked at them blinking a moment. :A human and android have an infant:

:Sure. Did you know that Goku is really called Kekerot. Also, all the Saiyans are named after vegetables and all their kids are named after underwear. Trunks is the son of Vegeta and Bulma and the daughter whose name means bra in Japanese is named weird too. I don't know what that word is in Japanese ... her name that is: Lennox said with a wink at Graham and Epps.

:I used to know but I forgot. I liked Vegeta. He was bad ass. Bulma liked him even though he was a perfect dick: Epps said.

:Who is Dick?: Prowl asked as he valiently tried to follow along.

It went downhill from there.

-0-At the movies

"I liked that story. All those little people reminds me of family night at my house."

"Dwarves. They are dwarf people."

"They're cute for humans. I liked the singing."

"It was nice." Pause. "I don't think I like hairy feet."

"No. Don't like hairy feet. Want to get drunk?"

"Never thought you'd ask, Cliffjumper."

They disappeared into the night heading for Maccadams and destiny.

-0-Night shift at Ops Center

"Slow night."

"Yup."

"Magnus and Arcee got bonded from what I see here."

"I know. Some slagger hit me with about a hundred emails."

"I think I just deleted two thousand myself. Let's go to the forum and see what's posted about it in the 'Juicy Blather' section." Pause as they both go there. "Look. Three hundred comments. Here's one: 'Slaggers should have bonded a long time ago. Maybe Magnus would be a nicer mech. All that pent up fragging energy going nowhere but his slagger button."

"I bet that's from Ironhide."

Pauses to check. "You're right. Here's one following up from Ratchet. 'Ironhide, go frag yourself. I ***KNOW*** you knew about this and didn't tell me. Enjoy the couch, you slagger.'"

Chuckles were had by all. "Wait. Here's a reply. They're actually chatting about it on this slagging post!"

Ironhide (IH): "You are one hard helmed old slagger. The couch? Just because I didn't know in advance that they were bonding which I didn't?"

Ratchet (R): **"LIKE YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SPRINGER AND DRIFT!?"**

IH: "That one doesn't count."

R: "**HOW SO?!**"

IH: "Give me a moment..."

R: **"I'M WAITING!"** Followed by a toe tapping smilie.

IH: Sheepish little grinning smilie appears.

R: Middle finger smilie returns the salute.

IH: Smilie appears who walks to another pissed off smilie and kisses the slag out of them.

R: Same smilie punches the other smilie in the face, then body slams them like The Rock who is currently entertaining First Aid and Bumblebee in their apartment on the top floor of a tower in Mare Tranquilitatis.

IH: Little smilie that is covered in bandages offers the viewer a sweet contrite giant smile and a big bouquet of flowers.

R: Pissed smilie who is pouty takes the flowers and sniffs them.

IH: Smilie of bot sniffing flowers stands in puff of smoke as flowers immediately blow up in their face. Soot covered smilie turns to look at viewer with big frown.

R: A smilie of a bot that looks exactly like a tiny Ratchet runs toward one that looks like a tiny Ironhide with a frying pan in servo. Chases Ironhide smilie bot all over screen before nailing him. That smilie walks off all triumphant and swishy butted while Ironhide smilie has to part his legs to look out from the spot his helm landed when he was hit.

IH: Ironhide smilie rolls on the floor laughing his aft off for a moment, then pausing to blow a kiss. **"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, OLD MECH!"** unfurls on a banner over his tiny smilie helm and his giant shit eating grin.

R: Ironhide smilie tackled by a Ratchet smilie. They smooch and Ratchet smilie stands up, swishing his way off screen.

IH: Shit eating grinning Ironhide smilie waggles optical ridges, smooths his armor and swaggers over to a door that appeared that says 24, just like home. He knocks and leans against door like a real lady's/mech's man and it opens. A blanket and pillow gets tossed out and the door shuts.

Silence for a moment.

R: A little Ratchet mech comes out wearing a night gown and night cap. Stands looking around. "**IRONHIDE! GET HOME! NOW!"** says a banner overhead. Walks back inside and leaves door open.

IH: Little Ironhide smilie runs for the door and steps inside. Then he leans out and puts 'do not disturb' on the door. It closes.

R: 'Good night, Ironhide' a tiny banner says.

IH: 'Good night, Ratchet' another tiny banner says.

They both log off.

Ops Center mechs grin. "I hope I'm half as senile as those two when I'm their age."

"You and me both."

Then they turned back to the task at servo.

Tetra.

-0-Hopping around on the Underground

"There will be a hearing in the morning for you slaggers."

"We're sorry, Mr. Springer," a contrite youngling mech said with deep feelings of **HELL YES**! **PLEASE FORGIVE ME! MERCY!**

"We aren't. Are we, Drift?" Springer asked as he looked at the mix of forlorn little sub adult younglings tottering along behind him.

"I don't think we are," Drift said with a grin. "Much."

"I suppose we should feel sorry. Your genitors are heading for the station," Springer said with a grin. "But we aren't sorry. Some of us didn't have genitors that lived long enough to care about us. Ask me tomorrow if I'm sorry. Maybe then," he said as the train stopped and they stepped off for the short walk and scorching release into the 'loving' arms of several pairs of deeply mortified genitors.

Red Wing among them.

And the beat rolled on ...

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip


	195. Chapter 195

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 31 (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-The next orn here, there and everywhere

*Knock knock* Enter.

"Hi. About time you came by. We were feeling abandoned."

Ratchet grinned at his fathers-in-law as they sat at their dining table finishing breakfast. "Aw. Poor sparklings. Want to sit on my lap?" Ratchet asked as he pulled out a chair.

"Fork her over," Alor said with a knowing gaze.

Ratchet popped his hold and pulled Hero out handing her off to her doting Grannies. Of course, they didn't know they were 'grannies' but that was beside the point. As Alor exclaimed over a brightly smiling Hero, the door opened again. Ravel and Tie Down entered with smiles.

"Pull up a chair, Tie, Ravie," Blackjack said with a grin. "You might even get to hold the sparkling if you're lucky. I have hope myself."

Ravel chuckled and sat along with Tie Down. "Where's Ironhide, son?" he asked Ratchet.

"He's getting the hoodlums to day care. He's going to meet us for the conferences," Ratchet replied.

They would chat away until it was time to go, then walk as a group to the underground trains that would take them to Praxus, Orion and their conferences.

-0-At the same time

They ambled from the Youngling Day School and made their shambling way to the underground train. They reached the entrance to the Metroplex Station #2 that was just outside the Tower District where they had left Sunspot to go to his own day care. Conferences would take up two orns and the infants would be cared for by the schools. The little Seeker mech had waved happily and once inside the big room gathered with his voluminous number of friends for the orn.

Ironhide felt immense contentment as he picked up the sparklings, carrying them in his big servos down the steps to the platform. An orange train had already left so most of the sparklings were gone. He timed it that way. In five minutes, the next would come and he wouldn't take that either. It would be the last train from Aerie Hill with its precious cargo of infant Seekers. A smirking Starscream usually passed him as they winged through nonstop as all orange trains did so he fixed his own smirk firmly in place. When the Aerie Hill train flashed past, two goober grins were exchanged between unlikely allies and friends.

"Atar."

"What?"

"Go bye?"

"Uh-hmm."

"Like go bye. Orion like bye-bye."

Dutifully recording words and sentence construction, they chatted a bit.

"Atar, why she?" -Orion, pointing to the ceiling where something was noticed that only he could see.

"Because."-Ironhide

"Atar, why he?"-Orion

"Because."-Ironhide

"Atar, me my?"-Kaon, having a go at chat

"Because."-Ironhide

And so it went with both sides satisfied with their questions, statements and answers.

Oddly enough.

-0-Trine own self be true

"Have you got them ready yet?"

"Just about, Bluestreak."Sideswipe popped his helm around the corner. "You ready to go?"

"Yes,"Bluestreak said as he put the last toy away in Kaon's room. "We're supposed to meet your genitors there and they will bring Ravel, Tie Down, Alor and Blackjack. Prowl is bringing Miler, Venture and Optimus."

"Optimus is coming anyway isn't he?"Sunstreaker said looking up from the download of images of the family that he was making at the computer terminal in the 'office'.

"He is but he has stuff to do and Prowl is going to drag him out. You know how he is with duty." Bluestreak paused and grinned. "Did you see the smilie war that Ratchet and Ironhide had on the chat line last night? The comment section under the 'Magnus and Arcee bonded' thread has the cutest little war. Did you know they made smilies of themselves just for it?"

"No,"Sunstreaker said pulling up the images. They all stood and looked at it, grinning. "Ada is a maniac. Atar is out of his league."

"Why don't you say so? How hard is it to make a smilie of yourself?" Sideswipe asked. "Make one of all three of us, Sunny. Then we can add our own comments."

Sunstreaker nodded and complied. Then they added their own touches...

-0-On the way to Terra

Ratchet felt the ping inside his mail alert file from the smilie war thread the night before. He hadn't remembered to disable it so he pulled it up. His grin spread slowly as he read the replies …

A small Bluestreak smilie walked out onto a stage all by his tiny self and smiled at the reader, his tiny pert wings a real caution. He unfolded a banner. "Ratchet and Ironhide, their Great Love" it read. With that, he stepped away.

A Sunstreaker smilie stepped forward, sat down at a grand piano and began to play. Instead of music, there were words.

"There once was a pair of dolts

Who were constructed of nuts and bolts

Hugs and kisses and other near misses

made everyone just want to ralph."

The Bluestreak smilie came out and looked crossly at the Sunstreaker, who was smiling gigantically. A banner unfolds: "What are you doing? That doesn't rhyme. Ralph? What does that mean, Sunstreaker?"

A banner over Sunstreaker unfolded: "It sounded nicer than puke and means the same thing."

Sideswipe's smilie rolled out on a scooter and ran circles around the two already there. Stopping, he hopped on the piano. "Let's try it again," a banner said over his tiny smilie helm.

They turned and began to recite, the piano laying out their words.

"Our old folks live in the City.

For those who know them, its a pity.

They're both certifiable,

They're both truly liable

For the insanity that runs in the family."

Bluestreak's smilie curtsied and grinned. "Close enough," the banner said over his helm.

The three then climbed onto sideswipe's scooter and skated off together leering at the screen as they did.

Ratchet snickered.

"What?"Alor asked with a grin.

"The twins and Blue replied to a thread that Ironhide and I had going on the chat board last night," he replied.

"I saw that. Cute smilies," Alor said as he tuned in. A moment later he was grinning bigger. "That's very cute. Clever, our younglings."

"Is there any other way they can turn out? I offer that remark myself since Ironhide isn't here to be so bold," Ratchet said as they walked down the stairs into the subway. Whatever followed that was lost underground.

-0-At the school

Optimus, Miler, Prowl and Venture holding Miracle stepped off the train and crossed the platform to the elevators that would take them to the Sparkling School above. It was a short ride to the lobby of their floor where they were gathered with other genitors and their families.

"What do we do, Prowl?" Miler asked as he took Miracle from Venture.

"We wait until they call us. Then we go back to the Youngling School for the mechs and their reports."

"Can we ask questions?" Venture asked.

"They encourage it," Optimus said.

Ironhide who had spotted them waved them over and they joined the big group that was waiting for the word to go in as well. Ravel stood slightly intimidated by his surroundings. He had spent time in the infant's classes as family. It had been intensely gratifying to be able to help the youngest members of his family to get their education. It also underscored the near miss of their own son's opportunities.

"This is so exciting, Ratchet. I wish we could have provided an education like this for you," Ravel said looking around.

The entire group looked at the sweet mech with a pained spark. "We are honored that you are here to help us with the new infants, Ravel. You have so much good in you to give to others," Ironhide said quietly. Everyone nodded.

Ravel looked at them, at the Prime and then Ironhide. "I am so happy to do this, Ironhide. All of these wonderful younglings. They need everything don't they. We have to help them."

Ironhide nodded as Ratchet hugged his ada. "What a great orn this is. Maybe Orion is going to get a good report."

"Doesn't he get them?" Ravel asked with innocence. "I can't imagine that little mech being anything but lovely."

Grins were had by all.

The door opened and Roto stepped out. He grinned himself. "My next victims."Ratchet and Ironhide blanched from habit as the others grinned. "Come on in. I am delighted to see the extended family too."He stepped to one side as everyone associated with Orion and Praxus filed into the conference room. The door closed. Miler grinned. "I wonder if Ratchet and Ironhide will ever look forward to these?"

"I don't know." Prowl grinned. "Poor Ratchet. Loser."

Snickers were had by all. Including Prime.

-0-Inside at the meeting

They all took a seat as Roto got his overhead monitor and datapads ready. He looked at the intense group before him. "Welcome, Ravel, Tie Down, Blackjack, Alor, Ratchet and Ironhide. I think we'll begin with Praxus."

"Is that because Orion is such a hellion that you're lulling us with the easy one?" Ratchet asked in spite of himself.

Roto quashed a grin. "Yep."

When someone says that in a moment of near death you see your life flash past your optics, its true. Ratchet's did and even though there was plenty to ogle, he was trying to keep upright and missed the view. Ironhide on the other servo grinned. "Ratchet, relax."

Roto who was snickering glanced at Ironhide. "You are truly evil."

"You didn't have to agree," Ironhide said with a chuckle.

Ratchet looked at both of them and backhanded Ironhide. He sat rubbing his nose assembly with a big grin, the pain more than offset by the humor. "You are a slagger, both of you."

"I'm sorry, Ratchet. He made me do it," Roto said with a chuckle.

"Frag that. You are going to need me sometime and I will remember," Ratchet said sitting back and crossing his arms.

Roto grinned. "Let's see how Praxus is doing." They began. They learned:

Praxus was growing leaps and bounds on all the motor skills, fine and gross. He was getting to be a very good dancer in dance class, an innovation created and taught by Neo and Laret. He was skilled at the use of paint and clay, liked to eat paste and was a champion at going down for his naps. He was floating on his back now without help from his handler, liked 'cut and paste' and was a whiz at listening to the storytellers and all oral directions. He hadn't been in the Chairs of Doom ™ one time this learning period because he played like a champion and shared his toys. He liked to do well and praise was a glorious delight to him. He was a very attentive little mech and was an asset in groups because he wanted to 'help' and actually was good at it. He had taken it upon himself to be El's valet and do for her as he could. Her chair was always hung up on the little peg hook beside his own.

They saw his 'cut and paste' pictures, his servo prints in plaster, his sweet silhouette framed and ready for hanging as well as his first attempts to write glyphs with crayons. They listened to a recording of him saying things, repeating statements and words posed by his speech therapist and a number of short videos of his efforts to build structures from blocks, dig in the sandbox, help others, 'read' to El, comfort others that were upset, stare incredulously at one of the three he tried to comfort who had slapped him for his efforts, his tears following being slapped, the failure of teacher intervention to reach detente between him and his targeted 'sad' baby and all of the times he had achieved his bead stringing, peg board plugging, hop, skip and jumping goals that were filmed for this very moment.

His entire extended family sat enraptured, watching ever tiny video, every sweet smile, every nice thing this very kind sparkling would do in the course of his own learning. If a tiny bot needed something, he would run cheerfully to get it. If he had something and someone else 'liked' it, he would give it away. He shared, played gently, especially spent time with El and enjoyed his teachers.

He was amazing.

He was also academically at or slightly above his charted levels, advanced in speech, physical development, social skills and all around excelling for a sparkling his age. Roto sat back and grinned at the group.

Ironhide was misted over, lost in the foggy Himalayas of his overwhelming love for his little mech.

Ratchet was alternating between his own tears and a lingering desire to punch Roto and Ironhide in the face plates.

Ravie looked like he had been told his grandson was really The One. Which to him he was.

Tie Down stared at the little servo prints that were laying on the table with the sort of look one gave when shown platinum and gold. Neither to Tie would come close to the value of the little plaster cast. He would make copies of it in stainless steel for each of the grandparents to have one too.

Alor was smiling gigantically as he gently rocked with Hero in his arms.

Blackjack looked gruff and weepy at the same time. His little mech had excelled.

"Are there any questions?" Roto finally asked.

Alor looked at him. "Are there any suggestions you can make that will allow us to help Praxus? He's rather overwhelmed sometimes by his brother, Orion. We want him to be a confident mech who knows his own worth without feeling maybe he has to be a rival for Orion in some level of his thinking."

"They are very close, these two. They love each other madly. Orion is a strong personality. Just encourage Praxus to be himself. He actually can make Orion cry with a single sad expression," Roto replied.

They all nodded. "We have noticed that. Both the babies have soft sparks, the little angels," Ravel ventured helpfully.

Everyone looked at Ravel for an 'awwww' moment, then Roto picked up another datapad. "I think that the two are helping each other develop and if you keep an optic on it, you can catch those moments when Orion overwhelms Praxus which will help Orion understand better how behavior affects others. Praxus is not shy about letting us know he feels upset about something."

They all nodded.

Roto grinned. "Let's talk about Orion now," he said.

Everyone sat up straighter to listen. Especially Ironhide and Ratchet.

-0-Elsewhere having just about as much 'fun'

"The Magistrate's Court is called into session. Will everyone please sit."

Judge Semi sat down and stared at the contrite younglings sitting in the **'FELONS SIT HERE, THE SLAGGERS! HANG THEM ALL'** row in front, their angsty, seething, mortified genitors sitting in the seats behind them. Semi grinned in spite of himself. "Well, well, well … look who is here. Again."

No one in the front row bothered to look. They all knew better.

Again.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip


	196. Chapter 196

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 32 (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-In a conference room in a school tower

Roto grinned. "Let's talk about Orion now," he said.

They all stared at him intently, each of them filled with either massive angst or joy at the prospect of hearing about the mad little hoodlum of apartment 24. Roto looked at his information and grinned.

"I am happy to say he only got the Chairs of Doom ™ twice this learning period."

Ratchet actually grinned. "That's pretty good. Right, Ironhide? He has improved."

Ironhide whose own optics were twirling in relief nodded. "He has. Little mech is getting better."

"He is," Roto said. "He's been under behavior modification since he started school and because he's more on the ball, more aware and more tuned in, he's actually applying techniques that we have been teaching him. He comes for help. He asks. He understands more readily his own greater strength. Best of all, he's a very good little mech who just loves everyone."

"What about hugging a sparkling? Does he do that the right way?" Ironhide asked.

"He does. Sometimes he forgets. He will grab someone to hug, then catch himself. That's new for him. He catches himself and lets go. There isn't a mean bolt in his chassis. He's just immensely strong."

"Praxus is optimal too," Alor asked. "Is this a problem for him as well?"

"It will be a problem for them until the other babies catch up but Praxus has a different personality than Orion. He's gentler and more tuned in to other sparkling's feelings. He is less likely to go with the moment and let himself grab and love. He's loving but more reserved … that's not the right word … more sensible and polite." Roto grinned. "Both sparklings have great manners. Praxus is just less likely to be as wildly demonstrative about it on the fly," he explained as anxiety filled the optics of everyone at the table.

Ironhide nodded. "He means well. He's just strong. I wanted him to be able to protect himself and his siblings. You never know what the future can bring. Not that he's going to be a soldier. He isn't."

Everyone nodded including Alor and Blackjack who had been soldiers like their genitors ad infinitum. Ironhide was given a choice and he followed the family business. Orion wouldn't have that choice. None of the sparklings would. They would all see to it.

"How is The Feud?" Ratchet asked with dread.

"Well. They have developed their own friendships and when they are in groups, they get along. They mostly still don't like each other but they are polite. I think Revo and Heva are as diligent as you all are about that."

"You can't choose everyone in your life, Mr. Roto. Our sparklings must learn to be kind and get along with others. That way they will have a happy life. Being contrary is not the path for our babies," Ravel said with a thread of stern intent in his soft sweet voice.

Everyone smiled and nodded. Ratchet squeezed his ada's servo.

"That's what I think. Too bad it didn't take with Ratchet," Ironhide said smiling down at his diminutive father-in-law.

Ravel grinned up at Ironhide. "It didn't take with you either."

Guffaws broke the moment and they all relaxed. Roto chuckling turned to the monitor. "Let's look at the videos now."

The videos included a bit of swimming on his belly, a haphazard sinking affair mostly as a plucky black sparkling splashed in a sort of swimming way across the pool, his face bobbing above the water as he 'swam' resting on the servo of Mr. Roto. They also included him trying to spy play doh that somehow got smashed on his butt, walking in circles until he fell down dizzy.

He was shown playing sweetly, listening with an incredibly laser like focus to stories being read, puppets being shown and short videos showing this and that thing. Roto paused the video. "I can't emphasize enough how focused this sparkling is to things being presented to him. He loves being read to, watching things that are interesting and puppets? He even talks to them when they're in their boxes. He really loves the puppets."

"He's always watching and listening when I read to Sunspot every night or when we go over homework. That's my job," Ironhide said with an almost impossible pride. "Little mech listens really hard and watches when we do that. Praxus too. Can't say if Hero does yet. She's still very small."

Ratchet smirked. "She's huge and ready, wimpy."

"Not yet," Ironhide countered. "Little femme still hasn't had all the advantages."

They all took a moment for 'awwww', then Roto began again, a big grin on his face. "He's absorbing information as fast as he can and he's really thrilled to learn. He's also pretty much potty trained. He's got his number named and actually uses the proper facilities."

"That's good," was the general commentary among the group as they looked at each other happily. Then they turned and looked at Roto with the same laser like focus as a tiny black sparkling of his acquaintance. Roto grinned and began again.

The films continued. Finger painting, riding in the wagon to visit the Day/Night Watch station in their new town. Playing in the park-like center of Terra under the guise of picking up stuff that didn't belong there. Rocks and good stuff were turned in to the aides and teachers along with the odd scrap of trash. Things were returned to their proper places, sparklings in tow to complete a teachable moment.

Images of Orion dancing, like the images of Praxus were exclaimed over, the smiles for Orion as bright and delighted as they were for Praxus. Music was a hoot. He sat on his tiny chair, a pair of cymbals in servo. He watched like a hawk for his turn, the teacher pointing to him at last. Clapping the tiny cymbals was harder than it looked but he managed. Walking in lines, skipping and jumping, getting tiny chairs out, putting tiny chairs up, sitting at tables for snacks, art, dexterity games and all around hanging out were also shown.

It nearly put Ironhide in vapor lock.

**HIS LITTLE MECH WAS DOING AWESOME! JUST LIKE HIS BROTHER!**

When the videos were over, the data came.

"Orion is very advanced for his age. I was wondering when the point would come when he would reach equilibrium with the rest of the sparkling population. At some point, I wondered if he would be caught up to or not. I don't think so, at least for now. He's had a lot of attention, adults and stimulation. He hasn't had trauma, been a refugee or starved. He's never been afraid, shot or alone. That has given him a huge advantage and we are seeing it among a few of the homegrown sparklings over the refugee babies.

"Orion is ahead in all categories of measurement. Even Praxus is not going at his pace but then Orion's personality is different than Praxus'. He's curious, smart and brave. He has no fear. That is good and bad. He walked off the edge of the pool the first time he went there because he had no fear. He will try things and meet people with a smile. Hopefully, he will be able to moderate as he grows up.

"His speech is off the hook. He's so young for such vocabulary. But then, he has had plenty of parental attention and no traumas. He's got the language skills of older sparklings, is organizing full sentences and growing his vocabulary every day. He still has tense problems. He calls Hero She or Her. Its going to take care of itself. Enjoy the cuteness while it lasts.

"His abilities don't break down along different areas, math or language or whatever. He's up to snuff in all the cognitive areas. He's a smart little mech who likes to learn. He's also been terribly helpful lately. I think having grand genitors has helped him a lot. I don't see deficits in this baby. He's on or ahead of schedule in the learning areas and is much improved in the social arena.

"He's doing good." Roto handed them packets of work, pictures Orion had made with finger paint and 'cut and paste'. He had a silhouette and a plaster servo print that Tie Down would replicate in stainless steel for everyone. All of his work was explained and exclaimed over.

"Well, that's a relief. What do we need to do to help you, Roto? Let us know," Ratchet asked.

"Do what you're doing," Roto said with a nod.

Ratchet nodded back. Looking at Ironhide, he reached over and popped his hold. Slipping Hero out, he slid the baby toward Roto. "What do you think? Ready to go to school or does she need more time with old mech?"

Ironhide blanched, glancing at Ratchet with an intense expression of the deepest betrayal not seen on an Ironhide-like face since Orion was a baby. "What?!"

"What do you think, Roto?" Ratchet persisted.

Hero looked up at the new face peering over her and smiled back at it. She waved her arms as she lay on her Daffy Duck blanket wearing a Daffy Duck hat and booties. The little sweater that she wore buttoned up to her chin was new. Roto looked at Ironhide. "You got the memo I see," he said with a smile.

Ironhide shot a triumphant glance at Ratchet. "I did. **Some** of us did. **Some** of us really pay attention to the school and Femme Hospital bulletins."

Ratchet smirked slightly. "I love her little outfits, Ironhide. Did you get the message about the little mechs' hats arriving at the Requisition Center yesterday?"

"No," Ironhide said with a slight frown. "Might have told me. The warmer they are, the better they grow. Schools said so." He looked at Hero and grinned. "I think she looks beautiful."

An 'awww' moment was had with copious amounts of agreement. Then Roto leaned down and kissed Hero. "I would say she has a bit more to go, Ratchet. After all, we are talking about the advantages."

Snickers greeted that as Ironhide slid his daughter back. She lay on her blanket, her Daffy Duck hat, booties and sweater a pretty contrast against the satin of her black infant armor. "You're the prettiest femme in the room."

Ratchet leaned on Ironhide's arm. "She's the only femme in the room."

"The rest left because they can't compete," Ironhide said as he wrapped her up and settled her in the crook of his arm.

"You exceed expectations, Ironhide," Alor said with a touch of pride.

"He does," Blackjack said rising.

They gathered the piles of work in the carry case that went with it, the one with their infant's glyphs and art all over it for decoration. Disks of videos were handed over as well, disks that would be copied for everyone's personal files. Thanking Roto profusely, they turned and walked out passing a number of individuals who were waiting for their turn. Prime and his mob were already inside getting the 411 on Miracle.

Easing out of the happy crowd, they took the elevator to the train platform and gathered to wait for the one that would take them to the city. Blackjack looked at Ironhide, who was grinning at his daughter who was grinning back at him. "The infants did a great job. I'm proud of them and I'm proud of you, Ratchet and Ironhide. You do a great job being genitors."

Ravel nodded. "There is no more important job to do, son." Tie and Alor nodded.

Ratchet grinned. "We had great examples," he said just as their train arrived. They all stepped inside and disappeared into the tunnel that would take them to the city and Sunspot's school.

-0-Nearby

"He's a wonderful little mech. He's very bright and learns quickly. He's getting ahead of the curve on his vocabulary. He doesn't use it much."

"He doesn't have to," Optimus said with a grin. "He just points and the other three mechs get what he wants."

Mr. Ab-3 chuckled. "That happens. You might tell them to let him ask first. I can see why it would be easy to do this for him. He's very sweet and happy, this little mech."

Prowl sat listening with a laser focus as the word of his son's progress was laid out. Miracle was gifted with art, generous with his toys, played beautifully with others, liked math because counting 'seemed to be fun', shared with anyone who looked sad whatever was in his servo at that moment, took his nap like a champion, had more words for his age than he should have, liked to write as well as cut and paste, and loved everyone. No one was a stranger.

"Having older mechs for brothers is a gift for a sparkling like this. He's so smart, he will pick up things and given that your three older children are smart and lovely, he will benefit. Having grandgenitors like you," he said nodding to Miler and Venture who were listening and recording as he talked, "is a wonderful benefit for our infants. I don't see any deficits in this sparkling. I see great potential in the arts and mathematics. Reading is hard to assess at this age but the markers we look for to assess readiness and success are all there.

"He can dog paddle in the pool, has no fear of water, likes to walk and ride in the wagon and play. He's a great all around bright, good sparked little sparkling."

They sat a moment absorbing that, then Prowl leaned forward. "He's a recipient of excellent teachers and teaching. I can't thank you enough, you and the little mechs' teachers. You make me so happy to know that they will have a world class education."

Venture nodded. "Such a wonderful school. It exceeds even the schools that Prowl attended. I am so happy to work here as well. Both Miler and I are."

"We are happy to have you," Ab-3 said with a smile. "Are there any questions?"

They all looked at each other and grinned. "Nope," Optimus said with a nod. "I'm happy. Are you happy?"

"I am," Miler said with a chuckle. He rose and so did Venture. They watched as Prowl gathered the bounty of their baby into the decorated portfolio that would keep it all together. He grinned. "Thank you, AB. If there is anything we can do or you need, let us know."

AB-3 rose and nodded. "I will," he said as they turned and walked out of the door. He smiled as he watched them go. He was the primary teacher of a Prime sparkling. It didn't get much better than this.

-0-On the platform

Prime, Prowl, Venture and Miler walked to the platform to wait for a train. It was festive at the school station stop and everyone reflected that. Standing nearby waiting for his own, his guards in evidence, Barricade watched them as they entered a train. The doors closed and it left, leaving him behind both figuratively and literally.

"Story of my life," he thought sourly. Then his train came and he left too.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	197. Chapter 197

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 33 (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-Sparkling Day School

"Come in."

They turned and walked in joined late by Venture and Miler. Prowl and Prime would be there shortly they told the trine as they gathered in the conference room for their infant's conferences.

"The rest of the family is coming," Bluestreak told their children's teacher, Dronino as he sat down in a chair next to Sideswipe. Sunstreaker pulled chairs for Miler and Venture, then sat himself.

"That's good. We can wait if they are on their way," Dronino said with a grin.

Bluestreak paused to check. "They're just arriving in the station." He turned to look at Miler and Venture. "How did the little mechs do?"

"Brilliantly. Rambler is a very remarkable student and the others have improved so much. Spirit is finally at grade level for reading."

They grinned and nodded. "That little mech works so hard, He's such a great little thing," Miler said. "T-Bar is more outgoing and his mathematics have increased in fluency greatly. Both he and Spirit are much improved."

"You can thank yourself, Miler," Sunstreaker said nodding. "The tutoring you give to them and Sunspot is paying off."

"It is the easiest thing I do," Miler replied with a giant grin.

They chatted, then the door opened as Prowl and Prime joined the throng for the word on the trine infants. When they were all seated, Dronino began with Kaon.

"Kaon is on track to meet and/or exceed his expected and charted goals for this learning period," the newly minted sparkling teacher began. This was the third conference of his career and as a newbie with a spark of gold and a desire to be thorough, he had over prepared for all of his little students. "If we start with the subject areas, you can see," he said sliding a flat datapad filled with the achievements of the tiny winger for all to see. "Mathematics appears to be a strong suit. He likes to count and can match groups of chips with my own really easily. He likes that game."

"He has one at home. We have the pre-math computer sim and the pre-math games that are produced by Spark-Tech," Sunstreaker said glancing up at Dronino. "We have taken his last report and targeted all the areas that were suggested with games and toys."

"That's wonderful, Sunstreaker. It shows," Dronino said with a grin. "His pre-math skills are very solid. He can match groups together, he can match numbers of things with other things, he's very happy to do so. His pre-reading and writing skills are very good as well. Have you done things with that too?"

"We have," Sunstreaker replied with a nod, his expression intensely serious. "We work on things at home everyday with all three of them. We want them to have everything possible."

"I can respect that greatly," Dronino said to the third overly intense ada he had conferenced with this day so far. All of the teachers had been given the memo on the carrier-soldiers and the update that Turquoise was close to a solution. "The indicators of language are strong with Kaon and he likes to work on the pre-writing exercises because they feel like art to him. He likes to cut and paste and I will give you his work when you go," he said nodding to the folder lying at the end of the table.

Sunstreaker looked at it like it was a target. When he got home, it would be intensely reviewed and all that could be learned about his son's progress would be gleaned with even the perceptions of need addressed with plans and objectives to obtain. Nothing would be overlooked in his campaign to help his son all he could. He nodded and they began again.

Miler glanced at Venture, a look of concern on his face. :Poor Sunny. I hope they find the cure soon:

:You and me both, Milie: Venture replied with a slight nod.

Dronino continued explaining this and that skill, this and that set of tests as he illustrated all of it with finished work. Kaon was a very good student, exceeding all of the markers for his age and beyond. His fine motor and gross motor skills were also exceeding expected levels.

"Sunny and Sideswipe play with the babies in the park when they can and they make sure they get out to run about as much as possible. I take them swimming at the city pool now that its open. It's our family time," Bluestreak said nodding. "We try to make sure they get to have exercise and not be house bound."

"That's extremely important. It would be easy to have that happen given the work schedules and school life that the babies live around. Getting them out to explore is great," Dronino said nodding. "We use the pool here to give them the basics for swimming and to help them with their physical development. We also don't want them to fear water. Since it is so rare here, we want them to have a good opinion about it anyway."

"We plan to have them take formal swimming lessons when they get a bit older. For now, it's just play time," Bluestreak said nodding.

Dronino nodded. "Anything that enhances their physical development also aids in the social. Kaon is such a good little bot. He's kind and loving, plays beautifully with others and is helpful to his teachers. He does what he is told very well, shares and has wonderful manners. He has taken it upon himself to be El's helper. He reads to her, helps her with her activities and keeps her company."

"How is she doing? I just love her," Miler asked with concern.

"She's getting stronger. She can sit up now without support," Dronino said. "Ratchet visits her on schedule here to watch her development against the future of her surgery schedule and says she's doing much better."

"That's good," Venture said nodding. "She is a sweet baby."

Dronino nodded. "She is. She's one of Kaon's best friends. They sit together when they listen to stories and he makes sure her chair is hung up after activities."

Sunstreaker nodded. "She's a great little femme. Kaon loves her."

Dronino nodded. "She loves him." He turned and tapped the monitor screen. "Let me show you some things."

They sat and watched tiny videos of Kaon in the pool, his little wings flapping behind him like extra arms. That they didn't help more than splash didn't matter to the madly smiling little mech. They showed him listening intently to stories, one of the videos showing him holding El's servo. He was shown working on cut and paste, colors, skills, hopping and skipping, stringing things, putting up and getting down little chairs, music and singing as well as keeping his area cleaned up without being told.

"He's a very neat sparkling," Dronino said pausing the video.

"He has been taught to be neat," Bluestreak said with a chuckle. "Mr. Clean over here expects them to be good that way so they will be welcome around others."

Sunstreaker nodded. "They need to know manners so they can be welcome wherever they go. My kids are going to have it all."

Dronino nodded. "You are doing a beautiful job. Kaon is just about the only baby I don't have to ever tell to bus his area. He's self motivated that way and very cheerful."

Sunstreaker nodded as the others watched him. "That's good to know. My son is a good sparkling."

"He's a great sparkling, Sunstreaker," Dronino said. The expression on Sunstreaker's face would stay with them forever.

Optimus noted it and felt despair flash through him. His soldiers had suffered over the millennia and now that they could stop and take stock, it was becoming visible to the optic. The videos began again and all turned to watch.

Kaon running, sitting, laughing, swimming, cutting, pasting, eating his snack and going into his bassinet like a pro, all of it was there. Then the work came next. Pictures with reasonably neat cut edges of ships and puppies, kittens and one of Optimus pasted onto servo made backgrounds were laid out for inspection. Sunstreaker quizzed Dronino about the accuracy of the work, about the lines that were almost but not quite followed and the background details. When it was dissected, he sat back satisfied. Kaon had done a good job.

His servo print was exclaimed over. Bluestreak told them that they would all get a copy because Tie Down and Ravie were going to make them out of stainless steel. Sunstreaker was greatly pleased to know his sparkling's print would be on everyone's end table.

The silhouette was a delight. The clay pot was a caution. Everything was wonderful and they felt it. By the time the folio was handed over with the disks filled with videos, everyone was entirely pleased with Kaon and his life in the school lane.

They walked outside to wait for the twins' conference which was just about immediately called. Walking inside, they sat down and waited as Neo began to organize the work and film for the babies. She looked at Sunstreaker. "You look pleased. Kaon must be doing his usual exceptional job."

"He is. He aced it. There's a couple of things to do but he's ahead of the curve," Sunstreaker said to the one person in the school to which he felt the closest. They had deep long conversations about the school and the infants as part of Sunstreaker's intense quest to be for his own babies what no was for him.

"No surprise there," Neo said. "Now we can look at the girls." She turned and looked at her datapad. "These babies are ahead of their expected growth pattern but that isn't a surprise for me. I know that this family takes such care of the infants, getting them what they need and helping them excel. So none of the information I am going to give you should be a surprise.

"This is what we have tested out. They are exceeding the level one would expect for infants this age in gross and fine motor skills. They shouldn't be walking but they are. They shouldn't be running or trying to skip but they are. Being around older sparklings helps younger ones get better at what they can do and try other things ahead of schedule. These girls are unaware that what they do is theoretically impossible for them. They just do it.

"We are working on colors and shapes. They still put the shapes into their mouths. That is typical," Neo said as everyone grinned, everyone but Sunstreaker who was listening intently. "They understand how to group them together by kind and size. That is great. They are also getting to understand the concept of color and texture. They group shapes according to all four concepts as directed.

They are getting time in the pool now to help them move without the impediment of gravity. They are really loving to be in the water. I hear you swim in the community pool regularly," Neo asked.

"We do. The girls are especially happy to float on the little rafts or stand in the shallow end," Sideswipe said with a grin.

"That helps them doesn't it? It helps them with their walking and the body stuff, right?" Sunstreaker asked.

Neo nodded. "It helps a lot, Sunny. Right now, they are very steady and aware of space around them. Most babies are trying to walk and fall from time to time. They can walk very well and there are very few moments of imbalance. Walking in the water not only strengthens them with the gentle pressure of the liquid but allows them to fall without hurting themselves."

Sunstreaker nodded without comment, his optics focused on the datapad in Neo's servos. She continued, well aware of it as were the others. It was what it was for now.

"Iacon is more outgoing and confident. She's willing to step out and take more chances than Uraya. She's more shy but she's also pretty bold in some things. She isn't fond of new events but she adapts fast. They are very sweet together and one isn't dominant over the other."

"Hear that, Sunny?" Sideswipe asked with a smirk.

Sunstreaker glanced at his brother. "You would be drooling in a chair somewhere without me, Sideswipe."

A slap on the helm greeted that remark and they both turned their attention back to the task at servo.

Neo with a smirk of her own continued. "They are socially adept, they have friends among everyone infant and adult and are very much the femme group's leaders. The little femme bits like to sit together and 'discuss' things, especially their dollies and the snacks they eat" Neo said smiling. "They are also getting the basic movements down for dance and like to sing. Do they do that at home?"

"They stand and gyrate, staring at their peds. They do that when music is playing," Bluestreak said with a chuckle. "They shake their little afts standing in one place while they flair an arm. It's always one arm. I think they use the other one for balance because it's usually bent at their sides. It's so cute we have videos all over the place of it."

"They're practicing their moves," Neo said with a grin. "Next time Christmas Surprise comes around we are going to have a dance team ready for the festivities. The girls will be part of that with the others who were in the last program."

"That will be awesome," Sunstreaker said. "My son danced for the entire colony last time." He looked at Neo. "That was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. My son dancing for the colony, Neo."

Neo nodded. "You should have been up there with them, Sunny. I have to agree with you. It was the best thing I ever did."

They were of one mind.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip


	198. Chapter 198

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 34 (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-Later that morning

"I think that was low of you to put the sparkling out there, Ratchet. They could have agreed with you."

"It's going to happen eventually, Ironhide. You know she needs school as well as the 'advantages'."

The glared at each other over the top of the kitchen table. The conferences had concluded and they were winding down from a morning filled with good news.

-0-At the Youngling Day School

"As you can see," Terradive said showing the extended family the data, "Sunspot has come up a great deal in his reading and writing. He writes conscientiously every day in his school journal and has a story written everyday for writing class. For a youngling who could only read a couple of words when he came into school, he is excelling tremendously. We have to keep working on it. This is hard work for him because the trauma and deprivation he's had has affected him over the course of his development."

"Will Sunny ever catch up?" Ravel asked anxiously. "We can help him. All of us are ready to help him if you tell us what to do."

Terradive smiled and nodded. "That is key to what he needs but some of it may never come. I have hopes it will but it may always be harder for him than others for doing some things. A lot of the refugee and war infants have the same problem. Not having the right care at the right time has been hard on them. But we always have hope and work hard together."

"We shall," Ravel said, his optics anxious. "He's learning about our business. He likes learning about everything. He told us that when he grows up he will help us make things. He does things now at the shop and he's such a lovely baby."

They all looked at Ravel. "He's a stand up youngling, our little Sunspot," Tie Down said nodding.

Ratchet squeezed his ada's servo. "We will always help Sunspot. We didn't take him on to turn him out someday if he wasn't ready. I don't care how long it takes, we are going to help him become the stellar adult Seeker he's meant to become."

Everyone nodded, then turned back to Terradive.

"I tried to keep Sunspot safe," Terradive said quietly. "All of us, the Seekers that were around him tried. Even Payload. But we got separated and I searched the world over to find him but he was always just out of reach. I used to have dreams about it, bad dreams."

"That was then," Ratchet said firmly. "We have him now and he's surrounded by safety and support. He has an outstanding teacher and who better to help him than the mech who was his friend so long?"

Everyone nodded and the mood lifted.

"We see that his math skills are stellar. He's beginning to handle formulas that help him do the math he needs to learn. Since he will fly, he needs to navigate and do that well. Red Wing is coming over to speak about that. He's going to be a bit late because of a family issue."

"His ward got arrested last night with those hoodlum younglings trying to get high grade from suckers," Ratchet said with a grin. "I would not want to be her after Semi and Red Wing have their say."

Terradive grinned. "Me either. As for Sunny, his academics are making their steady upward climb. He tests out in the language areas at just a hair below average and in mathematics and science at above. So he's just about perfect for where he needs to be."

"That's a good thing then," Alor said with relief. "That little mech works so hard."

"He does. He topped the room in badges earned this learning period even beating out T-Bar and Spirit. Silverbow and Spinner are even behind him. He just tries so hard and is so sweet, he earns them. He is a good example for others and just such a great helper. I think it comes partly from being in the adult world for a while. He actually understands being responsible and taking initiative better than some of the other children who have only been infants. Sunspot is my right servo mech. He's a loving, sweet, decent little mech."

Everyone nodded and smiled. "He's lovely," Ravel said just as the door opened. Red Wing stepped inside and nodded, a sheepish grin on his handsome face. "Sorry."

"Have a seat, Red," Ratchet said pulling up a chair. "Care to elaborate?" Ratchet asked with a grin.

Red Wing gave Ratchet a baleful look, then grinned in spite of himself. "Aurora got rounded up last night with younglings trying to get high grade. I was in Magistrate's Court this morning."

"How did that go?" Ironhide asked with a grin.

"They have to clean the vats at the microbrewery. They have to do it by servo and its hard work to do it to the exacting standards of the brew masters. They have to take the vats apart and clean them. Then they have to clean the brewery itself as well. This lasts for a decaorn. If they do this again, its brig time for a decaorn for the offense as well as a decaorn for contempt of court."

"Wow," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "That is a long tough sentence for kids."

"Can't be long enough. I have one sorry little femme on my servos. She is mortified that she broke a trust with me and the bond. She should be. I won't have this again. She's going to have to appear before the Elder Council and explain herself." Red Wing grinned. "I had to a couple of times myself as a youngling."

"So the story comes out," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Red Wing snorted and grinned. "It does," he said. He looked at Terradive. "I suppose you want a progress report on our little mech's flying program."

Terradive nodded. "I saw him gliding the other orn. He looked good and was quite a ways off the ground."

"He was," Red said settling back to talk. "I uploaded the films into the database. Did you get them, Terri?"

"I did. Let me know when you want them to play and I'll start them," Terradive said.

Red Wing nodded. "Right now, we are working on pre-flight activities with Sunspot. He's pretty much mastered transforming into a simple fighter platform that we redesigned for him. He's actually right on the lower edge age wise for actual transformation. The flight model that he had in his databanks was too complex for a youngling so we modified it.

"What we are working on now is gliding and liftoff/landing procedures. He can transform into his new format rather swiftly and had been towed into the sky for gliding practice. We aren't allowing him to use any personal power to support his flight. He's still young and that requires a number of systems and calculations that are over his helm yet. That is why he was so terrible as a fighter in the 'Cons." He nodded to Terradive who keyed up the videos.

They were filmed at the airport out by Aerie Hill where Sunspot was taken twice a decaorn for lessons by the pilots there. There was always a crowd of Seekers who stood watching to offer support and comments as Red Wing and Silverclaw showed Sunspot what to do. He stood looking up as earnestly and cheerfully as ever listening to the masters teach him what he needed to know.

There were videos of Silverclaw's sons towing him, flying alongside the youngling to keep his horizon and help him should he falter. Red Wing described the techniques being taught, the youngling's efforts and the very cute images of a tiny yellow jet gliding up and down. His landings were nail biters but he accomplished them beautifully to his family's untrained optics.

There were images of Sunspot turning from a smiling little mech into a jet and back again. There were images of him doing barrel rolls as he glided through the air and bouncy landings when he had to come down.

It was glorious.

When the films were finished, Red Wing turned to the family. "We are going to step it up now. He's going to be gliding longer distances. We will be teaching him how to maneuver in a group. There will be safety measures at all times but we're going higher and we're flying closer. That will be the major focus of this next learning period. We also will begin to explain the basics of navigation to him."

"I can support that here in the classroom as well," Terradive said. "That is Sunny's biggest weak spot. But we can do this slowly. He doesn't have to navigate anywhere yet so we can go at his pace."

Red Wing nodded. "That's correct." He looked at the family. "Any questions?"

"Is he learning his heritage?" Ravel asked. "Sunny should know all the important things about being a Seeker. He's not living in his culture right now. He should know all the clan and family things for Seekers. Is he?"

Red Wing nodded. "The Elders are taking him into servo. Silverclaw and the others are telling him the things he should know and all that it means to be a Seeker. Sunny's clan is a big one, the Southern one near the Sonic Canyons and Krystagon. He has a lot of teachings that fit a lot of clans since most of them are offshoots of his own. We can all pretty much fill in the blanks for him as he ages."

"That's good to know," Blackjack said nodding. "Little mech needs to know all of who and what he is. He's had enough uncertainty in his life."

Red Wing nodded. "The Seekerkin are watching him and are very tuned into him and his needs. We are very happy with his development and progress. He's so happy and satisfied with his life, that its good enough for us. We don't usually let our infants remain in outsider's care but this one is the best placement for him. He's got it all."

"And he will," Ironhide said nodding. "Little mech is going to be a stupendous adult. He will never fight in a war ever."

Red Wing considered that and nodded. "He has had enough war. We have a lot of younglings now that never knew war. I don't think they're cut out for it and I fear they would die in numbers if they tried. Having the Home Guard Air Wing is as close as I want them to get. Sunny's plucky and volunteers to help but he can never be in a war. I would fear for him from the moment of lift off."

"You and all of us," Terradive said nodding. "I saw him in battle and I sometimes still have nightmares. He's a very good little mech and will be an asset to this city and our people in future in any number of ways."

They all nodded. Conversation continued, then Sunspot's work was produced and shared around. His handwriting was getting to be very good. All of it was exclaimed over and when everyone rose to leave, it was with a good sense of a very kind, very dedicated, very determined little mech on the rise.

Walking outside, they chatted some more, then headed out. Blackjack and Alor went to the Mall to shop for this and that. Tie Down and Ravel went back to the shop. Ratchet and Ironhide headed for home with their voluminous bounty minus a pair of servo prints in plaster that were going to be copied into stainless steel for the family.

Back in the bosom of love …

"You could have made them snag her, Ratchet. What the frag is wrong with your helm?" Ironhide asked as he sat his daughter down in her bouncy chair by the window. He gently arranged her sweater but took off her hat. Laying it with her blanket, he turned to do battle with his old mech. Ratchet on the other hand was taking images of the whole thing with his camera.

Grinning, he looked at Ironhide. "Did you get the gear for the little mechs and Sunspot from the Requisition Center?"

"No," Ironhide said pausing. "I forgot. You stay here with her and I'll get it. Don't call the school. Don't farm her out. She's still got a way to go before she meets the standard of school readiness."

Ratchet grinned. "Okay."

Ironhide shot Ratchet a nuclear optic, then headed for the door and the Requisition Center Pick Up Depot at the back of the Autobot City Business Plaza which had been rebuilt after the bombing.

Ratchet watched him go, then walked to his daughter and sat on the floor. She was looking at him with a gigantic smile, her booties and sweater comical in their cuteness. "Your old pa loves you. He reads the news from the school and Femme Center every orn to make sure he's doing right by all four of you. It is cold outside for infants. Putting you in gear will help you." Ratchet grinned and bounced the bumpy seat. "Your old pa is crazy about you. It will be a sad orn when you do have to go but I have to be the bad mech when that time comes. I'm actually glad he gets to keep you."

Ten minutes later …

He walked in with a box in servo, one marked with the stamps of Australia, the United States and Canada. Putting it on the table, he grinned at the two who were sitting on the floor by the window. "You should see what came, Ratchet."

"Do tell, Ironhide," Ratchet asked with a grin. He watched with pleasure as the big hulking demolisher of bad mechs opened the box and reached inside. Cute little hats came out, colorful with details added. "What are those?"

"This one," he said holding up a yellow one with spikes, "is a dinosaur hat. See the spikes on the top?" Ironhide held it up. "I got it for Sunspot. There is this one too. Its a dog. Those are for Sunspot. I also have a sweater coming that is being made to order because of his format. Its blue."

Ratchet nodded. "That might just do the trick in winter. He told me that when the wind blows he can feel it."

"He told me too," Ironhide said pausing. "I don't want him to feel badly about anything, Ratchet. If we have to carry him in a blanket to make sure he's warm and secure, I will do that."

"I know, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a grin. "You're that far along the parental awesome scale. What else did you get?"

He took the box and moved to where they both sat and joined them. Then they spent a few moments looking at the hats for Praxus and Orion that had openings for their finials. One was a fuzzy cat and the other was a cartoon mouse, one with big round ears that stood out nicely. Ironhide looked at it and grinned. "This one is for Orion."

"I can't wait to see them in them. I've noticed that there are younglings and infants wearing them around, at least the babies. When winter comes its going to be colorful around here."

"I think so too. We better be prepared," Ironhide said putting the little things back in the box. He looked at Ratchet and grinned. "If someone had ever said I would do this before the infants came, I would have punched them. Hard."

"I know. Who would have thought it?" Ratchet said with a grin.

"I know," Ironhide said glancing down at his daughter. She was chewing on her fist, then stopped and smiled at him. He felt his spark flutter. "I love the family, Ratchet. These infants and you, the genitors. Its all good."

Ratchet nodded. "I know."

"The infants did good. Those videos are great. Orion swimming makes me laugh."

"Most of what that little hellion does makes me laugh," Ratchet said with a grin.

Ironhide nodded. "We need about eight more before we're done."

"I'll put that in the day planner. What specific dates do you want to pencil in for your separations?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"Delusion suits you," Ironhide said with a chuckle.

"Tweet."

They looked down at the infant who had been trying to get their attention for a moment. Ironhide grinned. "Even Spud thinks you're insane."

"She does. Your bad influence I can see," Ratchet said with a grin. "I can see that the advantages you speak about include turning sparklings against their ada."

"Only when their ada is a slagger," Ironhide said squeezing Hero's little ped. She grinned.

They sat and talked, the city going about its business below and as they did the storm clouds on Earth continued to roll on.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	199. Chapter 199

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 35 (Edited for boo-boos) :D

-0-Earth, here and there (The House of Representatives dining room)

"What do you think about the hearings, Bob?"

The minority leader of the House opposition shrugged. "They didn't cover themselves with glory by having this stunt hearing. The Autobots are very good at presenting their image and themselves. They didn't hurt their brand. The babies were a tremendously bold statement and seeing Optimus in public was masterful." He sipped his coffee. "They didn't change much I think."

"The overnight polls were pretty decisive and the polls of the past week are solidifying into a majority pro-Autobot sentiment in the public," the chief of staff said sitting down with his own coffee. The bustle of the dining room was welcomed after a morning of hot debate on the floor over the treaties that were held between the United States and the Autobot Nation.

"They had a lot of fiery rhetoric, Bob, but they made no significant inroads. The public saw Optimus Prime and felt confidence," Sam the Chief of Staff replied. "They will be okay in the long run."

"Not if the terror acts continue. We have to put an end to that. If we had enough votes, we could do more about hunting them but the opposition is blocking it. Did you speak to the Majority Whip about this? Did you appeal to his patriotism?" Bob asked with a trace of sarcasm.

"Dead end I'm afraid," he replied with a sigh. Their lunch came and they began to eat. They would need it. The afternoon and the next two weeks would be one long continuation of the same.

-0-In the country (The Opposition including foreign representatives)

They gathered around the table to discuss the strategy that would become the next week's campaign. Their network spanned oceans, their funding was immense and available, their expertise undeniable. They were a professional outfit from the get go. Amateurs had been weeded and everyone left had skills, understood secrecy and their smaller part in the bigger picture which was only represented by the gathering. Everyone else were in cells that if captured would limit damage by their distance from the center.

There were soldiers, politicians, media and militia standing alongside the scientists who were part of their master plan. The path to triumph was through the reworking of public opinion. They would do that with a spring bombing campaign and a lot of turmoil and push from their side of politics. They had already begun that step with the hearings. Those showed them that they had a long road to go.

But they were patient. The path to their objective lay through the streets of Europe, the vastness landscape of Asia, the faraway vistas of Africa, Australia and the Americas. They were prepared to turn the world upside down to win and they were prepared to go the distance.

They discussed Phase One of their campaign together, each of them working out their own part of the complex weave of actions to be undertaken. They would do so with data taken from the Autobots themselves, data that had been funneled to them by a technician from a shadowy organization named Sector 7. That technician had given them the mother lode. He however would not be seen again. He was too busy underneath ten feet of earth in an Iowa cornfield to be bothered.

He had outlived his usefulness to the Alien Resistance.

-0-Earlier (several weeks before)

He had been taken by private jet to Nevada and put up in the mountain top house of a casino gazillionaire. He had basked in the greatness of the moment, well aware that they were needful of the information he had been doling out in small doses for some time. He had been found through the labyrinthine maze of billionaire revolutionaries and their tech fellows. He personally didn't give a damn about all of that. He just saw them as a source of an infinite supply of money for his new life which would begin in two days when he flew off to Fiji.

Unfortunately for Boston Martindale, on-leave analyst of Sector 7, he would never have the chance to do that.

-0-Three days later (In a warehouse and underground installation in Las Vegas)

They stood around the table looking at the stack of CD-roms and stand alone drives that were loaded with terabytes of information from the alien craft that been found by their government forty years or so before. The devices contained gigantic chunks of intriguing technology and information that had been leaking into the greater world by the sad sack who was sitting drowsily on a chair nearby. It had reached their attention, so their 'public face', a gazillionaire casino operator named George Hendricks had invited him to come for a visit via his private jet.

He had come and then some.

They played some of the data through an overhead monitor and realized immediately that the language was out of their league. The sleepy man sitting nearby would have a few more days yet. They would have him show them how he cracked their code, what little of it he had managed. Then they wouldn't need him anymore. Until then, he would be handled like the Queen of Sheba.

-0-In San Francisco

They sat together with the other members of the regional task force that had bee formed to track and arrest members of a group of different organizations that were beginning to be called The Revolution in the news. The Family was a part of it as was a shady organization calling itself M.E.C.H. There were indications that the money funding them was coming in from off shore after having been laundered through layers of protection starting here in the states. There were groups that claimed affiliation but seemed doubtful. A number of racist and nativist groups advocated the activities and aims of the group but didn't appear to be part of it. This group was sleek and streamlined for security and efficiency.

It was also international. There were cells in Europe, northern Africa, Australia, South America, Canada and China. They were tight, mobile and extremely adept at staying below radar. They were also spreading. The map on the wall behind the task force had colored pins locating areas that now had or earlier indicated their presence.

They were good. It would be a chase. They might be calling in some help. Alien help.

The afternoon passed slowly by.

-0-Elsewhere

He walked into the apartment and paused. Sitting at the kitchen table looking at the handiwork of his children, Sunstreaker poured over the data. Walking to the table to sit, Sideswipe watched Sunstreaker. "We have duty shortly."

"I know," Sunstreaker said his optics fixed on a picture that Kaon had made with paint on his peds.

"What are you doing? Digging for meaning? Looking for micro flaws to putty over?" Sideswipe asked as he relaxed on the chair.

"We have to make sure that the sparklings have all they need to do well. If I can help them, I will. You too. You and Blue," he said glancing at his brother a moment.

"You know we will." He sat looking at Sunstreaker. "You know this is partly because of the glitch. You know that Turquoise is getting close to it."

Sunstreaker nodded. "And your point is?" he asked glancing at his brother again.

"I am saying, Sunny, that if they find it and fix you up, you might be more relaxed about the sparklings."

Sunstreaker looked at him, then sat back. "Maybe. Maybe not. I don't want the sparklings to be anything but everything they want to be."

"They will. We'll see to it. What bothers me is how much this hurts you. You are so worried for them that it sort of seems like the joy is missing for you," Sideswipe said quietly.

He looked at his brother, then the work spread out before him. "I'm their ada. I didn't ask for it but I am. My sparklings matter to me, Sideswipe. They matter to all of us but they really matter to me. I don't want them to ever do without. I don't want them to want for anything. If they want to be something big, I will be there helping them. They will never feel like we did. They will never be hungry, cold or unwanted. Never."

"They won't. They have three genitors taking care of them. That doesn't count all the rest of the family. What I want for you is to step back and relax."

He sat back a moment considering the remarks. "When I get through this I will."

Sideswipe smirked slightly. "What are you looking at?"

"The girls' art. Look at this," Sunstreaker said holding up a colorful doodle that had a number of tiny servo prints in it. "They said the girls had a good color sense. I agree. This looks more planned than not. I know this stuff, Sideswipe. I want to help them develop this skill. They could be great artists."

Sideswipe looked at the image and nodded. "Alright. Let's do this together. Then we can get to the Trigger on time."

With that, they bent their helms together on the task.

-0-In the armory

Ironhide stood by the door looking at the flow of material and mechs as the machinery of doom was managed to the nth degree. The inventory was approaching 96% with a clear indication that they would achieve optimal in a few orns. That made him happy. Nothing like groaning shelves of bombs to make a mech smile.

He turned and walked inside pausing by the hook with the tiny bag. Inside curled up at the bottom, Hero slept. She was wearing her gear, had her bunny dollie and was perfect. He grinned and sat down considering the idea of more sparklings. Old mech would have to be drunk, he thought. Old mech would have to be rolling in the dirt before he got sparked again. Ironhide grinned. Then he got back to his work.

-0-At the CMO's office

Ratchet sat at his desk tapping a stylus. Eight more sparklings. The idea of it made his helm twirl. Of course, sparklings were awesome. They would have more he was sure. When, that was the question. He would have to be shit faced on the ground face-first in the dirt. He smirked. Ironhide was a devious foe. He wouldn't have said what he said unless he had it in his processor. This could be fun he thought as he turned to his computer. He would have to stay upright and sober until he was certain what the big devious mechanism was up to.

-0-At Ops Center

Prowl sat replaying tapes of his younglings. Spirit learning how to make geodesic domes. T-Bar working out the formula to make soap as an introduction to chemistry. Rambler researching the history of lighter than air ships as a prelude to a major unit on aerodynamic engineering in his advanced placement course of pre-engineering.

Little mechs had skills.

Coupled with Miracle's achievements and the trine's infants, they were all on track to excel for another learning period. All was good in the calculator shaped world of Prowl of Praxus.

The computer pinged and he paused looking at the data. The data they were tracking about wireless transmission of electrical current was finally traced back to the source. A small office in New York City was the culprit. A man by the name of Houston was the manager/owner of a company, Advance-Tech. They 'specialized' in 'new paradigms' and other such futuristic forward thinking, taking it to companies to develop for a nice slice of the collective pie.

This pie was going to revolutionize the transmission of electrical current to households all over the world. There would be no light poles, plug ins and other archaic paraphenalia with it. It would be sent directly to devices which would only require a simple specialized adaptor at the end of the cord plugs they aready had. Power would find the adaptor and power the device when switched on be it a small hand razor or a nuclear submarine.

This was whizbang tech that was meant to be. Unfortunately, it was also Cybertronian and literally two hundred years ahead of the thinking of the current world. It was the first solid lead they had gotten in what seemed like forever. Now that they had the 'what', they had to find out the 'who'. Who sent this unknown and unknowable piece of thinking to Advance-Tech who then sent it to the company that was going to specialize in making it world wide available, Hepman Enterprises.

The trace back from Advance-Tech should be simple he thought as he bent to the task. He would find the mole himself if it was the last thing he did. Prowl of Praxus would be on it for a while. It would lead to a dead end.

Literally.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip


	200. Chapter 200

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 36 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-That night in the Bosom of Love™

"You recharging?"

"Nope. You?"

"Nope. Want to. Can't."

"Then unburden yourself, Ironhide."

Pause. "I was just thinking ..."

"Go on."

Pause. "Remember this afternoon?"

"I do."

"I said a few things that were pretty profound. I'm sure you remember them." (Smug grin)

Pause. (Grin) "I suppose I do but there were so many of them I don't know which one you're referring to."

Pause. /... slag …/ "Think."

Pause. (Bigger grin) "Are you referring to the weekend thing you want to do with Prime?"

"That's a good one but no. That's not it."

Pause.

"Ironhide."

"What?"

"Are you referring to your 'football team'?"

(Big grin) "Yep."

Pause. "So …?"

/... slag … old mech is making this hard …/ "I was thinking how we always wanted a big family."

"We do. We did. Back when. When was that? Last month?" (Grin)

"Well, what do you think?"

Pause.

"Well, Ratchet?"

"I'm thinking." (Enormous grin)

"Oh."

Pause.

"Ratchet? You still thinking?"

"Uh-hmm." (Enormous grin)

Pause. Stretches out. Becomes very long pause. Becomes the sort of pause that hangs in the air like a soap bubble. You look at it and know it will end but not when. That sort of pause.

"Ironhide."

"What?" (Hopeful voice trying not to be too needy)

Grin. "What do you want out of this? Tell me. We have six younglings now, four of them dependent."

"Uh … I was just thinking … uh ..." /... slag... old mech wants a speech.../

"Go on." (Grin) /... old coot is going to work for it …/

"I was just thinking that it would be good to space them close so that they can grow up together and be friends. I was also thinking how much the grandgenitors love the younglings. I was thinking about how much fun things can be with younglings around the house."

"You've done a lot of thinking, Ironhide." (Grin)

"I have. That's part of my mystique."

(Grin) -both

"So what about the negatives?"

"Negatives?"

"Well … we're both working full time. We both are on call full time. We're both soldiers full time. Then there is the issue of space. This apartment won't be big enough for another sparkling, Ironhide. What about that?"

Pause. Furious thinking in wily old mech processor as wilier mech waits for the inevitable retort that almost makes sense. Most of the time. "We can expand this one by kicking those two younglings out next door and adding that space to this one. It's a one berthroom apartment with a little office space. They need to find a youngling tower and live there, the slaggers."

"I hear you. That is, when their music isn't too loud."

"Makes my processor hurt just thinking about it."

Pause. "Good ideas, Ironhide. **You** can tell them to move out. Then you can go ask Jetta for the authorization and get the clearance from the City Administration aka Ultra Magnus to modify a structure. Then you can go to the Construction Union and hire out crews to come in and do the work. Then you can decide how to consolidate two of everything although I would leave the extra wash rack and ditch the extra kitchen … but that's just me ... we can turn that space into more living room what with **FIVE** sparklings at home and all … most of them walking."

"That sounds easy." /... slag … sounds like a lot of work …/ "I got it covered, Ratchet."

"You always were the mech, Ironhide."

Grins – 2

"So you're good with sparking?"

"I'm thinking about it. What brought this on, really?"

Pause. "Uh, I was thinking that we're not younglings anymore ..."

"So you're saying I'm old."

/... slag! …/ "No."

"Over the hill."

"No."

"Too rundown to wait."

"No."

"Down at heel?"

"**NO! SLAG IT, OLD MECH! YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!"**

Both pause for an unexpected awww moment. Big red and white mechanism cuddles up against the amazing chassis of big black one.

"See, Ironhide, that's why you are my dream date."

Pause. Initiate search, find reference, read and blanch just a little, cut search, end up-link. "Okay."

(Grin) "You're just the best old mech. When I saw you, I said to myself, "Myself, he's the mech."

(Grin) "I was wasn't I?"

"You bet." (Huge grin)

Pleasant silence and companionable pleasure in each other's company.

"So … what do you say?"

"Well, Ironhide, I would have to have certain conditions before I agree because you aren't being forthcoming with me."

Wary pause. "What do you mean?" (Enormously wary tone trying to disguise itself as nonchalance)

(Big grin) "Why this came up now. You haven't told me the truth about why this came up all of a sudden."

"We've talked about this before."

"We have but you're hiding slag and I want to hear it come from your sweet little pie hole."

(Grins in spite of things) "It is pretty sweet."

"Won't get an argument from me. I like it so much I gave it to the last four sparklings."

**HUGE** shared guffaw.

Pause filled with grins.

"Tell me or no is my answer."

(Slight frown and furious internal review of the campaign battle plans) "Uh, give me a clue."

"It's a tiny thing that has a chic fashion sense and a big grin. This tiny thing likes to suck on your thumb, hang on a peg and sit up by herself. Got a clue?"

"Are you speaking of the daughter of my dreams? Our own little Hero who is. My hero that is?" (Grin)

"None other. Tell me about that."

"Tell you? I would think you already know, *Doctor*."

"That's pretty good. But I want to hear it from you, ba-bee."

(Grins)-2

"Okay. When two bots really love each other-"

**Thunk!**

"That hurt."

"It was meant to." (Grin) "Tell me."

"You surprise **me**, Ratchet. You tell **me** for a change."

"Alright. This is about Hero. She's going to be in school sooner or later and you won't have a buddy to run around with. All of your joors will be focused on your job and not the cute little lump hanging on a peg by the door. That's what this is. You're having sparkling withdrawal."

Pause. /... slag …/ "Is that so."

"You know it is."

Pause. "For the sake of argument, what if it is?"

"I can get Wheeljack to make you a dog. We could call it Ravage and give old Soundwave a run for his shanix."

"A dog sounds nice. They purr, right?"

"That's cats and sparklings."

"Oh." (Grin) "A dog might be good for the sparklings. I'm going to talk to Wheeljack tomorrow. Maybe Prime can do something with the Matrix and give it sentience."

"I can just hear the congressional panels now. **'FRAGGING SENTIENT DOG ROBOT? HOW? VOODOO!"**

"Frag the panels. If we want a dog, we get a dog."

"You might start something Prime can't finish."

"It'll keep him off the streets and out of the saloons."

(Grin) "Yeah. That's our Optimus."

"What about the proposition?"

"Tell me, Ironhide, that I'm wrong about my point."

Pause. Stretches into a long pensive pause. "I won't say no. I do like my sparklings. I feel so … fatherly and all. I love to come home and see them. I love to see them standing around me looking up with their little grins and bright optics. Taking them to school has been so fun." He paused and his energy became very heavy. "All of our lives we've been running and fighting, hiding and enduring. I don't mind the fighting. You know I like to fight but the other stuff … I want more, Ratchet. Here, we're flourishing. I'm going to be taking my sparklings for swimming lessons at the pool when they begin. My sparklings. Our family. You and me, Ratchet. Here, we have a home with love in it."

"We always had the love, Ironhide."

"I know, old mech ..." He paused. "I know, Only One. Wherever you are is home."

Ratchet paused and nodded placing his helm on Ironhide's shoulder as he cuddled closer. "I know. That goes without saying for me too."

"I want to have a family and a life beyond war because I've seen what it is and I love it. I love this family and our life, our home. I wil fight for it, Ratchet and I want it. I want to go to football games where the younglings are playing and watch them grow up. Some fine orn we will be grandgenitors too. Until then, I want a houseful."

"Very eloquent."

Pause. Hopeful tone. "Then you agree?"

"With caveats."

"What are they?" Wary question asked warily.

"I want to design the protoform alone. I want to name this one myself. I want it to be a mech. No one is to know about those details. Not even you. You will find out on the naming day too."

Pause. Goes over angles. Checks out possibilities for landmines. Squares the corners. Plumbs the bob. Hips the hop. Can't see anything but blue skies. "Okay."

(Grins) -2

"You're hopeless, Ironhide." (Grin)

"You're putty in my servos, Ratchet." (Grin)

Pause. Stretches out.

The rest is none of your business. ;)

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip


	201. Chapter 201

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 37 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Conference room, Ops Center, Senior Autobot/Community Leader Meeting

They sat 'listening' to the Patent Office Director Caro explain a number of important things in his winning way to a room full of soldiers, scientists and professional individuals who admired process and presentation, if not content.

Yawn.

Prime had perfected the image of a wholly attentive and thoughtful patriarch presiding over a dinner table lined with madcap colleagues who brought their own special magic to every occasion. First, there was the right servo wall lined with comfy chairs that were filled with familiar mechs and the odd femme who were like family and that indispensable. They were as indispensable and loved as those that lined the left servo wall, the wall by the door and the table that filled the room with a certain air of professionalism by itself. It looked formidable and attentive.

On the surface anyway.

Below the still waters of the room there were other layers of meaning that could only be digested by those with the proper comm frequency or a good CB radio set up. Prime was considering the thing that he and Ironhide had agreed to do as a surprise the upcoming weekend if things permitted. That things were still unfolding meant that no one would know until the last moment but that was okay. They had a storage locker in the armory.

Ironhide sat with Ratchet, Blackjack and Alor on either side of them. They were all chatting together Prime was sure because they had the look on their faces that indicated it: a barely concealed look of hilarity.

He wanted to join them.

But he didn't.

Not yet anyway.

He was the Prime.

It sucked to be Prime sometimes.

He didn't dare look at Prowl. That handsome bot was actually listening to Caro with interest. So was Venture. Miler looked like it but it was probably a facade too. He was a mathematician but was also fun. That the two could go together surprised Prime still.

His physics class had nearly killed him.

/... Prowl, you are so handsome. Sooo so handsome. Where was I? Oh yeah, math …/

Prime grinned slightly. Faintly.

Ratchet saw it. He grinned too.

:Optimus:

:What?:

:What's so funny?:

:Nothing: Prime sat up straighter and looked with interest at Caro.

:Really:

:Yes: Prime replied.

:Optimus:

:Jazz?:

:What's goin' on?:

:Ask Ratchet:

Jazz and Mirage who was listening in turned to look at Ratchet. As he did, Elita, Jetta, Mack, Arcee, Drift, Springer, Nitro, Starscream, Silverclaw because he was told to, Revo, Heva, Neo, Laret, Herling, and Nova because they were encouraged to, Scar, Bulkhead, Blackjack, Alor, Venture and Miler because they were hoping hard for a distraction, Wheeljack but not Perceptor because Percy was pure and had no clue, Bumblebee, Leader-1, First Air … everyone in the room but Magnus because he was Magnus and Prowl because someone had to hold up civilization even if he had to do it alone turned to look at Ratchet.

Of course, Payload and Caro were doing their best to carry on oblivious once more to the subtext.

Payload fixed on the dulcet tones of his Only One, listening to short sales and commodities traded or no.

Like that.

Such was love. Right, Payload?

Ratchet blinked at the attention. :Why I do declare, I think I will swoon:

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet sharply. :Are you? What the frag, old mech:

Ratchet looked at Ironhide, then held his datapad in front of his face. :Relax, Ironhide. Its just an expression:

:Oh: Ironhide said looking relieved.

:Why?: -everyone at the table not Caro, Payload, Prowl and Magnus

Ratchet snorted, then coughed as a cover as he smiled weakly at Caro who paused.

"I'll get you a drink, Ratchet," Caro said sweetly and walked to the wall center to get a glass of light grade oil -the local equivalent of a 'glass of water' and handed it to Ratchet.

"Thank you, Caro. You are such a good mech," Ratchet said sipping the light sweet crude.

Caro smiled, Payload nearly swooned himself and the presentation continued.

:Will someone tell me what's going on?:

Everyone glanced at Starscream. He grinned. Openly. :I don't remember much but I don't think that staff meetings with Meat Head ever were this much fun:

:Meat Head?: -everyone minus the usual suspects, although Arcee was recording everything as an after fragging wind down amusement.

:'All in the Family'. That show. Archie Bunker? The stupid useless son-in-law?:

:Ah. Nice match: -everyone but the usual et al

:We want to know what Ironhide is hiding: -everyone

Starscream looked at Ironhide and arched a brow. Ironhide looked at Ratchet who tried to arch a brow and nearly lost an optic ridge in the process. Ironhide stifled a guffaw and sat back looking immensely virile. :Ratchet is sparked:

Coughs and such erupted around the table pausing the presentation and levitating half the room. All optics turned to Ratchet who looked at everyone with a **DON'T SAY A WORD AND HURT CARO'S FEELINGS!** look. Everyone oddly enough got it and settled immediately.

"Is there anything wrong?" Caro asked with concern.

Prime looked at him with reassurance. "Nothing is wrong, Caro. We just had a shock."

Looking around, Caro glanced back to Optimus. "Do we need to call an electrician?"

"No," Springer said with a chuckle. "I think that outlet got plugged good."

Ratchet looked at him with a enormous smirk as everyone worked overtime to reroute the guffaws in their processors to files somewhere else. There wasn't a bot in the room minus the usual suspects that wasn't laughing out their afts at that very moment.

Caro nodded uncertainly, then turned back to the world of facts, figures and serving his Prime and colony with all his spark.

Sane stuff.

Starscream looked at Ratchet and shook his helm. :Sky Warp was supposed to go see you this week. He didn't did he:

:No: Ratchet replied. :Why?:

:I believe he's sparked too:

The chatter on the internal chat was white noise a moment, then it settled down. Prime who was grinning on the inside looked around the room. :Anyone else want to announce something?:

Springer grinned. :Drift is sparked:

Drift looked at Springer like he had lost his processor. :I'm not:

:I just wanted to say that. It has a nice ring.** DRIFT **is sparked. **DRIFT**:

:Slagger: Drift said with a grin.

:What's up?:

Everyone paused and looked at Prowl who had just noticed the hoo-haw and joined in. Venture looked at Miler and grinned. Looking at his son, he made a solemn expression. :Ironhide just told us Ratchet is sparked:

"**WHAT?!"**

Caro nearly dropped his stylus as he turned to face Prowl, who himself was halfway out of his seat. "Prowl? Is there something …?"

Prowl glanced from Ratchet to Prime to Caro, then sat. "I was hoping … I was thinking I would like to hear that last part. It was exciting. Somehow."

Caro grinned. "I think that futures are exciting too. Especially in the commodities markets right now. I will repeat that last part."

He did.

Prowl pretended to listen.

Everyone watched Prowl with a grin.

Except Optimus.

He looked slightly worried.

Prowl fixed his datapad with a stare while he proceeded to organize his thoughts inside.

**:WHAT THE FRAG DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE SPARKED! HOW CAN YOU BE SPARKED! LOSER!:**

Ratchet grinned, then hid behind his own datapad. :When two bots really love each other-:

The mountain slide of commentary and laughter that filled the space between everyone's audials took up a moment or two. By then, Caro was finished. He turned and looked at all the smiling faces sitting in the room and did the Cybertronian version of a blush. Everyone was smiling. He had done good. He glanced at Payload who would have orgasmed if he had less control as he watched the love of his life get the approval of the room.

Life couldn't get much better.

Unless you were tuned into the subtext.

:Loser:

:Whiner:

:Red aft:

:Priss:

:You have **big peds**, Ratchet:

:You have …: Ratchet paused. There was nothing about Prowl that wasn't balanced, beautiful, even perfect.

Prowl smirked, a feral light in his optics. :Well?:

:Boo-hoo. Let's get drunk tonight:

:You're on:

Prime looked at the two squared off over the table and grinned. "Is there anything for the good of the order?" he asked sweetly.

=0=TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	202. Chapter 202

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 38 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-After the meeting

They wandered out, heading for wherever they were supposed to go but for the usual suspects. Prime sat grinning at Ratchet and Prowl who sat glowering comically at each other. "You two are impossible."

"You're on my side," Prowl said glancing at Prime with a gimlet optic. "Don't forget that."

"I won't," Optimus said. "What do we expect tonight? A call from the Night Watch to bail you out of the brig?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," Prowl said sitting back to stare at Ratchet pointedly. "I don't intend to get arrested."

"I don't either, Prowl, but you started every incident where I ended up in the brig so far."

Prowl looked at him for a moment, then sat back with a grin. "I did, didn't I."

Ratchet nodded. "That is why you are my hero and role model."

"You're mad, mech. If that were true you would be a model citizen," Ironhide said.

Prowl sat forward resting his elbows on the table. "You're making a mess of our ability to field medics, Ratchet. There are penalties for your insolence."

Ratchet grinned. "Do tell, Granny. As if I don't know what they are already."

"Good." Prowl looked at Ironhide. "Fork over that sparkling, soldier. Now."

Ironhide's smile faded instantly as he stared down the barrel of a very determined winger. "What sparkling?"

"If I have to go over there, Ironhide, there will be dents where the sun don't shine," Prowl said remembering dialog from an anime cartoon his infants liked to watch. He grinned inside and looked deadly serious on the outside.

Ironhide would have sighed if he could. He would have pouted and maybe even said no but he didn't. This was touchy ground and he surrendered handing over his daughter with only a minimum of grace.

"Well done, Prowl. That's probably a record," Ratchet said slipping his arm around the sagging mech of his dreams. "Buck up, big boy. We have a bun in the oven."

A flurry of up links were followed by a flurry of down links as they checked out the newest slang of the orn. Prime grinned. "Humans are nuts."

"They are." Ironhide decided to save his pout for later.

Prowl on the other servo cuddled a gigantically smiling Hero in his arms. "This is very cute," he said touching her light green Boing Boing hat, sweater, booties and blanket. "She's so little. When do they have the ability to regulate their internal temperature, Ratchet?" he asked as he settled the infant into the crook of his arm.

"It won't be for a while. In fact, Miracle and Orion can't do it yet. That's what our carry holds are for."

"We don't have them to hide snacks?" Optimus asked.

"That and sparklings. Gypsy has done a lot of research on our infant population and we're finding surprising things. Probably everything is surprising since we don't know jack yet," Ratchet said. "On Cybertron, there was heat in the core and we didn't have such extremes of temperature and weather. Here, we are being exposed to temperature swings and harsh weather. That requires that we modify our most vulnerable members in the harsher times so that they aren't harmed by this new circumstance. We have swings from sixty above to -279 below which is equal to vacuum. When the little mechs were tossed out into vacuum by Overlord's minions, they had less than a joor before they would have died from the cold."

"Frag Overlord," Prowl said darkly.

"No argument there," Ratchet said. "Gypsy is going to make a couple of television programs about this and they will be broadcast shortly. We don't know all we need to know about babies so its slower than we want it to be but it's getting there."

Optimus nodded. "Let me know what you need."

"We will," Ratchet said with a grin. "Come on, Ironhide. Get to work. Earn your keep. We need an apartment modification. You're on the clock. We have about six decaorns."

Ironhide glared at Ratchet. "I'll get it done."

"How about now?" Ratchet said. "I did my bit. Now you get to do yours."

Ironhide glanced at Prime who sat smirking at the big hulking bot. "I would do it. He has a point."

Ratchet stood and stretched. "Got work to do. See ya," he said to Prime and Ironhide. Glancing at Prowl, he nodded. "Outside Club Cybertron, sundown."

Prowl smirked and nodded curtly. "Be locked and loaded, loser."

"No problemo. I eat wingers for breakfast."

That met a load of chuckles so Ratchet turned and swished out with his helm and his freak flag held high. Prowl stood with a smirk of his own and with Hero safely tucked in his arm, he turned and walked out. "You'll get her tomorrow, Ironhide. Maybe." Then he was gone into the bowels of Ops Center.

Ironhide stared at the door, then turned to Prime. "Grabby thing, your bond."

"He is." Prime sat back to enjoy the dialog/diatribe that usually followed.

"A mech's sparkling isn't safe anymore," Ironhide said.

"No, it appears they aren't."

"A mech can be sitting with his sparkling and end up empty handed, Prime. What does that tell you about the state of things?"

"It tells me that you better get your apartment modified soon," Optimus said with a grin. "Who's going to tell the younglings they are evicted?"

"I have that in servo." Ironhide grinned.

-0-Elsewhere at the same time

A big mech walked to the door of apartment 23 on the 24th floor of a tower occupied mostly by older couples and families. Knocking, a youngling mech answered. "Hi," the big mech said. "My name is Parson from the Housing Authority and I want to talk to you about an upgrade."

The youngling mech joined by his significant other glanced at each other, then stepped back to allow Parson inside.

Ten minutes later...

A grinning pair of youngling mechs stepped into the hallway, their belongings packed and distributed over their own shoulders and the arms of Parson. Laughing together, the trio walked to the elevator nearby to 'move up'. Parson who was a field worker in the Housing Authority was the mech who would 'adjust' housing situations and problems for the city. If a mech had physical limitations, he got an apartment that accommodated them. If a new couple had a sparkling, he would make sure they had an apartment that would have space for their new addition.

If there were incompatibilities in housing between residents, he was the negotiator. Such was it then that Ironhide contacted Parson to explain their situation. Since Ironhide's family's apartment was as big as they got in the building, there were no other places to move. They both agreed that two apartments would have to be joined. They also agreed that the younglings next door would have to move. Two other families had registered complaints about noise and they were on a list of cases to be negotiated for solutions. The complainers were above and below the younglings.

A short chat and a new apartment in a youngling oriented tower in Terra was a good solution. The younglings were happy, the tenants above and below were happy and when Ironhide got the news, he was happy too.

In the here and now …

Ironhide stood and stretched. "I have to get the ball rolling. Parson at the Housing Authority let me know this morning that the apartment is open. The younglings are going to the youngling tower in Terra. It will be a better fit."

"I can see that," Optimus said as he stood as well. They walked into Ops Center where Ironhide paused long enough to see Prowl swaying with his back to them as he studied data on the monitor over the sensor station. Ironhide could see the little hat Hero wore. He vented a sigh and nodded to Prime, walking toward the door and the world beyond. Prime watched him go, then walked to Prowl who grinned up at him. "Is he gone?"

"He is."

"Good," Prowl said with a smile. "I love it when he pouts."

"I do too," Prime replied. They would spend the morning chatting, working and playing with Hero who showed them that she could sit up and tweet just like the big boys.

Atar, on the other servo …

Ironhide stood with the architect who was on staff at the Housing Authority for redesigns of existing structures and expansions. "Here are the possibilities, Ironhide," he said rolling out a datapad with the schematics of both apartments and their alignment together glowing softly on the screen. "What we can do is take out the wall between, expand your living room into this space," he said pointing to the living room of the other apartment, "and remodel the kitchen, removing it to give you the view of the outside all along the wall. The bedrooms that are actually on the other end of the apartment from yours can be modified. The little room can be used as you wish but the main berthroom can be modified to be a berthroom for say one of your older younglings. Or you can move into it and give up yours to keep them all together."

"Sunspot would have a berthroom that is bigger and has its own wash rack. That would be amazing," Ironhide said. "When can this happen and how long would it take, Razr?"

Razr considered that and did the math. "We have a unit team that is free now. The remodel will take about four or five orns. I will send the structural engineer and the site boss over now. They just finished a similar refit for a family in Terra that has ten younglings."

"They aren't Seekers?" Ironhide asked with surprise.

"Nope. They just don't know when to quit. Tell me again, how many younglings are we talking about now with you?" Razr asked with a grin.

"I lost count after the first one," Ironhide said with a grin. "Let's just say, Ratchet is a brooder."

Razr laughed. "Should I ask him?"

"Nope." Ironhide grinned. "I suppose that the interior design is sort of in your servos."

"You can tell us. We can redo the old part if you need a repaint. We are willing to accommodate ideas."

Ironhide nodded. "I'll tell old mech. Thanks, Razr. I suppose I should go home and be there when they come?"

"Good idea. I sent them a message while we talked and they just pinged back. Head on out and they'll be there when you get there."

"Thanks," Ironhide said with a nod. "I appreciate it a great deal."

"No problem," Razr said. "Glad to help."

Ironhide left the office and City Hall heading for home. By the time he stepped off his elevator, the door to the apartment next to them was open. He paused and stepped inside. He would spend three jours going over the remodel and by the time everyone left, the crew that would do the work had arrived.

-0-At the CMO's office, Autobot City Medical Center Tower

He walked in and sat putting his big old peds on the coffee table. Grinning with self satisfaction, he looked at Ratchet who had paused to get the word. "You see before yourself a bot that knows how to provide. I spark, I remodel, I am **IRONHIDE! CONQUEROR OF WORLDS!"**

"Do you have Hero back?" Ratchet asked with a grin.

"No," Ironhide said with a snivel.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	203. Chapter 203

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 39 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Later that same orn

Ratchet walked in and set down the 'take out' dinner he had gotten from a number of restaurants, the 'grocery store' in the Mall of Metroplex and a bakery. He turned and stared at the end of his apartment where a wall should have been.

It was gone.

The construction of apartments followed Cybertronian practice of metallic materials, any of which could be designed to simulate organic stuffs. The wall had looked like drywall with texture and color applied but it wasn't. It was designed to look like it but it was all metal. The wall was gone and the other apartment stretched on for what seemed like forever.

The crew that was working paused and nodded. "Hi, Ratchet," Bulkhead said as he paused long enough to step over stuff to reach the kitchen area of apartment 24.

"Hi, Bulkhead. I didn't know you were working for the Housing Authority."

"I am overseeing a master project," he said proudly. "Those four mechs are working for certification of their engineering degrees so that they can become general contractors."

"Wow," Ratchet said nodding to the four grinning younglings who were removing panels and getting ready to take apart the kitchen area of apartment 23. "Thank you in advance, boys. I am proud we get your certification job."

They grinned. "We're glad to do it, Ratchet," a tall youngling said with a smile. "This is going to be awesome."

"Then thank you again. I **know** it will be," Ratchet said. "Bulkhead forgot more about this stuff than most people ever know."

Bulkhead grinned and turned. "Let's get that cabinet and sink out of here, boys."

They turned to do that while Ratchet moved to the opening. "This is going to be stupendous, Bulkhead. The younglings will have room to run." He looked at Bulkhead. "When are you and Tyro going to consider the idea of family? You have been a soldier forever. You deserve to have it all now that we can."

"We're working on it," Bulkhead said with a grin.

"That's good to hear," Ratchet said. "We don't regret our family. All the sparklings we can get will help us live on."

"I know. Do you know I coach a micro-mini-con team with Scar and Payload?" Bulkhead asked.

"I heard that. The biggest bots with the smallest. I never miss a game from that league when they play on the sports channel. That was genius getting a show for the games to play regularly."

"It was. They needed to be on there," Bulkhead said. "All of the teams."

"The end games are coming up. How do you think you team will do in the finals?" Ratchet asked with a grin.

"They will rule," Bulkhead said with a chuckle. "Fortunately, we don't keep score. Spinner and Kip really took care of that."

Ratchet grinned. "They did. Dynamite can come in small packages."

"It can," Bulkhead said with a grin.

They stood and watched as the apartment slowly began to transform. The walls were unscrewed and the seals that contained noise and insured privacy were pulled out of their slots. The slots were unscrewed and taken away, dust and debris carefully removed as they went. By the time the kitchen portion was carried out, half of the apartment was empty. It was a clear wall of glass that extended along the wall from the missing kitchen to the end of the apartment beyond the corridors. They would insert missing glass where kitchen wall was and then leave for the orn. It would be spick and span, all major areas locked down and ready for more work the next orn.

It was a grade A production. Literally.

"Do you want to keep this door too, Ratchet or do we take it out?" Bulkhead said as he followed his youngling students to the door of apartment 23.

"I think it might be nice, Bulkhead but if it violates some code, use your discretion," Ratchet said with a nod.

"You can keep it. It's good," Bulkhead said.

"Good. Thank you all for such a great start," Ratchet said. They bid goodbye and left closing the door behind them. Ratchet stood in the middle of a gigantic space looking around. He walked to the corridor and noted the big berthroom, wash rack and smaller room across from it that was going to be a new office. They could park their official slag in a room designated for it.

It was awesome.

A door opened and infants hippity-hopped in chatting and blabbing away. They paused bumping into each other as they saw the extension of their kingdom. Orion looked at it, then glanced at Ratchet with a serious expression. **"ADA! WHAT?"**

"We have an upgrade," Ratchet replied as Ironhide removed their harnesses. Sunspot walked to where Ratchet was and looked up. "What is this, Ada?"

"Well, Sunspot, this is an extension of our house." Ratchet looked at Ironhide who nodded. "We're going to have a new sparkling."

Sunspot looked at him for a moment, then he smiled like the sun coming over the horizon. He raised his arms and Ratchet picked him up, the youngling hugging him hard. "Ada! This is so great! **I LOVE THIS IDEA! WHY DO WE HAVE A BIGGER HOUSE?"**

"So we can have space for all you sparklings. Did you know that we have to settle a problem?" Ratchet asked. "I think you might be able to do it."

Sunspot glanced at Ironhide who was grinning at him. **"OKAY! I WILL HELP YOU!"**

"You always help us, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said hugging the little mech tightly. "Our problem is … well, maybe I can show you." Ratchet turned and walked to the new berthrooms. He paused at the door. "This is a berthroom with a wash rack. We have a spare. What we need is a new room for the new sparkling. That means you must have a bigger room because that new sparkling needs to have yours. Do you want this one or do you want Atar and me to move in here and let you have ours?"

Sunspot looked at Ratchet with a startled expression. "You would move your room?"

"We would like to have our sparklings all together. If that means you want our berthroom to be close to your siblings or you want this one, it's up to you," Ratchet explained.

He looked at Ratchet, then Ironhide. "Can I see?"

Ratchet put him down and the little mech peered into the small room. "This is a little room."

"Its going to be an office for us and a study room for you, son," Ratchet said glancing at Ironhide who nodded.

"Wow. **I CAN STUDY IN HERE!"** he said with a giant smile.

"You can keep your desk in your room or you can put it in here with ours. It's up to you, son," Ratchet said as he enjoyed Sunspot's excitement.

Sunspot turned and walked into the other berthroom. It had a big berth, a dresser and a closet. It also had a wash rack. A bank of windows from floor to ceiling completed the décor. He looked around, then stared at his genitors as Orion and Praxus walked in to stand by him. They turned and looked up at Ratchet and Ironhide too. **"THIS HAS A WASH RACK! IT HAS A HUGE BED! THIS ROOM IS HUGE!"**

"It is. You pick which room you like and we'll help you set up in it. We can hang your boards on the walls and get even more since you earn so many badges," Ironhide said. "It's up to you, son."

Sunspot looked at them, then the room. Then he looked at Praxus and Orion. **"I LOVE THIS. I GET TO CHOOSE, ORION! I GET A NEW ROOM. YOU CAN COME AND PLAY IN MY NEW ROOM TOO!"**

Orion and Praxus caught up in Sunspot's excitement smiled ginormously and clapped their servos. Then they both reached out and took one of Sunspot's. Turning, they all three looked up at Ironhide and Ratchet with big smiles. **"ADA! ATAR! POT HAPPY!"**

Everyone blinked but Orion. Ratchet snorted and grinned. "He sure is, the little cutie. What do you want to do, Sunny Bunny. Do you want to think on it?"

Sunspot looked at them happily, then looked at his brothers who were patting his arms. He thought a moment. "They like to come sleep with me sometimes. I wouldn't want them to be scared. If I were closer, they would be able to find me easier."

"Then you want our room?" Ironhide asked.

"I don't want to have you move out and stuff," Sunspot said. "But they would love it better if I were closer to them."

"Done deal," Ratchet said. "We'll move out and help you move in when the builders are finished."

Sunspot smiled brightly. **"THAT IS SO FUN!"**

Ironhide grinned at his three mechs. "It is."

"Time for dinner. Put your school stuff up and we'll eat," Ratchet said as Sunspot and Ironhide began to herd the sparklings back into the old rooms to wash up and put things away. "Ironhide, where's Hero?"

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "Do you really have to ask?"

Ratchet's laughter followed him down the hallway with his sparklings.

-0-A few levels upward

"How long are you going to keep that sparkling?" Optimus asked as he sipped his 'coffee' after dinner.

"I think I'm going to get it from time to time to keep Ironhide off sides," Prowl said with a smirk. Hero grinned up at Uncle Prowl as he fed her dinner.

"You and Ironhide. You're two peas in a pod." He chucked and shook his helm. "Makes things fun."

Prowl grinned. "You can't make me feel badly. I'll drop her off at Alor's when I go. Ali asked me to."

"Poor Ironhide. Even his ada sticks it to him."

"All is fair in sparkling war, Only One," Prowl said with a self-satisfied grin.

"If you say so, Prowl," Optimus said as his little mechs, all four of them came running up for a wrestle and a movie.

-0-A joor later

"Thank you. Come in, Prowl."

Prowl entered the apartment behind Alor who had Hero in his arms. Blackjack who was sitting in a chair by the windows with Flint smirked. "Nice smooth move, Prowl. It's hard to separate Ironhide from his sparklings. Even for us."

"He does loves his sparklings." Prowl sat and grinned. "It makes it intensely fun to do it. I intend to do it often over the next few decaorns. Serves both of them right."

Laughter greeted that. "Ratchet has mentioned the competition," Alor said. "Personally, I don't think there can be too many sparklings. The more the better."

"My feelings exactly." He sat forward and looked at them seriously. "Jazz has cracked some intel from the Shockwave download this afternoon. We have located a camp that isn't close to the ones we want to hit. It is smaller but produces essential things for Cybertron's energy production. Rare metals and such. We will be talking about it first thing tomorrow. We are going to liberate the camp and bring all the population there back here as a dry run for the others. We will be using Alpha teams and that includes all of you."

They nodded. "How many are we talking about and how fortified?"

"Not very fortified. Considering. We will be looking at about 1000 captives and a garrison of about 1200 Decepticons and contracted workers for security and administration drawn from among enslaved alien worlds. They won't be loyal to the 'Cons which means about 300 of them are going to be neutral. 900 seems the expected number of troops."

"Okay. Do you suppose Jazz could route the information to us so I can study it against the star charts? I might be able to add to the plan given a chance to study it with Ali and Flint," Blackjack asked.

Prowl nodded and paused. Then he looked at the monitor overhead which blinked a tiny red light. "He sent it," Prowl said rising. He looked at Hero. "She's pretty wonderful. I don't blame Ironhide. He does love his sparklings. Who would know that such a terrible fighter could be such a femme?"

Alor snorted and laughed aloud, the baby looking up at him with a quizzical expression. "He takes after his atar."

They grinned at each other, old friends and comrades of many a long campaign. "I have to go. Old rust butt wants me outside the Cafe Cybertron at sundown."

"You going to get arrested again?" Blackjack asked.

"Magnus will throw a rod," Flint said with a chuckle.

"You can't unless you call me. I told you last time that you can't tear up the world without me. Promise me you will call before you get arrested," Alor said with a serious yet bemused expression.

"You have my word," Prowl said with a wolfish grin.

-0-A few moments later

"Hey, rust butt."

Ratchet walked to where Prowl stood waiting on the sidewalk outside Club Cybertron. "Are you talking to me?" Ratchet asked in his best Robert DeNiro impression.

"Yeah. Let's get loaded. If we get arrested, we have to wait until Alor comes. He made me promise."

"Ali would be a bonus for jail time. We'll call him. He'll kick our afts if we don't," Ratchet said as they turned to go to Maccadam's Old Oil House.

"Your in-laws rule," Prowl said with a smirk as he walked beside his most unlikely BFF.

"They do," Ratchet said as they walked into the night-time mob heading for home and clubs.

Watching them go, Sam Witwicky who was sharing a segway with his** VERY GOOD **friend, Jessie Landon who were there for the weekend, smiled. :How about following those two? They get arrested every time they go clubbing:

:Sounds like a winner: Jessie said. :I hear from the grapevine that Ratchet is sparked again. I want to hear it from him. If he doesn't call me for this one I will kick his ass:

Sam snorted and gunned the segway, the two disappearing after their quarry in a hurry.

Behind them watching with a smirk, Springer glanced at his bond. "Well, there they go. You ready for some fun?"

"We have to decide when if at all we intervene?" Drift said with a nod.

They turned and began to follow. "Optimus said just keep an optic on them. He didn't say intervene," Springer said as they merged with the evening crowd.

"You read my processor," Drift said with a chuckle.

Then they were gone from view.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)

NOTES:

GUEST: Thank you for spotting that error. You guys are awesome.

Someone wrote that this story was like a cookie and milk after a bad day. That is such a beautiful thing to hear. I hug you. I am sorting through my messages here to make sure I answer them all and that one eludes me. HUGS for it. Lovely stuff. I am really glad to entertain everyone.

The daily life for everyone is going to be interspersed with the serious stuff. Such is life, yes? The mundane and the profane. That is what I think makes this story swing for so many. It is what they do even when they are doing nothing. This is them reclaiming their interior life which has taken a backseat to war for too long. Ironhide is as bad ass as they get but he's tender with his family and funny with his friends. That is the thing for me. Give them a chance to rediscover who they are and should have been all along.

HUGS to all tonight. I have a moose on my front porch eating birdseed. Life is wonderful sometimes. You are all a part of that feeling for me.

More to come. :D


	204. Chapter 204

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 40 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-At Maccadam's Old Oil House

"My glass is empty." Prowl looked for the waiter and waved him over. It was the same waiter from the last time they decided to get shit faced together. He paused and grinned. "Keep them coming," Prowl slurred with a grin.

Ratchet snickered. "Do, youngling. We haven't been arrested in a while."

He snorted and grinned. "Okay." He turned to make it so.

"What do you think of the talent in this room, Prowler?"

Prowl glanced around. "I don't know very many of the mechs in here. I suppose there are a number of professions represented. I am sure there are many competent individuals."

Ratchet glanced at Prowl, then burst into laughter. A few of the mechs at tables turned to look. "I don't mean 'talent', Prowler," Ratchet said leaning in closer. Prowl leaned toward him as well. "I am asking you … if you could frag anyone in this room, who would it be? What do you think about the 'talent', doofus?"

Prowl did the math and concluded that he was indeed a doofus but that it peeved him that Ratchet said so. "Oh." He sat back giving Ratchet a glacial optic as he considered the 'talent' in the room. "Well, I think those two by the door are rather intriguing. They don't touch Optimus but they aren't bad."

Ratchet looked at the two by the door and smirked. "Which one would you do if we decided to do a twofer?"

After a moment of rumbling through the Urban Dictionary, Prowl looked at Ratchet. "I don't think I would choose the first ***Mrs. Optimus Prime***," he said with a slight irritation. "But the other one is cute."

Drift and Springer grinned at the two as they stood at the bar. Springer raised a glass to Ratchet who returned the gesture. "We've been made," Springer said.

"Don't make eye contact," Drift said with a smirk.

They chuckled and found a table near the door, settling back for the evening. As they did, Sam Witwicky and Jessie Landon swung in and paused long enough to find their quarry. With a rev of the segway, they headed off to where Prowl and Ratchet sat drinking.

:Hey! Ratchet and Prowl!: Jessie said. They stopped by the table and looked way the hell and gone upward. Two increasingly snockered bots looked down at them with a grin. :What's this I hear about you being sparked again, Ratchet?:

:You heard right: Prowl said. :The slagger is:

:What about you, Prowl? Isn't it about time?: Sam asked like a dumb ass.

Prowl looked at him a moment, then Ratchet. :Tell me again why we can't step on them:

:Ah, Prowler: Ratchet said with mock sympathy. He looked down at the humans. :Com me tomorrow, Jessie. I'm getting slag faced right now:

:I am holding you to it, Ratchet: Jessie said. She tapped Sam and the two turned heading off into the night.

"Those two are cute," Ratchet said watching them go.

"They are. Too small," Prowl said.

"I'm taller than you." Ratchet grinned as more drinks were delivered and glasses taken away.

"It's not the size of the package, Ratchet. It's the ..." Prowl paused to think. He thought a moment. "The package doesn't matter. Consider my Osimus."

"Osimus?" Ratchet asked as his final lucid moment receded into the distance.

"Yeah," Prowl said as he took a swig of another drink. "My Osimus is a big mech. He's the biggest mech I know."

"Bigger than Sentinel?" Ratchet asked as he thought about Ironhide who was a big mech too. "Bigger than my old mech?" Of course, Osimus was but Ratchet wasn't tracking too well after seven or eight drinks. Prowl was farther behind but had a lower tolerance than a medical vehicle.

"Ironhide is big. But Osimus is bigger," Prowl managed. He sipped his drink and settled back looking around the room. "He's the biggest mech in the city. Even that slagger Sentinel is smaller."

"I wouldn't know," Ratchet said with a softly vented sigh. "My old mech is one fine specimen. Sentinel on the other servo is a slagger."

They chatted and chugged, relaxing on their chairs by the window. Around them, the room pulsed with music, drinking and laughter. It was a mellow crowd in the room. As they sat by the window drinking, nearby Springer got a call. He glanced at Drift. "Those youngling high caste slaggers are at it again. There's a fight at the park in Metroplex. They want us there because their genitors are showing up. It could get out of hand."

"What about those two?" Drift said nodding toward Ratchet and Prowl.

"They seem to be parked. We'll hurry. I called for back up," Springer said as he drained his drink and stood up. They two turned and walked out the door to a free-for-all in the park with genitors on the side.

Prowl watched them go, then looked at Ratchet. "Did I tell you that Sentinel was fragging with Sunstreaker when he and Sideswipe were on duty at the prison?"

"No."

"He did. Bluestreak told me. I changed the schedule to get them out of there. I am not a happy mech, Ratchet."

"I can see that. Fragger."

"Who, me?" Prowl asked, his glass pausing before his lips.

"No. Sentinel. He's the slagger. You're my best friend."

They looked at each other with tearful optics.

"That Sentinel is a slagger. He's a fragger, Ratchet. He two-timed me. He was trying to frag Sunny when he was fragging me. What a total fragger," Prowl said with feeling.

"He is. He was playing you, Prowler. He was using your spark like a trampoline," Ratchet said with a drunk's exaggerated outrage.

"He was. I didn't get to talk about that last time. I was going to tell him what a sorry frag he was compared to Osimus," Prowl said angrily.

"You should," Ratchet said hotly. The idea of a fragger trying to frag **his** youngling while fragging with his BFF was a bit hard to swallow even for a medical vehicle.

Prowl considered that, then stood unsteadily. "Come on." With that, he turned and walked to the door and beyond.

Ratchet watched him, then stood and followed in a relatively straight line. They disappeared into the mall and beyond.

-0-Nearby at a near riot

Springer stood with the necks of two younglings in servo. Around him yelling and shouting, a dozen younglings were held apart by a line of Night Watch officers who had come to the alarm. A family sitting in the park having a nice evening were enveloped by a group of youngling mechs who had come together on the street beyond. They had been pushed back when the fighting reached them and had put out the call.

Drift decked a raging genitor who had come to the park to join the melee. The mech toppled over and the crowd stopped, all of them shocked that the former Governor-General of Altihex was laid out on the ground.

"Well, that was fast," Springer said dragging his younglings behind him as he stepped into the middle of the crowd. **"YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST!"**

The melee and its battling was over.

-0-Several moments later

"I don't see them."

"Neither do I."

"Optimus is going to be pissed."

"Not at the ex-missus," Springer said with a grin. They both turned and headed out to find the two drunks who outranked both of them, wherever they were.

-0-On the street

They passed the Fortress on their way to the prison. As they walked, Prowl remembered a thing he was supposed to do. He mulled the fuzzy haze of his mind and then remembered. He made the call and they continued.

-0-At the apartment of the callee

"I'll be right back."

"Where are you going, Ali?" Blackjack asked as he looked up from the data that he, Alor and Flint had been working on as Hero slept on the couch nearby.

"I made Prowl promise to call me if he and Ratchet were going to be arrested," Alor said with a grin.

"It's going to happen?" Flint asked with a chuckle.

"Apparently," Alor said as he paused by the couch. Leaning down, he kissed Hero. "You might take her home, 'Jack. Your son is probably having a terrible evening." With that, Alor of Iacon and Praxus walked out the door to join the fun.

Flint looked at the door, then Blackjack. "Want to take Hero to Ironhide, then go see what's what?"

Blackjack considered that, then nodded. "Sounds like fun."

And they did.

-0-At the Prison

"Let's not go there," Prowl said nodding to the gate where the night crew were working. The Guard Center on the rise nearby was lit up and the city beyond along with the distant lights of Terra and Aerie Hill made the view beautiful and welcoming. "Let's sneak around the back. His barracks are over there. Slagger. He needs to be hung upside down in a meat locker."

Ratchet snorted, then laughed. "That's a nice picture."

"Thank you, Ratchet," Prowl said looking at his tipsy partner. "You know, Ratchet, I never did slag like this before you. I was always so proper and by the book."

"I noticed. I'm a bad influence on you. You're slagging perfect, Prowler."

"No, you're a good influence. I bonded with Osimus because of you. I have a family. You listen to me and you always saw what I could be underneath the facade."

"I did," Ratchet said nodding. "You were fun. I don't think you knew that."

"I don't think I did either. You're my best friend. Besides Osimus. You know that," he said to both Ratchets who stood swaying beside him with a maudlin expression on both their faces.

"I do," Ratchet said. "You're mine. You're a good mech, Prowler. You deserve the best."

"I have it. Good old Osimus," he said with a teary tone to his voice. "I think I need to tell old Sentinel what a fragger he is, the two-timing slagger."

"Come on. Let's reconn," Ratchet said as he staggered toward the far end of the security zone that was the Autobot Military Prison of Mars.

-0-On the streets

Drift and Springer caught up with Alor as he rounded the corner of Tower Road and Fortress Highway. They paused. "Hi, Alor. Where are you going? Something happening at Ops Center?"

"Nope," Alor said with a grin. "I got the word from Prowl that he and Ratchet are going to probably be arrested and I'm tracking them."

"Oh frag," Springer said with a grin. "We were supposed to keep them out of the brig. Where are they going? To the prison?"

"It would seem so," Alor said as the three turned to head in that direction. They disappeared into the darkness together.

-0-On the road as well

They walked out of their tower, the three of them heading for the prison together. They reached the corner of Tower Road and Fortress. Flint glanced at Blackjack. "Ratchet hasn't changed a bit."

"No," Blackjack said with a grin. "He's as wild aft as he ever was."

Optimus grinned in spite of himself. "I won't argue with that."

They disappeared into the darkness as they headed swiftly to the prison down the road beyond.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	205. Chapter 205

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 41 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Reconning

They walked in the darkness heading for the place where destinies met.

Prowler machino-a-machino with Sentinel Prime.

That was the plan.

That Bluestreak would appear out of the dark, his rifle slung over his shoulder was a surprise.

To both sides.

"Prowl."

"Blue."

"Blue!"

"Ratchet?"

"Blue!"

"Prowl?!"

"Blue ... shhhh."

"Shhhh?"

"Shhhh."

Pause.

"What the frag?"

"Blue ..."

"Ratchet? Ratchet!"

"Blue ... shhhh!"

"Shhhh, nothing. What are you two doing here?!" (Grab. Grip. **WALK! WALK! WALK! **Pause)

"I'm here, Bluestreak, to slag Sentinel."

"Prowl... not again. You'll end up here as a resident."

"Now Blue..."

"No 'now Blue', Atar. They'll put you in irons."

"No irons can hold my best friend in the whole world, right, Prowler?"

"That's right. Now, Blue, you have to stand over there and give me a clear shot."

"The frag I will."

"Frag yes. I'm your father and you will do what I say."

"You're loaded."

"I know." (grin.) "My best friend over there and I are loaded. Right?"

Both laugh maniacally.

"I'm going to tell Sentinel what I think of him two timing me with Sunstreaker. My own little Sunstreaker." (Miff ascending)

"Sunstreaker ... look. You two don't need to worry about Sunstreaker. I took care of that."

"Blue ..."

"What, Ratchet?"

"I forgot." (goofy laughter)

"Magnus is up at the Control House and if he thought you two were here he would punt you both into orbit."

"Atar. You called me atar." (Huge teary grin accompanied by quivering chin. **HUGE ENVELOPMENT OF BLUESTREAK BY A MAUDLIN WINGER!) "YOU CALLED ME ATAR!"**

"You are. Shhhh!"

"Who's shushing who?" A big medico grinned as he watched both Prowlers hugging both Bluestreaks. "That's so cute. Did I tell all of you that you're cute?"

"No," Prowl said.

"You two need to come with me before my shift partner gets here and it all goes to the Pit." (Pulls and drags two drunks who can barely stand beyond the pools of light and off the allotted land that comprised the prison proper.) "Stand here. I'm going to get off duty on an emergency and take you both home to sober up." He shot them nuclear optics. "Stay put! Do you hear me!?"

Both standing side by side nod. Both watch him walk off. "He's one bossy bessy," Ratchet said with a cackle.

"He is. That's my boy," Prowl said with a tearful quiver in his voice. "I have four at home. Did I ever tell you that?"

"I think you did. You and the bond. You're doing good."

"I have five boys. Nice having five boys. Osimus and I, we love our boys."

"I noticed that, Prowl. You're a father of the year in my book."

Prowl looked at Ratchet. "Really?"

Ratchet nodded. Prowl grabbed him in a bear hug. Alor, Springer and Drift stepped out of the darkness at the same time.

**"LOOK, PROWL! THERE'S THOSE GOOD LOOKING MECHS FROM THE BAR! THERE'S ALI TOO! HI, ALI!" **Ratchet said in his general happiness.

Alor snorted and walked forward hugging both of the two drunks hard. "You two are loaded."

"We called you," Prowl said with a grin from the middle of Ratchet's hug. He was actually maintaining balance with the big bot's help. Ratchet was maintaining balance by leaning just so against the smaller winger. It was equilibrium.

"You did. What are you doing out here?" Alor asked as Springer and Drift settled in for the fun.

"Shhhh," Prowl said staring at the big black Autobot pointedly. "We're doing recon."

"I see. Can I help?" Alor asked with a chuckle.

"Sure. We're stalking Sentinel. I'm going to slag him. My buddy here," he said hugging Ratchet tightly, "is helping me. We're on recon. Did I say that?"

"You did, Prowl," Alor replied with a grin. "Who's on duty here?"

"My son! He called me atar," Prowl said with a huge smile. "My boy called me atar!"

"That's nice, dear," Alor said walking up to take Prowl's arm. "I think we need to sober up."

"Not until I kick Sentinel in the codpiece. He was two timing me with Sunstreaker." Prowl's wings literally quivered.

"I know he was two timing you but Sunstreaker?" Alor asked with surprise.

"What? You knew?" Prowl asked with surprise.

"I'm sorry, Prowl, but it was common knowledge. He cheated on everyone he dated. You lasted the longest if it's any consolation."

Prowl looked at him. "It isn't."

Prime, Flint and Blackjack stepped out of the darkness and paused, amusement on their faces. Behind them, Ironhide appeared. Everyone turned to him. "Where are the sparklings?"

"Ravie and Tie have them. What's going on? Old mech? What did you do now?" Ironhide asked with a snort.

"Ironhide! I just ***love*** you," Ratchet said in his maudlin alcoholic haze.

Everyone snorted and looked at Ironhide who stood with a smirk on his face. "He's really drunk."

"He's my best friend. After Osimus that is," Prowl said, a tear in his voice. "Ratchet is my **best** friend."

"He's really drunk too," Ironhide said to 'Osimus' with a grin.

Optimus nodded and chuckled. "They look cute when they're slag faced don't they."

Everyone nodded with a grin at that sentiment. Then Prowl pivoted and walked toward the prison. **"SENTINEL PRIME! GET OUT HERE, YOU TWO-BIT, TWO-TIMING FRAGGER!"** He disappeared into the darkness.

Everyone looked at each other, then turned as one to follow. Everyone that is but Ratchet. He stood considering his great love of his Onliest Only One. Venting a sigh, he looked around to find himself alone. Then he turned to find everyone and disappeared into the darkness.

In the other direction.

-0-Inside the Prison Control House

"Sir, I'm picking up an anomaly."

Bluestreak entered at that moment. "Sir, I need to go. I have a family emergency."

Magnus glanced at him. "Okay. We'll get the auxiliary stand by to come over." He looked at the comm officer. "What is the anomaly?"

"There are about a half a dozen or more mechs either at the border or just inside the perimeter with one heading straight for Cell Block B. Check that. Make it all of them but one."

Bluestreak nearly threw up in his mouth.

-0-In the Barracks

He heard a voice call him out, a familiar voice so he got up and walked to the door. Exiting, the others following, he walked to the end of the porch and peered into the darkness beyond. Prowl of all bots was standing there locked and loaded calling him out.

Life had just gotten exciting again.

He stepped down and walked to the light pool that bordered the fence. Inside it on the other side of the fence was Prowl who looked pissed off and ready for violence.

He also looked incredibly good.

Sentinel walked close to the fence. Nodding, he smiled slightly. "Prowl."

**"YOU TWO BIT TWO-TIMING FRAGGER!"** Prowl exclaimed.

"And hello to you too," Sentinel replied. As he replied, Optimus, Ironhide, Alor, Flint, Blackjack, Drift and Springer walked into view as well. He paused. "What brings the circus to town?"

**"YOU!"** Prowl replied, his wings quivering.

Optimus regarded Sentinel with loathing but didn't say anything. Drift and Springer passed the group and took up station on either side. Ironhide moved closer to Prime. "What do you want to do?"

:Nothing yet: Prime replied. They stood quietly, Flint, Blackjack and Alor fixing their gaze on Sentinel.

"What do you want, Prowl. Spell it out." Sentinel watched the emotions play over Prowl's face, emotions that he had seen many nights over many years of their intimate association. Prowl was feeling rage at him for some transgression that he could only feel deeply when drunk. He was trying to say something about it even now but it was hard sledding. Prowl was a seriously controlled mech with any number of internal measures that kept him calm and collected no matter how hard things were.

He liked that.

Sentinel liked pushing Prowl, seeing how much it would take to make him scream. They had a few memorable arguments before the last time when Prowl had broken nearly everything he owned in his apartment throwing it at his retreating back. He decided to test the waters again, this time with everyone watching.

"Prowl, you need to go and sober up."

"Frag you, Sentinel," Prowl said moving to the fence. He was radiating heat from his outrage. "You are where you belong. I wanted to tell you a few things before but I didn't get a chance."

"And what would that be?" Sentinel asked blandly.

"You are terrible in the berth." Prowl hissed it out, his voice barely carrying.

Sentinel felt it strike into the heart of his pride but it didn't register on his face. "Well, it takes two to tango as the humans say. I can only work with what I have."

A gasp escaped everyone listening and optics glanced at Prime in spite of themselves. Prime was a statue, his affect otherworldly as he stood watching without making a move. Sentinel glanced Prime's way and noticed that his affect hadn't changed. Glancing at Prowl, he noted the smaller bot was seething with fury, his aura bright with heat. "You need to go home, Prowl."

"You need to step out of that fence and face me, Sentinel. I'm going to kick you in the codpiece. I'm going to go Metallicato on your aft."

"That's illegal and we're all about legality here aren't we," Sentinel said rather enjoying himself. Behind him, the residences of his barracks stood watching silently on the porch. "You come here to challenge me and I kick your aft. Go home before you get hurt."

"Frag you," Prowl said as sobriety asserted itself in the heat of his fury. His clouds lifted and he felt himself again. He was clear helmed and in control once more. "Come out and play, Sentinel. Let's see who's the fragger."

Sentinel looked at Prowl a moment. "You are incredibly good-looking, Prowl. As handsome a bot as I ever had but you are still a needy little youngling. You should have let this go a long time ago. What does that say about you?"

Prowl looked at him with intense fury. "What does it say about you, Sentinel, that you are on that side of the fence and I'm not? You are a traitor to your people. You abandoned them to the enemy at the moment of their greatest need. You are a coward for doing that, you and the other scum over there. You pretend to be above it all but you aren't. You are the saddest sad sack I know. I just wanted to tell you that in every measure of a mech, Sentinel, you fail. You aren't mech enough to even stand in Optimus's shadow."

It was silent a moment, then Sentinel turned and walked back to the barracks. He entered and the others followed. Prowl watched them, then started. He turned and looked at the others who stood staring at him solemnly. "Are you okay, Prowl?" Alor asked quietly.

Prowl considered that, then nodded. "I think so." He vented a sigh and looked at Prime with a pained expression. "Are you angry?"

Prime smirked slightly. "No," he said quietly as Prowl walked into his embrace. "I am just concerned for you."

Prowl hugged him tightly. "I feel a lot better."

"Then I'm fine too," Optimus said hugging Prowl back. He turned and looked at the others. "At least Magnus isn't here."

A chuckle lowered the tension, then Alor startled. "Where's Ratchet?"

They all looked around themselves, then turned and hurried into the darkness the way they came. As they did, Magnus stepped into the pool of light with Bluestreak. "Go help your atar, Blue," Magnus said quietly.

Bluestreak nodded. "Thanks, Magnus," Blue said as he hurried forward and disappeared too.

Magnus stood looking after him, then the barracks where the prisoners lived. He stared at it, then turned and walked into the darkness himself as he headed back to the Control House again.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)


	206. Chapter 206

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 42 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In the darkness nearby

He paused and looked around, the broken field of rocks that stretched out to the horizon seriously devoid of welcome. Gazing around in his blitzed out state, Ratchet wondered where everyone was hiding. Somewhere in the blotto world of his line of vision, a number of mechs were supposed to be standing. They weren't.

Frag.

He turned at the sound of footsteps and smiled as he heard the sound of peds coming his way. Smiling like a drunk, swaying like a sot, he waited with that sort of good humor and contentment that only the seriously drunk can find. Ironhide, Alor and Drift stepped out of the darkness to enter the dimness of his starlit sentience. "Only One! You came! You saved me!"

Ironhide snorted, grinning as Ratchet launched himself at his big old daddy-o. Ironhide gripped him and they hugged. "Ironhide, I was lost. You saved me. You're my hero."

"You're really drunk, mech. Let's find a medic and get the cure," Ironhide said as he peeled Ratchet off and turned him to go. Alor took Ratchet's other arm and they disappeared into the darkness once more.

-0-At the conference room in Ops Center

Ratchet sat watching the birdies circling his processor with a big old grin. He had hugged Prowl, Alor, Smokescreen at Communications, Jazz who happened to be leaving his office, Prime, Ironhide, Alor, Prowl who grinned and hugged him back, Ironhide and Prime. When Gypsy came and gave them both the cure, he relaxed. "What happened?"

"You and Prowl got slag faced, went to the prison and called Sentinel out. Again," Springer said as he stood leaning against the wall, a grin on his handsome face.

"Oh," Ratchet replied with his own grin. "Was I awesome?"

"You were," Drift replied.

"Don't encourage him," Ironhide said with a smirk. "Mech is hell on wheels as it is."

Prime sat beside Prowl, his arm around the back of Prowl's chair. "How do you feel?" he asked the winger.

Prowl who as oscillating between intense embarrassment and a sense of empowerment for slagging Sentinel and remembering it correctly looked up at his bond. "I'm fine. You?"

"I'm fine if you are," Optimus said warmly.

Prowl leaned into him.

"What now?" Alor asked, ever practical.

"Well, I think boy's night out is over," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet who was still swimming out of the muck.

"Okay," Ratchet said with a big sappy grin.

They all stood and Prowl turned to Alor. "Thank you for coming, Ali."

"I told you I would kick your aft if you didn't call me," Alor said with a chuckle. "That is a standing order."

Prowl smirked slightly. "I don't do this very much. Just once in a while. It usually doesn't have such a bad end."

"Old mech is a bad influence on you," Ironhide said glancing at Ratchet as he stood up.

"No," Prowl said seriously. He looked at a spot on the table. "Ratchet comes to keep me safe. You're a good mech, Ratchet."

"You are too, Prowler," Ratchet said, his own expression serious as well. "And you are the funniest drunk I ever met."

Chuckles filled the room as Prowl grinned at Ratchet. "My son called me atar."

"I noticed that," Ratchet said glancing at a slightly pensive Bluestreak.

"You are," Blue said nodding. "You are also going to give me spark arrest if you keep this up."

"He won't," Optimus said. He looked at Prowl pointedly. "I am assigning body guards for any future jaunts you take on the wild side. No more recon mechs," he said looking at Drift and Springer. "You are assigned to them for the duration the next time they go out and get slag faced."

"Awesome," Springer said grinning.

"I'm coming too," Alor said.

"Me too." -Blackjack, Flint, Smokescreen who was kibitzing at the door, Mirage who had followed Jazz into the room after he got his hug from Ratchet, Gypsy who wanted to hang around and enjoy the fun, Bluestreak who wanted to paddle, then hug the daylights out of both, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe who were listening on the bond connection from their duty on the Trigger, Ironhide who wanted to clunk their helms together and Prime who just wanted Prowl to be safe.

Like that.

They began to file out and head back to their apartments in the city. The walk was bracing and by the time they reached their floors, the high grade had worn off and they were lucid. A chat on the 24th floor was lingering with all parties breaking for their respective doors. Tie and Ravie got the executive version and with nuclear optics in the direction of their wayward boy, they left to go home with profuse thanks.

Ratchet looked around. "Are the sparklings in bed?"

"They are," Ironhide said with a grin.

Ratchet turned, walked to the berthroom and into the wash rack. He stood under the water a moment, then shut it off. Ironhide handed him a towel and soon he was sitting on the berth sagging. Ironhide sat down next to him. "You're a crazy slagger."

"You knew that going in," Ratchet said looking up at Ironhide with a grin.

"One more page in the legend," Ironhide said leaning in to kiss his bond.

"I think so," Ratchet said. "I can never let Prowl go tie one on alone."

"And you never will. You have Drift and Springer as chaperones."

"Not bad. The former Mrs. Osimus Prime and his frag toy," Ratchet said with a grin. "I'm good to go."

The slow burn of jealousy that always arose when Ratchet remarked on other mechs lit Ironhide for a moment, then tamped itself down. "You are a slagger."

"I know. You're happy that I am or you would be without a sparkling when Hero goes to school one of these fine orns," Ratchet said.

"There's no hurry for her. I can manage two sparklings. I can get another bag for the new one." His cute little pug face was adorable in its needy need for approval from The Boss.

Ratchet grinned. "We'll see."

"Tell me what you have in mind for this new one, Ratchet."

Ratchet rose and stared down at him. "No deal. You said you would abide by the terms of this contract. No hints, peeks or other signs of pitifulness by you until the third day of the naming period. You will find out and see at the same moment as the rest of the city. I won't even allow you to see him when he animates his protoform. I am going to care for him those three orns myself. All of you, family and all are going to be on the other side of the barrier. You agreed, Ironhide," Ratchet said, his optics narrowing.

"I must have been drunk," Ironhide said rising. He looked at Ratchet and hugged him tightly. "Going to be a long waiting time."

"I know," Ratchet said. "I wish it were over myself. This is going to be one stellar sparkling."

"They all are," Ironhide said as he gently swayed. They would stand that way for a while, then go to bed.

Thus endeth the evening(th).

-0-At the Residence of the Prime

They lay together in the darkness, their evening ending in passion and love. He had watched Prowl and felt despair. Yet somehow this time, Prowl's spark seemed lighter. They had fallen into passion together almost as self defense.

"Are you awake?"

"I am, Prowl."

"I am sorry for this."

"I'm not. You obviously needed to do it."

Pause. "I am sorry what I said."

"I don't care."

"I didn't mean to bring up our … relationship in front of you. That part of me doesn't exist anymore, not since I found you."

"But it does and it hurts you. There's sorrow in your spark over this. I'm sorry for that."

Prowl raised his helm off the chassis of his bond. "You are so perfect to me, so wonderful and amazing. You have nothing to be sorry for. I was with you all these millennia. I saw you under every manner of pressure, emotional trauma and despair. You made decisions that were soul killing but you did them because they were what our people needed. You saved the AllSpark and prevented the destruction of our world. You are the most noble and good spark I have ever met. Just finding you and being with you is all I could ever hope for. You were that close to me every orn and I missed you. Do you understand?"

Prime nodded. "I felt the same way about you. I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Ratchet made it happen," Prowl said settling into Prime again. "I don't like to think about Sentinel and all of that. He will never be a tenth the mech that you are. I am sorry that I give in and things happened with him. He wore me down. He was cruel to me, Optimus. But being with you makes everything right. We have a family and a home. I love to take care of you."

"You take care of everyone," Optimus said as he rubbed Prowl's shoulder gently with his digits. "You have kept us upright and moving all this time. I love to come home."

"I do too. Thank you for coming for me."

"I will always come for you, Prowl."

It was quiet a moment. Then Prowl vented a soft sigh. "I love you," he said simply.

Prime felt a radiance in his spark as the warmth of the words settled in over their link. "I know," he said quietly pulsing back the same.

The night outside lingered as the soft light of the stars lit the room with its silver radiance. It was quiet and still. It was perfect.

-0-On the beat

"Those two are something else."

"I know. It looks like we have a permanent date on the schedule the next time Prowl decides to tie one on."

Drift smirked. "Sounds like fun."

"I'm not complaining. Want to go to the lock up at Substation #4 and check out the younglings and their genitors?" Springer asked.

"I would love to," Drift said as the two turned and headed for the jail holding the rioters. Magistrate's Court would be swinging the next orn. It would be fun.

-0-In Apartment 21 on the 24th floor

"Ratchet is a piece of work."

"He is. Next time you make a deal to join them when they get arrested, let us know," Flint said as he paused on the way to his room. "I want to go too." With that, he turned and disappeared into his room for bed.

Alor grinned and glanced at Blackjack. "Life is never going to be dull. Not here, not now anyway."

"No, it isn't," Blackjack said as he finished clearing off the table. "Ironhide did good."

"He sure did," Alor said as he disappeared into the berthroom.

"I'm still taking Hero in the morning," Blackjack said with a grin.

And he did.

-0-TBC

2013 (2)

NOTES:

JC: They are aren't they? Prowl can loosen up and say and do what he can't when he's sober and Ratchet is more Ratchet. :D :D :D


	207. Chapter 207

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 43 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-The next morning

He stood at the place where a wall once was and stared at the empty space. This was good. The sparklings could actually run back and forth in the extension and all would be good. Not great. That much hoo-hah seldom was but good indeed.

"Here they come."

A voice broke his reverie and he turned as a flood of infants began to stream in. Orion and Praxus followed by Sunspot ran toward him hugging his legs. He grinned and petted them. "Good morning, sleepy helms."

"**HI, ADA! WE CAME TO SEE THE EMPTY PART!"** Sunspot's joy was infectious and Ratchet laughed. "Go. Explore. Don't touch anything that might bite back."

He nodded and looked at Orion and Praxus who were smiling at him. "Come on. Let's go look." With that, three little mechs took off and disappeared into the rest of the extension

Ironhide walked out, Hero in arms and paused. "How's the hangover?"

"What hangover?" Ratchet asked with a smirk. He kissed his daughter and turned, the three watching the other three play hide and seek in the new space. Hysterical screeching of sparklings being chased by 'IT' was amusing and even more amusing was how hard Sunspot tried to not make it too easy for himself to tag one of them. "He's a good mech, our Sunspot."

"The best," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "Hey!"

They all froze and looked at him.

"Breakfast." He grinned as they flooded back pausing to stare upward like little birds in a nest waiting to be fed. "Go and sit."

They turned and hurried to the table, Orion and Praxus being hoisted into their chairs by Sunspot. Ratchet turned and walked to the kitchen retrieving bowls and sippie cups, plates and utensils. When all were served, they sat and ate together.

"When will the workers come, Ada?" Sunspot asked around the food in his mouth.

"When we leave for school and work."

"I have to write them a thank you. And maybe put a picture on it too," he said musing on the situation.

Ironhide looked at him and nodded. "That would be a good idea, Sunspot. Manners are always nice. They are the key that unlocks every door." He glanced at Ratchet. "There's a military meeting this morning about some intel Jazz put together out of the Shockwave download. Prime thinks we have a target to liberate."

Sunspot looked at him. "Do you want me to go too? I can help you. I've been in combat before."

They both paused and looked at the earnest innocent face of the little Seeker. "Not this time, son," Ratchet said quietly. "You're too veteran for what we need."

He looked at Ratchet and nodded. "Okay. But when you need me, I will come and help you."

"We know, son," Ironhide said. "What you can do that is the most help is being a good example of the little ones. Going to school everyday, helping around the house, playing and being a youngling … that's gold to us."

"It is?" he asked. Then he nodded. "Alright. I'll help the sparklings as best I can."

"You always do. You're a stellar brother, Sunny," Ratchet replied.

He grinned. "I love them."

"They love you," Ironhide said looking at Orion and Praxus. The two sparklings paused and grinned at him around their cups. "See? They're already better mechs because of you. And this one?" he said looking at Hero who sat on the table taking bits of bites from their forks looked up and smiled. "Little femme can sit up early because of you."

Sunspot looked at Hero and grinned. "She's so pretty. I love her." He glanced at Ratchet. "Ada? What about this new sparkling? Who gets to name him?"

"I do," Ratchet said with a smile. "My turn."

"Does that mean we don't get to know until the naming day?" he asked.

"Yes. It also means you don't get to see him until then either. Your Atar and I have a game going and he lost." Ratchet grinned. "So he has to wait just like you sparklings."

"Atar, you goofed," Sunspot said with a huge grin.

Ironhide snorted. "It happened nine million years ago," Ironhide said with a smirk.

"Bonding with me was the best thing you ever did," Ratchet said with a grin.

They bantered and chatted, told jokes and got the work part of morning over. When they lined up to go to school with their atar, Ratchet reviewed the troops. "Servos?"

Four pairs of servos were presented including a smirking Ironhide. He barely passed inspection. Book bags were checked, harnesses inspected and kisses dispensed liberally. Then the hats came out. After a moment of fuss by Orion and Praxus and a gimlet optic from their Atar, they walked to the wash rack to look in the big mirror. Pausing, looking with intense amazement and gathering joy, three sparklings checked themselves out.

"**ADA! THIS IS AWESOME!"** Sunspot exclaimed. **"THIS HAT IS CUTE! LOOK AT THEM!" **he said pointing to Orion and Praxus who were looking at him with giant grins.

A little black sparkling wearing a black hat with mouse ears and another wearing one a fuzzy cat hat blinked and grinned. After a few moments dissuading them not to take them off, they all turned to look at Sunspot. He was transfixed by the spikes of his dinosaur hat that disappeared over the top of his little head. "This is so cute!" He turned and looked up at his genitors. **"I LOVE THIS!"**

"I knew you would. Your little helm will be warmer and it will help you learn," Ironhide said with a bit of pride. "I think anything that helps you is a good thing, son."

"Thank you, Atar. This is so fun!" Sunspot said with a giant smile. He looked at his brothers who were looking up at him with big grins. **"THEY LOOK SO CUTE! DON'T THEY LOOK CUTE?"** he asked looking up at his parents.

"They look as cute as you, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Let's go show the city how cute you all are."

With that, they began to turn the herd and walked to the door together. As they exited, they paused as Tie Down and Ravel came out of their door. Exclamations were made over the sparklings, who hugged each other in their excitement over being so noticed. Then Alor and Blackjack exited their home, pausing with delight at the sight. Hero who was lying in Ironhide's arms wore her Hello Kitty garb and blanket. Alor of course took her and grinned at his son who shook his helm in resignation. "Sparkling's too cute. She ends up everywhere but where she belongs."

"Wait until the next one," Blackjack said slapping his son on the back. With that, Tie Down, Blackjack and Ironhide took the remaining infants and turned to go to the underground and the school beyond.

It was a typical morning.

Ratchet, Alor and Ravel watched them a moment, then Alor grinned. "How's the hangover?"

Ratchet smirked. "You just want to see my ada slap my aft."

"True, that," Alor said glancing at a miffed Ravel.

"Ratchet, what is the meaning of your ramblings? You have a family and a job in the city that requires more sense," Ravie said, his face frowning comically.

"Ah, Ada," Ratchet said leaning down to kiss Ravel. "You are so cute when you're upset."

"You can't make me feel better by that," he said, his expression turning in spite of his resolve. "You must have better sense, son. Mr. Magnus will throw you in jail I am told. He has a low tolerance of this sort of thing. He is the city manager after all."

"I know, Ada. I'll do better," Ratchet said slipping his arms through Ravel and Alor's. "Let's go." With that, they turned and ambled on talking sparklings, remodels and where to have lunch together later on.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl stood at the communications station getting the overnight intel. It was a quiet night relatively. The readings on Paragon's fortress indicated big progress on digging in and building out. They would begin their psyops operation against him shortly. Jazz would cover the production of the information they would send and he would coordinate it with his counterpart, Elita.

Fort Apache had sent the latest intel regarding the migrations ahead. They were constant now. There were very few orns between them and that gap was closing. It would appear that they would have an endless stream of very large migrations soon. The word had already been sent to Magnus. Housing construction on the board and on the ground would triple the population capacity of the city. They would build and build based on projections on the table right now.

Two new industrial parks were being built, one already halfway finished and the other in the groundbreaking stage. There were ample workers so the two projects would be in completion in no time compared to the old orns when it took forever. Supplying the building sites would require round the clock production at peak from all the current plants. The new ones would make it much easier to keep up with orders.

Three new housing sites were under construction around Terra. Autobot City would be built out to the north merging eventually with Aerie Hill. They would be separated by a curving swath of parkland so that they would have their own identities but in time the population expansion would go that way too.

Soundwave was making noise but nothing more than that could be ciphered over the distance involved. Another flight of super fast Seekers with hyper sensors was necessary he thought as he looked at the data. Soundwave appeared to be expanding his operation. What was being added was unclear. They would have to seek that information out.

A near riot had occurred in the park of Metroplex the night before. He frowned. It was the same kids from the migration, high and low castes. Apparently, some of their genitors had come for whatever reason and several were arrested as well including the ex Governor General of Altihex who apparently had been decked by Drift.

Oh-oh.

He would have to be the state's advocate in that trial. Apparently, speaking as a private citizen hadn't been enough. Perhaps speaking as the Prime's private representative might be warranted. He would have to clear it with Optimus and run it past Barron. The old system had abused the privilege. Having a mech speak for the Prime, even if it were a non-binding personal statement was a big thing and he didn't want it to be a tainting experience.

Turning, walking to the center table he scanned the other news. There was a big party at the Seeker Elder Hall. Apparently, they had elevated a femme to the Council of Elders to represent a clan that was still missing their leadership. He would have to send congratulations and a formal present from Optimus and one from himself.

He was nothing if not a traditional bot in many areas.

The heavy tread of Optimus Prime registered through his intense concentration and he turned waiting for the big mech to reach the table. Looking up, he nodded. "They're deposited?"

"They are. You should see the hats Ironhide has for the mechs," Optimus said with a chuckle. "Think furry cat, big eared mouse and dinosaur."

Prowl grinned. "You should see the hats I have coming for the little mechs."

Prime snorted and grinned. "I can't wait."

Drift and Springer followed by Kup walked in and paused by the table. "You look upright," Springer said.

"You look demotable," Prowl said with a gimlet optic.

"Best put a plug in it, youngling," Kup said to Springer who chuckled. "You missed the fun last night at the park. We arrested about 30 mechs. They're in the jail at City Hall. You might want to speak to them. Or not." He put his stogie in his mouth.

Prime nodded. "I think I'm getting sick of stupid."

"You and me both," Kup said nodding. "Want me to go slag them a little?"

"Don't tempt me," Optimus said with a grin.

The senior Autobots began to filter in, so they turned and began to walk to the conference room. Alor paused by the table, Ratchet in tow. "I had a great night. What about you?" he asked smirking at Prime.

"I had a nice walk," Optimus said as he paused to chat.

Prowl rolled his optics and turned heading for the conference room beyond. Miler who had come along to help answer any problems regarding the space bridges smirked. "Serves you right, youngling. When are you ever going to learn?"

Prowl paused to look at his ada, his optics stricken. Miler walked to him and hugged him tightly. "You do know you are supposed to call me to come along too?"

Prowl hugged his ada as tightly as he could.

-0-TBC

2013 (2) For Pip

NOTES:

LEONESS! Yes, it was you. And I liked it a lot. :D :D :D


	208. Chapter 208

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 44 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In a corner beside the Conference Room in Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"Your atar and I are upset that you are so disturbed by Sentinel. We want you to know that we are your resolve, Prowl. There is nothing you can do that we will ever not support. You are our son, our only infant and we will always be your strongest allies and refuge."

Prowl looked at his ada a moment, a million emotions rolling around in his chassis. "I never said I ever needed that from you and Atar but I always did. I was a square peg in a round hole my whole life."

"We know that now. I suppose we always did but we had our traditions and you know us," he said with a tinge of bitterness. "Traditional."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Ada. I am too. The cultural things, our beliefs … they matter and I fight for them every orn," Prowl said hugging his father.

"We were in a straight jacket, Prowl," Miler said looking at Prowl with the strongest sense of serious purpose. "Your father and I didn't even get to choose our bond. But we were meant for each other. The life you live now … you were born to live it. Don't despair over the past. Neither you nor your father and I can mend that. We can do our best in the now against the future."

Prowl nodded. "I know," he said. They hugged a moment, then gathered themselves entering the meeting together. Finding their seats side-by-side, Prowl looked at Prime who was watching both of them with a sense of relief on his handsome face. :Are we okay? Are you?:

:We are perfect: Prowl responded with the ghost of a smile.

Optimus nodded, relief visible on his face. He looked at his troops, all of which were present. Arcee closed the door and sat down again beside Magnus. "Thank you for coming promptly. We have intel that Jazz will detail now."

Jazz nodded and turned punching on a monitor. Overhead, the image of space and three worlds circling a binary star system appeared. "This is a minin' labor camp called The Place. That's what the internal memos in their regular communications designates the location as rather than its stellar coordinates. It is an end-of-the-line place for dissidents, political prisoners and anyone who has pissed Megatron off. They mine rare minerals for Cybertron that factor into the war effort.

"This camp is rather new, bein' built just before the capture of Shockwave. He was havin' to go way afield to find the things they needed to keep the machine goin'. The working component of the place has between 1000 and 1200 mechs who do the slavin'. The refining is done by captive aliens, about 300. That leaves about 900 'Decepti-creaps to deal with."

Blackjack leaned forward on his elbows. "Ali, Flint and I were going through the data and the plans for the installation that Jazz forwarded to us last night. We have a number of possible plans of attack and rescue in mind."

Prime nodded. Blackjack sat back as Alor arose and walked to a wall computer. Inputting data, he turned as three screens came on. For a moment, it was deja vu all over again as the second greatest tactician of the Autobot Armed Forces began to detail solutions with the help of the former Master of the Autobot Armed Forces. It wasn't lost on anyone.

It could have been HQ in Iacon during any period before The Fall.

"We have outlined a number of possibilities. The first component of the takeover will require stealth. Special ops teams will be dropped off by bridge to go into the arrays and early warning systems that orbit the world where the main installation and the mine is located. They will disrupt the sensors and communications systems so that they will go dark.

"Secondly, a Seeker flight coming from two different locations from space bridges will strafe the ground and destroy their command and control as well as their fleet. That has to be swift because the next part will be shock troops that land at the bases, both of them and take out the soldiers. I am open to those two parts being reversed. If the Seekers go first, they will alert that troops and locating them will be harder. What is your thoughts on this, Prowl?"

Prowl who was formulating a zillion things found the probability of Seekers first, troops second a much higher risk of casualties than the other way around. "I agree. Troops first using stealth, then the Seekers. If we can either get the troops first, or control them, then they won't be running to the ships or gun installations so easily."

Alor nodded. "You can see that we have three planets to neutralize. This one," he said pointing to one that was circling the stars on the farthest orbit, "is only used for arrays. They are unmanned according to the intel and design specs but nothing should be taken for granted. We can hit them thirdly. The planetoid here is just used for mining with the slaves brought over during the working orn and taken back at night. At least one third will be there under minimal guard.

"Consider this. First, we stealth the troops, landing ships with spec ops, then hit the ships and arrays with Seeker fire. After that, we mop up. I would advise using the 'Cons own systems to tell the prisoners to stay down and in their barracks or mines until we get them. All three sites have to be hit. We don't want hostages on the mining world anymore than we want them on the other two. We don't want to hurt our own or any of the alien subjects. Those we can return to their people or hear about them and their situation to find out the extent of Decepticon incursion into the galaxy. It could be that they won't be able to return which means we have to help them either come here or locate somewhere they can live."

Prime nodded. "I agree, Alor. Surprise is the key to this. It will be our shakedown venture into the bigger problem. I want limited casualties, complete surprise and a fist of iron. The Decepticons need to be gathered up quickly; hopefully without needless lives lost. I want only the best, most veteran troops. I want them to use small ships, the new Wrecker fighters and battle shuttles designed to be fast and brutal. I want them to give up rather than fight but if they fight, I want our people to win."

Everyone nodded.

"What sort of aliens are we looking at, Prowl?" Ratchet asked.

"We are looking at more than one kind. They're both organic and suited to low atmosphere, low gravity planets. One is humanoid and bipedal, speak by means of telepathy and look in relative design like humans. But they are unusual in that they have large heads, horns like humanoid cattle and a tail." He reached over and touched a computer. An image of a strange alien species came onto the screen.

The image slowly rotated. It showed a very big humanoid with very human-like hands and feet, a pair of matching arms and legs and a thatch of thick hair on its head that was captured in a long braid that hung down its back. Its helm was big but not too big. Its audials were rather unusual in that they included ears that extended like a dog. Two long horns grew out of their head offset to the side like those of a bison. The face wasn't unattractive but held features like that of a pugnacious bull. The other figure looked like it but was smaller.

"Prowl, are you aware of sexual dimorphism?"

"Yes," Prowl said glancing at Ratchet.

"That smaller creature shares too many features to be other than the female and/or male version of the same species. In some species, the female is bigger, like the tyrannosaurus rex. In others, like the humans, the males tend to be bigger. This is the same species."

Prowl nodded. "The other one is different." He punched a key. A schematic of the main computer system appeared and was clothed in a strong halo of yellow light. The circuits which should have glowed blue in the huge diagram were yellow. "That yellow light is an actual species. They are being used to facilitate the machinery to work harder and faster. They are an energy species that travels freely in space. They were captured and forced into servitude, an act that eventually depletes and kills them. We have to make sure that we don't hit their main installation. That is where the computers are in which they are enslaved."

"Slag," Springer said grimly. "How do we free them?"

"We shut down the machinery they are tied into. Just the machinery, not the computers. Then we do a sequence of codes which will reverse their installation into the system. That will allow them a gateway in which to leave. What I want to do is make sure they understand that we aren't part of what was done to them. Since they float through space as transient energy forms, I want to stay on the good side of them," Prowl said.

It was silent a moment. "When do we go, Prime?" Kup asked.

"We will design and modify the plan. Then we will gather and brief the troops. I want this plan trouble shot on big asteroids out in the Oort Cloud before we try it for real. We get one shot and this energy species is the most vulnerable. I want it clear that the computer system doesn't get hit. We hit the appendages, the sensors and arrays. The main system stays off the target list," Prime said as he stared at the monitors. "We need to start the process now. Only the most veteran troops, the crack stuff. I want the entire team to understand what's at stake here."

They all nodded.

"Springer, what happened at the park last night?" Prime asked.

He looked at Drift. "About eight low caste mechs were playing a ball game at the open end of the park. About twelve high caste younglings saw them and began to taunt. It got ugly enough that a family who was there called the substation and reported it. They moved away as the Night Watch in the area came. More officers came from other places eventually but not before fists flew. I would say the underground is awesome for that aspect alone. They began to sort the mess out when genitors began to come and register their complaints."

"High or low?" Ratchet said. "As if I have to ask."

"High," Springer said with a grin. "It got ugly. Apparently we didn't know who we were talking to. Drift decked Florus. You remember him? The ex Governor-General of Altihex?"

"Slag," Kup said chomping on his stogie. "You didn't call me, slagger."

"Sorry, old mech. Between babysitting drunks and trying to tamp down a riot, I couldn't reach speed dial." Springer grinned at Kup who glowered back. "Anyway, we put it down. Literally. Did I tell you Drift decked Florus? We dragged them off to the hoosegow."

"I sent a message to Barron that I want them held. I'm tired of this. I intend to hold a Prime Hearing on this matter and end it once and for all. I don't expect all of us to be friends, but having them already in court over this matter and having it happen again? They need further intervention."

"I remember you mentioning a Convocation of the Public Will," Miler ventured.

"I expect that we will have to have one eventually but I want to hammer this one more time," Prime said. "I asked Semi to join me in adjudicating this matter and settling it once and for all."

"Sounds like fun. Can I come?" Springer asked with a grin.

"As the former Mrs. Optimus Prime, I think you get to sit on the dais," Ratchet ventured.

The chuckles were welcome.

"I can't wait until one of Ironhide's old flames shows up so I can beat your aft, Ratchet," Prowl said with a cool optic and a smirk. "Loser."

"**YAY!** Prowl is rallying!" Ratchet looked at Springer. "Nice one, Springer. My compliments."

"Thanks," Springer said with a chuckle. "My team will be there to testify when you hold this. I can assume that it will be soon as per the statutes on due process?"

"It will," Prime said as he grinned at Prowl.

"I will forward the reports to Prowl. He can get them to you. I will do my part to prevent inbox littering," Springer said with a chuckle.

"By littering up mine?" Prowl asked with a smirk.

"Least I can do for the current *Mrs*," Springer said to great acclaim.

"I tried," Kup said with a slight tone of resignation and 'don't blame me'. "As the grandpa, I did my best with what was on hand."

"So you're admitting your CNA is crap?" Ironhide asked with a grin.

Kup shot him a nuclear optic. "I admit to nothing."

A deep rumble of laughter paused the banter and they all looked at Prime who was bent over the table. Sitting straight up, he smiled. "You all suck."

He barely ducked the stuff that came flying.

-0-In the hallway afterward

"I never saw a Prime laugh before. Or tell jokes. Or be a smartaleck. Or laugh."

"You said laugh once already, Miler," Ratchet said as they walked down the sidewalk back to their work stations. "You'll get used to it. Give Prime a home and time to unwind and next thing you'll see, he'll be dancing."

"I've never seen a Prime dance," Miler murmured as he walked with Alor and Ratchet back to the Educational Tower to supervise a science project.

"Give Prime time, Miler," Alor said squeezing Miler's shoulders.

"I've never seen a Prime laugh, or dance, or ..."

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	209. Chapter 209

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 45 Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Magistrate's Court, New Courthouse Building, Cultural Center, Autobot City, Mars

The bailiffs were plenty but not as plentiful as the defendants. They were overflowing. Sitting silently in rows, they stared at the floor, the ceiling as well as the judge who was speaking to Springer, Drift and other members of the Night Watch as they explained the content and order of the reports from the night before.

Outside in the hallway dozens of family members waited. They stood in two groups, high and low caste because some things couldn't be unlearned over night. As they stood worried and mortified, angry and scared, the elevator opened and a very handsome, very calm Autobot soldier stepped off. He walked toward them and as he reached their groups they parted and stared, knowing his presence could not mean good things.

Prowl entered the courtroom which came to attention at his presence. Calmly, with a grace that he had perfected over a thousand generations of humans for a million different difficult moments, he entered the group that was talking to Semi. Lawyers for the defendants stepped forward and the view obscured, the low voices of all concerned falling into silent internal conversation.

Florus who had once been a very able and reasonably decent Governor-General of Altihex had more experience and could read the tea leaves best of all. This was going up. There would probably be a Prime Hearing in the offing. His mortification was intense and his son leaned against him in an unconscious reaction to the increasingly bleak future before them.

:Atar, why is he here?:

:Because, son, I believe we just earned a Prime Hearing:

The youngling blinked and turned looking at the group up front with fear. :Oh: he said quietly.

The conversation continued, then all the mechs up around Semi turned and walked to sit in their spots in front or alongside the walls where extra legal mechs would wait to do their bit in bigger, more populated proceedings. Semi looked at the stacks of datapads and then the courtroom. "Well, well, look who we have before us," he said with a smirk. "I would be lying if I said I didn't expect this."

No one spoke, even the lawyers who looked stoic. Prowl who was standing by the wall on the left side of the judge stared at the banner of the Primes. It gave him a thrill still. He was nothing if not a patriotic home boy.

"We are here to decide a number of things. We have before us more than just a disturbance of the peace or an unlawful fight. We have before us a larger issue to be determined as well. We have a Prime concern now."

Even the younglings knew what that meant and so did the families who had followed Prowl inside to stand and sit in all the remaining space. There was shifting and whispers, then it faded. Everyone was very still. It was very tense.

"I have before me petitions from your lawyers for a number of things. Some of you are ready to plead guilty and take your lumps. Some of you are going to fight the charges expecting that you will be found guiltless for a number of reasons whose validity is yet to be determined. Some of you are just willing to be tried with the belief that your innocence as victims will be born out by the facts. All of this would be our agenda for the orn but for the simple fact that this is not the first time you have been here for this offense. This is also not the first time that your sniping behavior has been noticed. We have affidavits collected by the Prosecutor's Office that attest that this happens on the job and in school as well. Who is the guilty party will be determined and that will be part of the record because it hints to a larger problem, the idea that the hatred and poison that destroyed our world and nearly all of us has landed here on our peaceful shores.

"I have received a Prime petition and I will grant Commander Prowl the right to speak on behalf of the Prime of Cybertron who has the largest overriding non-personal interest in this case," Semi concluded. He looked at Prowl and nodded.

Prowl moved to the podium and bowed his helm respectfully to Semi. He looked then at the crowd, their energy fearful, outraged, tense, anxious. "I am here to present a petition from the Prime of Cybertron to send jurisdiction of this case to his office so that it might be adjudicated at a Prime Hearing to be held in a timely manner. I am here to ask the court to hold the defendants over in lockup until this takes place as per the request of Optimus Prime."

That didn't go over well.

Florus rose, outrage rising off him like flames but no one got more than a murmur before the gavel fell. "Sit down and hold your commentary. You are represented. Let them do their jobs."

Everyone stilled and Florus sat. The lawyer designated to speak for the group, Endar stood and walked to the open space between the tables and the judge. "Your honor, we are aware of the Prime's interest in this case and are even open to having it heard in a Prime Hearing but holding the defendants over until trial is not only extraordinary but will cause any number of problems for our clients. Jobs, school, family obligations … these are all very real and pertinent."

"I am aware of that, Endar," Semi said nodding. "I just wish your clients were." He looked at Prowl. "Continue, sir."

Prowl nodded. "The Prime has to manage the lives and protection of nearly one million individuals. We, the army and civilian protective forces work very hard to do this. We have enemies in space that work against us everyday. To worry that our unity and peace are being undermined from within is a concern for the Prime that he wishes to discuss through the trial of this case at the Prime level. He is very interested in seeing that justice is done and nothing more. He requests your presence in the proceedings with the aim to have a fair and unbiased judgment about this matter. He bears the Matrix. His honor and integrity as the First Disciple of Primus and someone who has lived with and interacted with the Matrix for nine million years is above question.

"This activity is becoming a personal concern and he wishes to personally hear the arguments himself, to find out the root causes and be a part of the process of reconciliation and unity. As for the incarceration … it is the norm for second time offenders of crimes alleged that involve violence. The Prime Hearing if the court agrees would occur tomorrow at noon. One more night in the jail is not unreasonable given that there was a family in the park whose lives were placed in the middle of this alleged affair."

It was silent a moment. "Endar? Your response?"

"We agree that perhaps a Prime Hearing is appropriate given the nature of the argument laid out by Commander Prowl and we do not fear the integrity of the Prime and his consultation with the Matrix over all matters involving the well-being and progress of our people but incarceration is still a concern. House arrest or remote monitoring would be preferred, sir."

"We had that before and here we are again. There are deeper issues here that I am not clear the Magistrate's Court can manage toward the goal to make peace happen. We have tried before and there was leniency granted but here we are again as I have already stated. I am open to the possibility that a Prime Hearing will reach into the heart of this problem and affect change that helps all involved resolve whatever is the cause of our disturbance. I agree with the petition, Prowl," Semi said nodding. "I grant it. You will stay in jail until noon tomorrow when you will be brought to these chambers or one designated for the Hearing and this case will be heard. I am decreeing it so. This court stands in adjournment."

Prowl bowed his helm and with immense dignity and calm exited the room. He passed silent bots filled with all manner of emotional energy, then walked past Springer who smirked at him. He smirked back and went to the elevator and the world beyond filled with menace, family and possibilities.

The courtroom was quiet a moment, then Florus stood up. He stood silently, then everyone else joined him. The bailiffs nodded and one opened the door that led to the jail in the basement below. It once held the treasures of their people as this was once the Museum of Cybertron. Now it was the palace of law and the main lockup for the city. They disappeared, the door closing behind them.

The families walked out stunned and fearful, worried and anxious. They didn't speak to each other but they were observed by Night Watch officers all the way to the street.

-0-Ops Center

"How did it go?"

"We're on for tomorrow. Semi is good to go. He's a great judge."

"Good," Optimus Prime said with a softly vented sigh. "Maybe this will be the end of it."

"I hope so too," Prowl said as he sat and they began to refine the plan to take the prison camp and save the lives of the innocent.

-0-CMO's Office, Autobot City Medical Tower, Autobot City, Mars

He clicked off the image that he had designed himself and grinned. The encryption on that file was something that even nuclear weapons couldn't budge. He had designed the protoform of his infant all alone. It was spectacular. It was stupendous. It was that far up the awesome scale.

It was in such lock down that he wasn't even sure he could open it up to view.

A chat with Wheeljack about the situation and his request to make the thing two orns before separation occurred with a grin and three snarky comments. 'Jack would take care of it himself, building and boxing it up so only he would be in the know.

He was that kind of mech.

Few knew that he and Wheeljack had once dated, having a raging good time drinking, dancing and fragging around. When that passion got overrun by the amazing awesomeness of Ironhide, they had remained BFF's anyway. He was one of many mechs who had gotten a bit of the wango-tango that was Ratchet. Over the millennia, their friendship had matured into the mellow tight configuration it was now.

It was all good.

"Hey."

He looked up and grinned. "Hey, yourselves."

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked in and flopped down, their casual awesomeness a never-ending wonderment to their old pa. "What's this about another sparkling?" Sunny asked in his usual direct way.

"It's true. Ironhide needs a replacement for when Hero goes to school. He's seeing sparkling traps everywhere and he knows eventually they'll snare her. Big femme."

"Her or him?" Sideswipe asked with a big grin.

"Both. Little femme is a spark breaking femme fatale," Ratchet said.

"She is," Sunstreaker said, an almost comically serious expression on his face. "What will this one look like? Ironhide?"

"I'm not telling. The price of another sparkling was me running the show and no one, and I mean no one knowing until the unveiling on naming day."

They looked at Ratchet, then smirked at the same time. "Ironhide won't allow that. He has to hold your helm or his aft will fall off," Sunstreaker said.

"You hold his. Aft or helm, I don't care. He's on the record. No one sees this infant but Wheeljack who will make the protoform an orn or so before and Gypsy and her team who have already sworn to silence. Omerta, boys. Or I will be hard to live with."

"And you aren't now?" Sideswipe asked.

"You haven't seen me mad," Ratchet said grinning at his mouthiest oldest sparklings.

"I don't know. The prison riot was pretty awesome. Speaking of riots … why the **FRAG** do you and Prowl get loaded and go on a spree when we aren't around to come too?" Sunstreaker asked with a side order of **RAGE**.

"Because Prowl and I are old school. You younglings aren't old enough to handle the awesomeness of our swerve," Ratchet said with a big grin.

That received the scorn and derision it deserved. "You are so full of slag," Sideswipe said. "What do you want us to do now? Anything in particular besides rub it in to Atar that he can't see the protoform or the sparkling until the naming ceremony?"

"You read my processor," Ratchet said with a wolfish grin.

They grinned back.

-0-At the armory under Terra

"**HEY!"**

Ironhide paused and turned, waiting for Sideswipe and Sunstreaker to catch up. "Hey."

Both mechs swooned over Hero who grinned at them, waving her little arms happily.

"She has no tattoos. How did we get this far without tattoos?" Sideswipe asked.

"Put her Autobrand on tonight if you can come over. Ask your warden," Ironhide said with a grin.

They both snorted. "Speaking of wardens, I hear Ada is sparked. You two are getting embarrassing, you do know that," Sideswipe asked with a grin as he let Hero grip his pinkie digit.

"Embarrassed by the virility of your old atar are you?" Ironhide asked with his usual smug grin that usually got shot down immediately. This time was no exception.

They stood looking at each other with grins. "Why are you two running around?" Ironhide asked as they turned to walk toward the train station nearby.

"We're on Combat-Standby. The mission coming up. Are you going?" Sideswipe asked as they paused to let a forklift go past with the orders of bombs that had just arrived for stockpiling.

"I am. So is Prime. There are aliens there that need special handling. You'll get the word. He wants to make sure they get saved," Ironhide said as he led the way to the platform. Three mechs boarded a train marked with a green placard. That meant it would go from here to Aerie Hill, then end up at the air field before going to the Temple Station and back to Terra.

"Sounds like a problem," Sunstreaker said as they waited.

"Could be. Better not," Ironhide said as their train pulled in. They climbed aboard and were gone in seconds. They would wander with Ironhide until school was out having the time of their lives.

As usual.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	210. Chapter 210

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 46 (This piece is edited for the stupid and tenses) :D

-0-The Flight Center Debrief for Mission 14A, Fortress, Autobot City, Mars

They gathered, the grizzled veterans of eons of combat. Among them, along for the ride, all of the soldiers that were assigned to Mars sat to listen. Lennox, Epps and Graham holding pride of place sat on a seat between Springer and Drift in the front row. They were bantering as the mission commander, Blackjack and his second, Flint stood with Alor, Prowl and Prime discussing things while everyone gathered.

:I would love to come along: Epps said. :I have never been in combat with you outside the system:

:I don't see why you can't: Springer replied. Drift grinned down at them. :You're certifiable to want to come:

:Would you stay behind?: Lennox asked with a grin.

"No. But then, I never said I was sane: Drift replied. As they sat bantering, Springer was in contact with Sciences about a safe spot for the soldiers to see the battle when they mustered out. The idea of them coming along would keep both of them busy for three joors until it was solved. Only then would Springer present it to Optimus. That Optimus Prime would finally agree was testament to the power of persuasion of the former Mrs. Optimus Prime.

Mechs wandered in sitting together until the place was filled. This would be the first briefing of the Alpha team who would be the lead ground soldiers of the plan. When all were settled, Prime turned and looked at them. They were the best, the cream of the crop and he felt the usual confidence he always had when facing a mission with them, these comrades of generations of battles.

"We are going to rescue a prison camp that has between 1000-1200 of our people, apparently civilians, dissidents and others who are being guarded by 1200 Decepticons. None of them are shock troops. Rather, they appear to be regular soldiers. There are also 300 alien slaves who are working there who get highest priority. Their particular physical attributes require extreme care. One of them is an energy alien and if the computers go down, they will die. I want them saved. I want everyone saved. I will turn the mission over to Blackjack who has overall tactical command, Flint who will oversea the alien reclamation and Alor who will manage the intel as it is transmitted by you to the command vessel. He will then be responsible for formulating plans. Springer, you will be commander of all the teams in combat and I am going along to address the alien situation. Blackjack?"

Prime turned and walked to his seat next to Prowl and Ironhide. Blackjack, a massive mechanism with a no nonsense charisma walked to the table and looked at the roll up map that was being transmitted to the massive screen behind him. "Gentlemen, ladies, I am your mission commander and we have a three pronged attack plan to implement. You are going to be taking the ground attack in servo. I am going to explain to you the overall mission, then I will concentrate on your part. Everyone has to know what everyone else is doing because of the fluidity of battle. No one needs to tell you that." As 'Jack finished those words a commotion at the door could be heard. All optics turned to see.

The door pushed open and a big, big mechanism walked inside and paused. "Me, Grimlock, is here. Why you not call me? I am ready to fight. How can you go to battle without me, Autobots? You will need me to win."

The chuckles and smirks that formed on everyone's face signaled to the soldiers that hilarity was coming. Prime rose and walked up the steps pausing before Grimlock. "Come with me, Grimlock. I want to ask you about something."

"Me, Grimlock am ready to fight, Prime. You know you can't win without me or the Dinobots. Remember?" Grimlock continued.

Prime grinned. "I know. Come with me," he said moving past Grimlock into the hallway.

Grimlock turned and walked out, the ground team watching. The door was closed a moment, then Prime walked back inside. He moved to his seat and sat down nodding to Blackjack. Blackjack began again.

Lennox, Epps and Graham looked up at Springer. :What was that about?:

:No one told you about Grimlock and the Dinobots?: he asked grinning down at the humans.

"No: they all replied.

:I'll tell you about it later: They all turned to listen.

"The ground bridges will be used including a prototype that we have in final stages of testing. They are ship bridges. Space bridges that have been adapted for ships have been used for eons if some of you older mechs can remember."

"I remember," Kup said. "Fragging useful."

"Of course, you would remember it," Sandstorm said with a chuckle. "Mech is older than Unicron."

"Taught him all he knows, slagger," Kup said without skipping a beat.

Everyone chuckled. Blackjack smirked. "Are we through, ladies?"

More chuckles and smirks met that. The human soldiers, all fifteen of them smiled themselves. It was universal, the casual good humor of men at arms. No matter the package, some things were the same everywhere. They all settled in to listen.

"We will be testing this plan in the Oort field in dummy camps and installations we have devised. They will be holographic generations based on the actual camp plans as of the capture of Shockwave. We can run them over and over so that we can debug the operation. The first group to enter into their space will be a special ops team lead by Elita-1. She and her sisters will be hitting the first of these three planets," he said turning to point to the giant visual behind him. "This is where the 'Cons have put their communications and sensor arrays. They will be responsible for hitting them and locking down the area.

"At the very same minute, you will be going through the Trigger to land on this planet. Your job is to shock them and take out the troops that are guarding the command center, the barracks where they live and the main internment camp of the aliens they use to run the tech part of things. As you can see," he said changing the view, "the command center is butting against a broken ridge with a number of antennas rising from the roof. The specs say that the walls are about eight feet thick and made of composite stone and cement. Those are strong but a good blaster will pock them and take them down under concentrated fire.

"The barracks for the aliens are here," he said pointing to three long buildings that were behind wire nearby. They were away from the command center and the air field where the Decepticons kept a battleship, a number of fighters and heavy cargo ships to carry ore. "They are not heavily fortified and have towers at the corners that can cover anyone inside from escaping.

"The aliens we are to retrieve are of two types. One is an energy life form that is being forced to run the computers past their capacity. They are being drained and when they die, another is forced to take their place. It would appear that they are being held somewhere in a containment device that is only mentioned, not diagrammed. Sciences will send a team to manage their retrieval but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep the computers up and running. If they go down, the aliens die."

It was silent a moment as Blackjack studied the plan. He looked at the camp and began again. "We will have you break into teams to take the buildings, one team for the alien barracks, two for the 'Con barracks and the rest for the command center. I will be waiting for your signal that the barracks are locked down because at that point, we will have Seeker strikes on specific targets on the command center. We are going for the aerials, the sensor stuff and other peripherals with pinpoint fighters. There are also a number of guns on the roof that they will strike and it will hopefully show them the wisdom of surrender which we will be broadcasting once the operation begins. Starscream will be briefing those flights as he has responsibility to pull out of the Seekerkin the proper talents.

"When the Seekers pass, that will be your signal to enter and take out the bad guys. The computer power station is in this out building," he said pointing to a small power plant that was nearby the command center. "Once the barracks are secured, then a portion of the ground team will go and secure this building. I want them to stay there until the command center is locked down. Nothing must endanger the energy aliens."

Springer raised a servo. "Who will be devising the different groups?"

"You will," Blackjack said. "You are Wrecker commander. You know the skill sets in this room. Put it together and run it past us. We are going with your expertise, Springer. If you need more than this, tell us and we will pull it in."

"Oh joy," Kup said.

Springer snorted. "Be careful, old mech or I'll have you hold my energon cube."

Chuckles filled the room and the soldiers grinned. It was like old home week.

"When the command center is locked down and the prisoners secured, we can gather the aliens and take them to the ships. There are two here," Blackjack said pulling up the visual of the other aliens. "This is a member of a species that the data calls Hu An. They are bipedal, humanoid with symmetrical body design, a large helm with horns and a long tail. They wear their helm follicles in a long braid and come in two sizes. We have been retrieving data on them and it would appear that they have a large home system that has been overtaken by the Decepticons. They are highly developed peaceful traders who value culture but can fight when they need to. They are organized by a matriarchal structure and the femmes are the larger of the two genders. This big specimen in a femme."

They all looked at the image of a large individual, perhaps ten feet tall and heavily muscled. She had large optics, a bullish facial construction and long reddish hair that was pulled back into a thick braid that ended down below her buttocks. Her hands and feet were human-like and the tail was long ending in a tuft of hair of the same color as that on her helm. She wore long trousers, a sleeveless shirt and work type boots. There was no adornment on the creature but there were tattoos. Ornamental tattoos of an unknown kind ran down the outside of her arms. It was an impressive creature staring out at them. That they had horns like an Earth bison was even more impressive.

"That's a femme?" Sandstorm asked. "Looks like she could beat your aft good."

"This is a femme. They organize around a elder femme and the males are part of a matriarchy, which pretty much rules the society."

"Sort of like Ironhide and Ratchet," Sunstreaker said from the middle of the pack.

Ironhide snorted. "Shh," he said to general hilarity.

Prime grinned. :Better not let Ratchet hear that. He might get ideas:

Ironhide grinned. :It's probably too late already:

They both grinned at each other.

"While this is going on, we will be taking out the third planetoid where the mine is. It is the most lightly guarded place since its devoid of any kind of refuge for anyone who works there. This is where our people are housed and they work there around the clock. They have rudimentary quarters, only about a hundred guards and no hope. We are going to hit that site at the same time as the others. I expect that the teams that go in will divide themselves among the targets which are pretty much limited to these two mines, this row of dilapidated barracks and the guard house here. What we need to do now is break down the plan itself and organize teams to do the separate parts. If you want to facilitate that, Springer and Kup, we will be ready to coordinate the deployment aspects into the main plan."

Springer nodded and stood looking out at the crowd. "Well, looks like its time to make teams," he said as they all laughed riotously.

-0-Sciences, Fortress, Autobot City, Mars

Wheeljack looked at his calendar and penciled in the protoform of Ratchet's new sparkling. He was glad to be a part of the prank and would personally make the protoform himself. They had been an item way back in the orn and had stayed incredibly good friends ever since. Given that Ratchet had impelled his bonding with Perceptor had been more than enough reason for him to help out a brother. That he still loved Ratchet was another reason. He loved him like a brother, like a friend, like a colleague. They were extremely close friends maturing from a time when they were more. He would always have a soft spot for the wild aft medico who had been so much fun at a time when he needed it.

"'Jack?"

"Perceptor?" Wheeljack said breaking from his reverie.

"We have a part of the mission that's forming up to liberate the camp. Apparently, there is an energy alien that is being forced to slave on the computer system of their operation. We need to save them and Prime wants us to figure out how to do it. That doesn't count the safe spot we need to make in the flight deck of the shuttle carrying Springer for the soldiers. He wants them to come along."

Wheeljack nodded. "Do we have the plans for the camp? I remember they said they had the information from Shockwave and its very detailed."

Percy snapped on the overhead monitor and they both grinned. "Now that is what I call detailed," Wheeljack said as he looked at the operator's manual of the entire cyber operation of the camp called The Place.

They both knuckled down to begin.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)

NOTE: My numbering of the pieces is messed up but they are in the right order. Numbers hate me. :D

Scifi channel has a show, Defiance debuting in April that looks amazing. Aliens galore. Just saying. :D


	211. Chapter 211

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 47 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-That same day

The film crew met at IntraComm to work out the editing for the third to last episode of the first season of 'Platoon'. They worked quietly together, then took a break.

"What do you want to do about the mission that's being planned? I hear that there's new aliens in the mix here," Jack Mellar asked.

Aaron Belcher looked at him a moment. "Let's see if we can push our luck. Let's see if we can go along."

They both nodded and broke, walking back to the project at hand. If they could end the first season on a wartime note, it would make it easier to get the studios to beg on their knees hard enough to have a second season. The ratings were through the roof, sponsors were clambering over the top of each other to advertise on the show and awards were poised on the horizon to bury them in their gilded wondrousness. It was all good.

Artistically, ending with the war note would be awesome. The last shot Mellar imagined were the ships bursting out of space bridges heading into a hailstorm of fire, then freezing to fade out. The images of Scar would be the last scene as the first season ended with suspense and dramatic effect.

He would beg on his own knees if that's what it took to get Optimus Prime's agreement. He had no shame. None at all.

Such was the artistic temperament.

Probably.

-0-Ratchet

He walked into the clinic at Aerie Hill toward the officer of the shift.

"Hi, Swirl. I was wondering if you have seen Sky Warp for any reason whatsoever?"

Swirl who was the head doctor during the swing shift smirked. "Nope. You should know better than to ask me that, Ratchet. That slagger is hiding out."

"I thought so," Ratchet said with a grin. "I will rip his aft off when I catch him." He turned and walked out heading from the beautiful outbuilding that had been erected for medical, social and other pursuits among the Seekerkin. As he did, he walked down the cobblestone sidewalk to a place where the Elders liked to sun themselves and play card games. The mech he was looking for was there. "Hi," Ratchet said sitting down next to Silverclaw. The other elders were there and nodded, smiling at the medic who had made the first overture for them to come into the colony as equals. They knew of his efforts for Starscream and the trine's first hatchlings so the sense of respect and obligation that created would be forever for them.

"Hello," Silverclaw said with a nod of greeting. "I am assuming you are searching for Sky Warp."

"You read my processor," Ratchet said nodding back. "I am assuming this femme is the new Elder for the Southern Clan?"

"She is. This is Harrier."

Ratchet rose and bowed. "Elder Harrier, I am honored to meet you and congratulate you on the ascendancy to the leadership of your great people."

Harrier rose and bowed back. "Thank you, Doctor. I welcome you into the Seekerkin and the Southern Clan as a friend of our people. I am very happy with the progress of our mutual son, Sunspot. There is a happiness in that little mech that I know comes from the unconditional love that you and your bond give to him. Thank you."

Ratchet grinned. "It is the easiest thing that we do, taking care of that little mech. He's a lovely baby."

Harrier nodded and sat. "Won't you join us. I would like to know about Sky Warp."

Ratchet sat. "He has hatchlings on the way and I am having a hard time getting him to come in. He hasn't gone to the clinic either. I don't want to have complications nor do I want to come in the middle of the night to find him in distress."

"Why won't he come to the doctor?" Harrier asked with a puzzled expression.

"He's younger than Thundercracker and Starscream. I think they treat him differently perhaps. That's my guess. But I also know that younglings sometimes get scared easily, especially about reproduction which most of our mechs know nothing about. I want to know that his process is going well, how many hatchlings we're looking at and when the incubation transfer is going to happen. He's ignoring me, the slagger."

Harrier grinned slightly, then paused in internal communication. After a moment, she grinned at Ratchet. "You may go to the clinic. He will be there."

Ratchet grinned. "I knew you would be the way to go."

They grinned. "Let us know in future how we can help you, doctor. We are aware of your efforts for us and we appreciate it."

Ratchet grinned. "Until all are one," he said.

They nodded. "That is the only way," Silverclaw said.

Ratchet bowed and turned ambling off to find the elusive Seeker of his nightmares. They watched him go. "That is a fine mech and doctor," Silverclaw said. The others nodded. "I also hear he's out of his processor too."

"I have heard that as well," Harrier said with a chuckle. "I feel for Sky Warp."

They all chuckled and turned back to the game at servo.

-0-At the clinic

Ratchet sat cooling his heels in the emergency room waiting for Sky Warp. When he appeared in the doorway, Ratchet pointed at the med berth. "Sit."

Sky Warp looking at Ratchet with his usual scowl vented a sigh. Walking to the berth in poor form, he sat. They glared at each other.

"Spill it, mech. What the frag are you trying to prove?" Ratchet asked.

"I'm here." He sat and stared glumly at the doctor who in all likelihood would be the one who would manage the hatching.

"And what a fine moment this is. I am overcome by your good spirits," Ratchet said beginning the scans and plugging the morose mech into the machines. They waited at stand-off, then Ratchet spoke. "You are a slagger for avoiding seeing me. You know the rules. What brought this on?"

Sky Warp looked at him, then the floor. "I … have my reasons."

Ratchet considered that. Then he considered the mech's age, the lack of information about reproduction among the population and the process of separation and incubation. Most of the mechs he knew and worked around understood interfacing and the other methods of 'sex' that Cybertronians used for personal gratification. That part almost seemed wired into them, the fraggers.

They could frag and form bonds and the like, but most didn't understand the mechanics or mechobiology of reproduction. Sky Warp was obviously scared. Ratchet vented a sigh, then looked at the board. "You are sparked. You have to face it. There is no way out without help from me or a slagging specific accident. Being afraid alone is worse than being afraid in a group."

Sky Warp glanced at him, then the floor. He didn't say anything but his tense body language told the story.

"You have one hatchling. Its a mech and in very good condition. However, you're filled with holes. The thing about babies, Sky Warp is that they will take from you what they need and if you don't supplement, you suffer. Processor aches? Extreme fatigue? A ravenous appetite and thirst? Aches and pains in the joints and a fluttering spark in your chest?"

Sky Warp looked at Ratchet sharply. "Maybe."

"Maybe my aft," Ratchet said. "You're being pillaged by your hatchling because you are a dunce." Ratchet turned and walked to the cupboard and computer, his back oblivious to the cross expression of his patient. "I'm going to be giving you a butt load of supplements and you will take them. If you don't, I will go not only to your elders and complain at the top of my vocal processor, I will tell Starscream that you are a whimp." He glanced at the youngling who had an expression of concern on his handsome face. "I see I have your attention."

"I don't want to be anything but a good parent," Sky Warp said with an emotional expression. "I just remember watching Starscream and it looked like it hurt."

"It does hurt but only for a moment. When the infants are in the incubator, you feel amazingly good. And lighter. You can't ignore slag, youngling. You could die or the infant could. Would you like that?"

"You know I wouldn't," Sky Warp said with a flash of anger. "I just … I just ..."

"I know," Ratchet said squeezing the youngling's shoulder. "I have a special chip on these bottles. They will measure if you take the supplements and where they go. If you pour them out or ignore them, it will alert me. I have asked the bottle to check you and register when the supplements hit your tanks. If they don't, I will grab a hammer and come after you. Do we have an understanding, youngling?"

"Do they taste terrible?" Sky Warp asked telegraphing his age with his fear.

"They taste like slag but they are temporary. When the infant is out, then you are off the hook unless your dilly dallying has depleted you so much you need to stay on them," Ratchet answered pointedly.

Sky Warp frowned. "One, huh? Why only one?"

"Because you are young," Ratchet said. "Count it a blessing. You get the first one on a pass."

"If you say so," Sky Warp said looking at the supplement bottles in his servo. "What now?"

"I see you once a week or you can opt for Cept who does the separations here," Ratchet replied. "He's very good."

"Starscream will want you," Sky Warp said.

"It's up to you. Assert yourself if you want otherwise. Or I will be here for you," Ratchet said. "Your choice."

Sky Warp looked at him, then the bottles in his servo. "I'll get back to you."

"You better or I will hunt you down," Ratchet said firmly.

Sky Warp smirked slightly. "You are crazy."

"If you say so, youngling. You were the one pretending you weren't sparked," Ratchet said with a smile.

Sky Warp stepped down and nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem," Ratchet said. "You have five orns then be back here or I will track you down and beat your aft."

Sky Warp nodded and walked to the door. He paused and looked back. "Come in five orns, okay?"

Ratchet nodded. "I will, youngling. It will be fine."

Sky Warp stared at him, then nodded. "Okay." Then he turned and stepped out heading for home. He would take the supplements. He would come to Ratchet. He wouldn't like any of it.

-0-Wheeljack and Perceptor

They walked to the air field, a glassed in box on a cart they pulled behind them. A long conversation with Springer, a couple of joors of work and they were ready to modify a Wrecker shuttle for the humans to come along on the mission.

The box was ingenious. Its design was made to fit behind the pilot and allow a perfect view of the road ahead. It was self-contained and had six chairs with seat belts to hold the soldiers in place. It was lined with a transparent coating of the substance that suffused their suits. It would pull oxygen into the container from the atmosphere in the ship which would stay at a breathable level for their needs. It was composed of clear steel, designed for safety and had a number of fail safes including heat, light and back up atmosphere-making equipment designed to kick on if there were emergency conditions.

Reaching the shuttle that would belong to Springer, they entered and began to install the device. Half a joor later, they stepped out and pulled their wagon back to the Fortress. The device was go.

All they needed was Prime's permission.

That would be Springer's job to complete.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	212. Chapter 212

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 48 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In the CMO's office, Autobot City Medical Tower, Autobot City, Mars

"Hey."

"Hey."

(Big bot walks in and sits. Puts big old peds on the coffee table and grins) "What's up, Doc?"

(Snort. Grin) "Not much." (Critical observation of old mech undertaken) "Where's Hero?"

(Big bot's grin falters slightly) "Ada has her."

"Ali took her."

"NO!" (Pause to repress **GINORMOUS** snivel before it erupts) "I let him have her."

"Ah."

Silence. (Amused optics wait for peeved optics to begin) "That little femme is missing out on learning this city when a slagger snatches her away. I was planning to go to the quarries north of the city to show her energon mining."

"Well, she'll just flunk that question on the test, Only One." (Grin)

(Slight frown) "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I am. I signed on for the duration, remember?"

"Doesn't sound like it." (Miniscule pout)

(Onliest Only Red and White One pushes out his lower lip) "Awww. Want a thumb to suck?"

(Gigantic grin) "Too bad your face doesn't freeze."

"The city can't take that much beauty?" (Enormous grin)

"If you say so, Ratchet."

Grins - 2

"How do you feel?"

"Awesome."

"What's the sparkling doing right now?"

"He's recharging. He's a pretty good little mech. I have a vision of him being a lot like Orion and the two beating our afts together."

Pause. (Long silence)

"It was a nightmare then."

"It was."

Grins - 2

"So ... what about the protoform? Did you get around to that or are you going to torture me with worry?"

"I got it designed and sent to Wheeljack who agreed upon pain of death to keep it under lock and key." (White and red bot waits for the conniving to begin)

(Big black Autobot considers the options, the possibilities and comes to the conclusion that he will learn jackshit about the protoform. But that never stopped him before) "So ... wanna give a hint? A little hint. Small and insignificant in nature but a clue. A fragment of the truth cloaked in mystery."

"Why, Ironhide. That was sort of poetic."

(Preen) "That's me, poetic."

"You are, you know. When you fire your cannons and do a roll to miss incoming, that's poetry in motion for me. All that seething masculine format maneuvering without a thought through a minefield ... dodging rockets and bullets ... it's poetry."

(Big black Autobot peers at bond and wonders what the old coot really means) "Is that so."

(Big white and red Autobot peers at bond and feels maudlin deep regard for his old carcass) "Yes."

(They peer at each other, one looking for the rub and one looking to be rubbed)

"Oh."

Pause.

"You know, Ironhide ... being sparked again makes me take stock."

"Is that so." (Big black Autobot braces for **ANYTHING**)

"Yes." (Red and white mech with the fake chevron leans back in chair and plops big old peds on the desk before him, the one filled with work that never seems to get done but actually does. Get done that is) "I was thinking what a turn of fortune it was for the two of us to hook up, stay alive all this time and have a passel of younglings."

"It was fortunate." (Big black Autobot looks at peds of partner and pencils in rubbing them as per the sparking manual he had once read. Not the one Ratchet had filled with slag. He still had that one in his datafiles for the laughs but an actual real manual that he had gotten at The Infant Center in the Mall at Metroplex. That one)

"Yep." (Big grin animates the face of handsome but wily opticed medico)

Pause.

"That's it?" (Big black Autobot considers the mech before him with wary optics)

"Yep." (Grin)

"Okay." (Grin) "By the way, the remodel will be done tonight."

"Really? I thought they had more orns."

"It wasn't as hard as thought. We are ... what did they say? Easy."

(Snort. Grin) "That's probably true about a lot of things, Ironhide. I am after all sparked again."

(Snort. Grin) "That's because you can't resist my charisma."

(Grin. Big medico considers the considerable truth to that statement. Makes vow never to tell big black mech of his various waking dreams about it) "Okay."

Grins - 2

"I've been busy getting the apartment ready for the change of rooms."

"You're a good atar, Ironhide. What did you do and what do we need to do? Tonight? Is that when this all commences?"

"It does, Ratchet. I asked Sunspot on the way to school if he wanted a smaller bed or the 'big boy' bed. He said he thought a bigger bed would be better because the sparklings sleep with him a bunch."

"Those sparkling cribs need lids, Ironhide. I've said so before." (Grin)

"I remember." (Grin) "We're going to try a big bed but if its too big and takes up all his space, we can trade it off for a smaller one that is still bigger than the one he has now. That bed can be Orion's when you and I have the nerve to try him out in it."

"He might be ready, Ironhide."

"Maybe. We can see. I went to the Home Store in Metroplex and got bigger blankets and quilts. His won't fit. I have an order in for a Transformers quilt that size with matching pillow cases." (Grin) "Transformers."

Laughter and nods. - 2

"You are a very attentive atar, Ironhide."

"Thank you, Ratchet."

"You're welcome. What else did you do for Sunny." (Grin) "You know you did."

(Grin) "Have you ever seen those big decals that fit on the wall?"

"Like the human's football decals and ... (grin) ... Transformer images of us?"

(grin) "Yes. I got one of those. I had one printed up at the Specialty Fabrications-Miscellaneous office of the picture of Kaon's team. We can put it on the wall when he decides where he wants it."

(Pause) "That's genius, Ironhide. How big is it?"

"About six feet by five feet. I made it smaller than life size because little mech has his boards for badges and reports and pictures. Mech has to have his awards around him."

(grin) "He does. He's rather capable and accomplished for a tiny Seeker isn't he."

"He is." (Pride evident) "Little mech needs a new board soon and when he points out where it all goes, I will measure for another one. We have to fit it all and make it nice. Little mech can have sleepovers now. If one wall wasn't solid windows, he could spread it out more."

(Nods) "That's very true. Nice work, Ironhide. We can move out tonight or even now and get the room ready for him to redo when he gets out of school. He has a flying lesson today, right?"

"He does."

"Then he can wait until we all get home to be surprised. I will get takeout for dinner and we can all help. You know the sparklings will want to help."

"I know."

Grins - 2

"What are you going to do until then, Ironhide?"

"I have to work on the mission as soon as they devise the groups. We're going into the Oort Field for a few joors. I should be back about the time school is out. If not, you're going to have to get the sparklings."

Nods. "I will. What about Hero? Is Ali going?"

(Slight pout) "No. Ada is staying here to run sims on Teletraan."

"Oh." (Grin)

"I'm glad you think its funny."

"Its not that I don't sympathize. It's just that your face is so cute when you pout."

(Pause. Gimlet optics consider remark) "I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted."

"Oh, complimented, Ironhide." (Grin)

Pause. (Grin) "Okay." Pause. "You made the sparkling with my face, right?"

Pause. "You aren't supposed to know things."

Pause. "It's a given, right? There are three sparklings with my face already. It's a reasonable assumption, right?"

"Assuming makes an ass of you and me." (Grin) "You really want to know, sad boy? You do realize that during the separation you have to be behind the barriers."

"Slag no!"

"Slag yes." Pause. "Swear on your ada's spark that when we go behind the barrier for this, you power down your optics and leave them that way."

Pause. "That's fragged."

"That's the only other alternative or I will go into the hills and do this in a gully."

Pause.

"That's fragged."

"I think so too but I'm resolved, Ironhide, you slagger. You wanted a new dollie and I agreed with terms. You have to agree or I'll bean you with this desk."

Pause. "Terms? Remind me what I agreed to in a weak moment."

"No peeking. No asking. No contact after separation until he's unveiled on naming day. Those are **your** slagging traditions, you slagger. No contact or peeking.** AT ALL!** Remember?"

"I had to have been drunk."

"You might have been. I know I was." (Grin)

(Grin) "You are one hard aft old slagger."

"Terms. Agreed upon. Enforced with **EXTREME** prejudice."

"I **was** drunk." (Vented sigh) "What's for dinner?"

**SNORT!** "What do you want?"

"Jazz told me about something Rampage makes that's called "Thai". Let's try that."

"Where do I get it?"

"Cafe Praxus does it and you can get it before you pick up the sparklings. I am sure I'm going to be cutting it fine."

(Nods) "Well?"

"Well what?" (Attempt to look clueless and innocent fails by a wide margin as it comes across as vacant and adorable)

(Grin) "Well, **terms**, Ironhide. And don't give me that look. You know I am going to be hardcore about this even if you give me your cute face."

"It is rather cute." (Grin) "The twins said we're embarrassing them."

"How?" (Grin)

"All this sparking. Makes them jealous I think."

"Do you think so? I would think they would be embarrassed at the idea of their genitors 'facing still."

(Slight frown) "Why would that make them embarrassed, the slaggers?"

"Make an image. Your genitors are fragging."

(Enormous look of alarm and distaste) "What?!"

"Now you know." (grin)

"They should be glad we still frag. We could be stodgy and boring. Slaggers. Maybe we should have an audience next time we frag. Maybe they can come and watch us inaugerate the new berthroom." (Waggling optical ridges commence)

"I'll invite them now."

(Optical ridges move over top of helm and come to a stop somewhere in the vicinity of big Autobot's aft) "The frag you will!" (grins) "I don't want to overwhelm them with my technique. They don't call me the Maestro of The Sexy for nothing."

"Who does?"

Pause. "I can't tell you but I have my fans."

"How about some more. If they come, they can give you a standing ovation."

"Uh, that's alright, Ratchet."

(Grin) "You can show them your version of foreplay or what is commonly called Greco-Roman wrestling on Earth."

"It got me four sparklings, my devastating technique." (Prim look of self satisfaction warring with the fear that bond will actually invite their two oldest sparklings to watch)

"It did. As for the devastating, the dents in the wall of our old quarters at the Embassy are testament to that." (grin)

"Oh, ha-ha, Ratchet." (Grin) (Pauses to take an internal comm) "Gotta motor. They're heading out to the Oort Field."

"Be careful. Come home. Don't bend any vital bits." (Grin)

(Rises and walks to wily bond. Kisses him) "Count on it." (Turns to walk to door and pauses.) "Ratchet?"

"What?" (grin)

"I love you, old mech."

"I love you too." (grin)

(grin) "Ratchet? Don't tell anyone."

"Count on it." (Grin)

Big black Autobot walks out with a spring in his step.

:Ali:

:Ali here: (grin)

:Thank you for Ironhide:

(Grin) :You're welcome:

With that, big red and white Autobot gets back to work.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	213. Chapter 213

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 49 (Edited for boo boos and stuff)

-0-On the road

They reached the gathering place and pulled up to hover in space until the go came. Beyond on the three chosen asteroids, Special Ops had set up the simulation. Drawing on the ambient energy of the area and a powerful small generator, they had recreated the camp, the mining area and the comm/sensor areas on three large asteroids flying roughly the same distance apart. This would be the first run of the plan and the first hands-on use of the two on-board ship space bridges, modified devices that could send individuals or groups ahead of the ship from which they came without alerting their enemies.

This technology had been created by Autobots and usurped by the Decepticons over the vorns of warfare and mutual slagging. It had been recovered by the reclamation of bridge scientists in the migrations who had evaded roundup by the 'Cons following the Fall. Now they would see just how stupendous things could become.

-0-Elita's ship, 'City of Altihex'

They sat together getting their weapons and disruptor boxes together. Their entire crew minus Flareup was there and their part of the plan, taking out an entire planetoid's communications and sensor arrays was their focus. They sat on the chairs along the wall, their equipment held on their laps, their demeanor that of a veteran team honed in the fire of a thousand conflagrations over a thousand vorns.

They had lasted on Cybertron when all others had left. They were called the Autobot Resistance, the nascent core of the revolution spreading over their long lost planet like kudzu at this very moment. They had hit and run, blowing up things that the 'Cons could least afford to lose and making them feel the burn.

When even they left, it was to follow the signal that had reached and passed Cybertron itself, the call from their Prime that he was in a place they could come and regroup. The urge to stay was overcome at long last by the bounties and dragnets that were drawing ever more closely. They left and made their way to Mars, securing in this moment in their collective redemption the chance to strike a blow against the enemy that they hated with all their strength.

It was glorious.

Chromia sat next to Elita-1, her tough charisma nearly visible like a cloud around her. She was the second-in-command of the unit, this fabled 'femme' group that had never surrendered. Moonracer and Greenlight chatted together quietly discussing some scientific quirk that Greenlight found interesting. Humming to herself, her guns readily in reach, Moonracer waited with the eagerness of youth. She was the youngest of their original group. She was always ready to prove herself to be a serious warrior to the others, taking risks and chances to show them that her skills were as strong as the other femmes whom she idolized.

Arcee sat across from them, her demeanor as relaxed as if she were sitting in her own apartment. She bantered with Hot Rod and Springer, both of them on other ships, friends of long standing. The distance was too great for a chat with Magnus, the love of her life so she merely contented herself with his energetic signal. It spoke to her of a solidity that she didn't know she needed, of a humbleness that was genuine. It spoke of a single minded devotion to their people, their culture and laws, their future and their protection. Magnus was her matching spark. He was her best friend outside of the special circumstances of their group.

Lancer watched her, the buzz of conversations passing between bots internally a slight thrum in the back of her processor. She didn't tune in, preferring to psych up in her own way. That was the way it was in this hermetically sealed group of mechs who were 'femmes' in the optics of all who sensed their differences even though it didn't register equally in their optics. They were the first group affected in such a fashion by Jhiaxus. They were an 'experiment' whose decided predetermined outcome was a hopeful 'what if'.

What if one took a handful of mechs and tried to change their CNA into that of another gender? What if that gender was based on the musings of a madman who imagined alone what that would entail? What if that maniacal mech was the sole arbiter of how would it look, act and be perceived? What would they, the changed mechs themselves feel and think?

Jhiaxus did just that. He also didn't care whether it would be mutually appreciated or not.

That it was a terrible failure for the mechs involved, that they hated the perception of difference from others when they felt no changes themselves didn't matter. He, Jhiaxus had scratched an intellectual itch. He couldn't be responsible for the feelings and wishes of specimens because it had failed.

This was science.

It was enough for him that he had introduced gender into their genderless population and changed the face of their species forever. The CNA developed during his experimentation had been transferred into the population and after generations of mutations and replications, the figures of definable femmes were part of the landscape of their species but it had not been a clean thing. It had been at a terrible cost to a few.

They had all begun as mechs and internally they still were. But they had been changed in some undefinable manner to the rest of their population. Their CNA was tampered with. Their identity mixed up in a monster's curious desire 'to see what would happen if'." It had changed all of them. They were tougher than tough. They were stronger and more tenacious than before. They were a group with something to prove and they did it every time they strapped on their weapons and walked out to war.

They had an ax to grind and they would do it on the processors of the enemy. They were that good.

Revo leaned out of the shuttle cockpit. "We're on the countdown, Elita," he said.

Elita-1, commander of the most elite 'femme' commando group in the Autobot Armed Forces nodded and looked at her team. "Suit up," she said with a smirk.

They rose and walked to the door. Lining up, they waited for the bridge to burst into being, then stepped into it. As they touched down on the planetoid that held the simulation of sensors and communication arrays, they began their carefully correographed dance of doom. When their peds hit the ground, they were already an unstoppable force, weapons in servo, orders and directions pulsing through their processors over their 'combat line'. By the time the ship was moving upward to fly back to the rendezvous point, the equipment targeted would already be down.

-0-Springer's ship, the Wrecker high speed fighter, 'Impactor's Revenge'

Two teams of twelve mechs sat together, one on each side of the vessel that bore them to war. They were the best, a mix of sharpshooters and urban fighters, all of them frontliners. All were fearless and ready to roll no matter the task at servo. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe sat together, their swords sliding in and out of their sheaths. Blurr sat across from them chatting with Sandstorm who was bragging obout his body count to come. Hot Rod was bantering with Arcee, something that would end shortly. Springer was sitting with Drift, both of them talking offline about who knew what. Kup was silently champing on his stogie and thinking about other missions in other times.

Probably.

Rem leaned out and caught Springer's optics. "We are at T-4."

Springer nodded and rose. "Saddle up, boys. Time to fly."

Everyone stood stretching and checking gear. Their comm lines pinged and everyone passed inspection. Moving to the back where the bridge stood energizing up with Kup and Drift preparing to lead the way, they lined up. They would be one of two ships that would take out the camp with the alien Hu An and the majority of the Decepticons. When both ships bridged them and all had cleared the 100 yards that brought them close enough to the fortified barracks, Seeker fighters would be screaming in to blast the guns and towers that dotted the Control Center's roof.

By the time they reached the Control Center's door, the tower guards would be neutralized and the bots inside the building would have destroyed the computers containing the energy beings in the cross fire of the battle.

It would be a bust.

It would require a retool.

-0-On a Wrecker high speed fighter shuttle nearby, 'End of the Line', at the same time

Topspin stood at the door with his troops. There were two teams of twelve, all of them armed to the teeth and ready to roll. Their coiled energy and snarkily amusing commentary were the outcome of vorns upon vorns of battles and skirmishes with an unrelenting, implacable enemy.

"You are go on two," the pilot said leaning out of the cockpit.

"Affirmative," the big bot said glancing back at his mechs. "Last one out is a douche bag."

The Wreckers had come to embrace the Urban Dictionary as something close to their sparks. That particular phrase was part of the lingua franca of the hard bitten mechs of special ops. Jazz who was leading the group against the 100 Decepticons who held their people in the mining camp chuckled. He felt the ship gather, turn in a tight arc and begin a silent glide downward. They leaped out in a stream landing on the ground once more at a run. By the time they had secured the camp and 'subdued' the 100 enemy they had sustained too many casualties among the captives.

It was a bust.

It would have to be reworked.

-0-On a ship monitoring the operation

The reports began to come in and they were mixed. The communication team had done their job in less time than allocated in the planning. They were tip top and that part was locked down. If there were no techs on the ground when they arrived, they would have no trouble getting things taken care of. Elita and Company were given the word that they were go.

-0-On the ground

:We have been affirmed: Elita said turning to look at her team. They sat on rocks here and there as the shattered remains of computer generated communication devices lay where they had fallen, been blasted or burned, snuffing out almost immediately after exploding.

:Good. I wonder how its going with the others?: Chromia asked. :We can move from here to there if they need us. We better get that part in with Ironhide or Alor and have it as an option:

:I'll send it: Elita said. :Ironhide, Alor:

:Ironhide here:

:Alor here:

:How about us assisting the others when we signal lock down? We're just standing here: Elita said.

A pause filled the vacuum, then Alor spoke. :I will factor that in, Elita. We can talk when we get the debrief. Right now, the other parts are still in play. Stand by:

:Affirmative: Elita said signing off. She turned to her team. :Alor is going to consider it. Everyone else is still go:

The others nodded and settled down to wait. Debrief would follow up soon along with several more run throughs of different tweaks until at last they got it down pat.

-0-At Autobot City one joor after school let out

They had taken the train to the city from Terra. Ratchet had Orion and Praxus on leashes. Hero was out there taking a nap inside Grandada Alor's carry hold. It was probably for the good. After all, war and pestilence was the family business after all Ratchet thought with a grin. Holding the reins of control, he walked the sparklings along to the stores for this and that thing before going back to the office to wait for Sunspot to finish his lesson and Ironhide to come back.

They entered the Mall of Metroplex to order dinner to be delivered, pick up more bath soap for the sparklings and the right color of paint for Hero's Autobrand. It was a gabby pair of sparklings that wandered after Ratchet into the relatively busy mall and beyond.

-0-At Autobot City Pharmacy

"Ada!"

"What, Orion?"

"What this?"

"What, Ada?" (Praxus, pointing)

"Put that down. You don't need wing salve."

"Why?"

Because."

"Oh."

Walk, walk, walk. Pause.

"Ada!"

"What, Orion?"

"What this?"

"Ada, what?" (Praxus, pointing)

"Bandages. Put that down. You don't need them."

"Okay."

Walk, walk, walk. Stop.

"Ada!"

"What, Orion?"

"What this?"

**"ADA! WHAT!"** (Praxus helping himself too)

"Toys. You have enough."

"No! Orion, not me!"

Walk, drag, pull, leave store.

-0-Autobot City General Food Store, Mall of Metroplex: 'The Grocery'

"Ada!"

"What, Orion?"

"What, Ada?" (Praxus, pointing as he prepared to take a lick)

"What this?"

"Energon bouillon. Put it down."

"Ada, me!" **PFLT!** "Oh Ada! Bad! Not me! Bad, Ada!"

"I told you, you hoodlum. Now we have to get it." (Puts mangled bouillon cubes in basket) Grin. "Serves you right."

"Ada, bad you."

Walk, walk, walk.

"Ada! What this?"

"What, Ada?" (Praxus, pointing)

"Take a bite, you little slagger. I dare ya."

Tiny blue optics stare upward at big blue optics staring down. Looks at energon powder for making poultices for sore peds for a moment. Then puts it down. Grins up at Ada. **"NOT ME! I, ORION, GOOD! YOU, ADA, BAD!"**

Two elderly femmes standing nearby looked at each other. "That little angel has **that** right," one of them said with great affront. They both glared daggers at Ratchet.

Ratchet and Company left nearly immediately after for the CMO office in Autobot City Medical Tower.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)

Note: Listening to "Try" by Pink while writing this is awesome. Try it on your own writing. It really inspires. :D It sort of feels like Optimus's theme song. :D


	214. Chapter 214

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 50 edited for boo-boos. :D

-0-Late that afternoon on the tarmac of Autobot City Airfield, Autobot City, Mars

Bluestreak stood waiting with three infants on leashes for the ships to land that were due through the bridges that had just burst into power overhead. Their flickering lights could be easily seen from the ground by the powerful optics of the bots who waited, both family and professionals.

The twins played with tiny rocks on the ground, picking them up to discuss together. Kaon on the other servo watched the mechs go past and the gear that was used to fuel and charge ships when they landed.

It was very exciting.

There were other family and friends, some who stood with him to chat and pass the time. The first ships burst through, arcing their trajectory to make an orbit of the home world before getting clearance to descend. They were followed by the others and the support ship carrying the special ops techs who had set the simulation into place.

Disappearing for the ten minutes it would take them to orbit Mars, they flashed away from visual contact by Bluestreak and the others almost immediately. The field activity began to pick up as they readied themselves for the ships.

-0-At the CMO's office, Autobot City Medical Tower, Autobot City, Mars

They played by the window, taking things from their toy box to build houses and forts. They had done a good job of entertaining themselves as all waited for Sunspot and Ironhide to return. When the little Seeker walked in smiling from audial to audial, he joined them. Ratchet worked diligently getting things caught up because tonight would be the night when Sunspot got a bigger room. They would eat dinner, then work out the remaining moves and changes themselves. All they needed was Ironhide now. It was peaceful.

:Old mech:

:What?:

:Where are you at?:

"My office. All of us are here:

:Good. I want to be there to help. We're coming in for a landing. Where do you want to meet?:

:You come by the office, Ironhide or let me know when to come down with them. Be in the lobby waiting for us and we'll come. Where's Hero?: The grump reached Ratchet over the link and he grinned.

:Ada has her. Why don't you get her, Ratchet? My ada is punishing me for something I probably did when I was a sparkling:

:Ah. It must have been bad for Ali to carry a grudge this long:

:I'm still searching for the memory: A grin and its warmth reached Ratchet.

:How was the training exercise?:

:Good. We're going out tomorrow, then heading out for the mission if its a sign off. We plotted the time line and if we pull it off tomorrow, we are go:

:Okay. So you really want me to get Hero?:

Pause. :I'll get her. I'm surrounded by slaggers:

:Speak for yourself, Ironhide. Come home soon:

:I will. Ironhide out:

Ratchet glanced at the younglings who were deciding together how high an ungainly number of blocks could be stacked. He grinned and got back to work.

-0-On the ground

The hatches popped and ramps slid downward as weary soldiers trudged off their respective ships. They walked toward the city pausing to snark at the soldiers and preen for the cameras of the filmmakers. By the time the twins reached Bluestreak the infants were nearly dancing with excitement. They were picked up, cuddled, kissed and settled on the big powerful arms of their ada and atar.

"How did it go?" Bluestreak asked as he was kissed.

"Not well at the start but we have it down now. It's a real luxury to troubleshoot this thing," Sideswipe said as he bounced Kaon on his arm. That little mech laughed and hugged his father. They turned to walk toward home, part of the many who had gathered mechs on their return.

Segways with filmmakers wove in and out capturing this and that moment. No one really noticed them anymore, so ubiquitous were they in the environment of the city. Once they were explained to the new comers, they were accepted.

Ironhide paused by the command group and retrieved his daughter. Walking to the Fortress, they entered and headed for Ops Center. After about a half hour of debrief and commentary, the group broke up to head for home. Alor and Blackjack walked with Ironhide and Hero along the sidewalk that led up Metroplex Highway to the towers beyond. The sun was beginning its descent into the night as the temperature began to drop. Ironhide slid the baby into his hold and continued as they chatted.

When they arrived at the towers, Ironhide headed for the Medical building while his genitors went ahead to home. He pinged Ratchet and soon they came down the elevator and saw him. The little mechs all ran, their leashes dragging as they grabbed Ironhide's legs. Patting his peds, they all began to babble. "I'm glad to see you too." He looked at Ratchet who stood grinning. "Time to go home. Our dinner will be delivered shortly."

They turned and ambled out heading for their tower and their newer enlarged apartment.

-0-A moment later

They stood and looked at the finished product. A note from Bulkhead had signaled to Ratchet earlier that they had finished. Ratchet had thanked them profusely and bided his time, preferring to share the surprise with his whole family group. Now they were here in a large space with only a few new things that had to be finished.

The living room and kitchen area of the other apartment had been changed. A wall of windows filled the space where the kitchen was and the dining room table had been placed there by the workers who didn't know where everything went. A couch stood against those windows as well offering a huge seating area and open space for the younglings.

The entire apartment had been repainted, the wall hangings and pictures having been removed by Ratchet and Ironhide that morning. They would need rehung and rearranged, especially for Sunspot. Everyone turned and looked at Ratchet. **"ADA! Why?" **Orion asked pointing at the room.

"Because we needed space for all you hoodlums," Ratchet said with a grin. "Let's go look at the berthroom for Sunspot."

The little Seeker turned and ran for the corridor pausing before the door to his genitor's old room. It was different. All of the things that had been in there for Ratchet and Ironhide were gone, removed by Ratchet to the new room on a morning break. All of Sunspot's many different things, his bedding and some of his school projects were in the slots of the built-in closet. His new sweater was hung up and his little hats including his Halloween daisy were on the shelf overhead.

The rest of the room was unchanged. A large berth dominated the room and there was a dresser along the wall by the door. He turned and looked at both of them. "What do we do now, Ada?"

"We take all of your stuff and bring it in here. You have to tell us what and where you want it," Ratchet said.

Sunspot's smile was radiant, then he turned and ran to his room. Ironhide followed along with Orion and Praxus as Ratchet sat down on the berth to await their return. It didn't take long. Orion was back with a dollie that he dragged behind him. He stood and looked at Ratchet. **"ADA! WHAT ME!?"**

"You are a noisy slagger. I'm surprised those old femmes at the grocery store didn't punch me. They have no idea what a little hellion you can be," Ratchet said picking Orion up and putting him on the berth.

Sunspot came in holding a model of a ship that he and Ironhide were building together. Ratchet took it and put it on the dresser *just so* under the direction of Sunspot. Two incredibly neat toy boxes appeared in the servos of Ironhide who put them down just as well. He left and returned with a little bookshelf that held all of Sunspot's personal library. It was placed near the berth so that he could reach them easily for a read when he wanted.

Praxus walked in and out with Ironhide carrying the same little stuffed dog each time. Everyone was walking so he was too. He would pause when Ironhide paused, move when he moved and offered the odd comment here and there about this and that. Orion watched him as he knelt beside Ratchet, then slid down to help. He ran out and came back with a pillow off the couch. He handed it to Ratchet, then ran out again. When he came back, he had a pan from the kitchen cupboard. Ratchet took it too with a grin. Orion ran out.

Sunspot watched him, then looked at the stuff accumulating on the berth. "He's getting strange stuff."

"He's helping," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Sunspot grinned. "He always does. He's a good helper."

"He is," Ratchet said as Orion staggered back in with three datapads that nearly squirted out of his grasp. When Ratchet took them, he turned and ran out again.

Ironhide walked back in with a number of little bulletin boards and a rolled up tube. "Tell me where you want them after I show you this."

He then unrolled the tube and the picture of the Kaon Kavaliers was unfurled.

Sunspot looked at it with shock, then glanced up at Ironhide with enormous surprise. **"ATAR! THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL! THERE ARE MY BROTHERS! THIS IS THEIR TEAM! I LOVE THEIR TEAM!"**

Ironhide grinned. "We know. There they are."

"**HOW DID YOU DO THAT!? I LOVE IT! IS IT FOR ME?! CAN I HAVE IT IN MY ROOM?!"**

"It is. Tell me where it goes and I'll put it up," Ironhide said with a grin.

Sunspot looked at him, then turned to Ratchet. **"ADA! DID YOU SEE THIS?!"**

"I sure did, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said hugging him. "You and Atar can figure out where all of these hang. I think dinner just showed up." He rose and walked to the living room, Praxus in tow. The door was opened and a dinner box was delivered by a couple of cheerful younglings. They went off and the door closed. Glancing down, Ratchet grinned. "Are you hungry, sparkling?"

Praxus grinned, his sweet little white face shining like a new dime.

"I'll take that as a yes," Ratchet said walking to the kitchen. He began to lay out the food boxes and when he saw Ironhide walk out of the berthroom, he called out. "Dinner!"

"Give us a moment," Ironhide said disappearing into Sunny's old room, then his new one. A bit of laughter and a lot of happy exclaiming by a little Seeker could be heard. Orion and Praxus had ditched that for dinner. They had their priorities right.

Ratchet lifted them into their chairs, then handed them their cups. Dinner would be had first in a cup, then from a spoon as each of the adults took over that chore for both babies. The table had a clear view of the airfield, the Fortress and beyond that, the prison. It was a panoramic view that was afforded. It was a much improved view he thought as he put plates on the table spilling over with 'rice, noodles' and other savories from the 'Thai' menu at Cafe Praxus and the fertile creativity of Rampage. **"LAST CALL!"**

They both came out and sat, Sunspot fixing Ratchet with a beautiful smile. "Everything is up. My whole room is moved. My brothers are on the wall. They told me that they would watch over me and now they will."

Ratchet paused and grinned at the little infant who had begun to dig into his food. "You make that sound like a chore, Sunbeam. Easiest thing that anyone of us do."

Dinner would pass with joy.

-0-Later that evening in Sunspot's new room

Ironhide made the berth up with the bigger blankets and things. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee stared off the covers in action poses that brought smirks to Ratchet and Ironhide as well as looks of awe from Sunspot. "They look awesome."

"They do. They'll keep you company when you sleep," Ironhide said.

Sunspot looked around the room walking to peer into his closet. It was filled with his things. He pushed the doors closed, then turned and paused again. "My desk. My peg for my book bag."

Ratchet turned, walking into the other bedroom to pick up the little desk and bring it back. "Where does it go?"

Sunspot looked around, then pointed to the window. "If it goes there, I can look out while I do my homework."

It was settled with its little chair. They all looked around, then grinned at each other. "This is great," Ratchet said.

"**IT'S AWESOME, ADA!"** he said throwing himself against Ratchet's legs, hugging them tightly.

Ratchet rubbed his back gently. "You are going to be an awesome sparkling with this room. You even have a wash rack of your own."

"**I'LL SHARE IT WITH ORION AND PRAXUS!"** Sunspot said looking up at Ratchet.

"We know you will, son," Ironhide said. "How about getting your homework done so I can check it and you can read your story to me?"

Sunspot smiled and nodded. "I will," he said taking his book bag off the floor. He paused. "I think it should be here, Atar," he said pointing to a spot on the wall.

"I think you're right," Ironhide said as he walked to the old room to retrieve the peg he and Sunspot had placed there. With Sunspot's 'help', Ironhide placed it on the wall by the door. "There. Looks great. Mech has a place to put his school bag."

"**I DO! I WILL!** I have to do my work now," he said happily. He turned and walked to his desk sitting on his chair and retrieving his stuff. They watched a moment, then turned walking out. The infants followed and looked at the space of the extended room. With a glance at each other, Praxus and Orion of Mars ran as fast as their little legs could take them to the new corridor and beyond squeeing with delight as they did.

Ratchet and Ironhide stood side-by-side watching. "It's going to be a long night," Ratchet said quietly.

Ironhide nodded. "Tell me something I don't know."

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	215. Chapter 215

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 51 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-The next morning

The big lecture hall of the University had been transformed into a meeting room for the Prime Hearing scheduled in a joor. The Banner of the Primes hung in the space behind Prime's table and there were tables for the defending and prosecuting lawyers in the area in front of the audience seating. Another chair was placed next to Prime's for Semi who would also be part of the judgment. This room would accommodate the families, friends and defendants much more fully than the courtrooms in the old museum, now the Courthouse of Mars.

A table nearby would hold the computer from which Barron as Head of Legal Matters for Mars would sit to search out anything that would be required. Prowl would sit across from him as clerk and recorder. Witnesses would speak from the space next to Prime's table. Banners of all the city-states lined the wall behind them bordering the Banner of the Primes. Below that was the banner of the Emblem of Cybertron. It looked like the Halls of Justice on Cybertron.

Only without the injustice, terror or corruption.

Several Night Watch mechs sat in the seats near the door waiting to be called if at all. Security was being provided by bailiffs drawn from and specially trained for this job when necessary from the Home Guard. They were big mechs, of a certain age and experience with the right attitude: Keep the peace without violence unless there was no other way and teamwork is the only way to achieve the first one.

No cowboys need to apply.

As they sat waiting, the door opened and a line of individuals walked in moving to sit in the front row behind their particular representative. They were Florus and his son, Mako, Barin, Reese, Swin and Ture represented by Highrode once again. The other side, former low castes consisting of Talin and Julon would be defended by Endar. The other former low caste mechs who were involved were not charged. These mechs were scheduled to be witnesses along with the family, the officers and a passerby who had been caught up in the hoo-haw.

The door opened and closed as family walked in and sat down giving moral support to their various jailed members. By the time that Springer, Drift, Prowl and Prime had arrived, the place was pretty full. It became deathly quiet as Prime walked down the steps. Semi who had come in earlier stood waiting and they stepped to one side to talk together. More mechs from the Day/Night Watch entered as well including a couple of reporters, one from Autobot City Daily News and another from IntraComm. They sat and got their gear together.

Prime looked at Prowl and nodded, moving with Semi to sit down on the dais. When that was accomplished, Prowl turned to the group watching tensely. "I am Prowl. I will be clerk and recorder of this proceedings. I am going to caution you to hold to the decorum that is expected in a serious proceeding such as a Prime Hearing. This hearing is to establish the cause and find a solution to a repeated breach of the peace which the Prime believes has a larger impact on the common peace than just younglings having a dispute. You will hold your comments and contain your behavior or you will be escorted out." He turned and nodded respectfully to Prime before sitting to begin the recording devices.

Optimus Prime looked at the gathering, then sat straighter. "This Prime Hearing is in session because I believe that there is a dynamic at work here that is larger than it would seem. It would appear as it stands now that this stems from the System that holds some of our people to be lesser than others for reasons that have been disproved and outlawed since the Fall of Cybertron. The first incident was handled in a very fair manner. Prowl at my request introduced his own petition into the proceedings to outline for everyone the stance of the colony and of me, the Prime so that all would be clear on what was going to be accepted and what wasn't.

"During the intake process for all refugees, we explain very carefully that the System is dead, outlawed and banned forever from our society. I, as Prime, have the duty to lead our people well, ensuring that the unity that we have created step-by-step is not undermined. This colony could very well be our last stand. It could very well be the only 'Cybertron' that any of us, most of us ever get to have. We may never be able to retake our home world again.

"Prowl told you with his petition that there is no legal, moral, religious or intellectual justification for the System to exist. Primus instituted among all of us through the Matrix and through our most sacred documents and beliefs that all of us are one. All of us. Yet, we are here today because some of us don't appear to hold that to be true. It would appear that for some of us, allegedly, an artificial belief in the superiority of a few over the many is the only acceptable way to live together. I want to hear the facts, listen to the arguments and take the time to think about this. I want you to speak to me with honesty and strength. If you have a point of view that needs expression, please speak it to me now.

"I have asked Semi to listen and offer his own wisdom as we craft a solution to this ongoing problem. I am responsible for almost a million of our people with twice that many more currently calculated to be coming to safety with us. I cannot be worried that our unity is being weakened now when we need it more than before. Barron will speak to points of law and Coln-2 from the Prosecutor's office will represent my interests as the Prime and the state personified in this hearing. I turn this hearing over to you, Coln-2."

A tall bot with a calm manner and a cool optic stood and nodded, pausing to look at his pad for a moment. He was a prosecutor from Polyhex who had been part of a group of lawyers who had decided to investigate the corruption of the Senate. They hadn't lasted long as a group. They were forced to leave Cybertron before the Fall or be put into punitive stasis. Needless to say, they left and formed the nucleus of a group that had been traveling through space looking for a home ever since. They would land somewhere, live peacefully and eventually be evicted because in a number of places Cybertronians no matter how peaceful were not wanted. Needless to say, he was one patient bot. "I would like to call a mech named Lobo to the stand."

A bailiff walked to the door, leaned out and a young mech came inside. He walked down the steps and stood in the speaker area, his nervousness evident. Prowl swore him in. He looked at Prime, bowed his helm respectfully and waited.

"Lobo, you were in the Park at Metroplex shortly ago. We are interested in the events that night if you can relay them, the events that are relevant to this meeting," Coln-2 said.

He nodded, pausing to look at all of the mechs and two femmes in the audience. "Well, my family and I were at the park. My son likes the swings. We were there when a noise from the street caught our attention."

"Which street?" Coln-2 asked.

"It was coming from Temple Street," Lobo said.

"What happened? Please describe events and participants. If you can see them in this room, please point to them as you go so that we can match the events to the participants," Coln-2 said.

He nodded. "Well, we were playing ... our kids and my bond, Able. We have two sparklings. One is a walker and the other is still little. He likes to swing in the baby swing. We heard a bunch of loud voices and laughing down Temple Street. We didn't think much of it. A bunch of other mechs were playing ball at the open part of the park. i thought they were coming to them to play ball too.

"When the mechs from Temple saw the mechs in the park, they paused and talked together a moment. Then they started walking to them calling them out," Lobo said. "Able and I watched them because it seemed to get mean all at once."

"Please tell us who was who in this encounter," Coln-2 reminded.

He nodded and looked at the mechs in the room. "Those two," Lobo said pointing out Mako and Swin," They were calling names to the ball players. The ones who were being bothered are those two," he said pointing to Talin and Jolun. "The mechs who were part of the group yelling joined in after the first two began the scene. Those would be them," he said pointing out Reese, Ture and Barin. All of them squirmed. "They were calling names and it sort of got hot really fast. The five of them walked up to these two and their friends who were with them. It became a pushing match. That's when I alerted the Night Watch and moved my family away. I was afraid my kids or my bond might get hurt."

Coln-2 nodded. "I see. They were calling out each other. Did you actually see them throw punches?"

Lobo nodded. "I did."

"Who threw the first punch," Coln-2 asked. "That is, who did if you actually saw it?"

Highrode objected. "We haven't established where everyone was beyond tenuous remarks. It was getting dark. The park is very big and his stated desire to remove his family was a priority. His remarks haven't been established."

Coln-2 picked up a device and pressed the code, the monitor next to the witness box illuminating. "We have made a map of the park and established through the testimony of witnesses and Night Watch reports exactly where everyone was. It has also been backed up by a pedestrian who was passing by at the same time." He coded the device and lights with names appeared. "This is the diagram of the event."

Everyone paused to look at it. "Highrode, Endar, do you need time to study the diagram?" Prime asked.

"I am ready to go, sir," he replied. Endar nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Prime said. "Please continue."

Coln-2 explained every light on the diagram, then turned to Lobo. "Please tell us exactly what you saw."

He nodded. "I was standing there, at the swings pulling my son out of the seat. The mechs were chassis to chassis shouting at each other. Then that mech," he said pointing to Mako, "struck one of them on the face. That is when things got out of servo. I called the Night Watch as I pulled my family back toward the entrance of the park on Metroplex Highway," he said. "It didn't seem like it took any time for the officers to come so we moved to go to the Cafe on the Main over by the Mall for dessert. We didn't want to be in the way and the officers seemed to get it under control."

"What fighting if any did you see?" Coln-2 asked.

"I saw the mechs who had barged into the game beating on the mechs who were playing. They were the ones who started the fight," he said pointing to the five high caste youngling mechs who were sitting behind Highrode with Florus. "They had a melee going but the officers were getting the thing under control right away so I felt we would be in the way."

"What were the mechs in the park doing? The ones who had been playing the game?" Coln-2 asked.

"They were hesitant to fight but when those two were getting hurt," he said pointing at Talin and Jolun, "they jumped in to help. They didn't want to fight but they got sucked in from what I saw."

"Thank you, Lobo," Coln-2 said sitting.

Highrode stood. "You have been pretty specific about the order of the skirmish, Lobo. How dark was it at the time?"

"It was getting dusk. The overhead lights hadn't come on yet. They did when the officers came," Lobo said.

"The low light and distance from the fight might have made identification problematic."

"No sir," Lobo said. He paused a moment. "I grew up in a neighborhood on a colony world that was dangerous. There were pirates and sometimes the Decepticons would come and throw their weight around. I got to be very good at identifying trouble and avoiding it. Your spark depended on identifying and avoiding problems."

"Thank you, Lobo," Highrode said sitting.

Lobo walked out and Able came in corroborating the story he had given. Neither Highrode nor his partner could shake their comments. Coln-2 called upon the first officer, Champ who was the officer of the beat and first on the scene with his partner, Jasper. He took the oath and stood quietly waiting. He was a youngling mech who had joined the Watch for adventure and a life that could hold surprises. This was his first trial.

"Officer Champ," Coln-2 said. "What did you see when you arrived on the scene of the fight in the park at Metroplex and Temple?"

"I arrived with my partner as per the call for assistance and we both came to the scene from Tower Road to the north. When we arrived, there was a fully involved fight going on between an evenly matched set of individuals, all of them brawling heavily in the free area at the end of the park."

"Who called you to come?" Coln-2 asked.

"We received the call from Central Dispatch in the tower of Fort Max and it had been made by a number of individuals including a family, a pedestrian and from Metroplex himself."

"Please describe the scene and what transpired," Coln-2 said.

"We came upon the scene and saw a fully involved altercation in progress. We entered the fight and managed to separate the two sides by the introduction of tazers. We gave them the warning and they moved apart. It was at that time that family members of the brawlers began to arrive. The situation escalated so we called back up. Commander Springer and Commander Drift arrived to help us along with the officers from stations #4 and #6."

"What happened then?"

"The reinforcements allowed us to take them all into custody and bring them to substation #4. We booked them and took them to the jail in the basement of the courthouse for incarceration."

"Thank you," Coln-2 said sitting.

Questions of this and that were asked by Highrode, then he sat.

Coln-2 rose and called in the partner of Champ who corroborated the story as well. When that mech stepped out, Coln-2 looked at his datapad. "I would like to call Commander Springer to the stand."

The room was quiet as the door opened and the lanky good-humored figure of the security chief of the city as well as the planet walked down the steps to the stand.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)

Note: LEONESS! YOUR BOOK IS AWESOME! A character named for Orion! That is so great! Thank you. :D

Sky: Thank you! :D I have been writing this since November 2, 2010 nearly everyday. I am so delighted to entertain you. I love ya back. Readers have no idea how important to this process they are. The idea that people are waiting for me to post makes my day. Thank you, hon. :D


	216. Chapter 216

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 52 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-On trial

A segway parked outside of the University lecture hall as the two soldiers riding it paused by the door. That gigantic structure was closed. Turning to catch the optic of a bailiff standing outside keeping the witnesses company, he opened it a crack and they slipped inside walking to the front to sit on the floor by the wall. The translators in their face masks dialed into channel three and they began to hear the testimony. Epps and Graham relaxed against the wall to listen.

"I am Springer, Chief of Security for Mars and for Autobot City. I am commander of the Day/Night Watch, walk a beat with my bond and command the Wreckers, our army's special operations last chance unit."

Springer stood on the platform, his lanky form relaxed, his affect as good-natured and calm as ever. Coln-2 looked at him. "Commander Springer, could you tell us about the incident in question … what you saw when you arrived on scene."

Springer nodded. "I received the call from the Dispatch Center in the tower of Fort Max and with my partner, Drift, headed immediately toward the scene. There was a melee going on when I arrived. Civilians were arriving, family of those involved and it was getting out of servo.

"My partner and I waded in and sorted them out along with the officers on the scene and more that I called to come. I wanted the scene overpowered so that the fight would end immediately without any more violence than was necessary to make the peace."

"What was the extent of actual violence that you personally viewed?" Coln-2 asked.

"I saw a number of mechs punching the daylights out of each other, some others arriving who looked like genitors pulling the fighters apart, a genitor or two punching and a lot of mechs screaming for the fighting to stop."

"The civilians who arrived … what about them? What can you add to their inclusion in the melee?" Coln-2 asked.

"There were a number of individuals that I took to be family or friends. They had joined the melee about the same time that we got there, Drift and I. Most of them were trying to stop the fighting. One of them was and wasn't . That is Florus. He was pulling on his son to stop and to do that, he punched Talin in the face. Talin staggered backward and Florus turned gripping his son's arm. At that point, Drift reached him and began to take Mako into custody. Florus didn't like that and tried to intervene. That is when Drift dropped him with a punch. We bagged Florus along with the others. When Florus went down, the fight paused and was over," Springer said with a slight smirk.

"How many of the family members do you think were part of the fighting and how many were there to end it?" Coln-2 asked.

"I would say all of them wanted the fighting to stop including Florus but Florus decided to make a point and ended up in the jail along with his son," Springer said. "We didn't take any other family into custody because they were merely complaining and trying to get the fight stopped. No one but Florus crossed the line."

"Did you see Lobo and Able or the pedestrian who is going to be speaking to this matter?" Coln-2 asked.

"I saw Lobo and his family later. We interviewed the pedestrian. Lobo was a follow-up interview later because he was a complainant. Metroplex called me personally as well as the tower. He was extremely angry that violence should be happening in his children's park. He's touchy that way."

Coln-2 nodded. "You took statements of the witnesses."

"I did."

"Thank you," Coln-2 said. He sat.

Endar stood and looked at Springer, a mech he liked and sometimes worked with on cases presented in Magistrate's Court. They were friendly as all the lawyers were with the security mechs but not close. "Commander Springer, tell me about the behavior of Florus as you saw it."

"Florus was trying to drag his son off another mech when I got there. He was visibly upset and vocal about Mako leaving with him. When we began to sort out the mess, we began to cuff the miscreants. That is when he began to challenge us and yell."

"He was knocked down by an officer wasn't he."

Springer nodded. "He was. He was resisting the arrest of his son for fighting and disturbing the peace. He put his servos on an officer and that officer defended himself. Then he was arrested along with his son."

"Florus was the former Governor-General of Altihex and he is an older mech. I am unsure why it would take that much violence to take him into custody. Do you always use violence to take mechs into custody?"

Springer considered that. "No. Only those that resist."

"You say that he resisted arrest," Endar said.

"He did Everyone was told that they were under arrest including Florus. He resisted and put his servos on an officer. He was decked because he was fighting his arrest. I would have preferred he had not done that. In fact, I would expect the former Governor-General of Altihex to have more respect for the law and its officials. But he didn't and apparently he doesn't."

"Can you give me a figure of the number of mechs that have received violence at the servos of the Day and Night Watch during the arrest process?"

"I can't off the top of my processor but I'm sure that the stats can be supplied." Springer's demeanor didn't change. He stood with his usual calm demeanor. He had learned when to be pissed and when not to. This was not one of those moments.

The questions continued, then he was dismissed. Endar looked at Prowl. "I call Commander Drift to the stand."

The door opened and Drift entered, walking to stand and take the oath too. He turned and looked at Endar, his manner calm and enigmatic.

"Commander Drift, you were part of the arrest of the defendants. I would like your account please."

Drift nodded. "I received a call that there was a brawl going on at the kiddie park at Metroplex and Temple. I headed over with my partner, Springer and found a fight going on. The officers on the scene were sorting the two sides but a number of other individuals were starting to arrive. The newbies appeared to be family and they wanted to end the fight. They were pulling on their younglings and shouting. It was a near riot."

"What about the family members? The genitors? Tell us about Florus," Endar asked.

"Florus was among family members who had arrived and were trying to get their younglings away. He had his son, Mako and was trying to drag him away. When I moved forward to arrest Mako, his father turned and struck me. I struck him back dropping him. That effectively ended the fight."

"Is it your habit to hit a suspect?" Endar asked.

"When they resist, I apply the least amount of force to end it," Drift said.

"You hit him because you say he hit you. Were there any witnesses to this supposed assault?" Endar asked.

"I can't speak to that. I was busy arresting mechs. If there were, I can't supply names," Drift replied.

Endar ended his questions. Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, are you a member of the Circle of Light?"

"Yes."

"Are you a Knight of Cybertron?"

"Yes."

"What are the basic principles of the Circle?"

"They are a pacifist group that believes in peace."

"But you are a Watch officer and an Autobot soldier."

"I defend. I work to defend."

Coln-2 sat. Endar stood. "Commander Drift, you are the bond of Springer, is that correct?"

"I am."

"You were a former Decepticon."

"Yes."

"You were a very dangerous Decepticon once were you not?" Endar asked.

"Yes."

Endar sat. Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, when you were a Decepticon, you did a lot of bad things didn't you."

"Yes."

"When did you decide to make changes and why?"

Drift considered the two lawyers and the moment. He considered his long slow path to redemption and the love of his life, Springer. They wanted to know things he was still struggling to understand himself. "Because I found a better path. All of the Decepticons living here have. We wanted a better life, a chance to live a worthy life and we are."

"You never use guns," Coln-2 said. "Why?"

"Guns are part of the old path. I am on a new one. I follow new rules and hold different views. Part of that is peeling off the past and remaking the present to change the future. The Circle doesn't hold to guns. We use swords for defense. That is the short version."

Coln-2 nodded and sat. Endar stood. "For a mech who professes a peaceful philosophy, you weren't afraid to subdue on old mech with a blow."

"I meet attacks with minimal force. I use the energy of my opponent against them. I don't go in with the idea of fighting but I am not afraid to do so if its needed." Drift waited as Endar considered his list of questions. "Thank you, Commander Drift. I have no more questions."

Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, when things go wrong, what do you do?"

"I go to offer assistance."

"When Metroplex was injured, what did you do?"

"I assisted the Watch in getting mechs and families out of the District and helped to search for the problem."

"When everyone was running away, is it safe to say that you were running toward the fire?" Coln-2 asked.

"It would be safe."

"Thank you." Coln-2 sat down. Drift was excused. He walked to the door and left.

Springer who was standing outside grinned. "How did it go?"

"I think they just equated me with Satan," Drift said with a grin.

"So basically, they got your character right?" Springer asked with a grin.

"They did," Drift said moving to sit down on a couch in the corridor. Springer sat beside him and they bantered together as the time passed.

-0-Inside

"I would like to call Florus to speak," Endar said as he began his case.

Florus, former Governor-General of Alihex, beneficiary of the Caste System, reasonably decent administrator of a city-state took the stand and oath with enormous dignity.

"Sir, please state your name and something of your history as a figure of repute on Cybertron," Endar said.

He nodded and turned to look at Prime. "I am Florus, son of Handow who was Secretary to the Primes. I was the last Governor-General of the city-state of Altihex and a father, bond and industrialist on Cybertron."

Endar moved closer. "Tell us what happened the night of the arrest of you and your son in the Metroplex Park," he asked.

Florus turned to face him and began.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)

NOTE: Sky, I hope you saw the note at the end of the piece before this one. I edited that one and added a note back to you. :D :D :D


	217. Chapter 217

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 53 Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In a courtroom at the University, Autobot City, Mars

"Could you please explain your actions on the night in question," Endar asked.

Florus nodded. "I was at home with my bond. I was working on some documents I had brought home from the office when I received an impression that my son was in some kind of difficulty. I told my bond to stay at home as I was going to handle it.

"I hurried from our apartment in Tower 19 in the Mare Tranquilitatis toward the park at Metroplex. My impressions from my son were that he was in deep difficulty. When I arrived at the park there was a brawl in progress. The first thought I had was that my son would be imprisoned for a long time if he were swept up in some kind of security raid.

"I hurried to my son and grabbed his arm. I tried to drag him out of the mess but the others kept attacking and grabbing at him."

Talin and Julon shifted slightly, frowns forming on their faces. It was clear that they disagreed. So did a number of others in the audience who shifted slightly. Prime noted that, but kept his focus on Florus who would be the biggest part of this problem to resolve.

"What happened then, Florus?" Endar asked.

"I found myself dodging fists and at that point I began to defend myself. I pushed some off and kept tugging on my son. Then the Night Watch arrived with tazers and their own fists."

"Did any of them strike you?" Endar asked.

"None of them did at that moment. I had my son and was backing away. That is when the two commanders arrived, Drift and Springer. The entire thing began to fall apart when they arrived."

"What happened?" Endar asked.

"We were apart and more genitors were there, some of them standing behind me calling to their younglings. Drift and Springer were pacing in the middle barking orders. Then one of the -." He paused but the words he would have said hung in the air. 'Low caste'. He gathered himself a moment. "One of the other younglings struck out at my son and it began again."

"It was calmed, then somehow it began again when the commanders arrived." Endar looked at his notes, then his client.

"Yes. It began again. That is when the one, Drift, turned and came at my son. He struck me and I was down on the ground cuffed. We all were carted off to the jail."

"Did you provoke Commander Drift in any manner?" Endar asked.

"No."

"Did you interfere in the restraining of anyone including your son?" Endar asked.

"No. I did not," he said expressly.

Endar checked his list of questions and points. Then he nodded. "I reserve future questioning at this moment." He sat as Prime and Semi nodded.

Coln-2 who was working hard on his own list arose. "Sir, you are a former Governor-General of a city-state on Cybertron, correct?"

"Yes. Altihex," Florus replied, his tone slightly wary.

"Then its safe to say that you understand security, the actions and general focus of policing forces and the law."

Florus nodded. "That would be correct."

"Then you understand the need to speak the truth and to do so when placed under oath in a court of law."

Endar leaned back in his chair. "Sir, the question is demeaning. Florus understands the need to speak the truth."

"Continue, Coln-2. I am sure all of us are aware of our obligations to tell the truth," Prime said staring pointedly at Florus.

Coln-2 nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Sir, you came to the melee to retrieve your son in fear of consequences to him as a double offender of this set of laws."

"I came to take my son home. I was aware of the possibility of him being rounded up and charged for this incident. I am also aware that it would be very difficult for him if he was."

"You state that Commander Drift struck you apparently without cause. Is that your position?" Coln-2 asked calmly.

"Yes," Florus said with equal calm.

"Did you do anything in your opinion to provoke a response from the Commander and I am asking you with a clear understanding that you are aware of your obligation to the truth."

He looked at Coln-2 with slight irritation which he masked almost immediately. "It is my clear impression that I did nothing to provoke being punched to the ground."

Coln-2 considered the artful response. "You stated that the other younglings involved here were the offenders, the aggressors. When did you arrive at the fight scene? At the beginning, the middle or the end?"

"I believe I arrived in the middle of the event," Florus said.

"Then you didn't see how this started nor can you make an informed statement about what might have caused this event to happen."

Florus considered that. "No."

"You did not see that the younglings," he said turning and nodding to Talin and Julon, "were peacefully playing a ball game with three other younglings when your son and his friends arrived at the park.":

"No," Florus said coldly. "I do have my son's word that he was not part of the group that began this event."

"Your son's word," Coln-2 said coldly. "You didn't see how this started. You have heard eyewitnesses explain what happened but you are relying on your son's word which eyewitness testimony contradicts severely."

"I trust my son," Florus said equally coldly.

"I am sure you do but you weren't there and didn't see what happened. The eyewitnesses say that your son threw the first punch. They say that he was the instigator of an attack on a group of younglings who were peacefully playing ball in a public park. Are you still going to hold to your contention that your son is a victim of aggression?"

"I believe that I have made my position clear, sir," Florus said.

"Then you are making a statement rather than stating facts," Coln-2 replied calmly.

Florus considered that remark, then shifted slightly. "I have stated what I believe to be the truth."

"We have a number of witnesses that state otherwise, Florus."

"I can only tell you what I know. I don't care what the others say. I was there in the middle of this and that is what I saw," he replied firmly.

"What is your position regarding the Caste System as practiced on Cybertron?" Coln-2 asked.

"Why do you ask about that?" Florus asked warily.

"Because I can. Please answer the question."

"Objection," Highrode said. "I am questioning the relevance myself."

Coln-2 looked at Semi and Prime. "I believe at the bottom of this story is the specter of the System. I believe it motivates the defendants and is a danger to the peace of our society. Therefore, it is relevant."

Prime glanced at Semi who nodded. He looked at Barron who nodded as well. "The three of us are in agreement. It is relevant. Please answer, Florus."

The older mech stared at Prime, then Coln-2. "The System had its place. It provided stability to the population, a framework for our society to achieve greatness and the rise of the Golden Age. We were once a great people. When the challenges came to the system, we fell."

"You derived great personal benefit from the System. You and your family never wanted for a thing. Were you aware of the mass of suffering that befell the greater population as a result of this system?"

"I was the Governor-General of Altihex. I was aware of everything. You might be aware that I did my best to make the quality of life good for all in my city-state," he replied with an edgy tone.

"I am aware of many things. I am also aware that only high castes were admitted to schools, had decent housing and food at hand. I remember that the slums of Altihex were as putrid as the slums everywhere else. What did you teach your son about his obligations to society?"

Florus looked at him with a cold expression. "I taught him what I was taught, that we have a burden to carry to lift up everyone as best we could, that not everyone was equipped or willing to do better. But we were to try."

"Then you hold the opinion that people are poor by choice? That there is a margin of individuals that aren't worth your effort?" Coln-2 asked quietly.

Florus looked at him. "We are on a criminal matter. Why are you making this about politics?"

"Answer the question please," Coln-2 requested.

Florus looked at Prime. "What does that question have to do with this hearing?"

Prime considered that a moment. "Everything," he said quietly.

Florus looked at Prime, then Coln-2. He looked at the high castes in the audience, some who looked uneasy and others something deeper. "Very well. I am aware that there are types who cannot be helped no matter what you do. They are what they are. It is easier for them to be a sponge than to contribute to society. You can only do as much for them as you can, then you cut your loses."

"Then you subscribe to the notion that the poor choose to be poor," Coln-2 persisted.

"I might not be so brazen, but I sometimes think they do. You cannot lift people out of the mud who enjoy it," Florus said.

"I have compiled statistics for the city-state of Altihex from databases that have been retrieved from ships over the many migrations. It states that among the 4.5 million citizens of the city-state of Altihex, 4 million of them lived at or well below the poverty line. They worked in the mills and industrial parks for minor shanix and lived in housing that was substandard. There were no schools for their children. There was only private charitable clinics for their hurts.

"The amount of public assistance delegated by the government in the last year of Sentinel Prime's Primeship stood at 98 million shanix. That wasn't enough to keep feeding programs for children and support for the elderly going for a full Cybertronian year. Yet, Altihex's output of industrial products stood at 2 trillion shanix. The discrepancy is interesting and I ask you as a self proclaimed industrialist of Altihex, how much did you pay your workers to produce the wealth that you so obviously enjoyed so lavishly?"

Florus looked at Coln-2, then the audience, many of whom were either seething with anger or wishing they were some place else. "I can't remember."

"I do. You had a grand house in Altihex, a lavish apartment in Iacon and an estate in Capital City. You sent your family on vacations off world that ended up in the news cycle and you never had a hungry orn. This was done on the backs of the workers whose salaries you can't seem to remember. I am assuming that you felt the justice of this?"

Florus looked at Coln-2 and knew what he was doing. He considered that, then decided to stand up for himself and the life he had lived since his separation. "You seem to miss the point. That was the way we lived. I enjoyed the fruits of my labor and my education. You seem to think that is something to be ashamed of."

"What fruits? You inherited your businesses and never worked in one of them an orn of your life. The workers did the labor and you reaped the benefit without a thought to them or their lives. Some of them worked their entire life in one of your companies only to be kicked to the curb when their condition and health didn't meet the intensity of your expectations. In what manner did you contribute to your own success in any meaningful manner?"

"Objection," Highrode said rising. "This whole line of questioning is prejudicial. The defendant is high caste. We admit it. He came from wealth. What does this do but poison the possibility of getting a reasonable judgment on an issue of a skirmish in the park?"

"This is the underpinning of the problem, sir," Coln-2 countered. "This is the motive by which this problem is re-occurring. We need to explore it to find out the truth. The issues are bigger here than the fight. We are working out motives for this continuation of violence by the defendants against not only these mechs," he said turning and nodding to Talin and Julon, "but also to the peace of our city and colony."

Prime thought a moment, then leaned toward Semi who leaned also. They paused a moment going over an internal decision, then sat back. "We overrule the objection. The effort to ascertain motive is essential to this hearing. Continue, Coln-2 and reach your point," Semi said. Prime nodded.

"I really object to this line of questioning, your honor," Highrode said.

"And it is noted. I will address this concern at the end of the trial," Prime said nodding. "Coln-2, continue please."

Coln-2 nodded and looked at Florus. "Shall I repeat the question?"

Florus glared at him. "I contributed to my success by being a great manager. I became Governor-General of Altihex because I was a good manager. You seem to think that because you have a high caste designation that you aren't worth much."

"I was thinking that you have that problem, sir," Coln-2 shot back. He paused and looked at Prowl. "Please strike that comment, Prowl. It is unworthy." He looked at Florus. "Your life and actions were predicated on the Caste System were they not?"

Florus shrugged. "I lived the life I was raised to have. All of us did."

"You felt no compunction to raise the quality of living for the poor which were manifest? You did after all live about a kilometer from the slums of your own city."

"I did what I could. I donated to charity, I worked in government to lift the poor up but that is hard to do when they don't want to stand."

"The poor are lazy," Coln-2 said.

"Objection," Highrode said.

"Overruled," Semi said glancing at Prime who nodded.

"Some of them are. Most of them. I can't help that they can't see a better path."

"How many would you say are incorrigible? 25%? 35%? All of them?"

"Now you just want me to look like a villain." Florus glanced at Prime. "You're trying the System, not me."

"We are seeking the root cause of this continual disturbance," Prime said. "The System appears to be a reasonable focuse of questioning."

"I have no more questions for this witness," Coln-2 said.

Florus looked at Highrode who was in consultation with Endar. Then Highrode looked at Prime. "We wish to hold our questioning of this witness in abeyance until later, sir."

Prime nodded. "Very well."

Florus walked off the stage and sat beside his son in a state of barely controlled agitation. Coln-2 turned. "I wish to speak with Talin."

The mech flinched and glanced at his stricken genitors. They nodded encouragingly and he rose. He took the oath and turned to face the room. He looked terrified.

"You are Talin of Altihex?"

"Yes sir," he said fearfully.

"Tell me about your life here at Autobot City," Coln-2 said.

He looked at his genitors, then Coln-2. "It's great. I live in a nice apartment with my genitors. I'm in an apprenticeship with Rampage. I want to cook."

Coln-2 nodded. "Tell me about your genitors. I am aware that they lived on Cybertron in the city of Altihex."

He nodded. "They worked for a smelter and lived in the Hole."

"The Hole. Please explain what that means," Coln-2 asked.

"The Hole," he said pausing to gather his anxiety, "the hole is a slum where all of the low caste mechs lived. It was pretty bad."

"Tell us more," Coln-2 asked.

"The apartments were tiny and unheated. They didn't have water, most of them and everyone used public faucets. The streets were narrow and the fire danger was high. It was a dead end."

"How does that compare here?" Coln-2 asked.

Talin's face brightened. "It doesn't. This place is beautiful and the opportunity is unlimited. I got a good apprenticeship and I didn't have to bribe anyone. My Atar is disabled but he still gets a great apartment with a wash rack. My Ada is going to school. He saw the ads for teachers wanted and finally asked to speak to Herling. He doesn't know all he should yet. He didn't know how to read but he's going to school to be a teacher. Right now, he's an aide in the school and a student himself," he said proudly.

His genitors watched him, their expressions filled with agony and concern. They didn't know what this might mean for him or their present situation. So far, they hadn't been evicted but they had no idea what this would do to them and their better life when it was concluded.

"We eat good food, go to restaurants and have things that we need. My atar is really good at making practical things. I'm trying to get him to make things for the shops. He can do it. He just doesn't know he can," Talin said. His expression shifted into something harder and defiant. "My atar and ada are good mechs. They deserve the best and they have it here. They should have had this all along. They are as good as anyone." He paused, then turned to look at Prime. "If I have to go to jail, will they be evicted from their apartment? I don't want them to be in trouble because of me."

Prime shook his helm. "No. We don't work that way here."

"They did in Altihex. If someone got in trouble, the whole family suffered." He looked at Coln-2. "This is the best most fair place I've ever been. I love it here."

Coln-2 nodded. "Tell me about this 'football' rivalry and what happened when you were playing ball in the park."

Talin looked at his genitors who looked back encouragingly. He looked at Coln-2 and nodded. "We were in the same colony. There was no system there because the conditions were so bad. Everyone had to work. Those mechs," he said nodding to the five sitting beside Florus, "didn't like it but the Circle ran it and they had to. They were never happy and they liked to jump on us. We always had a hard time with them. We used to fight together, then the Circle told us enough. We tried to follow them. I admire the Circle. But they never did. When we came here I hoped that the huge population would make it easier to avoid them. My friends and I, we hang together after work and school. But they always seem to find us."

"You didn't throw the first punch according to the witnesses. Who did and what happened?"

"We were playing ball when we heard them coming. We were talking about leaving when they turned and started toward us. They stopped in front of us and then he," Talin said pointing to Mako, "punched me in the face. After that, the whole thing went crazy." He stood staring at Mako who glared back. "We didn't do a thing and they started a fight. Everyone of us were defending ourselves when the Night Watch came. Then the genitors showed up. Commander Drift and Commander Springer came and arrested all of them and took us in too, Julon and me because it was all still unclear."

Coln-2 nodded. "Thank you." He sat and Highrode rose. "Mr. Talin, you have had a number of interactions with my clients since the first altercation. One of them was at the grocery store in the Mall and the other was at the theater. It would appear that you are aggressive when it suits your moment."

Talin looked at him, then his genitors. "I was getting something my ada needed in the store when Mako saw me. He followed me around taunting me. Then he and his friends cornered me and Julon in the theater. A Night Watch officer walked in and they backed off. I didn't start either thing."

Highrode looked at him. "Did you have a record in the colony?"

"No, sir," Talin said defiantly.

They sparred a moment, then Highrode sat making little headway in limiting the damage the youngling caused to his case.

Coln-2 rose. "I would like to call Mako to the stand with the permission of his attorney." He turned to watch Endar and Highrode in consultation. Then Highrode stood. "I would not agree to allow Mako to testify at this juncture."

Florus looked at them, then his son. "I would disagree with you, Highrode," he said to Highrode's everlasting angst.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	218. Chapter 218

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 54 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In a courtroom on Mars

"I would strongly advise you, Florus, that Mako not take the stand. I would like to have a recess a moment to talk to my client," Highrode asked. He looked at Florus. "I would hope very much that you will take a moment with us, Florus."

Florus considered that, then shook his helm. "I think we need to vigorously state our position here, Highrode."

"I am asking you the courtesy to speak to you for a moment in private so that all of us can understand where we stand on this matter," Highrode said. Endar nodded and looked at Prime and Semi. "We would like a moment to speak to our clients please."

Prime nodded. He looked at Florus. "I would ask that you take a moment to caucus together, Florus. Both Endar and Highrode have your best interests at spark along with your son."

Florus looked at Prime, then nodded. He rose and tugged his son up. All four of them walked to the door nearby and a small room where technicians stored their gear for the lecture hall. The door closed and it was silent a moment. Prowl sat back and rolled his helm, the tension in his neck popping.

Prime and Semi sat huddled together talking internally. Prowl watched them a moment, then noticed the two soldiers sitting on the floor nearby. :Gentlemen:

Epps glanced up at Prowl. :Hey, Prowl:

:So, are you learning anything?: Prowl asked with the ghost of a smirk.

:Yeah. I don't intend to break a single law while I'm here: Epps said with a grin.

Prowl nodded. :You and me both:

The audience was silent, any conversations that had were on internal comm lines. It was tense and overly quiet. The silence of the room was what one would expect at executions. Coln-2 was sitting quietly going over his notes and the defendants were looking everywhere but each other.

The door opened and the group came out, the expressions on their faces confusing to the audience who sat tensely. They took their seats and Endar stood. "I am not going to allow my client to speak, sir. We withdraw the agreement to testify."

Prime nodded. "Very well."

Coln-2 looked at the group of younglings sitting in a row avoiding his gaze assiduously. "I would like to know the status of the younglings also in the docket with Mako."

"None of them will speak on their own behalf now. We reserve the right to allow testimony later," Endar replied.

"Very well," Coln-2 said. "I call to speak now the mech, Metroplex."

A stir in the room was heard, then the monitor nearby flashed into life displaying the multicolored interface panel that signified the big mech in city format. "Metroplex, are you online with us?"

"I am here."

"Thank you, Metroplex. We are discussing the conflict that happened in your park. We would appreciate what you can report about that."

It was silent a moment, then the deep masculine voice spoke. "I am very unhappy that such a thing could happen in the confines of my person. I am very protective of any space which is occupied by my residents or anyone who ventures into the park. That night, five mechs were playing a ball game in the park. I watched for a moment, enjoying their happiness, then turned my attention to maintenance details that I had to do.

"I felt the disturbance and returned to the scene to see what was amiss. A number of mechs had appeared from the street, Temple I believe and were in conflict with the younglings who were playing. I zoomed in to see what was going to happen when one of them punched another in the face. It was disturbing that such a thing would happen in my children's park."

His tone was extremely offended and his anger was clear. The courtroom was intensely silent.

"Then you saw the blow that started the fight?" Coln-2 asked.

"Affirmative," Metroplex said. "The conflict had not become physical yet. The blow started a fight that consumed all of the participants there."

"What happened then, sir?" Coln-2 asked.

"The battle began on the park grounds so I called the Night Watch. It was offensive in the extreme to me not only for the insult that it would happen in my confines, but I had been aware of a family playing together at the playground. They were enjoying themselves and there were infants with them. They endangered that family with their antics."

"You called the emergency center," Coln-2 asked.

"Affirmative. I also was preparing to send Scamper out to quell the disturbance when they came."

"When the mechs came, what were those involved in the fighting doing?" Coln-2 asked.

"They were being joined by others. It was getting out of servo and I was very disturbed. Then Drift and Springer arrived and it settled down. Arrests were made and the whole bunch were taken away."

"Did you see Drift strike anyone?" Coln-2 asked.

"Affirmative. A mech came to take away someone in the fighting and was upset when Drift came to put that mech in restraints. Drift defended himself and cuffed both of them."

"Do you in all your experience feel that Drift's actions were inappropriate or extreme, Metroplex?"

"Negative," Metroplex replied. "Drift is Circle of Light. He was appropriate in his response."

"Thank you, Metroplex," Coln-2 said sitting.

"You are welcome," Metroplex replied.

"Do you have questions for Metroplex, Highrode? Endar?" Prime asked.

"Sir, did you see clearly what was going on at the time? I am told that your lights had not come on for the evening yet," Endar asked.

"I have everyone and everything on grids. I can access each area level by level, layer by layer. Whether there is light or not, I have clarity of what happens in my confines."

"Thank you, Metroplex," Endar said glancing at Highrode. He shook his helm no.

"Thank you, Metroplex," Prime said.

"Prime, I wish to make a statement after the trial is determined, a victim's statement," Metroplex replied.

"I will put in a call, Metroplex," Prime said nodding. As he did, the screen went dark and Metroplex was gone.

It was silent a moment, then Coln-2 stood. "I am resting the state's case, Prime."

Optimus nodded, then glanced at Endar and Highrode. "Gentlemen?"

They looked at each other, then nodded. "We rest our case, sir. We are ready for closing statements."

Prime nodded and looked at the crowd who were as silent as silent could become. "Very well. You may begin, Coln-2."

That gentleman bowed slightly. "We have before us a case that might on the surface be simply about youngling mechs who don't get along fighting in a city park and leave it at that. But if we did, we would be overlooking the thread that links this incident to the other one and from testimony, events that go back to other places.

"This isn't just about younglings who don't get along. This is about a system that poisoned the minds and sparks of some and cost dearly the quality and quantity of life for millions and millions of our people. The system cost us our home world and but for the efforts of our Prime and our army, we would not be here. We left our worlds and stations and dusty four corners to come here and we were told the moment we touched down that the system was dead and gone.

"Most of us have embraced that and we have made extraordinary lives here. We get to do what we want, learn things that were illegal on Cybertron, send our infants to school and go ourselves. We live decently, eat well, work meaningfully and take care of each other.

"Yet, for some that isn't enough. For some, that's incorrect. They want a return to privilege based on hatred and lies, luxury that they don't have to work for, perks and opportunities that are hereditary, and power. They want great power again.

"We live here in peace and prosperity under the rule of a mech who is guided by Primus himself. Primus at our making instilled in us a simple truth: All are one. Even the humans hold to ideals that everyone's life matters, that no one person is intrinsically better than another.

"But some don't get it and maybe never will. Their hatred has poisoned their children and the cycle rolls onward. We are seeking the greatest possible punishment for this crime for those involved to send a message to them and anyone else who still wishes to desicrate our species with this great lie. You will not win. I am asking as prosecutor to have justice served not just to the ones who are guilty, but to the idea that we are resolved on this issue. Thank you, Optimus Prime and Semi for your attention to this matter."

Coln-2 sat and lay down his datapad, his fatigue clear. Endar and Highrode spoke together, their helms nearly touching. Then Highrode arose and nodded respectfully to Semi and Prime. "Gentlemen, my colleague and I are here to represent youngling mechs who have gotten into an altercation that they know was wrong and for which they are imminently sorry. They truly are sorry.

'There has been an attempt to make this bigger than that, to link the System into this matter as if this were a war for Cybertron and not the clash of younglings that goes back before their settlement here.

"I would ask that the focus of this trial be placed squarely on that event and not beyond because the issue at servo is a fight between younglings in a park that involved genitors trying to make their children stop and leave.

"We strongly believe that anything more would be inappropriate and outside the scope of the criminal complaint. Thank you, gentlemen." He sat wearily himself.

It was silent a moment as Semi and Prime sat communicating together. It was intensely quiet and very strained in the room. Then Semi stood. "It is the duty of this court to hear evidence and find guilt or innocence based on that evidence. Optimus Prime and I have. We have found in the issues at play here something larger than just the machinations of a handful of younglings squabbling. We are in agreement with you, Coln-2 that this is of a greater nature and that motive matters.

"I have been delegated to expressing the will of the court by naming the verdict. I am also to speak to the evidence. Our Prime will be speaking to all other matters when I have said my part and he will be deciding sentencing if there are convictions." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "It is the will of this court that you, Talin and Julon are innocent of all matters pertaining to this event. You are adjudicated innocent and absolved of guilt. You were defending yourself against an unprovoked attack."

Semi waited as the younglings, their friends and family expressed their intense relief. Then he looked at the other side. "It is the will of this court that you, Mako, Reese, Ture, Barin and Swin are deemed guilty of inciting violence, assault and battery, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest."

The room sort of puffed up, then sagged as the verdict sunk in. Florus looked sucker punched but he said nothing.

"The court finds you, Florus guilty of violence and resisting arrest. We find all of this to be so by a preponderance of the evidence which was first hand and overwhelmingly specific to the issues at servo. The court wishes to thank your counsel and the prosecution for your efforts on this matter." With that, he sat down.

Prime looked at them as they all turned their optics to him. He vented a soft sigh. "First of all, I wish to thank you, Endar and Highrode for the effort you put into this case. Your climb was steep given the evidence and before I conclude this hearing, I will tell you what I will offer to assuage your concerns about this hearing."

They nodded.

"My admiration extends to you as well, Coln-2 and to you, Semi for helping me with this difficult case." He paused a moment, then stood. Looking at the younglings, he began to pronounce his sentences.

"Mako, Ture, Barin, Reese and Swin, for the offenses of which you are found guilty, I sentence you to six months in jail."

The room nearly guttered as the gasps of the audience filled the space. He looked at them and they silenced.

"You will be allowed to leave for work or school but you will return when you are finished. You will reside in the city jail for that duration of time. You will serve your full sentence without the possibility of parole or time off for good behavior. This is the second time you are responsible for this offense and you haven't learned. You will undergo anger management and meet with the Mental Health Office of the Autobot City Medical community for counseling as well. You are being given opportunities for positive change but that is in your servos alone." He looked at Florus. "Florus, I sentence you to three months in jail. You will serve your time in the prison."

Florus sat back surprised but he didn't speak.

"You will not serve your time in proximity to your son. You will be offered counseling but I will not order it. That will be up to you."

Prime looked at the crowd, then he began to speak.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (2)


	219. Chapter 219

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 55 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-In the courtroom, Autobot City, Mars

Then Prime began to speak. "One of the most important aspects of this case was to get to the root of it. The motive had to be presented for the event to be fully understood. Even though the first fight was not allowed into the record, it was an essential part of the motive for this case. What was the root cause? The System was.

"Coln-2 introduced into the record a number of affidavits of mechs that were witnesses but not called. They told a story about these five younglings that is instructive. They have had incidents of discord with others. When the former caste status of those mechs was determined, they were all former low-castes. There are no incident reports of these five making disparaging remarks or acting out against anyone else. It was always former low-caste status mechs.

"They have made it clear to me and to Semi that they have a problem with those who by the nature of the system were locked into a caste that didn't allow them or their families opportunity and prosperity until they came here. I find that important. I believe that it is the root cause of the argument.

"I have made a vow to Primus and The One that we would become here what we were intended to be but never were allowed to become on Cybertron. One people together. We are One. Our colony is at last what we supposed to be from separation. We made a point of telling you from touchdown that very fact.

"Our army protects everyone. All of our people are flourishing and excelling. We live in peace together, former Decepticons, Seekers, Neutrals, Circle, Knight, the former low, middle and high castes. Nowhere else, not even on Cybertron has prosperity and peace been accessible to every single person regardless of their former status.

"You are not the first who refused or were unable to let go of the past. All of them have learned. You will too. You will not only because I insist you will, but because the city and her people will. We won't allow this stain on our honor to continue. Either you change, learn to contain your feelings or you leave. If jail isn't enough to change your views on this illegal institution, then perhaps you need to move on."

The room was deeply quiet as friends and family of the guilty staring at Prime with alarm. They shifted, one of them reaching forward to squeeze the shoulder of one of the younglings. Then it settled.

"I have a difficult charge. I have to retrieve all of our people no matter where they are. I feel their need and their danger through the Matrix. They consume me. There are dangers around us that demand our attention. If the Decepticons come they will not worry about caste. They will kill us all equally. Everyone matters. **All** of us matter.

"Endar and Highrode, I understand your complaints and I have decided to allow an appeal to this decision. As you know, under the old system there could be no appeals because this format was intended to be a control device for the population and the status quo. I will allow an appeal to a panel that will consist of seven randomly chosen individuals. They will be chosen from the entire population. You may present your appeal based on the transcript of this hearing, the facts and points of law that you feel need clarification. You are limited to this hearing and nothing more"

:Just like us on Earth: Graham said glancing at Epps. Epps nodded.

"I would hope that you understand that the System is dead. I will not allow it to come back. For those of you in the audience who need to speak to me about your concerns relating to it or this hearing, make an appointment and I will hear you. I would also ask you to speak to the priests in the Temple. They have some experience with those who find change difficult." He looked around the room, then at Prowl. "Metroplex wished to speak."

Prowl nodded and called the big mechanism. His image flashed onto the screen. "Metroplex, you are on for your statement."

"Thank you, Prowl," the deep masculine voice of Metroplex replied. "I wish to express my outrage that violence could occur in my park. That is the space that I designed for peace and joy. When the children come to play, I feel great happiness. I am weary of war and discord. This is the first time in longer than I can remember when I have been truly content. I have families living in my environs and workers making for themselves a life they could never have on Cybertron. It is disturbing that this happened to me, my residents and visitors. I will not allow it again. That must be made clear, Prime."

"I will make it so, Metroplex," Prime replied.

"Very well. For those of you who live as families with these younglings in my city mode, you are welcome to stay. You have been good company. Your younglings on the other servo may not return if they don't change. They showed a lack of respect that I will not tolerate. I do hope I am clear to all of you. Respect is an absolute requirement."

The room was silent a moment.

"Thank you, Prime for allowing my contribution to this hearing."

"Thank you, Metroplex for all you do and I am glad you voiced your feelings about this matter," Prime said.

"Until all are one, Prime," he said, then he signed off.

It was silent a moment, then Prime looked at the bailiffs. "Please take these younglings to the jail. Hold Florus there until tonight so he might go to the prison with less scrutiny. Your futures are now in your own servos. No one can make things right but you."

They nodded and with silent stunned expressions, all turned and walked out of the room. Prime watched them, then looked at the audience. "You have a job to do as well. If you hold the ideals of the System, you need to rethink what you believe and how you see the world. The Army doesn't fight for some of you. I don't work for the few. I work for all of us. Our Army protects and defends everyone. They always did. For anyone to feel that they deserve the front of the line because of caste is disgraceful. It will not be allowed. The priests and mental health personnel of the city are here to help you. I suggest that you avail yourselves of them. This hearing stands in adjournment."

For a moment no one moved, then they stood up and began to file out silently. The five mechs who were free to go paused a moment, then Talin and Julon walked down the steps to Prime and Semi. Talin offered his servo. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You did the right thing trying to stay out of trouble," Prime said.

Talin nodded. "I don't want to worry my genitors. I don't want to fight anymore either."

"Then don't. The power is in your servos," Prime said nodding.

The younglings turned and walked back to their waiting genitors including the atar of Talin. He was clearly disabled and when they turned, he took his son's arm to climb the stairs. Prime watched them go, then turned to the lawyers. "Gentlemen, thank you."

Coln-2 grinned. "You're welcome."

"Thank you for the opportunity to appeal," Endar said nodding. Highrode agreed. "We understand the motive aspect. We just feel that we want to stress the event itself. We also want to have a review of Florus and his participation. He did after all come to get his son."

"He did. Unfortunately, resisting the arrest of his son was a bad idea," Prime said.

"We'll see during the appeal," Highrode said with a smile.

"Thank you, gentlemen for your effort," Prime said. He grinned slightly. "You had an uphill climb with your repeat offenders."

"Thank you for not allowing that as part of the record even though I would venture that it mattered to you," Endar said.

"Motive for behavior is key to understanding it. This had to have a clear motive and I agreed with Coln-2," Semi said with a grin.

"Appeals, Semi," Endar said with a grin. "We shall see." He looked at Prime. "When do we get the word on that?" he asked. "Do the defendants get to remain free until then?"

"Barron will take care of the appeal process. He will alert you," Prime said. "As for the defendants, they are where they belong for now."

Everyone nodded and the meeting began to break up, all of them climbing the steps to the doors. Outside, sitting on a couch together, Springer and Drift watched them come out into the hallway.

"I can assume you lost?" Drift asked Endar.

Endar smirked. "For now," he said.

"Oh joy," Springer said rising. Drift stood too and the pair paused beside Prime watching with Prowl as the legal mechs walked out. "How long did they get in jail?"

"Six months for the younglings and three for Florus. He's in the prison," Prime said.

"Wow. With which crowd?" Drift asked.

"Sentinel's group."

"There is something behind that placement beyond getting him separated from his son?" Springer asked knowing something of the thinking of his one time partner.

"I want to see what Florus does after three months with Sentinel and the others." Prime looked at them. "It's that simple."

They nodded. "This could be fun," Springer said as they turned to walk to the street below. "I suppose we are go for the simulations."

"You are. Let me know what you think. If you are at optimal, then we go today," Prime said.

Springer nodded as they all walked toward an elevator nearby. They paused as the sound of soft tapping was heard. Then Prime walked back to the doors and opened one. Two humans walked out and looked up. "Thanks, Optimus. I was hoping someone could hear us," Bobby Epps said with a grin.

Prime smirked. "I live to serve."

Hoots and laughter greeted that. Springer looked down. "You little punks better head for the airfield if you expect to go with us. If this shakes out, we won't be returning to the city to get anyone."

They glanced at each other and turned running for the segway. They hopped aboard and buzzed off heading for the elevators and the long run for the airfield. When they got there, Lennox would be standing on the ramp with Figueroa waiting for them. They would all run inside and with help from Revo settle into their safe box behind the pilot for the duration.

"Make sure they don't get killed," Prime said with a grin. "The House Foreign Affairs Committee wouldn't like it."

"Got you covered," Springer said as they all turned to go to the elevator. The doors closed and they were lost to sight.

-0-On the airfield

The troops gathered, climbing aboard their vessels as the teams came together to leave. Two Wrecker fighter ships, the battle shuttle that would carry the femme team and another battle shuttle carrying the sim team gathered themselves to leave. Nearby, two of the Supremes stood discussing carrying victims back through the bridges to safety. Three large vessels with enhanced equipment to create special environments were standing by, the non-sentient ships preparing to serve as transport for both aliens and bots.

The midmorning sunlight brought the spring temps up to nearly -40 degrees as the mission was organized. A light breeze ruffled dust across the tarmac and the sound of the city and all its activities could be heard in the low atmosphere. The sound of normal voices, human voices if they could be heard outside of their face masks would sound deeper than they would on Earth. But to fulfill that experiment, one would have to die to do it. It was enough just to know that fact.

-0-In the Trigger

The team sat bringing the extraordinary powers of the big bridges online. One by one, the two energy vortexes flashed into being. They pulsed, then settled. On board two of the vessels preparing to leave, prototype ship bridges hummed as they powered up waiting for the moment when they would flare and allow the soldiers to go through.

Ironhide and his genitors walked to the airfield minus one small femme sparkling. Having dropped her off with Tie Down and Ravel, they hurried onward to their duty. By the time they entered their ships, the fleet was lifting off. They watched as the sims ship lifted off and headed for the bridge, disappearing into it to set up the operation.

-0-Check in with Flight Control, Fort Max

"Jazz, check."

:We are go:

"Springer, check."

:We are go:

"Elita, check."

:We are go:

"Red Wing, check."

:We are go:

Smokescreen who listened in turned to Prowl and nodded. "They are go. Sims are go."

"Very well. Begin," Prowl said as overall control of the operation.

Smokescreen turned back to his control panel. "You are all go."

They came around the curve of Mars, Elita's ship in the lead and shot through the vortex one after the other, a fleet of Seekers following. They flashed through and were gone. By the time they were through the other side, peds were on the ground, things were being destroyed and overpowered. It would be flawless. In almost the blink of an optic, the word would come back that the operation fulfilled all of the objectives set for it.

Seconds later, Optimus Prime would be entering a ship to head out. He would rendezvous with his group and lead them into battle. He would do so with the support of General Blackjack, former Master of the Autobot Armed Forces, Commander Alor, strategist and ops specialist, Commander Flint who led battalions from back in the orn, Commander Ironhide, Master of the Autobot Armed Forces and his specialist team captains, Elita-1, Springer and Jazz.

He felt invincible. Only time would tell if it were true.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)


	220. Chapter 220

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 56 edited for boo-boos

-0-On the scene, out there

The post sims debrief was on the vessel that carried Ironhide and Prime. The group leaders floated over and entered. Gathering around the table littered with devices and datapads, they paused to take stock. The coordinates of the location were already in the Trigger and the recovered Decepticon bridge computer awaiting for the go from Optimus.

"Elita, you managed to put the grid off line in less time today. Your vessel will take you to the Hu An encampment when you signal them."

Elita nodded. "Good. We can help. We aren't clear yet how they will react when we strike. They might not be able to differentiate among us."

Prime nodded. "We have to make it very clear that we are different and there to rescue them."

"We have the universal language translators ready to go but we can only guess what they use for speech. They are telepaths after all," she said. "They might not even be capable of speaking aloud."

Prime nodded. "But they will be used to internal speech transmission which we use. I am sure that there were paths opened up by the Decepticons. They might be able to speak or at least understand our languages."

"We can but hope," Elita said nodding.

They discussed the plan going over every single aspect and possibility that could be considered, then they floated off to their ships and the Seeker flight leaving Prime, Alor, Blackjack and Ironhide on the command vessel. Flint who would be handling the alien situation was with Springer and his team. They would hit the Control Center and liberate the camp with the Hu An. They would also secure the computer's power source and keep the carnage at their HQ down to a minimum, guarding the lives of the energy aliens that ran their hyped up computer system.

Prime sat on his seat looking at the armada on his giant datapad as they gathered to go. Seekers in groups were gathered with the shuttle, Impactor's Revenge and Springer. Elita's group was nearby. The last group which would hit the mines themselves and help liberate the captive Cybertronians were on the other side of Elita's. Jazz would be leading that group.

"Prime to Ops Center."

"Ops Center here." Prowl sounded all business as usual.

"What is the bridge status?"

"We are go at your command," Prowl replied.

"We are go, Prowl. Give us a count and make it happen."

"Affirmative. We are go on five," Prowl said as he received the go from Trigger Command.

"The transport component. Is it go?" Prime asked.

"Affirmative," Prowl replied.

"Very well. Begin the count," Prime said signaling all the ships and Seekers in the group. "We are ready."

Prowl confirmed everyone, then began the count.

"Five ... four ..."

-0-'Impactor's Revenge'

The humans sat in the box behind Revo and saw with an unobstructed view all that would come in the jump ahead. They were tense and belted in, Revo making sure that they understood the importance of not being dumb fucks in the fast and furious events to come.

They got it.

Behind them on the other side of the flight deck bulkhead, the soldiers were standing with their weapons out, their own part clear in their processor and their comm lines synched.

-0-'End of the Line'

The mechs on the shuttle were lined up, twelve heavily armed soldiers on each side of the shuttle's hull. Topspin was lead on one side and Jazz the other as they poised themselves to do a thing they had done zillions of times before, execute a precision extraction against the enemy.

-0-'City of Altihex'

They stood in lines, their casual posture and smirking banter belying the seriousness with which they held their portion of the assault. They would go first and bury the ability of the enemy to send out alerts for help or to coordinate any defense among their troops. They listened to the count which would send them onward at three ...

"Four ... three ..."

The brilliant energy storm of a bridge appeared and the vessel jumped forward disappearing into it. All of the others who still waited watched as they did but they didn't have long.

"Three ... two ... one."

Lennox gripped his chair's arms as the energy exploded before them. Having only watched them through telescopes, the actual experience of bridges upclose and getting closer was breathtaking. Revo who sat quietly in front threw their vessel into an immediate jump and they fell rather than flew into the energy vortex of the bridge.

Lennox sat in his seat, the ability to do more than watch wrenched from his control. He felt stretched out to an impossible degree, then it snapped and he felt normal, the view returning from a maelstrom of smeared lights into a resolved tunnel. They seemed to hold in one place, the sensation of the tunnel moving past them while they waited intense. Then they burst out at the other end, the stars and view solidifying so quickly that he almost vomited.

They streaked toward a planet-sized fragment of rock and dirt, the sensation of collision enormous in their minds. The ship arched over and slowed, flashing toward the ground under the incredible skill of the former 'Con, Revo. It slowed and as it did, bots stepped into their ship bridges, flashing from the hold to the ground quicker than the optic could grasp.

They were down and the operation was go.

-0-Nearby on a planetoid with arrays and dishes

They hit the ground running, their shuttle slowing to nearly a halt to let them out. They had no bridge on their ship, their operation not calling for more stealth or speed beyond their stated objectives. They sprinted to their targets and set the charges, pulling back to group behind a ridge of broken rocks and impact debris. Crouching together, Elita nodded to Arcee. She nodded back and pressed the detonator lighting up the night for a brief second before vacuum took care of the firestorm of explosions.

The blast hit their location and scattered rocks and dust but nothing more. When they stood, all of the devices were obliterated. Turning and sprinting away, they reached their ship and it lifted off heading for the encampment of alien slaves and the major barracks area and command center of their overlords.

They were gone in seconds.

-0-On Prime's ship, 'The Diego Garcia'

"The comm system is down," Ironhide said as he read the data pouring in.

"Good," Alor said as he sat formulating and preparing alternative scenarios for every manner of problem that might arise. He coordinated with Prowl on Mars. It was covered.

"They have arrived at the mine and the main camp," Prime said as the first details began to come to their ship. "Put the cross talk up, Rem," he said leaning into the cockpit to his pilot.

Blackjack paused a moment from his position to listen, then returned to the job at servo, running sweeps on targets to locate the enemy for elimination or surrender.

The sound of mechs blasted in over the soft conversation of the command group. It would be broadcast to Mars and Diego Garcia, the two locations the only ones that would be allowed to listen. This would go out over the most encrypted line that existed between Mars and Earth. No one, not even the 'Cons would be able to break that encoded transmission.

**"Go!"**

**"Hurry and take the gate!** **NOW!"**

**"Down! THE SEEKERS ARE COMING IN!"**

There was a pause as that event took place, then the voices were back. Springer was directing mechs. **"They took out the center guns! Go and take the control center! We are going to take the towers! GO!"**

There was a lot of swearing and cursing, shouts and the sound of what could be the firing of weapons. The shuttles that hovered to await retrieval sent back images of the fighting on the ground. It was furious but proceeding as they planned. Their surprise was complete.

-0-At a mine

They rushed the camp when they were dropped. Nearly the entirety of the Cybertronian prison population was there. The guard contingent was only 100 'Cons and the prospect of taking the camp quickly was good. Darkness covered them and the dampening armor they wore made their detection difficult at distances over 30 meters.

The towers of the barracks were taken down as they split up to neutralize all of the enemy. The barracks were run down with few amenities and poor lighting. The prisoners in the courtyards froze in place as the sight of armed mechs rushing them surprised them into silence. Then they turned and ran for the barracks, running inside and slamming the doors shut.

It actually made things easier that they did.

-0-At the command center shoot out

The 'Cons were caught flat footed and ran for their bunker command center. They were shot down as they did but some made it. The fire that came out of the windows was intense but they were thrown into disarray by the surprise attack. A firefight broke out between those trapped inside the damaged building and those hiding behind equipment or occupying the prison guard posts for shelter.

-0-'The City of Altihex'

The vessel screamed in from the backside of the command center slowing enough to drop off Elita and her team. There were no sensors to detect them left so they hurried without obstruction over the broken ground to the top of the ridge that sheltered the center. Pausing at the lip, they looked down.

:We need to blow it without harming the computers: She looked toward the building that would control the power system and saw two bots crouching to defend it. :The power source is secured. Let's open up this tin can: With that, Elita-1 stepped into the air and dropped 25 meters to the roof of the building.

The rest of her team followed.

-0-At a mine entrance

:**'CONS! GIVE IT UP! EITHER COME OUT UNARMED OR I WILL DROP GRENADES INTO THE HOLE AND SEAL YOU IN FOREVER!:** Jazz peered around the corner of his position and saw nothing happening at the mine entrance.

:**WE HAVE PRISONERS!: **a voice at last replied.

:**WE HAVE SLAGGIN' GRENADES! LET THEM COME OUT, THEN COME OUT YOURSELF WITHOUT WEAPONS! SURRENDER AND LIVE! DO IT NOW OR DIE! YOU HAVE NO OTHER CHOICES!**: Jazz replied, his weapon locked and loaded in his servos.

:**WE'LL KILL THE HOSTAGES!: **the reply came.

**:WE'LL KILL YOU! HURT EVEN ONE AND WE BLOW YOUR AFTS TO THE PIT! YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE! EITHER GIVE UP OR DIE FOR MEGATRON! HE DOESN'T GIVE A FRAG AND NEITHER DO WE! SURRENDER OR DIE!:**

They waited.

-0-Behind Jazz

The round up of the remaining Decepticons in the camp was being undertaken as well as the organizing of the prisoners. They were in poor shape and nearly beside themselves with joy and disbelief. A large number of them were holed up in their barracks, unwilling to believe that their liberators were friendly.

Word was sent to Prime who sent it to Autobot City. By the time it reached there, the Guardians and their support staff including Ratchet leading the medical team were moving skyward to make their way through the gates.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)


	221. Chapter 221

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 57 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Glenn Morshower sat in Ops Center at the Autobot Embassy on a comfy chair next to John Fulton, three Pentagon officials and the American Secretaries of Defense and State. They were there at his invitation to view and hear something that they had never seen before. They were present to see and hear what the Autobots brought to the table.

He had discussed it at length with Optimus Prime over several years. The big mechanism understood the intention and possibilities if he agreed, so he did this time. After all, among their usual array of delusional enemies were humans that didn't have a clear view of the threat and nature of response that their situation required. This would help resolve both with powerful advocates for their point of view.

It was the practice of both N.E.S.T. and Autobots to allow the audial portion of the battle at hand broadcast over the comm systems of both Ops Center, theirs and the humans. The video transmitted from all the participants only played in the Embassy Ops Center and it still did. However, this was the first time outsider humans had been formally invited to watch as well as listen. The N.E.S.T. soldiers, Morshower and Fulton had often been present or recipients when video on the monitors was broadcast in the Embassy center if they weren't on the same missions. They were brothers and trusted. All other requests short of Fulton, their regular N.E.S.T. friends and Morshower were always denied until now. Only brothers and sisters allowed. If someone died, the Autobots only wanted those who loved them present.

Giant monitors, three of them playing the internal video of the soldiers in battle switched from one to the other with subtitles of who they were flashing on-screen along with their visual vantage point. Communications translated the audio to English for the courtesy of the humans. Everyone who sat in comfortable chairs watched with rapt attention.

**"Go!"**

Springer's voice shouted as a group of mechs ran under fire across a clearing to a building that footed the overhead guard tower of a fenced structure that was obviously a prison camp. He ran himself when the others were clear, the visual jerking with each footfall, then it cleared as he paused with his group.

**"Hurry and take the gate!** **NOW!"**

The visual of mechs running shooting up and all around filled the screen as they ran for the prison gate and blew it up with concentrated fire.

**"Down! THE SEEKERS ARE COMING IN!"**

Springer's voice filled the air and everyone paused falling to the ground, covering their helms. A terrible frightening sight of dozens of Seekers on a strafing run filled the view as Springer's vantage watched them bearing down on target. It was searing, horrendous. Then they cut loose on their barrage. Springer ducked and the view was of dirt and rocks. There was blow back as sand, rocks and other debris slammed into him. He looked up, the view obscured with dust. He must have arisen because the view became bigger.

**"HAVE YOU GOT THE GATE!?"**

A shout came back in the affirmative.

**"PONY UP, BOYS! WE NEED TO GET THE POWER SOURCE AND GET READY TO ASSAULT THE CENTER! GATHER AS PLANNED AND AWAIT THE COUNT! GO!"**

The sound of running feet, bodies slamming into walls for cover and optics looking up, down and all around filled the screens. Then the scene changed to a different view. It was an overview. Someone had gone to the back of the ridge against which the control center was dug in. They were looking down surveying the scene.

It was Elita-1.

The group with Springer was bracing to advance and the power source nearby was secured, all of it passing through the vantage point of Elita's optics. A voice spoke that had a softer tone than the mechs they were listening to already.

:We need to blow it without harming the computers: Her view turned and looked toward a small nearby building that appeared to function as a power source and two bots could be seen crouching to defend it. :The power source is secured. Let's open up this tin can:

"I know that voice," Fulton said. "That's Elita. She must be leading her team to take the control room."

"Who's she?" the Secretary of Defense asked.

Morshower grinned. "She's a kick ass femme and a reason women shouldn't be held back from anything the military offers."

Fulton nodded. "She's going to be their worst nightmare."

They turned and watched the action.

Springer's view popped up on the screen. :Elita's on top of the center. Get ready at her go. **Elita**:

:Springer:

:We're ready when you are:

:Affirmative: The view cut to her and she was seen standing over a hole in the ceiling looking down into a dark pit. The others were around her, their weapons in servo awaiting her command. A gray femme knelt and peered inside, her blaster in servo.

:I think they're focused on the front. They aren't looking this way. Should we beat their afts?:

:Goes without saying, Chromia. **Springer**:

:Springer here:

:We're dropping in. Give us a count of three then come forward. We'll drop them inside to keep them off you. Make it quick. We're designing this to protect the computers:

:Affirmative: The view cut to Springer who was in a group of his own mechs. :Elita and her team are going to distract them. We go at three. Listen for her count. Elita, we are go:

:Affirmative: Elita looked at her femmes, the view of them on-screen. :We drop in until all of us are there. Hold off fire unless they spot us. When we get the drop, we blast them. Drop them without a battle. Clean and mean. Are we go?:

The scene showed a group of femmes nodding, one of them with a smirk that spelled no mercy for their prey. Chromia took no slag from anyone. With that, the scene became chaotic as Elita stepped into the void and landed without a sound inside.

Behind her, the sound of heavy mechanisms landing surprisingly quietly could be heard. She glanced back, the others standing ready with weapons poised. Then the view changed as she began to creep forward through a maze of equipment, stores and other unidentifiable things.

"Three ... two ... one!:

Then all hell broke loose.

Morshower watched, his adrenaline pumping. He knew Fulton felt the same. He, Fulton and the two secretaries were the only ones with real combat experience in the group. This brought back memories of other times. The other members of the group were desktop warriors, those who had served all their lives but had never seen a bullet fired in anger. They were as enthralled as he was.

The scene cut to Springer who was watching the center. As he did, flashes of light inside indicated gunfire.

**:ONE! SPRINGER! GO!:** Elita's voice carried over the system as Springer's vantage point rose and began to bounce with running. Fire flew past him and blasted a hole in one side of the building and again at the other end. A big white and red bot that Morshower and Fulton recognized as Drift ran into one of them, red swords in servo.

"Who is that dumb fuck just carrying swords?" one of the desk jockeys asked. "Where's his fucking weapons?"

"He's **carrying** them," Fulton said with a chuckle. "Obviously, you have no idea what you're talking about."

The man smiled. "You're absolutely right," he said.

Drift's point of view came online and he stood in the darkness, the flashing of lights beyond pulling him forward. He paused to look at the big machines in the room he was in. Turning, he nodded to others following him. "This is the computer nexus we defend. Stay here. Drop any 'Cons who come even accidentally near it." The mechs with him nodded and stepped closer to defend it.

Drift moved forward, the tips of his swords gleaming in the weird lighting. As he crept closer, the movement of Decepticons backing toward him firing as they went could be seen. He seemed to brace himself, then moved. A flash here and there seemed almost too bright to look at, then it was over.

**:ELITA! SPRINGER! WE ARE SECURED! THE MACHINERY IS SECURED!:**

**:DRIFT! WHERE THE FRAG ARE YOU!?:**

:Here, you dumb aft. We're outside the main computer center in section A:

:Stay there: Springer's point of view came on. In the destroyed part of the command center that had controlled nearly all the mechanized part of the operation, a row of Decepticon soldiers were kneeling on the floor with their servos on their helms. Several other Decepticons were sprawled on the the floor. Elita was by a computer with Greenlight checking the integrity of the system. She turned and looked at Springer, nodding. :We're good. Tell Optimus:

Everyone looked relieved and Springer turned walking forward to the rest of the building. When he reached where Drift was standing, he paused. :Springer to Optimus Prime:

:Prime here:

:The computer system, back ups and power supply are secured:

The relief in Prime's voice was audible in two Ops Centers on two worlds. :Good. Go to phase two unless it's already on:

:Affirmative. We're going there: Springer's viewpoint focused on Drift who stood leaning calmly against a big machine, a smirk on his face. :We have to go round-up the cattle:

:Well, they picked the right cowboys for the job: Drift said.

Springer snorted. :Whoopie-ti-yi-yoh: With that, the lot of them turned to look outside warily, then go back through the hole in the wall. Greenlight would stay behind and monitor the machines until Perceptor and Wheeljack arrived with Ratchet.

-0-On their way

Ratchet stared out the window as they flew through the energy torrent. When they reached the other side, the shuttles supporting the battle were lined up together with Seekers sitting or standing on the hulls. The battle on the main planetoid was winding down but the other one with the group lead by Jazz was still going strong. Mechs from Springer's command were gathering to go there to support and help with the prisoners in the camp.

-0-Jazz

He crouched by the mouth of the mine. There were five Decepticons and fifty prisoners below in this shaft according to sensors. It was the only one left that hadn't surrendered yet. He waited as the mechs below worked through the math deciding if today was truly a good day to die or not. Behind him, his mechs crouched.

The barracks were being organized by the structure that was in place by the prisoners themselves and the mechs not working on the last part of the battle plan. The 'Con prisoners were being held in a corner of the prison yard for collection and transport and to keep them out of the furious servos of their former prisoners. It was chaotic but coming together.

**:HEY!:**

**:WHAT!:** Jazz was heard to reply as his audio and visual filled screens on several ships and two worlds away.

"**IF WE GIVE UP, WHAT HAPPENS?!"**

Jazz grinned slightly. **:FIRST OF ALL, WE DON'T KILL YOU! SECONDLY, YOU COME WITH US TO OUR COLONY! YOU WILL BE JAILED UNTIL YOU PROVE YOURSELF TRUSTWORTHY! DID YOU HEAR PRIME AND STARSCREAM'S MESSAGE?!"**

It was silent a moment. **"YES! SO WHAT!?:**

**:WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF DECEPTICONS AND SEEKERS LIVIN' IN OUR COLONY FREE AND CONTENTED. THEY FIGHT FOR THEIR COLONY, THEIR FAMILIES, FOR CYBERTRON! WHO ARE YOU FIGHTIN' FOR? MEGATRON? HE ISN'T HERE TO SAVE YOU IS HE! HE ISN'T HERE TO HELP YOU! DON'T BE A DUMB AFT! SURRENDER AND HAVE A LIFE! STAY THERE, HURT THE HOSTAGES AND DIE! CHOOSE!:**

Jazz could be seen settling down, his vision turning from the tunnel to the camp, to his men and back to the the tunnel. It seemed like forever, then a voice called out. **:HEY! IF WE SURRENDER, DO WE GET A CHANCE TO DO WHAT YOU SAID?!"**

**"YOU DO!"**

**"WE'RE COMING OUT! WE'RE LETTING THE WORKERS GO FIRST! IF WE DO THAT WILL YOU LET US SURRENDER!?:**

**:FRAG YEAH! DO IT NOW!:** Jazz replied.

It was silent a moment as the view of the tunnel through Jazz's optics was silent and dark. Then movement could be seen as one by one, bedraggled and weary civilians trudged out, their servos in the air, their optics frightened. Jazz's viewpoint rose. :Take them and get them to the barracks. Ratchet should be here soon:

Mechs could be seen stepping forward, their arms ready as they helped the civilians pass. They continued until the last one stepped out. He paused by Jazz. :They had to beat their leader into a pulp. They want to surrender. They told me that they were deadly serious about surrender and I believe them. Fraggers. Clobber them for us:

Jazz's viewpoint nodded. :Go with him. He'll lead you to safety:

The civilian nodded and moved away, the viewpoint returning to the hole. **:COME OUT WITHOUT WEAPONS! WE ARE GOING TO SCAN YOU AND IF ANYONE OF YOU HAVE A WEAPON IN SERVO OR SUBSPACE, WE WILL SHOOT YOU DEAD! UNDERSTOOD!?:**

**:YEAH! WE HEAR YOU!:**

For a moment, there was nothing, then mechs came out of the darkness, big ones with their servos up. They were gathered and cuffed, pushed forward until they were gone. Jazz turned to two other mechs and nodded. With that, they turned and went into the tunnel to look for anyone else left including the two 'Cons that had decided to make a point and got bashed to the Pit for it from their own side.

-0-Diego Garcia Embassy, Ops Center

"I like Jazz." A desk jockey grinned. "He's kick ass."

"He is. They all are. You can see why we need them with us and how much trouble we would be in if we had to face mechanisms like this alone," Morshower said glancing at the Secretaries.

"Playing to the choir, General," the Secretary of State said with a grin. The Secretary of Defense nodded. "No doubt."

They all turned back to the screen to watch as Jazz and his mechs crept down the tunnel using night vision as they did what they always did so well ... their job.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)


	222. Chapter 222

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 58 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-on the command ship

Prime leaned into the cockpit and caught Rem's attention. "Take us down, Rem."

He nodded and the ship began the long arc to the surface of the planetoid where the alien victims of Cybertronian aggression were held in captivity.

-0-On the ground

Springer moved through the dark to follow the mass of Decepticons that had fled in the surprise attack against them. There were 900 Decepticons working here to keep both campsites in order. 100 were already in custody in the attack led by Jazz. That meant 800 were remaining to be bagged.

Drift walked through the darkness, night vision helping them to follow the tracks of their prey. 241 of their fellows had been caught with their pants down, trapped in their barracks or getting snagged in the assault. 551 Decepticons were moving away into the darkness, leaderless.

-0-On the ground nearby

Optimus Prime walked to the command center followed by his staff. He entered and paused, noting the carnage of the room from the battle to overtake control. Greenlight stood at the main computer interface. She turned and nodded. "We have ended all but the most necessary functions of the system. When Perceptor and Wheeljack come, they should be able to use this interface. The damage is minimal and the power system has been boosted to meet whatever they want to do when we shut down the peripherals."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you. Ratchet is just arriving with the support ships. They should be on board one of the vessels. Could you stay here until they come? I want to be here when they establish contact with the aliens. Did you find any kind of containment device for any more?"

"We haven't looked. Elita and the others are out with the mop up teams," Greenlight said.

Prime nodded. "Alright. I'm going to send someone in to look but for now I'm going to help with the Hu An problem." He turned and walked out followed by his team. When he reached the energon bars of the prison, he paused. The Hu An were standing inside.

Prime was tall enough to see over the fence and noted that a great number of the Hu An were still standing back from him. The ones who gathered at the fence to watch were the bigger ones, the Hu An who were identified by the intel as the females. They stood in a group together.

Prime looked at Sandstorm who was providing security for the prison. :Do we have contact with them?:

:Not yet: Sandstorm replied. He looked past Prime. :Here comes Wheeljack and Perceptor:

They all looked around and noted that Ratchet was walking with the pair. Prime looked at Sandstorm. :Fetch a Decepticon who knows how communication was made with these people:

Sandstorm turned and disappeared around the corner to the area where all of the captured Decepticons were held. A small fenced area was filled with them, the big mechanisms barely able to sit. He stood with the guards and then they opened the gate pulling out two that were officers. A short chat revealed that they were fluent, so they turned and walked back to where Prime stood talking to Perceptor, Ratchet and Wheeljack.

They paused and Prime turned looking at the two bots who looked at him with loathing. :I need to talk to these aliens. I want you to share with us how that is affected:

They looked at him without comment. Sandstorm slapped one of them on the back of his helm. :Answer, dumb aft. You are in custody and have nothing to prove. Megatron won't come to get you:

They glared at him, then the other mech shifted uneasily. :What will happen to us?:

:You're coming to our colony. You will be held until you prove that you can be trusted. Once that is determined, you can apply for citizenship and full rights:

They looked at him incredulously. :We're Decepticons:

:Look at the control house: Prime said. They all turned to glance at the broken building. :That was done by Seekers. We have almost five thousand Seekers living with us. We have easily double that number of Decepticons as well:

They looked at him for a moment. :We have a translation of their language. We can download it to you:

:Do it: Prime said curtly.

The files were downloaded into the bots in his group and when it was complete and integrated, Prime turned to the silent figures standing on the other side of the wire as Sandstorm took the two 'Cons away. They stared back at him, the anger they felt only trumped by the contempt for him they nakedly displayed on their faces.

:I am Optimus Prime: he said.

They stared at him without comment. He stepped closer. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. I am here to rescue you from captivity. The Decepticons that have held you are at war with us. We became aware of this camp and have come to liberate it."

They looked at him, then the first turned to the others. Prime watched them patiently as the sounds of the continuing battle came to him over the link designated for battle communications. Groups of the Decepticons were laying down their arms as they came to the conclusion that there was no place to go and they were outnumbered. The Seekers were coming back and they made their presence known by flying low passages over the surface of the planetoid.

When the big Hu An turned, it walked closer to the fence. :We hear you. Tell us why we should believe you:

Prime glanced at Ironhide. :Drop the fence:

Ironhide onlined a canon and pointed it at a generator nearby. A single blast destroyed it and the fence went down. The aliens inside looked at each other, then the big one nodded. :You are making sense. That is more than I can say for the others:

Prime smirked slightly. :You and I have common ground. What do I call you?:

:I am Hu An. we don't tell outsiders our names until we trust and respect them. We don't give that power away without both conditions met:

Prime nodded. :I can respect that. What we need to do now is assist you in getting away from here and hopefully back to your home world:

The big alien looked at him for a moment. :The enemy has our home world. We cannot go back:

Prime nodded. :That is our fate too. Come with us and we will help you:

The Hu An looked at him a moment, then nodded. :We will allow that:

:Flint is the mech who will help you. We have to free the energy aliens in the computers. What do you know about that and can you help us?:

:We can help you: the big alien said. He looked at the others and paused. It was clear they were talking to each other telepathically. Then the Hu An looked at Prime. :We will go to the center now and help them. There is a containment device that holds others. All of them are in danger:

They turned and walked toward the control house while Flint and two Autobots began to help the remaining Hu An get ready to leave for the colony. Ratchet followed them into the barracks where there were several smaller Hu An lying on beds. Ratchet scanned them and noted a number of amazing differences from humans that characterized this new species.

They were not carbon based. Their basic baseline composition was silicon. That it could be so wasn't astonishing to Ratchet. He was used to aliens of all manner of composition. The humans might find it incomprehensible but not him. He was too experienced and knowledgeable.

The Hu An didn't need to breathe atmosphere but had rudimentary lungs that would allow it if they chose to do so. What kept them alive in vacuum were the nondescript metallic bands that they all wore around both wrists.

Ratchet knelt and looked at the small Hu An who lay on the bed. Touching its arm gently, an electrical charge sparkled. He looked up at the Hu An who was his guide. :What is this?:

:We wear them in vacuum. They keep us alive, modulate gravity wherever we are and fulfill a number of other functions. All of us have them. They keep us alive wherever we go. No one is allowed to leave the home world without them."

Ratchet nodded. :Ingenious; he said. :I would like to take these individuals to our ships so that they can be cared for. Do you have a doctor among you?:

:We don't have doctors: the Hu An said.

Ratchet glanced up considering what that might mean. :You don't have them here or you don't have them?:

:We don't need doctors: he replied.

:How do you help the sick? What about these people? They appear to be unwell: Ratchet said.

:They can be healed. We have to have a different place to do it:

:If you tell me what you need, we can help you: Ratchet said.

:We need to leave here. We require a better place to do what we need to do:

Ratchet nodded. :Let's move these people into the ship I came on. There will be beds to lie down on:

The Hu An nodded and with the help of the others, they moved the three debilitated males from the barracks to Kappa who stood in flight format nearby.

-0-In the hinterlands

They began to give up, some of them throwing down their weapons and waiting on their knees, their servos behind their helms. In large and small groups, they threw in the towel. There was no place to go. Guardian Autobots had arrived signaling the kind of foe they would face if they kept up the resistance. Overhead, Seekers were directing the Autobots chasing to the fleeing Decepticon troops.

Springer hunted them with Drift, the two enjoying the chase. Every group they encountered, they turned over to someone else. They were pursuing the last ten mechs when they came to a large crater where they were holed up.

Springer found a broken boulder. Crouching, he looked at the crater. **:'CONS! GIVE IT UP! ****THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO! WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU ONE WAY OR THE OTHER! GIVE UP AND EAT A GOOD DINNER AT OUR COLONY OR DIE!:**

There was no response. Then a mech stood up holding up his servos. Another servo reached up and that mech disappeared. There was a lot of emotional talk coming over the link as a dispute broke out. Then there was shooting. Flashes of light erupted, then Springer jumped up running to the crater. Behind him, other Autobots jumped up and followed.

When Springer reached the edge of the crater, the firefight had died down into a massive fist fight. Bots were beating each other over the helm, punching each other in the face in a riotous disagreement over surrender. Springer and the Autobots stood watching as the surreal scene unfolded before them.

Drift who was standing with his swords in servo grinned. :This is outstanding:

Springer snorted and glanced at him. :Tell me something I don't know. Wanna join them?:

:You have to ask?: the big bot replied.

Springer chuckled. Looking at the others who stood watching the debacle below unfold, he grinned. **:WRECK 'N RULE!: **he yelled at the top of his vocal capacitor. With that, he jumped off the lip of the crater and ran like a maniac for the brawl. Behind him screaming like banshees, the others followed.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)


	223. Chapter 223

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 59 Edited for boo-boos :D

-0-At the site

Optimus stood next to Hu An as she looked at the computer panel before them. This was the one which controlled the energy aliens allowing someone in real space to speak and motivate them in cyberspace.

:I will input the exit codes. They will be able to retreat out of the system. You will need to stand back. As for them: she said nodding to the glowing containment vessel, :I think its time to let them out too before they get anymore debilitated:

She walked to the containment vessel and read the panel data. Then she put her big hand on the vessel and closed her dark eyes. The vessel pulsation paused as the seconds passed by, then the Hu An stepped back. :They wish to speak to you, Optimus Prime:

He looked at the Hu An, then nodded. :How?:

:I will release them. They will find you: With that, the big alien pressed a code into the panel and the lights went off, a tiny door sliding back into a recess. A flash of light occurred and the room was illuminated. A cloud of brilliance issued from a tiny port in the small door and filled the room for a moment. It overawed everyone, then settled near the ceiling as a pulsating ball of light.

Optimus looked at it, then felt the room fading away. He found himself in a darkness surrounded by nothingness. Reaching out, he felt nothing. Kneeling, he felt the support of nothingness under his peds. It felt slightly nauseating. So he stood and waited. Nothing happened so he spoke. "I am here."

A pinpoint of light in the distance seemed to beckon him and he walked toward it, the image of a great window filling his processor. It grew and grew until he stood before it looking out into the darkness before him. There was nothing, then a gigantic explosion occurred and light filled the space overwhelming him. It was an enormous fury, then it settled and things began to form. There were clusters of stars living and dying. There were gases forming into shapes, then crashing into pieces, falling away into bits.

Stars pulled planets together. Stars formed galaxies as the yawning death of black holes, sometimes more than one drew them into ovals and spirals and galactic shapes unimaginable by the sheer fury of their raging power.

Quasars and pulsars, comets and debris from the moment of creation flashed past him along with settled planets and unknown civilizations galore. The death, birth and death of all things was evident to him in the flash of an optic.

He stood at the window watching it, then he was aware of someone beside him. He glanced sideways and saw Solis, the Maker. She was watching too, enjoying the sights as well.

"Solus," Prime said turning to look at her. She wore her cape and her incredible beauty was evident along with the weapons she wore or held in her servo. She was the Maker, the one who armed all of her fellows and among the greatest of all the original Primes. "Where is this? Why am I here?"

"This is the beginning, one of so many I've lost track. This is the beginning of your own. This universe had a moment of being, then it became. The light beings were there then. They have always been there."

"What are they? Who are they?" Optimus asked.

"I would tell you their name but you couldn't pronounce it." She smiled at him a moment. "They are a part of The One, a part of Him out seeking that which He created. They are Him seeking to experience His own creation. That is as simple as it gets."

"The Decepticons ... they used them for their own purposes. They harmed them. Some died," Optimus said.

"They cannot die," Solus said. "They are infinite. They are force elementals. They cannot die, Optimus Prime."

He looked at her, then the view changed and a cloud of lovely light drifted past them heading out into the universe. "Is that them? In their natural state?"

"Yes, it is," Solus said nodding. "I was once one of them until I chose this form to be a part of your people. I came to the aid of Primus, my brother when it was apparent that Unicron was a detriment to the balance of life. We came to the aid of our brother and assisted you, our wonderful children as you began your way in the universe. We have always been with you. Some of us are very aware of you and your efforts. We are well pleased."

Optimus looked at her. "Do you know how things will end?"

She looked at him. "The path is laid out before you, Optimus Prime. But you have free will. The road is filled with possible routes. You get to choose. What you choose influences what happens but the road is still there. You must never forget, all roads lead to safety. The journey may be hard but the destination is always going to be home."

"The Matrix," Optimus said. "The One."

she nodded. "Yes."

"I have to free them."

"You do."

"I wish to keep their good will. I don't want them to feel all of us would do this," Optimus said.

"They already know that. Elementals are wise, old and neutral. They do not carry a grudge but they do not forget anything. They will remember who was their friend and who was their enemy." She smiled. "You are doing well. Be brave and hold true to your principles. Remember, you are not alone."

With that, the images faded and Optimus found himself in the control room, everyone there watching him silently. He looked at Hu An. :Are they free?:

She nodded. :You had a vision:

Optimus nodded. :I did. These creatures, these force elementals need released and sent on their way:

Hu An nodded. :I have told them that they can leave now. They are waiting for you:

:Why? What do I do?:

Hu An smiled slightly. :Press the button: She pointed to the panel. :I have done it already and they haven't left. They want you to do it:

Prime looked at Hu An, then the light pulsating near the ceiling. So he turned and pressed the button. A flash of light blinded them for a moment, then the room was filled with color and sound, light and dark swirling in a strange mix. :They are thanking you, Optimus Prime: Hu An said.

The room seemed to expand, then contract as the lights mingled together, coming in and out of each other like eels. The atmosphere was filled with sound but there was nothing real to hear. It was the impression of it, of the background noise of the universe from the beginning of the big bang. Ambient noise pulsed around them, as if the beings were speaking. Yet it said nothing they could understand. Then it faded and the room was still again.

:They're all gone? They're safe?: Prime asked.

:They are: Hu An said nodding.

Prime looked at her. :Then its your turn:

The Hu An looked at him, then extended a big strong hand. :My name is Larc:

Prime extended his own and carefully gripped it. :I am honored to know you:

:I am leader of this group. I will help you with this rescue. Our people are grateful for your help: Larc said nodding.

Prime nodded back. :I think we need to leave here. We will take you to our colony. This is Wheeljack and that is Perceptor. If you can tell them what you require for habitat and sustenance, we can organize it while we leave:

:We have our own food. We grow it here: Larc said. :We can take it with us:

Prime nodded. :Let us know what you require in the form of assistance and it will be done:

Larc nodded. He turned to Wheeljack and Perceptor, the three conversing. Prime turned and walked to the door, Blackjack, Alor and Ironhide following. Ratchet who was standing in the doorway stepped back. :Was your vision personal or can you tell us?: Ratchet asked.

Prime considered that. :Solus showed me the birth of the universe. She told me that the light aliens are parts of The One off to explore His own creation. She told me that they were force elementals, wise, old and neutral. They will not forget this orn:

:You always have the best dreams: Ratchet said with a grin.

Prime grinned and looked at the wreckage. :We need to leave as soon as possible. Are the two locations taken and ready to be in transit for departure?:

Blackjack nodded. :They are, Prime. We can leave in about three breams at this rate:

:Good. I would like to do that: Prime said as he turned to walk to the prison camp. He passed it heading to where the prisoners were confined, most of them sitting on the ground looking glum, pissed or wary. He paused. :I am Optimus Prime. You are my prisoners. You will be transported to our colony, put into confinement and what happens after that is in your own servos. We are almost a million strong and we have among our numbers thousands of former Decepticons and Seekers. Starscream you may know is among the Seekerkin. But we also have among our most diligent and stalwart citizens Rampage, Scar and Nitro. Discuss among each other who they are. They will be meeting with you among others to tell you the rules and responsibilities of being a full fledged citizen of our colony. But the duty of achieving that status is up to you. We have plenty of prison space if you want to be stupid:

With that, he turned to Ironhide. :Box them up. We will send for more transport if you need it. Have the Seekers run security as you load up. We need to be gone as soon as possible:

Ironhide nodded and turned walking to the Wreckers who stood guard. Prime turned and walked to the prison to watch the Hu An gather themselves to go. On a planetoid nearby, a thousand battered and weary civilians were loaded into ships and carried through the gate to the city. By the time the rest of the group arrived with the prisoners, the hospitals would be filled with civilian patients and their ills.

-0-On 'Impactor's Revenge

:What do you think?:

:I think I'm glad they're on our side:

:This was amazing. These ships are something else. Too bad we don't have them in our fleets: Will Lennox said.

:You have enough toys to blow yourselves up a hundred times: Revo said with a smirk as he looked at the humans in the box behind his seat. :You don't need our stuff:

:A man can dream can't he?: Robert Epps asked with a grin.

:Dream on, humans: Revo said with a grin of his own.

-0-On the ground in Autobot City, Mars

The cameras rolled as big transports touched down, the stretchers and walking bedraggled registering on the view screens with a crystal clarity. The mission of rescue had been great with only a few shots taken on the winning side. Those soldiers were among the ones limping and being helped off the transports carrying the former prisoners. None of the featured players were among them and all felt a sigh of relief although the cinematic and dramatic possibilities of one of them being injured were not lost on Mellar and Belcher.

The slaggers.

-0-On the firing line

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood guarding the masses of Decepticons who sat on the ground, their cuffs giving a bit of light to the darkness. Drift was standing with them, all three discussing the brawl that ended the fighting.

:I miss all the good slag: Sunstreaker said with a frown. :Call me, you slagger. Make sure I'm there next time:

Drift grinned and nodded. :I'll put that in my date planner:

Sideswipe snorted. :Slagger:

:Don't tell Springer. He doesn't know yet: Drift said as he watched his bond walking toward them.

:Time to move these little ladies: Springer said drawing hostile looks from the 'ladies'. "We have a ship with space. We can take half of them now:

They turned and culled the herd, half of the 'Cons standing and heading out to a cargo hold for transport. The other half sat and glared at the four as they bantered about which among them was the ugliest and which one was the runner up.

-0-Hu An

They sat in the hold of a big vessel that they could tell was sentient. Its energy had life in it, wisdom and intelligence as well. Kappa could feel them reaching her and she sent them back soothing emotions. When all of them were loaded, they lifted off and headed toward a new future on a strange world, in a strange system far from their home.

They would have more in common with their hosts than they realized.

-0-A joor later at the rescue site

The ground was littered with trash that would remain where it fell in the airless vacuum of space. Unless it was touched by something or someone, it would stay where it was in the same condition for thousands of years before at last it reached the end of its endurance. Only then would it turn to dust.

The building against the ridge was already starting to disappear. An explosion of untended machinery had taken out the structural integrity of the facility and it was falling apart steadily. The odd impact of a small rock or shrapnel of a collision at some place and time in the past kicked up the odd bit of dust that would hang in vacuum until it slowly fell back to the surface.

Artifacts of occupation were scattered everywhere. They would stay there forgotten until at some point in the faraway future someone landed to see what was here.

It wouldn't happen in thousands of years. And when they did, they would still be Cybertronian.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)

NOTE:

**Envy: **WOW! Thank you for the kind words to the furries. What a fun time that must have been. I think we all should do what we can to grow this fandom. I sort of feel responsible for every fandom I write it to do that. Springer and Drift don't play football. They watch. :D If there ever is a Wrecker league, they will be awesome. :D HUGS, SWEETIE!

PS Envy, if you want to do that pm me an addie and I will send you a list of what they look like to me. :D :D :D


	224. Chapter 224

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 60 edited for boo-boos :D

-0-On the way back

Ratchet rode with the wounded through the gate and landed as the rest of the process still unfolded on the other side. He had mused on Prime's dream, on his access to the mythical yet very real gods of their people's existence. It seemed normal to him that Optimus would as Matrix bearer have access to such beings. Ratchet himself had seen ghosts as a youngling.

He had talked it over with his genitors and found out that they did exist and that his sighting, while rare was not out of the realm of possibility. Ratchet had been mollified and had looked for them again but had not seen any since that first startled sighting. He had seen them, the shades of mechs who had died in poverty long before his time. That Optimus communed regularly with individuals that had no presence in the 'real' world beyond the odd appearance at the Festival of Primus was normal. His comment of meeting Solus was comforting.

It was 'normal' for almost all their people.

Ratchet helped take the patients to the hospitals, sending them to this place or that specialist until they were all settled. Then ships came in with the rest of the hostage slaves and the sullen groups of Decepticons taken prisoner. He loved to see the 'Cons come in expecting a dusty crowded military installation with zero amenities and find their 'camp' to be a great bustling colony with three rising identifiable 'cities'.

It was fun to watch them gasp and gawk around at the high rises and commercial enterprises. To spy the Temple dome and see the air field with its array of military vessels was bad enough but to see the number of Guardians and other giants that graced the city, that was processor blowing for them. None missed the presence of Metroplex.

He turned to Ops Center passing through the lines of bots returning who were being gently taken through processing. They would be interviewed for what they could say about the 'Cons and for the databases that would help them reunite with missing loved ones. He noticed a number of dissidents who had been already reclaimed moving among the civilians seeking their colleagues and friends who had not been as lucky to get away as they were. It was uplifting to say the least.

He walked into the Fortress and Ops Center pausing beside Prowl. "What about the aliens? What do we need to do to help them with a habitat and food supply?"

"We have preliminary intel that allows us to house them in our original underground barracks until we build a habitat to specifications. Their wrist devices will keep them comfortable and fully maintained until we design with their assistance a place that will be adequate and comfortable for them. They have a food source that they are bringing that they make from a replicating device of some type. They have the basic elements that they need, then they grow it. They keep to a very simple diet off world and this suffices when they are away from home. All we have to do is give them a place to live and rest."

"When are they coming?" Ratchet asked.

"They are coming when Optimus comes," Prowl said. "They asked to come with him."

"I see," Ratchet said nodding. "You don't think we tripped some cultural thing about 'you saved my life, now I owe you it' do you?"

Prowl glanced at him sharply. "I hope not. That isn't necessary."

"Taboos, Prowl, taboos and customs. We had better look in the database to see if there is more material on them."

Prowl turned and keyed in the files which came up. They studied them a moment, then glanced at each other. "I like these people, Prowl. They are honorable and they resisted the Decepticons until they couldn't."

He nodded. "I do too."

As they read and learned more from the condensed file from Shockwave's database, the ships were coming through the bridges. When they were all clear, the bridge team collapsed the aperture, the bright lights overhead dying away. In the gathering dusk of the orn, it was normal once more above the city.

-0-Moments later

Prime walked into the Ops Center, Larc by his side. The big bovine-appearing alien was attentive to her surroundings and curious as well as courteous as she walked to where Prowl and Ratchet stood. :Larc, this is Prowl:

Larc nodded. :Prowl, it is an honor to meet you, bond of Optimus Prime:

Prowl nodded. :I am honored to meet you, Larc. Your people are an extraordinary species:

:You have been reading about us from the criminal's data files: Larc asked, her demeanor calm and interested.

Prime grinned slightly. :Larc's people are telepathic, empathic and psychic:

Prowl looked at Prime evaluating the comments. He considered two of them plausible and the last one difficult for his calculator shaped logic to accept. :I see:

:You doubt me: Larc said nodding. :That is normal. I am often given that response by outsiders. We seldom mingle among them for that and many other reasons beyond trade and commercial ventures:

:It was not included in the files: Ratchet said meeting the alien's telepathy with his own internal communications, which seemed completely acceptable to the tall alien.

:We have not let the Decepticons know much about the internal aspect of our uniqueness. We have enough trouble with them knowing all that they do. As for your doubts about my ability to know things that no one should know, I am aware of your resolved conflict with your parents. They are Venture and Miler, a decent couple who were constrained by their life and social status and regret it deeply:

Prowl blinked. He glanced at Prime who looked surprised as well. Larc turned and looked up at Prime. :We are able to sense things big or small and sometimes know them ahead of time. We are a telepathic people and have highly developed mental abilities. We accept it as normal. I don't expect that others will find that as easy to do. But then, the universe is vast and there are many mysteries in it:

:What do you know about me that you pick up?: Ratchet asked with a grin.

:You will reproduce soon, a male. You are keeping that information secret from everyone so I will not divulge more: Larc then looked at Prime. :Your parents live:

For a moment, Prime just stared at Larc, then he shifted with surprise. :What?:

:I feel a strong indication that your parents live. They are lost on your home world, correct?: Larc asked.

Prime nodded glancing at Prowl, then the tall alien.

:I sense that they are alive and have been protected. They have been hidden. They live and await a chance to leave. There are strong factors surrounding their images. They are strongly protected:

Prime stared at her a moment. :Where would they be?:

:I see them inside a golden circle. They are surrounded by a circle: Larc replied.

Prowl glanced at Optimus. :The Circle of Light?:

:I don't know: Larc replied. :All I see is a circle of gold. I felt this about you from the moment I saw you. I get impressions. I am not as capable at this as some. I get mere glimpses usually and all along I have had flashes of mechanical beings that coalesced a while ago. They are in a golden circle and they have your symbol on their chests. Oversized versions of this symbol: Larc said pointing to the glyph on Prime's arm that was his family name.

Pax.

He looked at Larc. :Do you see where they are?:

:I don't get much even on a good day. This is unusual for me. I see a circle with them inside. I don't know where it is. I just know they are alive and protected:

It was silent a moment, then Prime nodded. :Thank you for this:

:I will give you caveats, Optimus Prime. What we see is real but the imagery will be yours to interpret. I can only give you the pictures that come to me. I can't do more:

He nodded. :Thank you:

Larc nodded. :We are your allies, Prime. What we can do we offer to you. We have skills and are very good with energy. We can use it in any number of ways. We are very strong telepaths. Our technology allows us to fly our ships by telepathic means. We can make machines run by the same method which is why they took us to that mining location:

Prime nodded. :You will be allowed to live and work here as you choose. We are a free people and we welcome you as allies and friends:

Larc nodded. :Thank you:

Prime turned to Flint. :Are the quarters ready for our guests?:

Flint nodded. :They are:

:We will build to your specifications the quarters you need but until then, we have taken your rcommendations and had a space remodeled to house you and your people. Please let us know if there is anything that you require. We will do our best to accommodate you. Your comfort is important to us:

Larc bowed slightly. :Thank you, Optimus Prime: Glancing at Flint, the two turned and walked out to head down Central Corridor to the remodeled barracks that had been put together for the new guests.

Prime watched them go, then felt Prowl's servo on his arm. Glancing down, he peered into the concerned face of his bond. "Are you alright?"

Prime nodded. "I am."

"Do you believe that? I'm not an expert on their species but it can hardly be true can it? How would they know?"

"They are a powerful telepathic species, Prowl. The power of the mind can do amazing things. They could be reading the energy of Prime's processor or seeing things about him that stick to him, things we can't see. Who knows? You and I both know that the universe is filled with really strange beings. Those elementals for instance."

Prowl nodded, his concerned optics focused on Prime. "You are upset."

Prime looked at him. "I am but … now there's hope. I can only imagine they are on Cybertron and that the circle Larc sees is the Circle of Light. They must be protected by Dai Atlas and the underground."

"Imagine what Megatron and Soundwave would do if they ever got their servos on your parents," Ratchet said nodding.

Prime nodded grimly. "I can."

-0-Far away

They made their way to the underground cavern that was going to be their home for a while. Dai Atlas was due soon and they would have a chance to find out what the future might bring. It was getting difficult to keep them safe. The revolution was spreading and the networking of the underground was rising up into the hierarchy, spidering into the structure of the Decepticon High Command. As they took more chances, they secured their own structures as tightly as they could. But the risk was still there.

It was becoming more and more difficult to ensure that the genitors of the Prime would remain free and safe. The newest place was the safest thus far. Until they established contact with Optimus, the pattern of moving every decaorn or so was the life they would continue to live.

Kestrel sat on a bench, his body aching from the cold and rain. He was debilitated after a short illness but slowly climbing back to normal. Tag sat beside him, the two staring at the fire which gave warmth to both. Around them working efficiently mechs were building components for the listening devices and communications networks that were being laid all over the planet.

The link from Prime would be made soon and they would be able to talk to the colony where the Autobots were regrouping about the needs of Cybertron and her oppressed starving people. There would be many items of business but chief among them was getting the genitors of Optimus Prime off world.

As they sat weary in their misery, they had no idea that in mere orns they would be reunited with their long lost son once more.

-0-TBC

2013 (3) For Pip

NOTE: Paying homage to 'Starscream's Ghost' in this segment. :D

ENVY: A PUG?! BWAHAHAHAAHA! Too cute and besides, who can appreciate a pug face more than Ratchet? :D


	225. Chapter 225

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 61

-0-In the Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

"This has not been without casualties, Glenn but it went well," Prime said nodding to the General who had been a part of the viewing experience. Part of the other participants, the two Cabinet Secretaries and John Fulton were on other monitors in the vast Ops Center.

"I'm glad no one got killed among the Autobots," Morshower said nodding. "What can you tell us about the aliens that were liberated?"

"One of them is gone through release, an energy alien species that are called force elementals. They are very ancient, live in free space and go where they want. We believe they are multi-dimensional, perhaps existing in many at one time and live a neutral life as they travel experiencing the universe."

"Then they don't pose a threat," the Defense Secretary asked nodding.

"No," Prime replied. "Although I would say if they wanted to no one could oppose them. They are observers and explorers. They are gone and on their way."

"The other aliens?" Morshower asked. "We caught a glimpse of them in the fighting. They don't seem very afraid of you or the 'Cons."

"They are a very interesting species and I agree with you. They are strong and not easily intimidated. They are a telepathic species that were used by the Decepticons for that purpose, to run their mining operation. We have gathered them, slightly over 300 and will house and protect them until it is determined that their home world is free from Decepticon domination. Right now, it would appear that they are going to be here for the duration as it seems they have been overrun."

"They were neutral? Did they do anything to cause this or is this just Megatron's meglomania at work?" Morshower asked.

"They were a trading and entrepreneurial species that didn't mingle much with out worlders. Is is part of my experience that telepaths, which they are, seldom mingle with non-telepathic species in any significant way. The noise of your thoughts leaking from your mind as energy would feel and be chaotic so they merely traded and advised rather than interacting in a more direct manner. It didn't save them of course. The Decepticons took over their worlds and territorial space anyway," Prime answered.

"They look interesting," the Secretary of State replied. "Do you have a better image of them?"

A picture was shown on the screen of a large alien with a very strong physique and forceful charisma. This image was of Larc, who was over ten feet tall, heavily muscled in the arms and torso with a thick neck and a large head perched on it. She was proportionate in her body design, her musculature spread well over a strong body. She had a face that held bovine features without an extended snout. She was more bison than cow, more humanoid than bovine. Long horns emanated from the sides of her head, bending around like a bison. They were thick, pointed and wicked looking.

Her hair was long and thick, almost coarsely fur-like and was gathered into a braid that was plaited nearly to the end which was about the middle of her broad back. Her hair was a reddish-brown although the color spectrum appeared to range from blonde to a very dark black.

Her hands and feet were humanoid. Thick fingers with human-like nails looked strong enough to rend and tear. The brow of the alien was pronounced a bit giving them a stern expression. Larc's eyes were large and wholly brown, piercing but intelligent and appraising.

The part that was the most astonishing for the humans was the tail that began at the base of the spine and tapered down to a tuft of hair that matched that on the head. It was flexible but not prehensile and it seemed that one could detect the level of tension that the alien felt by watching it.

She was beautiful, strange and at the same time oddly familiar.

"This is Larc. She is the leader of the group," Optimus said.

"She?" Fulton asked.

"She," Optimus replied. "The sexual dimorphism that your species exhibits is reversed here. The physically bigger gender are the females with the males coming in at a smaller optimal size. They are a matriarchy."

They considered that a moment. Then the Secretary of State cleared his throat. "This is going to be an interesting development for our species, sir. Are you preparing to have them become known generally or are you going to keep their existence a secret?"

"I don't plan on exhibiting them," Prime said. "They are free to stay here and live the way they require and chose. On the other hand, I don't plan to hide their existence. The universe is filled with species that run the gamut of possibility. It might be good for your people to understand that."

"Then we are in agreement, Prime," the Secretary of State said nodding.

They chatted longer, discussed the mission and its goals, then signed off. Ratchet who was sitting beside Prowl considered the conversation. "They are buzzed about finding another life form that is more like them. This might be an interesting possibility when the moment comes for Earth to know they aren't alone and some of us don't look and act like them."

Prime nodded. "I know. The Hu An have the decision. We have the duty to give them privacy."

They nodded. "We are of one processor then," Ratchet said. "How do you feel about the remarks Larc made?"

Prime looked at him for a moment. "Disquieted. The mission to Cybertron by the femmes is on the docket. We need to proceed as planned. When they get to Dai Atlas, then we can see if there is stock in the comments or not."

"Do you believe them?" Ratchet asked.

Prime looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "I think I do."

-0-On the ground at the prison

They moved the Decepticons into the newly constructed holding pens. Three orns before the mission itself, a survey of the area near the prison was made and a temporary enclosure for pending 'Con captives was built. The former prison, the first one was now the staging area of refugee reclamations and triage. This was a tent city behind bars with room to move around and not much more.

If they wanted showers, they would have to share two buildings, the only permanent solid construction in the facility. It was only so because water boils instantly when exposed to the surface of Mars and would be pointless in an outside arrangement like this one. The 'tents' were of a nearly indestructible fabric and each one held 100 berths for inmates. There were 1200 'Cons so the tents were arranged in rows with clear space between them for the guards to monitor.

Fifteen Decepticons were in the hospital recovering from their wounds. There were seven dead to be taken care of. It had been executed to near perfection but there were always opportunity costs in any transaction. This was no exception.

Ultra Magnus walked into Ops Center and paused next to Prime. "The Hu An are happy with their quarters and are looking forward to a habitat of their own design. I am going to have them meet with the architects and designers tomorrow to go over the plans. They have given us data on the type of habitat that they would like to build and they want to be a part of its construction. They want to be useful is what one of them said." He looked at the computer and input the code, a habitat design appearing on the screen. It was a design specification that they had downloaded into Teletraan so that engineers could analyze it.

It was a very big habitat, a round enclosed area with a huge clear dome covering the inside. The housing appeared to be tall apartment-like towers, four of them with the rest of the space taken over by growing things."

"This greenery," Prime asked. "Is that an expectation or a flourish that is decorative for the purposes of this schematic?"

"Actually, that is the food that they grow. They also like greenery and their world apparently is very lush. They have an interesting device that I asked to show you and they were very happy to do that," Magnus said. "Larc is prepared to speak with you about it. They wish to join our effort because in the end, it may liberate their own world as well."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Ratchet said. "Human expression."

"I like that one too," Prime said. "Show me this device."

Magnus changed the view and a nondescript box-like device appeared. "This is their replicator. It makes their food and things that they need. What it does is change one form of energy to another. It is a very advanced, very high tech, very powerful machine. We have small energon making devices that all of us carry as soldiers. Those can generate energy for us from the usual materials albeit a lower grade than most of us like.

"With only a cursory conversation with Larc, she said that this device can make energon because it manipulates energy and if energon is energy, it can be replicated. It can make at least Class C+ grade energon out of just about anything that is at servo. Metals, solar and the like, it can be utilized for energon production."

Prime considered that. "This could make energon for the mechs and femmes stranded on Cybertron. If we can get a few of these there and get them to the resistance, they can feed our people and alleviate some of the suffering. I would like Sciences to have a shot at this, to see if they are able to do this for us and what if anything that has to be modified for the task at servo."

Magnus nodded. "I already gave them the schematics."

Prime nodded. "It would be a difficult thing smuggling this into Cybertron. We will have to make sure that Dai Atlas and the others are on the same page with us. I know that there were some generators like this still standing near Central City and Iacon when we left to find the AllSpark but I doubt that those are still online. And they were inadequate even before trouble began."

"We never could make enough food for everyone and Decimus made sure that no one but the usual suspects were taken care of, that and the industries," Ratchet said grimly.

Prime nodded. "This could be a good stop gap solution to the misery on Cybertron. We need to know what is possible. If bigger ones can do more, how can we smuggle them in? In parts for assembly elsewhere? How can we utilize the materials on Cybertron if at all to help produce enough food grade energon for our people? All of this has to be studied and soon. We have the mission to Cybertron scheduled."

Magnus nodded. "I will undertake to find those answers myself. I think that the sooner the Hu An have their own habitat and can live the way they need to the better. I think we have a very strong ally in these people, Optimus. There's more to them than meets the optic."

Prime smiled slightly. "I am finding that out myself."

-0-In an expanded barracks off Engineer Corridor

They sat together, the hierarchy that managed their group and listened to Larc as she explained their situation. They were the representatives of the cells that made up their traveling group. Each representative managed ten other individuals and there were 30 reps sitting and standing to listen to their leader.

:Optimus Prime intends for us to have our own habitat as soon as possible. I have designated you three to be our liaison for the building: Larc said nodding to three individuals, two female and one male. :I believe he means what he says and his word is reliable. We are to make our way here in an honorable and useful fashion: He looked at three males who sat on a couch next to him. :You read better than I do. I detected small things about some of them. You are better. If you detect useful things, tell me. I wish for us to be a good part of this colony and to earn our way. They will give us our privacy and our freedom. we will work our way to pay them back. When our habitat is built, we will make it home. Until we can go back to Hu An again and take back our systems, this is the only one we have. We must show them our character and determination:

:They are trustworthy then: Larc's lieutenant, Tao asked.

:I feel his link to the divine. There is something inside of him that I have not detected in any Cybertronian yet. There is something old and wise, rather like the force elementals. It lives in him somehow. That is enough for me:

They all nodded. The meeting would continue for an hour before breaking up, all of them going about the business of planning a permanent settlement on a strange world far from home.

-0-On the way home

"I like these new aliens. They have character," Alor said as he walked beside Ironhide, Flint and Blackjack.

"They seem tough enough. When the fighting was going on, they didn't run and hide. They stood and watched. Makes me wonder what more there is about them that we don't know," Ironhide said.

They crossed the street and walked to the path that would take them into the tower district. The lobby was traversed, the elevator taken and soon they split up to go home. Ravel and Tie Down were thanked, begging off dinner for home and left with smiles, hugs and kisses. Ironhide looked at the floor where three little mechs looked up at him with smiles. "**WHERE'S ADA?"** Orion asked.

"New word," Sunspot said with a smile.

"I think so. Ada will be here in a moment," Ironhide said leaning down to pet the little bots. Hero who was sitting on the couch tweeted and smiled. Ironhide grinned. "Tweet back at ya, little femme. Who is hungry?"

They all were. That included Ratchet who was wrapping up rounds at the hospital. He would grab dessert out of the case at the hospital snack bar and head for home lickety split. As he did, he didn't fail to notice that several Hu An femmes were walking along the street looking at the sights of their new city.

Right behind them on their segways filmmakers were following to catch it all for Platoon.

-0-TBC For Pip

2013 (3)

NOTE: There isn't a lot of commentary about silicon-based life forms. Since it is speculation and they use earth as their model, most of them say possible, needs massive heat and maybe it could evolve intelligence. Who knows? I chose silicon because it wasn't carbon-based like us and it was a homage to Star Trek: **"I'M A DOCTOR, JIM, NOT A BRICKLAYER!"**

:D It could have been any element but silicon is close to carbon on the periodic table and it sort of has a sentimental value to me vis-a-vis the Horta so here we are. :D

As for the Hu An's mental abilities, I see that as an extension of their telepathy. They have highly developed minds that can make things like ships and machines work and talk to each other mentally. I see them as catching bits and pieces of things, symbols and images that may or not tell something easily understood. Prime has a bit of that with the Matrix. Experiments with humans telling what card will come up next in decks or shapes on computers have been shown to anticipate a choice, which comes up true to a higher degree than chance. Scientists who do these tests actually state that participants were able to see 5 seconds into the future and know what suit or shape to say with great accuracy. :D I lurve science. :D


	226. Chapter 226

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 62 edited for boo boos :D

-0-Autobot City, Mars

He came through the door and was tackled by Sunspot. **"ADA!"**

"Hey, smiley," Ratchet said leaning down to pat Sunspot's little butt. "I have dessert."

**"WHAT IS IT? IS IT GOOD?"** Sunspot said smiling brilliantly.

"Dessert is **ALWAYS** good," Ratchet said with a grin. He walked to the table and smooched infants right and left setting the box of 'cupcakes' on the table. Grabbing a plate of dinner, he sat as the infants regrouped to finish up their meal.

"It seemed like three orns ago since this morning," Ratchet said as he moved Orion back into the center of his chair before he slid off onto the floor on his helm. He grinned at Ratchet, then went back to munching on his 'cupcake'.

"What do you think about our new aliens?" Ratchet said.

"I think they're a good fit for here," Ironhide said. "I like what I know about Larc."

Ratchet nodded. "I saw some of them walking around the city when I was coming home."

"That doesn't surprise me," Ironhide said. "I wonder about what she said to Prime."

"She's not the first brainiac we've ever ran into. The telepaths I've met wouldn't surprise me at all if they could do that. They don't have a lot of details but they have feelings."

Ratchet nodded. "I know," he said. "We'll find out when Elita and her team goes to Cybertron in a few orns."

"The playoff game is coming up this weekend," Ratchet said with a grin. "I hope slaggers keep themselves busy bothering everyone else so we can have the game uninterrupted." Ratchet smiled. "I hear there is supposed to be a great half time show."

"I wonder what its supposed to be?" Ironhide took Praxus's cupcake and broke it into pieces, placing them on a plate in front of him. The little bot smiled sweetly. **"ATAR! ATAR, GOOD! I GOOD!"**

Ironhide snorted. "You are."

The two of them sat grinning, then Ironhide stood up gathering dishes together. Turning to the sink, he stacked them glancing over his shoulder at Ratchet. "We have some more things to do before the apartment is finished. We have to set up the office and move some things into it."

"Your job, Ironhide. The slag part. All of your guns and slag can go in the closet so we can have the option of locking it as a gun safe."

Ironhide nodded. "Alright."

"Ada? Do you want me to put my desk in there too?" Sunspot asked.

"If you want to, Sunny. You can keep things where you want them to be if you want," Ratchet said.

"I think it might be nice to have my desk next to yours. Sort of like an office," Sunspot said licking the 'icing' on his 'cupcake'.

Ratchet grinned. "I think you deciding is going to be good for me, son." Ratchet finished his meal and sat back. "I personally think you are a good decision maker, Sunspot."

He grinned. "Thank you, Ada. Did you know that the sparklings slept with me last night?"

"I am aware," Ratchet said with a grin. "I am thinking that a big boy bed for Orion is in order."

"I have it stowed in the maintenance room at the end of the hallway," Ironhide said pausing in his clean up.

"Why don't you and Sunspot get it, Ironhide. I'll pull Orion's crib to one side and we can try this out," Ratchet said grinning at Hero who was grinning at him around her sippie cup. He picked her up and settled her on his arm watching as she tipped her cup up to drink.

"**ADA! WHY ME? YOU?"** Orion asked staring at Ratchet as he listened to his name being bantered about.

"We're paroling you to the big boy bed your brother had. If you don't behave, you go back into the slammer," Ratchet said.

He looked at his Ada and considered what he was saying. It made zero sense but he didn't care. He had his Ada's complete attention. He smiled ginormously. **"ADA! ADA GOOD! ATAR?"**

Ironhide paused on his way to the door. "What?" he asked.

**"ADA GOOD! I GO YOU!?" **he asked pausing in his nosh of a semi crushed cupcake.

"You have a dirty face," Ironhide said grinning.

Ratchet took a damp cloth and began to clean Orion up. He glared at his ada. **"ADA! OW ME!"**

"**ORION! TOO BAD!"** Ratchet replied with a grin. "There. You're clean and presentable. I won't have a sparkling of my own looking like a junk heap." Ratchet raised him up from his chair putting him on the floor. He looked up at Ratchet, then Ironhide, an utterly comical effect.

"**ATAR! GO ME!?"** he asked pointing at the door.

Ironhide grinned and nodded. "Follow me, slagger. Stay with me." With that, Ironhide walked to the door in the new part of the apartment and held it open. As he did, Orion walked boldly to him followed by a hasty Praxus and a smiling Sunspot. **"I'LL COME TOO, ATAR! THIS IS FUN!**" he said taking Praxus by the servo.

Ironhide snorted. "You're a good spark, Sunspot." He held the door as the three wandered out, their chatter and happy chuckles loud and merry. The door closed and Ratchet sat a moment staring at it, then turned to look at Hero. She was holding her sippie cup, her optics staring at the door. She looked at the cup, then Ratchet, then smiled.

"Well, it looks like its just you and me, baby," Ratchet said with a smile of his own.

She chuckled softly, her little blue optics beaming from the attention. "Tweet? A?"

Ratchet grinned. "Ada," he said leaning in to whisper to his daughter.

Hero smiled.

-0-A few seconds later

The door opened again as two little bots stepped back inside, then turned to watch as Ironhide entered holding a little bed and mattress set up. He paused to see where everyone was as Sunspot entered closing the door. "Lock the door, Sunny," Ironhide said looking at the little Seeker. "We want that one locked during the day whether we're here or not. We haven't decided which one will be the main door yet."

"Okay, Atar," Sunspot said pressing the button that locked the door. He turned and looked up at Ironhide. "Do you need help?"

"How about getting the sparklings out of the way. I might flatten them accidentally."

"Okay," Sunspot said walking to take the servos of both babies. They followed him as he led the way to the hallway and beyond.

Ratchet poked his helm out of Orion's room, Hero on his arm. "You made it."

"Barely," Ironhide said grinning. "I had a time prying them off the controls and equipment in the maintenance room. Slaggers."

"Servos on experiences, Ironhide. You heard Mr. Roto," Ratchet said moving back into the room to let the others in.

"Slag that," Ironhide said moving to the wall to put the little bed down. "Remember that when Orion disconnects the lights for the entire building. What do we do now?" He looked around the room. Everything was there including the crib where Orion had recharged since he was small. "This is sort of sad. Little mech is growing up. I still have his little box bed from way back when."

"I know. I saw it on the closet shelf," Ratchet said handing him Hero. He moved to make the bed with Sunspot's smaller bedding and put Orion's little bed dollies on it just so.

Orion was watching. He looked up at them and pointed. **"ADA! WHAT ME? WHY?"**

"Because we're crazy," Ratchet said as Ironhide grinned and nodded.

"Oh," Orion said with a giant grin. He walked to his bed and clambered up. Moving to sit, he looked at Praxus and Sunspot. **"PAX! POT! COME ME?"**

Sunspot grinned and walked over climbing up to sit next to Orion. Praxus ran up and with a lot of pulling he was soon on the bed with them. They sat in a row grinning up at Ironhide and Ratchet who was taking pictures.

"More pictures for your bulletin board, Sunspot," Ratchet said with a grin.

"**I LIKE THAT!** I like having pictures of my brothers," he said looking at both of them. They smiled at him. "Aren't they cute?"

"Won't get an argument out of us," Ironhide said with a grin.

Ratchet nodded. "No, you sure won't." Then he took more pictures.

-0-Later that night

Ratchet turned off the computer, then the lights in the office where all the furniture was finally arranged. The clothes closet aka gun safe was filled with things that went kaboom including their gear bags for emergency missions. The tiny desk and chair for Sunspot sat nearby against a wall. It looked comically cute in the room with the big desk, computer equipment, a filing cabinet and book shelf with Ratchet's stuff for work neatly filed.

Walking out, he saw that Ironhide was already in the berth. Entering the wash rack, he looked around and saw that it had a few things askew but not as much as usual. Having another wash rack for the younglings was going to be a good thing he thought as he went about his business. Shutting off the light, he walked out and flopped on his side of the big berth. It was silent a moment.

"You sleepy?"

"Sort of. You?"

"Sort of."

A quiet pause lengthened out. Then Ratchet rolled over and settled on Ironhide. He grinned and rubbed Ratchet's back gently. "How's the sparkling?"

"Doing great. How are you?"

"Antsy to fight instead of oversee but glad the mission went so well. How are the wounded?" Ironhide asked.

"The Decepticons are going to survive. A couple of them won't be fighting anymore. The civilians are pretty beat up but all of it easy fixes. The Hu An apparently cured their sick members. I was told that all of them are up and getting around."

"How? You told me that they don't have doctors and don't seem to need them," Ironhide asked.

"I don't know but I'm going to find out," Ratchet said. "I hear that they have a replicator device that can make energon in a steady supply. I hear it puts our own devices in the shade."

"I did too," Ironhide said. "If we can smuggle them onto Cybertron, it will help the food shortage problem there until we can do better."

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet snuggled closer. "Do you think we can bring Cybertron here some day?"

Ironhide thought about it. "I would hope so. They don't have the solar connection anymore. Cybertron is sort of wandering now, even if it is slow. I would like to see her here in this place, safe and rebuilt. I want our sparklings to know where they come from."

"You and me both," Ratchet said sleepily. "Some day, Ironhide," he said quietly.

"I hope so."

It was quiet.

In the other room Orion lay on his berth tucked into soft blankets, his dollies in servo. This bed was great. There were no bars, the distance between his current location and the floor was shorter and he had comfort.

A mech had to have comfort.

Looking around, he sat up. It was strange not to see bars. He looked at his crib and considered how hard it would be to crawl back into it. He would try that another time but for now he would try this one out. Laying back down, he grinned. Talking to his dollies for a while, he finally fell into recharge.

Praxus already was and he dreamed of flowers and puppies. Blue dog puppies. Pound puppies.

Little mech loved his cartoons.

Hero was lying on her back watching the lights of the air field play on her room's ceiling. They were pretty and they moved. She hugged her koala bear toy and smiled at the lights. She would fall into recharge after a while. She wouldn't remember her dreams though.

She was a still a very little femme yet.

Sunspot was recharging like a growing mech should. He would dream of flying in blue skies, his genitors flying with him. He would remember them in his dreams, their beautiful loving faces and their gentle touch. He would remember them smiling and talking to him softly. He would remember sitting in their laps listening to them sing but he wouldn't remember the ship crash that took them away from him forever. He would just remember how they loved him and he loved them. He would fly in the blue skies with them, feeling their love, their pleasure in him and feel joy.

He would not remember any of it when he awoke.

He never did.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	227. Chapter 227

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 64 edited for boo boos :D

-0-That night

Larc stood on the street looking around. The city sparkled and reminded her of home. That system and its many planets were far away and they had not been there in a long time. Her family was still there along with all that determined who she was. It was painful to think about it. She turned and began to walk down the street toward the big housing towers nearby. They were so many that it was impossible to see them all from her vantage point. They disappeared into the distance, their lights twinkling in the thin cold atmosphere.

She turned and walked down a sidewalk on a highway that ran through a dense grid of towers and found herself in an open space that was very clearly a park. She walked to a table and sat on it, resting her feet on the benches that were seating for it. The night was very dark and quiet. The sound of footfalls drew her eyes and she turned to see two mechs walking toward her. They reached where she sat and paused.

:Hi: Springer said nodding.

She nodded back. :I am Larc:

:I know. Drift and I were part of the party that liberated the camp you were in: Springer replied. Drift nodded as well.

:Thank you: Larc said.

:Your welcome. I'm sorry you can't go home. We sort of feel your pain: Springer said moving to sit on a table next to Larc's.

:The day will come: Larc replied. :We will help you defeat the Decepticons. They are the ones who have taken our worlds from us. They came with terrible animals, acid animals. They took our worlds away and we were enslaved. They used our telepathy to make us do work for them:

:The monsters … we have a couple in cold storage. We have had our run ins with the acid beasts too: Drift said.

Larc nodded. She looked up at the dark sky above. :We are all orphans in the storm:

They sat together talking as the evening passed by.

-0-Far away

Paragon stood in the control center of his new fortress. They were waiting for the arrival of a battle group that had left the empire heading out for greener pastures. They were a large group who would triple Paragon's power base. They would also be bringing ships and crack troops. Given that there was more than adequate energon available of an unheard of quality, the word had gotten out. Those who wanted to resurrect the Decepticons, be part of a group that was preparing to become a force and carve out a base from which to launch a takeover of the Empire were gathering.

They would do so of course under his command. He would see about that. He would also be monitoring a large refugee force that was coming their way. It would be heading onward to the Prime and his colony. He would allow it for now. He wasn't ready to challenge Optimus Prime yet but the orn was coming.

He would challenge them all.

-0-Early morning, Ops Center

The data came in and filled the overnight file for Prowl. The messages would be mostly from Earth and would have profiles of a number of things that were being tracked. One of them would mention that Boston 'Marty' Martindale was missing. An analyst from Sector 7 on medical leave, he never took his flight. He never arrived in Fiji. He disappeared.

Oh and he was an expert at codes.

-0-Later that same morning

They walked to Ops Center to begin the briefing for the insertion into Cybertron. The group would go incognito, meet with Dai Atlas, smuggle in two small replicators that were geared to energon production as well as leave after establishing communications, working out critical needs for later returns and other considerations.

Elita would lead her group and Jazz would come along to manage the team's intel collection. They would be bridged into the main shipping lanes that led to a number of worlds including Cybertron. Their ship appropriately scuffed and devoid of markings would be their taxi onto and out of Cybertron. A fake manifest and a cargo of essential but ultimately harmless electronic parts would be enough to get them a touch down at the airport in Polyhex.

Chromia walked beside her carrying the datapad with the basic plan detailed. Greenlight, Lancer, Firestar and Moonracer followed. Arcee had already reached Ops Center with Magnus who had a meeting shortly. They were in the rec room eating together. The others joined them for the wait before a meeting with Prime and Prowl to discuss their mission.

Jazz walked from Ops Center and pulled up a chair. "If this is passed we're go."

Arcee nodded watching as the others pulled out chairs to join them. "We should get a move on. If the replicators are going to do any good, we need to get them there as soon as possible. The schematics from Perceptor are hidden in the usual place," she said with a smirk. Glancing at Jazz, she grinned. "Even Magnus couldn't find them on me."

Magnus glanced at Arcee with a jaundiced optic. She patted his servo. "Roll with it, Magnus."

They sat together passing the time until Prime and Prowl walked through the door. Then they gathered and followed them into the Ops Center and a conference room beyond. They would be inside for two joors. When they finally came out, the mission was go.

-0-At the Bosom of Love ™

"Did you get the sparkling under the table?"

"I did."

"What about the one hiding behind the couch?"

"Got that one too."

"Sunspot, grab that one and hold onto him."

"I will, Ada!" **(RUN! RUN! GRAB!)**

"I have the femme. Grab the mechs."

"Ratchet, I only have two servos and right now they're busy."

"Ironhide, they're sparklings. What the frag is so hard here?"

**(GRAB!)** "Got one."

"They slipped out, Atar. They're slippery."

"That's alright, Sunspot. Got them cornered." **(GRAB!)**

They stood in the living room of their new extended apartment and considered the extended hoo-haw that morning had become because of it. Instead of chasing two little mechs all over a normal large abode, they were chasing them around a monster apartment. It was twice the fun.

"Orion, you are a slagger. You take after your atar," Ratchet said with a grin.

"**ADA! FUN, ME! RUN, ORION!"** He laughed as he was held in the iron grip of his father.

Ironhide grinned. "This is going to be harder in the mornings. Mech has all the room he needs to hide."

"Good thing he's not very good at it," Ratchet said taking Praxus to head for the wash rack in Sunspot's room. That bedroom was painfully neat, its owner making the berth and arranging his things just so. "Sunspot, this room is a showplace."

Sunspot who was following smiled. "I love it. Did you know that the sun makes shadows on the floor. I like to watch them move."

"Good science there, son," Ratchet said as he stood Praxus on a table in the wash rack to wipe his face and servos. "Are you ready to go?"

"I am," he said with a grin.

"This is the last orn of the week. Weekend comes tomorrow and in two orns a playoff game. Exciting times," Ratchet said as he put Praxus on the ground. Turning, he took Orion from Ironhide's arms. Ironhide turned and snagged Praxus before he could run away.

"Gotcha," Ironhide said as Praxus squeed.

"**ADA! WHAT ME? YOU DO ME? WHY?"** Orion said as Ratchet set him on the table. A wash cloth made short work of his chat and when Ratchet was finished, he looked up at his ada with the most outlandishly funny look of outrage Ratchet had seen in a while. **"ADA! BAD, YOU BAD! ORION GOOD!"**

"Orion loud. Orion needs punted, right Ironhide?" Ratchet asked as both of them turned to look at the big mech.

"Don't drag me into this. I'm a spectator," Ironhide said as he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

"I say Orion is a big mouth," Ratchet said.

"**ADA! NO! I GOOD ME!" **He stared up at Ratchet, his tiny servos on his hips as he glared at his ada.

Ratchet stifled a laugh, then glanced at Ironhide who was watching with a grin himself. "This sparkling is going to be the end of me. Maybe I should put him outside on the curb. I'm sure someone would take him."

"They'd bring him back too," Ironhide said as he took Orion from Ratchet.

They walked out and collected Hero, checked everyone's hat, book bag and servos. By the time they were harnessed up and ready to go it felt like they had been at it for two orns. Walking to the elevator, they stepped on and rode downward. Waiting in the lobby, Tie Down, Blackjack, Alor and Ravel stood and sat waiting.

"**OTHER ADA!"** Orion said with a smile as he looked at Alor and Ravel.

"**OTHER ADA AND OTHER ADA!"** He pointed at them and grinned at Ratchet and Ironhide.

"Who is that?" Ratchet said pointing to Blackjack and Tie Down. Orion studied them, then grinned. **"OTHER ATAR AND OTHER ATAR!"**

Everyone exclaimed, then Ratchet pointed to Praxus. "Who's that?" he asked waiting for it.

Orion looked at Praxus and grinned. "Quack," he said with a chuckle.

Ratchet snorted. "Mech has his own world going on."

"He does," Blackjack said taking the infant. He sat on his Other Atar's arm, his Mickey Mouse ear hat on and grinned. **"ADA BAD! ADA OW ME, OTHER ATAR!" **he said looking smugly at Ratchet as he leaned into Blackjack's chassis. "Bad ada."

Blackjack grinned. "If you expect me to spank him, you came to the wrong sucker."

"Well then, what you're saying is what Orion has is genetic from Ironhide?" Ratchet replied as they turned to walk to the door and beyond. By the time Blackjack, Tie Down, Ravel and Ironhide left for the school with the little mechs, Ratchet and Alor had covered the schedule for the next three orns.

Things permitting, Ironhide and Prime would accomplish their project the next orn. The football game would happen in which Iacon United would fight to the death with Altihex for a slot in the playoffs. If Iacon lost, **PRIMUS FORBID!**, then they would be the wild card. They would only be able to play that wild card if there was a tie in any of the other games. Otherwise, they would be sucking dirt.

Losers.

The stroll to Ops Center was leisurely. The conversation was great. Life was good.

So far.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

Short one tonight. Pooped. :} Will do better tomorrow. HUGGLES!


	228. Chapter 228

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 1 (Part 228/66) Editied for boo boos :D

-0-Airfield some joors later

Ironhide and Flint stood together watching as a scuffed nondescript shuttle was loaded with carefully nondescript electronic parts headed for Cybertron. The amount of contraband that made its way to Cybertron was enabling a sizable portion of the reconstruction. Ships filled with questionable materials were given freedom to land. Pirates, entrepreneurs with doubtful provenances and freelance rovers made a good living doing so. Some of them made stops just to allow their presence to continue in the systems controlled by the Empire. Without the odd freebie, they would be destroyed where they were found.

The femme team would take advantage of this and establish themselves on the 'permitted' list that had been discovered to exist in the Shockwave data. They walked out, their appearances unrecognizable from the efforts of the surgical reconstruction team at the Hospital in Metroplex. All of them were different, nondescript in their designs and tough as nails.

They waved and boarded, an unrecognizable Jazz joining them. When they took off Ironhide walked Flint to his ship. He would be flying to the outlying forward bases to do performance checks. They were discussing upgrades on a number of systems as well as personal quarters. No one would be sitting on an ice cube without amenities. He flew away so Ironhide turned to the runabout that he and Prime would hopefully get to use for a project that was in the planning stages for some time. He had loaded it with all of the stuff they had stored in a locker in the armory against the orn when they could actually step out for this very event.

Turning, he walked to the Fortress entering to cross Ops Center where Prime stood bent down to read something on the sensors. Pausing beside Prowl, he looked himself. Prime was watching the team get sent through the gates to a place on the shipping lanes nearby Cybertron. Miler's calm voice counted down the mathematics as Perceptor and Wheeljack countered with the appropriate responses. Then the go was given and they shot away into infinity.

Standing up straighter, Prime nodded to Prowl. "They're off. Alert me when they ping," he said.

Prowl nodded, then grinned. "You do realize you are go now."

Prime grinned back in spite of himself. "I do. See ya." With that, he leaned in and kissed Prowl. Glancing at Ironhide, he nodded. "Ready for this?"

"No," the big mech said with a smirk.

"Neither am I," Prime said with a chuckle. "Did you call for the delivery of the VIPs?"

"I did when I saw Flint off. Ratchet and the twins should have them at the airfield now," Ironhide said.

"Have fun," Prowl said with a grin. "I want video."

Prime snorted. "I want rescue. If things need me, call."

"Fat chance," Prowl said as he turned Prime to leave.

The two big bots walked across the command deck and out the doorway as Smokescreen doing duty at Communications glanced up at Prowl. "Where are they going?" he asked.

Prowl grinned in spite of himself. "Camping," he said with a nod.

-0-On the deck

Prime and Ironhide stood at the door of the shuttle watching as a gaggle of babies and other fellow travelers crossed the tarmac. They were being led by Ratchet who had the leashes of Praxus and Orion. Sunspot was skipping along with a radiantly happy T-Bar, Rambler and Spirit. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked with them, Sideswipe holding a smiling babbling Miracle as he also held Kaon's leash. They reached the two, then paused. "Here you go, suckers," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

Sideswipe handed over Miracle to Ironhide. "Are you sure you want to take the sparklings?"

"No," Ironhide said as he took the leashes of Praxus, Kaon and Orion. "Ask me in a joor."

"You don't have to. I can take them back to school," Ratchet said with a gigantic grin.

"No," Ironhide said glancing at Prime for backup. He looked at Ironhide a moment, then nodded. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

A moment of internet activity was met with big grins. "Suckers," Sunstreaker said chuckling.

"This is Ratchet's fault," Ironhide said casting a caustic optic at his bond. "Slagger made the Autobot Scouts a big deal."

"Why isn't Prowl here?" Sideswipe asked. "He's your second-in-command isn't he?"

"He's running the mission and tracking a migration. I'm the default subcommander. Besides, I've never been camping with younglings before," Optimus said with a grin.

"Have you ever been camping and I'm not talking about bivouac?" Ratchet asked.

They both looked at him. "No," they said in unison.

"Tell me how it goes and if you need us to come to get the sparklings mech up enough to say so, slaggers," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

They smirked at him then turned boarding the infants. After winching them down, they waved and the hull door slid shut. Take off was gentle and they were on their way to a low lying mesa in the Valles Marineris where they would 'camp' overnight. After all they both decided, what was an atar worth who didn't give their younglings experiences?

"Home in bed contented," Ratchet replied to that flight of fancy.

Both of them then and there resolved to prove Ratchet wrong.

That would be their first mistake.

-0-On the way to Shambala

They flew out of the vortex into the farthest shipping lane from the still operating Decepticon array system that monitored Cybertron even as it fell away from its original place in the universe. The slow but inexorible inevitability that she would eventually leave her sector ensured that the range and dependability of the sensors to report would become compromised over time. Given their nearly invincible lifespans, they would only be marginally aware of the drift but see it in its inglorious inevitability, they would.

Elita who was flying set her course for the once enormous civilian and commercial airport of Polyhex. What it was like now, they had no idea. But that would be where they would start, in the airport several of them knew well. It was among the least tended according to Shockwave's intel because the military had consolidated their fleets off world or in four cities dispersed around the planet to allow them to lift off in case of invasion without too much trouble.

Polyhex was now the contraband and pirate capital of Cybertron, a heavily policed but very active semi lax port of entry for those who were willing to bring needed, helpful things to the struggling world. The parts they had would be welcome. The replicators, broken into pieces and secreted aboard the ship as ornamental fixtures and discarded debris scattered about would be taken away with them when they left to meet up with the Resistance.

"When will we get there, Elita?" Lancer asked as she checked and rechecked her weapons.

"Give or take ten joors," Elita said as Jazz walked to sit in the co-pilot seat. She glanced at him. "You look lovely."

"You look like a mech. No offense," Jazz said with a grin.

"None will ever be taken for that remark," Elita said with a grim expression. "None at all."

-0-On the road to **CAMP MEETING! **in the Valleys of Mariners

They flew to the Valles, the tremendous gash in the earth stetching out for thousands of miles. They were heading for a nice little mesa that was located in the widest part of the canyon. It would be sheltered from the winds, had lots of opportunities for exploration and would be safe from cliffside falls and other avoidables-at-all-costs-do-you-hear-me, Ironhides?!.

When they lifted off, the sparklings were demanding answers.

**ANSWERS!**

Winched into their seats, they glanced at each other, then the two adults who were sitting in the pilot and co-pilot seats making their way to the seriously carefully chosen and much discussed place of 'camp'. In the hold were tents, food, containers for 'stuff', things to use for digging, cameras for pictures, toys and books for down times, a first aid kit, fire making equipment, sleeping bags that were picked up at The Sports Shop in the Mall of Metroplex and other sundries.

They also had Prowl and Ratchet on speed dial.

If things worked out, the two would fly in for a moment, perhaps for dinner and see how it was going.

They hoped.

Sort of.

Prime and Ironhide both wanted to ace this but the scope sitting in the back babbling sort of felt daunting.

It was.

But they were both determined to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. After all, they were the Prime of Cybertron and the Master of the Autobot Armed Forces. They could manage four enthusiastic younglings and four babbling sparklings.

Right?

Pause.

Right?

-0-Ten joors later far away

They had come under the beacons and monitoring satellites of the Decepticon Forces four joors earlier. They had been told to indentify themselves and they did. A tense pause for confirmation and the okay to continue was anxiety making but the approval finally came through. They would have to come in unarmed into Polyhex, submit to search and inspection, then receive the data document that would be their passport to further commercial interactions with the planet.

They would pass with flying colors.

-0-On a small mesa in the middle of nowhere

They set down and the ship powered off, the infants all becoming quiet and expectant. Prime and Ironhide glanced at each other, then looked back at eight smiling faces.

"**ATAR! WHAT ME?"** Orion asked as he tugged at his seat belt.

"Sit there, you little slagger until we let you out. Sunspot, boys, you have to keep them from killing each other," Ironhide said as he punched the latch and the hull door slid back.

Prime was already out unloading things from the back like a suburban father unloading groceries out of the back of his hatchback SUV. Ironhide joined him, then looked at the piles of 'essentials' according to the handbook of the Boy Scouts of America. "We better set up the tents."

Prime nodded and they looked finding the bundled devices in the pile of gear. "I think you pull this latch and they unfold themselves."

He stepped away and did so, the tent leaping out of his servos as it burst into bloom. It bounced here and there, then settled, a big tent with a logo of the Primes and an Autobot face on its yellow panels. Prime grinned. "That was fun. Let me do the other two." With that, he did. Soon three big tents were sitting on the ground.

Ironhide pulled them into place, then pressed a button on a small panel by the door flap that led inside. They immediately staked themselves down. "When I got these, Arot asked me to let him know how they were and if they can be improved. The sports gear company wants feedback."

"Well," Prime said with a big grin, "I like them."

Ironhide snorted. "Sparkling. We better hurry with the rest of the stuff or they'll riot in there."

They both looked at the sparklings and younglings who still sat in their seats on both sides of the hull watching them as they worked through the open hatch.

"**ATAR! ORION LIKE! ORION WANT FLY! I CAN GO?!"** he asked with a gigantic smile.

"Hang on," Ironhide said with a smirk as he gathered tiny sleeping bag sacks and tossed them into the appropriate tent. When he threw his into one and Prime's into another, he turned to help Optimus as he began to sort through the food, hiking stuff, electronic fire and alternative cook stove that didn't need atmosphere, first aid pack, box of wipes that didn't require water, storage things for 'finds' and the datapads both were going to use to help devise a manual for the Autobot Scouts.

The boss made them do it.

Prowl.

"That will teach you to make **me** the second-in-command of the Scouts, Optimus," he had said orns before. "Help us do the manual, smart aleck."

He had goodnaturedly agreed, more than happy to do something that had the potential to be this much fun.

Or not.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	229. Chapter 229

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 2: Here and There (229/67) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Here

"Do you need help?"

"**NO!"**

-0-There

"Go over there and show your papers. We're going to inspect your ship. You have anything you want to tell us about before we do it?"

"Slag no," Elita replied gruffly, her battered visage and scars intimidating. "Frag you. We don't declare anything."

The Decepticon officer looked at her with a tiny bit of insecurity and a whole lot of loathing. "This will go easier if you cooperate."

"We don't have anything to declare," Chromia said moving her own special brand of intimidation closer to the officer. "Take a look. Then let us go on our way. We have things to do."

"I want to get drunk and laid," Elita said growling at the officer. "Its been a while and I'm frag out of patience."

The 'Con officer glanced at his crew. "Take them to the office. Make sure they're checked out. We're going to turn the ship."

They walked off to the office none too happily and after three joors were given a pass, a license to run things to Cybertron and a level of security clearance that would allow them to go to different non-military places including Kaon.

It went perfectly.

-0-Here

"If you just did-"

Shimmering optics filled with intense frustration and a borderline insane intensity to succeed met that helpful notion. The helpful notion was pulled back as Optimus shut the helpful mouth that spoke it with an enormous grin. It was obvious that Ironhide had it 'all under control, slag it, Prime'. The infants who were watching were dazzled.

**CAMPING WAS AWESOME!**

Orion watched his father struggling with the fire device, then walked to him and bent down looking sideways and upward at the ignitor that was giving his old man a fit. **"ATAR! WHAT YOU!?"**

Ironhide paused to look at his little doppelganger bent over to see and felt a chuckle begin in his peds. Glancing at Optimus who was stifling his own guffaw, he rose. "You try it."

Optimus who had been studying the device as Ironhide struggled knelt and touched a button on a side panel. The device internally burst into flames. The light it shed was amazing and adjustable. The stove part to heat up the rations had its own switch too. Right now, it was going to be the 'camp fire'.

Ironhide stared at the device, then Prime, then the device, Orion's aft, Prime, his own servos …

-0-There

They carried their gear bags as they walked to the city, the astonishing destruction making conversation moot. The city had been sacrificed by Ratbat and his partner to be a distraction so that the Decepticons could take the Temple and its treasures. Prime had made the terrible spark destroying decision that the Temple and the AllSpark were more the more essential target, thereby condemning Polyhex to a futile end.

Walking through the shelled streets, climbing over debris still waiting to be removed, looking at the towers that were destroyed as well, they made their way to a vehicle rental shop in a clearing nearby. They could feel the ghosts and the burden that Prime's spark carried from the decisions he made. To have the thought and sure knowledge that the destruction of your beloved home world had occured was one thing. To walk in it, to smell the destruction and see it everywhere you looked was beyond expression.

They continued onward carrying the pieces of the precious replicators, the devices a small offering of atonement by one portion of a devastated people to another.

-0-Here

Ironhide stacked the carefully packed containers near a boulder, their contents protected from whatever might come. Optimus was kneeling explaining to the younglings and infants that they were going to stay here overnight and do things together.

"What about Ada, Atar?" Spirit asked sweetly. "Will he come too?"

"Ada is working, son," Optimus said gently. "This is boys night out."

They looked at him a moment, then Rambler grinned. "Are we going to be arrested when its over?"

It took all Ironhide and Optimus could do not to laugh.

-0-There

They found a transport and rented it. Stuffing it full of their gear, they clambered aboard to drive to the location where they had located the Resistance before. The sky overhead was gray and cloud covered, the scent of metallic rain in the thin contaminated air a warning of the night to come. Fires that had burned for years had died away long ago, their heat and ferocity apparent in the melted metals and scorch marks that still pockmarked the city. The roads out of town were sketchy, many of them still broken and littered. The closer you got to Kaon, Capital City and Iacon, the better the infrastructure and the more apparent the effort to rebuild could be seen.

Elita drove slowly over the broken highway missing this and that broken thing. The closer they came to their targeted area the fewer bits of scattered debris could be seen. Most of it was removed to one side, waiting in piles to be recycled and disposed of at some future date. Buildings that were iconic were missing or so destroyed they had to think hard to remember them properly. Signs that pointed out where to go to get anywhere were missing along with the overhead light poles that made driving on Cybertron glorious at any time of the orn or night.

They had to use maps downloaded internally to find their way toward the city where the Decepticons first arose in the revolution that grew out of millions of years of inequity and the Clampdown. Kaon was Jazz's home town and he waited with dread until it began to appear in the horizon, a broken darkened skyline that never was beautiful before destroyed severely as if deserving one more indignity before the end.

They stared at the pitiless area they passed through remembering how it once was with the millions who lived there and gave it a vitality that was strong even in their destitution. No one said a word as they drove.

-0-Here

They stood in front of Optimus and Ironhide, eight little smiling faces listening intensely as Optimus read from a little datapad that contained the combined wisdom of both mechs as pertaining to the 'mission' of the Autobot Scouts and its activities thus far. Four younglings listened with great seriousness as four others strained to understand even if they only knew one out of every ten words.

Ironhide looked at them proudly as he stood holding an 'activity' box that would be 'skill number 1' on the path to self sufficiency and all around good citizenship. Prime finished and looked down over his datapad. "Any questions?" he asked with a smile.

Spirit raised his arm.

"Son?" Optimus asked.

"Can I be your buddy?" he asked with hopeful optics.

Optimus looked at Ironhide. :Uh, they're supposed to be buddies for each other. What do we do?:

Ironhide shrugged slightly. :Well, you be his buddy this time. The next activity, he has to find someone else:

Optimus nodded. "Alright. Now why don't we choose buddies?"

Rambler chose Praxus because he was 'so little and cute, Atar. I'll help him find good stuff'. Sunspot chose Miracle because he was looking at rocks and they 'weren't the right ones, right Atar? He will need a helper, right?'" T-Bar turned to Kaon and took his servo. He didn't give a reason for why he chose that infant but Kaon didn't care. He **LOVED** T-Bar. Spirit walked to Optimus and turned standing with him, a giant proud smile on his little face. He was comically small to his incredibly big atar. Optimus smiled himself.

Orion on the other servo turned and walked to the fire box bending over to study it. Then he managed to stuff three rocks into it before Ironhide claimed him as 'his little buddy, slag it.' They were all dispersed.

Ironhide turning with Orion in one servo picked up the box. He stared at Optimus. "Lead on, McDuff."

Optimus turned searching for the reference as Spirit followed happily. Prime grinned when he did. "Follow me," he said and they did.

-0-There

They parked their vehicle and hoped it would be there when they got back. The slimy bot in charge of a security lot promised them but no one had any trust or hope. They gathered their bags and turned to walk down the street,heading for the cratered part of town that would require them to go below the surface to prevent themselves from becoming targets for the sharpshooters that sat in towers all around the city's perimeter.

The guards were there to keep the criminal element contained as the mentally disturbed, dementedly cruel, homeless and reckless were the only ones unwise enough to live in the ruins of the city. Never a beautiful place, never given enough to become even a tolerable place, the Kaon on that side of the dividing line was incredibly dangerous.

This was were the Resistance lived. The Decepticons never came there to harass them. The few that tried were never seen again. With a light step and linked sensors, a handful of femmes and one mech slipped under the net and found a manhole for a sewer/drainage line. Climbing down the ladder, tossing their gear inside, Arcee was the last to disappear below as the manhole cover slid back into place.

No one would ever be able to know that anyone had passed through this area in vorns.

-0-Here

They walked in a line, the sparklings getting a ride but for Kaon. He walked happily along with T-Bar, the pair holding servos. Their tiny legs set the pace as they crept along toward the first 'activity location'. Chat filled the air as the 'troop' trooped forward heading toward an area that held 'artifacts'.

Part of the criteria of finding a good camping site was the idea of accommodating the three activities that they had managed to come up with on such short notice. They had both poured over the manuals of the Boy and Cub Scouts, Girl Guides, Royal Rangers and Pathfinders, Union International de Guides d'Europe and the Blue Birds. Finding activities as well in the Girl Scouts of America handbook, they decided that a soft area to dig was essential. They had found a camping spot with sand. Then on a break the two had flown to the spot and buried 'artifacts'.

One activity down. Two more to go.

Optimus rounded a huge boulder half buried in sand and spotted their 'find area'. He paused and looked down, the infants on their peds looking up while Miracle patted his arm. He put Miracle down and Sunspot glommed him taking his servo. The others were placed on the ground including Ironhide's 'buddy', Orion. Optimus knelt down. "Here is a place where we are going to study Mars. Mars is your home and we have to not only understand it so we can live here well, we have to know what it needs so we can protect it. So what we have to do now is dig in the ground here," he said waving his arm to show the area, "to see what lies below. The more we know, the better we can be as stewards of the planet. And as Autobot Scouts, we have to be stewards and caretakers of our home world."

They all nodded with serious expressions including Miracle who thought his atar was a god. Kaon nodded because this was his grandatar who to him was a god. Praxus nodded because Rambler was nodding and **he** thought Rambler was a god. Orion didn't nod. He was too busy picking his nose and looking around on the ground humiliating his atar half to the Pit.

Optimus snorted as he watched the little black mech. "I see he takes after you."

Ironhide bent down and tapped Orion's servo. Glancing at Prime, he snorted. "That is one prime sparkling. All of my sparklings are prime."

Optimus took a moment to get the joke, then grinned. "We are aren't we." He looked at the infants who were waiting patiently, then grinned again. "Uncle Ironhide has the tools. What you need to do is dig, then put anything interesting you find in the little buckets. You work as teams. This is about teamwork as well. When you find something you don't understand, Uncle Ironhide and I will help you. When its all over, we can get together and look at what we found and decide what it is and how it came to be here. Are there any questions?"

Spirit put his arm up.

"Son?" Optimus asked gently.

"Can we give our stuff to Ada?" he asked sweetly.

Prime having an internal 'awww' moment nodded. "I think that will be an amazing idea."

Sunspot grinned taking that remark to be that all of their finds would belong to Uncle Prowl. Ironhide handed him gear so he took a yellow bucket and two little shovels as well as Miracle's servo. "Come on, Miracle. Let's find stuff for your ada."

One by one, pair by pair, they got their little yellow buckets and shovels, walking to their sand area to dig. Optimus took his, a tiny thing in his servos and turned with Spirit to 'find things for Ada too, Atar. Right?' Ironhide snorting with amusement took his tiny bucket and shovels. He stared down at Orion who was poised to pick his nose again but didn't. He dropped his arms and smiled up.

Ironhide smirked as he shook his helm. "You are a caution, sparkling. Let's go see what we can find." With that, he turned with Orion in tow and found a piece of the area to dig.

Orion would help him.

Mostly.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	230. Chapter 230

NOTE: Last night I put the last touches on the segment to post and my computer died. :*( I am fixing that today hopefully and will persevere on my little Acer) Here it is recreated. :D

Edited for boo boos :D

-0-Here we go!

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 3 (230/68)

-0-At the great adventure

"Look!"

Optimus reclining on the ground holding a tiny bucket for his son grinned. "What is it?" he asked peering down into the tiny hole which Spirit had dug out so diligently. The little mech pulled out a dark rock and hefted it. "It's heavy, Atar. Maybe its a meteor," he said with a giant smile.

Optimus subspaced a small magnet and handed it to Spirit who touched it to the rock. It stuck. He grinned. "Look, Atar. We found a meteor! Wait until Ada sees this!"

Optimus grinned. "Save it in the bucket. Do you think more is down there?" He sent the film to Prowl as he enjoyed the moment.

Spirit put the rock into the bucket and peered down. "Let's look!" He began to dig again. Optimus looked at the others. Sunspot was looking at shiny rocks with Miracle. They were 'discussing' them before putting them in the bucket. Miracle then turned and knelt reaching down into the hole. He slipped and fell helm first. Rambler helped pull him out with Sunspot, the infant sputtering sand as he sat on the ground again. "Bad!" he said comically.

Optimus blinked. "Miracle."

The baby turned and grinned at his atar. "Bad?" Optimus asked curiously.

"Bad," the baby said pointing into the hole. Optimus grinned and sent the film to Prowl. Prowl also grinned.

Ironhide sitting nearby watched the infants working away, then turned to look at Orion. He was standing with a rock in each servo. He was licking them. "Orion."

The infant paused and looked at his atar with a grin. "**ATAR!"**

"What are you doing licking those rocks?" Ironhide said taking one of them away. Rambler who paused to watch grinned. "They look like Spirit's rocks, Uncle Ironhide. Maybe they're meteorites." He took the magnet from Spirit's bucket and walked over tapping the rock with it. It stuck. "See?" he said with a grin.

"You're right. Smart youngling," Ironhide said with a grin. He looked at Orion who was still licking the other rock. "Sparkling, stop that."

Rambler looked at Orion who had a red streaked face. "He's licking the iron."

They all paused to look at him. Rambler looked at Ironhide. "There's a lot of iron here. See? The oxidation? He's eating the iron."

"Oh great. That's his favorite flavor," Ironhide said taking the other rock. He subbed a wash cloth and gripping Orion gently wiped him clean.

Orion who was **FAIRLY SCANDALIZED!** looked at Ironhide with a frown. **"ATAR! NO ME! I GOOD!"**

"You're a hoodlum. We're looking for stuff not eating it," Ironhide replied with a grin.

"Do you think he's hungry?" Rambler asked.

"He's always hungry but we're ready for anything and everything, right Prime," Ironhide said glancing at Optimus who regarded him with a grin. "The Autobot Scouts are always prepared. It says so in the manual."

Prime smirked. "Right."

With that, Ironhide subbed cookies and they all took a break to nosh and chat. It was a glorious morning to be alive.

-0-Ops Center, Prowl

He filed the video of Miracle and Spirit away for further distribution among the family. He sat at the table and considered the tasks before them. First, there was the mission to Cybertron. Pings had been had so all was well so far. The thought of Optimus's genitors being there made him uneasy. They would be in terrible danger if anyone ever found out about them. He thought about the other pending items that threatened their tranquility and advancement. Paragon, an oddly named mech was gathering more soldiers to his cause. Whether he posed a threat to them or to Soundwave first, he had no idea. They were just a threat period.

Then there was the big migration heading their way followed orns apart by more. Construction was going at a mad pace everywhere in the city. Employment ranged around 95% of the fit population with the remaining injured and debilitated either in training programs or retired. Many was the disabled mech who was doing something in the schools, museum or libraries to feel like they were contributing, such was the buy in for their population in the good of the order.

The new aliens were breaking ground on their large habitat which would house them in a style more like their home. That was a good thing he thought. Of course, when the humans found out some would feel slighted. There was always the United Nations meet up as well. Lots to do he thought with a softly vented sigh.

The Family and the Resistance if that was what it was called were rumored to be planning a campaign against aliens in the system on Earth. It bothered him in the extreme that blowing up your own space to protest them here in this one was somehow an idea anyone would embrace. But then, he was logical and practical. He was also observant and had begun a campaign to find and listen in on their communication lines as well as read their texts and electronic chat too. He was determined to take them down with as little harm to humans as possible by these individuals.

Sitting back, he considered two other seriously important things pending. Tomorrow, Iacon United would play Altihex. They could both lose as far as he was concerned. He smirked at that notion. The city arenas would only hold about 410,000 mechanisms so IntraComm and the city electrical staff were building a system in the main stadium where the game would be played to pipe to the airfield where unlimited space could be managed for anyone else who wanted to watch. A three-D system so perfect that it actually made what was broadcast seem completely real was being made, the best one ever attempted in the solar system. If one walked forward into the broadcast, one could circle players and things broadcast so perfect was the process displayed.

Iacon would lose because losers lost. He grinned. Then it would be one less step to the championship for his team, undefeated Praxus Science. **GO PRAXUS! **He paused and looked around noting that no one noticed his internal burst of joy.

Good.

THe last big event on his calendar was the visit tonight to the camp to check on the nascent Autobot Scout movement that was going to be sweeping Mars.

Eventually.

He grinned again.

-0-Apartment 23/24, Ratchet

He walked into the apartment and put down a number of things that he had ordered from Requisitions. Turning, he walked to Sunspot's berthroom to straighten it up. He paused. It was immaculate. Grinning, he walked to the wash rack to find it was immaculate too. The rest of the apartment was in good shape with a neat bunk for Orion because Ironhide was helping him to make it. They spent time learning the limitations of sparkling assistance every morning. He turned picking up the forlorn little crib in a corner and carried it to the new berthroom for the upcoming sparkling. Setting it just so, he looked around. It would need furniture. He would have to go by The Home Store to get what they needed.

He walked out and bussed the apartment, putting away the few things he had gotten from Requisitions. They were go for playdoh and edible fingerpaint. He grinned and thought about taking the rest of the orn off in preparation for the evening out yonder. He thought about his morning...

...He walked into the high security ward at the Femme Hospital orderlies, doctors, aides, nurses and security in tow. Pausing by a berth with a glowering mech looking at him with fury, he grinned. "The notes say you can go. That is, you can go straight to jail. How about that?" he asked with a giant smile.

"Frag you, Autobot."

"Thanks. I'll treasure that always," Ratchet said with a grin. They moved to the next bed where a big gnarly bot lay looking at him with rage. "My, aren't you a sweet one."

"Frag off, Autobot."

"That sounds familiar," he replied with a chuckle. "Kick this slagger out too."

He went through the rest of them bantering and trading barbs as all fifteen were reviewed. Two were still too debilitated to go and when they were released at some point both would require rehabilitation. They would never fight again.

By the time he was finished, a short jaunt to the Autobot City Business Plaza was had. Picking up an order of playdoh, paint and a game called checkers from Requisitions, he walked back to the apartment to tidy up. Patting his carry hold, he grinned. "How are you doing, infant?"

Hero was slumbering in a bundle of blankets, her dollies in her little servos. Her old Pa was off being a scout and she was hanging with Ada. All was well in her little world.

Ratchet glanced around and felt all was well, so he turned and headed out making for Ops Center and a catch up with Prowl.

-0-On Cybertron

They walked through the drainage system heading for the previously agreed upon spot they had settled on their last venture. The smell was metallic and the steady drip of dark water spoke of the systemic sickness that infected their planet. It was depressing as they walked silently, all of them carrying their part of the replication machines they had in their packs. It would be another five miles before they would meet up with the Resistance, then another four before they met up with Dai Atlas.

-0-At the campsite

They stood on the ridge and looked at the vast cavern that not only stretched out for what seemed forever both ways they looked but upward as well. The walls were enormously tall and craggy. It was an astonishing sight, a canyon so big that the grand one in America would be lost within. They were working on understanding weather with wind socks and other devices.

Orion stood beside Miracle and watched as the older mechs worked out the data of the canyon. The wind was coming up and the sand from dust devils on the plateau filtered down. It was cold but not bitter. Everyone felt comfortable. Ironhide who was watching Sunspot discuss the sun with Rambler turned to look at the sparklings. They were standing in a row, their optics fixed on the older mechs. They were watching and trying to understand. It was hilarious.

Praxus glanced over his shoulder, then turned walking to the boxes that held the tools they had used earlier. He looked into one that had its lid off and smiled. There were **AWESOME THINGS INSIDE.** He reached in as far as he could, then looked around. No one was paying attention.

**"ATAR!"**

Ironhide turned. "Come here, sparkling."

Praxus grinned and turned running as fast as his tiny legs could carry him away from the group. Ironhide turned and walked after him, smirking as the youngster glanced backward as he hurried away.

**HIS PA WAS CHASING HIM!**

Life was perfect.

-0-Ops Center

"No word yet about his genitors?" Ratchet asked.

"Not so far," Prowl said.

"We can but hope." He settled back. "I let all of the 'Cons go to the lockup but two. They're still not up to it."

Prowl nodded. "That's good to know. We can hope they come to their senses right away rather than linger."

Ratchet nodded. "Two of them told me to frag off. Does that help?"

Prowl snorted. "I find it edifying."

"You would." Ratchet grinned. "Game tomorrow."

"I know. Loser."

"Whiner."

"Looooser."

"I would punch you, Prowl but I'm rather impressed."

Prowl grinned. "So am I."

-0-At the campsite

The younglings sat together munching on something that Rampage called burritos. They were just this side of wowzer. Even the sparklings managed them. The sun was setting and down here in the valley it would be dark sooner rather than later. The campfire was throwing out an immense amount of light and an equal amount of heat. They sat on little flat stones that Ironhide and Optimus had found, shaped and parked.

The light of the stove was throwing shadows against the cliffsides and the big tents. Orion holding his burrito looked at them and paused. He looked at his atar. **"ATAR! WHAT?!"** he said pointing to shadows nearby that were wavering in the light.

"It's nothing," Ironhide said. "Eat your dinner."

"This is fun, Atar," Spirit said glancing up at Optimus. "When is Ada coming?"

"Tonight," Optimus said taking another 'burrito'. "So is everyone else."

"That is going to be so fun. They can watch us tell stories," Spirit replied with a grin.

Ironhide grinned. "I can't wait to hear your story, Prime."

"I'm just an observer. The story telling is your job,** SCOUT**," Prime replied.

Ironhide's grin faded. "Slag."

Optimus grinned for the both of them.

-0-On the airfield that evening

They gathered together, all of the family and the remaining younglings. Ratchet stood by the ramp and watched as the twinnies ambled up in their harnesses. When they reached him, they reached up. He took them, kissed their little faces and handed one each to Venture and Miler. As Ravel and Tie Down approached, everyone was there. Blackjack looked out of the vessel and grinned. "Mount up!" he said.

Almost as one, Venture, Miler, Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Ravel, Tie Down, Ratchet and Prowl joined Alor and Blackjack inside the runabout for the ten minute ride to Valles Marineras and the little plucky group camping on a plateau in the desolation of Mars.

It would be epic.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	231. Chapter 231

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 5 (231/69) edited for boo boos :D

-0-The camp site

They sat around the fire device, its light streaming out into the deeply inky darkness of night time that was Mars away from the urban areas of settlement. They had finished dinner and set up their tents in a circle as per the handbooks …

"**ATAR! WHAT ME?!"** Orion stood in the tent he would share with Ironhide and Praxus. His little sleeping bag was spread out and its intriguing features waiting to be activated. It had a bladder under it that with the flip of a switch on a tiny panel at the foot would inflate. Any baby that used it would have a soft pad underneath to protect them as well as heat their little afts. It was specially designed for Mars by The Adventure Group, a sporting goods business started by ex-athletes from Praxus who taught survival and adventuring once upon a time.

"That's your bed, doodle bug," Ironhide said as he spread out the one for Praxus. His own would be across the doorway so that the little mites wouldn't go a yondering in the middle of the night. They would have to climb Mount Ironhide to do it.

"**ATAR, WHY SHE!?"** Orion asked pointing at the tiny bag that would hold Praxus. Praxus staring at it turned to look at Ironhide too.

He finished laying out his own bag then turned pausing as he looked at both babies. He grinned and shook his helm. Two miniature versions of himself were standing on the ground looking up at him with his colors and Ratchet's garbing them boldly. They were amazingly cute together. "You two are the best thing ever," he said. "That's my bed and that one belongs to Pax. Both of you and I will recharge here tonight.

In a tent nearby, Optimus Prime was having the same conversation with Miracle and Kaon who stood side-by-side holding each others servos and dollies. "This is where you and Kaon will recharge," he said to Miracle.

Miracle smiled, a strange reflection of himself that never failed to give Prime pause. He grinned. "That is where I will recharge," Prime said pointing to the doorway. Miracle smiled again. Prime was dazzled again.

Nearby …

"**THIS IS SO GREAT! WE GET A TENT BY OURSELVES!"** Spirit said gripping Sunspot's servos tightly. Both little mechs jumped up and down for a moment. They turned to Rambler and T-Bar who were smiling at them. **"THIS CAMPING IS FUN! I LIKE THE AUTOBOT SCOUTS!"** Spirit said with joy.

"I do too." Rambler looked at his little sleeping bag, then the floor of the tent. "Where do you want to recharge, Spirit?" he asked.

"I want to recharge with all of you!" he said with excitement. "We can play and tell stories. It will be like a sleepover!"

Rambler grinned. "It **is** a sleepover."

"Yeah," Spirit said looking outside at the gathering darkness. "But it won't be home."

They all walked over and peered out. As they did, nearby next to their own another shuttle was landing.

-0-In the shuttle

They sat in the roomy confines joking about Prowl's driving as he flew them to the campsite in the bottom of a deep canyon. It was getting very dark and they were due to arrive in time to do something called 'smores'. Apparently, when scouts when on campfire outings they did 'smores'.

Prowl had researched it for Optimus and had discussed it like it was the invasion of Cybertron with Rampage, showing him the diagrams, images and other details of 'smores'. They had taken on the challenge and in the back of the shuttle in a big box the particulars necessary to do 'smores' were ready to use.

"When are we going to get there?" Sideswipe whined like a child, needling Prowl who sat in the pilot seat in front of him. "Are we there yet?"

"Slagger," Prowl replied with a grin.

Ratchet lounging in the seat beside him grinned. "Are we there yet, Granny? Some of us have things to do."

"Such as?" Prowl asked casting a gimlet optic at the big red and white mechanism beside him.

"Well, I intend to recharge all over the berth tonight since the ball and chain is on bivouac with the younglings."

A flurry of searches met with big grins. "I like that one," Sunstreaker said. "Bluestreak, ball and chain. They both start with the same sound. Coincidence? I would say no."

A rap on the chassis greeted that remark and the snark gathered. Ravel sat watching them with a big grin. "This is so fun."

Everyone had an 'aww' moment, then it picked up again. It was merciful when they landed.

The little mechs ran out of their tent and straight to the shuttle where everyone was off loading. They were twirled by Sunny and Sideswipe, hugged and kissed by everyone else as they looked around at the encampment. It was neat, arranged in a circle and had space for a lot of individuals to sit around the brightly lit 'campfire'.

Orion walked out of his tent followed by Praxus and Ironhide, yelling and running for his ada. Ratchet hugged him, then Praxus and they were passed off along with the other infants. "How's it going?" Ratchet asked with a smirk as the 'troop leaders' joined them.

"It's going great, right Prime?" Ironhide asked glancing at his confederate.

"Oh great," Optimus said with a chuckle. "We have been crawling in the dirt all orn."

"**WE FOUND METEOR THINGS!"** Spirit said holding his arms up to Prowl. **"WE'RE GIVING THEM TO YOU, ADA!"**

Prowl grinned and hugged the youngling tightly. "What a good little mech you are, son. I can't wait to see them."

He hopped down and ran to the shuttle that had brought them to this spot returning with a heavy little yellow bucket. "I can show you now," he said with a giant smile.

A forest of tall mechs looked down at him and grinned. Then they all took a seat on a stone or rock to be shown. He reached into his tiny bucket and took out a meteor fragment. "I found this with Atar," he said holding it up. He smiled. **"ATAR WAS MY BUDDY!"**

An 'aww' moment made the rounds as he walked to each one of them to show his find. Rambler grinned. "Spirit really knows how to find meteor fragments," he said proudly.

Spirit looked at him and nodded. "I like Scouts! I like this so much!" He then continued to wow his audience with his finds. At the bottom of the bucket were two very red rocks. He held them up. "Orion found these."

Ratchet grinned. "Scouts does him good then?"

"He was licking them," Spirit said with pride.

Ratchet nearly blew his audials out of his helm trying to quell his laughter but no one else tried. They laughed and howled. Spirit looked at them a moment trying to figure out the point, then he sort of drooped. Prowl noticing first elbowed others and they paused looking at him, then Spirit.

Spirit looked at them uncertainly. "He was trying really hard."

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet leaned forward. "He had such a great role model in you and your brothers."

He looked at the others who nodded smirks and grins firmly in place anyway, then smiled. "He's so cute."

Another 'aww' moment made the rounds. When all was shown and exclaimed over, so did Spirit.

"So we can conclude that 'camp' was a rousing success?" Miler asked with a smirk as he sat holding Iacon. She was smiling at everyone delighted in the good energy and happiness of the group. Her twin was standing between Miler and Venture examining rocks. Hero was firmly on the arm of her atar.

"We brought the stuff for smores," Prowl said with a grin. It passed right over the helms of the younglings.

"Why don't you come see our tents?" Sunspot asked turning from hugging Tie Down to look at the gathered adults.

They all rose and with squadron precision were led to the sites in question to ooh and ah the possibilities. Ratchet put down Praxus's sleeping bag and glanced at Ironhide. "I would have loved to have something that soft to lay on a few times in bivouac. Nice going, Only One."

Ironhide nodded. "The company wants a report when we get back. So far I like all their equipment."

"These tents are big and roomy," Ravel said. "The infants will have a very nice night when they go to recharge."

"We want them between us," Optimus said as he walked out of the tent. "We want them to feel safe."

Ratchet followed and looked at the stars. "It's really dark. If they had full spectrum optics they might enjoy it more."

Prowl nodded. "Or not," he said with a smirk. "I am told that you tell ghost stories around campfires when you are making smores."

"So was I," Ratchet said. They turned and walked to the shuttle to get the box, carrying it to the fire. Setting it down, it was opened. Inside were 'chocolate bars', 'graham crackers' and 'marshmallows'. Ratchet fascinated with the marshmallows popped one into his pie hole. "That's good," he said with a grin. He pulled out a lot of skewers and directions. "Well, who will be the sacrificial lamb?"

A flurry of glances greeted that, then they all turned to look at Bluestreak. "What?" he asked as a skewer was pressed into his servo.

With Ratchet reading directions, everyone sat and watched Bluestreak as he built a 'smore'. When he had skewered the 'marshmallow', he put it in the fire for a moment. It melted nicely. Pressing it on a 'cracker' and adding a top along with a bit of 'chocolate', he looked at it. "This looks good." He took a bite and chewed it, all optics watching him. "I think this is epic," he said taking another bite.

Smores were then had by all.

A little bit later...

"Who's going to tell the first scary ghost story?" Ratchet asked. Everyone looked at him like he had a few screws loose. "You **have** to tell ghost stories. Its in the manual."

"It is?" -Ironhide and Optimus

"You were supposed to research this," Ratchet said with a grin. "You **always** tell scary stories in the dark around campfires."

They looked at him, then each other. Sunstreaker smirked. "Why don't you tell us about the moment you realized, Sideswipe, that you would never be as good looking as me. That had to be pretty scary."

That was buried in the scorn it deserved.

"I remember one time when I bought a pudding for Festival," Ravel said semi-lost in thought. "I remember finding a razor fragment in it." They all looked at him for a moment. "I found it very scary. It was for Ratchet and Tie."

They all looked at Ravie with a nod and a grin. "I can imagine, Ada," Ratchet said. "What did you do about it?"

He looked at Ratchet and shrugged. "We threw it out. We couldn't take it back, Ratchet."

For a moment the awful past intruded, then Ratchet stuck a marshmallow on a skewer. "Here, Ada. Have this instead."

Ravel did.

"Who is going to tell a scary story, Ada?" A little bot sitting on the seat beside Prowl looked up at the gathered group. They all looked at him, a little white and red mech with a hopeful expression. Spirit looked at his atar. "What kind of story do you know, Atar?"

Optimus considered the endless supply of scary stories that he could relate, then quashed them all. He was sure that the expression on his face was the same as the ones on everyone else. "Well, there **was** this little mech named Spirit who liked to sneak up on everyone," Optimus began.

All of the sparklings and younglings were enraptured. Especially Spirit.

TBC

2013 (3)

NOTE: I am working on my desktop because my laptop died. I will be wearing a black arm band for that intrepid little guy for the rest of this week. As for now, the Acer and the old Dell desktop are my little buddies. I would tell you more but Prime's telling a ghost story and I don't want to steal his thunder. :D :D :D


	232. Chapter 232

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 5 (232/70)

-0-Later that night

They huddled together in their sleeping bags giggling as they told jokes and enjoyed the idea of camping in their own tent. The family had stayed a while then begged off piling in to go back home again. Spirit had been torn between going home and staying, the idea of Ada not being with him painful.

But then, baby steps to independence can be that way.

He had stood holding Rambler's servo as the ship lifted off, then walked back to sit with Optimus for the rest of the evening. When bed time had come, he had been quiet and anxious. The darkness was daunting. After tucking the big younglings in, Optimus and Ironhide stepped out zipping the tent door shut.

After a moment of silence, they settled into a giggle fit with 'what if there's a targ outside?' and other possibilities. After a moment, Spirit joined in. He would spend the entire night in the middle of the bed area.

A mech can't always be as brave as they want to be all the time.

Ironhide stood before the fire and looked at the sky. It was fragging dark. Glancing at Optimus who was bussing the camp, he grinned. "You are compulsive."

"The army life, old friend," he said with a grin. They both stared down at the ground. Four little mechs were somewhere down there, their little blue optics signaling where they stood. "Two for you, two for me. We were fools not to have them go back with Ratchet and Prowl."

"I hope you're not right," Optimus said with a chuckle.

Orion grinned in the darkness. **"ATAR!"**

"Orion," Ironhide replied.

"**ATAR! WHAT ME!? I GO HERE!?"**

"What exactly does that mean? Do you really know what he's saying?" Optimus asked.

Ironhide grinned. "Nope."

"So you admit you're a fraud," Optimus said with a grin.

"Always, but never around Ratchet. He'll tell me that without prompting." Ironhide leaned down and gripped his two. "I will claim these."

"I have these two," Optimus said picking up Miracle and Kaon who patted him.

"I suppose we have to turn in now. I don't suppose they need us back at Ops Center," Ironhide asked looking around. The campfire had been turned off and it was slagging dark.

"I don't think so," Optimus replied with a grin. "So I guess this is good night."

"I guess so," Ironhide replied looking around again. It was habit to know the surrounding area on bivouac.

Orion who was sitting on Ironhide's servo looked from Uncle Optimus to his Atar and back again. **"ATAR!"**

"What?" Ironhide asked.

"**WHAT YOU! I GO WHERE!?"**

They looked at him. "That's a new word isn't it?" Optimus asked.

"I think so," Ironhide said with a grin. "It's going to be a long night I think."

"I think I agree with you," Optimus said turning. "See ya," he said as he stepped into his tent. A headlight allowed him to bunk down his babies, the shadows of their bodies playing puppets on the tent walls.

Ironhide watched until the light went off, then looked at his brace who were watching Uncle Prime. Orion looked up at him, Praxus following. **"ATAR! WHERE OTIS GO?"**

Ironhide snorted, then chuckled. "Otis?"

Orion smiled brilliantly. Praxus did too because he was a team player. **"OTIS! WHERE HE?!"**

"He's in sleeping bed just like you two are going to be," Ironhide said as he turned and entered his tent. Setting the two down, he zipped the tent. Turning, he knelt and inflated the two little sleeping bags. The sparklings blinked and looked at him, pointing at them with their fat little digits.

**"ATAR!"** Praxus asked with a comically surprised expression. **"WHAT SHE?!"**

"Beds. You are going to sleep in those little cocoons," Ironhide said. He picked one up and scooped up Praxus. He kissed his little face and slipped him inside. The flap zipped to his neck and the little bag formed snugly around his little face. He looked like a smiling bug in a rug. Putting him down, Ironhide did the same with Orion. That little mech looked at Ironhide in surprise. **"ATAR! WHAT ME?!"**

"Recharge time, boo boo," Ironhide said putting him down next to Praxus. Turning, activating his own, Ironhide crawled in and zipped up. They all lay quietly a moment.

"**ATAR!"**

"Orion."

"**ATAR, WHY?"**

Ironhide grinned in spite of himself. "Because."

Pause.

"**ATAR!"**

"What, Praxus?"

"**WHY SHE!?"**

Ironhide offlined his vocal processors and laughed long but not loud.

-0-Nearby

"It's really quiet."

"I know, Spirit."

"Do you think there's ghosts out there, Rambler?"

"I don't think so, T-Bar."

"It's really dark out there."

"It is, Spirit." Pause. "Do you want to sleep next to me?"

"I do, Rambler."

**(SCRUNCH. SLITHER. HOP, HOP, HOP. Settle)**

"That's better."

"I'm glad, Spirit."

"You are nice, Rambler."

(Grin) "You are too."

Pause.

"Rambler?"

"What, Sunspot?"

"Do you want me to move closer to help you?"

"You can, Sunspot."

**(SCRUNCH. SLITHER. HOP, HOP, HOP. Settle)**

"Thank you, Sunspot. Tee and Spirit don't like the dark."

"I don't either, Rambler. I was always afraid. But its fun with you three and our Atars are just next tent over."

"Good thing."

"I think so too, Spirit." (Grin) Rambler snuggled into his sleeping bag and the four of them chatted for a long time until one-by-one they fell into recharge. They would sleep all night long.

-0-Nearby

Optimus lay in his soft warm sleeping bag listening to the 'chat' going on between Kaon and Miracle as they babbled and giggled to each other. It was incredibly amusing he thought and a lot different than he remembered from the many times he had slept outside under the stars of some place, most of them forgotten or unnamed. He was an urban boy, someone who had grown up in a huge vibrant ancient city.

He had learned to appreciate primitive places finding value in almost anything, such was his nature. But urban he was and even though this had been an amazingly fun interlude, he would be glad to be home in his own berth tomorrow.

:Prime:

:Ironhide:

:How's it going?:

:Fine. They're talking to each other:

(grin) :Lucky you:

:I know. How's it going with you?:

:Can't complain:

Prime grinned. :Wouldn't matter anyway, right?:

:Bingo: Ironhide grinned. :Good night, Optimus:

:Good night, Ironhide:

Ten minutes later …

"**ATAR!"**

Silence.

A tiny black Autobot sat up through sheer force of will, his sleeping bag having almost no give at all. Looking at the dark mass in front of him, he struggled to get free. It wasn't going to happen.

"**ATAR!"**

Ironhide feigned sleep as he listened to Orion. It was humorous as the Pit.

"**ATAR!?"**

Silence.

"**BAD ATAR! ORION, ME! I, ORION! YOU, ATAR! YOU COME ME!?"**

Silence.

"Pax."

"O?"

"Atar bad."

"Atar bad?"

"Atar, bad," Orion replied firmly.

Silence.

"**ATAR GOOD!"** Praxus voiced his deep disagreement as he struggled to sit up. It was futile. He fell backward and relaxed. **"ORION BAD! ATAR GOOD!"**

"**ATAR BAD! ATAR NO GO ME!"**

Silence.

"**ATAR GOOD!"** At that point Praxus burst into tears, his wailing sharp and loud.

:Ironhide?: Prime inquired.

:Praxus and Orion are having a difference of opinion: Ironhide sat up and reached for both of them holding one of the cocooned little botlets in each servo.

:About camping or what?: (grin)

:About whether or not I'm a slagger: (grin)

:What's the consensus opinion?: (grin)

:Fifty-fifty at this point:

:Good night, Ironhide: The smirk in the remark fairly glowed in the dark.

:Same to ya, **Prime**: Ironhide grinned and felt Prime's mirth in return, the slagger. He looked at the bits in his servos. "Go to recharge, Orion and Praxus."

"**ATAR! O BAD!"** Praxus said through his sniffles.

"Orion," Ironhide said looking at his oldest youngest son. "Stop being bad."

They both looked at him with sad faces. He kissed them and put them both on his chassis. They lay on the softness of his plush sleeping bag. Both of them sniffled.

Ironhide almost joined them.

-0-At home

Prowl walked through the apartment fixing this and that microscopically askew thing. He stood in the doorway sparkling-free and felt the sting of being without his light. The family was his light at the end of a tunnel he had spent a lifetime reaching. It was cold and empty without them home.

He considered that as he sat. Then he considered getting the twinnies. Then he considered how needy that would look and changed his processor. It would be a long night.

-0-Below about half way

Ratchet dried Hero off and put her on the floor. She sat looking upward with a smile. "You and me, kid. That's it for a few joors. I wonder how Prowl's doing? He grinned. :Prowl:

:What?:

:What are you doing?:

:The usual. You?:

:The usual. You going to recharge?:

:Maybe. You?:

:I have a sparkling, Prowl. I might play a few games, snuggle during a movie with her and generally have a good time:

Pause.

:Slagger:

:Whiner. Come on down:

:What's on the teevee?:

:I don't know. Come and look. What am I? Your nanny, Granny?:

:Slagger. I'll be right down:

Ratchet grinned and looked at Hero. "My needy sad friend from upstairs is coming. Be nice to him. He's from Praxus."

Hero just smiled.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	233. Chapter 233

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 6 (233/71) edited for boo boos :D

-0-At the ranch that same night

"Pass that bowl."

(Pass) "You're such a hog."

"Prowler, you wound me with your gangsta ways."

Prowl grinned. "I do don't I."

Ratchet snorted. "You are being corrupted by proximity to me. Where is your propriety? Where is that steel facade that we all know so well?"

"It died when Miracle was born," Prowl said grinning. Hero sat on his lap talking to her dollies, one in each servo. The show on the teevee was what they flashed to in a search for something that didn't suck.

"I hear ya," Ratchet said. He grinned at Hero. "She's a great little femme. She can be happy no matter where she is, even in the lap of a whiner."

Prowl chuckled. "Loser."

Ratchet took the remote and spun through channels until he reached Nickelodeon. "Hey look, Prowl! Your favorite characters and mine!"

Dragonball Z Kai was starting. Prowl grinned. "I have sort of grown fond of Goku. He's rather a decent sort."

"Who's Goku this week?" Ratchet asked. "Sunspot is Tien last time I heard."

"Spirit," Prowl said. Ratchet glanced at him and they both laughed.

"That is a mech who has big aspirations," Ratchet said with a grin. "I see here that Vegeta just arrived with that drone."

"Last time I saw this series of episodes both of them were sitting on a pile of dead aliens with that short one eating an arm. I find that distasteful to say the least," Prowl said with a slight snivel.

Ratchet snorted. "That's not the point, Prowler. The real question is, if you were human would you do him?"

Prowl blinked as he accessed his Urban Dictionary. Then he smirked slightly. "You do understand that sometimes my sons pretend to be him?"

"That's alright. I think Piccolo is hot and Sunspot likes to be him sometimes. We're free associating here. Elevate your processor and keep up."

"Elevate my processor," Prowl asked with a smirk. "You are asking me if I would frag a cartoon character."

"Sure," Ratchet said with a grin. "Consider Vegeta."

"Loser."

"He is," Ratchet said. Then he glanced at Prowl who was grinning as he gave fragments of his snack to Hero to chew on. "Oh, you mean me then..."

"Both," Prowl said. "Vegeta needs his aft kicked but at least he has the decency to wear pants. Look at the legs on that giant thing."

They both looked at the giant Saiyan with Vegeta who wore a smirk and a speedo but not much else.

"You don't care much for the human form I take it," Ratchet said.

"Maybe its a doctor thing for you, Ratchet, but not really."

"Have you really checked out Goku's physique? He's really got a great body," Ratchet said slowing down the speed of the show as Goku flashed over the Million Mile Snake Road back to sentience. "He's also a cutie. He's got a cute smile, weird hair and when he's got the upper servo, the smug looks he gives his enemies are cute. Goku is cute."

They both studied the figure on slo-mo, then Prowl shrugged slightly. "I will grant you that he's cute. Sort of. In a human sort of way. He has a nice grin."

"What about the green guy, Piccolo?" Ratchet asked as the scene changed. "I like the turban and the cloak though the shoulder pads elude me," Ratchet said studying the figure.

"He's got a nice smirk and a good face. I like his 'are you fragging with me?' looks although beating up Gohan like he did makes me want to kick him in the cod piece," Prowl said.

Ratchet snorted. "I know. When Gohan got the big black optic I almost went through the screen."

Prowl nodded. "Fragger. You do know that he changes and becomes a great asset and companion?"

"I sort of see that now though I haven't gotten through the whole series. Sunspot wants both Ironhide and me to watch with him so he can discuss what he sees and plan strategy for the next orn. They play Dragonball during recess."

Prowl nodded. "I know. That's how I figured out what they were doing. Spirit is usually Goku and Tee is Tien. He really likes the third optic in the middle of Tien's forehelm"

Ratchet nodded. "I do too and he's got a great body. He's not in Goku's league but he's strong. Krillin makes me laugh. He's really the one with the most clear optics. I find he reminds me of Epps."

"Epps?" Prowl asked with a grin.

"Sure. He knows he's going to get his aft beaten but he goes forward anyway. He says what he thinks instead of pretending that guts are enough and he's funny. I like Krillin."

"I will call Epps Krillin in your honor," Prowl said. They both snickered. "He hooks up with Android 18. They have a kid and 18 kicks his aft all the time. It reminds me of you and Ironhide," Prowl said with a smirk. "A big tough mech who gets his aft handed to him constantly by his bond."

"That's true. I'm going to have to jump ahead and see for myself," Ratchet said as they both watched the confrontation with the Saiyans in slo-mo.

"You might not like it. I really had to think hard about letting the mechs watch Cell. He's one sterling plated fragger. Reminds me of Megatron."

"How so?" Ratchet asked accessing the image and general outline of Cell from the Dragonball wiki. "Frag. He's slagging ugly."

"He sucks energy from that ugly pink thing on his tail," Prowl said with a slight burr of distaste. "He sucks whole people up his tail with that stinger thing too."

"Really?" Ratchet said accessing the video from an online site. "Oh frag," he said with a laugh. "He's got a sucking device on the end of his tail. Poor Android 18 and 20."

"Really," Prowl said as he watched the classic fighting style of Dragonball in slow motion. "I wonder if we slug it out that fast?"

"Sure," Ratchet said. "I can. What about you, whiner? Has sitting behind a desk slagging my twins slowed you down?"

"They earned every punishment detail they ever got." Prowl grinned. "I can fight that fast. You forget. I'm a martial artiste."

"That's right," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Maybe you can be the Kame for Autobot City and show the young slaggers a step or ten."

"I would but they would cry," Prowl said as he kissed Hero. She grabbed his face and hung on pressing her own against his.

Ratchet grinned. "I meant to tell you she does that."

He sat her back on his lap and grinned too. "She's pretty strong."

"She is," Ratchet said. "Sometimes Sunspot calls her Chi Chi."

"She yells at him like a maniac?" Prowl asked with surprise.

"No. He just likes the sound of it and consider poor Chi Chi. I would yell if I were bonded with Goku. He's always getting killed and that little kid … taking him to end of the world fighting with him? What the frag?"

"Did you know they have tails?" Prowl asked glancing at Ratchet.

"Tails?"

"Yes. The Saiyans have tails. They change into gigantic gorillas when the moon is full because of their tails."

"That must become inconvenient," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Piccolo solved that problem with Gohan. He ripped the tail off the infant's aft."

Ratchet paused his glass and glanced at Prowl. **"WHAT THE FRAG!?** What happened?"

"He didn't change anymore. And I don't think it bothered him to have his tail ripped off his backside by the roots. He never acted like it did anyway. Maybe they didn't show the episode where he screamed and bled out in the dirt."

They both sat assimilating that, then Ratchet shook his helm. "Good thing Piccolo's cute or I would blast his aft into the Pit."

"That's sort of how I feel about it," Prowl said with a smirk.

-0-At the campsite

"**ATAR!" **(Tiny bot using his normal voice from somewhere in the middle of a soft pile of sleeping bag in the middle of his atar's chassis)

Silence. Stretches out as ginormous bot almost hears the wheels turning in ultra tiny bot's processor.

"Atar?" (Normal sized voice)

Silence accompanied by a ginormous grin from a certain father figure.

"Atar?" (Ultra tiny whisper by an ultra tiny bot)

"What?" (Ultra tiny whisper by an ultra enormous bot struggling to hold in a guffaw and the need to praise the problem solving skills of said ultra tiny bot.)

"**ATAR!" **(Intense happiness at a response)

Silence. It stretches out as infant tries to sort through the fail.

"Atar?" (Ultra tiny whisper as infant figures it out)

"What?" (Soft whispered reply)

"What you?" -whisper from infant. Infant bounces a moment as atar struggles to repress his **GINORMOUS** need to **LAUGH HIS AFT OFF. **

Like that.

"Go to sleep, Orion." (Barely controlled whisper)

"Atar?" (Soft whisper)

"What, Praxus?"

"Orion bad." (Tiny whisper)

Ironhide nearly plotzed.

-0-In an apartment

"Look at that move. What do you think? Kamehameha or just ha-ha?"

Prowl considered it. "Where is his weapon?"

"He's either channeling his chi or he's got a gun stuck in his pants," Ratchet said with a suppressed guffaw.

"They all do don't they?" Prowl replied knowing bait when he heard it.

Ratchet snorted and chuckled. "They **think** they do. I love to tease Ironhide about human male prongs because he actually loses his processor over it."

"I don't have an opinion one way or the other," Prowl said. "A prong is a prong is a prong."

"Did you read 'Two Moons Over Cybertron'?" Ratchet asked.

"I think I started it. I have it bookmarked next to War and Peace," Prowl replied.

Ratchet snorted. "Did you know Prime has a prong ten feet long and he … what was it Ironhide said? … he pipe cleaned his aft with it."

Prowl actually guffawed. "Who got pipe cleaned? Ironhide or my baby?"

"Ironhide of course. I think that the humans would label Optimus as a top."

A pause to check sources met with a grin. "I can't complain."

"You can't tell me that you don't top Optimus," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"That's right, Ratchet. I can't. Because that wouldn't be propriety and all that. I can't tell you that I top even though I do and its a great view up there."

Ratchet did a spit take on his Iacon United label beer and looked at a smug winger grinning back at him. "Wow. That's awesome. I'm writing that one down in my diary."

Prowl's grin faltered a moment. "You do and the sanitation detail is all yours. Forever."

"Well," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I may have to rethink my plans."

"Good," Prowl said with a grin. "Yes, I **can't** complain," he said smugly.

"I can't either. Much. Ironhide's idea of foreplay is a scrimmage at the mid field line," Ratchet said as it was Prowl's turn to spit take out his PI hole*.

Hero looked up at him surprised. "Tweet?" she asked.

"Oh, baby," Prowl said taking a cloth to her tiny self. She smiled at him and all was well again. "So what you're saying is … Ironhide brings the chaos to the berth as well as the battlefield?"

"I say so," Ratchet said feigning pride over his revelation such as it was. /... **THAT WILL SHOW YOU, PROWLER! …**/

A knock on the door and a shout to come in revealed Alor and a bottle. "Hi."

"Hi," Ratchet said. "Come on in. We're talking about Prime's ten foot prong."

Hero needed another rub down.

-0-A few moments later

"Prime is prime," Alor said with a smirky smirk as he sipped his high grade. "More than a few of us think he would be a good tumble in the berth."

"Do you?" Prowl asked with fascination.

"Sure. Good looking, incredibly honorable, smart, decent almost to a detriment and built like a brick outhouse as the humans say," Alor replied as he sat holding a **RUDELY** purloined sparkling on his arm.

"He is all that," Prowl smugly nodded.

"I would tell you about what Ironhide's like in the berth but since you are his Ada I will hold my sass," Ratchet said. "Just know that he's got quite the figure."

"As good as Goku?" Prowl asked with a smirk.

Alor grinned. "Are you watching Dragonball? Awesome! Turn up the sound."

Ratchet snorted and complied.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

*Sesshykiss13: A PI reference just for you on Pi Day. :D

Leoness, Novamyth, Kaekokat, Cry4Me, Elita-2, SkyenhaMarissa and everyone else: Thanks for the notes. :D I remember camping once and watching all the adults put a giant tent up to have it fall on their wives. It ended up getting tossed into the Rogue River until someone who knew something figured it out. :D

Guest: I love those chipmunk squirrel things. They are a loony tune cartoon I think. :D

LeslieM: HUGS! Hug Orion and Kaon back. So lovely. Tell everyone hello at school. :D


	234. Chapter 234

The Diego Diaries: Interlude 7 (234 70)

Yikes! I posted the wrong one. I'm babysitting a wild assed little dachshund for my neice this weekend. Pray for me. :D

(Ignore the segment numbers from 225-this one. They're out of order. I will fix it eventually. Numbers hate me.) :D

-0-That next orn in the early morning

Ironhide managed to place two recharging little botlets on the floor of the tent as he rose to step outside without waking either. Pressing a button on the little panel at the base of his sleeping bag, it nearly jumped out of his servos to fold up into a small dense package. Grinning, he picked it up and put it in the tub it had come in with all their gear sitting nearby on a rock.

Packing up a few things, he loaded the runabout for departure. He walked to the small campfire device and turned it on. Its illumination and warmth were welcome as the weak early morning sunlight made its way down the immense canyon toward their site. The camping choice guaranteed sunshine 80% of the day but the remaining darkness was intense.

A sound behind him alerted him that Prime was rousing, his sparklings still asleep as well. Stepping out, he grinned. "Howdy, partner," he said stretching.

Ironhide snorted. "You planning to recharge all orn?"

"Sure," Prime said glancing around. "Beautiful morning."

Ironhide nodded. "Good orn for a game."

Prime nodded. "We better get them up and have breakfast."

Ironhide nodded then turned to walk to his tent. He paused again. "I suppose you want to pack the tents yourself?"

Prime snorted. "If they close up as fun as they open, yes."

Ironhide snorted himself, then turned to walk inside. The infants still slept on the floor in their little bags, their little cocoon shapes incredibly small appearing on the floor of the giant tent. He bent down and sniffed them. They were premium. He gently picked them up and looked them over. They roused slowly.

Orion blinked at his old dad. **"ATAR!"**

"Orion," Ironhide said as Praxus slowly awakened on his other servo. "Praxus?"

"**ATAR!**" Praxus smiled enormously, then tried to sit up. It was major fail. "Atar! I me!"

Ironhide snorted. "You both need a few more words. Good thing I know what you say. Mostly." He turned to step out and walked to where Prime stood, his own sparklings standing on the ground grinning up at him. "Here," he said handing Praxus over. "Hold him a moment while I peel this one."

In seconds, Orion was standing on the ground grinning at everyone. When Praxus ended up beside him, the little bot gave him the stink optic. **"O! O BAD!"**

Prime and Ironhide looked down a moment. Praxus turned his back on Orion, crossed his arms and affected a intense expression of distaste. Ironhide grinned. "Now you know how **my** night went."

"I think he's on a roll," Optimus said as four little mechs exited their tent. He looked at them and smiled. "Finally. How did you recharge?"

"I had a great recharge, Atar," Rambler said as the others followed him. "We had so much fun."

"I **love** the Autobot Scouts, Atar," Spirit said with a smile. "I can't **wait** to show Ada all the stuff we did."

"We have to eat, then we'll go. We have a game today," Optimus said as he looked in the box for breakfast. They heated it up and all sat on their rocks to munch away.

"Who's playing today, Atar?" Spirit asked over his breakfast.

"Iacon and Altihex," Ironhide replied.

"I can't wait," Sunspot said. "If Iacon wins, they get a chance to be in a playoff game. Kaon has the same chances too, huh, Atar?"

Ironhide nodded. "They do."

"I want Kaon to win. I want my brothers to win," Sunspot said.

"I want Praxus to win because my Ada loves them," Spirit said sweetly.

"I wish they all could win," Sunspot said.

All of the younglings nodded. Prime and Ironhide smiled.

-0-Over the next few minutes

**ZIP! ZAP! SPROING!**

"I think I love that."

"I do too, Prime. There's two more."

"I know."

**ZIP! ZAP! SPROING!**

Pause.

**ZIP! ZAP! SPROING!**

Pause.

"Sparkling."

"You can't make me feel badly, Ironhide."

-0-On the way back

"Okay, we all need a shower and a break until the game," Optimus said. He looked back at the eight infants winched into their seats. They looked at him. They all smiled at the same time. He smiled too. It was impossible not to.

"I find it odd, Prime that we can drop off the sensor grid for an orn or so and there are no messages in my file," Ironhide said. "I just accessed the thing and there's nothing there."

"I had some."

Pause.

"You did?"

(grin) "I did."

Pause.

"**I** didn't." (slow burn)

"Well, you aren't Prime."

Pause.

"I **am** the Master of the Armed Forces."

"That's true." Pause. "But it's not Prime."

Pause.

"It's still a big job."

"It is. But it's not Prime. **I'm** Prime. I **know** these things."

Pause.

"You really like to tell me that you're Prime don't ya?"

(grin) "I **am** Prime after all."

Pause.

"I think I should have mail that's all. **I am after all**, Master of the Armed Forces. Getting updates and slag seems reasonable."

Pause.

"I sent you an email." (grin)

Pause.

"Ha-ha, Prime." (grin) Pause. "I **do** like grumpy cat though."

(grin) "I'll make sure you get more."

They flew on to the city.

-0-At the apartment(s)

Prowl walked to the living room and looked around. The place was impeccable. He walked to the door and left taking the elevator downward to the 24th floor. Stepping off, he went to apartment 23/24 and walked inside without knocking.

Ratchet who was cleaning up after Hero smirked. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Prowl said purloining the tiny femme. She smiled and tweeted at Prowl. Prowl nearly tweeted back.

"Have you heard from our intrepid scouts?" Ratchet asked as he finished up.

"I have," Prowl said with a grin. "Ironhide had a long night and he's not feeling the love."

"I **told** them to call us. Mech up and call us, slaggers," Ratchet said. "I don't intend to give him an inch."

"That's okay. Optimus sent him a grumpy cat e-card to cheer him up," Prowl said as they both turned to leave.

"I **love** grumpy cat," Ratchet said with a laugh as the door closed behind them.

-0-At the airfield

They stood together waiting, the twins and Bluestreak joining. The ship landed and two weary mechs stepped out to hooting, applause and general snarkiness. Flipping the hatch, they cut the infants loose, all of them running to the party greeting them with great enthusiastic tales of camping.

Prowl smirked at Prime as he walked to them. "You need a shower."

"Thanks. I'm glad to see you too," he said with a smirk.

"The twins volunteered to take the sparklings to their place for a wash up and the younglings to my folks, then hold them until game time," Prowl said.

"We **did**?" -both

"**You did**," Prowl said with a stern expression. Then he grinned. "I, of course will be keeping this one with me," he said as he kissed Hero's cheek. She grinned widely.

Ironhide looked at Prowl with a baleful expression but held his comments. It was useless after all. After a moment of sorting, the infants wandered off with the twins and Bluestreak as the rest of them walked to the Fortress.

"How did it go? You look like slag," Ratchet asked Ironhide.

"It went well and thanks for the support," Ironhide said shooting Ratchet a caustic optic.

"That's good given that you **are** Director of the Autobot Scouts of Mars. You **do** know that there's something called a jamboree in America and other places where scouts get together from all over to tie knots and slag. You better get on it, Ironhide. After all, jamboree is coming sometime. Eventually."

"You never **told** me about jamboree, Ratchet," Ironhide said glaring at the big medic. "You just said I had a ceremonial role here. You **never said a thing** about going to Earth for a jamboree."

"I suppose you could delegate that to Prowl," Ratchet said watching with intense delight as the winger's big grin faded at that comment.

"**Frag that**," Prowl said glancing at Prime. "I'm essential personnel. I am **always** here, **always** on duty."

"It **would** be great public relations, the bond of the Prime tying knots and putting up tents. It's easy. You just press a button and they jump out of your servo" Optimus said glancing down at Prowl.

"You have to recharge sometime, Optimus," Prowl said shooting him a caustic optic. "Sometime, you have to offline your optics and I will be waiting."

"Oh slag," Ironhide said with a grin. "And everyone thinks **I** live with a loon."

A slap to the back of the helm greeted that remark as they bantered all the way to the Fortress and Ops Center beyond.

At the apartment of the trine, Polyhex Tower, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars …

"**WHERE ATAR!? ATAR FLY ME!"**

"That sparkling is out of his fragging mind. Grab him!"

Sideswipe reached for Orion but the little bot danced out of his grasp slipping behind the couch to hide. A terrific cackle emerged but they couldn't see him. Praxus, Kaon and the twinnies watched with fascination. Then they got the idea too, breaking off in four different directions like billiard balls at the break. They gyrated off squealing with delight and excitement as the three adults in the room watched.

"This is going to be difficult," Sunstreaker said watching them heading for the hills.

"I know," Bluestreak said with a grin. "Go for it, sparklings. **We're going to hunt you down!**"

The squealing was constant as they stalked the wild elusive sparklings hiding everywhere.

Badly.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

Note: There would be more but I'm babysitting a dachshund for a family member this weekend who is homesick. Tomorrow will be better and the story will be longer. Have a great night!


	235. Chapter 235

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 7 (234/72) EDITED FOR BOO BOOS :D

-0-Here and there about town on **GAME DAY! PLAY OFFS HO!**

The ship settled, a cargo vessel which had made several stops on Earth before returning to the city. In a protected area of the cargo hold, a mech tech held two humans who had sneaked aboard in a semi-death filled desire to go to Mars. They were found thankfully before the hatch was to be opened and corralled into a section of the ship that operated emergency force fields for just such eventualities.

This was not the first attempt.

The Officer of the Orn stood nearby with a member of the Day Watch and Springer. They bantered together as cargo was off-loaded, then entered walking to the compartment where the two sat on boxes with forlorn expressions. Pausing before them, Springer smirked. "You do understand without this force field you would be tens kinds of dead."

"I just want to come here. I love watching stuff about this place and its a game day. I would love to watch Iacon beat Altihex," one of them said.

The Day Watch officer snorted. "Who wouldn't?"

Springer shook his helm. "Death by football. We have to detain you here and send this ship back. We're going to be merciful. You will be allowed to leave the ship without anyone knowing you were on board. You can know you made it to Mars but that's about it."

"Can we come outside and step on the ground?" one of them asked hopefully.

"You could but you'd be dead. The containment field around you isn't portable. Don't do this again. We don't want to haul anyone back dead," Springer said. He nodded and his group turned leaving. The ship took off and no one would ever know that two longshoremen at the Port of Los Angeles were among the first humans to ever set down on another planet.

In the stadiums nearby, crews who maintained the facility worked overtime to inspect every square inch. All of it checked out including the score boards and the announcers booth. Electronics had scoured the facility and signed off on the schematic and equipment that would do the broadcast not only to all of Mars but to the six and a half billion or more expected to watch the game on Earth.

There would also be a new twist. The game would be 'leaked' on the relay line that had been set up in the psyops for Paragon and Company to peruse. It would happen with a burst of static indicating a device going on the fritz, then settle out. The signal would leak toward them on a relay that they already knew about, one which had just been recently 'maintenanced' and found A-0K. It would continue to leak with minor visits from techs for the duration who would somehow never manage to fix it.

The very first image they would see of the City of the Primes would be that of hundreds of thousands of citizens and soldiers cheering on a playoff game of Cybertronian football in one of two massive stadiums and an overflowing airfield. The turnout was expected to run to everyone who could manage to crawl to one of the three locations. The game would also be broadcast into Ops Center for the three crewmechs who had drawn the short straw.

It would be epic. It would be the first salvo toward the Seekers and soldiers of the opposition.

The airfield was beginning to fill up as citizens arrived to find a place to watch. The stadiums were already hosting occupants with certain areas blocked for the leadership. Prime had argued against it proclaiming everyone was equal so they should take their chances along with everyone else.

The boos and shout downs of that egalitarian idea were long and loud. Prime was a personage who deserved and earned his seat they counter argued. The fam and others were … what was it Sunstreaker so elegantly opined? … 'slagging entourage' who would 'help with the prestige of his office' somehow. How was never explained.

Prime's argument faded against superior numbers and Prowl's unbending sense of protocol regarding the person of the Primes.

A run on 'finger foods' at the two big groceries, all of the cafes and bakeries signaled a serious after game culture was going to be blooming. The usual after game dinner at Cafe Praxus was programmed into the usual game day scheme by Bluestreak the Ever Efficient.

All they needed was to go.

-0-In the locker rooms

"And in conclusion, we know that the honor of Altihex is in our servos. If we let that slag heap Praxus Science get into the finals, we deserve to burn in the Pit. All of the honored dead, the history of Altihex and our families are depending on us to **WIN**!"

The coach stood looking at his team, their faces watching him with varying expressions of angst and worry.

"Uh, thanks, coach. No pressure here," one said as the others nodded.

Over there, next door …

"And in conclusion, we know that the honor of Iacon is in our servos. If we let that slag heap Praxus Science get into the finals, we deserve to burn in the Pit. All of the honored dead, the history of Iacon and our families are depending on us to **WIN**!"

"I want to go home." -their star center said as the others nodded.

-0-On the way to the game

They walked in and found seats, all of the citizens of the city. Oddly enough, they found the seats they always had, no one else taking them who arrived earlier. Some things were hard to program out including the idea that you didn't usurp someone else's seat even if it was a good one.

Uniformity was a cruel task master.

Starscream sat down and settled Dart on his lap. "Did you get the message from Herling and Neo?"

"I did," Thundercracker said nodding. "I'll do the honors."

"Good," Sky Warp said as he sat wearily. "I don't feel like doing it."

"If you had gone to the Doctor when I told you to you would feel better," Starscream said with a pointed glance.

Sky Warp glared back. "**Thanks,** **Mom**."

"You're both slaggers," Thundercracker said with a grin.

-0-Ops Center

"Time to go," Prowl said glancing at Ratchet. "Did you get the message from Neo and Herling?"

"Yep," Ratchet said with a grin.

"Okay," Prowl said as everyone turned to go. They were meeting everyone from the family there rather than trying to find them in the gathering multitudes that were heading for the three locations.

The last ships to land before the airfield closed were from Earth and contained the humans who always came. Riding on segways toward the municipal stadium and their dedicated space, General and Mrs. Morshower, Colonel and Mrs. Fulton, Warren and Judy Roberts, the femmes of Diego Garcia and Sam Witwicky among others buzzed along. They would be joined at the stadium by the scientists who had received unlimited time to stay because they were experimenting about the long term effects on the body living on a low gravity world with themselves as subjects.

They weren't born yesterday, our scientists.

The filmmakers were everywhere filming madly for the last two episodes of Platoon's first season. They had not only been renewed, they were given the moon. This was the highest rated show on any system on Earth. Among their subjects today were groups of Hu An who were going to the stadium too as honored guests of the Prime.

It was going to blow minds when Earth saw the next episode.

The stadium began to fill up as the city took a break to watch the mayhem known as Cybertronian Football. In the middle of the field was a keyboard for Alor who was standing in the entrance gateway of the arena waiting for Prime to arrive. He would play the anthem and a short musical interlude before that to signal everyone to park their afts.

The family made it to the gateway liberating sparklings from the twins and Bluestreak. Ratchet grabbed his genitors from the mass and steered them carefully to the stairs. Up they all went and found their places, leaving Optimus behind to be serenaded in.

The humans paused to chat with him, their happiness captured along with Optimus on the pre-game broadcast that had already begun. It was a traditional thing now, the pre-game broadcast to Mars and Earth. It would begin on Earth teevee via MCA as a shot of the Emblem of the Primes. That would fade to a revolving set of shots of the city, all of it geared to show the populace heading for the game. It would focus on every district, every area, every activity of the city until they were all shown. Then Blaster with substitute co-host, Blurr would come on board in the booth over the field hooking up with the human broadcasters to fill in the details of what they were watching as well as game play-by-play.

Prime was shown waiting, chatting and greeting mechs as they walked in, some with infants, some with friends, hometown fans sporting some color that identified them as champions of their particular team. It was the first time that Earth saw him and his importance among the populace. A shot of Ratchet carrying a small flag for Iacon United crossed the screen as he helped a number of mechs and small infants instantly recognizable as his own up stairs to their row.

Mechs walking down streets in districts all over town were shown and the new viewing area of the airfield was as well. The Supremes were there with Silverbolt, Astrotrain, Sky Lynx and other big ships transformed to root mode to sit and watch. A structure beyond them could be seen in some angles but it wasn't named in any shots.

It was the prison.

The senators and Sentinel Prime sat on chairs outside as the screens broadcasting the game played behind them. There was no commentary, just the sights and sounds of the city and her population as they gathered. They listened to it even as they watched the airfield barely visible over the curve of a hill filling up.

"That's a lot of mechs," Ratbat said to no one in particular.

Prime nodded. "It is."

"Being penned up is slag," Decimus opined to no one in particular.

"It is," Prime said with a small sensation of mirth. It would remain small.

Blind Spot and Turmoil stood at the bars staring at the movement on the airfield. They had been watching the game marveling at the city and its inhabitants. It had been a steady growth process since they had been jailed and it impressed even them. They all could see the maze of towers that kept growing skyward. It was as close to home as they had been in ages.

Neither had a word to say to the other.

Neither did the Decepticon prisoners newly captured who were living in the cell block nearby. They couldn't see the airfield from where they were but they were massed around the monitors that fed city life day and night into their area. They were watching the game with astonishment.

It would be the last crack in the dam for most of them.

=0=At the arena

They huddled together, all of the visitors and newly minted Cybertronian citizens to watch. The families of the soldiers were here for the game, some of them for the very first time. They stood almost shivering with excitement as they glanced around at the forest of enormous beings that surrounded them everywhere they looked.

The director of the Autobot Project, a mutual agreement with Sciences to study the feasibility of a permanent settlement of humans on Mars stood with everyone else. He was working on getting a chance to stay here in the habitat to work full time with Wheeljack and the designated project director and interface, Plebe. If he did, his assistants would be coming with him to help. They weren't aware of that possibility. He didn't tell them in case things fell through. Cindy and Lola Teasdale were Autobot fanatics and if the opportunity didn't pan out he would never hear the end of it. He grinned as he stood on the platform ready to watch the most awesome football game he would see anywhere.

Ever.

The crowds filed into all three sites, then began to taper off as everyone coming finally arrived. Prime stood watching as Alor walked out to almost lethal acclaim from the crowd. With a grin, he began to play the two pieces that had come to symbolize football among their kind, both written by him before playing the Anthem of the Primes, also his work.

Prime stood in the sunshine, his magnificence obvious to everyone who looked at him. He was stupendous and for the first time, Earth would see it here as well. They would see him take the honors of the crowd and watch the assembled multitudes show all who bothered to look how much he meant to them.

The last piece died away. Then everyone stood up waiting. Alor began to play as the flags of Cybertron and the Primes snapped in the breeze where they hung on poles all around the stadiums and city. There were banners of the city-states at equal intervals around the stadiums along with the greater symbols. It could have been Cybertron on any day. But it was Mars and their leader stepped out of the shadow of the gateway pausing before turning to go up the steps to his seat.

The roar was organic, immense and powerful. It rose up like a tsunami flowing upward into the heavens. The colors were intense as flags were waved by mechs who saluted their leader. The sound of Seekers crying out their war cries in his honor greeted him as he walked along the aisle. The music underpinned the sound, rising and falling with it as Alor played Prime to his seat.

The outpouring continued as he stood with his family at the seat he would occupy during the game. He looked down and nodded to his human allies, all of them cheering him too. He grinned and looked around at the masses who had heard him and had come to Mars, an act of faith as strong and hopeful as any he had experienced in vorns. As he stood taking their salute, he resolved yet again that he would be not only what they hoped for but what they needed as well.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	236. Chapter 236

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 8 (235/72) EDITED FOR BOO BOOS :D

-0-At the game

Prime walked to his viewing spot at the midfield line and stood a moment taking the tribute of the crowd. Then he turned and picked up T-Bar sitting as he did. The crowd began to settle after he did, the camera panning all over the place as the game crept closer. Images of Starscream and his family, Gearshift and Copper holding their sparkling, Copperton and Turquoise bearing the colors of Iacon United, soldiers of all the divisions including a rowdy group of Wreckers sitting around Kup, Springer and Drift were seen. Femmes were also lingered upon, handsome young mechs like Hot Rod, Jolt, Bumblebee and First Aid as well. Ultra Magnus sitting alone would be remarked upon by gossip blogs who were used to seeing him sitting with an only slightly smaller femme. The three mechs sitting with him, all colleagues from the office would be speculated upon as new love interests.

Such was the prurient world of gossip.

Wheeljack with his sparkling finials was the focus of a camera's pause as he sat chatting excitedly with Perceptor. Then it moved on lingering on children, the elderly and the more exuberant fans of both teams. The sky was mostly blue overhead as the spring dust storms bypassed them. The incredible genius of Sciences was beginning to control the rising heat wave-generated wind funnels that sometimes linked up enough to cause sandstorms that engulfed the planet. The sun was warm, an amazing 75 degrees and the solar receptors of even babies were working overtime to gather that bounty in.

Blurr and Blaster watched the cameras, then Revet signaled that they were going live. Blaster's smiling face appeared on the screen. "Good afternoon, Earth and Mars. Welcome to the first pre-game of the playoffs for the championship of Mars. Since Jazz is on assignment, I asked Praxus Science's team captain, Blurr to sit in. At stake is the first championship title of Cybertronian football held since the Fall. At stake is the honor of city-states, the pride of their people and a bunch of longstanding feuds among teams goin' back to the beginning of time. Literally."

Blurr laughed. "That's very true, Blaster. Every team in the league has long standing issues with every other team. When the league was created, the idea of restoring real rivalries was part of the planning. Iacon United has a long term feud with every team in the league but Altihex is a real thorn in their side. On Cybertron, Iacon United was always the team to beat. Here, its more so. Iacon was a wealthy city-state and able to attract the best athletes for the teams they fielded. That has become more equal here given the volunteer nature of the teams so the level of play is more equitable. This should be a barn burner, Blaster. Iacon has to win this one to advance. If they don't, they fall to the wild card slot and are at the mercy of the other teams. Failure of some to win means they're out. My team has been a powerhouse this season and remains the only undefeated team in the league. I can say without hesitation that we plan to do our best to win the title for Praxus."

"That's true. Considering you recruited the fastest, baddest players you could, you're the tough team to beat and favored to take the first championship title ever challenged here on Mars." Blaster nodded. "The line is open to Earth. Hi, boys and girls. Welcome to the playoffs."

A number of voices were heard, then their images appeared in a row under that of Blaster and Jazz. One of them managed to ask a question over the scrum. "Blurr, from the player perspective, what should we look for in this game today? We studied the players and we know that Barr is fit and ready to go. What about Altihex? Anything to look for?"

"Barr is the goalie for Iacon for those who don't know. He was decked in the last game by a full on charge from Polyhex's front line. He's fit and able according to Ratchet. But then Ratchet is an Iacon fanatic so he got good care I assure you." Everyone chuckled. "Look for the Altihex line to run over Iacon at every turn. They will try to overpower Iacon. Iacon has an amazing offense and their specialty always was fast running plays with a full press on goal. Altihex always practices sledgehammer tactics."

The pregame show continued with banter between Blurr and Blaster with the sportscasters on Earth. When the game began it would be up to both to provide the play-by-play and color commentary. The Earth broadcasters might make their own comments but it wouldn't go out on the master feed. All of the broadcast would be subtitled by IntraComm for Earth and her many different national languages.

Ratchet sat on his seat holding Orion. When the game began, Blackjack and Tie Down were going to take him as well as Praxus. Hero sat on Ironhide's arm looking at the sensory overload before her with astonishment. All was amazing.

Prowl stood next to Ratchet, then sat. :You ready to lose today, loser?:

:Did you know that bitterness gave you lines on your faceplates, whiner?:

Prowl snorted and turned looking at Ratchet with amusement. "You really are a pain in the aft. Abusing your medical background to make me feel badly."

"Is it working?" Ratchet asked with a big grin.

"Nope," Prowl replied purloining the sparkling in Ratchet's arms. Standing again, he kissed Orion.

"**OWL! OWL GOOD!"** Orion said leaning forward to kiss Uncle Prowl.

Prowl looked at Ratchet, a smug look on his face. "See. Out of the mouths of babes."

"Out of the mouths of treacherous slaggers you mean," Ratchet replied with a grin.

"If you say so. Whiner," Prowl said smugly as he turned back to the spectacle and listened to Orion babble.

Ratchet merely grinned.

The whiner.

-0-Around the arena

Barricade and Scorponok sat with Stiletto as the pageant played out before them. They never missed a game and short of sitting by themselves, always managed to find each other in the stadium. Sitting several rows below them, Sideways sat with a young mech, his arm around the youngling's shoulders. They were talking together, the youngling rather entranced with the slick conman as he pointed out a number of things about the scene before them.

"Sideways did alright," Scorponok said benignly.

"Sideways is a slagger. I wonder if that youngling's genitors know he's a slagger from the Pit," Barricade asked to no one in particular. He did make a note to figure out who the youngling was so he could alert their genitors.

Anonymously of course.

It wasn't that he cared that much about the good looking youngling. He didn't. He just hated Sideways that much. Besides, given the history of slaggerdom that embodied Sideways to a tee it was a civic duty to tell them. He sat back and looked elsewhere.

Starscream was sitting in a group of Seekers, an infant standing on his lap looking out. It bore the same color scheme as Starscream. It was obviously his son. That slagger had reproduced obviously and was enjoying the good life. He himself would have to look around to check out the local talent. Barricade had seen a lot of good looking bots, some of them barely out of sub-adult status. He wouldn't touch one of those. That would be a jail sentence to the Pit. No. He would look among the population for someone more his taste.

There had to be former pleasure bots among the refugees making their way here. They were his usual intimate companions. They were discardable. He began to scan the crowd with more than the usual interest.

Herling and Nova sat with Laret and Neo. They were having the time of their lives, buoyed with excitement about the orn. The group who sat around them were teachers, aides and specialists from the schools. The group always watched the games together. They were tight-knit, dedicated and happy. This was the first real Cybertronian city where most of them could scratch the itch to become educators. Nowhere else was that really possible. Today was a good day to be alive. They waited along with everyone else for the game to begin. They would not have to wait long.

-0-Nearby

They lined up, their armor sparkling, their colorful belts cinched tightly. Their captains held their banners, the emblems of their teams and city-states. Their coaches stood at the front of the line and when the broadcast runner signaled for them to proceed they did with their helms held high and their pride evident.

Up the long corridor from their locker rooms they went, their game faces firmly in place. Out the side door to the arena entrance they walked and as they did they were spotted. The arena went nuclear. Stomping, shouting, waving, banners and flags fluttering, the spectators made their pleasure known.

Ron and Judy Witwicky watched along with the other humans as the two teams paused at the arena entrance. For a moment they stood, then Iacon began to enter having won the toss to do so. Orange banners and flags rose up waving madly as the arena welcomed the team. They walked out following their coaches and captain, their banner fluttering in the light breeze. They walked to the center line and stood on their side planting their banner. Then they went through their war cry and dance, their voices supplemented by the joined cry of Iacon fans.

That included Ratchet, Tie Down, Alor and Ravel as well as Orion and Praxus.

The infants were loyal. Clueless but loyal to Ada, Other Ada, Other Ada and Other Atar.

After a moment, Altihex began to enter. The same pattern was followed and the same incredible reaction in the stands greeted them. Including Orion and Praxus.

They didn't know any better. But they were loyal. To something.

Probably the pretty colors.

The teams and officials stood facing the Prime who stood holding T-Bar. Then all bowed to him. He nodded back, the cameras catching the entire thing. With that, they turned to walk to their benches as the stadium broke into team songs and the wave. It circled the stadium a couple of times before the officials walked out. The team captains also joined them and the place became as quiet as a graveyard.

"We have the toss for offense," an official said his words transmitted to the entire stadium. He tossed the official coin, a two side with Optimus's face on one and the Emblem of the Primes on the other. It landed with Prime up. Altihex would receive. The teams broke to incredible applause and the lines began to form

-0-On the download

"What happened, Blurr? Is the dancing and singing typical? Did they salute the Prime and is that typical?" a Bulgarian sportscaster managed before the signal that the up link would be terminated until the halftime was received by everyone broadcasting on Earth.

"That's right. Its all typical. We give our team war cry and dance for our cities and everyone salutes the Prime when they come out. It would be a real insult not to give honor to the Prime. Optimus nods back accepting their tribute. Its an honor thing. Honor to the city-state teams. Honor to the Prime who leads us. The best Prime we ever had I would add."

Blaster nodded. "Me too."

"Me three and I was a Decepticon," Revet said behind them as he sat running the board for the broadcast. Everyone laughed.

"You came to your senses, Revet," Blurr said with a grin.

"I did," Revet agreed holding up his arm and the Autobrand on it.

Then the game began and the down link was suspended.

-0-On the ground

They stared at each other over the midline as they waited for the official to throw the ball to their center. He did and they slammed together, Iacon diving nearly as one toward the center. The Altihex center caught the ball and pirouetted, passing it to the forward closest to the boundary. That forward turned and ran past the pile up blasting toward the goal down field.

Iacon's goalie and defensive backs set themselves to plant the galloping wing as the two lines untangled themselves. They all turned and ran like the wind after that fortuitous wing mech. He stunted, pivoting as a defensive back lunged for him. Catching an arm, they both teetered before the wing mech straightened, then took a shot on goal.

It would be remarked for a long time how Barr levitated upward, his arms reaching. The sunlight glistened off his shiny surface. His bond, genitors, brothers and sisters, their families, a bunch of guys from work, the guy who did his detailing, an apprentice at The Energon Basket who was part of his physics study group on Wednesday nights, a few of the neighbors including two old mechs who were Iacon fanatics and Ratchet would always have the same thing to say about this very moment.

"Frag."

The ball slipped through his digits and scored.

The stadium went nuts.

Prowl sat smugly, his optics and entire sensor array peeking at Ratchet.

Ratchet stood silently, his internal defenses at 1857% so that Prowl couldn't scan him to determine how intensely fragged he felt at this moment.

Tie Down had his arm around Ravel to console him as they stood unhappily watching Altihex do gyrations and smug dances of **FRAGGING SUPERIORITY **over their** LUCKY FRAGGING LUCKY SHOT, FRAG THEM!**

Ironhide and Blackjack smirked with glee as slightly as they could as the first coffin nail of their most feared opponent for football domination of Mars took one up the aft. Praxus Science was looking good. But you really couldn't tell because both of them were afraid of Ratchet and Alor so they didn't look as happy as they felt.

Oh no. They weren't **THAT** stupid.

Venture and Miler were going there however, dancing and screaming like loons in the area next to Prime and Prowl. The little mechs **OBVIOUSLY NOT KNOWING ANY BETTER!** joined them in their celebrations.

It was uncool.

The stadium filled with teams trounced by Iacon over the millennia on Cybertron got behind the underdogs, Altihex and the shouting was awesome.

The slaggers.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe watching Blue do the happy dance merely smirked. Iacon going down only helped them. If Altihex could lose too, all the better. They stood rooting for both teams to fail as the officials began to gather them both back for Iacon's turn to score one.

Hopefully.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	237. Chapter 237

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 9 (236/72) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Moments later

They huddled.

"Slag."

"Frag."

"Slagging frag."

"What now?"

"How about that play we were working on?"

"I don't know. That was funny in practice but the entire city will be watching and I don't know."

"All in favor of doing it raise their arms."

"All arms raised for the play. Anything else?"

"Nope." -unanimous too

**HUT!**

They walked to the line where Altihex was preening, flexing their muscles so to speak to the adoring crowd. They looked at Iacon with a grin. They stood leering at the line as Iacon walked up, their expressions filled with triumph and contempt.

"Well, well, well. Look who's coming? Want some more, ladies?" -Altihex **NOT FEELING A DAMNED THING** Altitudes

"**FRAG YOU! BRING IT!**" -Iacon **INCREDIBLY** United

They did.

**CLASH!**

**CLONG!**

**CRACKA-CRACKA! KABONG!**

They moved to the line of scrimmage going back and forth to set up again. It was the same place they started. No one was gaining an inch. Iacon after a **blistering** huddle **HUT-HUTTED** and walked to the line, all of them on board to do The Play. Lining up, they all took the set. Then the ball was passed. As the ball was passed, this happened:

The entire front line of Iacon minus the ball carrier grabbed the helm of the opposing charging Altitude and slammed them face first into the ground. They were charging, then they were planted.

Yes, it was that fast.

The entire front line of Iacon minus the ball carrier leaped over the carcasses of the Altitudes and pirouetted on their peds as the ball carrier leaped in majestic airs above the ground to land with them. Forming up in an reverse arrow head, they ran like a snowplow through the backfield of Altihex on their way to The Promised Land.

The goalie looking at the full rush of Armaggedon did his best but was punted into the stands by half a dozen of the four Iacon forwards while their ball carrier shinied up the pole and popped it through the hoop in an impressive display of sparklinghood unparalled in the game so far.

Iacon then slammed into each other in their penultimate glee chest bumping because as males they were stupid. Then all of them to the best of their ability began funky dancing back to the line of scrimmage. Passing piles of defensive backs here and there they waggled their afts as they sang their war songs:

"**FRAG YOU, ALTIHEX! FRAG YOU, ALTIHEX! FRRRAAAAAAGGGGG YOU, ALTIHEX!"**

Needless to say, Altihex gathered into their huddle motivated.

"Frag Iacon."

They all stood up and turned: **"FRAG YOU, IACON!"**

After a short huddle, the officials decided not to penalize Altihex for poor sportsmanship because secretly they felt the same way about Iacon. Most of them were officials on Cybertron in the pro leagues and were aware of the copious amounts of shanix spread among the player pools to (buy)field the best team Iacon United could (bribe) recruit. That wouldn't have mattered if some of it had come to them. But it didn't.

The cheap slaggers.

"**PLAY FRAGGING BALL!" **-the officials.

"What do we do?" -Altihex wingman still picking dirt out of his audials.

"**WE FRAG 'EM GOOD!"** -everyone

"Yeah, but what do we do?" -wingman having a bit of trouble hearing.

**"HUT FRAGGING HUT, YOU FRAGGERS!"**

They lined up, Iacon preening this time and the slagging began. The movement was glacial, the fists flying reminiscent of a comet trail in the Kuiper Belt. They battled back and forth, then a timeout was called.

"Those slaggers are really pretty evenly matched," Ratchet said as he stood watching tensely. Ironhide who stood in front of him on the next bench down was getting the worst of Ratchet's nerves. A punch punctuated each failed drive. Near strangulation gripped each attempt to gain yardage. He turned and looked up. "Slag it, old mech! Are you trying to kill me!?"

Ratchet looked down, his servos gripping Ironhide by the finials. He grinned. "Sorry."

Ironhide smirked. "Whiner." A rap on the noggin greeted that remark.

Prowl grinned. "Even Ironhide agrees," he said smugly. A rap on **his** noggin greeted that remark.

Neither Praxian cared. The whiners.

Back on the field, the ball was tossed into play and the scrum formed. A huge mass of interlocked bots pushed around the field staggering here and there. Occassionally a fist could be see slamming into someone in the pile up but mostly it was deeper inside where the real mayhem was.

"**GAG! GET GO OB BY NOBE ASSEMBY, GAGGER!"**

"**FRAG YOU! LET GO OF MY FINIAL!"**

"**MY COD PIECE! MY COD PIECE!"**

And so it went.

Then the ball squirted out and an Altitude took it out of bounds. It was Iacon's ball. A right wing stepped up to throw it into play as towers formed in front of him, menacing mechs throwing a dark array of shadows over him. His own side was stunting all over just at the legal distance trying to be open for the toss.

"**FRAG YOU! GIVE ME THE BALL, SLAGGER!"** Someone up on a teetering Altihex tower ragged on the wing trying to throw off his confidence as well as his aim. The tower moved with him bumping into another until finally the ball was thrown.

The mech on top of the tower leaned forward and caught it throwing it backwards over his shoulder into Iacon territory before crashing to the ground in a heap of shiny metal. The complexity and randomness of that pile would rival any pointlessly crappy construction in a modern art museum and make as much sense. As they untangled themselves, others ran to grab the ball and the scrum was on again.

They moved back and forth, the crowd nearly joining them as the tension mounted. Finally, an Altitude managed to break free with the ball running like an out-of-control missile toward the end zone where only a goalie and one defensive back stood between him and a full interview on The Hourly News, instead of a backrow position in a group picture in the Autobot Daily newspaper.

Like that.

He picked up speed and bowed his neck. They stepped back planting their peds. He rammed the back and sent him flying aft over tea kettle into the stands where he landed on a row of Wreckers. They picked him up and threw him back overboard along with their best wishes for him to frag himself to the Pit.

With only a goalie, he thundered on and with more grace than his grannie, with the entire hopes and dreams of his city-state hanging on his agility, with every ancestor he ever had chanting 'Don't frag this up. Don't frag this up' in his audials, he didn't.

As Ratchet watched Altihex beat the cannisters off his dearly beloved United, he began the complex math that would result from a championship stolen won by Praxus *gag* *choke* Science. What would it mean for the year it would take for the championship to roll around again?

First of all, Ironhide and Prowl would be insufferable. More so than now he considered.

Slaggers.

Secondly, it would require a backdoor series of recruitment ploys. He would have to review the refugee lists as they came in for players from the professional as well as collegiate leagues. It would also be nice to include a few felons as well. Ratchet was totally unaware that Prowl already had this process nailed down.

Thirdly, Prowl and Ironhide would be insufferable.

Blackjack was smarter. Alor was a decent honorable incredibly smart bot who was an Iacon fan as well. After all, both of them separated in that city. Autobot HQ was in Iacon and if you had even the pretensions of any class, you would be from there too. Even though Ratchet's pretensions to class were iffy at best, he still held that Iacon had a swurve that he could feel proud of.

What was Praxus? The City of Calculation.

Really.

That was its slogan.

They were the learning capital of Cybertron with more brainiacs per square foot than say just about most of the known universe. Perceptor and Wheeljack, Prowl and his ada, the rest of Sciences … oh and Ironhide.

Ratchet smiled.

The nerds would rule the world for a year. It would be the Pit. Nerd jokes, nerd drinks, nerd noogies... he felt his cod piece shrivel.

**/...PROWL! PRRRROOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLLL! AAARRRRRGGGHHHHHHH! PROWLLLLLL!.../**

Whiner.

Ratchet grinned again.

The subject of his stream of consciousness turned to grin at Ratchet. He laughed and danced … for Prowl. He smirked and stood with his servos on his hips laughing at Ratchet.

Optimus who stood calmly beside him holding Rambler smirked at Ratchet. :You have my sympathies:

:I was just about to say the same to you, Optimus: Ratchet replied with a laugh. They both smirked knowingly. Then the game continued, Altihex Altitudes 6, Iacon United 3.

The battle for dominance exhausted itself at the mid game and mid field line as the siren signaling the end of the first half blared. The crowd stood and roared, the decibels of it physically pattering against the habitat suits of the humans. Without them, this level of noise was lethal.

All in all, another way to die on Mars.

The teams limped off behind their banners, smirking at and fragging with each other across the short distance between their lines. When they disappeared into the arena entrance bots were rising to walk there as well from all over the audience. Ratchet took Orion and Praxus from grandgenitors who looked at them in surprise.

All of them but Alor of course. He turned and followed Ratchet.

"What the frag does this mean do you think?" Ironhide asked Ravel.

"I don't know, Ironhide, but I heard that it would not be good to miss the half time show," Ravel said helpfully.

Ironhide looked down at him and grinned. "You're so cute, Ravel. I am just saying."

Ravel hugged him. Ironhide hugged him back.

-0-At the arena gate

They stood with a box and aides out the wazoo waiting for sparklings that had been called via their family's interpersonal call lines. A list of the needed sparklings was gathered along with frequencies and they were now being collected. Genitors dropped them off, then were told to go back to their seats. They did. Most of them. Some lurked nearby, their sparks pounding in their chests as they watched the school staff harness up the babies and fasten hats on their helms.

It was going to be spectacular.

Maybe.

When Herling turned and walked out onto the field the place exploded. He paused at the center field ignoring the odd energon stain and looked around. There were 220,000 individuals in the arena. The one next door held 210,000. At the airfield, the remaining portion of their population which was now 877,002 because a sparkling separated from his ada and one came from the Well of All Sparks the day before watched him as he stood quietly, nervously waiting.

He was also aware that nearly seven billion humans with a capital B were also watching one planet over. He felt his spincter tighten even as he waited. When they all were quiet, he looked at Alor who was sitting on the sideline with his keyboard waiting to play. Glancing at Prime, he bowed deeply. Prime stood and bowed slightly back as was protocol. When Herling looked up again, he began.

"My name is Herling and I am Director for Education for Mar-"

That is as far as the broadcast could catch as the crowd roared their afts off. Apparently, the schools had pretty good community support in the city. When they quieted down, he smiled. "It is my great pleasure to tell you about the half time show. As you know, the Sparkling Day School is one of three public schools for all of our children to attend. It is mandatory for them to do so by order of the Prime."

"**OPTIMUS! OPTIMUS! OPTIMUS! OPTIMUS!"**

A chant broke out and the camera focused on Prime who stood holding Spirit as he listened. He waved his servo and the crowd roared, then quieted down.

"It is impossible to tell you how proud we all are of our Sparkling Day School, our Youngling Day School and the Cybertronian equivalent of high school, our Youngling Intermediate School."

The place ruptured itself in approval. Then it died down again.

"What we are going to do is present for the honor of this pre-championship playoff game a program that has been practiced since Christmas Surprise by our smallest students."

Bedlam.

Then quiet.

"We provide dance and arts education which is taught by two of our most dedicated school supporters, Laret and Neo of Iacon."

Bedlam times two.

:Who would have thought Neo would get a standing ovation at anything but her own execution?: Ratchet asked as he stood next to Prowl.

:I know. Are you as nervous as I am about Miracle? And did you know about this, loser?: Prowl asked.

:No, whiner. I didn't. And I am the ada of Orion and Praxus. You have to ask?: Ratchet replied. Their laughter was swallowed up by the crowd noise.

Nearby having spincter problems of his own ...

:Are you as nervous as I am, Thundercracker and why didn't you tell me that the hatchlings would be in a half time show? I would have camped on the sidelines for pictures: Starscream crabbed.

:I am and I didn't know. Suck it up, Star: Thundercracker said with a grin.

Sky Warp would have added his two shanix but he was feeling queasy.

The dumb aft.

"We advise that you hold down the noise a bit to prevent them from being frightened or distracted. They have worked incredibly hard as have Laret, Neo and the aides who will be assisting. Alor has composed music for this show that will be published online in the Community Bulletin Board Music Education file. It is our hope that they can do this even though this setting may be daunting. Without further ado, the Sparkling Day School Dance Classes."

Herling hurried to the sidelines where Alor sat waiting for the troop to come out and the signal to play to begin. For a moment a murmur of approval ran through the stands, then Neo emerged holding a lead. After a few steps, behind her came Olo, a tiny white sparkling with a spotless colorless format. She was luminously brilliantly completely white.

She also wore a hat on her helm.

She walked out with a glyph on her helm attached to a little white cap that fastened under her chin. It was the glyph that spelled Cybertron and sticking up as well was a tiny rendition of the flag of that beloved home world. Olo was led by Neo who had a leash fastened to the belt around her middle. Behind her fastened by a leash extending from Olo to him was Orion. He wore the hat that held the glyph of the Armed Forces including the Seekers and Wreckers. A tiny flag that held all of their brands stuck up fluttering in the breeze.

He ambled along and another followed, their cap holding the first glyph of many that would name the city-states, the main regions of Cybertron and special locations like the Sonic Canyons and the Sea of Rust. One-by-one, the little bots and femmes walked out hooked together by a long lead wearing their hats with great happiness. When the last bot emerged on Neo's line followed by two aides, one holding a tiny box, the next line began led by Laret.

The leader of that line was Miracle wearing the glyph and tiny flag that honored and declared the Primes of Cybertron.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

NOTE: No offense but I sort of see Iacon as the New York Yankees/Dallas Cowboys of Cybertronian sports. Its a big town that has lots of shanix to spread around to entice the best players. That hasn't made it well liked in the league. :D


	238. Chapter 238

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 10 (237/73)

-0-At the stadium during half time

They continued to walk out, a large portion of the upper aged class of the Sparkling Day School population. They were the ambulatory individuals who were the oldest of the sparklings enrolled. They had been taking dance lessons and guided movement exercises since they had been much younger. As they walked out, they were prepared to do what they had spent months working on.

Hopefully.

The arena was attentive, all of the optics there focused on the tiniest members of their population. There were all manner of sparkling types in the two long lines being led by Neo and Laret. They walked forward led by leashes that hooked one to the next heading for the mid line and the center of the big field. Along the sidelines aides hurried kneeling down to allow an unobstructed view of the proceedings.

The sparklings followed, their little hats spelling out the places of the world that spawned their people, a world that most in the arena had no hope they would ever be able to see again. The glyphs were carved from a very light material and were visible by everyone. The decorations that were seen here and there to illustrate some glyphs were visible to the optics of a people gifted enough to look into space from the ground without much effort.

The two lines reached the center and turned to face the arena, their backs to each other. Their aides at that moment ran out onto the field to hand out tiny pom-poms to each of the sparklings. The babies took them, some futzing, others entranced by their surroundings, staring without movement at the great crowds before them.

A camera crew from IntraComm worked the sidelines as they came in for closeups of the various infants. The Platoon crews were filming on the sidelines disallowed from going on the field and distracting the participants. The infants stood looking, mostly toward Neo who raised her own pom-poms over her helm. They finally noticed and as Neo fluttered her pom-poms, Alor began to play.

Moving her pom-poms apart, the sparklings did too. Putting them together, the infants did as well. Apart, up, down, behind her back, in front of herself, the infants mimicked her. Laret was with the other line doing the same thing, her long row of babies mimicking her movements. They fluttered their pom-poms to the rhythm of the music, all of their actions coordinated.

Starscream watched with rapt attention as his sons did the same thing as everyone else. There were a number of Seeker babies in the group but none as old as his. They were **SPECTACULAR** and **ATTENTIVE LIKE CHAMPIONS**, or so it seemed to him. His infants were **PERFORMING** with their **SCHOOL** in front of not only their **ENTIRE CITY** but the **ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE INSECT PLANET NEXT DOOR!**

He was entranced. So was Thundercracker, Sky Warp and every adult in the arena and points east, west, north and south. On the field, the show continued.

-0-Ironhide

He stood astonished, once again blindsided by the school system regarding the awesomeness of his infants. Both of them were out there. Both of them wore cute hats on their helms stating something about Cybertron and both of them were performing. He almost climbed over the railing in front of him in surprise.

Blackjack who held onto his son as the infants turned in their harnesses, their shiny devices held over their helms could barely contain his delight. They all turned, then faced them again. The music was a perfect accompaniment and once again Blackjack considered how Alor had kept him in the dark.

The slagger.

The music continued until it ended and so did the dance. By the time Neo and Laret finished their movements, all of the pom-poms were in the air shimmering as the infants shook them. She lowered her arms and so did they.

The murmurs of the crowd rose, then seemed to catch as they remembered to keep the sound levels low. Neo knelt down and getting their attention bowed her helm low. They looked at her and Laret who was doing the same thing, then bowed too. One of them stumbled but caught themselves, straightening up to look at everyone else. They then bowed again. They were still bowing when everyone else straightened.

Neo rose and walked to the line taking the lead leash from a kneeling aide. That aide had the little box and as Neo turned to walk them into another area, the aide took the pom-poms from the sparklings. When they were gathered, they slipped to the sideline to kneel and watch.

Neo and Laret went different directions leading the infants in a serpentine path around the field. They walked together, some of them waving and others watching to do their part with real seriousness. Olo was one of them.

Orion followed her as she followed Neo, his optics roaming the arena watching everything and everyone. He waved and smiled, his image one of those sent to everywhere by the cameras. They finally returned to the center and paused, the two lines forming a large circle.

With Laret and Neo directing in the center, the sparklings walked toward them, then paused in the middle. They then turned in their harnesses and walked back to make the circle round again.

Mostly.

Two looked around themselves, then moved closer to where they were supposed to be. Then they all turned and did it again crowding around Neo and Laret before going back again. They turned to face the two in the middle and waited.

Neo and Laret smiled, then raised their arms shaking their servos in a fluttering motion. The infants did too, some of them looking around, while two just staring at the crowds without moving. Then they did other things. They flapped their arms, put their peds in and out and turned in their harnesses. After a selection of motions, every other sparkling took two steps forward while the remaining infants stood in place. They made a pattern, then they stepped back, the others moving forward instead. It shifted and changed as they moved according to Neo and Laret's directions.

Aides huddled along the sidelines ready to help but the infants were on task. When Laret and Neo paused, the infants were directed by hand signals to turn. When they all did the aides helped direct them to bow. They bowed low, two tipping over. Aides righted them immediately, then crept back to the sidelines. The infants bowed, then stood up. Then they saluted the crowd, their little servos touching their fore helms. They held them, some of them staring around. Orion and Han smiled, waving at the cameras, their little servos firmly in place in salute.

Miracle smiled like a sunbeam as he stood holding the Prime emblem on his helm, his little servo saluting. Kaon who was nearby waved and tugged at his harness as the camera came past him. They were all highlighted, all of the treasure of their city. They were the future, the investment of their endangered people in the possibility of continuing as a species.

Neo and Laret listened as the music ceased, a smiling Alor coming to the end of their composition. Getting the nod from Neo, Alor began to play a tune to help the infants leave. Laret took her line and turned her group, the infants following behind. Neo joined that line with hers, the entire group finally disappearing into the entrance corridor that led into the stadium.

It was only when they were gone that the crowd made it clear their approval of the presentation. They tore the place up.

-0-In the corridor

Genitors had gathered to take their infants back. Starscream held out his arms and his sons ran for him, their gear stowed and their teachers and aides hugged sufficiently. He gathered them, nearly at the point of tearfulness. His infants were going to school, learning the arts as well as the sciences and participating in their city life as equals.

The burden of his people's exclusion landed heavily on him at moments like this and his pride and happiness was almost too hard to contain. He held them, smiling openly at Neo as she told him how wonderful his children were. He knew that already but he recorded her comments because they were and would be forever treasured. His infants had excelled, been applauded and were regarded as wonderful.

It made his orn.

Ratchet and Prowl gathered their own and with the rest of the genitors made their way back. When they arrived at their seats the babies were passed around and heartily hugged and kissed.

"What about their gear? The hats?" Ironhide asked as he gave Orion to Ravel.

"They are going to be displayed in the lobby of the school," Ratchet replied with a grin. There is going to be a stand for the little hat and a picture of the sparkling who wore it framed with it."

"We have to get copies," Tie Down said with a big smile. "I will make the frames."

"I will help you, Tie," Ravel said hugging Orion. "Our living room is full of lovely pictures of the babies. I can't wait to see the twinnies and Hero do something like this. We have space for images of them."

"You and me both," Ironhide said with a grin.

The huge jumbotrons at both ends of the stadium re-ran the program as the attendees waited for the second half.

-0-In the control booth

ESPN sportscaster: "Wow! That was … I don't know what to say. Tell us what that was all about, Blurr … Blaster."

Blurr chuckled. "I'll have to do it. Blaster is having a moment. His son, 'Vette was in the program."

"My boy! He was in the program! He was in the program that everyone saw! My son!"

Blaster had his moment.

-0-Broadcasts here and there

New York City ...

"That was the most intriguing half time show I've ever seen. This is adult professional football and the halftime show was a school of babies doing a dance. I **LOVE** Cybertronian football!"

"I know. You never know what's going to happen. The game itself is so out of bounds, it leaves me speechless most of the time. I first thought of demolition derby the first time I saw it but there is much, much more to it. There's strategy and humor, finesse movements and plans. This is as good a game as you will find anywhere. Then on top of that, they have a primary school program during the playoffs. I am in love with this game."

The others nodded in agreement.

Paris, France

"Merde!"

Everyone in the booth smiled. "Oui!"

"Beau programmez," another said. "Beau enfants."

Everyone agreed.

Tokyo, Japan

Speechless in the homeland of **AWESOME FUCKING ROBOTS**!

In a living room of a nice family out in the hinterlands of America

"I just love those little babies," Mama Annie said.

"I do too. Aren't they the cutest? How long until the second half? I want more pizza," Pastor Bob asked as he rose with an empty plate, a Praxus Science t-shirt adorning his body.

Papa Leonard grinned at Mama Annie. "Oh, I think you have time, son."

Everyone in the room grinned as he hurried to the kitchen to restock.

Johnson Space Center, in an apartment nearby...

"I think I need smelling salts," Lola Teasdale said.

"I think I need to kick Jim in the balls for not taking us when he gets back," Cindy Teasdale said as the camera panned the human section and their supervisor appeared on the screen.

"I hear ya," Lola said as she sifted through the afterglow of sparkling overload.

-0-In the corridor leading to the field

The two teams appeared, their captains holding their banners, the officials and coaches leading the way. They stood at the entrance to wait for the word to enter, both sides hissing at the other as they stoked themselves for the carnage ahead. In the arena the last of the program continued on the screens as Blurr and Blaster began to wrap up the up link from Earth.

"We are goin' to be shuttin' down here in a moment for the second half," Jazz said with a grin. "The teams are in the arena waitin' to come in and we are goin' to start the second half right away. Catch ya at the end of the game," he said.

Revet cut the up link and the game was on.

-0-Nearby watching for the game to begin

Optimus Prime stood holding Miracle in his arms, the infant smiling at him as he looked at his cookie. Prowl had them for all the kids and they were chomping away. The cameras that spanned the arena paused on both of them, the great warrior leader of their people and his infant son.

It was a lovely image.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	239. Chapter 239

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 11 (238/75 )

-0-At the game

They walked back onto the field ready for the second half of the playoff. The crowd went nuts as they walked in their lines to the midfield line. They lined up and bowed to Prime. He bowed back and they turned to their sides of the field to begin.

Both lines walked to the center field and because they didn't get to receive last time, Iacon got the ball. The ref noted both teams in position and threw the ball to Iacon. With that, the train wreck was on. This was the do or die moment. If Iacon lost they were on the wild card position and the way things were going, it was a dead end unless the entire Vos team disappeared in the dead of night sometime in the next decaron. Altihex, who was already eliminated and only had it in their power to make sure Vos rather than Iacon made it to the last playoff game, was hot to do them in.

**KABONG!**

**CRASH!**

**TEAR!**

**REND!**

**KABOINGA-BOINGA-BOING!**

The ball squirted straight up and they all paused to see it go. At that point, both lines began to climb up on the backside of anyone in their way, friendly or no to grasp.

**GRASP!**

SQUIRT!

**GRASP!GRASP!GRASP! GRAB!**

With that, the center of Iacon disappeared under a colossal pile of spare parts. The crash was astonishing to watch as clearly individual individuals lost their autonomous identities as they caved in one upon the other. The cursing was amazing. The fists flying instructive and while this was going on a wing man from Iacon crawled out of the pile up with the ball in servo. He rose and began to run like the entire Night Watch was on his tail.

It was a writhing mass of cursing for a moment, then they paused as the enormous squall of screaming from fans of Vos, Altihex, Praxus Science, Polyhex and Kaon yelled that the ball was in play. They rose as one and looked in every direction as one, then spotted as one the ball being punted through the hoop at the end of the road.

It spiraled in a wobbly circle as the ped of the kicker slipped as he slid on a stripe of energon on the ground. It was from a certain Altihex back grabbing and stripping the gears of an Iacon forward earlier in the game. The ball rose up and up from an almost unheard of distance, then passed through the goalie's servos through the hoop.

The place went nuts.

-0-In the stately box of the Prime

"**AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!"** -Ratchet who was waggling his aft at Prowl. **"Ahahahahahahahahahaahaaahahh ahahahaaa, whiner!"**

Prowl on the other servo looked at Ratchet with only the expression of disdain someone who was raised to sneer at dumb asses could muster. /... slag … **LOSER!** … slag.../

-0-Around the arena

"Look at Ratchet!" -Drift, pointing at both jumbotrons.

"That mech is having a fit. Needs a frag or something. Lucky Ironhide." -Kup

"You need a frag, Kup. Ratchet is sparked. I don't think fragging is a problem," Springer said with a grin.

"Mech is a loon. That's what the problem is," Kup replied as he champed down on his stogie.

"You know what they say about taking one to know one. I think you need a frag, old mech," Springer said. "I think I'll put in a good word with Ratchet for ya."

It took three mechs to prevent Kup from throwing Springer over the side.

-0-In the booth

The camera lingered on Ratchet as he danced and cavorted in the stands. Blurr and Blaster watched chuckling. "That is our Ambassador-At-Large for Autobot Nation, Ratchet. As you can see he and our S.I.C. are having a difference of opinion on the quality of play," Blaster said with a laugh. "Prowl looks bent out of shape. He's a die-hard Praxus fan and Ratchet is Iacon to the protoform. Prime can't openly take a side so that explains how serene he looks right now. Even if his bond lives and dies for Praxus, he can't take a side."

"He's an Iacon home town boy isn't he?" Revet asked from behind them as he worked the board.

"He is but you wouldn't know it from the expression on his face," Blurr said with a grin.

A knowing grin.

-0-Prime

He stood holding Rambler as he surveyed the field, his calm and serene demeanor standing out in the sea of insanity that was the crowd all around him.

/... **IACON! WHAT THE FRAG!? … IIIIAAAACCCCCOOOONNNNN! … NO! ****… FRAG PRAXUS, ALTIHEX AND KAON!** …/ -Prime, serene.

-0-The huddles

"**GO IACON! WHO'S YOUR DADDY!? GO IACON! WHO'S YOUR DADDY!?" **-Iacon sneering. As usual.

"**%^$#! And # *&! And also $%# &%!" **-Altihexing Iacon.

**HUT!**

They walked back and Altihex got the ball. The slamming of the lines was classic, reminiscent of the days of Vince Lombardi and his **FRAG THEM ALL TO THE PIT!** philosophy of fair play. They pushed back and forth, the ball changing sides until it went out of bounds on the twenty yard line in Iacon territory.

The foul was for Altihex because an Iacon back who had his servo stomped on by Altihex had turned around and punted that player ten yards the other way. Since no referee had seen his servo foul, he didn't get a break. The official did though when he was punched in the face by the mech using his one remaining good servo.

He got ejected.

Springer and Kup with the other security mechs 'patrolling' the game from their bleacher seats had to go to the Altihex bench when the entire first row of the stadium on that side decided to stomp a few servos of that team. It was tense but defused when Springer punched a bruiser in the face, both of them receiving injuries. Springer bent his knuckles and the bruiser got his feelings hurt.

It was a win-win.

For the spectators of Earth.

"**TWO FREE THROWS FOR ALTIHEX! PENALTY AGAINST IACON!"**

It took a moment for the booing and thrown objects to subside, then Altihex threw the first throw.

It was a swing and a miss.

The critical reviews by Iacon as well as Vos and Kaon who still had hope for a playoff berth were immediate:

**"BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHA! JUST LIKE KISSING YOUR SISTER, RIGHT, FRAGGER!?" **-Vos fan who might have some experience since he had three sisters. All of them gave him nuclear optics. He shut his pie hole immediately.

"**FRAG YOU, ALTIHEX! NEED A FOOT STOOL?! YOU CAN STAND ON MY ASS!"** -General Morshower who was losing large on Iacon.

"**ALTIHEX! CYBERTRONIAN FOR BERTH WETTERS!" **-A youngling whose ada was a defensive back for Iacon. A rap of his grandada's knuckles on his noggin took care of that.

Altihex who felt their artistic feelings were hurt nearly emptied the bench to dispute the findings with the entire front row of their side of the stadium. They couldn't hear Morshower over the mayhem or they would have likely bopped him on his noggin too.

The Wreckers who had been given the bonus of a player landing on them earlier were among the front row fraggers fragging with Altihex and none of them would listen to Springer when he threatened to suspend them from their (ball)(s) bearings if they didn't sit down.

They ignored him because they were bad ass until Springer subbed a gun and capped a couple into the clear blue sky. Everyone stopped, glanced at him, then turned as one to bitch him out.

Blurr: "This game is getting good. Ol' Springer is getting his aft handed to him."

Blaster: "He's the head of security for Mars and the city as well as the chief of the Wreckers, our most bad aft soldier unit. This is going to be fun. Drift and Kup are there. They also have Sandstorm and … what is this? Is that Gypsy?"

A camera cut to the image of a tiny femme standing on the steps leading down to the arena floor, her expression filled with foreboding. She was waiting with her subspaced medi-kit, a little one from her children upon her appointment to head femme, sparkling, youngling and elder medicine for the planet. Clear on the top of it was her Wrecker tattoo emblem that was signed by every Wrecker on Mars. Coming up behind her with a clearly worried expression on his handsome face was her bond, Cambo. Cheering both of them on were two little mechs, their sons, Comet and Turbo.

Clearly, families that rioted together, stayed together.

"She's one stand up little femme. She's the officially designated medic slash doctor for the Wreckers," Blaster said with a chuckle. "Femme can wreck with the best of them."

"She can at that," Blurr said with a grin.

The scene went on as Springer held his ground. Night and Day Watch mechs and two Watch clerical femmes with cross expressions began to come down as well to support their boss and **his **boss, Drift. They quelled the disturbance, then turned with a gimlet optic to walk back into the stands to their seats. There was a heated argument with the refs, officials and coaches, then the official walked forward to call penalties.

"**ALTIHEX GETS ONE MORE THROW! IACON ARE FRAGGERS! THE ENTIRE FRONT ROW OF THIS SIDE OF THE STADIUM WILL BE EJECTED IF THEY DON'T STAY PUT, YOU SLAGGERS! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, STUFF IT! PLAY BALL!"**

And the beat went on …

He stood poised, the silence falling almost painful to his audials. He looked around at the optics on him. They needed one more point to get ahead and a french kiss from Primus to hold that one point lead to the very end. Praying like he never prayed before and hoping his form would look masculine and not dorky for the photographers as he leaped into the air, he took his shot on goal.

On the way down, his optics never leaving the ball, he prayed: **"WHAT THE FRAG! WHAT THE FRAG! WHAT THE FRAG!"**

It was a swing. The ball went through the hoop. It was good.

He owned Primus a french kiss.

-0-In the box of the Prime

The camera lingered on Prowl as he waggled his aft at Ratchet who stood with a sniveling sneer that only someone who had grown up on the wrong side of the tracks most of their formative years could manage. Prowl was the homecoming queen and he was the fragger who glued the glitter ball together for the prom. Prowl was the effortless beauty who could wear a ruck sack and make it look like Valentino while Ratchet couldn't get his seams straight if his life depended upon it. (For those of you who are forty to sixty years younger than me, stockings –hose- used to have seams up the back. Imagine trying to get them straight your size. Ratchet? Not so much. Okay. I've aged myself.)

Prowl was the cherry on the top of the platinum cupcake and Ratchet was the dirty bowl soaking in the sink. Prowl was the teacher's pet and Ratchet was the guy who didn't even have a teacher. That they were BFFs and loyal to each other to the bitter, bitter end was one of the mysteries of the universe.

On the other servo, Ratchet knew how to make a present for someone out of matchsticks and empty sardine cans. Prowl? Not so much. Ratchet could make a pie out of bacon rinds and antifreeze. Prowl? Not so much. Prowl was the 'pretty girl' while Ratchet was the chaperone with pop bottle glasses, funny bangs that stuck up and a fat ass who was only there to keep the pretty girl from getting felt up by the horny boys. Like that.

Come on, girls. You **KNOW** what I'm talking about …

However, a miracle of nature had occurred and two very disparate life formats had found each other across a not very crowded universe. They had a lot in common too. They both loved their families, their children, sparklings and pie.

They both thought Prime was hot, though Ratchet kept that part to himself. Even though sometimes when he was drunk enough, the idea of fragging both Prime and Ultra Magnus at the same time crossed Ratchet's processor, he kept it to himself.

He hoped.

Fortunately, Prowl was a terrible drunk and never remembered stuff. Which was good for Ratchet. He would make stuff up when they were sober and ask Prowl if he remembered it. Watching Prowl's perfect optics fritz in his flawless face was fun.

Where was I? Oh right. Mean girls.

Ratchet and Prowl put on a show for the seven billion citizens of Earth which they forgot was a possibility. They also put on a show for Mars on the jumbotrons. They didn't know it either. Archival footage of their insanity can be found in the Community Bulletin Board filed in the Sports Section in a file labeled: "If my Ada could see me now ..."

The teams lined up again. Prowl and Ratchet turned to watch. The ball was thrown and the game began again …

TBC

2013 (3)


	240. Chapter 240

NOTE: Transformers: Prime Season 3 is starting Friday. I am not going to be able to watch until the show levels off because its so intense from the commercials that I've seen on the Hub. I would hope that someone will drop me a brief note on what happened in the eps so I can know when its safe for the muse and me to watch. I can read stuff but not watch it. Without a clue about when things get easier to watch, I can't. **SNIFFLE! I AM SUCH A WOOS!** I still haven't seen TF4 movie yet. Yes, I am a baby. Or shall I say, my muse is. :D

-0-Now lets put the snivel aside and **PLAY FRAGGING BALL!**

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 13 (240)

The ball was thrown and everyone clanged together, a hair raising thing to see on the screen let alone in person. Barbara Morshower and Lonnie Epps stood together screaming for their team, Iacon. Jumping up and down, they yelled like a Wrecker at the behemoths playing not that far away from them.

Neither of them were aware that a team of security sat in the area in front of them to take the blows if anyone or anything headed their way. They were ready to stand up and deflect or absorb life threatening debris from the field of play including players punted into the stands as per Prime's orders. The humans didn't know that and so far it hadn't happened to come to pass.

One never knew with Cybertronian football.

They crashed and dashed, the ball going out of bounds. Altihex set up to throw it in and Iacon set up to kick them in the slats. This was the last chance either team had to affect the course of the championship. Altihex could eliminate Iacon barring screw ups from Kaon or Vos and Iacon could earn a place knocking Vos into the wild card if the gods approved.

It didn't read to most that they did. The slaggers.

Pause.

/...Forgive me, Primus, for I have sinned …/ -nearly every Iacon fan in the stadium...

The cameras followed the action closely, giving the viewers a bird's optic view of the carnage. It wasn't lost on the viewers of Earth.

In a militia HQ buried in a mountainside in the western United States...

They watched the game on the television silently. They were studying the players, learning the differences among body types as well as gathering other vital intel about the enemy. The intensity of the play, the abandon of the players to win, all of it was noted. What bothered them the most was their indifference to injury. The blows they were taking were lethal to their own human species. None of them would survive what the Cybertronians were taking in their stride.

In Resistance cells and HQs all over the world, the enemy was taking notes. What they were finding wasn't promising. First of all, they were so outclassed it wasn't even funny. Secondly, these were incredibly tough mechanisms. It would be like playing chicken in their SUVs with an aircraft carrier for them to go toe-to-toe.

They were a highly organized hierarchical military directed foe. Their army could be found at every layer of their society. They were efficient, highly educated, extremely quick to supply that which was needed both among the military and their civilian counterparts. Everyone was on board at all levels and they displayed unity of purpose.

They were also getting bigger and stronger with each newly arrived wave of refugees.

They had complete solidarity with their city and its inhabitants. Their allegiance with the Prime was evident. The possibility of cracks to exploit were very small. There was also the disparity between them and the aliens with their weapons systems, personal arms and the Seekers. A single Seeker would be a devastating weapon to stand against if the past was any window to the future.

They sat quietly, talking softly as they drew as much information as they could from the broadcast. They did it with all of the programs and the preliminary indications were that any direct confrontation with any of them would be suicide.

They would have to devise other things. They would also have to upgrade their weapons.

-0-Elsewhere

The restaurant was nearly empty as the wait staff sat watching the game on the iphone propped on the bar. The game from Mars had taken traffic to a standstill as people stayed home to watch. When it was over, they would flood in and the chief topic of conversation would be the game. It happened every time that one came was broadcast. They watched and enjoyed the calm before the storm.

-0-At the game

Altihex stood at the sideline waiting to receive the toss in. The ball had been kicked out of bounds by an Iacon doofus who had gotten the word from his teammates: **"DOOFUS!"**

Said doofus had weighed in on that commentary with a right cross to the chops. The referees broke up the altercation and for their efforts got a slagging dressing down for interfering by everyone on the team including the doofus. Then they turned to the matter at servo. Slagging Altihex to the Pit.

"**THROW IT!"**

"**THROW IT, SLAGGER! DON'T LET THEM SET UP!"**

The thrower ignored the throwee-ers as he tried to find an opening among the writhing sea of Iacon dipshits. He found one and threw it.

Right into the grasping servos of an Altihex defensive back.

He was crouching behind a teetering tower of forwards. Everyone in Altihex including Doofus turned and jumped into the air. It seemed like slow motion, the rising of mechanisms and their resulting fall.

They didn't fall as fast as mechanisms would on Earth. The gravity was much lighter. The bots went up and came down.

Eventually.

When they landed the wily back wasn't there. He was running for his life begging Primus to allow him to be fast enough to miss becoming paste under the massed tonnage of free falling mechs.

The speed with with he pivoted and ran would be discussed in the sports bars and hardware stores of Autobot City for nano-seconds to come. It would be remembered as the play old what's-his-name did that didn't matter a slagging bit in the final outcome.

He had a clear field.

He had a mass of raging mechanisms following him.

He had a shot on goal.

He took it.

The goalie who seemed to levitate without effort glommed onto it and nearly went through the hoop himself. It was (ball)bearing busting.

The front row of that side of the stadium groaned.

They hid their faces.

They stood up.

They climbed over the railing.

They almost made it to the field when they were intercepted.

They brawled.

They resisted.

They were carted off.

It was spark breaking.

But all was not lost. Magistrate's Court the next orn would be swinging.

When the mayhem was sorted on the sidelines, they turned to sort the mayhem in the end zone. Altihex was slagging it out with Iacon, both teams nose assembly to nose assembly as they discussed each others parentage at the top of their vocal capacitors.

It was that tense.

No one knows who threw the first punch but they all agreed that they had no idea referees could fly that high. Rising in his seat, stepping over the railing, Springer's grinning visage appeared on the jumbotron. The Wreckers, security from the Day/Night Watch who were there and a couple of very irritated Day/Night Watch clerical femmes from Substation #3 stepped down and marched to the gathering storm in the center of the field.

By the time they got there a scrum had broken out with two mechs in the middle gripping each others necks as their teams locked arms around bodies to pull them apart. Both sides moved forward and back as the two mechs strangling each other gasped, their necks stretching under the sheer torque of that much pull.

Springer reached the scrum and climbed up on top walking to the two mechs in the center. He pulled out his pistol and bopped them both on the noggin. They slipped into the tussle and disappeared.

"**GET THEM, SPRINGER! TELL THEM!"** one of the two clerical femmes said as she stood with the Wrecker and Watch mechs shaking her fist. They grinned down at the two femmes already having decided who among them would extricate the little hot heads if the mess got out of servo. Until that happened, it was fun to stand, watch and take bets on their internal com lines.

For a moment nothing happened, then all of the mechs stopped and stood up. For a moment Springer was standing there grinning, gun in servo. Then he fell from sight into the belly of the beast.

The crowd watching the spectacle laughed like hyenas as Springer emerged enraged. Pointing his pistol, he separated the sides and turned to the officials. **"GET THIS GOING AGAIN, YOU SLAGGERS! DON'T MAKE ME COME OUT HERE AGAIN!"**

The most senior referee sucked up his mech hood and glared up at Springer who had a good 30-40 feet on him give or take a yard or two. **"FRAG YOU! GET OFF MY PLAYING FIELD!"**

Springer sneered down at the ref, deciding it would be poor sportsmanship for the sparklings if he pistol whipped the slagger into the next millennium then and there. He made a promise to himself to do it if he ever saw him on the street, then turned and yelled his way back to his seat. Everyone sat with him, hooting and ragging on his awesome feats of peacekeeping all the while considering Springer getting his aft kicked nearly as entertaining as the halftime show.

Nearly.

-0-Ratchet

"They remind me of something," he said musing on his thoughts. "Springer reminds me of Marshall Dillon."

Ironhide grinned. "Who's Miss Kitty?"

"Drift," Ratchet said with a grin.

"I'll make sure to tell them," Ironhide said.

"Do," Ratchet said. "It will teach them to not tell me all of their personal business." He looked at Ironhide and the two burst into laughter. Then they turned to the game.

The score board was ticking away with Iacon 6, Altihex 7. It was getting to be scary time. Ratchet gripped Ironhide's finials like the gear shifts on a D8 Cat. Ironhide resigned himself to being driven to the waning minutes of the game.

**PUNT!**

**SLAM!**

**RUN! RUN!RUN!RUN! BONG! SPLAT! **

**JUMP! DOG PILE! **

**TWEET! "PENALTY TO IACON!"**

**"WHY?!"**

"**BECAUSE YOU'RE UGLY!"**

**"WHAT THE FRAG!?"**

"**DON'T MAKE ME GET SPRINGER!"**

"**GO AHEAD! WHIMP!"**

"**SPRINGER!"**

Springer ignored both of them. The game continued.

**THROW IN!**

**INTERCEPT!**

**RUN!RUN! PASS!**

**CATCH! RUN!RUN! SHOOT ON GOAL!**

**MISS!**

**MOMENT OF SILENCE! DEEP RESOLVE BREWING! BLOODSHOT OPTICS AND ENERGON STAINED VISAGES GLARE AT EACH OTHER!**

A new center for Iacon entered the game and glared at their counterpart across the line. They gave each other the stink optic as they hunkered down to do their thing. That they were a bonded pair didn't matter. That they had three sparklings sitting in the stands watching didn't matter. That they hadn't fragged for a couple of orns wouldn't seem the hardship it would become when the Iacon center decided to hold a grudge against the Altihex defensive lineman bolting up their critical energy port in extreme angst and grudgery.

Like that.

**HUT!**

**TOSS! RUN-RUN-RUNNNNNNNNN! KABONG!**

Altihex's defensive center lay on the ground counting the birdies as their bond, the Iacon center ran onward. That they were tackled and carted off too was only going to matter to the two of them when they became conscious and not a moment sooner.

New players walked in silently dreading the final five minutes of the game as they sensed the energy from the field and from the stands. It was nicer on the field.

The mood in the stands was getting tense as 220,000 individuals stomped, screamed and let it all out because these were the thing that (we) they care(d) about. 210,000 fans in the next stadium did the same, not counting over 300,000 at the airfield and the three losers in Ops Center who were jumping up and down in nervous excitement.

The seismographs on Earth could read the rumble.

Far far away in a galaxy … uh, in the same galaxy, it was a very different story. On every monitor including internal ones, Paragon and his crew were watching too. The glitch that they had detected on a relay that was a router to the Autobot outlying fort, something called Fort Apache had sprung a leak. The images coming to them were astonishing.

They had begun with silent shots around a city.

A slagging Cybertronian city.

Then they had morphed into a real Cybertronian football game with commentators, stadiums, seemingly millions of individuals and teams with familiar names.

He himself was from Vos.

Paragon watched as ghosts from the past took part. Everyone who was Cybertronian knew Alor. Everyone understood the trappings around the stadium. Everyone was mouth opened agog at the sight of sparklings and Neo of all individuals helping them perform.

Paragon had watched with building dread as the cameras panned the crowds at all three sites showing the Supremes, shots of Fort Max and Metroplex as well as literally thousands of former Decepticons and Seekers who were very clearly citizens and supporters of the Prime.

Prime had made a city, a real Cybertronian city. One that had the slagging Temple of Simfur sitting in it, dome gleaming in the sunlight. It wasn't a rustic military barracks with refugees. It was a very highly developed, beautiful, populated Cybertronian city. He was flabbergasted but he hid it well. They watched the game, very little commentary heard as they saw known characters like the team coaches, some of the players, the Wreckers along with Springer, shots of Rampage and Starscream fill the screen.

They also watched the incredible happiness of the people. They were having the time of their lives. That night, the discussion would be intense at their own fortress. When it came time for the Seeker who identified himself to Prime as Hope to go on patrol with his bond3, his two friends and his brother, the lot of them would defect.

-0-The Game

The ball went up.

The goal was missed.

Iacon lost.

Altihex won.

Altihex didn't get a playoff berth.

Iacon got the wild card but short of Vos being blasted to the Pit, it didn't matter.

Kaon would claw their way to the finals.

Vos would try but Kaon had a dream.

It was a little dream. They dreamed that their town would be first at something good. They dreamed that they would finally be the best among Cybertronians at something more than public drunkenness, unwed births, homelessness, seedy bars, tax evasion, potholes, number of free ranging pleasure bots and their pimps, poor sanitation, protoform wasting, tenement fires, birth defects, insanity, business failure, public indifference, youth gangs, elder abuse, road team criminality, banned substance production, domestic violence, hunger and pestilence.

They wanted to be first at football.

It was their dream.

It was a small dream.

They were prepared to kill to achieve it.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood holding their daughters, their amusement at Bluestreak's happy dance genuine. But nothing in their bodies gave an inch to the idea that their team would do their best to be first among something that didn't have an asterisk next to it.

They were determined to help Kaon become the best team, the first team to win the Championship Football title of the Martian Adult Football League. Then their kids would know that their genitors were somebody.

Prowl danced and Ratchet grinned, his mope a private sour thing. Ironhide grinned, Blackjack winked as Alor gave them both the stink optic. Infants crowed. Prime mourned deeply inside as his 'serenity' held through another disappointing game.

They turned and began to move slowly to the steps heading to the Fortress and dinner at Cafe Praxus. As they did, the scene was shown to the enemy at Camp Paragon and all of the deeply surprised and surprisingly homesick mechs and Seekers that were there huddled around screens watching things that they never hoped nor dreamed existed anywhere in the galaxy including Cybertron.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	241. Chapter 241

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Interlude 13 (241) editted for boo boos :D

-0-On the way out of the stadium

The Prime group were caught in a long line of individuals heading out to the city once more. They were featured on cameras stationed all over the city along with thousands of others, some of them becoming well known to humans. The feed was continued to Earth as background for the after game discussion that Blurr and Blaster conducted.

The cameras caught the image of the Prime and his family as well as Ratchet and Ironhide. The skies overhead were blue with the heat of the orn rising to nearly 80 degrees. Dust and wind borne sand, a major problem for them had been largely corralled by Sciences in a weather making project helping the sky become more clear and crisp.

The arena entrance was wide funneling mechs and femmes outward to the city beyond. Many walked to the subway station entrances disappearing into the underground to go home or other places swiftly. Others walked down streets heading out or transformed driving off in all directions.

By the time they reached the streets themselves the humans were with Prime's group driving their segways toward the Fortress to take part in the after game ritual with the bots. Zipping around huge mechanisms, they buzzed ahead unencumbered by size.

The crush began to thin as the family group walked toward the Fortress. They entered the courtyard, then the big doors, pausing long enough for Prowl to check in with the skeleton crew at Ops Center. He assured them that they would be free in a few joors, then turned to rejoin the group heading with a lot of others to Cafe Praxus.

Inside …

The bar was going great guns as lots of friends were there along with other mechanisms that they didn't know personally, the city was so big now. Pausing to trade slag, they continued onward to the greatly expanded dining room and found their tables grouped together in the usual place. Sitting on the middle of the table already, their segways lining the wall, a number of human friends were seated on nice chairs the length of the middle of the table. Trading slag and welcomes, the bots joined them with sparklings and younglings as well.

The waiters brought high grade and drinks for the infants, then hurried off to wait on others in the crowded room. Their food ordered earlier was coming shortly. Morshower who sat with his wife glanced at Ratchet. :This is a day that will live in infamy:

:You said it: Ratchet said with a grin. :I will frame this in my calendar with sad face emoticons:

Slag met that remark. Dinner came and was placed before each mech sitting at the table. It was a dazzling array of dishes from traditional Cybertronian to Earth concoctions.

Ratchet grinned at them. :Don't mind us. We're going to eat in front of you without shame:

:Don't mind us. We're having a pig out at the big habitat in a short while. It's being cooked as we speak: Will Lennox said.

:This stuff looks awesome, Ratchet: Jessie Landon said walking to Ratchet's plate. :Is that really sushi?: she asked with a grin.

:It is. Rampage strikes again: Ratchet said.

:It looks like sushi: Barbara Morshower said nodding. :But what does it taste like? Is it just colored formed energon?: Barbara Morshower was a gourmet cook who had things simmering at the habitat that would be hugely well received.

:Actually, its a long story: Ratchet said popping a California roll in his mouth. :Rampage is the master chef of the colony and he revived a lot of dishes from Cybertron that hadn't been made in ages. He's also very creative and has studied the cuisines of Earth adding a lot of things beyond appearance to the food you're looking at. He's been taking chemistry for two years, then applying it to food production. Every few days a shipment of food items arrives from Earth and he takes them to a lab at his production facility to study all of it. He applies a chemical number to each thing for color, texture, flavor and shape. Then its entered into the database. Consider Ironhide's dinner:

Everyone looked at Ironhide, whose fork poised at his mouth. He looked back at them, then Ratchet. :Yes, look at me: he said with a smirk.

Chuckles greeted that remark.

:Ironhide is eating what you see is chicken, potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob. All of it is created from base energon paste. That is the base of everything on this table. What they do now is decide what they are going to make and consult the database. The various additives are added, then the stuff is formatted either by servo or machine. The production facilities make the ingredients and food items for the stores and restaurants in the city.

"Vegetables are made to look like their images as well as everything else. Those potatoes were made from their root formats that were made to resemble potatoes. They were taken here and cooked the way you would to make potatoes this way. The gravy was a series of ingredients that blended made gravy. Everything that you need to make food is available at stories in the malls and centers. The corn was heated and came in the shape you see. The chicken came looking like chicken and was cooked.

:My sushi was made from all the ingredients being applied together the way sushi required but the different parts were needed to make it. It isn't spray painted solids. Its different things put together:

:We went to the supermarket in the Polyhex Business Plaza. It was like walking around Whole Foods back home: Barbara said nodding.

:They provide all the stuff you need to cook both our own food and yours. There are as many different ingredients and foods across the spectrum as you would find on Earth. There is a renaissance of cooking going on in the city. We cook a lot at home anymore which is good:

:Some do: Ironhide said sipping his high grade.

:Your aft isn't stapled to your chair, Ironhide: Ratchet replied with a grin.

:I cook: Ironhide replied.

:You burn stuff, Atar: Sunspot said pausing his hotdog before his mouth. It was everything a hotdog should be on Earth but was made from different kinds of energon formatted as wieners, buns, condiments including lettuce, and pickles. He caught himself and leaned back hiding behind Prowl.

Everyone chuckled. Ratchet grinned. :But he does that like a champion, right Sunspot?:

:He does: Sunspot said behind Prowl.

:You can cook by combining ingredients and have some things come whole?: Jessie asked glancing from Sunspot to Ratchet.

Ratchet nodded. :Yes. Makes things interesting at the grocery store and on the odd orns when dinner gets cooked at home:

:That's an understatement: Ironhide said just before he got a slap on the back of his processor.

The conversation continued as they chatted, the mellow ambiance of the room reminiscent of any restaurant on Earth after a game.

-0-Out there

Paragon watched the leaked downfeed from the city. Blurr and Blaster he knew. They were discussing the football game with aliens he had never seen before. They were organic and strange appearing, seemed to be well known to the Autobots and companionable in conversation.

The game had been shocking. It was held in a giant stadium. There was another arena nearby about the same size and an even bigger group had gathered at their airfield to watch as well. There were tens of thousands of mechs and femmes living at Autobot City. There were endless towers of habitation reminiscent of Cybertron. He could only imagine the industrial base they had built to support their life.

The airfield was ringed with seemingly endless lines of ships that bristled with guns and armaments. That didn't even include the guardians who had watched the giant projection of the game themselves. He had recognized them, all of them. Kappa and her brothers he thought were dead but for Omega. He knew Omega was still around somewhere because he had fought the beast himself. The others? They were a surprise, especially Metroplex and Fort Max.

He had seen dozens if not hundreds of faces in the crowds that he recognized from battles or life before the war. He himself had been a professional soldier all of his adult life, someone recruited from colleges and universities to join the officer's corps. He was so smart and machine like that he had been on a fast track to become the Second-in-Command of the Armed Forces. That is, he was until a taciturn winger from the Praxus Policing Forces was discovered and coveted with a maniacal focus that left him in the dust.

Prowl.

That name had haunted his career. That bot had finally been recruited and stood in the way of his finely tuned, finely plotted path to power and personal esteem. They were both high caste, incredibly intelligent and able as well as coveted by officers who saw them as essential to their own climb in the army.

Prowl had walked from the detective ranks of Praxus to the side of the Prime, the spot he himself had wanted from the beginning of his enlistment. There were no intervening steps for that enigmatic unknowable machine. There were no words for his own angst and disappointment. He had put Prowl on his list, working to undermine and replace him with the Primes, the last one being Sentinel.

But then it all came a cropper. Sentinel set his sights on making Prowl his lover and there was little Paragon could do about it as long as Sentinel had that goal in his mind. What was even more maddening than Sentinel Prime abusing his office in pursuit of the admittedly handsome enticing figure of Prowl. No, that part was typical Sentinel. What was the most maddening of all was that he doubted either of them even knew he, Paragon existed.

Prowl was Sentinel's shadow, the main reason that the plates kept spinning. Sentinel was never a detail mech. That part he delegated to Prowl who was to minutiae what clouds were to the sky. Without Prowl's lazer-like focus and intense nearly obsessive attention to detail, the Fall would probably have come sooner. Paragon never had a chance to speak to Sentinel out of the hearing of the mech he kept at his side almost constantly. The only time he could see him alone was on his rambles in the shadows of propriety.

That wasn't often enough.

The Fall came and the rise of Megatron was inevitable. There would be no way to save Cybertron and there was no guarantee that Prime would be able to pull off any other outcome. So he cut his loses and decided to become Megatron's Prowl. Of course, that meant relieving Shockwave and Soundwave of their sparks. He had been on that task when Megatron disappeared.

With that mech gone, the field was open. When it was clear that the Empire was breaking apart, he took his core group and left to find his own base of operations. It was only the worst or perhaps the best of luck that he came across Prime. The call had reached even the depths of the Empire. Now he was here in this sector digging in and expanding. That Prowl would be his opposition once more was almost comical.

They were joined at the hip.

He would have to recalculate his position to figure out how to keep his team together. A flight of Seekers had already defected, that he was sure. More would follow if he didn't tighten discipline and make incentives. First of all, he would block access to transmissions. He would watch them alone for intell. Then he would put out a call himself. Come to me, he would say. Come here and help me make a new Empire. Help me make it possible for our Cause to rise again.

Cybertron was waiting. Soundwave was on borrowed time. He would rebuild their base, shore up their army and take on Cybertron. Once he secured that plum, then he would be able to turn and consider the problem of Prime. And if Megatron returned? He would personally tear out his spark chamber himself. Prime wasn't the only one done with that lunatic.

The ball game would be the last general broadcast allowed at his base. He would make sure of it himself.

-0-Later that night

They tucked in the sparklings, then walked to the living room to sprawl in their chairs. Ironhide grinned. "You alright, old mech?"

"Nope," Ratchet said. "However, it will be therapeutic to watch Kaon rip the aft off your backside in the championship game. My younglings will avenge me."

Ironhide snorted and squeezed Ratchet's servo. "We'll see."

"You watch, Ironhide. The younglings will be awesome."

"As awesome as me?" he asked with a grin.

Ratchet glanced at him and smirked. "No one is that awesome, Only One."

Ironhide smirked back. "Ditto, Only One."

They sat together watching The Hourly News recap the orn's happenings. It would be the pleasant ending of a mostly pleasant orn.

-0-In the habitat

They ate an astonishingly good meal and talked long into the evening with beer and chips. The Hourly News was viewed as they began to drift off to bed contented with life and the view outside. By the time the place was silent again, the news from Cybertron was beginning to filter in.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	242. Chapter 242

NOTE: Guest, you are very sharp. Guest mentioned that Jazz was on Cybertron with Elita. WHOOPS! I have rewritten those parts and corrected the error with Gearshift. Thank you so much. :D Huggles!

-0-Let's roll out

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 1 (242)

-0-On Cybertron

They made it to the staging area where Dai Atlas said to come. Ooze and ozone vied with the smell of rust and neglect as they crept through the underground drainage system, pausing to find their way at junctions until they reached a ladder that led up to the moonlit surface.

It had taken a long time to get this far as well as to connect with the underground. The relay system for communications was active during certain times of the orn and that rotated according to a complex code. They had connected at last and were given a series of numbers that translated to directions.

They reached the ladder and paused, Elita climbing up to peer out. They were coming up in a pile of rusting broken steel beams from a commercial building that had taken a direct hit in some forgotten battle long ago. She looked down and nodded unsubbing her gun as she began to edge out of the hole. She crept out and looked around, her sensors extended way the hell out there.

She crouched to give cover as Greenlight emerged pausing to reach down for gear. The pieces of the two replicators were brought up and carefully put to one side. When all of them were out of the hole, they covered it and waited as Jazz sent the signal that they were at the rendezvous point.

The sky was dark, the brilliant sunlight of their life when lived here a thing of the past. The city was digging out and they could hear machinery in the distance as someone or something worked. Sitting huddled together, they listened and scanned for anything or anyone. Signals of bots in the shadows, scurrying here and there in the wreckage nearby registered but no one came near.

Then they did.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars at the same time

"The signal has come back again." Prowl turned and looked up at Optimus. "It would appear, sir, that a handful of Seekers are trying to defect."

"The first crack in the dam," Optimus said.

Prowl nodded. "Should I send someone to escort them in?"

"Send the message to Starscream. Have him detail a party to go through the small bridge. Have them brought here. I want to talk to them," Optimus said with a nod.

Prowl turned and sent the message, a ping from Starscream and the Officer of the Orn at the Trigger returning in acknowledgment. He turned and walked to the table to sit with Optimus who had brought his work from the office to do at the table. They would work together in complete companionable silence until something new was known.

-0-Cybertron

The signal came over their low band linkage and they returned it. Movement nearby gave way to several bots who finally emerged walking toward them with their weapons pointed here and there. Pausing before the group, a tall mech nodded. "I'm Silver. You can call me that. This is Gold, Red and Blue."

The bots nodded and Elita nodded back. "We came here with gifts," she said grinning slightly. "We need to see One."

"Follow us," Silver said turning to go back the way they came. The others waited for Elita and her group to pass, then followed. Soon it was quiet once more.

-0-The smaller bridge

They flashed through, Red Wing and his team. There were seven Seekers in all heading out swiftly toward the signal that had been received by Ops Center. They arrived on the other side, all of them gathering into a flying arrowhead formation.

Nearby, waiting at an agreed site the defectors gathered. They were tired and frightened, the idea of being followed by their ruthless leader almost overwhelming to their already frayed nerves. Hope stood with his bonds, his brother and two friends from the beginning. Six of them were looking for refuge and took the only chance they felt they were going to be getting, leaving during their shift on patrol.

The images of the city had been overwhelming. The Autobots had built a real city with two football stadiums, a huge airfield bristling with ships and tower habitations that stretched out beyond their ability to see. It had been a massive surprise for everyone and even as they decided to leave, they knew that others wanted to as well. Maybe they would get their nerve up by the example they were setting themselves.

A blip on their sensors indicated someone coming from the direction of the Prime's call. It had to be someone who would help them come in from the cold they hoped. For now, that was all they had.

-0-Cybertron

The walk to the campsite of the meet up was convoluted. There was no real rhyme to the path they took as they went around massive piles of broken blasted stuff, up and down piles of more broken blasted stuff and under melted steel beams that had once been industrial factories. The smell was still strong and shadows cast were eerie as they clambered and climbed their way to a campfire nearby.

A group was waiting, standing around the small electronic fire. Dai Atlas greeted them as they finally met up with the leader of the Resistance on Cybertron. "You came back," he said with a grin.

"We couldn't keep away," Elita said with a chuckle. "We need to talk. We come bearing gifts."

He nodded and the groups turned filing out behind him in a single long line as they made their way to the deep underground lair of the Resistence and the Knights of Cybertron.

-0-Out there

Red Wing signaled the group and they signaled back. By the time the Autobot team reached the defectors they were beside themselves with the desire to leave. Landing, taking stock of the youngling group before him, Red Wing walked forward to grip the servo of the mech called 'Hope'. :You made it:

He nodded. :We did. My brother finally came to his senses:

A younger mech shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. :Can we go with you?: he asked.

:Why now? Why did you decide not to leave until now?: Cloud Burst asked, his focus on the youngling Seeker.

He glanced nervously at the others, then looked at Red Wing. :I didn't know if it was safe to go to Prime. He's an Autobot:

:So are we now: Red Wing said raising his arm. The new Seekers looked at his Autobrand a moment, then glanced at each other.

:We saw the game on the transmission. Did you know there's a leak in your comm line to the base you have out this way?: the youngling asked.

:I'll tell Prime: Red Wing said with a slight smirk. :Continue:

:We didn't know that you had a city. That all of our people were going there. We figured a base with hard living. We have that now with Paragon and there aren't any Autobots there. We know about the death sentence but Paragon isn't enforcing it. He wants to take over the Cause and rule himself. He knows he needs us and he's hooked up with one of us too:

:Who?: Red Wing asked.

:Arrow. He and Arrow have been together a long time. The order was one of the reasons Paragon left the 'Cons. The shoot to kill order was a deal breaker for him. We didn't know where to go and we didn't trust Prime's call so we came with him. I thought he might be on to something. A lot of Seekers are headed this way to find out if he's the real deal and there are some big battle groups coming for a parlay. But the game was the deciding moment. We saw the city and knew that Prime was telling the truth. We saw Starscream and the others. We saw the Elders. We knew which way to go then. You're going to have to tell the Seekers out there heading for Paragon more stuff: The youngster paused and glanced at his brother. :That's what happened:

Red Wing nodded. He looked at them, at the young mechs standing before him and felt fury. They were young, unclear on what to do and trying to find safety. How many more were out there being led astray or hurting? He didn't know. He would get these six to safety, then talk to Prime and Starscream about this news. :We're going to the colony. We will take you to Prime and you can give your oath, personal and Seeker to him and the Matrix. You do know what breaking that oath means don't you?:

They nodded. :You die: the mech called Hope said.

:You do. Are you hurt? Can you make it or do you need fuel?" Red Wing asked.

:We can make it. We just don't know the way: another youngling said.

:Follow us then. We do: Cloud Burst said.

The younglings nodded and watched as the Autobot Seekers transformed heading upward into the darkness. They transformed and followed them, heading into the night and the bridge that would appear shortly. When they shot through the bridge would collapse and other than a trace of energy, no one would know anyone had ever been there.

-0-Cybertron

They climbed down, down down and leveled off following Dai and his team to a place where there was a habitation. In the endless darkness surrounding them could be seen tiny fires that threw carefully contained light in small pools.

Dai gestured for them to sit and they did, his small team joining them. For a moment Elita looked around, then she leaned closer, Jazz reaching for a pack as she did. "We brought a special kind of replication machine that will help you make energon for the people. It is one that we have adapted from a new ally, the Hu An. Have you heard of them?"

"I heard about a group that sounded like them a while back. Their systems got overrun," Dai said. "I traveled all over before coming here."

"Sounds like them," Jazz said stripping the bag back to display a glowing crystal of energon.

Dai looked at it, then sharply at Elita. "That looks high grade."

"It is. Prime's choice for a colony was the mother lode. That is Class A energon," Elita said. "We have two machines with us that can replicate energon from these two crystals," she said pulling them out of the bag. "You put them into the machine, attach the electrodes to a pile of whatever you want converted and it changes it to energon crystals of the same quality."

Dai looked at her a moment. "You're fragging me."

"No," Elita replied.

"This is the machine you will use," Jazz said gesturing to the bags filled with parts ready for assembly to complete two full machines. "The crystal Elita has stays in the machine and becomes the template for the conversion of whatever the frag you use. Don't ask me how it works. I'm not Perceptor but it does."

Dai looked at him, then the glowing crystal in his servo. "Put it together."

Ten minutes later …

They filled a bucket that was nearby with scraps of metal and the ore they had stockpiled to use with their own personal military-issue energon convertors. Putting a lid on it, they attached a grid to the bottom of the container. Jazz worked through the process of assembly that he had practiced with Wheeljack and Perceptor in Sciences, then he keyed in the codes for ignition. He glanced at the others and pressed the simple start button.

They stared at the machine as it powered up and then the grid which showed no change. It was changing however. They could feel the energy on their armor, a thrumming low grade electrical charge. The machine was quiet but the effect wasn't. A rattling sound inside the bucket began to rise as if someone were shaking a can of coins. It increased and changed, the multitude of sounds beginning to coalesce. Then it ceased. The machine ran longer, then it shut itself off.

"It rattles because we used small scraps. The bigger the ore source, the quieter this process is," Jazz said. "We were very aware that you would be doing this on the down low. So use big solid pieces when you make more. The energon template powers the machine by the way. You don't have to hook into any other source. Because it's a template the energy needed to run this is so small the crystal will last a long time. When it finally gives out use one you made. The quality will be identical. At least Perceptor says so," he said with a grin.

Everyone looked at it, then Elita reached for it.

"No," Jazz said. "It's hot. Let it cool down."

They all sat back staring at a scarred bucket with a scorched lid that could hold the hope of life and well being for their stranded brothers and sisters.

"I've made energon from nearly anything with a metallic content over the years," Dai said quietly. "This will save lives."

"We have plans for you to make them," Elita said turning to Arcee. She grinned and turned her back for a moment. Then she turned back around with a data wafer. Elita took it with a smirk. "I won't ask you where you put that."

"Good," Arcee said with a chuckle.

Jazz sat forward, then gingerly removed the lid. Reaching inside, he brought out a crystal of glowing blue energon. He continued to bring them out until they had a pile that would when converted feed a great deal of individuals. "This is Class A and A- which means when its converted to food grade you will produce a great deal from a very small piece." He looked at Dai. "This will help you make a lot of food for a lot of mechs given that the big converters probably aren't working anymore."

"Two are in Iacon. They keep us from starving completely but they are hard to manage. They were damaged a great deal," a bot said. He looked at the crystal in his servo. "I have never had this grade before."

"When we retake Cybertron everyone will," Elita said grimly.

It was silent a moment, then Dai stood. "I would like to speak to you and Jazz a moment, Elita." He turned and walked into a dimly lit compartment nearby. They followed.

Lancer watched them go, then glanced at Chromia. That femme had nothing to say. Her expression said it all.

-0-On the other side

They flew into Autobot space in a tight formation, the younglings in the midst of the Autobot Seeker flight. Mars loomed before them, its orangish-reddish magnificence surrounded by ships, devices and platforms that did myriad work for the colony. They fell into orbit as Red Wing asked permission to land.

:Fort Max Flight Control, this is Red One seeking clearance to land:

:Red One, stand by:

They flew onward making a revolution of the planet as the newbies scanned it in their relief, fear and curiosity.

:Red One, this is Fort Max Flight Control. You are clear to land. Use runway seven:

:Received, Max. Red One out: With that, Red Wing led his party to the ground.

-0-Out there

They stood in a dimly lit room gathered to Dai as he thought silently a moment. "We have something that needs taken care of. Its of the most critical importance. We cannot guarantee the security of this thing any longer. We are moving more and the strain is too great for those involved."

"You are talking about someone then?" Elita asked nodding.

"Two someones," Dai said nodding to a couple of big mechs who sat huddled around a fire nearby. They were big, careworn, drab in coloration and nondescript beyond their size. They huddled together, the weariness on their faces and in their posture evident to Jazz and Elita even in the dim light.

"You want us to take them?" Jazz asked. "Who are they?"

Dai looked at them, then the two. "They are incredibly important and need to go. They are Optimus Prime's genitors."

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	243. Chapter 243

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 2 (243) edited for boo boos :D

-0-In an underground cavern on Cybertron

"They are incredibly important and need to go. They are Optimus Prime's genitors."

They stood a moment glancing between the two silent mechs and Dai. Jazz felt electricuted. He was one of the longest lasting and closest friends of Optimus still going having joined with him well before the long slide to the Fall. That his friend's genitors were still alive was an astonishment. He turned and walked toward them, kneeling before the electronic fire. They didn't look up and he felt a sense of their isolation and effort to blend in with the walls. "Hi. I'm Jazz."

One of them glanced up, the one who wasn't leaning. That other bot looked sick and weary in a way that Jazz had seen often on the faces of refugees coming into the colony. "Hi," he replied quietly.

The tone of the bot who spoke was flat, soft and defeated. Jazz arose and walked back to Dai. "They're not good are they."

"No," Dai said worriedly. "Apparently when the Fall began they couldn't reach their son. He was in Simfur launching the AllSpark and they were caught in the middle. But a network formed at the moment it became obvious that Megatron would win and they found both, taking them into deep cover. They changed their appearance and guarded them all this time. The possibility of them falling into Decepticon servos is unthinkable."

Jazz nodded as Elita turned and walked to them, kneeling. She looked over her shoulder. :Do they know Optimus is alive?:

:They do. Just not more than that: Dai replied.

Jazz turned and walked back squatting down beside Elita. He smiled as the other bot roused to look at the two of them warily. They didn't speak, but merely looked at both strangers without expression. Jazz nodded. "We know you are Optimus's genitors."

They blinked and tensed, both of them looking at each other. "Who are you?" one of them asked, the one who seemed more well.

"I am Jazz," he replied gently. "This is Elita. She was more well known to you perhaps as Ariel back then."

They looked at him, then her, then him again. The conversation internally was obvious to both as they discussed the new information. "If you are Ariel, you would know my son's name and where he worked."

"Orion. I worked with him at the docks. We unloaded energon shipments and other freight. We were great friends, your son and I. We still are."

They looked at her, then Jazz. They caught the remark and all its possibilities but didn't say anything. It was clear to both Jazz and Elita that there were eons of conditioning, containment and dashed hopes at work here. It would be necessary to ensure that a slip of the tongue didn't end in disaster for them or those risking all to protect them. It must have been a hellish long existence. It would be merely existence. Life usually had more potential for hope.

"We came from a place called Mars in a system far from here. There is a city there, Autobot City and we want to take you with us when we go back to it," Jazz said gently.

The bigger of the two nodded but said nothing. He glanced at Dai who had joined them. "What about our boys?"

"They can come. They earned it," Dai said. "Can you take ten mechs besides these two?"

Elita glanced at Jazz who shrugged. We can take as many as need to come. The ship will be crowded but we can lift off with a lot more than that."

Dai nodded. "Good. They have taken care of Kestrel and Tagg from the beginning. They deserve to leave with them. Completes the circle."

"So you're romantic too?" Elita asked with a grin.

"I'm a knight after all," Dai replied with a grin of his own. He knelt. "Kes, these bots are from Optimus. They will take you and your boys to Optimus. Do you understand? They can do more for you medically than we can and you will be safe. You can be with your son, safe."

They looked at him and nodded but it was clear that they didn't really believe him. Elita blinked and stood up, the idea of their spark broken weary defeat difficult to take considering the endless hopefulness of their son. "We will take good care of you, Kestrel and Tagg. You will see your son soon, I promise."

Two weary nods greeted that remark, then they leaned on each other as if something had been released, some deflating energy that they couldn't contain or ill afford to lose. It was sad to see.

"We better get this show going so we can leave. The sooner we get them to Ratchet, the better," Elita said grimly.

Jazz and Dai nodded grimly as well.

-0-On the ground at runway seven

They stood together transformed and silent. They turned slowly taking in the view as the sights of Autobot City, Terra and Aerie Hill overwhelmed them. The activity of the airfield was intense with cargo ships coming and going along with massed flights of Seekers on their regular patrols. Some were landing at the moment, their thundering crescendos echoing in the thin atmosphere as they powered down and transformed in midair. Seekers standing nearby asked about their shifts before transforming and thundering off to do theirs.

Fort Max and Metroplex were nearby, their tower lights blinking in the sky as they turned slowly to mark their towering heights to ships. They bristled with antennas just like a massive stone fortress nearby. The guns on that stone building rivaled those of battleships.

Roads paved and wide led everywhere, highways with traffic lined by sidewalks filled with bots going here and there purposefully. Towers rose and disappeared into the distance as well as large commercial buildings. They could see one with Museum of Cybertron in large copper glyphs nearby the stadiums. Two massive arenas loomed nearby the towers, the ones seen on the broadcast.

Beyond that, the telltale signs of industrial activity could be seen. Immaculate factories and plants peeked up between buildings, their purified smoke pouring outward as steam from tall white stacks. All of the above ground factories were white, their stacks noting not only their industrial park location and division of manufacturing but also the Autobrand and the Emblem of the Primes. Flying from tall flagpoles both there and around the city were the flags of Cybertron, the Emblem of the Primes and the Autobrand. It was like being home if home had ever been this clean, peaceful and prosperous.

They turned again and saw Aerie Hill in the distance with Seekers landing, taking off and taking their leisure. Hope turned, then paused tapping the shoulders of others. They turned and he pointed, the group pausing in surprise. He looked at Red Wing. "Is that really the Temple?"

"It is," Red Wing said nodding. "The AllSpark, the Well and the Flame are in there. So are three of the priests."

"I've seen priests. There are more on Cybertron. They're working in the mines," Hope said.

For a moment, the tanks of everyone turned over. Red Wing nodded. "You have to tell Prime."

"Prime?"

Red Wing nodded. "Time to talk to the Prime and give your oaths. Tell him everything. Don't hold back. Your safety is now hinged on our own. If you hold back, it gives the 'Cons the edge. They won't spare you when they come."

They all nodded. "We know," the young brother of Hope said emphatically. "We want to do right."

:This one is a baby: Cloud Burst said to no one in particular.

:I know. Sub adult at least. Frag. Frag them all to the Pit: Taking the youngling gently by the arm, Red Wing smiled. "Come on. I'll be with you the whole time. Then we'll get you a shower and see what your colors are."

"They're gray," he said unaware of the angst that caused everyone.

His brother looked sick himself. "He was hatched after the Fall. All of the hatchlings after the Fall never got their clan colors. The genitors were never allowed to promote them. They were all hatched gray."

Red Wing looked at him in shock, then looked at the youngling. "Did you ever know what they wanted?"

"Yes," he said hopefully. "I remember them telling me."

"Our genitors are still out there," Hope said firmly. His trine looked at him with anguish, then Red Wing with hopefulness. "We think they all are including ours. They just have to find us, Red Wing. Can we do something to make that happen? There are so many trying to get away."

Red Wing swallowed hard, then nodded. "We will try." With a gentle tug on the arm of the youngling, they turned and began to walk to the Fortress nearby.

-0-Four joors later in Kaon

They gathered in the tunnels that would lead them back to the road to the Polyhex. Jazz had gone ahead to see if their rented vehicle was still there. While that was going on word had been sent to the mechs who had been Kestrel and Tagg's bodyguards to assemble at the main camp.

They had gathered, big mechs with grim expressions, their concern for the two they watched over touching. Kestrel had protested albeit weakly that there were others more deserving. Dai had gently explained again how their presence on Cybertron jeopardized everything. They had begrudgingly given in, their flagging health and diminishing will an incentive. They were exhausted, their travail through the eons arduous and unforgiving.

When the new goals had been met and all the data hidden safely, they turned to go. Energon would be flowing to the needy from the new replicators and more that would be built. The comm net had met and exceeded expectations allowing data to flow around the planet undetected from the 'Cons as well as off planet to Mars. Incremental steps were being made. Foundations laid and expanded upon. In the end, they were the rails upon which the freedom express would travel when they came for Cybertron.

It was deadly clear to those left behind that this was a priority for their Prime. It gave them heart, hope and the reasonable expectation that it wouldn't take another nine million years.

Gathered together, they followed Dai moving as swiftly as the two older mechs could manage. Their joints were in need of repair and perhaps replacement from years of toiling as nondescript workers at the same hard labor everyone else had to endure. Privation and sometimes punishment for 'infractions' had taken its toll. The incredible fear of being exposed, of 'their boys' being exposed and the danger to their son had been incredibly emotionally debilitating. They were emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted.

They would take a long time to reach the manhole that would take them to their vehicle. It would take three trips to Polyhex to get them all there. They would then have to make their way to their shuttle through a maze of security before they could even hope to take off for home.

It would be a very long orn.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars shortly after

He received the message himself, his alerts letting him know that the team had sent a highly encrypted missive. Prowl downloaded it directly into his files, their mathematically accelerated encryption programming unwinding the endless stream of seemingly random numerals in seconds. When he scanned it he sat a moment, electrical energy suffusing his circuits.

Gathering himself, he looked at his partner, his bond and soulmate. Optimus was working unaware of any disturbance, his handsome noble features consumed with the business of helping his people as they waited for the Seekers to come. They were at this point still coming through the ground bridge. An interview would be necessary.

Prowl considered the number of points all coming together, then commed Ratchet to meet him for a moment. He sat back pretending to scan a datapad as he absorbed the news.

Optimus Prime's genitors had been found and were coming back with the team.

-0-Ratchet

He stood in emergency trading slag with Breakdown and Knockout. The two were cleaning up after an emergency repair to a bot who didn't duck fast enough. They had a truce going, one that sort of came together without a word of agreement. They had reached equilibrium somehow. The buzz caught Ratchet and he paused. Turning at last, he nodded to the two. "I have to go to Ops Center." With that, he turned and walked out to the elevators to leave.

Knockout watched him go with a peeved look. "I can't believe we root for the same team. That cad can't be from Iacon too. He's not classy enough."

"You do know that class talk can get you brigged?" Breakdown asked. "Besides, I'm low caste too and I will punch your face if you keep it up."

Knockout looked up at Breakdown with a smirk. "You know I would love it if you do," he said with a sly tone. "Besides, class is something you have. And baby, you have lots of it."

Breakdown snorted. "Nice recovery." He turned to go to a cabinet to resupply the shelf over the medberth. "That's right. Me, a Stunticon … the personification of class."

"You won't get an argument out of me," Knockout purred as he turned to help him.

And so would go the afternoon … for now.

-0-Ops Center

Ratchet ambled in and paused by the table. "Hey. What do ya want, Prowler? Some of us have to work for a living."

Prowl snorted, rising to stand. "You are such a whiner, loser. Come with me. I need advice on something."

Prime grinned and watched them go to the conference room nearby. Prowl's energy was tense, but then the situation during work often caused that. He turned back to his own problems at servo without much more thought.

Prowl entered the conference room and closed the door behind Ratchet. Pausing a moment to erect unobtrusive but steel tempered firewalls, he looked at Ratchet gesturing him to sit. Ratchet did, a slight frown on his face. "What's up, Prowl?" he asked.

"We got news from the team on Cybertron. They have accomplished all their goals but found themselves in a fix. They have to bring back two bots that aren't in very good condition."

Ratchet nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Alright. We'll have a runabout ready and I will have a team with me that can handle whatever they bring back. Who are they?"

Prowl paused a moment, as if to say it out loud would be to jinx the possibilities. "Kestrel and Tagg."

Ratchet nodded, waiting.

"Kestrel and Tagg," Prowl repeated. "They are Optimus's genitors."

Ratchet just sat a moment stunned.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	244. Chapter 244

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 2 (244) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They entered, their optics looking everywhere as they walked across the vast room to where Optimus Prime sat lost in the details of running a vast empire. They paused as Red Wing cleared his throat. "Prime."

Prime started, then looked up nodding. "Red Wing. Are these the Seekers looking to defect?"

"Yes, sir," Red Wing replied as the frightened younglings moved unconsciously closer to Cloud Burst. "They're really young, Prime. **Really**, **really** young."

Optimus nodded and looked at them, six dirty gray Seekers with frightened optics trying to look tougher than they were. He arose and they watched him come to stand at an impossible height. They were so young that Prowl who come out of the conference room with Ratchet actually stood taller than all of them. "Welcome to Autobot City. We are very glad you came to us. We have opportunity for you here and possibly relatives. We have thousands of Seekers living and working for the good of our colony and Seekerdom itself. There is a place for you here if you choose it."

The one named 'Hope' stepped forward, tension informing every inch of his being but he held out his servo. "I want to belong. I give you my oaths. I give it to you and the Matrix." They clasped servos, the electrical flash sealing the deal. He looked at the others. "These two are my bonds. These two are my friends. This is my little brother. We … are we going to be okay here?" he asked as fear emerged in spite of his tough facade.

"You are. Give me your oaths. Then Red Wing and the others will help you." Prime looked at Red Wing. "They have information I will need. I would like to talk to them in the conference room. Could you call Silverclaw and Harrier to come? I think it will give them confidence to have Elders there." He looked at the Seekers. "You are young, that is evident. We don't allow very young bots to be a part of combat or fighting. There is a Home Guard for you to be a part of but we protect our young here."

They all straightened. "We can fight. We have. We're here to fight for the colony, right?" 'Hope' asked looking at the others. They all nodded, six small Seekers together.

"We know. I am sure you were very brave, very strong warriors," Prime said gently. "However, we don't exploit our young. There are many things you will need to learn before you even try to qualify as warriors again. There is school and work that might interest you more."

"We can't go to school," Hope's brother said. "We're Seekers. School isn't allowed for us, right Farris?" he asked looking at the bot named 'Hope'. "We can't go to school."

Farris slipped his arm around his brother's shoulders protectively. He looked at Prime almost defiantly. "We can't read and write. How can we go to school even if you allowed it?"

Red Wing ducked his helm in pain as Cloud Burst shifted uneasily, his own angst writ large. Behind them footsteps were heard and all turned to see Starscream, Silverclaw and Harrier approach them. Starscream looked intensely upset. He paused before the younglings who looked at him with enormous surprise. "You can be anything you want!" he said sharply. "You will learn. The doors are open." He looked at the younglings, his facade of rage deflating at their growing fear and unease. "You are **precious** to us. We do **not** waste our younglings. Understand that," he said softly.

Silverclaw nodded as did Harrier. She stepped forward. "Who are your clans, younglings?" she asked, her servo gently caressing the cheek of Storm, the youngling brother of Farris.

He looked at her, then his brother. "What is our clan, Farris?"

Farris looked at him, then the femme. "We don't know. We were hatched at a rookery near the Sonic Canyons. They didn't care about clans. We weren't allowed our colors. We are gray because we came that way. All of us."

Starscream looked at them a moment, the faintest of faint memories clawing at his processor. "I … there was a scandal. Megatron wanted more Seekers. He wanted them tied to him alone. I heard something once … I don't remember."

"I do," Silverclaw said hotly. "Megatron wanted more Seekers. He wanted to exterminate the Autobots once and for all, full on attacks by Seeker armadas. He had a breeding program somewhere in the hinterlands run by Shockwave it was said. They were breeding hatchlings in an accelerated program that criminal had devised. Elders who protested disappeared. Genitors were of no consequence, their own feelings given no regard. Hatchlings were taken away and no one knew what happened. You must have been a part of that but I heard the facility was destroyed not long after the Fall."

"Shockwave wouldn't have quit something he wanted to do just because it got harder. He would have kept experimenting," Starscream said bitterly. "These infants must have been part of that program. It may be over but not before he created an armada of younglings without allegiance to or knowledge of who and what they are. You don't have colors but somewhere in your programming is your clan code. We will find it. You will be who you are again. You have my oath," Starscream said almost savagely.

They looked at him and nodded meekly. The femme turned to Prime. "You wish to talk to these infants. We are here to help you," she said looking at the six silent fearful younglings. "You will be safe. Prime needs all the information you have to give. When that is over, we will take you to Aerie Hill where you can be cared for and given a home. You can trust the Prime. He is the leader we should have had, rather than the ones we have been given."

Her tone was gentle and kindly. The younglings nodded and turned looking up at Prime. Storm straightened his posture. "What can we do to help you, sir?" he asked with more courage than he actually felt.

"I will take your oaths, youngling," Prime said as one by one they gave it to him. Then he nodded gesturing to the big conference room. "Let us go in there and talk, all of us together."

With that, they all walked in to sit and talk for a few joors.

-0-At the airfield at Polyhex

They had gotten all of the mechs who had taken care of the pair through security and into their shuttle. It would be a tight fit, the crew who had come, the ailing mechs and their dedicated 'boys'. Elita walked to the security booth to distract everyone so that they could begin to filter in for the takeoff. The airfield was crawling with bots, small devices going here and there as well as stacks of cargo piling up as exhausted mechs struggled to move it. The security chief was frazzled but attentive as the hard aft standing before him asked question after endless question.

Jazz waited with Chromia as the rest of the crew sauntered in making it to the ship. They had an servo on the arms of both Tagg and Kestrel waiting for the moment when a security vehicle moved off by their ship allowing them a straight shot. As they did another vehicle came up alongside where they stood and parked blocking their view and path to safety.

-0-In the conference room at Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

A pensive Prowl and Ratchet stood by the wall watching as the painfully young Seekers began to tell their tale. They were part of a group that had been raised industrially at a rookery near the Sonic Canyons. They were accelerated in their growth which had complicated their development. They were children inside the bodies of older mechanisms. Megatron had disallowed the process due to the failure of downloading adult programming and information into the younglings to enhance that part of their development as well as furthering their usefulness on the battlefield.

There were younglings with adult bodies, adult information bases and mental problems because of it in the air wings of the Decepticons. They were not successful in battle, many of them dying trying to fulfill what they were not capable of doing. Most of them were pulled off combat and assigned security or messenger duty behind the lines.

The group before Prime were the last known hatched from the facility before an energon shortage made the program impossible. It was unknown how many youngling Seekers were out there struggling with forced adult programming, adult sized bodies and hatchling sized personal development.

It was a nauseating thought. That the architect of this war crime lay in stasis below them was of little solace.

Prime leaned forward, images of infants with adult bodies laboring in the vision he had during Festival filling his processor. It was deeply disturbing but he kept his voice calm. "Tell me about Paragon's fortress and base, Farris, if you can."

He nodded, then pulled a data wafer from subspace. "I have the diagram of his base and it will have the strength he fields now as opposed to what is coming. There are a number of armadas and battle groups heading his way, sir. He's gathering his strength so he can attack Cybertron, consolidate that place, then attack you. That is what they talked about there."

Prime took the wafer and gave it to Prowl. He turned and put it on the screen. It showed a growing base with a fortress dug in, hardened bunkers for Seekers, ammunition and energon production as well as a growing airfield and space for expansion when others came. It was pretty impressive for a small group in a short time. "How many, Farris, does he have in his command and do they follow his leadership?"

Farris thought a moment, then Storm spoke. "They have over 8,500 soldiers, sir. They had almost 300 Seekers. Six less because we left them," he said innocently.

Prime nodded and squeezed the youngling's servo. "You were brave to do that. I wanted you to come before. I am glad you are here."

"It was my fault," Storm said with anguish. "I was afraid to come here. You were here and there's so many Autobots."

"You must put such fears and thoughts behind you, youngling," Harrier said gently. "We are beyond happy to have you, your family and your friends here. We cherish our people and the Prime respects us completely."

Prime nodded. "You are a brave youngling, Storm. Don't worry about that."

He looked at them, then Farris. "There are others coming."

Farris nodded. "Two big battle groups are coming, some with Seekers. At least two armadas as well. They are composed as far as I heard of ships that field fighters among others. They are filled with shock troops. They don't know what's going on in the Empire and Soundwave is struggling. I heard they want to talk to Paragon, then go talk to Soundwave. Whoever gives them the best deal gets their services or so I heard."

Prime considered that. "Then it might be a good idea to hit Paragon before he gets settled in with more troops. Eliminating a possible choice would turn them back to Cybertron. That would be the only downside to attacking Paragon."

"How about telling the incoming that it would be better to come to us? How about sending images and films to them along with updated messages from Rampage and the rest?" Ratchet said. "If we can peel off a bunch of the newbies, then it won't matter if they land with Paragon or not."

Prime sat a moment, then nodded. "PsyOps the frag out of them before they get here. Does the data include their trajectories, Prowl?"

Prowl checked the data and nodded. "It's there. We can send messages that way and see what happens. That will still give us time to hit Paragon. It might be an optic opener if they get to Paragon and find a smoking pile of rubble. It will give them a taste of the opposition they will be facing."

Prime nodded. "What can you tell us about Paragon and the leadership?"

Farris glanced at his bonds, then Prime. "Arrow and Paragon are together. They are really close. **Really** close, like bond close. I never saw a grounder-Seeker bond before."

"They happen," Ironhide said. He had entered quietly and stopped beside Starscream whose expression was filled with malice and revenge. "Nitro is in one."

Prime nodded. "Do you believe they are bonded?"

"I don't know. It seems like it. They've been a team for a long time."

"If we could grab him, Paragon would feel the pain," Silverclaw said with malice of his own.

"That will be evaluated," Prime said nodding. He looked at Farris. "Continue, youngling."

"They are never apart and he does the field leadership for Paragon," Farris said. "The others are pretty good soldiers but no one who I can tell you much about. We weren't close to them."

They continued getting details about the set up of the base, the ability of the opposition to provide ammunition and weapons under a sustained siege and other details. When all the questions had been exhausted, Prime looked at them, all of them with a kindly expression. "I would like to know what it was that made you come across. I know you, Farris and your trine were ready to come when we were last together. I understand staying for your brother and friends. I want to know what it was that was effective to bring you over."

Storm looked at Farris. Then he looked at Prime. "I want to live in a city where you can go watch football. I want to walk around real streets. It was so great watching everyone be happy. Everyone got along. That was amazing. All those Autobots and Decepticons together." He looked at his brother. "Farris and his bonds have been so worried about us all staying together." He looked at the other five, then Prime. "We were together since we were hatchlings. Whenever they tried to separate us, my brother would risk himself to keep it from happening. I don't want to worry about my brother anymore." He looked at Prime with anxious optics.

"You won't have to," Prime said kindly. "If we were to send out images and statements by Decepticons to the incoming fleets, what do you think will happen?"

One of Farris's bonds looked at Farris, then Prime. "We know it will work." He paused. "Do we get to live in a house too? In a tower? With rights and all that?"

Prime nodded. They glanced at the Elders who nodded too.

The bond, Cardinal looked at Prime. "That will matter. Some of us have never had nice things. We've never lived in a nice place with rights and things. We have always been hungry and dirty. Tell them that things are nice here. We can tell them can't we, Farris?" he asked anxiously.

Farris nodded and looked at Prime. "We can help you."

Prime sat back and nodded. "We can figure all that out when we are sure you are well and settled. Ratchet is our medical chief for the colony. He will make sure you get someone to help you fix anything that needs attention. Your Elders and these mechs," Prime said nodding to Starscream and the seven Seekers who had gone out to bring them in, "they will help you too. Go with them. Listen to them. You will be alright. Then we can see what you can do to help us."

The younglings looked at each other, then Storm smiled. "We will help you. We gave you our word. The Matrix wants us to do that. Is it true about the Temple? About the AllSpark? Megatron and Paragon want that so bad."

Prime smiled. "It's true," he said. "The Temple is there for you and so are the priests. You should go there if you need to and they will help you."

"We saw priests on Cybertron," Storm said remembering. "They were working in the mines."

For a moment the room was silent as a tomb, Prowl shifting in distress, then Prime nodded. "Thank you. We will see about saving them."

Storm nodded and smiled. "We can really help you. Just ask us."

Prime squeezed the youngling's servo. "We shall. Now, you need to follow your Elders. They want to take care of you."

The group stood up and with smiles of relief and expectation walked out the door to go to Aerie Hill. It was silent a moment, then Ratchet burst into flames.** "WHAT THE SORRY FRAG ARE WE AS A PEOPLE THAT BABIES ARE EXPLOITED FOR WAR! WHAT THE FRAG!?"**

No one spoke a moment, then Prime glanced at the steaming medic. "Ratchet, are there personnel who can manage these infants?"

Ratchet nodded. "Yes. I will alert them at the clinic at the Hill. I will also put an emergency call in to Jarro to do an full scale expedited profile of them to figure out their age and mental condition. If they are struggling as infants in an accelerated body and adult programming download, they will be in need of a lot of help."

Prime rose and paused staring at Prowl a moment. "Are you alright?"

"We have to find the priests, Optimus," he said in his distress. "They know so much of our history and culture, if they die we lose a connection to the pantheon that can't be replaced."

"I know," Optimus said. "We will find them and bring them out. We have a linkup now." With that, he turned and walked out, the others following.

When the door closed, Prowl turned to Ratchet. "What are we going to do?"

"We get them here. I have you both meet me in the emergency room and we go from there. Or, you tell him when they land and meet us at the emergency room. No sense in making him suffer until they come here. What if Primus forbid something goes wrong or they are delayed?"

Prowl nodded. "I hate this."

"I know," Ratchet said quietly. "Join the group."

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	245. Chapter 245

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 3 (245) edited for boo boos :D

-0-The airfield at Polyhex

They froze as the security car pulled up and blocked their view. They could see the ship over the top of the vehicle but not the femmes or the passengers preparing to leave. Elita glanced at the group outside the fence a moment, then leaned into the window of the security office asking even more questions around the numerous calls he was getting from other bots and places.

Jazz and Chromia standing with Tagg and Kestrel turned to talk to the pair who had lowered their helms the way that most of the workers on Cybertron were seen to do. No one dared or had the energy it seemed to look directly at each other. They blocked the view of the pair as best they could with their own bodies as they waited, appearing to be friends gathered to talk together.

A door opening and closing could be heard, then footfalls coming toward them. Chromia glanced casually over her shoulder and saw that four mechs were heading their way. She looked back at the wan pair. :Don't do anything. Let us take care of it. Be prepared to move with us when we tell you. Do you understand me?:

Tagg looked at Chromia with a defeated expression. He gripped Kestrel's servo and nodded. :Save Kes. He's got bad knees. He won't be able to run. Save him:

:We're saving both of you: Chromia said with her typical firmness.

The four bots paused behind them. Jazz and Chromia turned to look at them with hard expressions on their nondescript scarred faces. The security mechs were impeccably detailed signifying extremely senior individuals in the Decepticon public administration. The one in front looked at them, then nodded curtly. "I would like to see your identification."

Chromia glanced at Jazz, then sneered. "Why?"

"Because I say so," the mech replied. The others spread out, their servos by their firearms.

:Give them your identification, Chromia. We can't protect against this spread of fire:

She unsubbed her disk and handed it to the lead mech, standing with barely contained contempt as he examined it.

"You are from off world. You are pirates bringing contraband to Cybertron. Your passes appear to be in order."

"Then what's the problem?" Chromia sneered.

"Who said there was a problem?" he asked looking at both clearly. He reached into subspace and brought out a series of data wafers enclosed in a band. He put it behind her disk and handed it over. "You need to leave and take them quickly. Optics are everywhere."

Jazz and Chromia glanced at each other, then looked at the mechs with puzzlement. The leader grinned. "Your expressions make a lot of things bearable. I will remember them a long time. Give my regards to the Prime. Tell him we will be ready when he is."

For a moment they just stared at the mechs, then they nodded, their expressions bearing as much gratitude as they dared give in public. Turning, holding on to the arms of their debilitated prize, they slowly walked past the security group and into the gates of the airfield. The trip to the ship seemed to take forever but when they reached it, servos helped all of them aboard.

Jazz paused in the doorway watching as Elita was detained by the same group. They chatted a while, her identity disk inspected, then she turned and hurried forward boarding quickly. The door slammed shut as she moved forward slipping into the pilot seat.

Jazz looked out the window as the group watched them go. When the ship was turning to join the outgoing flight lane, only then did the four leave, their vehicle driving sedately away. He turned and looked at Elita. "Did they tell you who they were?"

Elita who allowed the ship to go into automatic control for departure glanced at him. "That, my dear Jazz was Soundwave's Chief of Staff, his personal attache and two of the most senior members of the Elite Guard."

They sat back and considered that silently. Jazz looked back in the hold and saw that Tagg and Kestrel were comfortably seated among the mechs who had spent their orns taking care of them, protecting the genitors of their Prime from capture.

It was a short ride out of Cybertron air space and as short a ride to the space bridge. When they reached it, they fell into the storm and disappeared from their home space once more.

-0-At the airfield

They had received word that the shuttle was coming through the bridge so the support team hurried to the runway to wait for them. Ratchet was there with a runabout, Ironhide by his side. They stood watching the skies as Ratchet waited for a ping from Prowl that indicated he had finally told Optimus. When it came, Ratchet gripped Ironhide's arm pulling him to one side. "Ironhide, I have something to tell you. You will have to be very important to Optimus for a few orns."

He nodded, a worried expression on his face. "What's up, Ratchet?"

"The team did all they were supposed to do and Dai gave them a very important thing to bring back here. He gave them Optimus's genitors."

It took a moment to sink in, then Ironhide gripped Ratchet's arms. "They made it?"

"Apparently but they aren't in very good shape. I have a runabout to take them to the emergency room. You be here for Optimus. Take another ship if you have to but I'm not going to let him come with us. There won't be room."

Ultra Magnus walked to them pausing by their side. "I'm here, Ratchet."

"Good, Magnus. The team found Optimus's genitors. They're coming and they aren't in good shape. Optimus needs you and Ironhide," Ratchet said.

Magnus blinked, then nodded. As he did, they all turned and saw Optimus hurrying out of the courtyard. He ran through the traffic, Prowl hurrying along behind as they both aimed for the airfield. By the time they arrived, a shuttle was beginning to descend from the sky.

-0-On the way down

They were huddled in the shuttle, all of them pressed for space. The mechs were silent, all of them filled with disbelief at the idea of leaving Cybertron behind them. The city below was clear to their optics and they were silent as they watched the apparition that was appearing below, overcome that something miraculous was happening.

Elita flew as carefully as she could, the air traffic controller holding other ships in orbit to give them priority. Prowl had called and given them a code fifteen for their shuttle. They had every priority and privilege that any ship could have. Even Primes would have to wait for this ship to land and be taken care of.

The ground was coming up fast so she slowed the vessel. It moved forward then touched down near a group of mechs and a runabout. She set down with great skill and the ship settled, the engines powering down. Before she could rise up from her seat the doors were opened and servos reached for mechs.

The mechs who had protected Kes and Tagg stepped out, then took over. When it was time for the pair to move, they reached in and gently picked them up. Carrying them out, they turned and saw a medic signaling for them to put the two on stretchers. As they turned to do that, they paused.

Optimus Prime was standing nearby watching them with an unreadable expression on his face.

-0-A moment earlier

They walked out, the door closing. Prime rose to go but Prowl stepped forward halting him. "Optimus, I have news for you. I want to tell you here in private."

Prime paused, then nodded. Prowl's energy was incredibly bad. He froze, then gripped the winger's arms. "The infants?!"

"No," Prowl said hugging the big mechanism to himself a moment. He stepped back and looked up. "The team is back and they did incredibly well. Dai Atlas gave them a task to complete because things are so insecure on Cybertron."

Prime nodded. "What?"

"He gave them the task of bringing your genitors back to Mars. They're through the bridge and coming in for a landing."

It was intensely silent, then Prime sat down. Prowl cupped Prime's face in his servos. "Optimus? Are you alright?"

Prime sat stilled, the firestorm in his processor overtaking him a moment. Then he looked up at Prowl. "My … ada is here? My atar?"

"They're coming, Optimus. They need medical attention. They're ailing but it doesn't sound like anything Ratchet can't fix."

Prime stood up a moment, then looked at Prowl. "I have to be there when they land. They might be frightened. If they're hurt or sick, I have to be there."

Prowl nodded. "Come on. Optimus," Prowl said, then halted him. "Ratchet has a runabout to take them to the hospital. We can take another ship too. But they will go with him. Okay?" he asked anxiously.

Prime looked at Prowl and absently nodded, the words from his bond falling onto deaf audials. He was in turmoil and the shock was settling in. He gripped Prowl's face in his servos, then he turned and hurried to the door. Prowl stood a moment, then turned running to catch up.

He thundered across Ops Center, then burst into the rec room. Bots parted to let him, then Prowl go past, watching as they exited the Fortress turning right to the airfield. It was a short run to the group gathered together. He was only marginally aware of Magnus, Ratchet, Ironhide and others. He only could see a shuttle land, the door finally opening.

Bot after unknown battered bot exited, all of them turning back to watch the hatch door. Then two climbed back in and came out again holding two sick injured mechanisms. Ratchet was directing them to stretchers and as they turned they paused. They saw him standing there.

Prowl stood next to Optimus holding his servo. Prime had gripped it tightly when he came to a stop, holding onto Prowl as if his life depended upon it. It probably did he would think at a later date. But for now, there was only his telescoped vision of two weary nearly unconscious mechs in the arms of others he didn't know.

He stepped forward, his grip pulling Prowl along. When he came close he paused. He stared at them, at their obvious hurts and the dull damaged armor and paint schemes that they wore. He reached out to touch Kestrel, his servo linger on his cheek. His ada didn't open his optics. He just lay silently in the arms of a mech who didn't look much better. He nodded and the mech walked onward gently laying Kestrel on a stretcher. Tagg joined him on another, then both were boarded on the runabout.

Ratchet pausing nodded to Prowl who nodded back. Then he jumped on and the hatch closed, the vehicle lifting off to fly with speed to the hospital landing pad. Optimus watched it go, the group gathering around him. He stood on the airfield holding Prowl's servo like his life depended upon it and as he did he considered that he didn't recognize either of the mechs flying away to the hospital at all.

Magnus turned and called to the pilot of a small shuttle. He entered and fired it up. Then Magnus turned to Optimus. "Optimus," he said gently as Arcee and the others stepped closer, their expressions filled with concern and hopefulness. "Orion!"

Optimus broke his gaze, then looked at Magnus. "Dion?"

"Orion, we can go with them. Come on," he said nodding to the shuttle. "You need to come with us. We're your friends. We're with you."

It broke the spell, the gentle words. Prime glanced at Prowl who squeezed his servo. Then the two walked to the shuttle with Magnus and Ironhide. Magnus looked over his shoulder. "All of you. To the emergency room. He needs us there."

They nodded and turned hurrying to the shuttle that brought them. Then Elita paused. Turning to the ten mechs standing pensively on the tarmac she nodded. "Come on. You're family too."

As one, they turned and ran for the shuttle. It lifted off without a sound and followed swiftly behind the one carrying Prime.

-0-At the landing pad

Ratchet jumped out noting that the doctors and specialists he had called for were lined up waiting, their expressions filled with seriousness and compassion. He turned and with an orderly lifted the stretcher with Kestrel. The big mechanism was silent, his optics offline and his affect quiet, almost sleep like. They moved to a gurney where orderlies with the utmost care lifted Kestrel onto it. It was then wheeled inside for the elevator that would take him one floor down to the emergency room. They were taking Tagg out when Prime's shuttle arrived. He leaped out before it landed and hurried to Ratchet. Holding the stretcher too, he watched as his atar was gently placed on the gurney for his ride downstairs.

Prowl and Ironhide, Magnus and the others who had arrived in their shuttle gathered, their expressions filled with worry and concern. When the gurney began to move, they walked in and entered elevators. It would take two trips for everyone to arrive in the lobby of the emergency room. All around the huge open space were emergency suites. Doctors were crowded around two as the group massed.

Jazz slipped through the crowd and moved to the wall of the room where Kestrel lay, Ratchet working to hook him up to machines. In the next room, Prime by his side, Tagg was getting the same treatment at the servos of Cambo and Gypsy. The data began to flow. Prime held Tagg's servo and looked at the alien face of his father. It was obvious that they had been changed to protect them. It was spark arresting to want to see them and not be able to look at the handsome faces of his parents, their amused optics smiling at him, loving him more than life itself. It was incredibly painful.

Prowl slipped out and slipped into the room with Kestrel. He walked to the berth and took Kestrel's servo into his own. This was the bot who had borne Optimus, raised and educated him against great adversity and had been half of the love and ethics that had made him the best mech Prowl had ever met. It was searingly painful to see them in this condition. The feelings of Optimus were even worse. He was too upset to even mute them. Prowl was glad. They would suffer together until they didn't have to.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	246. Chapter 246

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 4 (246) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Emergency Room

Ratchet felt the warmth from Ironhide seeping through the intensity of his concentration. He sent it back knowing that the big mechanism was as upset for Optimus as everyone else. When the data began to flow Ratchet turned, then paused. Standing in the doorway with a worried expression was one of the mechs who had come with Tagg and Kestrel. "Knockout!"

That bot appeared out of nowhere. "What?"

"You and Breakdown find the bots who came with these two. Pull them into theaters and examine them. Get some of the other doctors to help. I want them scanned, energized and slated for repair if they need anything bigger than a tweak right now."

"On it," Knockout said turning. "Step aside. Doctor coming through," he said as he exited, dragging the big mech from the doorway with him.

Ratchet snorted, then turned back. Kestrel was looking better as the energon began to filter into his systems. "Cambo!"

After a moment, Cambo materialized at his side. "What, Ratchet?"

"How's Tagg?"

"He's stabilizing," Cambo said. "He's got a lot of work to be done to be fully functional. He's been worked to death." He changed to internal communication. :I think I see signs of abuse. Beatings, Ratchet:

:**FRAG**!: Ratchet said nodding. :I will give Prime the 411. No questions answered by him. I want the big picture handed to him all at once so he can function. This is sad, Cambo. We keep the lid on or helms roll:

:Got ya: he said turning to return to the other suite.

A vented sigh caught Ratchet's attention. Blue optics came online and a helm turned to stare at Ratchet. He leaned down close. "Kestrel?"

The big bot looked at him focusing, then nodded almost imperceptibly. He tried to speak but couldn't. He was depleted and exhausted. Shifting slightly, he relaxed under Ratchet's gentle servo. Turning to an orderly, he spoke softly. "Get Prime in here."

The orderly nearly spun out turning to move. A moment later the impression of a massive figure materialized beside Ratchet. He looked up. "Kestrel is awake. Let him see you, Optimus."

Optimus nodded and moved taking his ada's servo. He leaned down closer. "Ada," he said softly, his voice cracking with emotion.

The mechanism looked at Optimus as if studying his face. He managed a ghost of a smile before slipping into recharge again. Optimus glanced at Ratchet with alarm. Ratchet squeezed his arm. "He's exhausted. He's sleeping. He just saw his son, Optimus. I would be wasted too after all this time."

"Will they be alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I don't see anything here that can't be fixed," Ratchet said honestly.

Optimus felt light helmed at the news, then looked at Ratchet again. "What about Tagg?"

Ratchet nodded. "Let's go see." Ratchet turned and led the way back to the other theater. He stood staring at the data, then looked at the big mechanism on the medberth. "I am convinced he will recover too."

Prime nodded, pulling Prowl closer to his side. "Thank you."

"Are you kidding?" Ratchet asked with a grin. "This is good news. I could do this all orn long."

The mood lightened considerably at that. Ironhide looked light helmed and Magnus smiled, Arcee's arms around his waist as they stood by a wall.

"What do we do, Ratchet?" Prime asked.

"Well, we keep them in the hospital until we fix all their hurts and they're strong enough to leave here for home care. I can see a number of replacements are going to have to happen. Both of them have bad knees. I see a bad hip on your atar. He also has worn shoulder assemblies. All of that will be easy fixes. We will look internally. That's what these scans are doing. Their internal repair systems might need adjustment. We need to re-energize them. I am convinced we will find protoform wasting but we have elder formulations that are easily tolerated no matter how frail you are. They will take time and medical attention." Ratchet paused. "You don't seem to recognize them do you."

"No. I don't," Prime said. "I recognize their energy and the bond with Kestrel … I feel it. They're both weak, Ratchet. It … I hate it."

"I know," Ratchet said with great sympathy. "They will get better. I would also like to say that I will have Jarro personally conduct examinations of their processor health. Given that they were in such peril for so long, it might make them anxious. Their recovery might take a while, Optimus. Just know that."

He nodded. "I know. Thank you, Ratchet, for everything you're doing."

"We're lucky, you and me. We're twins almost. We both got our genitors back from Cybertron. How lucky we are. Remember that."

Prime nodded. "I will."

Ratchet patted his arm. "Go talk to Elita. Find out what happened. It might be useful and will keep you busy."

Prime nodded and with Prowl hovering at his side, he turned to walk to the lobby where Elita and Jetta stood waiting. He hugged them, all of them, his friends. Then he paused, noting a number of silent mechs in rather diminished condition watching them. Elita looked at them, then Prime. "Those mechs … there's ten of them … they've been hiding and protecting your genitors since the Fall, Optimus."

He looked at then, his gaze slowly taking them all in. Then he turned walking to where they stood. All of them straightened, one of them extending his servo. "Optimus Prime, we are the Elite Guards of the Palace of the Primes. Its been our great privilege to protect and care for your genitors since the Fall of Cybertron."

They nodded, all of them standing tall in the presence of the Prime. He looked at them, then engulfed their spokesman in his arms. He hugged that mech tightly, then gripped the servos of the others equally tightly. It would take nearly a breem before he could haltingly express out loud the enormity of his gratitude for their incredible feat.

-0-A joor later

Ironhide brought a box of food up to the emergency room. It had been put together by Rampage who upon hearing the news sweeping the city had wanted to do something. Mechs had come to take the Guard mechs in servo, two of them ecstatic family members as well as several friends and old comrades. The joy was intense and after wrangling with the ten that their charges were in good servos, they finally left when Prime asked them to take care of themselves.

They would be washed, detailed, fed and feted in Maccadam's Old Oil House by their friends and family before taken in to the apartments of all involved for the next few orns. The city would find out the amazing details of their effort in the morning with Autobot City's media dogging the story like rats.

Ironhide set the box down, turning to everyone sitting or standing in the lobby of the emergency room. "Come and get something to eat and drink. Rampage will slag me if you don't."

As he said that, Rambler walked into the room holding Miler's servo. T-Bar rode on the arm of his grandatar, Venture as Spirit walked in looking around curiously. "Hi, Uncle Ironhide," Spirit said smiling gigantically.

Ironhide hoisted him up, kissing his cheek. "Hi, Spirit. Hungry?"

"I am," he said with a smile.

Ironhide set the baby down and they both began to look in the box. In minutes, food was being circulated and ravenously downed.

Prime stood beside the berth of his atar, Tagg groggily looking at the impossible sight of his son. "Orion," he finally managed.

"I'm here, Atar," Optimus said leaning down closer. "You rest. You and Ada are here with me at Autobot City in the hospital. Ratchet's helping to get you both on your peds."

"Kes," he croaked.

"He's next door. When Ratchet finishes stabilizing you, he will put you together in a room. You can stay together."

Tagg nodded. "What about our boys?"

"They are fine, Atar," Optimus said gently. "Some of them have family here and friends. They came and are settling them."

"They saved us. From the first moment, they took us away," Tagg whispered. "Our faces … they're different."

"I know, but your energy is you," Optimus said. "All of it can be fixed, Atar. All I want you to do is recharge now."

Tagg nodded. "I want … to look at you, son."

Optimus felt fluid fill his optics. He nodded. "Just rest. I am going to stay here tonight. Until you get settled, I will be right here."

"I love you. I missed you. You make me proud," Tagg said as he slowly drifted into recharge.

Optimus held his servo, then tucked his arm under the thermo blanket covering his father. He turned, pausing as he saw Ratchet behind him. "I … I'm going to check on my ada."

"It feels good doesn't it, saying those words again," Ratchet said quietly.

Optimus nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet, for what you are doing."

"Your welcome," Ratchet said squeezing his arm. "Go. Look in on your ada, then get something to eat."

Optimus nodded, then turned to walk out. He hugged Prowl who was standing in the lobby.

"Atar?"

He turned and saw his children. Rambler was holding a 'milkshake'. He put it down and walked to Prime. "Atar? Are you alright? I saw your ada. He's recharging. You don't have to worry. Uncle Ratchet is taking care of both of them."

Optimus picked up his son and held him a moment, hugging his tightly. "I know. Your grandgenitors are here. My ada and atar. Its just a surprise that's all."

"We know," Rambler said as Spirit and T-Bar gathered around him. Miracle sitting on Jetta's arm chewing on a rust stick looked at his atar, his poor energy distressing. "**ATAR**!"

Everyone paused, then looked at the normally taciturn infant. He looked at everyone looking at him, then smiled in his usual sweet manner. "Atar?"

"He said your name, Atar," Spirit said. "He can say your name."

"I see that," Optimus said smiling for the first time.

Prime put Rambler down and petted the other two, patting them gently. Stroking the cheek of Miracle, he turned and walked into the theater where Kestrel lay. He paused and took his ada's servo. He looked at it, the battered servo that had been so strong, so tender, so loving to him all his life. Kissing it, he put it under the covers. His ada was sleeping.

"His vitals are pretty good, Optimus. I think we can put them both in a room tonight," Ratchet said behind him. "And I don't mean intensive care."

Prime turned and looked at him. "Thank you, Ratchet. I … wish I could express what I feel right now. All of you are here, the friends and comrades of my life. All of you are here and I feel great comfort."

"I assure you, Optimus that it is a small return on the enormous comfort, strength and hope that your presence gives to all of us. We love you, you know," Ratchet said, his expression deeply serious.

"Then you know right now how I feel for all of you," Optimus replied as Prowl enveloped him with his arms.

-0-Maccadam's Old Oil House

Ten mechs, their friends and families stood at the bar. Blurr was tending it himself, their drinks never emptying as he kept the good stuff coming. They were being celebrated, these Autobots who had kept the faith. Their story would become known to the community, their city finding out that they had stepped away from the rubble of the Prime's Palace to search in the Jumble for the family of their moral center. They had found them running through the shelling, the burning, the shots and kept them safe since that orn. That they did was a testament to their dedication to duty and Prime.

That none of them were lost in the long hard battle was the miracle.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	247. Chapter 247

Note: MageBreaker: THANK YOU!

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 6 (247) edited for boo boos :D

-0-At the Habitat

He roared in parking the segway. Waiting for the airlock to equalize, he fidgeted. When it opened he ran through the inner airlock and hung his face mask on a hook. Rushing into the big common room, he looked around. "Epps!"

A group paused their meal and glanced in the direction of Graham. "What?"

"I just got back from Ops Center. I got some new scuttlebutt. Elita and Jazz are back from their mission and they brought back Prime's parents."

They sat looking at him, then each other. Then they jumped up and ran for their masks and the airlock beyond.

-0-At the hospital

Ratchet stood at the computer terminal going through the data. The sound of movement behind him drew his attention. Walking over to the berth where Kestrel lay with energon feeds in his lines, he paused. "Kestrel, if you lie still we can move you sooner. I am pumping energon into you, good energon."

He looked at Ratchet, his expression strained. "My son," he said quietly.

"I'll get him," Ratchet said. "If you promise to lay still I will get him for you."

Kestrel looked at him, then nodded. Glancing around, Ratchet alerted an orderly that he was going out of the room. He walked over and stood at the foot of the berth nodding to Ratchet. That bot hurried out heading for the theater next door. Optimus was standing beside the medberth holding his father's servo. Tagg was recharging, his energetic affect much improved. He stopped beside Optimus automatically checking the data monitor. "He's improving. Kes wants to see you."

Optimus glanced up and nodded. Gently tucking his father's servo under the thermo blanket, he turned and followed Ratchet into the other room. Walking to the berth, he paused reaching under the blanket to take Kes's servo. "Ada?" he asked quietly.

Blue optics onlined, a ghost of a smile managed, Kestrel looked at his son. "Orion."

"How do you feel, Ada?" Optimus asked around the emotional turmoil in his spark.

"Better," he whispered back. "Tagg?"

"He's recharging. He's better," Optimus said. "Ratchet is the best doctor ever produced on Cybertron. He's taking care of both of you."

Kestrel nodded slightly. "The boys who helped us ..."

"They have family. Friends, Ada. They're taken care of well," Optimus replied.

"They came for us. We were running. Tagg was afraid for you. We both were. We were going back to the Palace to find you."

"I wasn't there, Ada. I was at Simfur," he said gently. He squeezed his Ada's servo.

"I know. We were mixed up. It was terrible. We were at the Jumble looking for friends. We wanted to help them get out but they were already gone. The bombs came and we ran. We were not going to make it when the boys came. They came and took us away."

Optimus nodded. "They were Elite Guard from the Palace, Ada. They loved you. Remember?"

Optimus watched his Ada's face as he rested. The memories came to him as he waited. It had taken all the persuasion he had to get them to live with him in the giant Palace of the Primes. One mech alone in the massive structure had been ridiculous to him. Having his genitors with him ensured their comfort and welfare. That they didn't feel the same was not surprising.

They had been overwhelmed at the idea of luxury and had gone out of their way to not 'be a problem'. They were mannerly in all their undemanding dealings, kind to all the staff and very appreciative of the help the Elite Guard mechs in his security detail who liked to assist them with things they needed or wanted gave to them happily. Kestrel and Tagg were unobtrusive, gentle and kind. Everyone in the household including security adored them.

The new Prime and his family were a breath of fresh air.

It was no surprise to Prime that the Guard had gone to find them. He would be ever grateful to them that they did. His battle at Simfur had ensured he would not be able to save them himself.

Kestrel looked at him again. "You look so handsome, Orion. I hope you had some pleasures in your life. Your burden was so heavy."

"Ada, I did. I want you to meet my family when you are able," Optimus said. "I have a family, a bond."

Kestrel looked at him a moment. "Is it someone I knew? Is it that nice mech, Prowl?"

Optimus blinked. "Prowl?"

"He liked you terribly. He didn't know how to tell you but I could tell," Kestrel said. "I could see it on his face."

Optimus looked at Kestrel. "I didn't know you even knew him."

"He would come by the Palace to speak with you about business. I could tell," Kestrel said with a slight grin. He vented a sigh, relaxing slightly, his optics dimming.

Optimus grinned slightly. "You were right."

Kestrel looked at his son. "I was always right, Orion. I knew you would be a great mech some orn."

A figure appeared in the doorway standing back. Optimus turned and nodded. "Come in."

Prowl walked in and paused by the berth. "How is he?"

Optimus looked down at Prowl's serious expression and found a grin slowly creeping over his face. "He's psychic actually," he replied.

Prowl's look of confusion would carry him through the night.

-0-At the Residence of the Prime

Venture and Miler finally tucked everyone in. They walked back to the kitchen cleaning up the dinner things. Prowl had helped them but had gone back to the hospital. He was running the show as well as looking after Optimus as he waited for more word on his parents.

"I wonder how they are?" Miler asked as he began to clear away dishes.

"I don't know. Prowl will tell us. I asked him to," Venture said. "Optimus is stunned. So am I."

"It was a miracle either set of us survived. Praxus during the barrage and Iacon during the Seeker swarm. We both should be dead and so should they."

"If it wasn't for the Guard, I imagine they would be," Venture said as he began to wash the dishes.

"I wonder what they must be like. I imagine pretty wonderful given they have a son like Optimus," Miler said watching the water in the sink rise. The bubbles sparkled as Venture began. Miler pulled a towel out of a drawer and waited. "I hope they are alright and able to have a full life. There is so much going on for Optimus, I would hope his genitors won't be a big worry too."

"I know. We can help them," Venture said. "We can help them get around if they need therapy or things done. I can imagine Optimus must want them to stay in the Residence for a while."

"That would be for the best I think," Miler said as he began to dry the dishes. They would chat for a while, then retire to a spare berth room. Optimus and Prowl would not come home until the morning.

-0-At the hospital

They sped in hugging the wall as they made their way through the lobby. Entering the elevator, Epps pressed on the panel placed nearly at floor level for their convenience. Up they went to the emergency level-floor one, getting off when the doors opened.

The waiting space was darkened slightly as evening was automatically accommodated by the lights. Sitting and standing around the room over a dozen mechs and femmes kept the family company. Prowl was standing in a doorway talking to Ratchet who held a datapad. Ironhide was sitting on a couch talking to Springer and Drift.

They turned and drove to them, pausing before the trio. :Ironhide, how is everyone?: Lennox asked.

The big mechanisms paused, then looked down at the humans. :Will Lennox. You have heard?:

:Everyone in the city has heard: Epps said. :I heard it passing the bar at Club Cybertron:

Ironhide nodded. :They came in bad condition and they have improved. Ratchet told us that they will be put in a ward when their transfusions end:

The soldiers nodded. Jessie Landon hopped down and began to run for the emergency room door. It would take a ridiculous amount of time for her to get there. As she did, Prowl looked down at the floor. Waiting until she arrived, he put down his servo and she climbed aboard. Prowl straightened, both he and Ratchet looking at her with a nod.

:Prowl, we all have heard. How are they? Are they alright?:

:They are getting better: Ratchet said. :They came in pretty debilitated but we're putting them back together:

:I never asked Optimus about his family. I know you are so lucky to have yours: Jessie said. :We are all so happy for Optimus. I wanted to tell you myself:

Prowl nodded. :Thank you, Jessie. We are more than lucky:

:Is that one of them?: she asked nodding to the figure on a medberth nearby.

Prowl nodded. :That's Kestrel, his ada. Tagg, his atar is in the next room:

Jessie nodded. :I want you to know that every human on this planet is happy for both of you. We're going to be in the next room. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask:

Prowl nodded solemnly. :Thank you, Jessie. My house appreciates you very much: With that, Prowl leaned down and put her gently on the floor. With a nod, he turned and walked to the next room and Optimus.

Jessie watched him go, then turned to Ratchet who was grinning broadly. :What?: she asked noting the look Ratchet had usually meant something more than just humor.

:You don't know Praxian customs very well. You just made a pact with Prowl:

:I did?: Jessie asked with surprise.

:Sure. You made an agreement to assist his family that sort of transcends the usual casual agreement. His formal answer was the tip off: Ratchet said with a chuckle. :He was honoring your offer with a formal response. Its a mannerly, Praxian sort of thing:

Jessie considered that and grinned broadly. :Cool!: she said.

Ratchet grinned. He didn't tell her that even though Prowl honored her goodhearted offer with the formal binding response, he would never hold her to it.

-0-A joor later

The orderlies arrived with gurneys. Pausing in the big open space, Ratchet began to direct the transfer of the patients to the ward floor. Optimus and Prowl stood in the room as several big medics gently and carefully slid Kestrel onto the gurney. When he was on, his blankets settled and his medication lines sorted, he was moved into the lobby again.

The gurney transfer for Tagg was made and the two were turned to be rolled to the elevator for the trip down. All of the mechs and femmes in the room stood watching silently, the humans as well. They passed by and disappeared into elevators, the rest of them following along behind.

Ratchet stood beside Kestrel as they made the trip down, Prowl accompanying him as well. They reached the floor they needed and the doors opened. The big wide corridor was empty but for the night nursing staff and the party. Rolling Kestrel forward, they walked down the quiet hall to a big room at the end. Entering, Ratchet supervised their transfer and settling. When that was accomplished, he stood in the corridor talking with Prowl and Optimus.

"They will be resting. In fact, I am going to put them into a mild level of medical stasis so they can get rest without waking. I would suggest that you both go home and recharge. When the morning comes, you can be here when they have breakfast."

"I would like to stay here, Ratchet," Optimus said. "There's a spare berth in the room and I can rest there."

Ratchet glanced at Prowl who nodded. "I'll go home and get things organized there. If this is okay, Ratchet, I think it will be for the best."

Ratchet nodded. "Alright," he said. "There won't be anything to do, Optimus. I am expecting you to sleep."

Optimus nodded wearily. "That won't be a problem," he said.

"Good. I'm going to organize their care and hit the road. You too, Prowl," Ratchet said turning to walk inside the room. He checked the monitors, programmed a light stasis for both, then turned to speak to the staff. Knockout listened to Ratchet, then watched him leave with the family. He as Officer of the Orn-Night Shift would be in charge.

He watched them go, then turned to look at the two mechs recharging on the berths. It was unbelievable that he was the one who was in charge of keeping the genitors of Optimus Prime optimal during his shift.

Or in any other situation for that matter.

"Knockout, you are living a very strange life," he said to himself as he turned and walked to the nursing station. He would stay there all night, only stepping away to direct the repair of a mech who had fallen off a derrick.

The night would pass quietly as Optimus Prime reclined on the berth next to his parents. He wouldn't get a moment of recharge all night.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	248. Chapter 248

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 6 (248) Edited for boo boos :D

-0-Early morning

Ratchet hurried about, his cube of energon on the table untouched as of yet. Ironhide had cleared his schedule falling into his role as Atar/Ada for the duration. He would manage the infants and take care of household things like a good housewipe. Ratchet grinned as the hulking mech who lay sprawled on the berth soundly in recharge.

/... slagger …/

He turned and walked toward the door pausing long enough to grab his energon.

The ride down and walk to the street was quiet, the hustle and bustle of the world still in repose not yet erupting into the busy hustle and bustle he had grown used to seeing every morning. He wondered about the little Seekers and made a note to seek information. The stroll to the hospital was accomplished. The traffic in the main lobby was light, mostly mechs who were scheduled for surgeries checking in with the front desk.

Riding up, he remembered the small medbay where they all began, the cramped space, the hellish orns of reclamation in which he was the only real doctor. They had come a long way and part of him was sad about it. Stepping off, he crossed the lobby and walked to the nursing station where Knockout was still at work. Glancing up, he smirked. "Good morning, sunshine."

"That's my line," Ratchet said with an answering smirk. "How was the night?"

"A dumbass didn't move fast enough. Most of the patients here and there are doing rather well. The two you are really interested in are stable and unchanged. The Prime didn't recharge at all."

Ratchet nodded. "You can go off duty. I'll cover your shift until its over."

Knockout checked the desk chronometer and smirked. "However will I manage the two extra breems?"

"Frag Breakdown. You know you want to," Ratchet said with a grin as he turned and walked to the room at the end of the corridor.

Knockout watched him go and smirked slightly. "Well, you got that right, you slagger."

-0-In the room

Optimus Prime and Prowl sat together on the spare berth chatting off line, Prowl's arm comfortingly around the big tired mechanism. Ratchet entered and scanned both. "Well, I can see both of you did what I told you to do. Not."

Prime grinned. "Good morning, sunshine."

"You've been talking to Knockout. Don't. Its hazardous to your health," Ratchet said moving to read the data readings on the over berth monitors.

"I don't pretend to know what you say half the time, Ratchet," Prime said smiling in spite of himself.

"He's incomprehensible," Prowl said with a smirk of his own. "Losers are like that."

Ratchet snorted, then chuckled. "Prowl scores again."

Prowl rose and stretched, a grin firmly in place. He walked to Ratchet and hugged him tightly from behind. "Even though you are fans of Iacon, I love you. Loser."

Ratchet glanced over his shoulder. "I love you in spite of Praxus Science being a douche bag cheating team. Whiner."

They looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Prime leaning back tiredly on his servos smiled too. "Thanks. I needed that."

"Wait until you get my bill," Ratchet said. He glanced at Prowl who was standing staring down at Tagg fondly. "Go downstairs to the cafe. It serves a great breakfast I am told. Lunch too. No dinner. They don't compete with the restaurants. If they were more than a stroll away they would."

Prowl looked at him and smirked. "Ah, information luxe, our Ratchet."

"Need you say more?" Ratchet replied. He stepped around and looked at Kestrel. Turning, looking at Prime, he grinned. "They are both out of any danger they might have had if they had been in danger at any point which they weren't. Ever."

Prime blinked. Prowl blinked and turned to interpret. "That is douche bag speak for they are going to be fine because they never were in danger."

Ratchet paused, then laughed aloud. "You know, Prowler, you use urban slang beautifully but its still like looking at my Ada and hearing 'frag' come out of his mouth. Its just so wrong."

A friendly punch greeted that. "You're jealous. Again," he said turning to offer a servo to Prime. "Come. Let's energize and come back." He turned to Ratchet. "Will they be awake anytime soon? I think we want to be here when they come around."

"Not for about half a joor." He looked at Prime. "Listen to Mother. Go and eat, then come back. By then they will be rousing. I want them to come about slowly and peacefully. The idea of post traumatic stress is a thing to consider probable for a while until we get a read from Jarro."

"Then we will know what they need and how we can help them?" Prime asked.

"We will. They could just need a few years without worry and privation. Or they could use counseling. It's hard to tell. We could all probably use counseling given the life most of us have led," Ratchet said turning away from Tagg to look at them.

"Some of us could use it, that's for sure," Prowl said with a smirk. "Loser. Looo-ser."

Ratchet snorted. "Some day, whiner, you are going to be in here and I will pinch your catheter."

Prowl snorted, then glanced at Prime who looked at them both with a big smile. "You both make me laugh."

"Good, but the question remains, Prime … who makes you laugh **more**?" Ratchet asked just to be ornery.

He looked at both, then grinned. "See you later, Ratchet," he said steering Prowl around the beds and out the door.

Ratchet watched them go, then grinned. "I guess that answers my question." With that, he turned to do more analysis of the two gently resting patients.

-0-Cafe Praxus, nearby

They had gathered early, the habits of a long hard life not too easy to lose. They were tough, united and determined to do a job that needed doing. For an astonishing amount of time they had protected the family of Optimus Prime. It had been a long ordeal but they had been true to their oath to serve their Prime and to protect two of the nicest bots they had ever met in their long careers in the Elite Guard.

They were hand chosen to serve at the Palace. They were uniformly tall, handsome and gifted at the skills they would have to demonstrate in their jobs. They had been part of the Guard that protected Sentinel until that fateful day he had eluded them and met his doom. Their angst over that failure to protect had been assuaged in the competent decent dignified person of Optimus Prime.

Then he brought his genitors to live in the cavernous Palace of the Primes.

They were hardworking low caste mechs who were as out of their element as it was possible to find in the universe. They were apologetic, unassuming and genuinely kind. Their manners were beautiful, their consideration of others immense and their caring for each other and pride of their son winning. They had done hard labor their entire lives, their economic status always on the low end of the spectrum but they had dignity, class, concern for others and a respect for their culture, home world and the Primes. They were the easiest duty all of them ever had.

The two asked them about them, their families and if there were anything the two could do to help them with their burdens. They had been consistently willing to do what the Guard asked them in relation to security and helped where they could. It was easy to see that they felt out of their element in the glitzy highbrow world of life at this level but to the Elite Guard mechs who helped protect them, they were unbelievably delightful after the reign of Sentinel Prime.

When the Seeker swarm finally hit the city, the two had managed to go to the Jumble to look for friends. They wanted to help them get out of the carnage. That they had eluded the Guard to do so spoke of the chaos of the end times rather than the skill and dedication of the Guard.

When it was clear that Optimus had launched the AllSpark and would go after it, they regrouped at the burning Palace and looked around. Tracing the transponders of the two while the system was still working, they raced to the Jumble to rescue them. The smoke and falling debris were a horrendous threat as they threaded their way forward but they found Tagg and Kestrel running toward them through the hell of fire and smoke.

Grabbing their servos, gathering around them, they turned and ran for it, barely between all of them forcing their way free. Then it was the hardest time of all. They were trapped on Cybertron with the genitors of their only legal leader and the mop up was starting. They had to be protected if Optimus Prime was ever going to come back and rescue Cybertron from the enemy or even survive the blackmail threat Tagg and Kestrel's capture would entail.

They found surgeons loyal and true who disguised them. They worked together, a pair and their 'boys', keeping together. Working around the clock to make sure their charges were safe, the did what it took, moved often and survived. The potential consequences of Megatron getting custody of the two were unthinkable. They had taken an oath to the Prime to protect him and his family.

They did.

For nine million years.

It was an astonishing thing to consider. That they all came through it together was a testament to their quality and their skills. When Dai Atlas came with his Knights and the Circle to begin a resistance to reclaim their world, the framework was already there. It was built on the genius, integrity and skill of ten mechs from the Elite Guard of the Palace of the Primes.

They sat together enjoying the freedom to be who they were at last, taking the congratulations of their comrades in the city, intensely grateful that they had fulfilled their charge to the kind genitor-like mechs that had been their greatest secret all the long years of the Fall and Diaspora.

Prowl and Prime walked in, notified in the lobby of the Hospital Tower that the group had been seen going into Club Cybertron. As they passed the bar, the two paused scanning the room. The bots saw him first and arose almost as one, their habit of knowing everything before it happened once more giving them the advantage. They stood respectfully along with their friends and family as Prowl and Prime walked over to them.

"Prime," the leader, Shadow said nodding. "We are hopeful for word on Tagg and Kestrel."

"They are doing very well," Optimus said with a nod. "They have repairs ahead on joints and other things but they are alive and well thanks to you."

The relief among them was evident, then they looked at him. "We're glad," Shadow said with a smile.

"I wish there was some way to tell you in some small way the debt that I owe you for caring for my genitors. I don't know what to do or say that will express the enormity of my feelings and regard for all of you," Optimus said.

Prowl squeezed his servo and nodded. "What you did was beyond the call of duty. It was epic."

"We don't agree, sir. Respectfully," another bot said. "We did our duty. That it was for two of the nicest bots we ever met made it all the more agreeable. We knew you would come. We just had to protect them as best we could."

"That goes without saying. As a military mech, I am aware of what you have just said. You did your duty to the best of your ability, then you went further. I am now and always will be in your debt. There are no words momentous enough nor any deed sufficient to repay the debt that I owe you. My genitors are my foundation and you protected that until I could have it back. You will always have a place of honor among our people, our profession and my family."

They nodded. Shadow looked at them, then him. "Sir, we would like to know how we can continue to serve you. You have to understand. We have served four Primes, some of us. We did serve them to the best of our ability and their willingness to let us. Some of them were criminals in our estimation. You were the best. You were The One the Chronicles foretold. We can see that here and we could see it there when word finally came through the Resistance that you were laying the groundwork for retaking Cybertron. We want to continue serving you and your family because that is our mission. We are the Elite Guard of the Palace of the Primes. Tell us what you wish and we will do it."

Prime looked at them, then Prowl. For a moment, he gave it a lot of thought. Then he looked at them. "I would give you the charge of teaching the skills that kept you under the radar of the Decepticons all this time and helping us develop the talents needed to retake Cybertron. That is our ultimate long term goal, retaking our home world and bringing it here. We need your knowledge and abilities."

They nodded. "Consider it done."

"I would give you leave to relax and enjoy the city. I hope that you have homes now and opportunity to explore other options as well. You have been living rough a long time. I hope you take time to decompress," Prime said.

"We are," a mech said with a big grin. The civilians with them nodded as well. "We are making sure, Prime," one said.

"Good," Prime said with a grin of his own. "Elita and Jazz who brought you here manage that side of our operation. They will be the command you operate under."

"We will also provide security for you and your family," Shadow said. "It is our duty. Call upon us for any and all reasons. Our charge still stands, sir. We intend to honor it."

Prime nodded. "I will be honored to do so," he said extending his servo. He shook their servos, chatting for a moment with each, then turned with Prowl to leave. They walked to the hospital tower as the city was awakening, the sun peering over the horizon to signal another sunny day.

"That group is amazing," Prowl said as they entered the hospital.

"They are. I will never not owe them my spark," Prime said as they walked into the cafe to dine.

-0-A few floors upwards

"Hi."

A drowsy bot looked at him and nodded. "Hello."

"I'm Ratchet."

"I remember. You're the doctor."

"I am. You were recharging all night. How do you feel?"

"Awful."

"Its to be expected. You were through a lot. You will get better. I will help you."

"Where's Orion?" Tagg asked.

"He's eating breakfast. He will be back in a moment." Ratchet sat down, his optics watching as Kestrel began to emerge from recharge in the next berth. Gypsy was standing next to him holding his battered servo gently. "You do know you aren't on Cybertron, your boys are just fine and your son has a family?"

"I do for most of it. I am not very aware of the family."

"Well, I'll let him tell you. I just want you to know that when my old mech and I had our first sparkling, we named him after Optimus. Our first sparkling is called Orion."

Tagg looked at Ratchet a moment, then smiled slightly. "That's wonderful."

"Thanks. We are pretty in love with our Orion. He's hell on wheels sometimes but he's got a great spark." Ratchet tucked in a corner of the blanket over his patient. "We're really glad you are here."

"So are we. Not that we ever expected it. Our boys made sure we were safe. We never expected to see Orion again. It was a hard thing to think about," Tagg said glancing over at Kestrel. "Kes is really debilitated. I hope you can help him."

"We can help both of you. Nothing either of you have is too hard to fix. What I would like to do is also schedule you with the plastic surgeons. The sooner your features are restored, the better you will feel."

He nodded. "Kestrel is beautiful. He has great features. Orion gets his looks from Kes."

Ratchet nodded, then rose walking around the bed to watch as Kestrel came back online. The big mechanism looked at him a moment. "Where am I?"

"In the hospital at Autobot City. Your son's city," Ratchet said.

"Orion? Is he here? Where's Tagg?" he asked.

"In the next berth," Ratchet said nodding to the mech reaching across the space between them. Kes looked that way and gripped his servo, squeezing it. "Tagg, are you alright?"

He nodded. "And you, Kes?"

"I'm better," he said quietly.

"You will both be better shortly," Ratchet said firmly.

As he did, Prowl and Prime came through the door. Optimus paused, then knelt beside his Ada's berth. "Good morning, Ada," he said quietly. Then he burst into tears.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	249. Chapter 249

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 7 (249) edited for boo boos :D

-0-That morning at the hospital in Autobot City, Mars

They sat up in their berths sipping energon, the sunlight streaming in the big windows while Optimus sat with them on a berth nearby. They were more clear helmed and aware even though their energy levels and overall health was low and slowly rising. It was quiet in their room but in the corridor there was activity with patients checking in for this and that. A big city hospital is seldom a quiet place.

"The energon you're drinking is very high grade," Optimus said. "We found this planet is nearly half Class A and A- energon."

The cubes paused in their servos as they looked at him. "How?" Kestrel asked.

"Drone Seekers seeding planets in the past. This planet had a lot of geothermic activity. It grew unabated because no one lived here. It was fortuitous."

Kestrel nodded. "That's so. You chose this planet?"

"We were living on the next planet over, Ada. We were starting to get refugees and soldiers. I called them to come and they did. We needed a place to live where we could protect our people and be who we were intended to be. That meant leaving the world of our allies and coming here."

"I see," Tagg said nodding. "Your allies … they are good and dependable?"

"They are steadfast," Optimus said. "There are a few still trying to assimilate the idea that aliens exist but by and far, they are our good friends," Optimus said.

"Good," Tagg said nodding. "I am tired of watching you be betrayed. You were a mech of your word, Orion. We raised you to believe that your word mattered. I don't want you hurt."

Optimus looked at his father and smiled slightly. "I am a big mech, Atar. Besides, I had good teachers."

They looked at him and for a moment they were the only mechs in the universe. Then Kestrel looked at the door. "That youngling, Prowl … he is your bond?"

"He is," Optimus said nodding. "We finally figured it out."

Kestrel smirked, an odd sight given the stranger's face he wore. "I knew it."

Optimus snorted. He grinned at his genitors. "You have grandchildren. You have great grandchildren."

They looked at him a moment, then Kestrel sat straighter. "You have infants? Orion, that is wonderful. I had nightmares all the orns of our separation that you never had hope or love. That you never would know the comfort of a home and a partner." Tagg nodded too.

Optimus squeezed his ada's servo. "I have been blessed. You will have to meet them. They are pretty wonderful. Prowl had a son, an orphan he raised named Bluestreak. He is in a trine bond and they have three infants. Prowl and I adopted three little mechs who are orphans and we have a son together."

They listened and nodded, glancing at each other. "Tagg, this is wonderful. Orion has a family."

Tagg nodded. "I would like to see them, Orion, when we can."

Optimus nodded and sent a message to Prowl. Sitting straighter, straightening the bed covers of his ada, Prime nodded. "They will come."

-0-Prowl

He walked out of Ops Center heading for the schools. He crossed the courtyard and reached the underground station outside of the Fortress. It was a short ride to the school station and a shorter ride upward to the Sparkling Day School. Walking inside, he caught Laret's optics. A short conversation led to the release of three little babies, all of them happy to sit in Granny's carry hold and grin at each other.

With a nod and thanks, Prowl turned and reversed his journey, heading out on the train that would take him to the Hospital/School Tower station. The traffic was relatively light as the work orn was well underway and school letting out was some time later. The little mechs walked home to their apartment when someone was there and recently began walking to the Fortress and Ops Center when no was.

Prowl walked to the surface and headed for the hospital tower taking an elevator up to the ward floor, stepping out with an orderly and two nurses. He nodded to the duty officer at the nurse's station and walked briskly to the room at the end of the corridor where everyone was visiting. He paused behind Ironhide and Jetta, who himself knew the pair as a child growing up with Orion Pax in the Jumble. Elita and Springer were there giving sass and guff to the pair as they sat sipping their energon, their overall affect improving.

Optimus spotting Prowl arose and waited as that worthy navigated to stand beside him. He looked at Prowl with an expression of emotion that would stay with Prowl forever. Prowl opened his hold and withdrew Miracle. That little bot smiled at both of his genitors as he sat on his father's servo. Optimus turned to his parents and felt incredible emotion overcome him. He stood a moment, then nodded. "This is Miracle."

He held his servo out and they both sat up straighter to look at him, the infant who was their grandson. He looked at them, then his parents. He smiled brilliantly because his nature was gentle and happy. That much exposure as a pure spark to the Matrix wasn't lost on him.

"May I hold him?" Kestrel asked with emotion. He turned and placed his cube on the table next to his berth.

Optimus held him out and Kestrel took him holding the infant up to look at him. Kestrel smiled. "He looks like you. The same paint scheme. I am thinking this other color is for you, Prowl?"

Prowl nodded. "It is." He grinned. "I wanted him to look like Optimus. This is the first Prime sparkling in the history of Cybertron. I don't want anyone mistaking who his atar is."

Ironhide snorted. "And you laugh at Ratchet and me."

"That's because you and Ratchet are out of your processors," Prowl said smoothly, smugly. "This is historical. Yours is hysterical."

"Good one, Prowler," Ratchet said walking in to pause beside Tagg.

Prowl grinned and pulled out the twinnies who had crawled to the door and were looking down at the floor. Holding one in each servo, he handed Iacon to Optimus. "These are our twin granddaughters. They are the trine's youngest infants. They have a son who is older as well."

Optimus leaned slightly and handed Iacon to Tagg who took her with a smile. "Hello, baby," Tagg said. "You don't know me but you will." He looked at his son. "We will be part of their lives, son?"

Everyone looked at them, then Prime and Prowl. Prime swallowed hard and nodded. "That is a given, Atar. We're an anomaly. Few families are as lucky as us. Both of Prowl's genitors are here and now you. They also have Ratchet and Ironhide as well as both of their genitors. There is a lot of extended family here and we all owe these infants our time and attention. I expect that you two will be very important in the lives of our infants."

"That would be wonderful," Kestrel said laying Miracle against his shoulder. The baby curled up cuddling with him. Kestrel patted him and smiled at Optimus and Prowl. "They are so beautiful. I've never seen twins before."

"You will have to see their genitors. You will see why they are beautiful. They are the infants of the only split spark twins in our history for a very long time. I will call them to meet you when you are up to it, Kestrel," Ratchet said.

"We're up to it now aren't we, Tagg?" Kestrel asked looking at his bond with a smile. "I think we have to catch up."

Prime looked at Ratchet who shrugged. "If you are up to it, Kestrel and Tagg, I can call them."

They nodded. "We would like to meet them. We would like to see them," Tagg said as Iacon patted his face, her usual gigantic smile firmly in place on her own. He smiled at her then reached for Uraya. She was set onto his servo and he brought her close, kissing her fore helm. "What a lovely baby you are."

Chat was had, then the sound of peds in the corridor drew attention. Bluestreak stepped in with a big smile. "Hi. They're awake?"

"They are," Prowl said with a grin. "They want to meet you."

Bluestreak looked at them, smiling. "Hi. I'm Bluestreak, Prowl's youngling and I suppose Optimus's youngling too because he's my sort of step atar because of Prowl. I have been waiting so long for you to be found and brought here. We can help you get on your peds. We can help you with appointments and Sunstreaker can do the detailing of your armor. It looks like you have had such a hard time and we all want you to get better." He paused and looked at everyone, their smiles a signal. "Oops." He grinned.

Leaning on the doorjamb, Sideswipe shook his helm. "You did it again, Babe."

Bluestreak turned and tugged him inside. "This is Sideswipe, one of my bonds. He's a split spark twin like the girls. Say hello, Sideswipe."

Sideswipe grinned. "Hello."

Chuckles greeted that. Blue reached through and tugged Sunstreaker into the room. He was holding Kaon. They had detoured to bring him along. Behind them standing quietly, three little mechs waited for whatever it was that got them out of science. "This is Sunstreaker. He has our son, Kaon. And these three," Bluestreak said leaning out to signal the little mechs to come, "these are Rambler, T-Bar and Spirit. They're Prime and Prowl's sons too."

The little mechs stepped in and looked at the strangers holding their nieces. Rambler looked at Optimus, then stepped closer. "Hi, Grand-ada and atar," he said with a grin.

Kestrel looked at Prime, then the infants. "Four more."

"What handsome boys you four are," Tagg said glancing at all of the infants in the doorway.

"Are you our grand-atar and ada?" Spirit said moving to the foot of Tagg's berth.

"I think we are," Tagg replied with a smile of delight.

Spirit looked up at Prime and Prowl. "How many more are coming, Ada?" he asked to the general amusement of everyone in the room.

Moments later

They stood in the corridor with the infants, all of whom were chewing on rust sticks. Ratchet's candy stash fed all the infants including Ironhide. Inside the room, the sparklings were being held and exclaimed over as two very delighted grandparents examined them with razor sharp optics.

"There are so many infants. I am so happy," Kestrel said as Miracle and Kaon sat on his lap playing patty cake together. The twins were sitting on Tagg's lap watching everyone with big smiles.

"That makes me happy, Ada," Optimus said with a light spark. Burdens of sorrow and worry were melting away in the loving glow of infant therapy.

"What do we do now?" Kestrel asked.

Ratchet found himself the focus of the room. Suppressing an intense urge to preen and sass, he considered that. "We have a number of surgeries that have to be done for both of you. Your joints are worn out and there are a few internal things that need replacing or boosting. Your repair systems are just about shot from the burden of caring for you without proper attention medically all of this long time.

"You will need a rework of your surface armor. Its very worn but an easy fix. Its cosmetic really. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will repair your color when you help us know its patterns. We can map it on a computer model and they can detail you until you see your own face in the reflection.

"That leads us to your faces. I am sure you want to see your own features again," Ratchet posed.

"I would, though I am not sure I really remember what they are," Kestrel said nodding.

"They were beautiful, Kes," Tagg interjected. "You must restore him because he was beautiful."

An awww moment made the rounds, then Ratchet nodded. "I will do that. We have the best reconstructive surgeons anywhere living and working here. All of this can be done as soon as you reach standard optimal. That's the lowest I will allow before things happen. You will overnight with the replacement joints, then outpatient for therapy and recovery. After that, we can work on your armor and features. I want you mobile before we do the reconstruction work."

Kestrel nodded, then glanced at Tagg. "We will have to find a place to live. Then jobs, Tagg. We have to pay our way."

A knife pierced the sparks of everyone in the room, half remembered comments from Ravel and Tie Down worming their way into everyone's consciousness. Optimus knelt beside his ada. "You will be staying with us in the Residence of the Primes. You will stay with us until you decide to live alone. We have so much space and the infants will want to have you around."

They both looked from him to Prowl who nodded emphatically. "We don't want to impose, Orion," Kestrel began before Prime cut him off.

"We're not going through this again, Ada. You both are staying with us." Prime rose up and looked down at them sternly. "I will brook no further comments."

They both looked at him, then each other. Tagg looked up at his son. "Alright, Orion."

For a moment it was silent. The sound of his agreement was off and it became clear that eons of doing what they were told, not having choices and defeated obedience was a part of his reply. Optimus took his Ada's servo into his own. Sitting on the edge of the berth, he looked at his parents. "You do understand that part of my honor is caring for those who need me. It is what you told me to do as a youngling. 'Orion, always try and help others. It is what an honorable mech does'. You remember telling me that don't you?"

They both nodded as they looked at him silently.

"Well, I have to take care of **you**. You took care of me all those vorns. It's my turn. What kind of mech and Prime … what sort of son would I be if I didn't?" He looked at them with emotional optics.

"You are a good son, Orion. We will go with you. I hope you will let us help you though. You know we always try to do that wherever we are," Kestrel said nodding.

"I know. Just having you here, just being able to help you and take care of you, it really means a lot to me," Optimus replied.

They glanced at each other, then nodded at him. "We are glad, son," Tagg said.

Optimus relaxed and the conversation continued for a bit longer before Ratchet threw everyone out. They stepped out making plans to come back later. Walking to the waiting room of the ward, they waited for Ratchet who checked this and that, fluffed the pillows and helped them settle into a nap time. Walking down the corridor, he met them and they all turned to him.

"What's the plan then, Ratchet?" Prowl asked for all of them.

"I have surgeries planned for them tomorrow that will replace Kestrel's knee assemblies and his hip. All of the rest of the stuff planned after that short of reconstructive surgery on their faces will be outpatient. Tagg will get new knees and a shoulder. They aren't too badly off for bots that haven't seen a doctor in nine million years and labored their afts off for a tyrant," he said with heat. He vented a sigh. "We can do that and they can stay over one more night. Then they will have to have therapy on their joints. Because of the hip and shoulder, they will have to be adjusted and it might take a few times to get it right. All of it will take about four orns."

Prime nodded. "They can come home tomorrow or the next orn?"

"The next orn. The surgeries will take place tomorrow morning when the orthopedic team is together. We're going to do it together. I will be supervising them and helping."

"That gives me comfort, Ratchet," Prime said nodding.

Ratchet grinned. "I wouldn't let them go in alone but I am 100% behind my team. They should reach standard optimal about lunchtime. They're reviving rather quickly with the A Class energon we have been feeding them both orally and intravenously. They are rather in shape to do this. If you want to be there, I can make sure you get the news right away."

"We will be there," Prowl said nodding.

Jetta smiled. "It's so good to see them. I remember them in the old orns when we were younglings. They always were good to us even when we were ornery."

Optimus grinned. "They were."

They continued to chat, then broke up, sparklings and younglings heading back to school as the adults walked back to their jobs. The twins followed Ratchet into his office as he and Ironhide ambled back to the CMO's office.

Ratchet sprawled in his chair and watched with amusement as the others did too. He reached into his desk drawer pulling out a box filled with candy that was his private stash. Taking a few for himself, he handed it to Sideswipe who passed it on when he had gotten his handful. They sat eating candy as they wound down.

"I'm happy for Prime. This is going to be an interesting life," Ironhide said.

Ratchet snorted. "As if it isn't already," he said with a grin.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	250. Chapter 250

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 8 (250) edited for boo boos. :D

-0-Out there

They found the coordinates that would take them in the shortest route to the signal that was beckoning. They were making their way through new space as they left the Empire behind. Their leader was a very dangerous mech named Hydro and he commanded a large force that was loyal only to him. Seven battle cruisers and a number of ships carrying troops and support flew in a tight formation as they entered a quadrant that was unknown to them.

Hydro sat in his command chair in the first and largest of the battle ships. He considered the signals that he had received. The first one was from Prime alone. It was a signal for his soldiers to come to him as he had found sanctuary in the stars on a planet with resources. That had titillated Hydro no end. Cybertronians had specific needs that had to be met, the most important being fuel for their vessels and themselves. Very few of the species they had come across that weren't basic plankton-type organisms ate products made from minerals that could burn with the touch of a match.

Prime had found a fuel and food source. That was very important since their own sources were low grade energon made from ores and other minerals converted through a laborious process. Getting fuel for the ships was always a concern. However, it would appear that Prime didn't have that problem.

Then they heard the one with Starscream, Prime included again. That had been a shocker. It would appear that Megatron's lunatic decision had forced the Seekers into the arms of the enemy. He really couldn't blame them. He was a mech who understood the odds, played them and weighed them with every decision. Outside of a home world to base their most vulnerable positions -food, energy, dependents- there was only uncertainty and the steady companion of anxiety.

Starscream was calling the Seekers home and they were going. He had seen their echoes on his sensors. They were flying well around him but all heading toward the same direction.

Prime.

He on the other servo was going to another place, one with their own call. A mech he knew, someone smarter than Megatron and just as ruthless was seeking lost souls. He was going to meet up with Paragon and see what he was doing. Perhaps there was a space for his team. He wouldn't mind serving someone in a capacity befitting his dignity and personal goals. Paragon was smart, smooth and had nearly the same agenda as he had. He wanted Cybertron back and he wanted it now.

Hydro wouldn't mind allowing him to do the planning, leading and all the rest. At the end of the road when things were secure, he could always slip a knife into Paragon's neck and take the reins himself. Once all the hard stuff was done, he could become the lord and master of Cybertron.

Besides, from the sounds of things neither were strong enough to take on Prime and win. Between the two of them and others they could coax, they might have a chance. Then again, they might take Soundwave apart then go after Prime. With enough resources they would have the luxury of choice.

He had worked with Paragon before and knew him reasonably well. He knew he wouldn't be trusted but that was the way of the Decepticons. The spoils go to the strongest. With that, he set his course and turned his battle group toward the settlement and piercing signal of Paragon.

-0-Out there too

They watched the battle group pass with loathing. They were stunned when they continued onward. Their migration was relatively helpless though they did have arks and soldiers in their midst. On their tail, a faint signal giving them hope, two Supreme Guardians followed. They were low on fuel and suffering but making their way forward doggedly.

The group leader composed his message and considered the possibilities that if one Decepticon battle group was around, there could be more. They had seen literally hundreds of Seekers heading this way too. All of them were going toward the Prime. All of them were in dire straits. He made up his mind and with trembling servos sent the message into the darkness of night.

All was in play. There was no turning back. It was in Primus's servos now.

-0-In the darkness, following

They flew together, their non-essential systems shut down. Chi was silent as they continued onward, Phi chattering on the comm link between to keep himself awake. They were part of a migration but had downloaded so much of their energon to keep the vulnerable going that it had depleted them. Now they could only hope that the flotilla ahead would signal Prime and send help. The Guardians flew onward in the wake of the migration which when it was claimed would number around 550,000 individual sparks.

-0-Out there as well

Paragon read the data and felt satisfaction. Hydro's group was coming. They were battle tested and veteran. Their addition to his own group would be an excellent thing. They would bring ships and soldiers. There would be no Seekers among them but still, Hydro would bring an Achilles heel with him. He would be bringing families.

They were among two such groups that he knew of that had ignored Megatron's order about extinguishing the sparks of families including infants. They had defied Megatron and had he not gone off in his frenzy to seek allies elsewhere, there would have been civil war in their ranks between those with families and those loyal to Megatron.

He himself didn't mind families and offspring. They were an asset that Megatron never recognized. A mech will fight like a tyro for his family, his infants. They will be loyal to a place and a situation for that reason a lot longer than they would for loyalty to some cause. Most of them started out as single mechs with a burning need for revenge, treasure or political triumph. The Clampdown had been the utmost worst idea perpetuated on the citizenry of Cybertron since the caste system. It had made enemies of patriots.

Now a big group was coming and there were faint pings here and there of others. A massive migration was heading this way and now he might have other options regarding it. He was heavily leaning toward letting Prime have the civilians but not the soldiers. He was wanting to drive them away along with their ships and technology. Before, he had no chance to do that. Prime was too strong. But now, perhaps there would be a chance to prevent assets from falling into Prime's servos. He glanced at the command table in the fortress that they had built. "Arrow."

The big handsome Seeker who was working on creating an accurate star chart of the local area up to and including their still spotty intel of the system of Prime glanced at his lover. Rising, he walked to the command chair and leaned in. "Yes?" he asked in his husky voice.

"I would like to know more about the battle group Hydro is bringing. I would like a fly by. Nothing threatening. Just a scouting party. Don't have them hide but don't have them provoke. I want Hydro to know that I am aware that he's there and I want to have him know that we aren't pushovers."

Arrow nodded and smirked. "I will be back by dinner."

Paragon allowed a small smile. "I count upon it."

The big mechanism turned and walked away, disappearing into the common room of the fortress that being typically Cybertronian was nearly a carbon copy of Fort Apache and the Fortress of Autobot City. He considered the potential of the next few orns, then allowed another smile. Hydro wasn't the only group looking for leadership heading this way. Soundwave was falling apart. Cybertron would be a ripe fruit ready to be picked and he would be the one to do it.

-0-On a barren planetoid out there

They gathered, more arriving behind them in a steady stream. They were battered and weary, hungry and angry. The group had been running together going a circuitous route around the major sphere of Decepticon influence as they tried to follow the signal of Starscream and his utterly unlikely ally, Optimus Prime. They had flown until refueling was essential, choosing among the flotsam of space a planetoid fragment big enough for them to pause upon.

There were infants clinging to their genitors, their famished faces painful to look upon. Injured mechs and a pair of sparked femmes staggered to the ground and lay there, their ability to continue seriously compromised by their state. Their leadership gathered together, five big mechs and an old femme.

:I am going to gather a flight of mechs to follow me. I am going to go straight across this sector to reach communication range of Prime. The last group we passed told us that there were relays out there and perhaps we can get a message to Prime and Starscream that our young are in danger of dying."

They looked at him, the Elder among them one of very high status among the Vos Seekers of the Mountain Clan. She nodded. "We have to stay here and gather the ones coming. They will hear our signal and come. We can make energon here, as much as we can to keep the sick and young alive. You must hurry, Rattler. You must hurry and bring the word to Prime. If Starscream trusts him, we can too:

The big youngling, Rattler bowed to the Elder. :I will tell them, Mother, that we need help. I will take my brothers. We know how to fly together and make our energon last:

She nodded and he turned calling for his brothers. Four of them gathered and they paused looking around. Hundreds of Seekers in dire condition lay and sat here and there while others in better shape began to make energon out of ores found on the ground as even more Seekers came out of the darkness of space. Their machines, battered and overworked would have to do the job. Without them, they were lost. They looked at the hatchlings who sat wanly in the laps of their genitors. Then they turned and transformed heading out into space to follow the thin signal of hope and plenty that flowed through the darkness like an invisible thread.

The five sons of Silverclaw disappeared into the darkness without a sound.

-0-At home

Ratchet entered the apartment tiptoeing around as best he could. No one was up. The lights were out and so he sneaked into the berthroom to go to recharge. Foregoing the wash rack, he walked to the berth and lowered himself, every inch of his frame calling out for recharge. The sparkling was recharging already, if that is what they did and he decided without ceremony to join him. He relaxed.

"Ratchet?"

"Ironhide."

"Just getting done are ya?"

"Yep. Tomorrow, we take care of Kestrel and Tagg. Then they stay one more night before going to the Residence to convalesce. All in an orn's work."

"That's good."

Silence.

"They seem like stand up mechs, both of them."

"They are. I like Prime's genitors, Only One. They're just so kind and self effacing. Reminds me of Prime."

"Yeah. I noticed that. I wonder how hard it will be for them to find themselves, Ratchet. They sure seem beat down."

"They do. Jarro will let us know how to help them when he's through with his survey."

Silence.

"Sparklings are doing well. Sunspot got a good score on his science test. He was worried."

"I will have to hug him. You studying with him makes a difference, Ironhide. You're a first class genitor."

Silence.

"Did you already get the new sparkling's protoform made, Ratchet?"

"I did."

Silence.

"I suppose Wheeljack and Perceptor put it in the protoform vault in the Protoform Division."

"Might. Might not of."

Silence.

"You might have suggested that they hide it?"

(grin) "Might be even simpler. **I** might have hid it."

Silence as big mechanism's thought processes almost make noise as they work. "What if you forget where it is?"

"I won't."

"But what if you do?"

"We have generic protoforms in the hospital. Emergency protoforms for just such an eventuality. Of course, it won't happen."

Silence.

"I'm just saying … maybe someone else should know where it is in case you need it and forget."

(Enormous grin) "Okay. I'll tell someone."

Pause.

"Who? You know, just in case there's a need and they can't be reached. Someone can then reach them."

(Enormously suppressed snicker) "I'll take that under advisement, Only One. You are a wonder in that you troubleshoot things so well, Ironhide."

Pauses to consider the nothingness contained in the complimentary sounding blow off remark. "I'm just saying … you know, just in case. If you tell me who it is, I can call them when the sparkling comes and you can't tell us where the protoform is. Double security. You know I'm the security chief of the whole shebang."

"I thought Springer was."

"He is but I'm security chief of the security chiefs. Ironhide, body guard to the Prime, security chief of the city."

"I didn't know that, Ironhide. You are a mech of many talents."

Silence.

"You aren't going to tell me are you."

"Nope."

"Slagger."

"Takes one to know one. You wanted another dollie for when they finally snag Hero. I told you my terms and you agreed. Now you want to worm your way into my confidence and expect me to think that you won't peek."

Silence.

"I won't."

"Liar. Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"I don't wear pants."

(grin) "But if you did, you would be the same awesome mechanism you are now naked."

(grin) "I would wouldn't I." Pause. "You are still are a slagger."

"Takes one to know one."

"Slagger."

"Shame, shame, we know your name."

"Good night, Ratchet." (grin)

"Good night, Only One." (grin)

-0-Out there

Five weary Seekers continued onward aware that their trajectory would put them into the sensor range of the Decepticons nearby in a newly constructed fortress. They could only hope that they would pass not only them but the battle group heading that way before they were spotted. Only time would tell.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	251. Chapter 251

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 9 (251) edited for boo boos :D

-0-CMO's office, Autobot City Medical Tower, mid-morning

"Hey."

"Hey. Put up your big old peds and tell me stuff."

Ironhide walked into the room and paused at the desk pulling Hero out of his carry hold. She was snoozing in her little bag, her helm and the floppy ears of her favorite bunny sticking out of the contraption. Ratchet pulled up a box with padding and she was laid out in it. He then put it on the couch near the window where the warm sun would tune up her nascent solar receptors.

Ironhide sat. "Got candy?" he asked with a giant smile.

"Only for sparklings," Ratchet said pulling out his box stash from his desk drawer. "You fully qualify."

Ironhide snorted and took it proceeding to denude it of a large portion of the treats that Rampage provided to the hospital as a community service. Ratchet settled back. "Entertain me, Only One," Ratchet said putting his big old peds on the desktop.

"Well, Prime is back on the job and looks a vorn or two younger. There's a spring in his step if you know what I mean."

"That's good," Ratchet agreed.

Ironhide nodded. "We're odd, our family. All the major players on both sides are here for the sparklings."

"I wonder if there are others like this?" Ratchet mused.

"There are … a few," Ironhide replied. "Not too many. Yet."

"Any word on the migration?" Ratchet asked as he glanced at Hero. She was moving slightly in her sleep, perhaps chasing cyber rabbits but settled after a moment.

"It's suspected to be massive. Massive as in humongous."

Ratchet nodded. "We may be living stacked up on top of each other if this keeps up."

"There's echoes of 'Cons out there too."

"That's not good." Ratchet sat forward and looked at his old mech. "What's the plan?"

"We're going to send Seekers out on a bridge to see what's up. It could be that we're going to have a shooting match here soon."

Ratchet sat back and nodded. "Sounds likely."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad, Ironhide. This sparkling seems to be pretty mellow."

"How much longer, Ratchet?" Ironhide asked.

Ratchet paused to calculate, then grinned. "Less than two decaorns."

"That's soon. I thought it was longer."

"Nope."

"Still won't tell me about the sparkling will you."

"Nope."

"You really are a hard aft."

"Yep." Ratchet grinned. "You're a sad sack, Ironhide. If you had just done your duty, you would know but nope. You make me do all the hard work then you have the audacity to complain?"

"Yep." (grin)

"Okay. Just clarifying things," Ratchet said with a grin of his own. He sat back considering the big black Autobot menace before him. "So, what's up with the Autobot Scouts?"

Ironhide paused and shot Ratchet a nuclear optic. "Let me finish one bearing buster before you nag a new one into life."

"Football?" Ratchet asked with a smirk. "I hear your season just wrapped up without finals and a championship team. Care to elucidate?"

"Spinner and Kip. They're going to be leaders someday. They talked the whole league into ditching score keeping, double goalies, no championships because someone might be upset if they lose … shall I continue?" Ironhide asked with a big grin.

"I see. Two tiny bits of fluff … two micro-mini-con femmelets managed to have every single person in the league give up the point of sports? Finding a winner among the masses?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"Cool." Ratchet grinned. "I always did like those two little babies."

"Me too. Might be the makings of the first mini-con Prime in that pair," Ironhide said with a grin.

"They would probably share it," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"No doubt," Ironhide said with a grin. He paused a moment, then rose. "Prime wants me at Ops Center."

"I'm coming too." Ratchet stood up and held out the box with Hero. "Here. You know you want to."

"Goes without saying," Ironhide said picking up the tiny bundle. She lay on his servo stretching as she yawned widely. Then she curled up, her tiny helm disappearing inside the bag. The bunny ears however continued to peep out.

"Ah, look at that. She shrunk," Ratchet said with a big smile.

Ironhide snorted and slid her into his hold, the door sliding shut behind her. They turned and hit the road to Ops Center, the swirl of the hospital spinning on without them.

-0-Moments later

They sat in the conference room and listened to Elita and Jazz present the intel from out there. On the monitor overhead, Blackjack, Alor and Flint watched and listened.

"We have a message from a flight of Seekers who are trying to get here but their group has fallen apart. They are so depleted that they worry without intervention that their younglings and infants are going to start dying," Elita said.

"Then there is a migration so huge it makes me wince," Jazz said. "Here is their message." He turned and keyed the computer, a monitor coming to life with the strained expression of a bot.

"Optimus Prime, I am Patron. I am nominal leader of this migration. We have over 550,000 mechs and femmes following together the best we can manage. We have arks and soldiers with us helping but we are in dire straits. We were kicked out of our colonies all over the Empire. We've been gathering along the way sharing our resources but we're tapped out.

"We need help. Please, if you can, we need you so much. We've seen Decepticon battle groups passing us without stopping but we don't know how long that will last. We also have two Guardians with us but they're falling behind. Beta and Alpha are almost out of energon. I fear them going into stasis lock. They sacrificed themselves to help us. Please come. I have loaded our coordinates and trajectory to your signal path and we will keep coming as best we can. We're going to start losing ships soon if you don't come. Help us. Please. Patron out."

The broadcast ended. It was silent a moment. "What about the Seekers?" Starscream asked.

"We got this message until it was cut off," Jazz said tagging another message on the computer. It was audio alone.

"Prime, this is Rattler. I am leading a Seeker party that wishes to defect. We have reached the range of the relay line. We are in dire condition. I have included the coordinates of our group. There are 875 Seekers there including babies. We are being chased. I don't know if we can make it but you have to go for our group. They are beginning to die. They are closing on us. Help them. Rattler out."

They sat a moment, then Starscream stood up and turned. Pausing again, he punched a hole in the wall. No one spoke or made a move. Red Wing looked at Prime with shock and dismay. "Rattler is one of Silverclaw's sons."

Starscream turned. "We are going for the Seekers. I will personally lead the rescue. We will be seeking Rattler too," he said with vehement conviction.

"We have two problems, Starscream and both of them are connected. The biggest obstacle is the Decepticon battle group out there. We have to do this three ways. You take the Seeker issue on. We have to go after the migration as well as the Guardians. There also has to be a battle component for the Decepticons out there. We can't go at this half cocked," Prime said. "Let's figure this out, use the bridges and get our people."

They sat down and began to put their helms together.

-0-At the airfield

They came to the transport crates and climbed on top, watching as the activity exploded in the area. Guardians were gathering, the Aerialbots and Seekers came together in the vastness of the airfield as the muster was called. Red Wing was in discussion with Starscream who was animated in his conversation with the lead trines.

All around them troops were marshaling and ships were being prepped. Everywhere they could see munitions, tankers of energon brought in industrial strength quantities and supplies to be loaded aboard the ships gathering in piles. The efficiency and teamwork of the operation was amazing to watch.

:Do you think we can go with them?: Epps asked.

:I don't know. Go and ask Prime or Prowl: Lennox said.

:Me? What about you? You're the leader: Epps protested.

:There's Revo. Call him: Graham said. They watched the big mech walking toward a ship. :Revo:

The big mech paused, then turned to look their way. :Niall Graham?:

:Revo, we would like to go with you. Who do you talk to?:

:The Master of the Muster. You are on the cleared rolls. You can't go with the shooting teams, but you are cleared for rescue. If the Master has you red flagged, you can't come. But if he doesn't, you are detailed to my ship:

:Thanks!: Graham said glancing at the others. Then they jumped down, Jessie Landon in tow and raced with their segways to the Master who stood in a crowd of mechs assigning ships. By the time they were close enough to ask, the crowds were boarding ships. He looked down and paused. :You are?:

:We're Lennox, Epps, Graham: Will said before a punch on his back earned a glance over his shoulder. :Uh, and Landon:

They all looked at him a moment, then he paused to call someone on their internal line. He looked down again. :Lennox, Epps, Graham are cleared for Revo's ship. Landon isn't:

She looked at him with a grim expression. :I would like to go please:

:You can't. Not with them: He looked at the medical team that was coming toward a transformed Omega. :You are assigned to Omega with Commander Ratchet:

Jessie looked at him, then the soldiers, then the Master. Hugging his ped, she grinned. :**THANKS!**: With that, she turned and buzzed off toward Omega.

They watched her go, then turned and buzzed off themselves joining the line going into Revo's ship.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl organized the muster, his calm voice giving orders as hundreds of individuals hurried to join. Doctors and medics for the sick and injured, soldiers and Seekers to fight and techs who would manage the supplies and stores that would be life and death for everyone moved to their posts. Huge tankers to refuel the Guardians taxied to the runways and lifted off, moving into the lineup above the city.

More tankers for the migration lifted off as well as massive transport ships that would carry those back whose ships were falling apart or failed. All of it was done with great skill and precision. When the troop ships began to lift off, the cameras of IntraComm and the humans were rolling madly.

Seekers in masses lifted off as well, dust and noise swirling around them. A fast shuttle that would carry Starscream and the command trine lifted off, heading for the bridge with their squadrons.

By the time everyone was off the ground the relative silence was astonishing. Laying on a hospital bed with new joints and repairs, Tagg and Kestrel watched their son leave the planet. They didn't know he had gone and they didn't know how much he hated to leave them. But he was Prime and duty called.

They watched through their haze as the apparatus of rescue and battle lifted off to leave.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	252. Chapter 252

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 10 (252) edited for boo boos :D

-0-On the way

They lined up, the Seekers first in the flight order. Prime was on Omega with Ironhide and the command staff while Ratchet stood in the hold of Kappa with his medical teams. He was busy getting the medical computer database going when he noted a small creature looking up at him.

Grinning, he grabbed Jessie Landon segway and all. Reaching up, he put her on a shelf with a railing, handing her a length of rope that looked like a small piece of string in his big servo. :Tie this to yourself, then the railing. If there's a jolt, I don't want to see you fly by. Oh and I asked Kappa to maintain atmosphere in here so we can talk normally. If the door opens, there will be a force field to keep out vacuum. Even if that fails, the suit will keep you going. If you get sucked into vacuum you will be fine. I will come and get you. Understand?:

Jessie nodded. "Thanks for getting me on a ship, Ratchet. I won't get in the way," she said fastening the end of the rope to the railing securely. "If you need help though I can help you. Just ask."

Ratchet grinned. "I will. Probably."

Jessie looked around watching doctors and medics settling in for the ride. The ship was a floating hospital with surgical stations, treatment and triage as well as berths for the sick and injured. "Do you think we're heading for a fight?"

"Probably."

"We got cleared to be in combat you know, American female soldiers. I'm ready to rumble," she said with the same determination that he usually got from Gypsy when she was being thwarted about going into battle.

Ratchet grinned. "I don't doubt you can manage in battle. I'm just telling you I will beat your aft if you try. You are on observer status, little missy and don't get any ideas. One Gypsy is bad enough. I don't want to mess with two."

At that, the ship lurched, then smoothed out as the disorienting sensation -for humans- began in earnest. It ended almost immediately as they entered the controlled maelstrom of the bridge vortex. Next to them some distance over, the Seekers fled into the smaller one nearly as one, Starscream's command vessel in their midst.

On the ground below Ratchet knew, other ships and Seeker flights were gathering. They were fielding a massive response to the threat and were prepared to engage the Decepticon fleet as well as Paragon is necessary. The hope was that an overpowering response would be enough to make them disengage.

The green light glowing in a rolling storm outside the view ports continued, then ended as they exited into real space once more. They had not moved an inch. Space flowed around them and they were in a different place when they arrived.

-0-The Seekers

They burst into space near the relays where the flight had sent their message. There was nothing close by but the signal of a mass of ships could be read on sensors. Starscream sitting in the command ship noted the data flowing in. It signaled a Decepticon battle group heading toward the coordinates of Paragon's settlement. Seven large battle cruisers and other ships of the type typical of a Decepticon group began to materialize on his big tactical datapad.

"There they are," Thundercracker said grimly. "They must have Rattler and his flight. Where else could they be?"

Starscream nodded grimly. "I agree. Open a channel to Prime."

-0-Prime

They sat on the ship as it fell through time and came out on the other side on the leading edge of a massive gigantic migration. Ships of all manner, shape and size stretched out an astonishing distance as they scanned the group. A flight of statistical Seekers streaked off to do a flyover and assess the situation.

"Starscream is calling in," Ironhide said glancing at Prime.

"Prime here."

"We have reached the relay. The younglings aren't there. But there is a large battle group in the vicinity and they must have them," Starscream said.

"Very well. Stand by," Prime said. He nodded to Smokescreen who sat at communications. He opened a hailing channel for that sector. "This is Optimus Prime. Identify yourself, Decepticon battle group."

They sat and listened, the static of the channel filling the command deck. Starscream listened too on his own. The sound continued, then broke. "This is Hydro, commander of the Decepticon Battle Group Revenge. What do you want, Prime?"

"I want the Seekers that you took," Prime replied coldly.

"What Seekers?" he asked.

The line was silent a moment. "You have five Seekers that belong to us. If you don't release them now, I will hunt you down and kill you."

The silence stretched out. Then he replied. "The Seekers that you mention were injured. We retrieved them according to the Laws of Space and they are receiving medical attention as we speak. I am not willing to release injured individuals to space and be responsible for their condition and possible re-injury."

"Your concern is noted," Prime replied equally coldly. "We will take full responsibility for them. Release them and allow our Seekers to find and bring them to our ships. We have fielded an vast armada to find them and assist the migration nearby. If you don't do this, you will be declared an enemy and hunted down. If you wish to make a place for yourself out here, you better know that no one is as strong and as technologically advanced as we are. Ask Paragon. Tell him when you do that we will hold him responsible for this action as well."

It was silent a moment, then the voice was back. "We don't intend to be bad neighbors, Prime. We have tried to help bots in distress. If you want them, we will let them go. Its on your helm what happens to them. We tried to do the right thing." Then the line cut off.

"Starscream, I am diverting ships to back you up. I don't know if he is intending to let them go but I want firepower beyond Seekers at your disposal. I would also be mindful of booby traps when you get them back," Prime said.

"Acknowledged," Starscream replied. "We are moving up. Who is coming?"

"The City of Iacon and Valles Marineris." Prime looked at Ironhide and nodded. He sent the orders over his comm link to their captains and the shuttle and refitted Decepticon battle cruiser peeled off heading out for Starscream's coordinates.

"Very well. We will meet them," he said signaling off.

Prime sat back and regarded the forming confrontations on the enormous datapad on the table before him. Yellow lights indicated Starscream who was moving toward blue lights, the Decepticon battle group lead by the mech, Hydro. Two ships, Valles Marineris and City of Iacon were zooming to intercept Starscream. That part was going as planned.

Prime's group were the red lights parked before an enormous mass of white lights, the migration. Even as he looked, a steady stream of green lights were emerging from the small bridge heading out to the coordinates given by Rattler for his flight stranded on a planetoid in the distance. Behind them came two medical ships and a large transport from Autobot City.

The two bridges stood open, their icons on the datapad funnel shaped. They would stay open until everyone began to pull back taking the migration with them. Back at Autobot City, the mechanisms of reclamation were in full swing with extra landing zones in the hinterlands around Autobot City being readied for the masses of ships that would be coming. Without making other areas available even including the facility on Ceres, the airfield would be buried under the mass of ships and transports expected.

Gamma and Zeta readied to go, leading energon transports to the migration. They were designated to rescue Alpha and Beta. Once that was accomplished, they would become transports for the sick and injured, the famished and the vulnerable.

Camera crews from the series filmed everything they could including groups of Hu An who had gathered to watch. The silent aliens stood viewing the massive action, fully briefed as everyone was via the migration by IntraComm. That was the cover story so far. The humans filmed them, then watched as they turned and began to help load the ships with cargo.

Beyond in the gathering darkness, the work lights of their rising habitat space which would be north of the airfield and east of Aerie Hill could be seen.

-0-At the hospital

Venture and Miler left with Miracle and the little mechs. They had stopped in long enough to see how Kestrel and Tagg were doing after their replacement surgeries from the morning. Feeling better than they had in vorns, they were still groggy from pain blockers and treatments to ensure that the new joints would be accepted by their protoforms. They had a good chat, the lights of the airfield shining in their windows until Miler adjusted the tint.

"I can only imagine the feelings of the mechs and femmes in the migration," Kestrel said to Venture. "I am so glad they have a place to come to. I think every time I close my optics that I will wake up back on Cybertron."

Venture nodded. "That's still a thing I feel sometimes, Kestrel. Just know it passes."

They chatted, then rose to leave, infants and younglings getting hugs and kisses. When they left, the two were already drifting into recharge.

-0-Bluestreak

He hurried to the store to pick up treats that he had forgotten in the bustle of getting Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to the muster. Kaon sat on his arm and the twinnies rode in his hold. He wasn't going this time but would handle medical statistical collection for Ratchet at this end.

The streets were filled with individuals going here and there in preparation for being part of the reclamation. The schools were working overtime to manage not just infants and younglings of those on the mission, but those who would help here and the expected massive influx of infants from the returnees themselves.

The lights in City Hall would burn all night as they prepared for the housing of thousands of different individuals and families, some of them with special needs. Data Collection put out a call for their teams to assemble for the massive influx of information not just from individuals themselves, but for the ships and their precious store of databases, books, paintings, objets de art and other things Cybertronian that would be requested for inclusion in the giant computers designed to hold data and images for all to see.

The museum had gathered in an emergency meeting to help with the storage, restoration and preservation of artifacts and data that was critical to their specie's understanding of themselves. So much had been lost that a priority was given to the effort to restore the gaps in their own knowledge of themselves and their culture.

Teams from the guilds and unions headed to the plants to make food and bulk energon for fuel and medical needs as well as any other demand put upon it by a massive influx of new citizens. Ships would need refueling as the big tankers came and went through the gates. Medical energon would be needed for individuals as small as sparklings and as large as Guardians. Food was always critical during these periods and the proper food at that. They had become experts at making different grades of energon to feed to different individuals at different places on the starvation spectrum.

Medical Specialties would be busy making parts, devices, tools and protoforms for the demand to come. Medical teams would be assembling at the airfield, hospitals and aid stations for incoming patients. They would be busy all night getting ready for the orders given by Ratchet subject to change according to what they would meet out there.

Security around the city was ramped up, the Home Guard security specialist teams being drafted to help with the crowds as well as any disorderly or disoriented individuals that might come with the tide. An extension to the prison annex, now almost empty of Decepticons from the last round up was created for any and all bad actors that might come through the net.

IntraComm and The Autobot Daily News were busy recording the activity, interviewing individuals and gathering the news for broadcast not only on The Hourly News but 'Good Morning, Autobot City', the news program "Out and About In Autobot City', the 'Aerie Hill News' as well as the Community Bulletin board.

The tower sites were going around the clock as entire blocks of finished habitation were getting the final touches of fixtures and furniture for the incoming newbies. Lights were bright as cranes lifted crates and boxes up the sides of the towers even as the elevators carried more as well.

Jetta walked from tower to tower inspecting, checking, observing, suggesting, taking suggestions, helping by lending a servo, congratulating and mediating as well as signing off on the herculean effort of those involved even as crews worked on new towers in the ever extending suburbs of Terra and the underground transport system that had become so vital to the city.

It was awesome.

-0-At the airfield

Cosmos landed, his ramp falling. Down walked a number of dignitaries, all of them in habitat suits. They continued to where Sargent Figueroa stood waiting. He saluted and they replied. :If you follow me, I will take you to the observation platform, sirs:

They nodded and followed, some of them already knowing the way. When they had clambered up onto the shipping crates, they all turned to watch the action. Among them were General Morshower, Colonel Fulton, the Secretary of Defense for the United States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the defense leadership of France, Germany, the UK and Russia.

They would be mind boggled.

Standing on a crate nearby, Sam Witwicky, Warren Roberts, Michio Yamaha and Sheila Conroy would be too. The three Hu An standing nearby getting the astonished gaze of the newbies would not have any comment on the matter.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	253. Chapter 253

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 11 (253) edited for boo boos :D

-0-On the line

The activity seemed to pick up as groups moved here and there taking, putting and picking up stuff, mechs, equipment and pallets of ammunition, medical supplies and other things. It was dizzying.

:They have amazing organization: the Defense Director for France said. :But then, we are looking at mechanical minds:

:Don't underestimate the soulful side of these people, General: Morshower said. :They are as emotional and as … I hate to say human but it conveys the depth of what I want to say … as any of us. They are more than the sum of their parts:

General Le Vecque nodded as they turned to watch a new type of ship landing. It was swift, small and had view ports all around its bulkheads and over its domed top. One could sit and watch out the windows for the entirety of the trip to Mars and back again. The seating was airplane style and there were two passengers inside besides the pilot. They arose when the ship signaled internally that getting up was safe. Moving to the main exit, they waited with carry on baggage in hand. The hatch opened and they walked down the ramp to the ground. Standing together as they waited for their host guide to walk toward them, they glanced around. No one seemed to notice who they were for a moment, then Sam exclaimed. "Mikaela!"

All of them turned to him, then back to the two humans who were met by a mech from the City Hall. They were gathered into his servos, then all headed toward Metroplex District and the confines of Ultra Magnus. As they passed by, Sam and the rest of his party watched.

:Is that the girl with you in Egypt?: Morshower asked curiously.

Sam glanced at him a moment, then stared at the bot and his handful as they disappeared into the traffic and hinterlands. "Yeah. That's her. I … what is she doing here?: he asked to no one in particular.

They looked at him, then the frenzy around them drew them back, that and the exotic beauty of the Hu An.

-0-Larc

She stood at the edge of the flight line, pausing while ships left. Loading and unloading alongside the Cybertronians had been a different game this time and they had leaned into it. They had been made welcome, the big mechanisms going out of their way to include them. It was good, all good.

Turning, she looked at a series of packing crates nearby upon which some of the small organics were poised. She looked at them even as they looked at her. Strange little humanoids with their survival suits she thought. They required an atmosphere obviously. It intrigued her as she stood watching that the universe was so vast and unknowable. She turned and walked forward heading toward another place that could use their help, her companions following.

:Wow: Sam said glancing at the others. :That is one fiercesome alien:

:That is a female: 'Fig' Figueroa said with a touch of awe. :That is the leader of the aliens we rescued, the Hu An. They are telepathic, bad ass and no one's fools. They are a matriarchy which I sort of love being Hispanic and all. Strong women rule. My mama would love them. I love them too but they're sort of stoic and hard to know:

:They remind me of the religion from Rome, Mithraism. They worshiped bulls and it was the religion of warriors. I would hate to be in a conflict with them: the German defense secretary said nodding. :Very handsome in a virile and uncompromising way:

They stood together talking about the aliens, the activity and all the rest as in the city things began to gather for the reclamation.

-0-On monitors every where, IntraComm "Special Coverage: Autobot City", Gen-O anchoring coverage

"It is estimated that this migration could be as large if not larger than the previous one that clocked in at 477,000 separate individuals. I have talked to City Manager Ultra Magnus earlier about Autobot City, Terra and Aerie Hill's ability to take in that many new citizens," Gen-O said. The images on the screen switched to Ultra Magnus sitting behind his enormously cluttered desk as the sounds of workers filtered in through his open door. Incongruously, there was an image of Arcee on an image cube sitting on the shelf behind him.

"Thank you, Magnus, for giving us a chance to ask you about the migration that is coming," Gen-O said. "What exactly do we know for sure about it?"

"We are not entirely clear about the mass or composition of it as yet. The Seekers who flyover taking statistical measurements upon which we can extrapolate estimates have yet to return data. That will go to Operational Center and they will send it to our statisticians here, namely Venture and Caro. They will mine the data and formulate estimations on the size of the migration, the number of individuals we may be looking at and the time it will take to effectively move them through the two gates and into our solar system."

"If it is as they believe at least as big if not bigger than the last one, we are looking at nearly more than half a million individuals. What is the city doing to prepare to receive, care for and absorb that many bots?"

"We have been going full out since I became manager to build residential housing for any refugees that would come and we have always known that this would happen. The word in the greater galaxy is that our people have heard the Prime and are coming. They are coming to his call and Starscream's. We expect a large number of Seekers and their families along with the other refugees. We also expect more soldiers, Ark vessels and defecting former Decepticons.

"We have at this time enough housing to cover over 600,000 individuals. We are near to signing off on three new residential blocks in Terra that contain a total of 80 housing towers. Those towers will adequately house along with the space that is already available from previous phases of building all of our new people. We will have to go into our next stage of development, phase five which means that we will be building south of Terra another complete suburban center.

"Autobot City is our central location and always will be. We are using a satellite plan to make sure that we don't overbuild in the city center. We want to add amenities and features to the city center, Autobot City in future, including expanding the Temple area for our people to place their engraved stones and have room to contemplate and relax. Right now, the space is in need of expansion. That is why we are reserving cultural, commercial and recreational spaces in the central city area for future development.

"The new housing expansions will be named for a site on Cybertron and the voting will be done by the city residents just like Terra and the first tower sites. We will be joining all of our habitation areas with underground as well as above ground transportation systems such as highways and trains.

"We are also going to be moving the oldest industrial plants farther out to allow that area to be redeveloped for habitation and recreation. Our industrial expansion plan four will make that almost seamless as we shut down one site and open others. We want our city to be autonomous and not crowded in anyway with industrial areas. We are a planned society here, something we never were on Cybertron and so we can make a highly liveable city for our people. All of them."

"How is the situation regarding intake of new refugees in the processing end of this operation? It has been done with great skill in the past. Is it going to be happening at the airfield or the city proper again?" Gen-O asked.

"No." Magnus touched a screen behind him and a plan appeared. "This is the way the processing part of our operation will go." He pointed to different parts of the plan. "We have established five touchdown areas north and east of the airfield for all refugee ships to land. The area they touch down upon will depend on their level of need. Area One will be critical care, critical need refugees. Medical will be concentrated there for them with runabouts poised to go to the hospitals and aid stations with patients. Area Two will be those who are ambulatory but not critical, but need care or have behavioral or emotional needs. Triage will manage them and get them transported after stabilizing them.

"This is Area Three," he said pointing to another area. "It is for families and their dependents. Area Four is for soldiers, bachelors and those traveling without families or friends. We want to help them because being alone will put them into a different need category than families or those in groups or with dependents. Area Five is high security. Those who come bearing ill will are going there to be taken into custody."

"What is the likelihood for trouble do you know?"

"We don't know. We are aware of a Decepticon battle group passing through the sector near our migration but that is a common thing because this sector of space is a commercial shipping lane for many alien species from all we can determine. We are prepared by our force multipliers to show them the error of their ways if they try to make a problem for anyone. Our show of strength will turn away trouble. If it makes it to the ground in the form of bad actors, we are ready for them. The Home Guard has trained teams to work as security and I have full confidence in their leadership."

"How long do you suppose this reclamation will take?"

"We took three orns last time. This may be bigger so it might go longer but I am not sure that will be true this time. We have divided our areas so more can come at the same time without a backlog. We have worked out the probabilities for what that might be by dividing the landing spots up to meet needs. It should be much faster and smoother. We will troubleshoot the operation against the future when things calm down."

"What should our city volunteers do to help as they have in the past?"

"We have need of their services. They can wait at the mustering posts that have been established throughout the city. There is one at the Cultural Center, one outside the Museum and one near Tower Fifteen in the Mare Tranquilitatis. All you need to do is go there and wait in line. As the refugees are brought from the airfields, they will need escort to their homes or destinations after data intake which will occur at the same sites. Those locations will be printed on their tags like before. I would like to thank our people in advance for their service. This would be impossible without you on board."

"Thank you, Magnus, for your time." It cut back to Gen-O at the station. "We will be taking a moment for the Community Bulletin Board updates to play and the weather forecast for the next three orns. We will also have a shut down of commercial and private aircraft usage tomorrow at noon for the refueling of the Trigger Bridge and the Auto-Bridge which I am told is the new name for the repatriated Decepticon space bridge. All honors go to Sam-E who is a student in the class of Mr. Gar-ro in the Youngling Day School for winning the contest to name the smaller bridge. Thank you, Sam-E and thank you everyone in the school who participated in the contest. For the list of runners up and all the entrants, go to the Community Bulletin Board and look in the 'Schools: Youngling Day' for the contest file. We will be right back." It cut to music and the scrolling informational feed of the Community Bulletin Board.

-0-In the City Hall

She sat on a table in a nice chair with her supervisor, Clark Hedricks. He was a New York ad man whose firm had been hired to do public relations for the Autobot Nation. Because Mikaela Banes was one of the few to know any Autobot well and because she had worked her butt off in business following her severing of the relationship with Sam, she was hired to be the full time firm member who would live here and do this end of the job.

They were both waiting to speak to the City Manager, to introduce themselves and offer their credentials. They would have an office in the big habitat at the tower and be about the city on segways just like the other humans. Clark Hedricks, a rather calm person given his profession would stay three days to help her set up, then leave. They were both stunned by the city, the events going on and the idea of being on another planet.

Not necessarily in the same order.

For Mikaela, this was like old home week. Though not as relaxed around bots as Sam, she loved them and fought to get her resume in for the job which had been bandied about New York for some time. Thousands applied but none of them had her qualifications. She was hired even though she had less experience than most. What she had couldn't be bought for a spokesperson and representative of the Autobot point of view. She had experience, knowledge, friendships already in place, a history with them, a better understanding of them than anyone else and big boobs. It was not lost on Clark Hedricks that her beauty would be an asset. That she was a no bullshit woman was another one.

The sound of heavy treads could be heard and they looked up into the optics of a massive bot who came from his office to stare down at them. :You wish to speak to me?:

They looked at him, then each other, then back to him. :I do: Mikaela said with a smile. :I'm Mikaela Banes, Ultra Magnus. I'm here to help you with Earth:

He nodded, knowing her from others including Optimus. :Good: he said as he stretched out his servo. She stepped into it and looked at Clark who was still looking upward in awe. :Move your butt, Clark. Magnus has stuff to do:

He jolted out of his stupor and jumped on board. Magnus turned to walk inside for a chat. He would learn a number of things. Someone else would be happy to do the public relations part of his job. Someone else would have to deal with the infernal humans and sort through their requests, separating the wheat from the chaff. He would also learn that Mikaela Banes was a no nonsense femme with a stern spine and the ability to spot a bullshitter almost as fast as he could.

That would make her a lot like his Arcee. They would have a long beautiful relationship together. For him, it couldn't have come at a better time. The door closed quietly behind them.

-0-TBC PS: My spell checker offers Kamikaze in place of Mikaela. LOL! Too funny. :D :D :D

2013 (3)


	254. Chapter 254

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 11 (254) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Later

She stood outside the door of her room, a taped sheet of paper with her name on it fastened there. A permanent plate would be there shortly but for now it would do. Her bags lay at her feet as she looked around. Orientation to the city and the habitat had made it familiar along with hours of MCA download broadcasts. She turned and put her bags inside, then walked through the giant open room to the wall of offices that formed the far end of the space. Hers had her name on the door along with her company, Autobot Public Relations, LLC so she entered surveying a beautifully appointed room where she would do the work of protecting the Autobots from prying, snooping, scams and other unwanted attention. She would help craft the message about the Autobots that would help Earth understand and respect them better.

There was a desk with a chair by the windows which formed the entire outside wall. To one side was a bank of six big monitors with tags labeling what their lines were dedicated for: MCA downlink, conference/security transmissions, Autobot City IntraComm transmissions including the Community Bulletin Board and three monitors that were fixed to Earth stations all over the world. She had learned that one of her perks was a program that would translate any broadcast from Earth into English.

Lucky her.

Bookshelves waiting to be filled, comfortable chairs and a couch for visitors as well as a state-of-the-art computer system that she had been trained on, one that didn't exist anywhere but here awaited her efforts on behalf of her hosts.

She couldn't wait.

Sitting, she noted the console that would change channels, call anyone anywhere even Earth and control her space. She pressed a button and began her first call. "Long Beach, California, Earth. Area Code 555-271-3339."

There was a pause as her request hit Ops Center, flashed through the censor list, was added as a new number and encrypted out the wazoo, flashed to the top of the Fortress and shot out the array. It instantly reached the five satellites that maintained a stationary position between Earth and Mars, the Midway Array and then onward to Ops Center at Diego Garcia.

Teletraan II reading the code shot the signal through the air directly to the tower that maintained that cell phone, bypassing everything in between and delivered a deeply encrypted phone call originating 194 million miles away to Mikaela's dad. It would not appear on any data list or phone bill. It was originating from thin air.

"Hello," a cheerful voice said.

"Hey, Dad. Guess where I am?" she said relaxing in her chair.

"**MIKAELA! YOU MADE IT?!"**

"I did," she said beginning a long conversation with her newly married dad.

Sam who was lurking in the doorway tiptoed out and headed for his own office at the end of the row to finish up a contract negotiation between an energy company and the business front for their technological entity, Autobot, Inc. They would not meet again until dinner.

An ackward dinner.

-0-Out there

Starscream directed the formation of the flight that was heading toward the faint signals of Seekerkin as the battle group nearby moved off with haste. It didn't bode well in his infernally suspicious processor but you never knew. Why draw down the wrath of Unicron when it really served no purpose beyond stoking your own ego?

The irony would be lost on him, such were the lack of memories that he carried now.

The darkness swallowed them as they flashed onward, Valles Marineris forming the center and City of Iacon the tip of the spear. All along its razor sharp edges, the Seeker armada flew. They disappeared from view at an astonishing rate.

-0-Nearby

They returned flying back as fast as they had left. The data from the Seeker logistical specialists accompanied by their heavy gun compatriots was daunting. The estimation of ships was nearly off the scale. There were so many had they not arranged alternate landing sites they would have been buried alive. The number of individuals hovered on initial estimate between 500,000-559,000.

The need was obvious. There was starvation and illness in the population. Some ships had scorch marks and hasty repairs from either Decepticon attacks or that of other aliens who had come to despise the 'metallic death-bringing monsters' from space. There were Arks interspersed through out the migration with soldiers sending data directly to Prime now that his location had been sent to their ships.

There were about 250 Seekers flying with them, most of them civilians from Neutral colonies. They were in as bad a shape as anyone else but had provided deep sensor surveillance for the migration.

There were medical needs flooding the medical computers as Ratchet organized the medics who would go from ship-to-ship in the painfully slow but utterly necessary process of triage. As he worked, as the small medical shuttles and runabouts began to come through the open aperture of the bridge, Jessie Landon watched from her perch. :Will. Niall. Bobby. Are you there?: she asked over the private channel.

They replied. :Where are you, Jessie?:

:At the migration. Ratchet is organizing the triage teams and they're pouring through the gate from Autobot City in the shuttles and runabouts. It's amazing. Where are you?:

:Revo's ship with Optimus's group. We're waiting for the signal from Starscream that they found the Seekers. Then he's going to break off and trail Hydro if necessary. His battle group is on our sensors, Revo says. We want to harass them away from this migration. You should see it. It's fucking huge:

:I can see the lights. I heard over the comm lines that it is more than half a million bots. The ships are over the top in sheer numbers and variety. We're going to get buried in ships: she replied.

:I know: Lennox replied. They talked together sharing their views of the same events until Revo veered off and a battle group headed out toward Hydro.

-0-In the Box

They sat strapped in, the three soldiers of the Apocalypse. The box was so strong and self contained that Revo joked if they took a direct hit and were blown to the Pit, the box would survive the shock if not the contents.

Pilot humor.

It wasn't confidence making.

They gathered up on Omega, the Guardian seemingly bristling with menace. They knew it was possible, sentient ships and all but they didn't know that he was in contact with Gamma and Zeta who were tasked to take tankers to refuel Beta and Alpha. Their signals were fading and the distance was fraught but they were flying full out to rescue their siblings.

Omega feeling the burn himself flew with gathering menace to the battle group that with any luck would feel the full brunt of his angst. Even though he was a bit of a loner and filled with the weariness of war, Omega relished when he was called to fight, bringing to the battle an intense burst of satisfaction at bringing the hurt to anyone who would menace his charges. He was big, incredibly powerful and dangerous.

Just like his siblings.

That he, just like them was an utterly committed Autobot who sought to serve his faction and all of their endangered helpless people was part of his deepest and most genuinely felt ethos.

Prime sat in his hull watching the lights on his datapad. The gap between him and Hydro was closing. He sent the data to Fort Apache and the alternative triage site managed by Blackjack and Alor. They would launch their teams if this mess bogged down into a fight. Either way, Prime was prepared. He didn't give a frag how it went. He just knew he wasn't going to lose.

-0-On the deck of the Carrion, command ship of the Decepticon battle group, Revenge

Hydro sat watching the lights turn and head his way. Prime was upset he considered. He was coming to kick their afts. He considered his own array of ships. Seven battle cruisers filled with deadly weapons and intensely loyal battle-hardened troops, check. Half a dozen smaller but no less deadly battle shuttles, the Decepticon equivalent to lesser Arks, check. Three fighter vessels whose small one to three mech fighters could detach and fight, check. Two troop ships filled with soldiers who obeyed only him, check.

He considered what Prime was fielding … a Guardian … Omega Supreme. He thought a moment. He wasn't aware that any of the Guardians were still alive. He had heard that Kappa was doing escort duty on the fringe of the Empire due to battle wounds and that she had been destroyed. He had heard that most of them had fallen. No word was made about Fortress Maximus but then he had heard that Overlord had killed him after a bit of 'play' at Garrus 9. Metroplex? He hadn't been seen in eons. He was supposed to be protecting the secrets of Alpha Trion and neither had been seen in ages.

Yet there were big signals here. He read the signals of at least three if not more Guardians. Faint echoes of a reading from the far end of the migration signaled perhaps two more nearby.

What the frag?

He looked at his crew, his second waiting for orders. "Step it up. I want to see Paragon and get a sense of this situation. I don't want to engage Prime just yet. His time is coming," he said grimly.

The second, Venom nodded and barked orders. Hydro's group jumped to hyperdrive and disappeared toward the fortress of Paragon.

-0-Prime

He watched them jump and glanced at Ironhide. "Follow."

Ironhide nodded and calmly gave the orders. They jumped to hyperdrive and disappeared toward the fortress of Paragon.

-0-Overflying the migration

They played the same message and broadcast it on the open civilian channel as they passed over the vast array of ships and their suffering passengers.

:We are Gamma and Zeta Supreme. We are heading back to rescue Alpha and Beta. The Prime is here and so is rescue. Do not be afraid. Our soldiers and our might will protect you. Send information to the channels that are designated in this message. Include names, ages and medical condition. We will gather all of you, the most endangered first. Medics and soldiers will bring energon for you if you tell us what you need. They will help you with your hurts if you tell us how you are. Be accurate and be patient. You are protected in the jurisdiction of Optimus Prime:

The message continued as they did, seeking in the darkness the siblings they had not seen since before the Fall of Cybertron.

-0-'Special Broadcast: Autobot City'

"The news from the mission is that the migration has been found and secured from any interference from outside forces. The Decepticon battle group detected nearby has fled with the Prime in pursuit to ensure it stays away. The Seeker analysts have returned information that lends to the belief that there are between 500,000-550,000 individuals in this migration.

"There is also the belief that two more Guardians, perhaps Beta and Alpha Supreme are among them. We have a link to Jazz who is with the Prime in Omega. Jazz, can you hear me?" Gen-O asked.

"I'm here, Gen-O," a cheerful voice said as a smiling image of Jazz filled one half of a split screen.

"Jazz, what do you know? What do you see?" Gen-O asked.

"We see a migration you have to see to believe. There are so many ships it looks like Iacon Central Square at rush hour," he said with a chuckle. "The migration is being attended to. Right now, we're in hot pursuit of a battle group lead by a slagger named Hydro."

"Are they a menace to the migration?" Gen-O asked.

"No but they were hangin' around and we didn't like it. Prime pulled Omega and a battle group together to chase him off. We're in hot pursuit now."

"There is a rumor of a Seeker flight in bad shape out there too. Can you speak about that or do you know yet?" Gen-O asked.

"We know about them and a relief team is headin' toward them lickety-split as the humans say. We know they're in really bad shape so they have been a priority from the moment we made the jump. Apparently, if we don't hurry babies are goin' to die from starvation." The tone in his voice was grim.

"That's horrible. Do you have any news about their ETA?" Gen-O asked.

There was a pause, then Jazz returned. "The relief group is within visual sight of the flight. They appear to have landed on a planetoid fragment. We will be there in an estimated half a breem."

"Can you tell by the information at servo what kind of condition they are in?" Gen-O asked.

There was a pause, then Jazz responded, his voice grim. "They appear to be at death's door, Gen-O. We are going to come in the knick of time."

-0-At the site in question

They caught the signal of relief, the ones cognizant and working to the best of their depleted ability to help the others. When the lights appeared in the dark heavens some were aware. Too many weren't. Even when the ship landed, they lay on the ground staring dully into the middle distance.

Medics hit the ground running, some of them Seekers. Some scanned and identified the worst cases, others quickly inserting the correct formulation of energon into necklines from bags that had been prepared ahead of time. Those with injuries and wounds were given priority as well as elderly, sparked mechs and femmes as well as infant starvation victims. The pace would be frenzied for quite a while as they gathered patients to be transported to the bridge that the ships held in their superstructures. They would be carried to the ship, pass through the small in-ship bridge and step out at the hospital at the airfield and Aerie Hill which were the designated relief sites for Seekers and Guardian mechanisms.

-0-On the trail

They flew after the Decepticon group, Revenge, their weapons powered up and their sense of urgency full out. Prime watched as the distance between Hydro and Paragon narrowed. He watched as Paragon launched ships that sped to a cooridinate in space and braced themselves. Apparently he had drawn his line in the sand, something that Prime noted in his growing personal list of information about the enemy.

They flashed after Hydro, their armaments coming on line as a threat and warning of the enormity of the peril they could pose to any idea of piracy against Prime's empire. He glanced at Ironhide. "We know how far out Paragon will actively defend even with the idea of having Hydro help him."

"It's not far from his own set up. Given that they haven't gotten together yet, he could just be hedging his bets. Paragon might be seeing whether its worth the trouble to help Hydro by exposing himself further until he sees what you will do."

Prime nodded. "Let's show them then." He looked at his arsenal list, then nodded. "Send them a message from me."

Ironhide turned and called the orders which the command team sent to the requisite individuals. Seekers with heavy armaments broke from the group and formed up in a line between two heavily armored super fast Wrecker battle shuttles. "Springer to Prime. Your orders specifically?"

"Give them a memory, Springer, then break it off and return. No one gets hurt but them," Prime said sitting back to look out the view port. He could see them form up, then turn on the turbos to follow.

"Paragon and Hydro will be upset," Ironhide said with a giant smile.

"Good," Prime said with a grin of his own.

-0-Paragon

He stood at the sensor station watching the gathering event beyond the borders that he could logistically and logically patrol. Hydro and his group were coming at top speed even as a ultra fast heavily armored group gathered to chase them. It would be interesting to see how this played out, this unusual action on the part of Prime. This Prime was different than the one he had fought against on numerous occasions before. This one was ready to kick his aft.

"Paragon to Hydro."

"Hydro here."

"You angered the Prime. Why?"

A pause, then a chuckle. "Does he need a reason?"

"Come soon. We have to talk. I have pings from others."

"On our way. Hydro out."

He cut the signal as the gap between them and the pursuing Autobots began to close. Paragon watched it with a sense of urgency. They were very good. Their technology was outstanding. He could tell there were two big space bridges, one of them very big indeed. But there appeared to be space bridges on some of the ships now moving into the migration.

They were inside the ships.

He had read about that technology, first developed by Autobot scientists but he had thought it lost. Apparently, there were scientists living that remembered and were now working at Prime's colony. After hours of watching the accidental downfeed of their broadcasting, he wouldn't doubt that they were capable of a lot more than they showed the denizens of their cities.

Cities.

Plural.

It still gave him pause. He turned and walked to the center table looking at the huge datapads he had laid out. The Seekers were being rescued, ship bridges facilitating that one as well. Beyond them the faint trace of Decepticon battle groups could be heard in echoes on their own encrypted lines. He had pinged back feeling elated when they had responded. He would be going to a meeting place on the other side of this reclamation to meet up to talk. Hopefully, he would have Hydro with him.

And Arrow.

He could talk Seekers into staying. They had prepared messages to send of their own asking them to come, their families safe in the confines of his own personal leadership. Arrow spoke the messages for his own kind. They would gather strength against strength, then choose a target.

Prime perhaps.

Maybe Soundwave.

Whichever one gave them the most advantage, that one would be the target. If they could wound or pen in the Prime, they could have time and space to regather themselves before taking on the common enemy, raising the banner of their Cause high once more.

He would have to wait. He could. Few were more patient than he was. Few perhaps with the exception of Prowl. That bot knew how to wait too.

-0-Hydro

They flew swiftly, their formation changing as he put big guns behind him. He wasn't going to stand and fight. He wanted his group intact for the discussions with Paragon. Losing even one small aspect would lower his leverage. They would lay down mines and shoot delayed charges. Anything that would put them into the circle of Paragon's sphere of influence would be enough.

-0-Springer

He stood on the deck of his shuttle, the guns manned by his Wreckers. They were all pointing to the rapidly closing Decepticon fleet when the mines and charges flew out. "Take them out, boys," Springer said calmly.

The ship shuddered slightly, ever so slightly as the guns began to slam. Seekers and the other shuttle opened up taking out all of the missiles. They flew through the debris and stepped it up, opening up the engines even more. "Shoot the slaggers," he said equally calmly.

Drift who was sitting in the co-pilot's seat smirked. "This is fun."

"Prime's become more of a kid over the years. Ordinarily, he would have taken the high road but where's the fun in that?"

"I hear ya," Drift replied relaxing as he turned to watch the fight. Guns were firing from the rapidly closing 'Con fleet. "How much damage do we do or is there a limit?"

"We waste them," Springer said with conviction. Opening a channel, he exhorted his crews. "Blast their afts, boys. Leave a mark on their skid plates."

Laughter and abuse in several languages and dialects both grounder and Seeker filled the airwaves, then subsided as concentration for shooting overtook hilarity and bravado. Blossoms of flame appeared on the afts of the ships fleeing, bursting into sight, then dying away immediately in vacuum.

They followed, then Springer called halt. "Let's hold the line here. If they come out, we fight. If they don't, we taunt."

The Seekers paused as their shuttles slowed. They transformed and floated over magnetizing to the hulls as the 'Con fleet continued onward meeting the ships from Paragon's continguent. They trailed debris and fires could be seen inside.

"Springer to slagger commander of the yellow tail fleet. How about a parlay?"

There was no sound, then a gutteral voice appeared. "Frag you, Autobot."

"Now, now. You know the rules. We shoot you, you shoot us."

"I will take you apart, Springer."

"Hydro? Is that you? I do remember that you were the security fleet in the sector at Garrus 9. I remember we invaded, our little team and kicked your aft into the Pit. We got all our people and shredded yours. Long time no see, buddy."

There was a tense pause, then a calmer voice answered. "Springer, I remember Fortress Maximus. I remember the games."

A cold look of hatred came to Springer as he listened to the big mech. "I remember too. I remember cowards torturing caged prisoners for sport. I remember Overlord throwing some of you into the arena when he thought things were slow. I remember you, coward."

Hydro gritted his denta and considered the legendary lunatic on the other end of the line. Springer had taken the Wreckers into servo when Impactor fell into the Pit. Springer was a tough customer, a triple changer with a urge to win second almost to none. "You say that from a distance behind your lines, Springer. You wouldn't say that if you and me were together alone."

"I would, Hydro. Anyone who helped Overlord or participated in his cowardly games is a loser. I say it here. I would say it in front of Primus." Springer grinned. "You are a coward."

Drift looked at him with a curious expression. "You're deliberately undermining his authority with his armada. You do know he will need to repay your kindness with a blaster."

"I know," Springer said.

"Prime said no contact, Springer," Drift said, a frown forming on his faceplates.

"I know," Springer said with a slight grin.

"I would stay and kick your aft, Springer but I have a dinner date with Paragon. I am the leading edge of oncoming opposition. I have better things to do than kick you into the Pit."

"The 'leaking' edge, Hydro? Is that what you said?" Springer asked as the fleet continued onward heading into the darkness toward Paragon's fort. The line protecting them reversed and began to disappear as well.

"Give Paragon a big kiss for me, slagger. Tell him I said he's a coward too," Springer said with laugh.

The line stayed dead.

-0-Prime

He listened to Springer taunt the enemy, a slight grin on his face. Springer had brass bearings and he loved the mech, a friend of many a long and sorrowful orn.

"Mech has bearings," Ironhide said glancing at Prime with a grin. "But what can you expect from your missus."

A crackle of static could be heard over the intercom. "I heard that, Ironhide," Prowl said from the distance of Mars. The smirking winger stood on the command deck and listened as Ironhide and Prime's laughter echoed over the intercom of Ops Center.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

**TF Factoid:** Starscream's original name was supposed to be … wait for it … Ulchtar. Even worse. An alternative early name was … Pretty Poison.

"Not likely. The pretty part maybe ..." -Screamer

**Slag:** we all know its their biggest personal insult but in some countries it also means slut. Soooo. They use scrap now on TF: Prime because of that.


	255. Chapter 255

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 12 (255) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Paragon's settlement

They reached the inner sanctum of the resident Decepticon leadership and fell into parking orbits of the planetoid that was roughly the same size as the moon of Earth. A runabout took him and his second, Venom down to the planetside and they landed, walking out into the bright lights of the airfield and fortress.

Paragon stood waiting, his command crew around him including Arrow. When they reached each other Paragon extended his servo. :Welcome:

:Thanks. We need to talk: Hydro said nodding as he gripped the other bot's servo.

Paragon nodded. :Come inside:

They turned and entered the fortress together.

-0-Prime

He watched the ships disappear into the darkness. "Prime to Springer."

"Springer here."

"Come back. Good job."

"On our way," he replied. Turning to the pilot he nodded. "Take us back to the party, Topspin."

That bot smirked and nodded throwing the shuttle into overdrive as he made a tight arc with the other one. The Seekers magnetized to the hull found themselves flattened as the ship blasted off, riding the wave back to the battle group.

-0-Ratchet

The data pouring in was daunting and the need overwhelming. Flashing for a moment on the early days alone, he began to organize his crews around the grid pattern that allowed them to access the entire migration at once with teams assigned to each sector heading directly there.

Ships poured out of the bridges waiting to be tasked. Even repurposed civilian ships from earlier migrations were in the lineup, their helms piloted with both civilian and military individuals. They began to leave heading into the massed lights before them as data continued to direct Ratchet's efforts.

Jessie who stood watching turned to see mechs in horrendous condition begin to arrive at the vessel. The doctors received them and began to work to save their lives. It would be a sobering adventure for her.

-0-Farther away

They were spotted in the darkness slowly making their way, their comm lines barely alive as they struggled to stay awake.

:Alpha, Beta, this is Omega. Acknowledge:

The comm line crackled, then a weak voice replied. :Omega?:

:We are here, Beta. We are here to help you: They slid to a stop on either side of the two behemoths, their crews sliding out to find the ports for refueling. The ships were battered from a long life of transport, lack of proper care, guardianship and war. When they located them, the tankers were moved up as workers linked them. Waving to the pilots as they floated in space, the tankers began the long refueling process. The two ships' systems were so depleted, so needful of fuel that two of the biggest tankers ever devised by Cybertronian technology would only fill them up half way.

It would be enough.

-0-Inside Fort Vengeance

They sat at the command table sipping high grade. Hydro considered the effort expended around him and decided to join up. It was that simple. Paragon had a fuel and food source. They didn't. "Nice place. I like what you've done with it," he said with a smirk.

Paragon smirked back. "Thanks. We try. Tell me about yourself and your journey here."

"You know me. I have worked in battle groups with you. We decided the Cause was flagging so we set out on our own. Seemed the thing to do. As for out there, a lot of troops are looking for leadership. Soundwave's problem is he's political rather than military. He worked his way up the ranks blackmailing and backstabbing. No one really trusts him. I don't know where Shockwave is but neither of them are actually inspiring enough to go out and die for. No one expects Cybertron to revive any time soon and its wandering now."

Paragon nodded noting the new information about Cybertron. "What sorts of battle groups do you see out there and how can we get them?"

"Don't worry about the getting. They hear Prime and Starscream too. They're coming this way to scope it all out. The migrations are a good cover for some and a pointer for others. We decided to come here to see what the frag you could offer that would be better than what we could make or take for ourselves."

"I want to consolidate power here and take over Cybertron there. Seems like a solid plan to revive the Decepticons, get rid of the old leadership and install new."

"With you as the top kick."

Paragon smiled humorously. "I don't mind fighting you for it."

Hydro shrugged, more than aware of Paragon's martial background. "I don't mind serving in a unit where my worth is appreciated. The infighting can begin when there's something to fight over. All I see is a fortress on the edge of nowhere surrounded by strong enemies and endless streams of civilians who get in the way of things."

"Then let me show you around," Paragon said rising.

And he did.

-0-Around the city

The streams of refugees were endless as well as the lines of civilians ready to help them. The system was well in place and functioning with a precision that was unbelievably smooth. Ships set down in the different designated areas offloading passengers, then lifting off for more.

The hospitals were being swamped with patients, some of them field patched and others emergency airlifted. Several of the largest spaces in the city had become receiving centers, the underground trains lifesaving transports. Patients were held in recovery spaces in the Guild Halls, Union Halls and community function areas. Hu An were moving among them, nearly 100 showing up here and there to help. Their quiet energy was soothing to some of the families who hovered over the pallets where their family members or friends lay recovering from injury, starvation and weariness.

On the street, lines of individuals walked following guides who had gathered them in groups from processing freeing their individual civilian helper to go back and start again. Their tags told their story and their destination to housing. They followed, waiting outside towers as some of them went up to be housed, following their guides docilely. When they were settled, usually in tearful astonishment, the guide would come down and the lines would continue onward.

Everywhere they went, organics on segways followed filming everything without a care about censorship. They would sort that out later on. As they went, they were astonished with the cooperation and seemingly docile demeanor of the refugees. They walked along quietly, staring everywhere as they went. They waited patiently on the street as their guides, assuring them they would return quickly took anywhere from one to a dozen individuals upward to their new homes and lives.

The film was amazing.

The Aerialbots at the airfield and satellite sites worked directing the ships landing to their fates. Most would be parted out and smelted. Many of them would be repurposed, giving their next few vorns to other tasks. It was organized and effective as ships were carried off and placed in the open spaces beyond the airfield for assessment when Omega came back. It was his job to do so and the others to carry them off. For now, they would make do.

-0-Bluestreak

He worked at the City Hall managing medical data for Ratchet. The flood of it was astounding but the system was designed to take massive amounts at a time and sort it faster than even an optic could follow. He directed and redirected coded files to their destinations and correlated the sorted information into useful reports.

The City Hall itself was a mass of activity as Blondi ruled her domain with her usual cheerful efficient benevolence. Magnus was in the city inspecting the housing at Terra for sign off. She was running the show, her expertise and winning personality making a difficult thing palatable. Bluestreak sat in Venture's office using his computers as the circus continued to roll on.

Venture himself was running data at the airfield near Aerie Hill as the most devastated cases continued to arrive. Among them would be the elders, infants, sparked mechs and the wounded of the Seeker migration.

-0-The Seeker Migration

They lay on the ground too tired to move. Their families were receiving treatment and they begged off in favor of the others first. By the time they received treatment many of the worst cases were gone through the bridge. It would take half an orn but by the time 100,000 of the refugees were rescued, the Seekers would all be through the gate to safety.

-0-Starscream

They came around to head for the coordinates that Hydro had thrown out almost as an afterthought. He had made a break to run for Paragon. It had taken everything Starscream had not to follow and slag Hydro personally. Instead, they headed for the five Seekers who had been their prisoner. He sat fuming silently, seeking memories among the few he had from those orns of the battle group commander. He had almost nothing.

"Star, we have them," Thundercracker said glancing over his shoulder.

"On screen," Starscream said leaning forward slightly.

A monitor flashed on and five Seekers were seen floating in space. They were lifeless appearing and helpless. Starscream looked at the ship pilot. "Scan them. Look for traps and scams as well as life."

The pilot nodded and complied. "They are alive and they are mined."

"Frag," Starscream said. He looked at Thundercracker. "Have the saboteur report."

Thundercracker nodded and paused, then looked at the younglings. "This Hydro is mine."

"You hold him. I will eviscerate him," Starscream hissed.

The hatch opened and a big mech entered pausing before the two. "You called for me, Lord Starscream?"

Starscream nodded. "Our younglings are mined. Their vitals are faint. I don't know if they are simple devices or even if they are proximity. We need your expertise."

He nodded and turned looking at the images. "I would like to have sensors redirected to this computer. I will need to approach this carefully. If I can find the correct frequency, I can scan without causing an explosion by doing so."

Starscream nodded. "Make it so, pilot."

The pilot complied. The big saboteur worked a while, considered this and that, then turned to Starscream. "There are no proximity devices. They must have not had a lot of time because although they carry devices, they appear to be simpler than I would have expected. They were cast off and mined with grenades. If you touch them without disarming the devices, they will blow up."

"Can you untangle this?" Starscream asked.

He nodded. "I can. I don't detect any further hindrance beyond the grenades attached to them."

"Do it. Take who you need and what you require. Hurry," Starscream said. "I don't think they are in a good way themselves."

The big mech nodded walking to the door to jump out for transformation. He flew away toward the younglings and paused when he arrived flying slowly around them in root mode as he studied the devices and their detonators. It would take half a joor before he was satisfied they were simple enough to disarm. Then he would.

-0-Mikaela

She stood in the corner of the hallway in City Hall watching as the machinery of civic life rolled onward. The mechs and femmes were cordial, nodding and pausing as she weaved her way inside the inner sanctum of Autobot City's central community nexus. Finding a corner, parking back out of anyone's footpath, she stood and watched the mechs and femmes she would come to know well, listening to their conversations and discussions on the translation line all humans had for their languages.

The flood was coming in fast and furious. Over 100,000 mechs and femmes had been gathered in so far. Of that many, ten were in detention as 'questionable characters' in the prison nearby. She would have to find that place and learn about it as well. The hospitals were groaning with patients but Ratchet wasn't here. He was in space running the show. It was a far cry from the past, she knew. She had never severed her ties to the city and the mechs she knew, especially Jazz even if she had done so with Sam.

That individual had been uncomfortable around her, his 'playah' ways finally getting the best of him. They had come together in high school, being exclusive even though his college days. Going to community college for night classes in Communications and Technology wasn't on the par of his ivy league affiliations but they had kept the faith even as they sort of drifted apart a bit.

When he had graduated, there was a period of time in which Sam was unemployable, the lingering effect of Autobot association. Cybertronian technology had made obsolete a lot of what passed for cutting edge tech on Earth and he had borne a bit of the brunt for it from the 'Masters of the Universe' who ran the corporate octopus. Warren Roberts hiring him to work on the business end of the Autobot brief he carried had saved him.

It had also allowed him to meet Carly.

They had begun a relationship behind Mikaela's back apparently based on Sam's weak spine and Carly's long legs. By the time Mikaela's unerring radar picked up on it, they were splitsville. Sam groveled a long time which was pleasing but she had decided to exact the best sort of revenge. Not only would she look good, she would do it on Mars. Applying for every New York public relations firm she could and allowing for her background to be a draw, she was hired by the biggest and most far sighted one in the city. She managed to meet with Warren Roberts who putting her checkered relationship with Sam aside, decided that she was the best most qualified person to live on Mars and manage their public relations. He had told her that they were reviewing contracts with outside agencies in three months. If they didn't renew the contract of the company she was working for, they would renew her and make her the spokesperson and public relations and communications director for Autobot Nation.

She jumped.

Sam on the other hand continued his relationship with Carly.

And began one with Jessie Landon.

Typical boy stuff catching up on all the fun he missed in high school while being exclusive with Mikaela.

It was going to be interesting.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	256. Chapter 256

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 13 (256) edited for boo boos :D

-0-The gathering storm

They were heading toward a faint signal, one that had reached them in the hinterlands. It was from Prime and Starscream, both of them gathering together to round up the strays of the universe, Cybertronian civilians and Autobot soldiers. They were in poorly condition and rootless themselves, needful of an assured supply line and relatively stable conditions for living. All of that seemed possible at the end of the silver thread of this message. So they gathered up and began a trek drawing others to their group as they went.

They would see many, the flotsam and jetsam of their kind strewn all over the universe when the Fall happened and everyone had to flee. It was desperate then and it was getting that way now. They would leave the barren zone they occupied before things got out of servo. Heading toward the signal of Prime and Starscream, the Decepticon battle groups Terror and Destruction flew. The battle cruisers fully loaded and armed were accompanied by the usual ship array that battle groups supported.

It would take a while before they would be able to sort out the situation in that sector of the galaxy. They would be known to Prime long before Paragon and Hydro would be aware of their menacing presence.

-0-At Paragon's settlement

He commed off the broadcast that was going over the air from Autobot City as they sat listening to Gen-O describe the amazingly efficient reclamation to a city that had no parallel anywhere else including Cybertron. Paragon sipped his high grade, his optics staring at Hydro as that mech sorted out what he had seen. Looking at Paragon he grinned. "Prime's been busy."

"So it would seem. I've been watching these programs for a while and it would appear that the population of Prime's colony will be over a million with this influx. There are estimations of one and a half million given."

"That's a lot of civilians and a lot of dead weight to protect. Prime may have a lot of bodies but how many soldiers?" Hydro asked.

"He has just about every Seeker left alive trying to get to him and I am hearing thousands of them are already there. Elders too. You know that if the Seekers hear that Elders are gathering they will defect right away. There are also defecting Decepticons, thousands of them."

"I don't suppose they can be influenced," he suggested.

Paragon shrugged. "I haven't tried. I've only been here a little while. I've never tried to smuggle someone inside but I suppose that is possible.:

"I would think it was essential," Hydro said refilling his glass. "Spies inside would give us a better bead on what is happening there."

"I agree," Paragon said nodding. The migration is huge and still in flux. Perhaps a runabout suitably beaten up can slip inside. Maybe we can try a diversion to allow it."

Hydro nodded. "I want to be a part of this regroup here with my own. I will allow you to command me and my troops and ships if you show the proper respect. I have a lot to bring to the table. You know my specialty was special ops."

"Get someone into this migration to be a spy and I will be more than happy to show respect. You will forgive me if I'm the sort of mech that feels you have to earn respect to get it."

"Then you and I am on the same page. I don't give respect and license to commanders that are aft heads. I'm not going to be anyone's lackey," Hydro said firmly.

"Agreed. Why don't you go and get a spy organized. Then make sure they get into the migration," Paragon said with a slight grin.

Hydro looked at him, then nodded. "Alright. Done," he said as he rose and turned, heading for the door and his ship's complement of saboteurs and special ops, all hand trained by him.

Arrow who was leaning on the counter nearby listening walked to the table to sit. :Do you trust him?:

:Only so far. If this works, then we are ahead. If it fails then he is behind. A win-win for me either way: Paragon said favoring his lover with a slight grin.

Arrow grinned back and squeezed Paragon's servo. "Sounds like a deal."

-0-Ironhide

"Prime, there's a couple of small ships buzzing along the edge of the migration, near to the back." Ironhide turned to look at Prime.

Glancing up from a map and internal discussion with Prowl, he stared at the monitor overhead. "Send someone to chase them off. If they have to blow them up, go ahead." He returned to his map and conversation.

Ironhide commed his father. :Atar, do you see the bogies?:

:We do: Blackjack replied.

:Could you send someone to beat their afts? You're closer than we are: Ironhide replied.

:Done. How's it going there?:

:Smoothly. We have another 25,000 through the gate and the overall emergency level of the migration is at orange: Ironhide said referring to the sliding scale of calamity used to measure an emergency. Red was dire. Orange was moderately dire. Yellow was moderate. Green was fair. White was optimal.

:That's good to know. I wouldn't want to be at Autobot City right now. I bet it's a madhouse. Right now at this fortress, we are in servo:

:No doubt: Ironhide said. :Keep us posted, Atar:

:That road runs both ways, Ironhide. You never call your mother: Alor said interjecting humor as always.

Ironhide shorted and grinned. :Sorry, Ada. I will rub your peds when this is over:

:Done deal. Alor out:

The smile in his words would linger with Ironhide a long time.

-0-Fort Apache

They lifted off, Wrecker shuttles led by Flint heading for the interlopers at the end of the migration group. They flashed incredibly fast toward the end of the vast group, their weapons primed and their angst writ large.

When they got to the point where the intruders were they saw them harassing a small runabout that had seen better orns. A plea for help had been sent and reached them. Inside the vessel was a mech and his femme, neither of them in great condition but overcome with fear at the two small ships chasing them around.

:Unknown intruders, identify yourselves. Move away from the migration and identify yourselves. If you don't do that now, we will blow you to the Pit: Flint said sternly.

The ships pulled back allowing the runabout to re-enter the migration. For a moment, they looked ready to fight, then they turned and fled. One of the two ships with Flint followed as Flint's own vessel pulled up alongside the runabout. The hatch opened and he slipped out floating to magnetize on the hull. Rapping on the bulkhead, Flint slipped inside when the hatch opened. It closed behind him.

Inside, the place looked lived in for a long time. A femme was lying on a pallet, weariness informing all her delicate features. A youngling mech, handsome and weary too looked at Flint with frightened optics. "Who are you?"

"My name is Flint. I am a commander in the Autobot Armed Forces and we came to help you. Why were you being harassed?"

The mech glanced at his femme, then Flint. "I don't know. We were flying, then they came. I think they might be from the battle group that passed. They had Decepticon brands on their ships."

Flint nodded. "I see," he said as his optics continued to roam around. "You need energon. We have a medic on board. He can assess you and give the proper grade. I'll call him."

A few moments later, they sat sipping energon gratefully as the Autobots watched them. "I think they will be okay, sir," the medic said.

Flint nodded. "I agree. Stay close to the rest of the migration. You will be taken to Autobot City soon. Just stay close."

The youngling stood and nodded. "Thank you, sir. I guess I just fell asleep at the controls. I'm so tired."

Flint nodded sympathetically. "I hear you, youngling. Hang on. You will be there soon." With that, he turned and the two floated to their own ships. Entering, they turned and flew back, Flint's heading for the command ships of the rescue.

The two watched them go, then glanced at each other. "This is great energon," the femme, Shar said. The youngling mech, a wily, very smart bot named Shim nodded. "This has got to be at least grade B or higher. No wonder Prime can manage refugees like this."

They sat down at the controls of their ship moving it closer to the migration. It would be a while before they were able to go forward. They would chat and listen to the transmissions while they waited.

-0-Flint

He reached the ships of the leadership and poised his own vessel, floating over to Omega. Rapping on the hull, the hatch opened. He entered and walked to Ironhide.

"Uncle Flint," Ironhide said with a grin. "I see you got out of the berth."

Flint snorted and rapped him on his helm. "I see you're sitting on your aft as usual."

They bantered a moment, then Flint sat waiting as Prime terminated a call. He looked at his commander and nodded. "What happened out there, Flint?"

"I do believe, sir, that the Decepticons planted a spy into the migration," he said with a grin.

Jazz turned in his chair and smiled. "This could be fun, Optimus."

Optimus considering the possibilities nodded. "It very well could be."

With that, Flint and Jazz sat down together to work out the possibilities.

-0-Ratchet

"How are you doing, Jessie? You look more pale than usual," Ratchet said glancing at his human buddy perched on the shelf above him.

"I am feeling for the patients, Ratchet. I hate to see any bot in trouble." She looked at the floor which was slick with bluish energon. "This is horrendous."

"It is but the best part is, our medical community is bigger than just me," Ratchet said with a grin.

She nodded. "How is the sparkling?"

"He's resting," Ratchet replied. He turned, pulled out a comfortable recliner from a cupboard and sat it on the shelf. "You be too."

She grinned at him and sat ratcheting back the incliner. "You are the bomb, Ratchet. Remember that."

Ratchet grinned. "I will."

-0-The three soldiers of the Apocalypse

They stood in the cube looking over Revo's shoulder as the hoo-hah began to settle. :Those fuckers should know better: Epps said nodding.

Revo snorted and glanced over his shoulder. :I forgot you were back there:

:That's because you're overcome with our beauty: Lennox said with a smirk.

:That's it. Your beauty: Revo said turning to glance at the magnitude of ships lining up to leave through a gate.

:Where do we stand so far, Revo?: Graham asked.

Revo consulted a data complier on the console. It had the direct feed from the space bridge techs on the other side. :We have about 229,000 bots on the other side:

:Damn. That's fast: Epps said.

:We're only as fast as we are on the other side. We changed a lot and it's paying off: Revo said.

:No doubt: Lennox said nodding.

-0-At the Residence of the Primes

Ravel and Tie Down stood in the doorway of the berthroom that would belong to Tagg and Kestrel for their convalescence. They had been taken here from the hospital by a couple of aides who helped them with the long slow walk through the busy streets as they went from one tower to the next.

Ravel greeted them at the door, his cheerful sweetness balm to the pained pair. Limping forward, Ravel's worried comments bolstering both, they made it to the berthroom and lay down. Pain blockers were going to make the next orn or so easier. Ravel and Tie would take care of them until Prowl had a moment to come and assist.

The infants would be staying over at the care center at school, an inevitable conclusion reached reluctantly by all. Even Bluestreak was working. Ravel and Tie closed the store to help, volunteering cheerfully to manage Tagg and Kestrel. It had taken the burden off everyone that they did.

When the aides left, Tie walked back to the berthroom where Ravel said talking to the pair as they lay on the berth. "And I know that Prowl will come by tonight at the first opportunity. Until then, we will help you."

"Ravel, I can't ask you to do that," Kestrel began as he reached out to clasp Ravel's small servo.

"Now, now," Ravel said with a smile on his sweet face, a smile eerily familiar. He patted Kestrel's servo. "We are family now. We have to help each other. Sparklings and younglings depend upon us."

"That's true," Kestrel said tiredly. "Orion said that you lived in the Jumble too. I don't remember seeing you but I heard about your tools. I always wanted to buy a tool kit for Tagg that you made but we never could afford it. We used all our spare shanix for Orion's books and education."

"You sound like us," Tie Down said pulling up a comfortable chair. "We spent every bit we had on Ratchet's education. We lived down at the dog leg. Our little apartment was three floors up in the D block tenement."

Tagg nodded. "I passed that every morning heading to the mills. I probably said hello to you sometimes." He grinned. "We lived eight blocks south in the Eiger District."

"I know that district. A lot of very good mechs came from there," Ravel said nodding.

They would pass the joors happily together remembering a long lost time and long lost oddly enough mutual friends.

-0-Out there

:Gamma:

:Beta. Are you better, brother?:

:I am. I have been famished so long. Alpha?:

:I am recovering, Beta. You came for us, Zeta: Alpha pulsed warmth to the older brother that he had not seen in literally millions of years. Omega was the oldest among the Supreme Guardians with all the rest following in an order of several decaorns space between them. They were devised beings whose sparks came from the Well of All Sparks.

Although Metroplex and Fortress Maximus were older than Omega by some small margin, they were a different generation of the same concept idea. The Supremes were designed to protect cities and city-states planet side. Fort Max and Metroplex were designed to protect planets from space. They were siblings in the emotional and physical sense, reunited at long last.

:Kappa and Omega are here in the recovery. Fortress Maximus and Metroplex are in the city. When you can move, we will take you to Autobot City where you can rest and get repairs. Ratchet will be leading your recovery: Zeta said with his characteristic youthful good cheer.

:Ratchet. I have not seen him in vorns and vorns. Eons: Alpha said. :We can help here:

:After you are checked over. You are millennia without care. Let us help you both: Gamma said with his usual warmth and good sparked concern. :Xantium is also here and assisting at the air field:

It was silent a moment. :We will go with you. I am weary: Beta said at last.

:Good: Gamma said signaling to the tankers to follow as they led the way. They pinged back, loaded everyone and with great care turned to head toward the front of the migration. Flying over the masses, their shadows fell over the ships. Some of them signaled with a salute of their lights their appreciation for the great ships that had given so much for their safety.

Shim and Shar watched the Guardians fly over them, four of them with giant tankers following and felt a bit of a jolt. "Wow," Shim said glancing at Shar who sat looking with a grim expression on his face. "I hear you," he said softly.

They flew onward, their presence being forwarded over the ships as they sent word onward. Omega who was anchored in space nearby Kappa got the message. Ironhide felt a jolt through the floor plates and glanced up. Omega was flashing his running lights and deep space arc lighting to salute his siblings. So was Kappa. The comm line was burning up between them as four behemoth ships came out of the night and into the glare of ship lights and siblings.

They slid to a stop and for a moment there was nothing from any of them so absorbed were they in greeting each other. Everyone looked out, every window crowded as six Guardians greeted each other for the first time in nine million years. Jessie stared at them with wide eyes, the same expression that Lennox, Epps and Graham wore as well.

Revo looked different. He looked at them with an emotional expression. These were honorable giants from the past, the guardians of cities and their home world. They were selfless, dedicated and courageous. His faction had targeted them and even though he himself had once had Kappa in his sites, he never shot at her. He couldn't. They were here now, six of them on this side with three more back at the city. They were gathering again. There were more, perhaps even alive somewhere. He would ask Primus at the Temple when he got back to send them all to the Prime. They deserved to be here together.

Omega flashed his lights, then they dimmed. All of the great ships dimmed. Then they spoke.

:Beta Supreme reporting for duty, Prime. I am yours to command:

:Alpha Supreme reporting for duty, Optimus Prime. I am yours as ever to command:

Optimus listened to them, the greatest ships ever created by his gifted species and nodded. :Optimus Prime to Beta and Alpha Supreme, welcome home: he said quietly.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	257. Chapter 257

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 14 (257) edited for boo boos :D

-0-The City

They landed their ship among the others and stepped off pausing to look around. They were at the second site of the five, the one where civilians were directed. They waited listening to the director of the location tell them about the process ahead. They joined a double line and waited, inching forward as civilians who lived here took them onward to a station nearby.

"Hi. I'm Spec. I'll get you through this process. Follow me."

The two walked after him and waited behind another couple to have their data entered. They got their story straight internally and Shim delivered it to a mech who sat at a table with computers entering all of it into the database. It would list them as new, their personal data and run them against all known problem troublemaking individuals and wanted mechs and femmes. Shar leaned against Shim tiredly, her optics roaming all around the area as she waited. When they were finished, Spec turned to both. "Come on. Let's see about your health."

They followed him as he walked to a tent nearby where medics were doing triage. Waiting in line chatting with Spec, they watched with amazement as everyone everywhere got taken care of. Ships kept landing and when empty either left or were towed/hauled/lifted away to parking sites after their precious cargo stepped or was carried off. They stood together, the sound of languages and dialects from all over Cybertron filling the air. One could almost feel the energy of that many different individuals talking together internally as well.

They reached the medics and answered questions. They had scans taken and minute things tweaked. Although medical care had been scarce on their ship and throughout the Decepticon faction, they were young and less inclined to be battered the way older veterans were. Leaving the triage center feeling better in some respects than they had in ages, they continued with Spec as he walked with hundreds of others toward the gigantic city beyond.

Spec paused at the road that led to the city and turned placing a tag around both of their necks. "This has all the information about you on the tag including the location of your housing and the jobs you chose. You should keep this safe. It will help you remember where you live."

They nodded and looked at the tag. "Alright," Shim said.

Turning and leading the way, he walked to a place where bots were congregating together. He paused and turned to them. "A guide will be taking you to your new home. I have to stay and help newcomers. Jaster will help you." He turned and waved to Jaster who was lining up a new group to leave. "These two go as well, Jas."

He nodded and waved them to join. Looking at their tag he smiled. "All of us are going to the same district. Come with me," he said to the ten other mechs who were waiting. Heading out, they followed. Shim and Shar did as well.

-0-Nearby

The ship was moved to a parking row that would allow it to be assessed and taken away when its turn came. There were a lot of ships ahead of it. The little battered runabout was nondescript, worn and ready to deliver one last surprise. When all was quiet, a panel on the floor inside shifted. As it did, blue optics peered out and listened. When the sound was confirmed to be from outside, a mech crawled out of the space and waited for another. They peered out of the window and when the coast was clear, slipped out of the ship and into the mass of bots exiting too on their way to the intake.

Dorcy and Mastercell moved forward with the others. They would go through intake, get tagged and walk with other overwhelmed bots to their own new home, one that was many planetary diameters better than anything they had ever had in their lives. It included all the time they had been in the Decepticons.

-0-On a ship out there

Venom and Hydro stood together on their ship watching the fortress below. Their crews were moving onto the planetoid to settle into the underground barracks where everyone lived. The two themselves would continue to live on their battle cruiser in the plush quarters that officers had.

"They should be there by now," Venom said.

Hydro nodded. "All things being equal." He looked at his partner and lifelong friend. "Paragon thinks I'm weak and a fail waiting to happen."

"He would be wrong," Venom said smugly. "All of your opponents thought that before you removed them as obstacles."

"We will. All of them," he said with a smug grin. "Paragon and Soundwave first."

-0-In a high rise in Terra

They stood in the middle of the living room of the one berthroom apartment in a brandnew housing tower assigned to them. They were given jobs as well, something they had a hand in choosing but the report time was three orns off. Apparently, it was a practice to have the newcomers get acquainted with the cities before reporting to work.

"This is …" Shim paused. He looked at the stunned little femme standing by the kitchen table. "I don't know what to say."

"How do they do this? How can they?" Shar asked turning to look her crewmate and friend. They were a team in special ops and had a great track record. This was just another assignment with only a reasonable prospect of success. They were the detectable layer of the Decepticon cake that had been delivered to Prime. If there was anyone who would be caught, it would be them.

Shim turned and walked to the energon dispensor. Opening a cupboard, he saw dishes inside including cubes. Taking one, he touched the dispenser and the cube filled. Sniffing it, he took a sip. "Wow." He turned and handed it to Shar. "Taste this."

She did. Glancing sharply at Shim, she looked at the cube then the rest of the room. "This is better than the stuff we had out there. This is the best energon I ever had."

"Look at the view, Shar," Shim said as he walked to the window. The landscape of Mars filled the view along with the foundations of more towers in three new subdivisions. They caught a glimpse of the industrial parks that stretched out as far as the optic could see. Gleaming white, their neat appearance and steam rising cleanly from emblemed stacks indicated enormous output. Most of the Decepticon plants they had seen were incredibly crude and dirty. This was the opposite.

Shar put the cube down and turned walking through the living room to the corridor. A small room on the right was empty. The other was a large berthroom with furnishings and a large closet. Connected to it was a large private washrack. "Shim! Get in here."

He jolted and hurried, pausing at the door of the washrack beside her. "What the …?"

She stepped inside and noted the dispensers of soap and a treatment for armor that held the shine. Touching the handle, warm water flowed over her. She stood a moment luxuriating in the first shower she had gotten in longer than she cared to think. Then she soaped and rubbed, a dark torrent of grime and dirt washing down the drain at her peds. She looked at him and waved him in.

He joined her. They stayed under the water for a long time.

-0-Aerie Hill

He hurried in, others following to pause in the lobby of the emergency room. In a corner, Harrier stood listening to the medic give an update. Spotting Silverclaw, she waved him over. He hurried to her and paused. "They are here. Five of your sons. Rattler was the one leading this last group. They were abused by the Decepticons but are going to be fine. Go. See to your boys."

He nodded and turned glancing at the open doors of several rooms. Spotting a familiar color, he hurried into number four and paused by the head of the medberth. Rattler lay with his optics off line, unaware that his father was there. Silverclaw scanned him and looked at the overhead monitor. He didn't know what the data was saying but it seemed in the right range. "Rattler."

For a moment, the young mech lay quietly. Then he onlined looking around in confusion. A strong servo gripped his face, gently stroking his cheek. "Rattler. I am here."

For a moment, the youngling stared at the phantom before him. Then he smiled. "You're here. We came. All five of us. Did they get the flight?"

"We did," Silverclaw said nodding with intense emotion on his face. "You came. Your other brothers are here. Your ada is here. I am proud of you, son. All of you. I knew you would make it."

"We came," Rattler said with weariness. He gripped his father's servo tightly. "We came and there are more. Its getting hard to come."

"We will get them. All of them can be here. Prime is here and Starscream. It will be alright. Sleep and I will hold your servo."

He would. When his sons were released later that orn, he would stand in the open space of the common area of Aerie Hill and sing his songs of praise to Primus and The One. He would cry out to the sky his defiance of his enemies, calling them out, shaking his staff at them, cursing them to the Pit. He would tell the universe of the pride in his sons that filled his spark, of the greatness of Seekerkin and his defiance of his enemies.

Hundreds would gather to watch and listen, then pay their respects not only to the oldest yet known Elder among their own kind but to the valiant sons restored to his home. They would call out their own solidarity with the clans and their chieftains. Some of the newbies would be seeing this for the first time. Others would remember it from other places and ages.

All of them would be lifted and restored.

-0-On the street

They had returned to the underground and found themselves walking out of station two in the Metroplex District. The place was crowded, hundreds, maybe thousands of mechs and femmes walking here and there happily. Security was everywhere, Day and Night Watch tattoos indicating that a regular force patrolled all orn. Many of those out were like them, newbies wandering the city with dazed expressions. Some of them were mechs and femmes going to work, pausing to help the lost newcomers on their way.

They had reached the street level and were looking around. Moving through the crowds, they entered the Mall of Metroplex and stood looking around with astonishment. It was three levels of shops and cafes. There were grocery stores, bakeries, detailing shops and home décor places. There were places to buy sparkling things, a pharmacy and other businesses they were too dazed to comprehend.

"This is awesome isn't it?" a femme said pausing beside Shar to let a family pass.

Shar nodded. "I … I am overwhelmed."

"I know. I have been here since the last migration. I work at the schools. Can you believe it? Any youngling and sparkling below sub adult has to go to school. I help make the lunches at both towers."

"They have schools for everyone? They feed them there?" Shim asked with surprise.

She nodded. "They do," she said proudly. "I help."

The crowd thinned and she paused. "Welcome to Autobot City. This is the greatest place I have ever been. This is what Cybertron should have been my ada says. I hope you have a great life," she said, then turned and continued disappearing into the crowd.

They stood a moment, then stepped forward passing book stores, art suppliers and craft guild outlets. They passed confectionaries and electronics shops as well. Pausing before The Energon Basket, they both turned almost automatically to enter. The line was long but they waited, the smells inside almost overwhelming. When they got to the front, a smiling femme looked at them. "What can I get you?"

"We don't have any shanix," Shim said.

"Youngling, you work and live. You get what you need. That is how this works. I make things, you get what you need. You work, I might get what you make. Fair trade. What can I get you?" she asked again.

They glanced at each other, then the vast array of delights. "What do you think?"

"Ah," she said with a smile. "You want a surprise." She turned and began to pack a box with delectible treats. She put a lid on it and turned handing it to Shim. "There. Go and celebrate your new life."

They nodded and thanked her dazedly, then turned walking out with their precious box of treats that had always been wanted but never obtained. Only high castes ate this stuff. They walked onward halting before the Metroplex Grocery Store. Glancing at each other, they walked inside and stood in the entrance of the vast space.

There were carts nearby, but they didn't take one. They merely walked meekly among the aisles and islands brimming with food items. Most of them were unknown. A number of employees were explaining to mesmerized patrons what they were seeing.

Some were obvious. Energon in liquid containers beautifully packaged in the Cybertronian way filled one aisle in assorted sizes and flavors. Then there were energon items of Cybertronian design which everyone knew. That however was overpowered by endless mounds of 'produce', endless stacks of intriguing food items with what would turn out to be of human design type and name as well as a long array of 'meat' in long cool display cases, freezers filled with everything from 'frozen vegetables' and something called 'ice cream' to 'milk', 'cheese' and other delights too odd to name.

A mech was handing out samples and they paused to take one. He grinned. "Try it. Rampage is the genuis behind the cuisine and food here. It may look odd but its fabulous. You can get a cook book at the bookstore to show you how to do this. Cooking is having a real rennaissance here because of him."

Shim blinked and looked at Shar. Looking at the mech, he blinked again. "Rampage? He's a food guy?"

The mech chuckled. "Yeah. Weird world huh?"

They nodded and stumbled onward, their 'corn dogs' forgotten in their servos. They really didn't realize how changed their world was until they reached the wine and beer section. There were labels there that had disappeared with Cybertron, or so they thought. A mech helping a couple choose a 'wine' for their 'steaks' glanced at them. "Great isn't it. We have the best microbreweries here."

"Microbreweries?" Shim echoed.

They stood a moment, then continued. When they left, their corn dogs were eaten and enjoyed. They would have their favorite beer in a bag and breakfast items referred to them by a nice older femme who was 'happy to help you nice younglings get settled in'.

They would go home to their apartment, sit on the floor and gorge themselves. They would drink their beer, watch The Hourly News and something interesting called 'Bonanza'.

They would never sleep so well as they would that night.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	258. Chapter 258

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns (258) edited boo boos :D

-0-Day care

He stood staring out the window, his thumb firmly in his mouth. He clutched his favorite dolly, a yellow dog to his chest. He was waiting on this the second orn of his distress. Ada hadn't come to get him, nor did Atar. There were no games with Ada, chasing a bouncy ball all over the place. There was no tickles and rocky byes in the rocker by the window before bathtime with Ada. There were no noontime visits from Atar with cookies for both he and Praxus. There was no sitting by the window in the lobby 'talking' with him, watching Hero smile at them, no offering a cookie for her to gum. None of it was happening.

Orion stood sunk in his own misery and fear waiting for the genitors that wouldn't come for another orn.

Down from him in the same condition, Han hugged his own dollie as he waited for his genitors. The two were so upset that they didn't even mind being together. Misery loves company.

Apparently.

-0-Hero

She sat on Laret's servo, her smile gigantic and her itty bitty cuteness even more so than usual. She was a tiny black version of Ironhide, her little bright optics shining as Laret tickled her with a feather. She reached for it, missing completely. Clasping her servos in excitement, she looked at her caregiver with happiness. "A."

Laret paused and smiled. "You can say a word. What a clever girl you are, my little darling."

"A!" She clapped her servos, looking at Laret with a face-splitting smile. When she talked to her genitors, they smiled and complimented her greatly. So she found did Laret. "A."

Neo who was passing by with Olo paused. "What a bright little thing you are, Hero. No wonder your atar wants to keep you with him, you clever girl."

Hero looked at Neo and clapped her servos. "A!"

And so it would pass.

-0-On a flotation device in the pool

They sat together, Iacon, Uraya and a tiny bit of fluff named Ram-bit floating in the middle of the pool. Sitting in the water enjoying their 'chat', Mr. Ambor relaxed. He had just graduated with a degree in early infant education and was already working on an advanced degree for upper elementary. The little bits looked at him and smiled, Uraya leaning over to pat the water. Ambor filled his cup again and poured it over the babies. They sputtered and laughed, their little voices sounding like wind chimes sounding gently in a soft breeze. He grinned. They were adorable.

-0-Silverbow, Spirit, T-Bar and Sunspot

They worked on their art, a clay project that would be fired in the basement kiln later. Each of them were instructed to make something of significance to themselves. It could be anything and from the looks of it all of the projects would be. Silverbow was making a statue of her brother. Rebel was excelling across town in school. He was her little minion to lead and mold. Therefore, she was making him over in clay.

T-Bar was making an image of Prowl in his alt vehicle mold. It would be surprisingly good. Spirit on the other hand struggled to make his clay glob into a horse. He liked horses. When he finished it would look like an alligator. His genitors would love it anyway.

Sunspot patiently labored on his own clay blob. He was making a dog. He wanted one. A chance comment from his atar had stuck. He wanted a dog so he was making one. It was going to be awesome. When it was completed he would give it to his atar and ada along with a laboriously handwritten letter telling of his longing. They were awesome to him. If anyone could get him a dog, they could.

And so the afternoon went.

-0-Ratchet

He took a pause as some of their patients were being prepped to go back to Autobot City. Glancing at Jessie who was drowsing in her easy chair, he grinned. :Jessie:

She jolted awake and sat up looking upward. :Ratchet:

:I'm sending you back. You need to take a break:

:I'm okay: she began but he cut her off.

:You are. You're great. However, I am thinking that you need something to eat and maybe take a break. You know:

She grinned at him. :Bathroom break you mean?:

He nodded. :Indupitably as Ironhide would say:

She grinned and nodded. :Can I come back?:

:If you can con the Master of the Muster, sure. Just make sure you get tasked to this ship:

:Alright: she said stepping onto Ratchet's servo. He turned and walked toward a stretcher that was getting ready to go. Waiting for the bearers to step out into space, they both watched as they did, floating toward a runabout that was loading up. Ratchet stepped out himself and began to float across to the same ship.

Jessie glanced around and got disjointed views of the controlled chaos around Kappa. The migration looked like a shiny smear in the distance, sort of like shots of galaxies with their masses of lights along a long vista. A line of ships was forming up before the inferno of a space bridge, blinking lights, colored lights, ships of all kinds in the long stream waiting to go. Kappa appeared vast before her when Jessie looked back, the imposing white mass of the sentient ship looming in her line of vision. Gamma was nearby and so was Omega. They were behemoths, the three of them. Bots were floating in space going from ship to ship carrying patients and things, or not. It was all masterfully planned.

She sat cross legged in Ratchet's servo gripping his digits as they floated like a leaf on water toward the small opening of a ship that would take her through the gate. Reaching it, Ratchet set her down gently, nodding with a smile. She smiled back and waved watching as he went back. The hull hatch closed and the ship turned heading toward the lineup. It would get priority as a medical rescue vessel and before she knew it they were coming into the hospital landing pad for touchdown. They unloaded the ship and she was set down, waving to all as she began to walk to the elevators. As she did, she called for a lift as she remembered her own segway remained behind on Kappa.

She stood at last in the lobby of the Medical Tower watching herds of bots move here and there. Then she saw the segway coming and her ride driving. Pulling up, Jessie hopped on and with a laugh and a nod, she buzzed off to the Human Habitat with Mikaela Banes.

-0-Optimus and the Alpha Crew

He sat in Omega watching the migration begin to show the effects of downsizing. Over 300,000 individuals had been taken to Mars. The new system was working out very well. Dividing the refugees up upon landing made it easier to meet needs, reunite families and take care of the injured. They had also picked up 37 bad actors. There were probably a lot more but these 37 were well known in the migration for being aft helms and brigged pending hearings. They had also picked up a large colony of high castes who were teetering by their behavior to land on the list for incarceration. The placement of security at the landing site made the potential for mayhem marginal at best. However, they were flagged in the database as possible troublemakers. They were no small number of individuals. Many of them were former industrialists and personalities from the heyday of Cybertron. He would have to lay down the law with them when he got back.

Several hundred Autobot soldiers were taken in along with three battered Arks. Two of those were rebuilds and one was in good shape. 250 Seekers had flown with the group, their condition needful of rest but were not as debilitated as the flight with Rattler. Over 1100 Seekers in all had arrived altogether. They were families and soldiers. They were heartily welcome and welcomed heartily.

Large numbers of Neutrals, Circle of Light and a handful of Knights were recovered. They were also joined by one priest. He had no idea that any of the others were still on Cybertron. He had himself gathered dozens of younglings and sparklings lost in the chaos of the Fall and gotten them off planet and to the safety of colonials. Chevron had claimed the priest and they had gone off to the Temple. Optimus considered that a good omen.

He leaned back and listened to the cross traffic among ships. Everyone was calm including at last most of the refugees. They had culled the worst, the most injured, the closest to death. Those were gone and recuperating on the other side. Now there were the rest. There were still 250,000 or more to go. It was daunting to him even as he knew his people had it all in servo.

-0-Ironhide

He sat at the comm and directed ship traffic organizing batches of vessels to go through the bridges together. The bridges sat open which allowed the priority traffic to go through, which included but was not exclusive to the sick, injured and wounded. A number of mechs who had lost their processors were taken through as well, their wailing coming over the intership comms clearly. It had been hard to hear.

A steady stream of demands and invective had come from the high castes of a place called Vector I. It signaled more of them in the vastness of the migration. A call from Patron who had led the group spoke of the Vector 1 problem. Springer and Kup had been called to Omega and they all sat waiting for them. When they arrived, the hatch opened and the two slid in walking to the command table to take a seat. Prime looked up at them. "How is it going out there among the masses?"

"Not bad," Kup said champing his stogie as he sat back against the hull. "You know we have aft helms in the bunch. More high castes with burrs up their windpipes."

Prime smirked slightly. "I am aware. The hoi poloi already on Mars are being schooled and broken up for housing assignments. They are griping already about not being allowed to be together and some of them already have appointments with me about their work assignments."

"Sounds like fun. I want to be here," Springer said with a grin.

"I will call you. I want muscle around when this occurs. I also want to know chapter and verse on this bunch and the ones planetside. I want to get on top of this before they slag a sparkling and another idiot gets killed," Prime said.

"Are they having any trouble on Mars? Should we go and lay down the hammer?" Springer asked.

"Right now, Prowl has it in servo. I want you to inform the Watch that they are to keep an optic peeled on them. I want the leaders identified and their images downloaded to the Watch, both Day and Night. I want to have interventions before a brawl happens. I don't think that the celebration should be marred by stupid," Prime said with a grin.

"It never ends," Kup said as he rolled his optics.

No one disagreed with him there.

-0-Mars, on the air field

They stood before him, elegant bots with exquisite paint schemes. They didn't look like they were in a migration that had been pushed to the brink. Their ships were in good shape and Prowl was certain that the accommodations and amenities for them were as well. Right now, he had come to the airfield to put the kibosh on the notion of caste and privilege. The crowd was watching as he stood listening to a number of very famous former industrialists and politicians discuss their accommodations, their choice options of work that seemed too menial and other irritations of that nature.

When they were finished and waiting for his reply, they got it. "You will find that there are no caste distinctions here. Optimus Prime has banned the System. It is no longer a part of our culture and national life. In fact, expecting it will get you jailed. You are allowed to recuperate and enjoy learning about the city, what it offers and sightseeing. When a few orns pass, then you will be expected to do so if you are able to work. We have citizens who are disabled or elderly. They don't have to work. We care for them because they are ours. All of them. However, if you are able bodied you are expected to work. Your infants and younglings are required to go to school with everyone else. There are no exceptions and absolutely no distiinctions."

Burris, an industrialist from Capital City and his friends, Claxon and Demetri who were enormously weathly as well as Senators while on Cybertron glanced at each other. "Prowl, you are a high caste. You understand what we are saying. Surely, you don't mean to imply that the city is wide open and the rules that made our people and culture great are no longer applied?"

"I do," Prowl said. "The rules you insist upon keeping alive have been responsible for our near extinction. I cannot stress enough that you will be jailed if you try to assert even one of the System's rules."

They stared at him, then each other. "We would like to speak with the Prime."

"He's with the reclamation. I am his designated spokesmech and I have told you what the rules and regulations are. Everyone here matters equally. If you go somewhere and quietly contemplate that notion and the idea that Primus himself said all are one, it might help you assimilate the new reality much easier. I would suggest the Temple."

They looked at Prowl and shrugged. "We expect to see the Prime. We would like to make an appointment," Burris said.

"Go to the Community Bulletin Board and look at the Office of the Primes folder. There will be an electronic form for you to request an audience. Right now, that will be held in abeyance. He is quite busy saving our species from the stupidity and hatred of the past." He looked at all of them coldly. "Are there any more questions?"

They looked at him equally coldly. "No. It would be well advised for you to know that there are a lot of us here, Prowl. I am sure others are as well. We will not be discounted or put aside."

"There are many more who would disagree," Prowl said. "We have plenty of brig space for troublemakers. I am assuming that you just made a threat."

"I made a promise," Burris said equally coldly.

Prowl looked at him, then gestured for a Wrecker doing security to come forward. "Please take this mech," he said nodding to Burris, "to the brig. He has made a threat against the peace of the city."

Burris and the others looked sharply at Prowl. "Surely you are joking."

Prowl looked at him with an icy expression. "Surely you have forgotten. I'm Prowl. I don't** have** a sense of humor."

With that, Burris was hauled off and the mechs with him stepped back. Prowl looked around and then turned walking back to the Fortress. On the other side of the universe aboard Omega and in the Fortress of Fort Apache bots were laughing their afts off as they listened in on the S.I.C.'s moment in the sun.

It was one for the books.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)

Pan: I agree with you. I am not a giant fan of the girls either. I am a bot babe myself. :D I like writing about the boys because to me its more interesting but I like to include everyone in the story if I can because the femmes have fans too. However, I find the idea of Sam's leaving Mikaela sort of harsh between the undying love of Movie 3 and 4.. Makes you wonder what might have happened so Carly and Mikaela factor in here. I love Jessie. She's a genuine good soul. The others are less accessible to me for writing which happens a lot with women. I seldom write women because they are less fun for me than the boys and I find I am not very good at it sometimes. I do want to see what Sam does. I also am aware that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe adore Jessie and have a high regard for human women like the other bots. This could be fun. :D


	259. Chapter 259

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns (259) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Out in the mix

They worked hard, the Autobots and civilians attached to their mission. Many of the doctors were gathered from previous migrations and a lot of them were either students in the University or recent graduates. Some of them had opened private practices together working with the civilian population to provide excellent medical care that included home visits. The payoff for them was the personal satisfaction that led them to do this spin off to the great care Autobot Nation provided to everyone. There were civilians who had never seen a doctor in their lives who had their own 'personal physician' now.

Ratchet walked to the door of Kappa and looked out noting that the lights that once loomed so large on the horizon were greatly diminished. :Prowler:

"What?:

Ratchet grinned at the abrupt sound of the winger. :Who bit your fan belt?:

:Everyone:

:Oh. How many are we at now?:

Pause. :We just passed 510,000 on the data ticker:

:Frag. That's amazing. Its a lot darker out here I will say. How are you holding up? I hear fraggers are hip deep back there:

:I'm doing fine. I doubt the slagger in the brig feels the same way:

:Who is it? Anyone I know?:

:Burris. That multifaceted aft helm from Praxus. My genitors used to go to parties at his place. The kind of soirees that made you want to kill yourself, all booze and backstabbing. I think it made them feel decadent:

Ratchet felt Prowl's smirk over the line. :Awesome. I will have to get details. How much longer do you project before we close the hole? We're getting very few patients now. At least in critical care here on Kappa:

Pause. :We project three orns give or take a breem or two. They are really speeding through. I am recalling the Guardians to come and move ships. We're getting buried here even with the allotted expansions for them:

:Good. Since we're that close, I will comm off. Someone is coming over. Ratchet out:

He turned and looked out the doorway at a big strapping mech floating over with a tiny mech in his arms. The little mech looked stricken. They entered and Ratchet directed the bot to lay him on the med berth Ratchet had used for three orns. He did and Ratchet checked him over. Turning to the big mech who looked paralyzed with fear, he patted his arm. "There was a processor failure," Ratchet said gently. The big mech looked faint so Ratchet helped him sit down. He rubbed the mech's back gently until he could get his attention. "This little mech? Are you related?"

He nodded around tears and overwhelming fear. "This is my Ada."

Ratchet nodded. "I can fix what has happened. The processor failure is not life threatening. But there may be a small amount of data loss. Its not catastrophic nor is it cascading. I will take care of it now and you will have to give him lots of care. He will also need rehabilitation while the new stuff integrates into his processor. He will have a weak side, probably his left. That may impair speech for a few orns but he will recover nearly completely from both affects. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "You tell us what to do and we will do it. He's worked so hard and had so little, I was afraid he would die before we could get here. Then he keeled over just like that."

"He's pretty worn out. But you're in luck. You have two of the best processor doctors ever to come out of Cybertron right here," he said calling to Goldwing. "Just sit and drink some energon while we fix your little Ada," Ratchet said nodding to Breakdown. That bot got the energon. Ratchet and Goldwing bent over the little mech to save his life and his big strapping son sat crying, his energon forgotten in his servo.

They would save him, repairing the Cybertronian version of a stroke and after three months of rest and rehabilitation as his four sons and anxious bond went the extra mile for him, he would recover beautifully.

-0-Nearby

Prime and his team sat quietly monitoring the sector where Paragon and now the battle group with Hydro were holed up. Echoes from beyond their location were beginning to sound as they extended their sensor net out into the galaxy. More Decepticon battle groups were out there and they appeared to be coming this way. It would be an agenda item on the list for the next meeting once the civilians finished their parts and left. Right now, the tangible was their focus and they chatted together about the problems ahead.

"So far, 122 possible delinquents are in the jail annex out at the prison," Ironhide said as he analyzed the latest data. "They run the gamut from hot helmed troublemaker to criminal element. Some of them ran amok in their colonies, the locals unable to do anything about it they were so awful. We had a lot of referrals by the refugees themselves.

"There are at least 1,250 high castes in this group, the leader of which, Burris is in the brig. Vector 1 is the location almost all of them come from and we're gathering names of those who can tell us about it. Apparently, the low and mid castes there lived in virtual slavery. They were worked hard, fed little and had a really rough life. Some of the few we have identified have signs of abuse. Most of them so far are paralyzed with fear about saying anything."

Prime nodded, his expression one of controlled fury. "They will push this to the end and I will be there waiting," he said quietly. "Jazz."

The mech looked up and back at Prime from the intel station where he sat compiling data for later perusal by Elita and him. "Prime?"

"I want this group and Vector 1 to be your full time job. Have Mirage and Elita on board. I want to know if there are offenses that need prosecution."

"They will say you have no jurisdiction on off world colonies, Optimus," Jazz said nodding.

"I am the Prime of Cybertron. Wherever my people are, I am there too. What they did or didn't do on an off world colony is still my business and the law expects me to protect our people and find justice for their hurts," Optimus said firmly. "Wherever I am, Cybertron is and that applies to all our people everywhere. As long as I bear the Matrix, I bear the responsibility."

Jazz nodded. "I will get on it right away. I'll also have a meet up with Barron and Blackstone."

Prime nodded. "By the book, Jazz. We aren't the old Cybertron anymore."

"Tell **them** that," Ironhide said with a tone of disgust. "It should be noted that the preliminary data shows that none of those self identified as high caste appear to have needed more than minimal medical attention." He looked at Jazz. "Get with Ratchet and have them identify all of the mechs and femmes from Vector 1 and other places heavily high caste. Check out the low and mid castes from the same places for health and vitality against those who are high. I don't think it will take a wise mech to find a pattern there."

Jazz nodded grimly. "I will."

-0-At the Prime Residence

Tagg sat in a comfortable chair watching the unfolding story on IntraComm channel 9. Kestrel had tried to help Ravel and Tie Down fix dinner but were over ruled. Sitting in a chair watching them move about the kitchen fixing the meal ordered out, he chatted. "I am so unused to such good food, Ravel. This is a wonder. This apartment is too."

"I know. You will get better, Kestrel. I am still thinking I can't get Tie his favorite candy because only high castes could afford it. It really seems unseemly to even ask." Ravel looked at Kestrel. "I talked to a nice doctor named Jarro for a while. So did Tie. Maybe they can help you with the anxiety. I had more anxiety before but its getting better. He's such a nice young mech."

Kestrel nodded. "Perhaps that would help. We don't want to be a burden to Orion."

"You aren't a burden, Kestrel. You and Tagg were so missed. When all of us began to come back, Optimus was always left out. I know he's overjoyed to have you here," Tie said. He walked to the table and sat brimming plates down. Ravel brought drinks. Tie walked to Tagg and helped him up, the two creeping slowly to the table to dine. They all sat and talked about their younglings, the city and their happiness. The sound of the reclamation played on across the screen of the living room monitor.

-0-On the sites of reclamation, Autobot City, Mars

They came in under the lights as night began to settle on the second orn of their effort. The lines were healthier now and had the benefit of having energized on their ships. Those were parked as far as the optic could see. But now Zeta and Gamma were here to help move them. Beta and Alpha stayed in flight mode as they sat parked near the big hangar that was the hospital and medic station for the big ships. They were covered in mechanics and techs who were analyzing the situation under Goldwing's direction. He had flown back with the little mech with the processor failure and his anxious family. After installing him in the hospital and assigning his family an aide, he turned to the big ships that needed his specialized care.

Astrotrain and the Aerialbots stood by watching as the newly recovered siblings of the resident behemoths got a physical. It would take a lot of work to heal all their hurts, wounds and neglect. It would take time for them to be flight ready but when they were they would gleam like glass, their white repaint and brilliant Autobrand proclaiming their quality. Until then, they would submit to care under the watchful optics of every big ship that lived and worked on Mars.

Including the redoubtable Metroplex.

-0-Out there

Ratchet sat with a piece of candy in his servo as the remaining ships of the migration began to form into long lines. They were coming up on mid morning on Mars as the final stages of the reclamation began to form. It was almost too much to hope for that he would last this long as the count stood at 559,273 all told. It was staggering. He had nearly lost his shit pulling the shift for the last big migration and its 477,000 mechs and femmes. This one was only a smidge bigger but seemed to last forever.

Now it was nearing an end. The word from home was great. The city had been awesome in their efforts as well and had assimilated everyone who had come through. Some were brigged, some were bitching but the masses were almost desperate with gratitude and surprise. They had come to an authentic Cybertronian city, not a hastily created refugee center, a dusty amenity-free colony or an army base with refugee barracks. They had found accommodations fit for kings and work that they had a hand in choosing. Their infants would have school. They could have school and their hurts were being mended by real doctors and not the slum healers that everyone on Cybertron without a shanix used to stay alive and functional.

He himself had gotten the interest in medicine living next door to one. The poverty stricken would come to his home and get treated as best they could with the few resources he had. He was kind and decent, took nothing for his efforts and never sent anyone away without trying. He was a Primus blessed mech and someone who always seemed to surface in Ratchet's processor when he thought he couldn't take one more ravaged body in servo.

:Ironhide to Ratchet:

:Hey:

:Hey. How are you?:

:We're both okay. You?:

:Could use a berth, a bowl of something and a good frag:

:Well, I can get you two of them. I will leave it up to you which I can't manage right now. You know how I am about cooking:

An immense well of love rose through the bond and Ratchet reciprocated.

:How many more orns?:

:I am assuming you are thinking about the sparkling:

:I am:

:Seven if all goes as scheduled:

:What do you mean, Ratchet?:

:I could separate early or not. This is the **FOURTH ONE!**:

A chuckle made it over the link. :Broke the mech mold, I did. Could give lessons:

:You could. You are that end of the scale: (Grin)

(Smug grin) :I am aren't I?:

:Won't get an argument out of me, Only One: (Grin)

:Is this some of that phone sex?:

:It is if you tell me about your aft. I only have vague memories of its heft:

(**HUGE** grin) :There are cranes out there without the oomph to lift this fine old aft:

:So you're saying you're a fat aft?: (grin)

Pause. :Let me rephrase that, Ratchet)

They continued onward for the time it took for the last ships to leave the area.

-0-At the airfield by the Fortress

Prowl stood waiting for Omega and Kappa to return. They would come last after detouring to Fort Apache to check in with Blackjack, Flint and Alor. He had spent all three orns at the Ops Center with side trips to check on Kestrel and Tagg. They were able to move better and were incredibly sweet and concerned about his time taking care of them.

"You have so much to do, Prowl," Kestrel would say. "We don't want you to think you have to stop in. You need to use your moments to see the infants. We have such good companions with Tie Down and Ravel."

Tagg would nod and Prowl would love them all over again. "I am here for you. You belong to us now, all of us. Optimus is so happy that you are here and so am I. I am so happy to take care of you."

They would visit and he would leave after exhausting all of the things he could do for them and Ratchet's genitors. A short trip to the schools would suffice until they all stood down in a few joors. Until then, he stood on the tarmac and waited.

-0-Kappa

She came through the gate with a few patients from Fort Apache and descended through the bright sunlit mid morning skies to the airfield. The sight below was stupendous. Ships were everywhere. Trucks hauled off tagged and bagged belongings to storage until they could be returned to their owners. Databases and other objects were taken from ships that wore the blue X meaning they would be scrapped. Databases, books and objets de art were taken on loan for the Museum and its History Project to scan, copy and photograph before being returned. Many refugees donated the items for display and use in the name of the common good.

Landing gently, the doors opened and the last patients were taken off to a runabout. Ratchet and his team stepped off wearily taking their leave of each other. Walking slowly to where Prowl stood, he turned to watch as the mass of Omega came into view. "It never gets old."

Prowl snorted. He looked at Ratchet with a grin. "No. It never does."

-0-TBC

2013 (4) I am now using a new computer with a touch screen. HUZZAH! No more struggling with my Acer cutie pie. However, all of my 32 bit software doesn't run on my 64 bit computer. RIP OFF! LOL! It will serve me right. :D :D :D


	260. Chapter 260

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box (260) edited for boo boos :D

-0-On the ground

Omega disgorged his crew complement, all of the bots walking wearily down the ramp to the tarmac. Things were lighter but still busy as the wind down began in earnest. The main problems facing them were the mountains of ships that would be taken apart, smelted and made into other things. It would take three decaorns but they would do it. Their spare parts storage facilities would bulge with content.

The mid morning sun was bright overhead as the orn meandered onward. They gathered together, the Alpha crew touching base before leaving for home and family. Ironhide and Ratchet turned walking together toward the schools where the infants were being kept. The crowds were greater than ever as newbies walked around, visited places and got used to safety, plenty and a secure home.

Moving through the crowds, they angled to the nearest underground station disappearing below with the foot traffic. It would take three trains passing by before they would find one with room for them. They entered heading off on the roundabout line to the school station. The Orange Line trains were too full.

Stepping off, they wound through the crowds as newbies came to see the miracle of free compulsory education for their infants and younglings. Entering, they made their way to an elevator and went up three floors to the place where the infants were kept overnight for the past three orns. Stepping off, they could hear them.

Pausing by the door, they peered inside to see a roomful of sparklings playing together, by themselves or with aides and teachers. They spotted Praxus in the corner playing with other infants. Looking around, they spotted Orion standing by the window whimpering. They both felt punched in the spark.

Mr. Roto was kneeling with Orion speaking to him quietly. He was clutching a dollie in both servos, his expression one of someone who had cried a long time. Ironhide glanced at Ratchet, then stepped inside walking to Roto. That mech stood up and spoke to Ironhide a moment as Orion stared out the window.

"He's tired and wants his parents," Roto said with a grin. "He's doing better about separations but still, there's no place like home."

Ironhide nodded. "Thank you for all you do," Ironhide said picking up his son. Orion startled burst into tears. He cuddled down against Ironhide and cried. "You don't get enough appreciation for what you do."

"I don't think you do either, Ironhide," Roto said with a chuckle. Ratchet walked over with Praxus who was sobbing as well. "You would think we beat them."

Ratchet grinned. "It's clear to us that you do. Not," he said with a chuckle. "Thank you, Roto. We'll take them away and give you a break."

"Two down, many to go," he said with a grin.

"Three. Did you get Hero?" Ironhide asked Ratchet.

Ratchet patted his carry hold. "Done deal."

They chatted a moment, then stepped out heading for the door. An elevator trip down and a crowded ride to the Tower District/School Station was accomplished and they climbed out to the crowded street above. A short jog to the Youngling Schools was made through crowds, some pausing to look around, some pausing to talk.

Entering, they went up three floors to the common areas and exited. Younglings were sitting together by class eating a mid morning snack. Sunspot saw them and got up running to them for a hug. They hugged and petted him. **"YOU CAME BACK!"**

"We always will, son," Ratchet said with a grin. "You ready to come home or do you have things to do with your class?"

He turned and ran to Terradive who waved from his place at their table. They talked a moment, then he ran back. "I can come. Do you want me to get my stuff?"

Ratchet nodded and he turned holding Ironhide's servo as they walked to the door and the elevator ride to his floor above. Ratchet walked over and took a cookie from the tray. Offering a bite to Praxus who was too emotional to eat, Ratchet took a big bite. "This is good," he said looking down at Terradive,

"They are. Rampage and the Genitor-Teacher Committee make sure we have snacks when we have to stay over," Terradive said. "What is the final tally?"

"More than half a million."

Terradive looked at him and swallowed hard. "That is ... amazing."

"It blows my processor off. We will have a lot of new students for you but they won't be coming until we get things organized." Ratchet looked at the doorway where Ironhide and Sunspot were waiting. "Thank you for looking after Sunny. You teachers don't get enough appreciation for what you do."

"I love this, Ratchet," he said with a smile. "I just love it to pieces."

Ratchet nodded. "I hear you." He turned walking to the door following Ironhide and a chatty happy Sunspot to the elevator and the outside world beyond. The walk to their tower was crowded and short, the ride up shorter. When they entered their apartment Ratchet put Praxus down. He wailed and raised his arms. Picking him up again, Ratchet grinned. "I wonder if Praxus and Orion would mind if I joined them?"

Ironhide snorted. "I hear ya." He looked at Sunspot who stood staring up at them, his book bag on his back and a small box in his servos. "I think I remember you. Cute little Seeker with a big spark. I think you live here."

Sunspot laughed. **"YOU'RE FUNNY!"**

"I'm hungry too," Ironhide said walking to his chair to sit. Ratchet plopped Praxus down alongside of Orion and the two snuggled down emotionally exhausted from the ordeal of wondering where their cozy life went for almost three orns.

Ratchet plucked a smiling Hero from the happy hour in his carry hold and placed her with her dollies, blanket and favorite toy, a big spoon, on the floor. She was totally content.

Sunspot stood with his bookbag on his back and his box in servos. A giant smile was on his face. Ratchet looked at him and smiled back. "What do you have, son? Another treasure for us to display to the world?"

He nodded. Raising the box to Ratchet, he looked at him with hopeful optics. Ratchet took it and moved to his seat pulling the little Seeker to his side. Taking Sunny's bookbag and putting it on the floor next to the chair, he looked at Ironhide who was beside him in his big chair. "We have a treasure box, Only One. Sunspot created another wonder of the universe for the display case by the window."

They glanced at it, a silver four shelf that allowed the light to shine through. Pictures of the infants and family such as in-laws and uncles occupied the top shelf. Frames made by Tie and Ravel held pictures of every single sparkling in the family. The shelves below were consigned to the objects made in school by the infants. Several of Sunspot's clay efforts already graced the shelf.

Ratchet looked at him. "Do you want to open this or do we?"

"You, Ada. I made it for you and Atar." He glanced at Orion and Praxus, then Hero. Hero was smiling. Praxus and Orion were sniffling. "I think I can also make if for the sparklings. Orion and Praxus look sad." He looked at both of them. "They missed you. I missed you. I hate it when you go away. I feel sometimes like you won't come back and it scares me."

Ratchet scooped him up hugging him tightly. "You must not feel that way, son. You know us. We don't really even fight anymore. Your old pa would love it but he's sort of an officer and helps Uncle Optimus direct things."

He nodded as he leaned against Ratchet. Ironhide looked sucker punched and reached out stroking Sunspot's little solemn face. "Don't worry, sparkling. We didn't decide to raise infants without planning on seeing you grow up."

Sunny nodded and looked at the box in Ratchet's servos. "I made this for both of you. It is a present for coming back."

"Then it will be awesome," Ratchet said removing the lid. He reached in and pulled out a tiny statue. He knew right away what it was. It was a dog. Sunspot was obsessed with dogs. His bookshelf was filled with books on dogs and dog books. 'Ginny, A Dog Who Saves Cats', 'Lad, A Dog' and 'Lassie' were among them.

The little dog statue was very well made and showed a dog standing looking up at someone. His pink tongue was hanging out of his mouth, his tail looked like it was wagging and the expression on the dog's face almost looked like a smile. It had a tiny stump of a tail, erect ears that bent over at the tips and a collar around his neck. He was pure white but for the ears and a large dark circle around his left eye. Those were black.

Ratchet held it up for Ironhide to see. "What a beautiful dog."

Ironhide nodded. "You made a master work, son. I am proud of you."

Sunspot leaned against Ratchet. "Thank you." He then looked in the box sitting on the floor now and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "I wrote this to you," he said suddenly shy. He handed it to Ratchet, then walked to stand on the other side of the arm of the chair gripping it tightly with his servos. He looked at both of them with hopeful optics and a needy expression.

Ratchet took it and carefully unfolded the paper. The glyphs were Sunspot's alone and were beautifully carefully crafted to say what he wanted to say. It read thusly...

Dear Ada and Atar,

I would like to have a dog. I love dogs. They are pretty and love you. When you go on missions, I will have a dog to stay with me and the sparklings. A dog can sleep on my bed. (Unless you don't want them to.) A dog can play with me and be a friend when everyone is busy. I would throw a ball for a dog and we can go on walks together. We can take our dog camping and be safe. I really love dogs. You said once that we should have a dog. I hope we can. I love you, Sunspot.

PS. I found this and it really is a nice saying about dogs.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring-it was peace." -Milan Kunden

I like those words. I had to look up Eden. Its sort of like the Matrix. I hope we can get a dog. I will take care of it myself. I love you, Atar and Ada. I don't think there is anything you can't do. Love, Sunspot

Ratchet handed the little letter to Ironhide who read it. He looked at Ratchet. :Oh-oh:

:I am going to be on the horn to Wheeljack and Perceptor right now. Don't ask me anything until I get off. Right now, we need to tell Sunny we're looking in on it. Can you find dinner in the fridge and cupboard while I have a 'shower'?:

:Done deal: Ironhide said. He looked at Sunspot. "You know, Sunny, that there were animals on Cybertron and even if they are not a part of life here, maybe we can see."

He looked like the sun, his delight was so instantaneous and enormous. Ratchet slipped his arm around Sunspot. "Understand. We don't know if its possible to get a dog for you but we will see what the prospects are."

He hugged Ratchet tightly. **"I WOULD LOVE A DOG! I WOULD TAKE CARE OF HIM AND HE WILL BE A PART OF OUR FAMILY! A DOG WOULD BE SO FUN! I WOULD CALL HIM SPOT!"**

Ironhide snorted. "Spot?"

"See?" he said holding up the little statue. "A spot," he said pointing to the dog's eye.

Ratchet having downloaded every dog thing he could find on the canine species some time ago when Sunspot asked him for books on dogs grinned. "Dick and Jane would be proud to hear this."

Sunspot turned his giant smile on his Ada. "Who is Dick and Jane?"

-0-TBC

2013 (3)

For those who don't know who Dick and Jane are, they are characters from a reading series used in the United States for decades to teach kids to read. I learned with Dick and Jane, their sister and her big black umbrella as well as Spot, their dog and a cat I think was named Fluffy. Maybe. :D


	261. Chapter 261

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box (261) edited for boo boos :D

-0-At the homestead

Ironhide rummaged in the cupboard for things for dinner. He had handed Sunspot dishes and the little Seeker was happily setting the table. He chattered cheerfully, catching his atar up on the gossip, his views of how cute dogs were and his intense faith in his genitors to make miracles happen.

Ironhide pulled out a number of food items, then opened the fridge. There were more things there so he pulled them our to concoct a mix that might pass muster with Ratchet. He personally had all of the cafes on speed dial, finding in the idea of takeout perfection of purpose and form. The sparklings were sitting on the floor chewing on baby pretzels or some such slag. They looked like crackers he sometimes made do with on bivouac. Probably tasted just as good. He grinned at the sparklings and pulled out three sippy cups. Looking at the spread of strange things on the counter before him, he shook his helm. This was harder than it looked.

-0-Ratchet

He stood in the wash rack out of the viewing and hearing range of Sunspot. :Wheeljack. Perceptor:

:Ratchet, I'm here: Wheeljack replied. :Perceptor is here but he's doing something:

:Okay. I have a hard one for you: Ratchet began. Then he told them.

It was silent on the other end for a moment, then Perceptor replied. :Ratchet … I am assuming you are serious:

:Completely. There is more for this than indulging my son. There are two other sidebars that will be helpful for our people. First of all, the resurrection of our fauna would be a real good thing. I don't know if any exist anymore on Cybertron or if those there are even healthy and reproducing. We could be doing a real solid for our species to resurrect our animals or as many as we can safely and decently. Then there is the option of this dog becoming a service dog for my son. Sunspot has had a hard life and separations are really hard on him emotionally. I want you to listen to the note he included with the statue: Ratchet read it and the line was quiet again on the other end.

:It would take a few naturalists to talk to about their basic mechiology. Then we would have to have sparks from the Well. That would take cooperation from the Temple: Wheeljack said.

:Foxes. I think cyberfox sparks with access to the canine download that would have to be made would be the best fit. They have foxes on Earth and they're from the canine family: Ratchet said. :I already scanned the databases for naturalists and there are two in the University getting engineering degrees. I don't think they expect ever to work with or around our native fauna. How about it? Am I having a pipe dream here or is there a decent chance to make this happen? If it could work out there are plenty of individuals that would benefit from service animals besides my son:

It was silent a moment. Then Perceptor came on the line. :I can see a lot of possibilities, Ratchet. I would assume that you would want this to happen sooner rather than later:

:Sooner, Percy. I know you have a lot on your plate but this is important. Sunspot would benefit from a dog. I have the design specs and I will send the images I took before calling you now: He did, the files reaching Perceptor and Wheeljack almost instantly.

It was silent a moment, the Wheeljack was back on. :This is an interesting design. I am thinking he would want it to meet that design specifically:

:I think he would: Ratchet said.

:Send the engineer's names to us and we'll meet with them about this. I find it an intriguing idea: Perceptor said.

:I do too. We can't guarantee anything of course but the idea of seeing our native animals again would be a good thing: Wheeljack said. :I always liked the foxes:

:Thanks, boys. I knew I could depend on you: Ratchet said.

:We have the science covered. You have to broach this idea to the priests: Wheeljack said, his grin clear to Ratchet over the line.

:Done deal, 'Jack. I'll get back to you: Ratchet said cutting the line. He walked out and paused. The family was sitting at the table noshing an amazing range of food items. "You have a kaleidoscope of food here, Ironhide."

Sunspot smiled. "I like ice cream and vegetables for dinner, Ada."

Ratchet snorted and grinned. "I'm glad. I have to go get something. Can you manage this crew? They look pretty gangsta."

Ironhide smiled. "I think I have it under control."

Ratchet nodded and stepped over sparklings for the door. He ambled to the elevator and took it down to the lobby. A short chat across that big space with fellow residents and he was on the street. It was filled with mechs and the odd femme walking around, some of them familiar and others not so much. As Ratchet crossed the intersection and headed toward the Temple, he passed Shim and Shar who were out looking around. He didn't know them. They knew him. They paused and watched him continue onward until lost from sight in the crowd. They then continued onward themselves.

Ratchet reached the Temple and crossed the courtyard climbing the steps to the platform building. A large number of mechs were there paying their respects and pausing to look at the restored artifacts. Ratchet saw Chevron nearby and walked to him. Bowing his helm respectfully, he smiled. "Chevron, could I speak to you about something please?"

He looked up at Ratchet with a beatific smile. "Of course."

They paused in a nearby alcove together. "What can I do for you, Ratchet?"

"I have a special problem and you will have to be a part of the solution. My son wants a dog. Its an Earth canine that is a special companion to people. He loves dogs. They're like big cyberfoxes. If we can create a protoform for a dog based on his specifications, we would need a spark from the Well. I am thinking a cyberfox would be a close match to dogs. Humans have foxes too and they are from the canine family just like dogs."

The little priest nodded. "Interesting."

"The idea of living on a world without animals bothers me and if we can do this, we can bring back a lot of animals with the help of the Matrix. A dog could benefit my son and a lot of others who are emotionally distraught over their lives. He could become a service dog."

The priest nodded. "I know that foxes have gone to the Matrix. So have all the other animals who have lived on Cybertron. We could ask the Well for a spark to animate the protoform of this dog creature. Do you suppose they will act the same way as a dog or what?"

"I don't know. The databanks of the dog will be filled with information necessary for a dog. How they might assimilate that, I'm not sure. But Wheeljack and Perceptor are going to work out the protoform and internal processor configuration with naturalists from Cybertron. I am hoping that we can do this. We need your assistance with the spark."

Chevron considered the request and nodded. "I think this could be a very good thing. I can think of several mechs and an elderly femme who would benefit from a pet. Would they be big or small?"

"They can be different for different individuals. There are so many dog types on Earth I am amazed," Ratchet said.

Chevron nodded and smiled. "Then I think if it will be given a level of acceptable success we can help you. I am assuming you are speaking of Sunspot?"

Ratchet nodded. "He's longed for a dog since forever. It can be a real benefit for him as a service dog. If this works out, then a lot of sad people will benefit."

"Let us know what you need and when. I think that will be a good thing," Chevron said. They chatted a moment, then Ratchet bowed slightly to him, the AllSpark and Well before turning to leave. He made his way home with a lighter spark and a bigger fear that the entire thing might actually work.

-0-Elsewhere

They entered their apartment, infants in arms and tow. The younglings ran to their room to put things up. Optimus walked to the corridor and continued downward pausing at the door of his genitor's room. They were recharging so he closed the door. Walking back, he sat down with Tie Down and Ravel. "Thank you so much for helping my genitors. It really relieved my processor," he said with a grin. "You two are incredibly wonderful you know."

They looked at him, then each other. "It was our pleasure," Tie said bowing his helm respectfully. Ravel did too. Then he smiled. "You didn't live very far from us, Optimus. You lived in the Eiger District. We lived in the tenement at the start of the dog leg."

"I remember that. I even heard that the makers of the great tools lived there. Things were so crowded we never really met each other," Optimus said leaning back wearily.

Prowl put Miracle down and turned to the two. "You really did a great service, Tie and Ravel. I wish I could tell you how it relieved my processor that Kes and Tagg were taken care of so well."

"We had a good time. We know a lot of mechs in common," Tie said smiling. "It was our pleasure."

"Would you stay for dinner?" Prowl asked sitting in a chair next to Optimus.

"We have to get back. Ratchet might need a stand in for a bit. We thank you for the honor of the invitation," Ravel said bowing his helm in the formal manner.

"We will have a rain check," Optimus said with a smile.

They both looked at him a moment, then he smiled. "We will have you over again."

"We would be honored and delighted," Tie said bowing his helm again.

They chatted a moment, then the pair arose to take the elevator to their floor and Ratchet. When they had left Prowl grinned. "Those two are very formal with you. I find that sweet."

Optimus nodded. "Some things are hard to change."

Prowl nodded then turned to organize their lunch. It was good to be home and together.

-0-Elsewhere

Drift and Springer walked into their apartment and began to unload weapons on the kitchen table. Swords were put into a long sword container stand in the corner, guns were placed on the table and knives on the kitchen counter. Springer opened the fridge and pulled out two 'beers'. Tossing one to Drift, he sat on the couch and parked his peds on the coffee table. Drift joined him and they sipped their drinks a moment.

"I'm beat."

"Me too. That was one long mission. Half a million plus change."

A companionable silence filled the room. Drift glanced at Springer. "You look good when you're slagging a dumb aft. I wanted to tell you then but there were prying audials and optics around."

"I do don't I. In fact, I'm trying to think of a time I don't look good," Springer said with a wink at his bond.

"Insufferable," Drift said with a chuckle. "Are we off a couple of orns or do we start up again tonight?"

"Tonight, I want a frag. And maybe tomorrow. Maybe we better pencil in a frag for around noon," Springer said.

"We better book the alcove then. Slagging mini-cons are back," Drift said rising to walk to the fridge. "There's nothing to eat here. You want a cube or do we order out?"

"Order out. What do you want?" Springer asked.

Drift walked back to sit. "I don't know. What do you want?"

Springer was quiet. "This is going to take a while isn't it?"

Drift nodded. "Probably."

"You aft," Springer said with a grin. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

"You're on," Drift said with a smile.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	262. Chapter 262

The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box (262) edited for boo boos :D

-0-Back at the home front

Ratchet walked back into the apartment espying his family immediately. Ironhide sat in his chair watching the teevee while Orion, Praxus, Hero and Sunspot sat on his lap huddling together. They were watching Sunspot's favorite show and when it was through a short strategy session would commence.

It was Dragonball Z Kai.

"You look comfortable." Ratchet sat down in his chair and retrieved Hero. Settling her on his lap, he checked her wings finding them tip top. "What a spectacular sparkling you are, my Hero."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Adaba."

Everyone looked at her with surprise and she looked at them with the biggest smile possible. Clapping her servos, she waited for the praise.

She got it.

-0-In an apartment across town

"This is good."

"Someone else made it. That makes it automatically good."

Drift glanced at Springer who was eating a 'rib'. "Messy."

"It is." He wiped his face with a small dish towel. "I heard something funny."

"What?" Drift asked.

"Someone told me that the high castes are going to try and influence things here by forming an association. They want to have their own enclave."

Drift paused his fork, then snorted. "That will be the orn."

"Probably," Springer said with a smirk. "But it will make things lively for a while."

"We can put them in the prison with Sentinel," Drift said with a chuckle. "I wish I could be Mirage sometimes to hear the good stuff."

"You and me both. By the way, Retro's petition to be moved from the brig to the prison has been granted. We're supposed to take him over when we go on shift again."

"Prime's okayed it then," Drift asked.

"He did. Keeping him in the brig is cruel and unusual punishment," Springer said nodding. "Apparently dragging him out to the Valles and leaving him there is considered inhumane."

"That's why he's the Prime," Drift said. "But then you would know, Missus Optimus Prime."

Springer smirked. "It was fun while it lasted."

"Unlucky in love?" Drift asked with a smirk of his own.

Springer looked at Drift with a grin. "Nope."

They continued to watch the news as the night came slowly to Autobot City.

-0-At home

They walked into their apartment and looked around. It was neat, pretty and home. Ravel turned to Tie Down. "Do you want to have dinner or go to Ratchet's house?"

"I think we should ask Ratchet if we can fix dinner for them. I am sure he and Ironhide are very tired. The little ones will probably need someone to help them get settled" Tie paused and walked to the monitor which was buzzing a call. He commed it on and Bluestreak's smiling face could be seen. "Hi, Ravel, Tie. How are you? Do you need to have us come by and help you? You were in the apartment taking care of Optimus's genitors all this time. If you want help we can come."

"We're fine, Blue. We had such a nice visit taking care of them. They're such nice mechs. I don't know where you are but if you need us to get the sparklings we can," Ravie asked.

"We have them, Grandada, here at home," Sideswipe said peering over Blue's shoulder. "Are you home or are Optimus and Prowl still busy? We can spot you if you're tired."

"We just left the Residence," Ravel said. "Don't worry about us, youngling. We're home having dinner. Did you eat? We can make you something if you need it."

Sideswipe grinned. "We're good. We just want to know if you are alright."

"We are, darling youngling. Optimus and Prowl came home with the babies and his genitors are napping. All seems to be well," Ravel said nodding. "I think we will go check on Ratchet and Ironhide, then see if Alor and Blackjack are back. Everyone has been busy so long, I imagine they might need help getting things going again. We will help."

Sideswipe nodded with a grin. "We know. Take it easy tonight. Are you going to open the store tomorrow?"

"We will. We have a number of orders to get ready," Tie Down said with a nod. They chatted a bit, then commed off. Dinner was ready so they sat and ate together, The Hourly News playing on the monitor nearby giving them a view of the outside world of the reclamation.

-0-In Sciences that same moment

They sat together, two former naturalists cum engineers who had been called out of night class to discuss a 'special project'. They listened, looked at the design specs and images of a small white and black animal called a dog.

They were professional naturalists who had taken care of wild areas where the interesting cyber animals and other creations had lived. There were ant-droids, astro ticks, bolt bats and bot spiders. There were cybercats, flies, drillers and dwellers. There were ducks, leeches, mice, gnats and moosebots. There were also foxes, slaargs, chickens, possums, snakes and an animal called a hellhound. Other animals existed including bats and other flying beasts but they were likely extinct.

They were preparing to revive animals that had not been seen in literally eons. It was astonishing and the idea of not only recreating Cybertronian animals but some of the human species was stupefying. When the proposal was clear to all, Wheeljack asked, "Well? You in?"

"Are you kidding?" Tullen replied. "I'm so in, I'm out. If this works, we can get a set aside area of land, enclose it and make a preserve."

"This dog is going to be a service dog for a youngling with anxiety issues. When its clear that pets are possible, there will be a big interest in the city for more," Perceptor said. "We will have to consider how we can meet that need."

They all nodded. "The potential for this is huge. If it works and the animals are healthy and viable, we can think about creating more. The process for devising protoforms is something that we do for our own species so making them for animals is no problem. What will be key to this process is making sure that the spark that is granted is happy and healthy in the protoform. The melding of the canine database with the spark of a cyberfox seems reasonable but until we get it organized and try, we can only conjecture," Hunter said nodding.

"Then we better get on it," Wheeljack said rising. "Percy and I are making the protoform because we have the clearest idea of what is needed and a plan for helping the spark integrate the data about dogs into their processes." He turned and walked to a lab nearby, the others following. They entered a big room where protoforms were made for infants in the community. On a table nearby was a protoform unlike any the two naturalists had ever seen before. It was unlike any that Percy and 'Jack had ever attempted. They gathered around the table to look at it.

It was the shape of the images they had studied. It was a large dog and would if standing be able to look into Sunspot's optics. He was powerful in build, rather like the dog he was patterned upon, a pit bull. He had a dull finish because without a spark, he was merely a format. There were dull spots of a dark color on his ears and around one optic but the rest of him was colorless. He was big, smooth armored and deeply intriguing.

They would spend the rest of the night working on it, shaping its processor to be ready to think and act for a spark. When the light of morning came over the top of the sloping dome of Olympus Mons, they would be ready to receive a spark for the dog named Spot.

-0-At the apartment that morning

Ratchet moved around the apartment clearing up the place, getting it ready for the infants to stay during the day as the schools reorganized to take in an as yet undetermined number of new students. Ironhide stumbled out and flopped in his chair. "What's to eat?" he asked just to be ornery.

Ratchet snorted. "How about my ped, old mech?"

Ironhide grinned. "I thought we agreed never to speak about my ped fetish around the younglings." At that moment, Sunspot stumbled out rubbing his optics. "Good morning, Sunshine."

He grinned and walked to Ironhide laying his helm on Ironhide's leg. "Hi, Atar. I love you."

Ironhide pulled him up and hugged him. "I love you too. How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good. The sparklings stayed in their berths. I think Orion likes his big boy bed a lot."

"I think he does," Ironhide said.

Ratchet walked out of the corridor with a sparkling in each servo, then paused to listen to a communication. He looked at Ironhide and handed him the two babies. "Here's Praxus and Orion. I have to go see Wheeljack and Perceptor. Apparently, they need my input on a project."

Ironhide nodded. "Sneaking out and leaving me with the sparklings to feed. Slagger," he said with a smirk.

"Hero is awake and you wanted another one. Who's the slagger here?" Ratchet asked walking to the door. He paused and looked at the four sets of optics watching him. "I'll let you know how it goes."

Ironhide nodded. "Do."

Ratchet walked out and headed toward the Temple where the group would be waiting. They had worked on the project all night long. The protoform although different in shape and design hadn't daunted Percy or 'Jack. They were the greatest designers living. What had taken tweaking and lots of intriguing conversation was the processor that would be the command center for the spark. Making an ethical effort at every step, they finally felt that the protoform was ready for a spark.

Ratchet felt his own spark flutter a bit as he hurried up the steps of the Temple to the platform where the building stood. Entering, walking through the quiet space, he spotted the party at the Well. Chevron and three priests were waiting for him and when he reached them he nodded respectfully to all as well as the AllSpark and Well. "Did you stay up all night to do this?"

Wheeljack nodded. "How often do we get a really intriguing project to work on?" he replied.

Ratchet nodded and looked at Chevron. "We don't want to do anything that is harmful or unethical. This is a project that is going to be for good. We need a spark that is willing to be a guardian, friend and service animal to a little mech who will love him intensely forever."

Chevron nodded. "I meditated on this matter last night and found only peaceful energy when I sought advice. I would believe that any spark that consents to come will do so willingly and assume the responsibilities that you are seeking for your son."

"I hope so," Ratchet replied. "I love my son and want his happiness. We will take good care of this spark. You have my word."

Chevron nodded and smiled. "We know. I believe that Primus approves or he would have let me know." He turned and looked at the Well which shimmered with soft blue energy. The AllSpark which was turning slowed down and paused. Energy began to sparkle across its surface, then the mist of the Well began to rise.

Chevron and the priests stood together chanting so softly that Ratchet couldn't understand the wording. But he had seen a lot of spark requests and this was just like them. Nearby, the former Councilors watched with interest as the energy began to gather. The protoform lay on the wall of the Well lifelessly. The energy intensified, then burst into light blinding everyone to the moment and all its happenings.

It suffused them, a warmth and loving embrace that included everyone in the room. They were surrounded by perfection, then it began to fade. When it subsided, the mist vanishing and the energy falling back into the confines of the Well, they all turned to look at the protoform. The AllSpark began to turn slowly again, indifferent it would seem to the drama it played a part in creating.

Wheeljack knelt and scanned the protoform, its color dramatically transformed. It was a luminously beautiful white from tip to top, the exceptions being ears and the circle around one optic. They were black. He touched it, running a servo down its sleek white body. Then it flinched. It lay quietly a moment, then blue optics opened looking around.

The dog creature sat up and looked at them, his optics looking all around him with agitation. Wheeljack stepped back to the group.

=0=TBC

2013 (4)


	263. Chapter 263

The Diego Diaries: Downtime Again (263) edited for boo boos :D

-0-The Well of AllSparks

The animal stood up and shook itself as if to fill out the edges of a space that was new. It stood looking around with wary optics and Ratchet was reminded of the foxes he had seen in the arms of the wealthy who sometimes owned them. They never seemed fully resigned to their captivity and he felt a sinking in his spark that maybe he was consigning another one to a fate they wouldn't really come to love.

The animal looked around, then leaped onto the wall that encircled the Well. He sat and paused a moment, his brown optics gazing into the nether as if listening. Wheeljack held a meter and scanned the animal as it sat stilled. "The download is in progress. The fox accessed the message we put there for him. Its do or die now, Ratchet."

The room was silent as others gathered to watch the strange creature come to sentience. Ratchet felt a flutter in his chassis as the sparkling began to become upset. Something was going on and he was afraid. Ratchet pulsed calm energy he didn't feel and the spark relaxed a bit. He himself was afraid for Sunspot. He was afraid for the creature who had an appeal Ratchet could understand. Humans loved this creature. They had for hundreds of thousands of years. There was conjecture among scientists that humans learned familial organization from watching and living with wolves. He hoped that the instinct to be a part of a pack would help this creature make the leap that his pack was Ratchet and his family.

The creature stood and stretched, then leaped down to the stone floor. He stood a moment looking at all of them, then turned to walk to Ratchet. Looking up at him, he sat and waited. Ratchet glanced at the others, then knelt. He put his servo on the dog's helm. It was soft and smooth.

Humans didn't know that Cybertronian armor had texture and flexibility. It was supple to the right touch. A human's hand couldn't know that. Their strength was limited and therefore when they touched a Cybertronian they felt the cold hard surface of metal, the substance from which all Cybertronians were made. However, to the touch of another Cybertronian, there was texture. There was suppleness in the armor because their strength and sensor capabilities made that possible.

Ratchet felt the soft texture of the creature's armor because he was strong enough to feel it. Without that flexibility and supple give, no Cybertronian could clasp servos in greeting. The angles and turns of their basic design would not allow for it if there was no give. They would not be able to hold each other, to kiss or to love. Without the give they could feel, they would not be able to touch the cheeks of their infants and feel the universal softness of a baby's face.

Ratchet petted the creature watching his face as he did. The creature moved his helm, pressing his head more completely into Ratchet's servo. Then his tongue lolled out in the way of dogs when they were content. If a dog ever curled its lip at another thing, it was signaling a bite. That and an unwavering stare at the target of interest were a given sign of aggression and the guaranteed promise of a bite. This dog was giving the universal sign of welcome and belonging because at that moment it rolled over on its back. Batting Ratchet's servo with a paw, it looked at him and the others expectantly.

Ratchet grinned and rubbed the dog's belly. "I do believe, Wheeljack and Perceptor, you have created another miracle."

Everyone relaxed as Hunter and Tullen knelt to look at the dog. "How do you know he's trustworthy?"

"When they roll over and show their vulnerability … their unguarded belly … that is submission and acceptance of your leadership." Ratchet grinned. "I know this to be true because that's what Ironhide does."

A groan met that remark and the dog jumped to his feet, his tail wagging madly. He began to leap upward so Ratchet reached down and picked him up. He was a big muscular dog but relatively smaller appearing in Ratchet's arms. He looked up and licked Ratchet's face excitedly. Ratchet laughed and put through a call. :Ironhide, we have lift off. Come to the Temple as fast as you can:

Ironhide stood up immediately and grabbed harnesses. Plopping a surprised Hero and a jumble of her 'stuff' unceremoniously into his carry hold, he called to Sunspot. "Come on, Sunny. We're going to the Temple to meet up with Ada."

He peered out and nodded. "Is it a holy orn?" he asked walking to go with his father.

Ironhide grinned as he whipped the reins on the sparklings to move it along. "I think it just might be." Then he put in a call.

-0-Trine

"We have to go to the Temple. Can you watch the sparklings, Miler? Ven?" Sideswipe asked as he rose from the floor to go.

Bluestreak and Sunstreaker looked at him. "What's up?"

"Atar wants us at the Temple," Sideswipe replied with a shrug.

Venture looked up from the floor where he sat doing 'art' with Kaon. "We have it covered," he said. Miler nodded from the rocking chair by the window where he sat with the twinnies. "Go. If its interesting, comm us. We can come too." He grinned.

"We will. Thank you," Bluestreak said before he was tugged out the door.

They hurried to the Temple and arrived about the same time as Ironhide and his crew. "Pick up the sparklings and keep them with you," he said as Orion and Praxus were plucked off their peds.

"What's up?" Sunstreaker asked as the group turned to walk through the courtyard and ascend the steps beyond.

"A miracle. I hope," Ironhide said as he picked up Sunspot. They hurried up the steps and into the Temple with haste.

-0-Inside

Ratchet stood holding the dog as the group around him looked at it with amazement. He was profuse in his thanks to the four mechs who had created him and the priests who had been essential as well. When the commotion at the door alerted him, he put the dog down and it sat. Stepping in front of it, he grinned. "Hey."

They walked to him and paused. "What's up, Ada?" Sideswipe asked. Bluestreak looked down and paused glancing sharply up at Ratchet. Then he grinned, nodding. Ratchet grinned back, then looked at Ironhide. "Wheeljack, Perceptor and these two mechs, Hunter and Tullen have been cooking. Chevron has been holy. Between the two, we have a miracle, Ironhide."

Ironhide nodded and looked at the group, his emotions rising. "You did a good deed for this little mech," he said nodding at the solemn infant in his arms.

Sunspot looked at Ironhide. "What is happening, Atar?" he asked sweetly.

"Something good, son, I hope," Ironhide said with emotion.

He set the little Seeker on the ground, then stepped back. Sunspot looked up at him, then turned and looked up at Ratchet. Ratchet stood smiling, then stepped out of the way. Sunspot watched him, then looked down. He froze, a look of such surprise and shock on his face that it gave everyone pause. He stood staring, his servos balling into fists. He pressed them against his chassis as he stepped forward tentatively.

Sunspot couldn't speak. He could barely move. The object of his dreams and longing was there just as he envisioned. A dog, his dog was looking at him, sitting in front of him, his little tail wagging. Sunny looked up at Ratchet, then turned slowly looking up at Ironhide.

Sunstreaker stood beside Ironhide, then knelt. "Sunny?" he asked gently. He caressed the baby's face with his servo. "You have a dog."

He nodded, then turned looking at the patient animal sitting before him. It seemed to know him, to sense that this creature was going to be important, even central to his own existence. It was as if he was being given the memory of his acceptance at the edge of the Matrix, that to come here meant being the guardian of this little being and the others that he loved. But this little being in particular. This was his boy. He remembered it and waited.

Sunspot walked to him and touched his ears, the softness of the shape intensely pleasing. It was what he expected. He looked at his optics, brown like his dog dreams and then slipped his arms around the dog's neck. He burst into tears, howling tears and hugged the dog's neck tightly. He cried, wailing cries. **"I HAVE A DOG! MY DOG IS HERE! YOU GAVE ME A DOG, ADA! YOU GAVE ME A DOG, ATAR! I KNEW YOU COULD! WE WILL BE FRIENDS FOREVER!" **He wailed and cried, hugging the dog tightly. The dog sat silently, leaning slightly into the wailing baby.

Ratchet felt his tanks churn and he knew that everyone watching felt it too. He glanced at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. They looked crushed, emotionally in turmoil as they stood with Bluestreak. He looked devastated too, his arms around the twins as they stood watching. All of them had terrors. All of them had nightmares. All of them knew what the youngling felt and revisited some of it themselves as they watched.

Sunspot's cries echoed off the walls of the holy sanctuary as he wailed to Primus and The One his utter and complete vulnerability. He leaned back and looked at his dog. The dog licked his face several times. Sunspot looked up at Ironhide. **"HE LICKED MY FACE! DOGS DO THAT! LAD DID! SO DID LASSIE! MY DOG LICKED MY FACE!"**

Ironhide knelt. "He loves you, Sunspot."

"**I LOVE HIM! ATAR, I LOVE MY DOG!"** Sunspot turned and hugged Ironhide tightly. **"I LOVE HIM! I WILL THROW A BALL WITH HIM! HE CAN COME WITH US CAMPING! CAN HE SLEEP ON MY BED?"**

Ironhide nodded. "I think that's required don't you?"

He nodded and looked at his dog. **"HIS NAME IS SPOT! SEE? HE HAS A SPOT JUST LIKE PETEY! HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL! HE'S A PERFECT DOG ISN'T HE!"**

"I think so," Ratchet said softly. "I think he will be your best friend forever, Sunspot."

"**I WILL BE HIS! CAN I TAKE HIM TO SCHOOL!? CAN I SHOW MY FRIENDS MY DOG!?"** he asked with a hopeful anguished expression.

"We can talk to Mr. Herling. I want this to be a service dog for you as well as a buddy, Sunspot. I think having a dog is going to help you with so many things," Ratchet said nodding.

"**HE WILL! I FEEL BETTER ALREADY! I LOVE HIM, ADA! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!"** He turned and looked at his dog. The dog scrutinizing his face offered a paw.

Sunspot took it and smiled like the sun.** "HE GAVE ME HIS PAW! HE WANTS TO SHAKE! I BET HE KNOWS A MILLION THINGS!"**

Ratchet snorted. "I bet he does," he said glancing at the group who created him. They were staring at Sunspot and the dog mesmerized.

Wheeljack looked at Ratchet. "Thanks for letting us do this. I can't remember when I was so happy to be part of something before."

The others nodded as well. Chevron walked forward and put his servo on the dog. He whispered a prayer of thanksgiving and a blessing for the dog. "You are a lucky little mech, Sunspot, to have such a friend and he is lucky to have you."

Sunspot looked at the priest, his spark so filled with happiness he felt light helmed. "I love him. He's so wonderful. How do I thank Primus?" he asked.

"You already have," the priest said with a smile.

-0-On the way home

They had chatted a moment, profuse thanks given. The two naturalists were also thankful. They were going to set up a business venture with some of the younger protoform makers in Sciences. They were going to make protoforms for various fauna and make them available for the public. The first would have to be service animals. A note from the public health services-processor health would be required. When that need was met, then the public would be allowed to have pets if they chose or were prescribed them as companions.

They would be limited to acceptable Cybertronian formats … no hell hounds allowed … and a list of human formats that might be compatible if they passed muster. Right now, that list was limited to dogs of various kinds powered by willing Cyberfox sparks. The New Cybertron would once again have animals. Vulnerable individuals would have companions to help them through their orns.

It was a win-win.

Heading out, Ratchet carried Spot and Ironhide carried a shaken Sunspot. The twins had the sparklings and Bluestreak kept a steady stream of conversation with Sunspot whose optics never left his dog.

"He's so pretty, Sunny. I hear that you designed him," Blue said sweetly.

Sunspot nodded. "He's like Petey in Little Rascals. He's a pit bull. He's so pretty and I like his spot. I named him Spot for his spot." He turned and looked at Blue. **"ISN'T HE BEAUTIFUL!?"**

"He is," Blue said squeezing Sunspot's ped. "Where are we going, Ratchet?"

"To the store in Metroplex. We have to get a collar like Sunspot wants. I ordered one at The Sparkling Store." Ratchet grinned. "I might get one for Ironhide too while I'm at it."

"Oh ha-ha, Ratchet," Ironhide with a smile.

They detoured down Metroplex Highway 1 and entered the Mall. A short walk to The Sparkling store and out again produced a black collar with a little bone shaped tag with Spot in big black letters inscribed on it. Holding a matching black leash, a very proud little Seeker walked his dog, Spot for the first time. Crowds parted to look at the strange creature as the group walked back to the doorway.

Sunspot held the leash to his dog, Spot and felt like the Prime of Cybertron. He felt like a king, a sovereign, a prince. He felt a lot of things but the thing he most didn't feel was any anxiety whatsoever.

They exited into the light of a new orn and the first orn of a new paradigm. They had awakened just an average normal everyday family. Now they were that family with a dog. They were the very first family on Mars to do so. They would not be the last.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	264. Chapter 264

The Diego Diaries: Down Time Again 2 (264) edited for boo boos :D

-0-On the way home

Sunspot walked beside his dog, Spot heeling almost instinctively. He was a big dog, his back reaching Sunspot's shoulders. The little Seeker looked taller somehow as he walked with the leash in servo, a giant smile on his face. He looked at others who paused stepping aside, pride for his dog firmly in place on his cute little face. They looked at Spot and his spark soared.

**THEY WERE LOOKING AT HIS DOG!**

He reached out and lay his arm over Spot's back as they walked, his joy to be with the big canine almost overwhelming to him. The dog looked at him and licked his face. Sunspot laughed. "Ada! Atar! He licked my face!"

"We see that, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said as he followed, an intensely focused Orion in his arms. They all followed smirking and smiling, genuine relief and joy in their sparks that this could be possible. They were delighted by Sunspot's overwhelming delight.

They reached the intersection of Tower Highway 1A and Cultural Center Road East crossing with the lights as they headed for the path to home. As they entered the tower lobby, mechs who were talking paused. A youngling Sunspot went to school with, Kerri, ran to him and paused. "Sunny, what is that?" he asked hovering somewhere between curious and fearful.

"**THIS IS MY DOG, SPOT! ISN'T HE AWESOME!? I LOVE MY DOG!" **Sunny replied quivering with excitement. He wanted his friend to love his dog too, it was overwhelmingly apparent. **"YOU CAN PET HIM! HIS NAME IS SPOT!"**

Kerri looked at the dog, then Sunspot. Then he stepped forward and touched Spot's helm. Spot licked his face and Kerri stood a moment with surprise. Then he smiled. "He licked me!"

"He's kissing you!" Sunspot said with almost too much happiness. "He likes you!"

Kerri stepped closer and petted Spot a moment, then turned to his attentive genitors. **"LOOK! A DOG! SUNSPOT HAS A DOG!"**

At that point, Sunspot burst into tears again. "I do. I have my dog," he said before Sunstreaker picked him up. The leash fell to the floor as Spot looked at Sunpot. He sat.

"That is one well mannered dog," Ratchet said watching.

Ironhide nodded. "He is. Good dog, Spot."

The dog looked at Ironhide and leaned forward licking Ironhide's ped. It was love at first optic at that moment between a front-lining mayhem bringer and the family dog.

Kerri's genitors listened to The Story of Spot and watched as Sunspot who had gathered himself hugged his dog tightly. He took up the leash again and turned to walk toward the elevator. The others followed with a grin.

Kerri would spend the entire night talking about Spot. His genitors would contact the format team in Sciences and get the lowdown. Contacting Social and Processor Health Services the next day, they would put their son on the list for a service dog. It would be warranted. He had lost a limb to an explosion during the evacuation of their colony and had only recently gotten full movement back in the replacement due to protoform regeneration finally reaching minimally optimal. He would fall into the category of greatest needs with ease. His nightmares alone would attest to that.

-0-In the apartment

(pet, pet, pet) "Atar?"

"What, son?"

(Pet) "Do you think Spot needs anything?" (pet, pet, pet)

"I don't know how he could. You're sitting on the couch by the window. He's laying on the couch beside you. His helm is in your lap and he's loving on you. What more can he need?" (grin)

(pet) (Ginormous smile) "He's so nice. He likes to sit with me." (pet, pet, pet, pat, pet)

"Who doesn't like to sit with you?" Sideswipe smiled as he sat on another couch with Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker himself was looking at Sunspot with intensity. His trigger had been budged and he would be intense for a while longer even when they left. A sparkling he loved had shown pain and his condition was reacting. The trine had become expert at spotting the signs.

"We need a pet for the sparklings," Sunstreaker said quietly.

(pet, pet, pet) **"YOU NEED A DOG!"** (pet, pet, pet, hug, pet)

:I think we need a pet for Sunstreaker: Bluestreak said. Then he paused. :What about it? All of the carrier soldiers need a dog. There are what? Thirty-two of them? Look at what its done for Sunny already?:

Sideswipe looked at him, then his brother. :I agree. I'll be right back: He rose and stretched. "I think I need to check on something. I'll be right back."

Sunstreaker nodded absently, his gaze focused on Sunny's energy aura and the dog's own. They were both white indicating peace and contentment. This was a good thing. He watched Sunspot pet the dog and felt his own intensity relax a tiny bit.

(pet, pet, pet) "Ada?"

"What, Sunny Boo-boo?" Ratchet asked as he sat in the rocking chair by the window relaxing.

"You're funny," Sunspot said with a smile. "Ada? What do we do for his dinner? Can we get a bowl for his food and water?"

Ratchet grinned. "I don't think they need water. We can put energon in a bowl I think and we can feed him scraps tonight. Uncle Wheeljack and Uncle Percy are working out the formulas for feeding Spot with the naturalists."

"I will write them a thank you letter. If you tell me who they are I will thank them. Them and the priests," Sunspot said kissing his dog.

"You always were a polite little sparkling," Ratchet said with a grin. Then he paused. A kerfluffle was going on inside his chest, then it settled. Pulling a meter from subspace, he relaxed. Nothing was out of order.

Yet.

"What's wrong?" Sunstreaker asked glancing sharply at Ratchet.

"I had a surge but that's from the drama. Nothing to worry about," Ratchet said putting the meter back into subspace.

"When are you due to separate?" Bluestreak asked with a trace of anxiety.

"Not for seven more orns," Ratchet replied. Then a knock on the door changed the subject. It opened as Blackjack and Alor peeked inside.

"**GRAND-ADA! GRAND-ATAR! YOU CAN SEE MY DOG!"** Sunspot said with an impossible amount of happiness.

They looked at him, then the dog who had lifted his helm and was wagging his tail. They looked at Ratchet and Ironhide who grinned. "Welcome to Pleasantville," Ironhide said with a grin.

They looked at him without comprehension but they didn't care. A big animal was lying on the couch with their grandson and it was pause making. "What is this, Ironhide?"

"This is Spot, Sunspot's new dog. He's going to be his best friend, his companion and protector. He wanted a dog and we got him one to love on but he's a service dog as well," Ironhide replied. "He's going to protect Sunspot, be his companion and help him."

They nodded as Alor paused in front of Sunspot and knelt. The little Seeker was smiling like the sun. **"ISN'T HE BEAUTIFUL!? THE NEXT TIME WE GO CAMPING, HE CAN COME! I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM AND LOVE HIM! I WANT HIM TO GO TO SCHOOL WITH ME! HE'S GOING TO SLEEP ON MY BED! ISN'T THAT GREAT!?"**

Alor grinned and leaned down kissing Sunspot on the helm. "I can't think of a better thing and I don't think I've ever seen a better dog."

Spot looked at the two, scoped them out and put them in the friendly category, perhaps family. All family fell under his purview as his programming as a service animal required a level of protection to all that were important to his main charge, his little Seeker buddy. That included the two silent sparklings that had stood in front of the couch earlier …

Orion and Praxus stared at Spot as he jumped up on the couch with Sunspot to lie by his side, his big helm laying on Sunspot's lap. The little Seeker overcome with the pleasure of **HIS DOG LOVING ON HIM** sat and began to pet his soft smooth helm and neck.

The sparklings unnerved by the things turned to look at Ironhide and the trine who had sat down in chairs across from them. Ratchet sitting in a rocker looked at them and nodded. "That is Spot. He's our dog and Sunspot's great buddy. You will love him too and be nice. You will have to learn how to be good to this dog because I know he will be good to you."

At that, Spot sat up straighter and stretched his neck to lean in and sniff the sparklings. He was storing information about who was who and what was what as the spark inside began to warm up to his new life. These two were friendlies. Then Orion grabbed an ear and pulled.

Hard.

Spot jerked back and leaned against the couch analyzing several dozen things instantly.

First, the entire room nearly levitated off their chairs and couches. Secondly, the little black and yellow infant let go and nearly tumbled backwards. Third, the big version of him grabbed his aft and hoisted him away as the big red and white adult grabbed the other. Fourth, his boy turned and hugged his neck, his neediness overriding the surprise Spot had felt. He then turned and leaned into his boy licking his shoulder and arm as he did.

Orion spent a breem in the chair of doom by the window. Praxus was shifted to Ironhide and all settled again.

"That is a good dog. He didn't rip Orion to shreds," Sideswipe said.

Ironhide nodded. "No. Good dog, Spot."

Spot looked at Ironhide with the dog equivalent of 'no sweat'. Then he lay his helm on Sunspot's lap...

Somewhere else at the moment …

He stood in Sciences, Wheeljack, Perceptor and the two naturalists with three protoform makers listening to his spiel. Sideswipe was intensely earnest so they listened equally earnestly.

"You know that the carrier-soldiers are one hurt sparkling away from mayhem. The idea of service dogs is a good one. Right now, Sunstreaker is sitting at Ada's house with Sunspot. The dog has lowered his intensity a bit and with one in the apartment it could do even more. All of the carrier-soldiers could benefit from a dog or an animal like them. What do you think?"

"I think you have a point," Wheeljack said, the memories of Kudon flooding his processor. "Go and clear it with Jarro and we will put them on the list. We have to get with the Temple to find out if there are anymore willing fox sparks and how fast we can get them from the Well. They have their own time table but the more we know, the better this will be."

Sideswipe nodded. "Thanks. I will and I'll let you know." With that, he turned and skated out heading for Processor Health in the hospital in Metroplex and the Temple afterwards. He would have good news for Wheeljack when he was finished.

-0-At the home front

(pet, pet, pet) "I bet he would love to play ball." Sunspot sat up and so did Spot. He hopped down and so did Spot. He headed for his berthroom and so did Spot.

"Someone has a shadow," Ratchet said with a grin.

Sunspot came out with a ball and Spot followed. The big dog paused and looked at Hero who sat on Alor's lap. She smiled and clapped her servos. **"ABADABADA!"** She looked at him with a gigantic smile. She got a gigantic lick for her reward.

She blinked and glanced up at Alor, then back again to Spot. She laughed loudly for her, a musical sound. Leaning forward, she smiled. Spot stood and licked her until she fell back all laughed out. Orion looked at her from Blackjack's lap and then the dog. Leaning forward, he waited. Spot looked at him, then stepped closer licking Orion several times. He sat back and sputtered a moment, then grinned ginormously. **"ATAR! WHO SHE!?"**

"Spot."

Orion looked at him a moment, then Sunny. Then he looked at Ironhide, "Spot." It was crystal clear.

The dog leaned in and licked him several times. Sunspot who was watching laughed. **"HE LIKES THE SPARKLINGS AND THEY LIKE HIM!"**

"What's not to like," Ratchet said with a smile.

"Here, Spot!" Sunny said with a ball in his servo.

Spot looked at it, then set. He bent down, his optics focused in that manner that scares the pants off most people. His senses were focused, his optics on the prize and his overall appearance was scary. Sunspot bounced the ball and before it could come down again, Spot had it. He gripped it, then walked to Sunspot dropping it in his hand. He turned and poised, waiting.

"**HE'S SO SMART! DID YOU SEE WHAT HE DID!?"** Sunspot said with almost too much joy.

"We did." Alor grinned. "Smart dog, Spot."

Spot looked at him a moment, his tongue lolling, then he set again. Sunspot threw the ball and Spot ran after it, his grace an amazing sight to see. He caught the ball and brought it back. They would play a little bit more, then Sideswipe would return. Watching the dog play, he sat with a grin. :We are on the list:

:That is so great: Bluestreak said. :Let's not tell Sunstreaker. Try and figure out what kind of dog he would want, okay? We can get the specs to Wheeljack and the team. This is going to be so exciting, Sideswipe. I really like dogs:

:Me too: he replied as they watched Sunspot instroduce his dog to Orion and Praxus. The dog lay on the floor as the sparklings climbed all over him, patting and kissing him in their inimitable child way.

He just lay on his side and let them.

Good dog, Spot.

-0-Later that night

He climbed into his berth pulling up the blankets. Then he lifted them as Spot jumped up on the bed. Walking over, the big dog went under the covers, then turned and lay down next to Sunspot. He lay his helm on the pillow next to Sunny's, his tail wagging through the blankets.

Ratchet and Ironhide looked at them and smiled. "Do you want your night light on, Sunspot?"

"No. I don't need it," he said. (pet, pet, hug, kiss) "I'm okay. Spot is here."

"He is. We're very happy for you, Sunny Bunny. Spot is a good dog," Ratchet said. Ironhide nodded, his emotion welling up through his processor. "He's a great dog."

"He is. I love him. Thank you, Ada and Atar. I knew you would do this. I don't think there's anything you can't do. You are my heros." Sunspot looked at them as he cuddled against his dog, spooning behind him as he settled. "I love you both so much. I love my family, all of them. I love this city and my school. I love my teachers. I love football and camping with you. I love my dog. I want to tell you all the time. Thank you, Ada and Atar. Thank you for being my genitors. I love you."

They stood together, their optics filling up. "We love you too, Sunny. You know there is nothing we won't try to do for all of our sparklings. We knew you wanted a dog and look how helpful Spot has been already."

"I know. I don't want my night light. I have Spot," Sunspot said with a smile as he put his arm around the big dog. Spot wagged his tail, his tongue lolling as he lay quietly for Sunspot.

"Good. If you need us you know where we are. Good night, son," Ratchet said.

"Good night, Sunspot," Ironhide managed.

"Good night, Ada and Atar. Spot says good night too."

They chuckled. "Good night, Spot," Ratchet said as they turned to go, night light darkened as per request.

-0-Three joors later

A sharp pain pulled him from recharge and Ratchet onlined with a jolt. He lay a moment, then another one came just as sharply and just as insistently. He waited and counted, then another one came right on cue. "Ironhide?"

A groan met that and Ironhide settled. Ratchet turned to look at him. Then he sat up as another pain jolted him. "Ironhide."

Ironhide onlined and looked at Ratchet sitting up in the berth. "What?"

"I have a problem," Ratchet began as he rubbed his chassis.

Ironhide nearly levitated off the berth.

-0-TBC

2013 (3)


	265. Chapter 265

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 3 (265) edited for boo boos :D

-0-In the optic of the storm

"Ironhide." Ratchet held the big mech's helm in his servos and looked at him pointedly. "Calm down."

Ironhide paused willing himself to calmness which he didn't feel. "Alright."

"We have our plan. We need to execute it now," Ratchet said letting go of his helm.

"Alright." Ironhide just stood staring at Ratchet. Ratchet grinned and sent the text message alert to all the hithertofor agreed upon individuals: Alor, not Blackjack, Tie Down, not Ravel, Bluestreak, hell the frag no, twins, Prowl, not Prime, Venture, not Miler and Wheeljack, Perceptor and Gypsy. She would tell her team.

He turned and looked out the door. No one was up so he tip toed to the sparklings' rooms. All three were recharging angelically in their cribs and big boy berth. Turning, tiptoeing with Ironhide behind him, he looked into Sunspot's room. The tiny Seeker was curled around his dog, Spot lying very still on his side of the big berth. He looked up and wagged his tail. Ratchet pulsed him warmth, then stepped out turning to bump his face into Ironhide. Pushing that big bot backwards to the living room, Ratchet paused as a soft rap on the door was heard. Opening it, he let in the sitters, a pair of sweet femmes from the University neurosurgical program. "Come in, sweet things."

"Ratchet, you're separating?" Geenie asked with excitement.

"I am. We have a new thing to tell you about," Ratchet said leading the femmes silently to the berthroom of Sunspot. :That is Sunny's service dog, Spot. He looks ferocious but he has a spark of gold. Sunny will take care of him. Prepare to be licked on the face, he's such a nice dog," Ratchet said smirking.

They looked at the dog who looked at them and internally filed them in the 'no threat' folder in his processor. Then he lay back down to recharge. Turning, pausing as Ironhide backed out again, they walked to the living room once more.

"I don't know how long this will take. I don't think long. But the infants have to go to school so you won't be all day long. Ironhide will be back or someone in the family because we're still waiting word on whether Spot can go to school with Sunspot and be his service dog. Someone will have to go with them and help explain to the younglings that Spot is safe, loving and has to be a working dog for Sunny."

They nodded, their expressions enthralled. "We understand."

Ratchet grinned and hugged them both. "You two are so adorable." With that, he turned and walked out the door with a silent intensely emotional Ironhide behind them. Doing that, they nearly were run over by Alor, Blackjack, Tie Down and Ravel.

"**RATCHET! HOW DO YOU FEEL?!"** -all four of them.

Ratchet snorted. "Fine. This is number four you know. Ironhide is the one who needs the love."

They looked at Ironhide who looked to be circling somewhere at the end of the **WTF!-OMG!** scale. His father straightened up and drew upon reserves he really didn't feel. "Get yourself together, Ironhide."

His son looked at his father and straightened. "Okay."

With that and Ratchet's loud laughter, they turned walking to the elevator and the short stroll next door to the Hospital Tower.

-0-Prime and Prowl

"Hurry, Optimus," Prowl said. He grinned in spite of himself. Ratchet had said this sparkling would be named after him. He wondered if Ratchet knew the full extent of doing that. He probably did, Ratchet was that end of the awesome scale. Standing by the door, Prowl waited as Optimus explained to the sitter all the nuances of their family routine. Turning, walking to the quivering winger standing at the door, he headed out with a big grin.

-0-At the emergency room at Metroplex

They stood beside the medberth smirks firmly in place. Even through they weren't on duty, dinner at Maccadam's Old Oil House had been not only tasty but the floor show was stunning. Two mini-cons over too many maxi drinks had a difference of opinion on the playoffs coming up. They had stood up, slammed each other with fists, then proceeded to toss each other here and there. After landing on the middle of their dinner table, Drift had picked up one by the ped while Springer grabbed the other by the neck. They dripped energon so the two walked to the hospital nearby to drop them off. As they did, they heard about Ratchet. Walking to the Separation Center on the third and top floor of the hospital, they settled into the waiting room for the fun.

-0-Wheeljack and Perceptor

They walked into the Separation Center, a tiny box in servos. Pausing to shoot the shit with Drift and Springer, telling them of the miracle of dogs, they continued onward entering the room where the other miracle would happen. Gypsy and the femme team were already there and the place was ready. Laying the box on the table nearby the berth, Wheeljack paused a moment before opening the lid. The femmes looked at him, then the protoform when the lid was lifted.

They stared at the incredibly beautiful little protoform inside it, then Gypsy looked at Wheeljack. "Ratchet is brilliant. What a beautiful little protoform."

Wheeljack nodded. "I agree," he said with a grin. Then he put the lid back on.

-0-Trine

They stood around the sitter as Bluestreak filled them in. Both of the twins were itching to leave and when they did, they both lifted Bluestreak by the arms, transformed from ped to wheel and buzzed to the hospital in jig time, Bluestreak's yelling notwithstanding.

-0-Miler and Venture

They hurried from the tower and walked to the corner, the jog to the hospital a short one from Vos Tower. "This is so exciting, Venture. The infant is going to be so small compared to the others."

"I know," Venture said taking Miler's servo into his own. "I love newborns."

"I do too," Miler said as they disappeared into the evening crowds.

-0-Jessie Landon

She yelled, then turned pausing before the crowd staring at her. The Defense Secretaries/Generals of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and America along with the Secretary General of the United Nations, General Morshower, Colonel Fulton, the entire N.E.S.T. Team on duty here, Sam, Mikaela, a couple of newbies who newly arrived that day to work on the possibility of a permanent human habitation, several scientists, Warren Roberts, his aides and several filmmakers including Leonora Huttle looked at Jessie.

She jumped up and down. **"RATCHET IS GOING TO SEPARATE!"**

Half the room understanding what that meant ran for the air lock, the stampede epic to see. When they entered and the door closed to pressurize, the remaining humans glanced at each other. "What is he separating into?"

Lola and Cindy Teasdale coming out of their near coma at the news rose in their seats nearly upending the table. **"SPARKLINGS! RATCHET IS GOING TO HAVE A SPARKLING!" **-both

(Cindy) "What the fuck are we doing standing here?"

(Lola) "How the fuck do I know why? Let's go!"

With that, the two blasted off racing for the air lock with the rest of the scientists who had come out of shock at the same time. They stood chattering excitedly as the air lock closed. The remaining humans, the secretaries or generals including the UN one just sat puzzled.

-0-At the hospital

By the time Ratchet and entourage arrived everyone was there waiting. All of the in-laws and a few of the out laws applauded as he walked in, his swurve intact even as his chassis felt like a flame thrower was trying to get out from the inside. He paused and bowed slightly, then continued onward to Gypsy and Cambo who were calling to him to come. Ironhide followed like a zombie, shuffling after Ratchet with the usual wretched expression on his comical face.

Following behind in two waves, half the human population of Mars arrived. They would find their place along the walls, Jessie getting pride of place inside on a shelf over Ratchet's berth and all settled to wait. It would be a hilarious time once Kup arrived.

News traveled fast.

-0-In the city, earlier that evening

He walked along the street taking in the city. It had been so long since he was in an actual Cybertronian urban area that this felt completely unreal. He had lived in Iacon and had been in all of the most important and exclusive enclaves that Cybertron could boast all of his adult life. He was extremely beautiful and he knew it. His paint scheme was exquisite and his manner admirable. He was a polished jewel, wanted and admired all of his life. Mechs wanted him and he was available for the right price if you had the right connections. He was educated, refined and able to have a captivating conversation with anyone. He walked along the street looking at the miracle all around him and wondered what he would do now. As he did, he didn't notice someone watching him, someone who could spot someone like him in complete darkness.

Barricade was on his way back to the prison for the night. He had spent his orn playing cards with fools who liked danger, walking around the city admiring the scene and searching the crowds for anyone he might know even accidently. He had enjoyed watching high castes having to wait in line behind lower and mid castes. That never got old. He had lunch with Scorponok and Stiletto, both of them equally intrigued by the newcomers. Now he was on his way to the lock up and across the street he spotted the unmistakable form and figure of the first pleasure bot he had seen in the city. This one was a high class expensive escort, someone who would have never looked twice at him on Cybertron. He watched that bot walk down the street until he disappeared. Then he turned and walked with a bemused expression toward the prison, guards in tow. Things had just gotten interesting.

At last.

-0-In the Separation Center, Femme, Youngling and Elder Hospital, Autobot City, Mars

He sat in an easy chair that was heated. The warmth was soothing and even the sparkling was enjoying it. It was a new therapy that Gypsy was trying to great success. She sat rubbing his peds and shooting the slag as everyone in the room found a place to sit. All of the usual suspects were inside including genitors, in-laws, younglings and committed friends. Prowl pulled up a chair and sat next to Ratchet. "How do you feel?"

"My aft is warm. I recommend this new therapy, Prowler. I think for the next three from you or Optimus make sure you use this chair. I am going to recommend it to Sideswipe and Ironhide when its their turn."

That got the slag it deserved and everyone settled down staring at Ratchet. He stared back and grinned. "If I had known I would be stared at this much I would have done something to my makeup." He grinned. "I feel pretty somehow."

That got the slag it deserved too. Prowl grinned. "You said this one would be named after me, right?" he asked with a whisp of hopefulness in his voice.

Suppressing his 'awww' response like everyone else in the room, Ratchet nodded. "That's the only thing I'm giving away. I told you, Prowl, the next one would be named for you. Prowler."

"That's so sweet, Ratchet. I love Prowl's name myself," Miler said. Everyone had an internal 'aww' moment. "Don't you love it, Venture?" He nodded and joined everyone in the room for another internal 'awww' moment.

"I see that you get your cuteness from your ada, Prowl" Ratchet said. Then he flinched and bellowed. Everyone sat jangling like live wires when he settled back. "That smarted."

Everyone nodded silently.

-0-Outside in the waiting room

"Slag. That sounded painful." Drift looked at Springer. "I will hold your servo while you scream."

"Dream on, slagger," Springer said with a smirk.

"Did I ever tell you, Kup, that Springer thought he was sparked a while back. He broke into the Emergency room and stole a scanner. He wasn't sparked," Drift said, "but I was prepared to hold his servo and afterward make him an honest mech."

Everyone snorted as Kup nodded. "I remember that. You younglings got no sense. There are ways to prevent that."

"Yeah, but celibacy isn't one of them," Springer said glancing at his mentor and all around drinking buddy.

"Celibacy isn't my problem either," Kup said champing on his stogie. "Never was, never will be."

"As long as you have a light socket and a steady servo, you will be alright," Springer said patting Kup's leg.

Slag out the wazoo met that remark.

-0-Inside in the separation room

"They're having a party out there, Ironhide. You can go and offer all your experience in the sparking department to those sparklings out there. Although if memory serves me, Springer and Drift have got that covered," Ratchet said to Ironhide who had moved a chair to the other side of his own. "Four sparklings in what? Three Terran years? That's pretty virile to me."

Ravel shook his helm. "Ratchet, you should know better than to talk like this in mixed company. I didn't raise you to be this kind of sassy."

Ratchet glanced at his little ada who sat with a look of disapproval on his sweet little face. "No. I learned that on my own." A huge pain cut off further discussion as Ratchet groaned loudly through it. It would take a while for this sparkling. Or as Ironhide was inclined to say: **"WHAT THE FRAG IS TAKING SO LONG!?"**

-0-TBC

2013 (4)

ENVY: ARGH! Get well soon, honey bun. I am sorry to hear you haven't felt well. I am sending battalions of good cheer and healing energy your way. I love all dogs but pits have a soft Spot in my heart. :D I hope my next dog is a pit rescue, an old dog who needs love before he checks out to the Matrix. I love that you love my :D I love Vegeta. His irritation with Goku is killer funny. I love them all. Cell is so awful he's awesome. I don't like Freiza though. There is nothing good to like about him. The penpal thing is epic. I will do that. Perhaps it can be in the Chronicles part too. Take care and get well, honey.

LEONESS: Service dogs are gods to me. Dog spelled backwards in god and I don't think its accidental. :D :D :D Petey was so beautiful. I thought a pit needed to be the dog. They are so wonderful. HUGS, Leoness!


	266. Chapter 266

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 4 (266) edited for boo boos :D

-0-In the House of Pain

"**ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"**

-0-In the hall

"Frag. Sparking would go down if this was broadcast on channel 9," Drift said wincing.

"I think my prong just shriveled up. Does that count?" Springer asked glancing at his partner with a grin.

"As grounds for divorce," Drift replied with his own grin.

Scorn reached epic scales for both of them.

-0-In the House of Pain

"Those fraggers are having a good time out there. Slag them, fraggers." Ratchet looked at Ironhide who sat with a look of extreme doom on his face. "You look like slag, Ironhide."

"I know," Ironhide said solemnly.

Ratchet squeezed his servo. The room was quiet, even silent as Ratchet lay on the warmed chair, his peds crossed and his optics off line. The spark was getting ready and Ratchet could feel it, a sweet little pulse of life waiting to come into the world.

Apparently, it had heard of the dog too.

-0-In the hall

They sat together talking pausing only when a bellow came from behind the closed door. Springer winced. "We need to get Ironhide drunk when this is over."

"Sounds like a plan." Kup grinned. "He's pretty good at doing that, the slagger. Why, I lost track of how many times-"

"Good," Bumblebee said before the room erupted on him.

-0-In the House of etcetera etcetera

"Slaggers. **ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"**

-0-In the hall

"Yikes." -consensus opinion

-0-Inside

"Ratchet? You need to come to the berth and lie down. We're getting very close," Gypsy said sweetly. Her all femme team nodded in unison. Ratchet grinned in spite of himself and staggered up lurching to the berth with a terrified Ironhide guiding him. As they moved that way, screens came out and were lined up. Ratchet lay down and looked up at Ironhide. "You have to go behind the screens now, Ironhide."

"**The FRAG I will!"**

"**YOU MADE A PROMISE!"**

"**FRAG THAT!"**

**"IT'S YOUR SLAGGING CUSTOMS, NOT MINE, YOU SLAGGER!"**

"Ironhide."

They both paused and looked back, then down. Gypsy was standing behind them servos on hips. "I am going to ask you to step over here, Ironhide and keep your promise."

He looked down at her, then stepped where she told him. Partitions closed and before he could turn to protest, a servo slipped between two of them and grabbed his. He was pulled toward the screens but not behind them. A servo clasped his on the other side. He stood a moment, then a chuckle was heard. "I have your servo, Ironhide."

He looked at his arm disappearing into the screens, then the amused face of everyone in the room. "This is slagging stupid."

"**WHAT'S SLAGGING STUPID IS MAKING AN AGREEMENT WITH ME, THEN TRYING TO BREAK IT! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"**

-0-In the hall

"I think my ball bearings are hurting listening to that," Drift commented to general hooting and hollering.

"My prong has crawled up into the back of my processor. That's like a high pitched grinding wheel to me," Smokescreen said as he sat lounging next to Bumblebee and First Aid. "How come you aren't in there, Aid?"

"I'm not a sparkling specialist."

"Good for you," Springer said with a grin.

"I think so," First Aid replied. "One was bad enough."

"You separated Orion," Springer replied with a grin. "That little mech is gangsta."

"He is. He also has a Wrecker tattoo," Drift said.

"He does?" Bumblebee asked with a grin.

"He does. Keep up, Bee. Put down First Aid and keep up," Springer said.

That got the attention that it deserved.

-0-Gypsy

She looked at the monitor, then stood close to Ratchet's helm. "I think we're ready to go."

"Ratchet! Are you alright?" Ironhide asked.

"I'm fine, Ironhide."

"Is the protoform there?"

"It is, Ironhide."

"Can I see it?" (Grin)

"Slag, no, Ironhide." (Grin)

They sat in the darkened room listening to Gypsy tell Ratchet to do this and that. Perceptor and Wheeljack stood by the screen waiting in case they were needed. The tiny protoform was out of the box laying on a heated blanket, poised for its animating feature to arrive. It was tiny and perfect, the end product of a lot of thought and design. At this point, even Wheeljack and Perceptor were not allowed behind the screen. They would be if a problem arose but not now.

"Ratchet, I have the gloves ready. Your chamber is open and the sparkling looks good. Are you ready for him to move?" Gypsy asked.

"I better be," Ratchet said with a chuckle around his clenched denta.

"Okay," Gypsy said. "Here we go." She put the gloves into the chamber and waited. The sparkling hovering nearby seemed to see it. It leaned toward it and then back, resting for a moment. Then a snap could be heard as the electrical energy of the spark left Ratchet. One strand of luminous energy reached out and attached to the heat and light of the gloves.

"**OH PRIMUS!"** Ratchet said squeezing Ironhide's servo hard.

"You alright, Ratchet?" he asked through the screens.

"Yes, Ironhide. I'm alright. It just hurts," Ratchet said as he rested. One by one, the sparkling stepped away from his first home and eventually, at last, sat on the taxi to his final one. Gypsy stood a moment, the two of them looking at the spark. Then carefully she walked to the protoform that two of her team was holding up. Putting her gloved servos as close as she could, she waited.

The infant seemed to sit forever enjoying the comfort of the separation gloves, then it turned and moved swiftly touching the core. It ignited and so did the colors, tiny blue optics opening immediately. A whimper, then a cry was made and the room was reborn.

Gypsy wrapped the infant and handed him to her team who took him to a small room next door for tests. Ratchet sat up slowly, his chamber

door sliding shut. Sitting a moment, his helm hanging, he grinned. "Ironhide?"

"What?" he said as he stood on the other side of the screens, his body language expressing terror in the extreme. "Are you alright? What about the sparkling?"

Ratchet glanced at Gypsy who nodded with a grin. "We're both fine."

"Ratchet."

He looked around, then up. Jessie was standing on a shelf watching. She smiled. "That is one awesome sparkling. Thank you for letting me see. What an awesome thing this was."

"You let a human in there but you wouldn't let me. There's something fragged about this, Ratchet," Ironhide whined on the other side of the screens.

"There is, Ironhide. You're fragged. Don't make agreements you can't keep," Ratchet said as he sat reviving himself.

The infant was reviewed, a baseline on him taken, then he was returned to the room and Ratchet. Ratchet moved the blanket slightly and grinned. "What a cute little sparkling you are, Prowler." He looked up and noticed that Ironhide was 'casually' glancing over the screen. He covered the infant and slid him inside his carry hold. **"YOU ARE A SLAGGER, IRONHIDE, FOR PEEKING!"**

"I didn't see anything, you infernal mech!" Ironhide retorted.

"Ratchet?"

"What, Ada?"

"Does this mean that we can't see the sparkling either?" he asked in his sweet voice.

Ratchet paused. "Yes. You can thank Ironhide."

The entire room looked at Ironhide and he looked back. "Slag this whole process. **RATCHET! YOU ARE OFF YOUR PROCESSOR!"**

"Probably. **BUT YOU MADE IT HAPPEN!"** Ratchet stood up and did a self scan. He was good to go home and sit in his chair for a few orns. He looked at Gypsy and her team. "Thank you. You are awesome as ever."

"You are welcome," Gypsy said as the others nodded. "You are the most fun I have sometimes, Ratchet. You and Ironhide."

Ratchet snorted. "You need to get out more, sweetie." With that, he walked through the screens as they were pulled back and into the slightly peeved, heavily relieved, abundantly happy family.

And Ironhide.

-0-In the hall

They exited the separation room into the ribald company of their friends and comrades. Congratulations were had and demands to see the infant made to no avail.

"Blame Ironhide," Ratchet said as he leaned against the big relieved mech.

"Thanks, Ironhide. I wanted to see what new version of your face Ratchet had come up with," Springer said to great amusement.

"Ratchet!"

Everyone looked down at the humans.

"Congratulations!" Will Lennox said. "When will you announce and where?"

Ratchet paused and looked at Ironhide. "I think it will be on the airfield. I guess."

"I defer to your greater indecision," Ratchet said to Ironhide. "Three orns, boys."

Gypsy stepped out and set Jessie down on the floor. She grinned up and nodded, then ran to Ratchet. **"RATCHET! THAT WAS AWESOME!** Aren't you supposed to be sitting down or something?"

Ratchet grinned. "I'm heading that way."

The group parted as Ravel stepped out. "Come on, Ratchet. Let's get home so you can sit and hog the sparkling."

"You haven't seen it?" Springer asked needling the group even as he knew the agreement between the two from Ironhide's endless bitching about it. "I find that terribly surprising."

"No you don't," Ratchet said chuckling. "You better watch out, Springer or I'll adopt you."

"Oh great," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

Amusing repartee continued for a moment or two, then the party took a left turn for a slow walk to the elevator. The ride down was amusing as well as they meandered to the street beyond. Prowl and Ravel walked beside Ratchet as Alor walked in front to ward off low flying pedestrians. Ironhide walked with Prime and his father, a frown on his face. "Old mech is trying to kill me. **I HAVE A SPARKLING AND I CAN'T SEE IT YET! HOW UNFAIR IS THAT!?"**

Ratchet glanced back. "Have the next one, slagger. Don't give me slag about what's fair. I might have to declare war."

The entire party halted a moment, the entire party falling silent at the thought. Then Flint slapped Ironhide on the back of his helm. "You better mind yourself, Ironhide. I'm not sure my spark can hold up to another one of your wars."

"Slagger never learns," Springer said as the group began to move again. "Never frag with a fragger, Ironhide."

"Truer words never spoken," Blackjack said with a grin.

-0-At the apartment

They sat together in a row on the couch by the window, three sparklings looking at two babysitters without a sound. They held their sippy cups in their servos but didn't touch them. Sunspot sitting across from them between the sitters, Spot sitting patiently next to him on the floor looked from them to the sitters.

"They haven't moved a digit," Geenie said with a trace of awe. "They just sit there staring."

"They aren't even drinking their breakfast," her partner said nodding.

Sunspot looked at both, then the sparklings. "Eat your breakfast, sparklings," he said.

They looked at him, then almost as one raised their cups to drink. It was unnerving. Both of the femmes looked at Sunspot who smiled brilliantly. "They're nice but they're little."

Both sitters nodded.

-0-At the homestead at last

The door opened as Ironhide stepped in looking at the three sparklings sitting on the couch silently. They were sitting without toys or dollies, solemn little bits watching the sitters who sat watching them. They grinned in unison, then held up their arms to be picked up.

Behind Ironhide came Alor and Ravel who took two of the infants in servo. Tie Down got Hero and they moved out of the way. Ratchet walked in and grinned. "Thank you, ladies. I hope you didn't have a problem."

"We had a great time, Ratchet. They were so good," Geenie said with a grin. "They are so quiet."

For a moment the room was suffused with stunned silence. Then chatter filled the space as the others walked inside. The sitters were feted, then sent off and the door closed at once. Everyone sat down including Prime and Prowl. "So this is the famous dog," Optimus said with a grin.

Sunspot jumped down and ran to Prime and Prowl. **"UNCLE OPTIMUS! YOU WANT TO SEE MY DOG?"**

Optimus grinned. "I would love to see him."

Sunspot ran back and hugged Spot. Then he turned and walked back to Prowl and Optimus with Sunspot. Sunspot turned to him. "Sit, Spot."

Spot sat.

"Lie down, Spot."

Spot lay down.

"Up, Spot."

The dog got up and sat. Then he pawed at Sunspot who took the paw into servo. He looked at the two and beamed. **"HE LIKES TO SHAKE HIS PAW! ISN'T HE BEAUTIFUL!? I LOVE MY DOG!"**

Optimus glanced at Prowl who glanced at Ratchet. "Sunspot, this is a great dog. I heard that you got to have one."

"**I HOPE TO TAKE HIM TO SCHOOL! IT WILL BE SO FUN TO HAVE HIM THERE. MY FRIENDS WILL LOVE HIM!"**

Optimus looked at Ironhide. "Has the school cleared this?"

"I have an appointment this afternoon," Ironhide said nodding. "He's going to be Sunspot's service dog."

"I see," Optimus said nodding. He caressed the dog's helm. "He's a great dog."

"Expect to see more if there are willing cyberfox sparks in the Matrix," Ratchet said relaxing.

Optimus nodded. "I can expect that the little mechs are going to want one if they see this one."

"Thanks, Ratchet," Prowl said with a grin.

"Don't mention it, whiner," Ratchet replied.

"Loser," Prowl said with a smirk.

Optimus merely sat back to enjoy the joor.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	267. Chapter 267

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 5 (267) edited for boo boos

-0-At the house

They sat in the living room occupying all the corners. Tie Down and Ironhide had left to take Sunspot to the park with Spot. They were going to be showing the big dog to school and mental health individuals who were going to be deciding if he was safe enough to be a service dog in a classroom.

"What do you think is going to happen with Sunny's dog, Ratchet?" Ravel asked as he put Hero on the floor, her thin little legs barely bearing her weight as she wobbled in her grandada's grip.

"I would hope they will allow him there and have a way to keep him from being a distraction. He would be there to work and not play. That has to be explained." Ratchet pulsed warmth to the little sparkling in his hold.

"What about the naming, Ratchet?" Flint asked as he bounced Praxus on his knee assembly. The infant laughed uproariously. "What do you want us to do?"

"Show up," Ratchet said with a grin.

"I will too. I will be there with bells on," Prowl said smirking at Ratchet as he sat on a chair across from him. Prime smirked himself having been filled in on the 'benefits' of having a Praxian infant named after you. Given that Orion bore his name, Optimus had asked Prowl why he hadn't clued him in when the infant was separated. Prowl had thought a moment, then shrugged. "I forgot."

Prowl had a flaw. Prowl had a flah-ah.

Prime smirked again. Ratchet on the other servo looked at Prowl with a smug expression. "Whiner. See if I do another good deed for you again."

The banter continued as the afternoon passed along. Prime and Prowl finally took their leave along with Venture and Miler. The twins and Bluestreak left long enough to fetch sparklings and returned for a long afternoon of slag and pizza.

-0-At the park earlier

They sat on a bench waiting, Spot sitting next to Sunspot watching everyone who passed on the streets, sidewalks and the paths that meandered through Metroplex's park. Spot was on patrol even if he didn't move, protecting his boy and his family. He did so with fox-like concentration and stealthiness.

"What if they say no, Atar?" Sunspot asked anxiously.

"We will always have our dog. Whether the school says yes or no, he stays," Ironhide said. (Pet, pet, pet) "This is one stellar dog."

"He is. **I LOVE HIM!**" Sunspot said. (pet, pet, pat) "He's beautiful and smart."

"He is," Ironhide said agreeably.

"They will love him, Sunspot, because you do," Tie Down offered his grandson. Sunspot hugged him in return.

Coming into view from the Metroplex District where his office was, Jarro walked with a couple of colleagues. In the other direction, Nova and Neo walked together after coming out of a subway station. Behind them, leaving the Youngling School Tower behind, Herling, Terradive and Roto who was there doing examinations of new students walked along the sidewalk.

"We're surrounded," Ironhide said with a grin.

"That's okay. Spot will take care of us," Sunspot said. (Pet, pet, pet) "They will love you too," he said quietly.

Spot looked at him with a gentle gaze and a lolling tongue.

They converged all at the same time pausing long enough to make introductions. Then Jarro looked at Spot who looked at him with a calm gaze. "This is your dog. What a fine dog it is, Sunspot."

"**THIS IS MY DOG! MY GENITORS GOT HIM FOR ME! THEY GOT SPOT FOR ME!"** Sunspot said with almost too much happiness. He stood up and so did Spot. **"LOOK AT WHAT HE CAN DO!"** With that, Sunspot began to show them.

Balls were thrown and retrieved. A dog showed how he could sit, stand, lay down and stay. A little Seeker showed how he could love a dog with all his spark. They were simpatico, the little mech and the fox/dog walking, running, jumping and cooperating through the three 'tricks' that 'Spot knows because he's so smart, Mr. Terradive."

Ironhide sat and watched as Sunspot showed them his love for this dog, his need for him and his undying admiration for the dog his genitors got for him **'because they love me and I asked them. They can do anything, Mr. Roto!**' When he was finished demonstrating, he turned and looked up at them with a hopeful expression on his little face. Ironhide felt his insides squeeze. Tie Down sat on the bench with a sad tense expression, his optics focused between Herling and his grandson. He was no stranger to infants being disappointed by life and its rules.

Spot on the other servo just sat and looked at his boy, confused by his tense energy and anxiety. With that in mind, he leaned in and licked Sunspot's face. Sunny turned and hugged him tightly.

"What a lovely animal," Neo said glancing at Ironhide and Tie Down. "He seems so well mannered and gentle. He's good for Sunspot."

"I think so," Ironhide said. "He doesn't need his night light now."

They all nodded. Jarro considered the infant, then looked at Ironhide. "He wants the dog in school with him as a service dog. We have a vulnerable population. Half of Terri's class are our patients. What would this mean, Terri if a dog came to class every orn?"

Terradive thought a moment, then glanced at Roto, his bond. "What do you think, Ro? If the ground rules are made and carried out, if everyone understands he's a service dog and not a pet coming to play, then we should be alright."

Roto considered that. "If they are laid out and clearly understood with everyone following them, then I would agree. It would be up to you, Terri. What do you think? What would they be?"

"Well, I would think the novelty factor would be important for a few orns but then it should die down. We could say that this is an important new part of our culture and life back on Cybertron who is here to help Sunspot through his orn. He should be seen first as a helper, then a playmate. He can lie on the floor next to Sunny and maybe be a calming influence on a couple of my high needs. As long as it isn't viewed as playtime when he's there, this could actually help a lot of infants. Some might relate their problems to him when they don't to us."

"We see that when we use puppets in therapy," Jarro said as his colleagues nodded. "They will talk to the puppet and tell them things they won't or can't tell us directly. If there are rules and they are enforced I see this as a positive. You may be seeing more of these animals around because I have been given a request to evaluate them in the city."

Herling looked at Ironhide and nodded. "Let us have a moment, Ironhide," he said as he moved to one side, the others following.

Sunspot stood next to his dog and watched them step aside. He looked at Ironhide with concern. Walking to the two, he leaned on his grandpa and looked up at his father. "What will happen now?"

"They will decide what to do. They have a lot of little kids to take care of. You are just one of them. If they think it will be okay, you will take him with you," Ironhide said gently.

"And if he doesn't get to come?" Sunspot asked with alarm and fear.

"He can come with me," Ironhide said. "When I come at your recess time when I'm not on duty, he can come then."

Sunspot looked at them for a moment, a long silent moment, then he laid his helm on Ironhide's leg. "I want him to come. He will miss me, Atar."

"I know. Let's see what happens, Sunny," Ironhide said as he rubbed the tiny mech's smooth yellow wings.

They talked together for what seemed an eternity, then the group turned and walked back to the two tense adults and one forlorn youngling who waited.

"We think it will be fine with rules that are enforced. Mr. Terradive will be the one with the hard job. You must help him, Sunspot, to make this a good thing because we all agree that it will be," Herling said with a smile. He looked at Ironhide. "We will have this on the next Genitor-Teacher Committee meeting, Ironhide. We have to have guidelines because I think this is going to be a problem if we don't resolve a few things for everyone who might use a dog for their infants."

Ironhide nodded and rose extending his servo. Tie and Ironhide shook servos with everyone thanking them as Sunspot stood looking at everyone. "Atar? What did they decide?"

"You can with rules," Ironhide replied.

Sunspot's smile was incredible.

-0-Back at the ranch

Ratchet walked out of the berth room with a bundle all wrapped up. He stowed it in his carry hold with a deft touch. Alor who was getting things ready for a dinner buffet glanced at him and smirked. "You are a bad aft. You and Ironhide deserve each other but we don't. We have a new grand sparkling and you won't let us see him."

"I would but you might slip and let the cat out of the bag," Ratchet said sitting down, the refreshed infant safely in his carry hold.

"You didn't ruin two families, Ratchet, when you and Ironhide bonded," Alor said as he laid out food of many types, none of which would be out of place at a barbecue on Earth.

Until you took a bite.

Ratchet grinned and tuned into the infant who was fed and recharging. "This infant is one for the history books."

"Hush," Ravel said turning to put plates on the table. "If you won't show us, don't tease." Ravel looked at him with a disapproving stare. "You should show us this sparkling and leave Ironhide out of it. Right now, you are punishing all of us while pranking him. Really, Ratchet. You never cease to amaze me."

Ratchet smiled at his ada's gentle reproach. "We have two orns. Then the naming will take place and you can take him home with you if you want."

"What makes you think Ravie and I won't?" Alor asked.

The trine sat on their couch together watching the exchange like players at a tennis match, big grins on their faces. It would continue until everyone went home.

-0-Moments later

"**ADA! GUESS WHAT!? SPOT CAN COME WITH ME TO SCHOOL!"**

Ironhide and Tie Down walked in behind followed by Flint carrying dishes Alor had made at their apartment. The door closed, exclamations were made in honor of Spot and the sparklings were given sippy cups. They sat on the floor by the window, six little waifs tipping their cup for a swig, chattering together between.

Ravel paused and looked at them. "What fine infants. I can't believe that they belong to me too."

"They will need a lot of wisdom," Ratchet said amiably. "You do know who their genitors are."

"Speak for yourself," Sunstreaker said as he relaxed on the couch, his arm around Bluestreak. Sideswipe walked back and sat after helping with the infants. "Those sparklings will be top notch **because** of who their genitors are."

Snorting and hoo-haw greeted that as they began to get dinner. Sitting around the apartment, they ate their meal, chatted and chattered, enjoying themselves completely. All of the time they did, Spot would lay beside Sunspot, share his scraps and lick his arm.

It was a great ending of a long, long orn.

-0-That night

The beautiful mech walked from the grocery store to the underground station that would take him back from Metroplex District to his neighborhood in Terra. He lived on the East Side, a collection of towers that faced Autobot City. His tower was a bachelor enclave, suitable given his own bachelor status. He had beer, a selection of food collected into a box called 'A Gourmet's Collection'.

Since he was one, it seemed like the thing to do to eat like one again. The food he had found was as stellar as the amenities. He was happy to be here and have some small part of the life he had left behind in a terrifying run for the hills. He reached his station, walked out with numerous optics following him and made his way to his apartment.

He set his things down and walked to the computer which was doing a search through the database for several things he wanted and needed to know. The data was waiting so he opened it and braced himself.

Beray.

No find. Not in system.

He quashed his pain for a moment. Then he continued. His name nor any of his aliases were in the system. 'No find. Not in system'. That was a relief. Continuing, he found several who were and it was worrisome.

Kudon. Deceased. Murdered.

Templar, Eronus, Vraz, Neo, Gravitas. In residence.

Frag...

He turned and walked to the counter to make a meal and open a beer. Sitting at the table, the remote for the computer in his servo, he continued to read the data. Names that he had programmed into the search came up empty one after the other. Then they didn't.

He was searching in the refugee name database in which nearly everyone who had landed here could be found. It was a feature in the Community Bulletin Board that he had looked at the night before. It was a good thing. Names were coming up.

Sentinel Prime.

A number of industrialists including one who might remember him, Burris. That one had wanted to have a piece of his time and other related parts but he had never allowed it. Burris was too ignorant and grasping. He was the type of mech he had tried his whole life to leave behind. Now he was here.

He would cause trouble too. Burris had been one of the most wealthy individuals on Cybertron and was ruthless in his dealings with those most responsible for his success, his workers. He had confused his bankroll with his worth, transposing cash for class and it had been a difficult thing staying away from him. His lovers and benefactors had been powerful and protected him. In fact, no one in the colony as far as he could determine knew who he was.

He was glad of it.

A name hit along with three others. He read them, then paused his beer halfway to his mouth. Putting it down, he rose and looked at it, studying the possibilities that it could actually really be him.

The most hated and disturbing person in the entirety of his life was here.

He would sit and do what he did best, work out a plan of action and carry it out patiently, painstakingly. It was what Jade did best. The most expensive and exclusive pleasure bot ever to live on Cybertron planned his revenge.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	268. Chapter 268

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 6 (268) edited for boo boos

-0-That night in the Bosom of Love

"Ratchet."

"What?"

"How do you feel?"

"Fine. Tired. Lots of folks in and out of the house today."

Pause. "They want to see the sparkling."

(grin) "They couldn't even if I wanted to show them. Your rules, Ironhide."

Pause. "Slag my rules."

(grin) "Never truer words spoken."

Pause. "How is he? Is he warm?"

"Yep."

"Is he fed enough?"

"Yep."

"I bet he's really cute."

"He is. Stellar is the word."

Pause. "I miss him."

Pause. "You do?"

"I do." (whimperish sound) "I really do."

"Aw."

"Can I peek?"

"Nope."

"You're one hard aft slagger." (grin)

"Yep." (grin)

-0-In another room

Phobos shone in the sky as it made its swift circuit of Mars. Lights from the outside shown inward casting long shadows on the floor. He lay looking at it, then settled. A dream had awakened him in the dark room. It was a dream of running in fields, crossing metallic roads and watching as big mechanisms passed by. It had been pleasurable, his romps in the never ending beauty of the Matrix. But so was his place here. He had wanted adventure and he was getting it now, right here with this infant.

Sunspot lay curled against him, his dog, his arm over Spot's muscular body. It was recharge time and they did it together on the berth that would be Spot's too. He lay his helm back down and fell into recharge, his spark roaming the Matrix with his siblings as they ran in the always sun through the always beautiful fields of home.

-0-Nearby

"Ratchet?"

"What?"

"What will I have to do to see the sparkling before orn after … today?"

Ratchet thought a moment, then grinned. "I don't know. I don't want you to do anything, Ironhide. Maybe just keep the deal you made, you big whiner."

"I want to see him."

"I want to be Queen of the May."

Up link, initiate search, access information, 'May, Queen of', terminate download. "You're off your processor."

"I made you search."

"You did." (grin) "Queen of the May, huh? You'd look good."

"You're so cute when you're groveling." (grin)

"Is it working?" (hopeful optics)

"Almost."

"What if I apologize and tell you that you are the love of my life. You know I'm not good with words, Ratchet. I try and show you with actions. I know I sort of took advantage of your good nature and asked you to do something that was over the top. I love you for it."

Ratchet blinked and sat up staring down at the mech who was impersonating Ironhide. "I am old and ornery, Ironhide. I would have to know that you don't have a part of you laughing to think you can best me and end an agreement you made with stealth. I don't want to give up and find out you joked or laughed about besting me later on."

Ironhide sat up and looked at Ratchet. "You know better. Feel the link."

Ratchet concentrated on their bond and felt oceans of love and regret floating toward him. He didn't see artifice or guile. He didn't feel the hidden edge of a snicker. Ironhide was as open and honest as he knew how to be, which to the insider was a greater thing that most gave him credit for. "Will you accept and let me see Prowler?"

Ratchet looked at him, considered the almost messianic precision with which he ran his prankster operation with Ironhide and vented a soft sigh. "If I do this, it can only be for here and now, just for a few moments. You can see and touch him but that's it. We're back on after and I don't want any verbal exclamation or remark from you. This is my final assertion on this matter, Ironhide."

He nodded and leaned in kissing Ratchet softly. "Thanks."

Ratchet snorted. "If I ever hear that you ran a hard luck soft sparked story on me to best me, I will drop kick your sorry aft into orbit around Jupiter. I will beat you so flat helmed that I can sit my beer cube on it and have room for crackers."

Ironhide snorted. "We have really ruined each other for trust haven't we."

"We have," Ratchet said. Nothing over the bond felt duplicitous so he sat back and opened his carry hold. He pulled the little bundle out and held it a moment staring at Ironhide to take his measure. The mech stared back, his look one of profound admiration. So Ratchet handed the baby over.

Ironhide took Prowler and sniffed him memorizing his particular baby smell, the one humans might characterize as new car. Then he lay the baby down and began to lift his blanket. He stared at the sleeping baby, so tiny and brand new. He sparkled and looked angelic. He was an awesome sight to his old pa. Ironhide glanced up at Ratchet and grinned. "You dazzle me, old mech. That is one good looking sparkling."

"I think so," Ratchet said rubbing one of the baby's tiny servos. "Did you get an optic full?"

"Nope," he said rubbing a tiny ped. "I love this sparkling, Ratchet. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Ratchet said with a grin.

Ironhide looked up sharply. "I will. Every orn. I will always mention it. Look at what our life is now compared to before. Thank you."

Ratchet leaned in and kissed him. "Your welcome. Now hand over the sparkling."

Ironhide snorted and put the blankets back. Ratchet tucked them in and slid the infant back into his hold. Laying back, he relaxed. They both did. Ironhide would hold Ratchet's servo most of the night.

-0-Morning

They walked together to the school after dropping off the sparklings a tad early at their own. Riding on the subway with his dog, Sunspot felt super as he watched mechs and younglings with the odd femme stare at **HIS DOG!**

Entering the school, they walked through the crowds to the elevator and took the ride upward to the fourth floor where his classroom was. Terradive was waiting at the door and beckoned to them. They walked through the awe struck kids, their optics focused on the shining dog with the Wrecker and Autobot Armed Forces tattoos on his shoulder. Below that in precise glyphs in gold, a tiny notation was made. "This dog belongs to Sunspot". He had asked for it the orn before while Sunstreaker was putting on the marks.

"Someone might not know that Spot belongs to me."

Entering, they watched as Sunspot walked to his locker in the back of the room and stowed his stuff. Spot stood beside him patiently. Sunny turned and looked at them, a brilliant smile on his face. **"LOOK, MR. TERRADIVE! THIS DOG IS SO NICE!"**

"I can see that, Sunny," Terradive said. He glanced at Ratchet and Ironhide. "I think we have a good plan in place. I will call you if we need you but I think in a couple of orns things will die down."

Ratchet and Ironhide nodded, kissed Sunspot and patted Spot. Then they turned and walked out with only a very mild case of trepidation.

With three orns off and nowhere to go, Ratchet followed Ironhide who meandered to the Tower Subway Station #1. They would go down and spend part of the morning inspecting hubs, gunneries and armories to see if they were on the up and up. Then they would visit with Ravel and Tie down.

Those two venerable bots would tut-tut and gently chide Ratchet for being a sparkling hog and all around aft helm. When that was finished, they would head for the Fortress and the first staff meeting since the last crisis which they had so recently averted. It would be fun.

-0-Prowl

He sat in the conference room behind stacks of datapads piled within easy reach of the multitudes who would be coming to do the postmortem on their great effort. Optimus was in conversation with someone and others were discussing things together, catching up on gossip as the group began to filter in. Ratchet walked in sitting as Ironhide did the same. Prowl reached his servo over and snapped his digits, a big smirk on his face. Ironhide looked at him with narrowing optical ridges and supplied Hero anyway.

She sat on her blankie as he pulled her out and she was swept away like a damsel on a flying carpet to the arms of her Uncle Prowl. She smiled and patted his face. She was beautiful, satiny black with a yellow delicate braid around her left ankle. She had happy blue optics and slender femme winglets that fluttered when she was happy. "O."

Prowl blinked and looked at Ratchet and Ironhide who had paused in their conversation to stare. "O?"

"O." Hero said it happily, proudly, firmly. A big servo reached out and pulled her to him. Optimus sat smiling. "O."

Prowl snorted and leaned back. "Slagger. Sir."

Ratchet snorted. "May I second that emotion?"

"Me too," a slightly peeved Ironhide replied.

More came and took their places until all were there. Optimus, his arms around Hero who looked out at the gathering group with a giant smile nodded. "Let the games begin."

-0-Agenda- Old Business: Pending Items to Be Finalized, New Pending Items to be Finalized Later; New Business: Economics, Sciences, Medical, Education, City Administrator's Report, Commercial Guilds Report/Request Action, Union/Guild/Co-op Reports/Request Action, Industry, Aviation, Diplomatic; Special Events: The Migration, Paragon, Free-Ranging Decepticon Battle groups (Subject to Military Personnel Only), Communications, Special Operations (Subject to Military Personnel Only), Temple Report, Mental Health, Judicial Report/Pending Actions, New Business Not Already Accounted For (Youngling Day School Room 11 Art Report and Showing; Human Activities: 'Platoon: Autobot City Season 1 Wrap up, Request to make and broadcast 'Migration' as three hour special on MCA, Request for office space on Project Homestead, Request for round-trip sightseeing flights to Mars from Earth, Resident Human Sciences report to the Committee on various projects, Home Guard Report and For The Good Of the Order

"Where are we, Prowl?" Optimus asked as Caro sat down.

Prowl quashed a big grin. "Business, Venture on risks and advantages for commercial flights round trip between here and Earth."

Optimus looked at the datapad before him and swallowed. Hard.

Venture who was watching smirked and stood. "I would like to point out in minute detail the various theories supporting the venture and the various caveats. This might take some time," he said before being clobbered by writing implements and empty cubes.

-0- zzzzZZZZZzzzzZZZZZzzzzzzz

Ratchet sat with his optics open and his processor in recharge. He was aware of things but not really. Beside him playing battleship internally with Prime, Ironhide looked completely attentive. Even Miler was re-arranging the living room at his apartment in his processor. Even if the love of his life was explaining futures and the like, Miler was gloriously occupied. He had sconces made like the ones back home and would pick them up today.

Yay!

:Ratchet:

He looked at Prowl who was staring at the datapad in his servos with intensity. :What?:

:I want to see the sparkling:

:Well, wish in one servo and empty your debris hold in the other and see which fills up the fastest:

Prowl shifted in his seat holding in a guffaw. :You are vulgar:

:Your panties are too tight, Prowler:

That's a great name, Ratchet. A great name for a sparkling:

:I know, Prowl. It's sitting in my hold sucking his thumb:

Prowl glanced quickly at Ratchet, then back to his datapad. :You are a vulgar slagger:

:You are wrong. I'm the vulgar slagger with the sparkling named Prowler in my hold:

A ghost of a smile greeted that remark as they sat and listened to Venture wind it up.

-0-Later, during City Administrator's Report

"The city now stands at roughly 1,487,299 individuals."

Everyone paused their games, decorating, slagging and other internal time kills to look at Magnus. He sat calmly, deeply unaware of how handsome he was and how uptight he looked.

"That's a lot of bodies, Magnus. How are they all fitting in?" Ratchet asked.

"We have housed them all. We have 1,500 apartments left," he said nodding.

"oh oh," Jazz replied. "We have a migration comin' that looks big and another close behind it. We don't have anythin' that is more than an echo on the sensors behind that but you can't count on it."

Magnus nodded. "We have to put the effort in to make housing units for at least half a million to three quarters of a million. I expect that we will push two million citizens shortly."

"We will begin on phase six and seven together," Jetta said glancing at Prime. "Magnus and I have scouted two more satellite city sites just south of Terra. We can build there and do both rather than one at a time. That way we can exceed the number of units being planned for and stay ahead of things. Our new plants for steel and metal fabrication came online during the migration itself and we can meet the need for materials now but if there is more demand, not so much."

"What about workers and technicians?" Starscream asked.

"We have an enormous number of workers in this bunch. The array of talent is astonishing. We even have stone cutters and metal fabricators that worked on ornamental buildings on Cybertron. They can mentor the kids and we can get more talents into the main body of workers. The Guilds are going to manage the teams and their assignment and we have amazing bosses the like of Bulkhead, Payload and Scar."

The big bots present to represent Guilds and Unions nodded confidently, inordinately pleased with the shout out.

"They are doing heroic duty," Prime said nodding. "I will leave this to you, Magnus and your teams, Jetta. Let us know what you need and we will organize it."

They nodded. The building plan was remarked upon and the beat went on …

... Request for round-trip sightseeing flights to Mars from Earth and back again

A youngling mech and his partners, three of them, stood nervously before the committee and Prime. They began their presentation with a click of a monitor. A prototype ship was shown, one with a low solid body shape and maximum viewing space. It was nearly completely transparent steel with a solid body and gear underneath. Inside the big domed compartment space were rows of seats fit for human habitation. They were arrayed outward rather than frontward, seven rows on one side, seven on the other in tier seating to make viewing unobstructed.

"What we would like to do is partner with a company that Warren Roberts is working with to bring tourists to Autobot City and take them on tours. It would be day trips only at first. They would gather at three airports, London, England, New York City, New York and Sydney, Australia. We would bring them here on a round about route past Venus, Earth, Jupiter and then Mars. They would get a tour of the city in an enclosed vehicle." Another image shown of a bus-like vehicle with completely transparent walls and ceiling. "They would tour the city, then go on another ship," he said showing a smaller vessel of the one that would bring them to Mars, "touring the Valles and Olympus Mons. There would be refreshments inside the vehicles and they would have human attendants. Mr. Roberts would handle that end of the hiring process. Our own employees would fly and do the tours. Then all would go home the same way."

Another youngling nodded. "That way we can build good will among the humans by having them come here and see for themselves what a great place this is."

Everyone smiled at the earnest mechs standing before them. "I am not opposed to the idea. I however don't want this to simply be limited to those who can afford it, the high castes of Earth," Prime said.

"It won't be," the first youngling said. "We will only charge $20.00 for the trip."

They all did the math, then looked at each other. "Youngling, that seems a very good number but a little low," Ironhide said.

"We know," he replied. "It would cover part of the insurance policy that we have to have to operate on Earth. Mr. Warren and Mr. Venture said he would cover the rest out of the general fund."

Venture nodded. "That way we can have a token payment yet make it affordable for everyone. There will be no one left out who might want to come."

"First come, first serve?" Ratchet asked.

They nodded. When the venture was ironed out and all bases were covered for the three ship flotilla that would begin 'Autobot Tours, Inc', the webpage would go on line. It would allow groups of 300 per vessel to come for the day trips and tours of the planet. It would capsize in half an hour from the **PHENOMENAL **demand for a spot. Success would be too small a word for it. They would even make the cover of Forbes.

...a deferred 'Platoon: Autobot City Season 1' and special broadcast report …

The humans arrived late and apologized. Standing on the table, turning to take in all the leading citizens of Autobot City and their intensity, Jack Mellar and Aaron Belcher turned. :Sir, we have just wrapped up the last two episodes of Platoon and we thank you for the quick sign off: Aaron said as Optimus nodded. :We have a renewal for season 2 and our syndicate and the MCA are so pleased with season one, they gave us the farm. We can add photographers to the mix:

They all looked at him and his announcement, a mixed blessing at best. Starscream summed it up best: "More snoopy little slaggers running around like turbo rats under my peds. Oh joy."

Snickers were had by all.

"We have filmed the entire migration and have footage from Epps, Lennox and Graham as well as Landon. They were in the migration and took cameras. We want to put together a film in which the story tells itself. It will be just footage, very little music except in a couple of places to heighten suspense and nothing more. No dialog beyond what is said by the participants and nothing but the odd subtitle to tell where and what is happening."

"We can send it to you now for sign off and suggestions," Jack Mellar said.

Prime nodded. "Jazz?"

Jazz looked at them, then plugged into the console calling up the material he had already reviewed himself as one of the censors for IntraComm. It sped to Prime and he watched it all. It took about 0.02 seconds to review the entire three hour presentation. He considered it and nodded. "You can show it. Get with Warren Roberts."

They looked at him and blinked. "You watched it already?"

"Slag yeah," Jazz said with a smirk. "He is the Prime after all."

Snickers met that as the delighted humans were put down on the floor and left. Starscream watched them go with a slight sneer. "Slaggers."

"What's left, Prowl?" Prime asked with a chuckle.

"Just the military agenda which covers that and the remaining unattended agenda items. Shall I list them in triplicate?" he asked with a grin.

"Nope. How about the good of the order?" Prime asked with a grin of his own. Sitting back, regarding his fellows, he smiled. "Entertain me," he said.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	269. Chapter 269

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 9 (269) edited for boo boos

-0- "I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress."

"Entertain me."

They looked at him, then each other. Ratchet grinned. "Praxus is learning to empty his debris hold all by himself."

That met an avalanche of commentary ranging from **'ATTABOY!'** to **'BITCH PLEASE!'**, or the Cybertronian version of it. Neo grinned at him. "I think its wonderful." She looked at Optimus. "How is Miracle doing on that front?"

He shrugged. "You'll have to ask Prowl. He's the Poop Police."

All optics turned to Prowl who sat up stiffly. "A sparkling should be able to evacuate smoothly."

"Be careful what you say during a fire drill, Herling," Starscream said silkily. "You might not get what you planned."

The amount of slag that exchange got was only just a ***smidge*** less severe than the optic that Optimus got from Prowl.

"Tell us about the new sparkling," Nova said. "We understand the ceremony will be at the airfield. We shall bring the school once more, then come back to class."

"That's about it," Ratchet said with a smirk at Ironhide. He himself sat with contentment like a Buddha except for the muley optic he shot Prime from time to time. Hero was entertaining herself by patting his arms which were around her and smiling at him. He smiled back and shot a bemused optic Ironhide's way. He had beaten the big Chaos Bringer six out of seven games of Battleship and held his daughter the whole time in the circle of his arms.

Sometimes it was **AWESOME** to outrank everyone in the room.

Prowl drawing his mesmerized optics away from Hero's tiny wings looked at Ratchet. "I will be there too."

"So will I," Ratchet said looking pointedly at his rival in all things.

"Of course you'll be there," Perceptor said puzzledly. "You're the ada."

Everyone gave noogies both literally and figuratively to the big red oblivious but utterly classy handsome device transformer, then turned to the matter at hand. Prowl's potty training of his sons.

"As you know, since Seeker's are a superior form of Cybertronian, they practically come potty trained," he sniveled with a superior smirk.

"Then you're saying Seekers are the shit?" Ratchet asked as he browsed through his internal Urban Dictionary for new bombs to throw.

They all paused to figure it out, then Starscream nodded with a satisfied smirk. "In every sense of the word."

That got all the love it deserved as a scandalized Perceptor looked at an equally scandalized Miler while a snickering Wheeljack and Venture chuckled at each other behind their backs.

"How is your dog doing, Ratchet?" someone in the back asked, probably Springer.

"He's the bomb to my diggity," Ratchet said with a grin.

"That is just so wrong," Drift said.

"Grounds for divorce," Springer replied to general agreement.

"That's the second time one of you two mentioned divorce," Kup said. "You got anything you want to say for the good of the order? If we're going to talk about you later on, we want our facts straight."

Abuse flowed abundantly as Ratchet leaned forward. "Do you mean that one or both of you will be free soon? I got dibs on both of you."

"**WHAT THE FRAG, OLD MECH!?" **Ironhide erupted with predictable fury.

That of course met the usual flood of abuse allotted to Ironhide's jealous tirades. Prime who was leaning forward to be closer to Hero smirked with pleasure. He sat back and considered the remark. "You don't have a good marital track record, Springer. That would be the second failed marriage for you."

Everyone looked at the former Mrs. Optimus Prime and smirked. "And we do know who wore the dress in that relationship," Starscream said silkily.

Springer howled and grinned at Starscream. "I don't kiss and tell."

"I wish I knew what half of you were saying half of the time," Miler said shaking his helm with a smirk. "You're all off your processors. I think Ratchet is catching."

"I don't know," Alor said looking at his favorite son-in-law.

His only one.

"Ironhide is high maintenance. I'm his ada but I know that mech is high maintenance."

"He is," Ratchet said nodding. "Mech whines all the time."

"I don't whine. I just tell what I don't like in a loud voice," Ironhide reminded Ratchet.

That was memorized by half the room and scorned to the rim of the Pit by the other.

Chevron leaned forward and fixed a bemused optic on Springer and Drift. "We offer marital counseling, Sons of Primus."

Springer looked at the priest and grinned. "Do you allow swearing?"

Chevron looked at him a moment, then smiled beautifully. "What's swearing?"

The place erupted. The other priests just sat smiling like angels.

It was all good.

"I have an important question," Kup asked. Everyone looked at him. "How come there isn't anything to eat or drink at these things?"

"What would you suggest and I'll whip it up. Out of my aft," Ratchet said to everyone's delight including the priests who laughed. Miler on the other servo felt the burn. He was sitting next to Chevron.

Prowl who looked at Ratchet with a pointed smirk shook his helm. "There are priests here, blasphemer. Repent or know the wrath of someone." He looked at Chevron. "Does Unicron punish the iniquities of the Unbelievers?"

"Not if there's donuts," Chevron said. For a moment everyone blinked, then the roof got raised a few centimeters.

Hero who was chewing on a stylus held in Uncle O's servo startled. She looked at everyone over the top of the circle of Uncle O's arm and cried out. It was a tiny cry, a single shout into the chaos and it was followed by a weep.

A tiny weep.

It became totally silent, then all the Adas in the room automatically turned and held out their arms including Starscream. Uncle O picked her up and cuddled her, the tiny femme with drooping winglets holding his face with both miniscule servos.

It was **AWESOME.**

And sad.

But **CUTE. **

But pitiful.

"Aw. You have the touch," Springer said as Hero smiled at Optimus. He smiled back and sat her down with the stylus, which she began to chew in earnest.

"What did you say?" Kup said looking at Springer over his stogie. "Prime is touched?"

The download reference was made and thoroughly applauded/scorned/looked at askance because he was the Prime after all/chuckled at/filed away to be repeated later.

"Make an appointment, Kup. Your audials need a tuneup," Drift said with a grin.

"Nothing wrong with the audials, pup," Kup said sticking his stogie in his mouth.

"Least of your worries," Springer said with a grin.

Kup nodded. "Got that right, pup."

Springer looked at Ratchet. "He's more worried about the cosmic rust on his prong."

Optimus stowed Hero in his hold with the heat turned up and half the safe chewables within his considerable reach as the laughter reached lethal proportions.

Ratchet nearly fell off his chair. Ironhide actually smiled broadly and chuckled out loud.

Miler looked askance and ruffled on the out and inside.

Prowl looked askance on the outside even as he was doubled over on the inside.

Venture and Wheeljack were high fiving behind Perceptor's back. Perceptor was still trying to find the reference.

Starscream slid sideways in his chair, Thundercracker braced against the wall keeping him from a face plant as they laughed uproariously. The priests smiled broadly, their conversation and general follow up comments kept internal out of deference to Primus and The One.

Those two worthies would smile themselves because they were omnipotent and could hear them anyway. Solus would point out to Vector Prime two blazingly funny follow up comments and he would look at her puzzled because he wasn't even aware half the time that Mars and the Universe actually existed.

Omnipresent my left ped.

Herling and Nova would sit, the conversation between them held internally out of respect for the Matrix. Drift on the other servo was howling with laughter, leaning as far from Kup's swinging range as possible.

Caro glancing at Payload was scandalized.

Bulkhead was filming the whole thing for later viewing with the bond.

Scar was filming it for later viewing with the bond with the sound turned down so they could Mystery Science Theater 3000 it themselves.

"I'm coo coo for cocoa puffs."

It settled down as Ratchet straightened. "Cosmic rust. That always clears a room." He looked at Kup. "You do know the cure don't you. You have the disease, I have the solution. Use it or lose it."

The place fell apart again. Kup looked at Ratchet with annoyance. "What makes you think I need help in that area? I will tell you, none of my mechs complain."

"The operative word is 'none'," Springer said before getting an elbow in the chassis.

Mayhem ensued, then settled. Ratchet looked at Prime as he swiped his optics. "Tell us when you're fully entertained."

Prime sat back and vented a sigh. "That was good. Prowl, What's next?"

With a flourish that P. T. Barnum would admire, Prowl proffered his datapad. "All the military things, Judicial, Temple Report, Residence Human Group report, Home guard report and Kup's cosmic rust problem."

Bedlam wouldn't be too fine a point.

-0-Afterward

Hero was snug in her little bag as Ironhide and Ratchet wandered to the city from the Fortress. The meander took them into the Mall of Metroplex and The Sparkling Store. The place fairly groaned with wonderfulness as the information on hats and other warm gear for infant processor protection due to their new climate was really driving demand in the shops. They walked to a shelf over a case of booties and paused.

Ratchet held his smirk as he watched Ironhide look through the dainties finding just the right match for Hero's new hat that had just arrived. He picked up white booties and turned leading the way to the Seeker specialty section. A nice array of sacks hung and was displayed on the shelves. Ironhide looked at each one measuring it against the infant that would occupy it. Finding one with a little red car on the front and a tiny Autobrand on it's door, he took it as well as a soft blanket with the same design. The hats and booties were bigger for Seekers so he walked back to the other shelves and got what he needed.

"Nice choices, Ironhide," the sales mech said as he put them in the carry bag that everyone stowed in subspace.

Cut down on trash... use your own stuff. So said his ada back in the orn.

"Your order will be here in about four orns. The company in Vermont makes them to order and our sizes are specific."

Ironhide nodded and took the bag filled with Hero and Prowl's new things. "Thanks, Reno. I'll check in again."

"You're always welcome. Congratulations to both of you. I will be there tomorrow," the nice mech said. An atar to six of his own, he knew the meaning of suffering too.

They turned and walked out heading toward the apartment. When they arrived, Hero was in recharge so Ironhide put her in her crib. Walking out to the living room, Ironhide sat in **HIS CHAIR** and grinned at Ratchet. "Prime does love a joke."

"It's good for him. I love to get the ball rolling," Ratchet said. "We need to laugh as much as we can."

Ironhide nodded. "You pull those jokes with Springer to get a rise out of me don't you."

"You're just figuring it out?" Ratchet said poking Ironhide's ped with his own.

"I don't tend to stray to such thoughts."

"Oh, my. You are quite the lady aren't you. You mean to tell me that you don't think about other mechs just for fun?" Ratchet asked with a grin.

Ironhide looked at him, then shrugged. "I don't. Usually."

"Who?" Ratchet needled.

"Don't tell anyone."

"I won't," Ratchet lied.

"I can't get 'Two Moons Over Cybertron' out of my processor. Considering Prime was giving it good to me over and over, I find myself thinking of him when I think about such things, which isn't often mind you," he said with a smirk. "I find myself thinking about him if I ever do which I never do because I don't unless you needle me, then I do."

"Bluestreak, I do declare," Ratchet said with a laugh. "You do realize since the two of you are brothers that would be incest."

"Given the number of stories on the internet that have Sideswipe bringing the Doom of Unicron to Sunstreaker, I believe Primus might forgive me," Ironhide said with a smirk.

"I will try not to tell Optimus," Ratchet said nudging Ironhide's ped again.

"He already knows. We discussed that fiction's literary and social merits for about … oh? Zero point zero zero one nanoseconds."

"And the consensus opinion?" Ratchet asked.

"Nobel Prize runner up," Ironhide said. They both laughed a long time.

-0-At the Home Guard Office

"I want to sign up to learn how to shoot," Jade said pausing at the half door of the Home Guard Mustering Office in the Home Guard Hall under the city. It was vast and had gun lockers all along the walls. There were rows to sit and hear instruction as well as places to work out and learn combat fighting servo-to-servo. The office was near the main door.

"If you can come in and sit, I will see about putting you into the next rotation that begins in two orns," the Master of the Hall said opening the door.

Jade walked in and sat, the optics of everyone in the room watching as he did. He sat and the Master opened a screen. Taking preliminary data, he turned and smiled. "What would you want to be considered for as your specialty?"

Jade looked at him with a level optic. "I want to be a sniper."

-0-TBC

2013 (4)

Cocoa Puffs reference: On Mystery Science Theater 3000, Joel and the bots were watching a beach party movie. The hot/bad chick was walking to the 'good' boys and the movie's designated 'good girl=virgin'. She introduced herself. I can't remember it exactly but it was like, "I'm Carla Corelli." I think it was Crow who said, "I'm coo coo for cocoa puffs."

I nearly died. Really. :D


	270. Chapter 270

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 10 (270) edited for boo boos

NOTE: A giant shout out to Firebird234 who has been sending me her reviews of the eps this third season. They are the bomb and I want them to keep coming. :D :D I had enough of the old internal fortitude because of them to see today's ep and may I say OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! This ep reminded me why I love the Transformers. Thank you for humoring me about the muse having a squeamish gizzard. This actually lifted my backside off the floor and that is all I will say about it. Hugs to all in the world who read this story and who love The Transformers. :D :D :D :D (You tube has these eps if you are waiting for them to appear in your country.) Also Sesshykiss13 for keeping me up on this and making it easy for me to see this. HUGS! to all in the world tonight. :D

-0-In a classroom

They were in the reading pit of their classroom, lounging or sitting on the carpeted steps as Mr. Terradive read to them. Spirit sat next to Sunny who sat next to Spot. The big dog was sprawled, his helm resting on Sunspot's lap. Spirit was absently rubbing a soft black ear with his servos while Silverbow who sat next to Spot held a big paw in her own lap. She was rubbing it as she listened engrossed in the story.

The day had been wonderful. The class had been dumbfounded, then overjoyed with Spot. He was calm, passively allowing children to touch him and when Sunspot sat at his table, he sat beside the little Seeker. Mr. Terradive had explained about Cybertronian animals, Terran canines, the idea and objectives of service dogs and the way they would all act around Spot.

Sunspot was allowed to present him and dazzled them all with his almost overwhelming joy and happiness. When they began their studies, Spot lay down next to Sunspot and would follow that pattern all day long. Lunchtime in the big common room was met with intense curiosity from other students and their classes. Recess was a mob scene of infants looking at and touching Spot, but the big powerful dog only sat patiently allowing them to see him.

Now they were listening to a story. Later would come science, history and spelling. They would work on their individual projects in art and have a short afternoon recess. When the time came to go, Spot would be acclaimed and exclaimed over. Dozens and dozens of children would go home to talk about him and Mental Health would receive a flood of inquiries.

It was all good.

-0-At the Home Guard Hall

Bluestreak looked at his recruits and smiled. "I'm Bluestreak, your instructor and I want to welcome you to the Home Guard. I am a shooting specialist with an emphasis on long distance shooting. I am a sniper," he said. "I also fight as a front-liner and have an expert-instructor rating in all the firearms both rifle and hand held styles that the Autobot Armed Forces use.

"I am going to teach you how to shoot, to defend and protect. I am going to tell you that the likelihood of any of you ending up in the regular army is slim to none."

A youngling mech shifted. "I would like to fight the enemy, Bluestreak. I want to help our army."

"And you will. Every soldier that doesn't have to defend the colony here can fight out there. You haven't had millennia of vorns of war under your belt. You haven't fought a professional army all your life like some of us. To bring you to a battle like that would mean your deaths. For you to acquire the ability to fight like that would mean you would have to lose a lot of yourself and face terrible things. You haven't had the experience and if all things go well, you never will. We need you to help here. You are the last line of defense. If we fall, its up to you," Blue said gently. "You are more valued and valuable than you can imagine and your service is so important."

The youngling only partly mollified nodded. "Okay."

Blue chuckled and looked at the gun on the table. "This is your training weapon. Its a moderate range rifle with a self sighting capacity. We will use it first and learn it backwards and forwards. Then we will move on to those," he said nodding to a mass of rifles, one of each make used by the professional army hanging chained to the wall on gun racks nearby. "You will familiarize yourself with all of them. Then you will chose one to be your primary weapon. It will be issued to you and you will keep it and your kit bag handy for emergencies. You will carry them in subspace when you are called up to act and learn to manage that.

"All in the professional army carry multiple weapons and ammunition in subspace even in sleep. I carry four of the guns on that wall plus side arms. You will not have to do that. You will keep them safely in a closet at home. You will have a space modified by the Guard tech team in a closet to ensure that your guns and arms are safe. Until then, they stay here except when you practice.

"Some of you may come to this naturally. I did. Some of you will have to practice your aft off. All of us practice at the firing range. You will notice the professional army mechs and femmes go there on a regular basis. I do. You will too. You will not get good at this without a lot of practice. So, are we ready?"

They all nodded.

"I want you to watch me break down this rifle and put it back together. I will show you what you will look like with enough practice." Blue broke his rifle down almost faster than they could follow. He put it back together equally as fast. When the last part snapped in, he looked at them. "Pick up your rifle and follow me," he said. He pulled out the clip bar and laid it on the table. The others began and some would need help getting the tight clip pulled out. One of them would not be Jade.

-0-At the airfield

The deck crew that managed the ebb and flow of things on the vast tarmac drove the forklift to the spot where it would stand to hoist a family into view that would debut a new baby the next morning. Ratchet and Ironhide would be a big draw so they routed work and commerce details around that few joors.

Behind them, a series of big ships were being readied to begin flights to Earth to bring tourists to Mars. A hangar had been dedicated to their enterprise and the ecstatic youngling entrepreneurs were working overtime to make things perfect. They were going to Diego Garcia to meet with the 60 humans that would be employed by Autobot Tours, Inc. for the first time. They had space in terminals in Sydney, Australia, New York City, New York and London, England.

There would be 14 humans on each flight as well as two pilots and an engineer flying the ships. The remaining humans would stay on Earth to run the terminal boarding stations. The buses would be driven by the same pilot with 5 of the flight attendants on board vehicles that could hold all 300 people on each flight. The bus size made that possible as humans were very small they were finding out. The tours would be staggered so that each part was managed not to overlap.

The first group would land and tour on the bus. Three joors later, a second group would leave Earth and make their way to Mars. They would board the bus as the first group boarded the smaller plane for sightseeing. By the time the second group was ready to do flyover sightseeing, the first group that came would pass the last group as one flew toward Mars and the other back to Earth. It would take twelve hours Earth time for the first excursions to be completed round trip. Longer jaunts and even overnights were on the books but not for now. This would be an every other day operation until the system was completely debugged.

Three smaller ships sat inside the big hangar and they would take the humans on the flyovers of the Martian surface. A containment room with vacuum seal hatches would attach to the ships and buses to make transfers possible. It was getting shakedown runs for the next few orns to help the crews, human and Cybertronian acclimate, learn the safety issues and see what they would be dealing with.

The hoo-haw on Earth surrounding them was majestic. The human employees were being bombarded with requests for interviews and special requests for film and hook ups for media with Autobots they couldn't speak with otherwise.

The tarmac crew set up the platform, hooked up the audio for the naming ceremony and turned heading back to other chores.

-0-CMO's office

"What if we had a naming and nobody came?"

"That would be fragged."

"That's why I have a search and announce program running for Praxian naming ceremonies. I have attended two, Only One."

"I know. I was there too." (grin) "Cute sparklings."

"All sparklings are cute," Ratchet said with a grin of his own. "I have this idea that we get the platform and sound system up and go out there all shined. Then no one comes and we talk to each other. It's a dream I have now and again."

(grin) "You have that too?"

(grin) "Yep."

(grin) "Want candy?"

(grin) "Yep."

The afternoon passed amiably.

-0-Moments later

"There you are." Sideswipe walked in with Sunstreaker behind and they stepped over Ironhide's big peds. Sitting, catching the candy box that Ratchet tossed they helped themselves. "We came to see the sparkling."

"Is that so?" Ratchet said with a smirk.

"Yeah," Sunstreaker said. "He's our brother. We want to bond."

"Fat chance, handsome," Ratchet said.

"Then give us a hint. Is he cute?" Sideswipe said popping the Cybertronian version of chocolate into his mouth.

"He's this side of spectacular. He's a real original," Ratchet said.

"You're a slagger not to tell us," Sunstreaker said. "I may have to get a new ada."

"No one will lurve you the way I do," Ratchet said with a self satisfied smirk.

"You're probably right," Sideswipe said. "Maybe I should frag Bluestreak for consolation."

"That's always a good idea. I hear he has new recruits for sniper," Ironhide said equally amiably.

"He does and one of them is a dazzling good looker," Sideswipe said as Sunstreaker nodded.

"His name is Jade and I am still trying to figure out how he came to get that range of green. The emerald tones are stunning," Sunstreaker said. "I might ask him."

"New mech?" Ratchet asked.

Sideswipe nodded. "A high caste apparently. At least he looks like one."

"Oh frag. What time is it?" Ratchet said sitting up straight.

"1345 on the Terran Military clock," Ironhide said.

Ratchet rose and moved to the door. "Burris is getting arraigned in Magistrate's Court. I don't want to miss the fun." In seconds he was gone.

Ironhide, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker looked at the empty door, then rose as one to follow. They would get there in time to see the prisoners brought into the courtroom.

-0-Front Row, Jail Seating, Magistrate's Court, Judicial Hall, Cultural Center, Autobot City, Mars

They came in under the watchful optics of the bailiff and two Day Watch officers. There were five of them. Four were there for drunk and disorderly. One was there for making threats and disturbing the peace. Semi was sitting in his seat at the desk as presiding magistrate. Behind him hanging on the wall were the banners of Cybertron and the Emblem of the Primes side-by-side.

Smaller flags representing the city-states of Cybertron hung around the room at ceiling level. There was a contest in the schools to have a banner to represent their new home, Mars. It would be part of a city-wide contest that would conclude in four decaorns. Sunstreaker would submit his own interpretation as well.

Legal representation for all involved from the public defender's office were there as well as a new prosecutor from the Public Attorney-Office of the Prime to stand in for the People.

"All rise," the bailiff finally said. All did. "This is the opening of the daily session of Magistrate's Court. Hold to decorum and all will be well. You may be seated."

They sat.

"This should be good," Sideswipe whispered as he leaned forward to wrap his arms around Ratchet's shoulders. He and Sunstreaker sat behind Ratchet and Ironhide. The room was quiet, then Semi began. "What do we have on the docket?" he asked the Court Clerk.

"We have four cases of drunk and disorderly. We also have one case of threatening and disturbing the peace."

Burris, a pompous individual on his best orn leaned forward to the defender assigned to him. "This is preposterous."

That defender calmed him down. Then court began. "Present case 1 please." Semi sat back to listen.

A defender stood and looked at three of the mechs. "Sir, we have three youngling mechs who over energized and were found to be disturbing the peace in the park in their housing district in Terra."

"What did they do?" Semi asked.

The defender glanced at the prosecutor who grinned back at him. "They were singing."

It was quiet a moment, then Semi smiled. "Was it any good?"

"No." The defender smiled. "They came with the new migration and were coping poorly. I wish to ask for mercy in the disposition of this case. The younglings are very sorry and will make an effort to do better in future."

They looked mournful, nodding as their defender spoke for them. Semi sat forward and looked at them. "There are community groups where your talents will be appreciated. They aren't at 0300 in the morning. I welcome you to the colony and would ask you in future to redirect your enthusiasm to better outlets. I will leave this on your record but if you stay out of trouble for 20 decaorns, I will expunge it. Be good, be happy. Get help if you need it. We want you to feel welcome but not like this."

They nodded and looked hopefully at their defender. He nodded and the three of them left after thanking Semi profusely, declaring their willingness to serenade the city in the right manner. It was really amusing and sweet.

"Case number 2 please." Semi sat back again.

A defender stood and looked at his client, a shame-faced youngling mech who looked worriedly at Semi, then his defender. "Sir, my client is a good mech who got into a difference of opinion with another youngling over the playoffs. They were fighting and we don't dispute that. We are asking for mercy because he has never had a record, is a good young mech and is a candidate for sniper in the Home Guard. It was a one-off thing and won't happen again."

Semi looked at the prosecutor. "I think he's a good candidate for mercy. His ada is a very unhappy femme right now and we can't do more to him than she will, you honor," he said with a grin.

"Young mech, what do you say?" Semi asked.

"I am sorry, sir. My Ada and Atar are pretty mad about this. My apprenticeship makes them proud and I put that in jeopardy. I would like to make it up please."

Semi looked at the prosecutor. "What about the other mech?"

"His ada got to him before we did," he replied with a grin. "One cannot underestimate the power of an outraged ada."

"That's slagging true," Ratchet said with a grin.

Semi smirked at Ratchet as everyone turned to look including Burris. He recognized Ironhide and Ratchet, then turned around to stare at the judge.

"Youngling, go home and apologize to your genitors. Go home and sin no more," Semi said.

The youngling rose and nodded, smiling with relief. "Yes sir," he said as he turned with his defender to leave. When they were gone, they had one more to go.

"Case number 3 please," Semi said.

The prosecutor, Cavalier, stood and nodded. "Sir, we have a case of threatening and disorderly conduct. We would like to present a witness to this matter first of all."

"What? This is preposterous. The charges are a sham," Burris said with bluster. His defender turned and had an internal conversation with him. He sat back unsatisfied but silent.

"Contain yourself," Semi said with a cold expression. "You are bound by the dignity of the court to act appropriately."

"Please call in the witness, bailiff," the prosecutor asked.

The bailiff walked to the door and opened it leaning out. Then he stood back as the door opened further as Prowl walked inside.

-0-TBC

2013 (4) PS My big computer died and I'm getting used to a new keyboard on the new one. It may make me worse for hitting the right keys until I shrink down a little. HUGS!


	271. Chapter 271

NOTE: First of all, its FIREBIRD234 not 456. I conquered the dyslexic letter stuff but not the number. Firebird, you da bomb. :D :D :D I also fell asleep last night for a nap and now its today. I only awoke because a moose was in my backyard eating my birdseed. :D :D Yes, I live in interesting times. I will make up for not having a piece out last night by trying to do at least two today. :D ON WITH THE SHOW!

=0=The Diego Diaries: Down Time (271) edited for boo boos

-0-Morning

"Ratchet."

He drifted in a sea of tranquility much like the one he lived in when the sound of a fog horn broke the link between his processor and recharge. Blinking, he turned his helm. A tiny face was looking at him staring over the rim of the berth. He blinked, then sat up like he had been shot. **"HERO!"**

A tiny femme was standing beside the berth holding on to the edge of it with both teensy black servos. She was tiny, standing, hilariously happy to see him and adorable. Standing behind her, a dollie in each servo, Praxus and Orion smiled like binary suns. Sunspot and Spot stood beside Ironhide and all of them smiled at him.

"A first time thing, Ironhide," Ratchet said as he picked up his daughter. "You included me. **FINALLY!"**

Ironhide snorted and shook his helm. "She just got up and walked in here. She fell about four times but she made it. As for the rest, I'm up. What about you, old mech?"

"You do understand, Ironhide, that the school will nail her if they find out she's walking," Ratchet said as he cuddled the baby against his cheek. She gripped his face and smiled brilliantly. **"A!" **she said in a loud (for her) voice. "She knows me," Ratchet said with a blissful smile. "You know your old 'A' don't you."

Ironhide snorted and glanced at the covered crib on Ratchet's side of the berth. "Get the sparkling ready. We have to go."

"Slow down, big boy. I have it in servo." Ratchet rose and stretched, then put Hero down. She steadied herself and looked up smiling brilliantly. Then with a look of utter concentration, she turned and wobbled around the berth. She was so short she disappeared from view as she went around the end of it. When she reached the others, she smiled. **"A!"**

Ironhide grinned. "Who is the prettiest femme in the room? Who is smart and still needs her old mech more than school?"

She smiled at his attention. **"A!"**

Ironhide grinned smugly at Ratchet. "See?"

Hero looked at all of them, then Orion walked to her to hand her a dollie. She took it. Then he took her servo and they wobbled out into the apartment. Ironhide watched them entranced. He had his moment, then hustled the others out to eat, Spot following amiably behind.

Ratchet turned and pulled off the cover blanket from the crib. The sparkling blinked and looked at him, smiling almost immediately. "Ah," Ratchet said. "You take after Hero I see. Good." He picked the baby up and pulled out his feeding tube. Sitting on the berth staring at the airfield beyond, Ratchet took a moment to really, really enjoy his life.

Moments later...

"Did you shine him?"

"I did, Only One. Praxus, you can't take all your dollies. Just one."

"Ada, I shined up Spot. He's going to be on the platform too, right?"

"He is, Sunny Bunny. He's family too." (grin)

"**I THINK HE IS! HE'S SO WONDERFUL!"** (brilliant smile) (pet, pet, **HUG!**)

(grin) "I won't argue. Did you invite the Hu An?"

"I did, Ratchet. Larc said she would be honored to be there."

"I want to include them too, Ironhide." Pause. Scans the room and all in it. "You ready?"

"What did you put on him?" Ironhide asked as he inspected the simple soft hats he had put on Orion, Hero, Sunspot and Praxus. This was a formal occasion so simple black knit hats sufficed with space for finials to protrude. The Autobrand on the side was inspirational.

"I put what you picked out on him. The booties and blanket. The hat will go on when he's seen." Ratchet grinned. "Are you ready to go, Coco Chanel?"

A down link shut off before the words were barely out of Ratchet's pie hole. "Ha-ha, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a big grin.

They turned and walked to the door heading downward to the grand opening. As they did, an **EXTREMELY** attentive Prowl and Company joined them along with two sets of grandgenitors with barely concealed agitation...

"Really, Ratchet, I don't know which side of the family you come from," Ravel chided in his small statured utterly well mannered slightly peeved way. Blackjack, Alor and Flint just smirked with the pleasure of Ratchet's inspired mayhem and his sweet little ada's gentle reactions.

"You do," Ratchet said. "Your atar."

"My atar was a ..." Ravel trailed off. "He was a good mech and never put my ada through the Pit."

"Grandatar Ratchet was a holy terror," Ratchet said. "My namesake was awesome."

"He was," Tie down said looking over his shoulder. "After all, he **WAS** your ada's atar." He turned back to his conversation with a grinning Optimus Prime and missed all the smiles from the awww moment everyone else was taking.

At the corner of Metroplex Highway 1 and Cultural Center Road, the trine and sparklings as well as Venture and Miler stood waiting. Standing beside Sunstreaker, Silverbow waited too. Her genitors would be at the event but she had been given a short cut. She and Sunspot would be there from the start since she insisted that a sparkling couldn't be named in **HER FAMILY** without her there too.

With smirks galore, they said, "Go to the trine's house and we'll meet you there afterwords to get you back to school."

She did.

They gathered, traded slag and turned. Crowds were gathering at the location and it was going to be big. Even the Guardians were coming to see the new sparkling. Ratchet looked at the smirking crowd around him. "Who wants to do the preamble?"

As one, they turned and walked toward the airfield.

Ratchet snorted and looked under the blanket. "It would serve them right if I just turned around and took both of us home." With that, he stepped off into the brave new world of familial scorn and community appreciation.

-0-Sunstreaker and the platform

He picked up sparklings one at a time and put them on the platform. Kneeling to pet Spot, he then gestured. Spot who looked at him jumped up onto the platform and sat down next to Sunspot who hugged him standing with his arm around the big dog's brawny shoulders. The sparklings watching almost as one instinctively moved closer to him to stand. Others stepped up and the last one, Flint moved to his spot as all turned to the crowd.

It seemed every elder in the city was there including the schools and half of Seekerdom. Ratchet had been called to the Aerie Hill Medical Center the night before to watch Sky Warp separate his hatchling into an incubator. His screaming had been almost as epic as Starscream's scorn.

Thundercracker wavering between fear and hilarity was smart enough to be silent. The hatchling was big and perfect. Sky Warp was tired and pissed off. Starscream was proud and sarcastic. Thundercracker would get loaded afterwards.

All in all, a typical day in Seekerville.

Ratchet stood up on the platform next to Ironhide. Behind him were his genitors, Ironhide's as well as Prowl's but not Prime's. Those two were parked in front of the huge fireplace monitor watching the show which was broadcast live on IntraComm Channel 5. Ratchet had not okayed them to be in a crowd yet. A jostle in the wrong place could set them back. They would begin rehab today which meant slow moving trips down to the Hospital and the beginning of their rejoining with the universe. They would begin reconstructive surgery in two orns. Then the world would see them as they truly were. They would do so in the company of Their Boys and their profoundly beloved only son.

The trine stood smiling and smirking, sparklings in arms as the adults began to gather up the tinier specimens of the family. "No preamble speakers? Slaggers?" Ratchet asked as he turned to face the mob behind him. Silverbow raised her arm but was hugged up instead by a chuckling Bluestreak.

"We're all talked out, Fertile Myrtle," Sunstreaker said with a smirk.

"I'll remember that, **ADA!**" Ratchet said with satisfaction as Sunstreaker's smirk faded slightly with the future possibilities. "Ha!"

"Do you want me to speak for you, Ratchet? I don't know how this works but I will if you need me," Ravel said with a slight worry.

Ratchet looked at his ada and felt the earth move once more. His little ada was the cutest star in his constellation. "All you have to do is tell them what you feel as an introduction, Ada. You don't have to if you can't. I can order someone here to do it for you," Ratchet said casting a gimlet optic at most of the lower ranking individuals on the stand. They blanched. He smiled.

"I will do it. What do I do?" Ravel asked stepping forward.

"The microphone will carry your words if you step on that mark there," Ratchet said pointing to a cross on the platform floor.

Ravel nodded and stepped forward hesitantly. "Hello," he said.

A wave of return greetings and claps met that as 45,000 individuals settled to listen. Ravel glanced back at Ratchet who stood nervously. He nodded encouragement so Ravel turned and began.

"I am Ravel. I am Ratchet's ada."

Thunderous applause.

"Thank you. I just want to tell you about my son and our family. We were rescued from Cybertron and when we came here we were really sick. I had no idea that we had a family here and that our family would be linked to a holy figure like our Prime." The crowd became completely quiet. Ravel was speaking old school, the kind of conversation that automatically brought a hush to listeners. "We are very blessed and go to the Temple regularly to give our thanks and ask Primus and the One to help us find everyone who needs us. My son helps do that.

"He also helps us by having a family. Every sparkling is a future. For me, I never expected to see him again. That I am here is a blessing and the way things are supposed to be. Now we have another sparkling. We are so lucky. I ask Primus and The One for you to be as lucky in your lives as us. I hope everyone you love finds you and that we can make a world here for our babies that can be a safe home. I wish that for you, our elders, the Seekers and our new friends, the Hu An and the humans. This infant will have a good life because of our Prime, because Primus wants it and because of all of you with your efforts. We all are One."

A murmur rippled through the crowd and shouts of agreement met that blessing. Ravel paused. "We have a new sparkling. Thank you for coming to see him. My son will speak now," he concluded. Turning to Ratchet, he smiled as the crowd erupted. Ravel stepped back overwhelmed by the approval. He was self effacing, resigned to believing that he still 'had a place' to keep to, so this was new.

And good.

Ratchet kissed Ravel's helm and turned stepping forward. As he did, so did Prowl. :Attention hog:

:Loser. That's what you get for naming him after me: (smug smile) :You **did** read the fine print?:

:I did and named him for you anyway, whiner: (huge grin)

They stood enjoying the view until the sound died down and everyone waited expectantly for anything. Word had gotten around.

-0-In the city

"Ratchet and Ironhide are going to name their sparkling at the airfield today."

"I'm going."

"Give odds on what it looks like?"

"Nope."

Elsewhere ...

"**HEY! SHUT OFF THE COMPRESSOR!"**

(racket subsides) "What?"

"We get to go to the naming at the airfield if you want."

"Ratchet is unveiling Ironhide 5.0?"

**"SNICKER! SNORT! HA-HA-HA!"** -two entire crews at a work site south of Terra.

"Yep."

All of them turned and walked off the site heading for the airfield.

At another work site just getting enclosed as a controlled habitat...

:We are invited. I think it is a good thing. Whomever wishes to go should come now. They have a space near their children and elders for us to watch: Larc said as he turned to walk to the Cybertronian sized air lock that would allow big things including their hosts to enter their massive habitat which would be airtight and operational in two orns.

The entire Hu An population of Mars dropped their gear and tools to follow Larc to the air field.

-0-On the platform

The crowd quieted as Ratchet waited, the sparkling recharging peacefully in his arms. Ratchet had dialed down his audials so he was comfortable under his blanket. When it was quiet, Ratchet began. "Hello, again, hello," he said mimicking a song he liked on the radio. The crowd snickered. Apparently, they liked it too. He grinned. "I have a new sparkling. I lost a bet to Ironhide and here we are again."

Uproarious laughter. Huge frown from Ravel.

Prime's parents chuckled. "I like Ratchet, Tagg."

"So do I, Kes," Tagg replied as they sat comfortably on the big chairs in the vast living room of their son's apartment.

At the shindig...

Ratchet smirked. "No one would do the preamble but my ada. Isn't he the cutest sweetest mech you ever saw?"

The roof if there had been one would be hovering in the troposphere. Ratchet smirked again. "I want to tell you about Prowl," he began.

The smirk on Prowl's face faded. So did the one on Prime's face. So did the smirks/smiles on the faces of Ironhide, Venture, Miler, the trine exempting Sunstreaker and Sideswipe who were anticipating **EXTREME AWESOMENESS FROM THEIR ADA *YET* AGAIN!**, Ravel who looked alarmed, Tie Down who looked expectant in a good way because he recognized the awesomeness of his son who was **JUST** like Grandatar Ratchet, Blackjack, Alor and Flint who geared up to belly laugh, all the sparklings who didn't have a slagging clue what was going on and thought the attention and approval of all the people was for them including Miracle who sat in his grandada's arms and waved with a giant smile, Spot who grinned at his boy who was grinning at him oblivious to everything else, most of the crowd who were waiting for the good stuff, Jetta who was sort of clued in because he and Ratchet really shared the same vibe and personality, Elita who loved every single time Prowl got shafted because she knew it was good for his uptight personality, the Priests who could see that Ratchet's aura was still almost white, Neo, Roto, Terradive, Laret, most of the school and hospital staff who really knew Ratchet and loved him anyway, Breakdown who had come to love Ratchet like the Ada he never had, Knockout who loved it when **ANY SLAGGING** Autobot got the shaft, Astrotrain who was deliriously happy in his pre-bond with Sky Dive so anything fun was **FUNNER THAN USUAL**, Jazz who loved mayhem, every mini-con in the city because even though Prowl rated as a mini-con he never acted like one even though he did get slag faced and arrested a lot and brawled with mechs three times bigger, a mini-con trademark that they felt he hadn't earned because he was slightly taller than them and had pretentions and a few Decepticons still out there in the ranks of Megatron's army because Prowl had slagged them and any time he got his rather shapely aft handed to him was a good thing.

And Barricade.

TBC 2013 (4)


	272. Chapter 272

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (272) edited for boo boos

-0-On the airfield

"I want to tell you about Prowl," he began.

Prowl's wings went up and behind him tension hit their backs like a freight train from the assembled family group. Ratchet dialed out the alarmed family energy and grinned. "No one in the ranks who had seen us sort of grow up together and the army did that, could have predicted our friendship. We grew up as this war wore onward. No one would have been able to foresee any of this now. We all had our roles. I was the 'mad doctor'. Prime was the saint and he is. Prowl was the 'uptight mech who had to make things work' and it was thankless and lonely making. It was hard to be friends with someone who had such a thankless job and had to make the tough decisions. But Prowl did.

"He's the smartest mech I know. He's also a lot of things you don't know. He's unintentionally one of the funniest mechs I ever met," Ratchet said as the crowd laughed and several soldiers called out. Ratchet grinned. "He's also the heart and soul of our army and armed forces. He takes care of us. He anticipates for us. He never wastes us, ever.

"He makes sure that the plans made to do things don't waste a life. They really work. They work if we follow them and sometimes we actually do. I'm speaking to you, Springer and Kup." Catcalls and laughter met that. Then it was quiet again. "It's easy to be understood if you're Optimus. He's our Prime. Even the slagging Matrix acknowledged the purity of his spark. But the rest of us … we're shades of gray.

"We have a great thing going here. Some of us are very hard working and are never off duty. Jetta is one. The Alpha staff and Beta. Prime is never off duty. Prowl is never off duty. They have this amazing family anyway and those of us who want and make families know how hard it is to be that busy and have such great little mechs as they do. I know myself with seven of my own."

The crowd nodded and murmured. **"THEY ALL LOOK LIKE IRONHIDE!"** someone called out.

Ratchet smirked. **"THEY DO, LUCKY LITTLE SLAGGERS!"**

The crowd erupted in laughter as Ironhide preened with his daughter in arms.

"I want to name this sparkling Prowler after Prowl," Ratchet began before he was buried in shouts and applause. "I know that means a lot more slagging Praxian rules but I want to honor the mech who has become one of the best friends I ever had. Before Earth, I never had a chance to know him as more than a colleague. Now I do. We even brawl and get arrested together."

Prowl glanced at him with alarm as the place erupted. When it settled, Ratchet continued, pointedly ignoring the slightly ruffled winger beside him. "I love Prowl. He's my friend and my brother. I helped him and the Prime hook up. I helped separate Miracle and I babysit their little mechs a lot. I helped with Prime's genitors in their recovery and Prowl's as well. I love this family and all of the members and allied friends too. I love this city and all of you. I may never know you much if at all but I love you. I am so glad that you're here.

"Our kids will grow up with yours. I will separate your sparklings, help your elders as well as you and support our city. As we recover, as we reclaim who we are, we are adding little elements for the future. This sparkling and all others including all of you are our future. I love you." He paused a moment as did the crowd. Glancing sideways at a solemn Prowl, he grinned. "I want you to see the son of Ironhide and Ratchet, the brother of Orion, Praxus, Hero, Sunspot, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. I want to show you Prowler."

With that, Ratchet **FINALLY** lifted the blanket.

Prowl paused, then looked. He stared at the sparkling, then stepped in front of Ratchet. He looked at the sparkling, then Ratchet, then the family who started forward. They crowded around. They stared at the baby, at Ratchet, at Prowl, the baby, Ratchet, each other, then Prowl. Finally, after a moment of surprise, Prowl snatched the bundle. "Thank you, Ratchet. I will cherish this forever." He then turned and held the infant up.

The crowd was silent a moment taking in the baby, then the group including a smugly smiling Ratchet. Then they brought down the roof with their laughter and approval which was a figurative event to be sure.

-0-Three joors later sitting in the conference room after 45,000 individuals pledged themselves to the newest and littlest Autobot

Sparklings sat on laps as the entire family and as many friends as the giant room could manage, which was a lot crowded around the conference table where Prowl sat with the infant. Prowler was laying on the table before him staring at a tiny servo. He lay on his blanket, his awesomely spectacular protoform on display for everyone. Prowl looked at him with a lazer focus as he memorized every inch. Then he looked at Ratchet who sat next to a smugly smirking Ironhide. "You are mad. Elucidate," he said defaulting to computer speak.

"You don't see the possibilities do you," Ratchet said. He glanced around at the group. Only Sideswipe and Sunstreaker showed a clue. "This sparkling is spectacular for a reason."

"I won't argue," Prowl said. He sat staring at the baby. It was like a time warp. He was looking at himself as a brand new sparkling. The only thing different from his own protoform, paint scheme and design was the tiny white Ironhide face staring up at him.

The infant was a slavishly perfect copy of Prowl.

Miler rose and looked over Prowl's shoulder, a slight catch in his vocal processor. "Oh, Prowl. Hand him to me. It will be just like holding you when you were a newborn."

Prowl complied and Miler held the infant. "He's so perfect. He's so beautiful." Miler turned and showed Venture who was having his own emotional moment as well.

The infant was perfect, shiny and spectacular. He had tiny black peds, forearms and legs from the knees down. His upper thighs were white along with his upper arms and tiny servos. His aft and chassis were black and so were most of his wings which were in the mech style, big and long. They even spelled 'police' and 'to serve and protect' on both doors.

His little sweet face was perfectly white along with the rest of his helm, a helm that fronted a little Ironhide face minus the distinctive finials. On top of all of that, he bore a brilliant fully functioning yet immature red chevron. It would be some time before the chevron or wings would be able to process and gather information. Such was the beginning of every informational or winged mechanism.

The room was silent, then Sunstreaker leaned in to look. "This looks **good** on **him**," he said with a smirk. It broke the tension. "I'll get his tattoos on today."

"Good," Sunspot said with a smile. "He needs a Wrecker tattoo as well. I'll ask Uncle Kup."

Everyone smiled at Sunspot and Spot who was leaning against his boy. Then they turned to Ratchet. "Explain the 'possibilities'," Elita said with a smirk at the most wayward humorous senior officer she knew.

Ratchet grinned. "Alright. Consider when he's big enough to walk around on his own. We can go to the studio and get a picture."

"Of him? I don't get it," Prime remarked.

"Of him with Orion, Praxus and Miracle," Ratchet said with a brilliant smile.

They all looked at him for a moment, then the twins exploded into laughter. "It will look like the four of you were shrunk! It won't explain Ironhide's face," Sideswipe said around his yucking. "But there you four will be, memorialized. Maybe we can use that image for a postage stamp." He continued to laugh even as the room began to join him.

Ironhide who was sitting beside Ratchet, his arm around the mech's chair looked at him. "I think they're getting it."

Ratchet nodded. "I also want one of all of us kneeling behind our little poltergeists as well. They should be hung in the lobby of every building in town."

"They might be," Prime said laughing. He looked at Prowl who was looking at Ratchet with a **WTF!-OMG!** expression on his handsome face. "We need to tie one on," he said to the big medic.

"I agree," Ratchet replied.

"Well, there goes this evening's frag," Springer said to Drift who laughed.

Breakdown who was standing by Springer, a flabbergasted Knockout beside him grinned. "I'll help you keep them out of the slammer."

"You're on," Drift said glancing fondly at the former Stunticon.

**STUNTICON!**

Knockout who was standing with his arms folded over his chassis glanced up at Breakdown. **"AND YOU THINK *I'M* CONCEITED!"**

"**YOU ARE!"** -Everyone in the room including Prime.

He looked at them, then frowned. **"Well!"**

Hilarious laughter met that as the infant made the rounds. Even Knockout held him marveling at his size. When he reached Ironhide at last, he held his son with a big grin. Looking at Prowl, he nodded. "This is a big honor and you know it."

Prowl nodded. "I do. I get him when I want him. I get to be there for his events including conferences. I get to have a say in his activities and have a responsibility to take him if anything happens. I also have genitor's rights over him and his bond."

"Oh great," Sunstreaker groaned to great and intense slag.

"This is a great honor, Ratchet and Ironhide. I accept it and thank you. This is a wonderful little baby."

"He is," Ratchet said nodding. "I wouldn't have named him after you if I didn't love ya."

"Get a room," Sideswipe said before he was elbowed hard by a very emotional Bluestreak.

Prowl grinned at him, then looked at Ratchet. "This planet is the best thing to happen to us."

"I'll say. I have seven to your five sparklings. Ha-ha, Prowl!" Ratchet said leaning forward. **"WHINER!"**

Prowl's sneering retort was lost in the laughter and scorn.

-0-Out there

Paragon listened to the news as he worked out his plans for the battle groups that were gathering in the next sector over from his own. The outline of the vast region was as follows. He was located to one side of the vast migration route of their people heeding the call of Prime and Starscream. On the other side in a large area of small planets and debris, three big battle groups were waiting to hear from him. Located closer to Prime's system, itself a very problematic installation was the fortress called Fort Apache.

They were a square of mayhem. He had dug in along with Prime. Now he had a plan to have the new group join him and dig in where they were. They would have the migration route in a pincer movement. He was more than aware of Soundwave's fortress in an asteroid belt close enough to make trouble but far enough to require space bridges to really exact punishment.

They were the other side of the coin, Soundwave's fortress and Cybertron. Five different spots, a star shaped diagram of extreme menace and so far Prime was ahead. They had a huge space bridge, a smaller one and some of their ships had them as well. They could probably materialize right here in his Ops Center and slay him where he sat. They would have to get their slag together.

They were also getting ready to meet a species called the Hish. He had only second and third hand knowledge of them but they were supposedly allies of Megatron with a disgruntled attitude about him.

Get in line, slaggers, he thought. He looked at the screen and saw that a big habitat was rising north of the Autobot City Airfield, a structure with a transparent dome with various buildings inside. He wondered what it meant and set an alarm for the broadcast made at something called '2000 hours on the Terran Military Clock'. That news broadcast usually summarized the orn's activities on Mars for the dinner crowd. Rising, gathering his datapads, Paragon walked outside to the airfield for the swift unsafe dash across the migration trail to his meet ups.

-0-At the Prime Residence

They had a pot luck, everyone bringing the show to Tagg and Kestrel. They both were lucid, pain free and happy. Kestrel sat holding the baby while everyone divied out food to the infants. Tagg sat petting Spot as he enjoyed the happiness all around him. It had been too long since he had felt any.

There was a knock on the door and Bluestreak jumped up followed by Sideswipe. They opened it stepping out. Ratchet felt their excitement all day but kept his peace. He had caused enough mayhem for now. They all turned back to each other. Then the door opened again. Bluestreak leaned in. "Sunstreaker."

The big mech looked up from where he sat on the floor supervising sippie cups among the stature challenged. "What?"

"Close your optics," Bluestreak said.

Sunstreaker looked at him a moment as every optic in the room turned his way. "What? Why?"

"Because I asked you, Sunny. Do it. For me," Bluestreak said in a sweetly pleading way.

Sunstreaker looked at him, then shrugged off lining his optics.

"Keep them that way, Sunny, until I tell you to online. Okay?" Blue asked pleadingly.

He shrugged. "Alright." He sat stilled, his optics offline as the door opened. Sideswipe stepped inside, his arms filled with something.

Spot turned from Sunspot and looked at the bundle, rising to stand. Sideswipe knelt before Sunstreaker and placed it on the floor, moving back to stand next to an electrified Bluestreak. It was intensely silent. "Online, Sunny," Blue said.

He did, then froze. Looking at the big form in front of him, he looked at his bonds. "What's this?"

"His name is Dawg," Sideswipe said.

Sunstreaker looked at the big animal in front of him. He was immensely muscular and tough looking. He had a face that would terrorize a Predacon. It was fierce, flat nosed and the dog's teeth protruded a bit, fierce sharp canines visible to the optic. He was white with brindle patches all over. His optics were brown, his ears and mug black.

He was **AWESOME**.

He was the Cybertronian version of an Old English bulldog.

"What the frag?" Sunstreaker said as a smile slowly spread over his face. He looked at Sideswipe and Bluestreak. "What is this? Dawg?"

They nodded and knelt, patting the animal that sat on his smaller behind, his tongue lolling as he began to absorb the message about his new life, a life he had agreed to at the well. "He's an Old English bulldog, Sunstreaker. He's as bad aft as it gets. He's yours. He's all of ours but he's for you."

Sunstreaker looked at him, then ruffled his soft ears. The bulldog licked his servo and stared at Sunny, his mouth open, his tongue lolling. He was content. He knew what he had to do and he accepted. This was his 'boy' and the family all around him was his too.

That is when Spot really saw Dawg.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	273. Chapter 273

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (273) edited for boo boos

=0=At the Residence of the Prime

And that is when Spot really saw Dawg. The big pit bull stood at point, his optics riveted on the big pile of bulldog that was sitting on the floor in front of Sunstreaker. He moved forward, his optics fixed on the big burly dog, then paused before him.

"Spot," Sunspot said as he walked closer.

Then Spot moved. He jumped forward, then jumped back, his body filled with tension. Dawg just looked at him, then Sunstreaker. Bluestreak rose and picked up Sunspot, an alarmed expression on his face. Sunstreaker looked at Spot, then Dawg.

Spot stood rigidly, then leaped on Dawg. He landed on him then turned and ran for the door. Reaching it, he turned and ran back leaping on Dawg again. That worthy merely looked at him with a WTF!? expression as Spot lowered his torso even as his butt stayed in the air.

The entire adult population in the room had accessed the Teletraan III's databases at the same time and had reached the conclusion that Spot wanted to play. Sunstreaker who had intuited it smirked. "Dawg isn't a fireball, Spot. We're going to have to get another dog to play with you." He pulled Dawg next to him and that worthy licked him.

It was love at first swipe.

"Spot."

The dog paused looking at Ironhide. With reluctance, he walked to Ironhide and climbed up onto him turning to sit and stare at the fat round morsel sitting on the floor with a tongue lolling out and a gimlet optic fixed upon him.

Dawg wasn't impressed.

"Well, at least he minds," Ratchet said with a smirk.

Sunspot walked over and hugged Spot. "You wanted to play," Sunspot said with a smile. "You're so nice." (pet, pet, pet) "I bet you and Dawg will be really good friends." (pet)

Dawg looked at Sunstreaker in that 'tongue lolling, don't give a frag, I'm with you' look the breed was noted for. Sunstreaker smirked. "I've seen the same expression on Kup's face."

Everyone snorted.

Sunstreaker looked up at Blue and Sideswipe. "Thanks," he said simply.

"We thought a mech's mech's dog would appeal to you, Sunstreaker. We studied a lot of dogs but we kept coming back to this one. They are a really good dog and were warriors in the past. Now they are good family dogs. The sparklings will love him."

Orion and Kaon who were focusing like cyberhawks got up and walked to him, both of them confident because of Spot. Putting down their cups, they reached for him. Taking a soft fat ear, they felt them. Then they patted him, bending to touch him on the back. Dawg shifted and looked over his shoulder at Sunstreaker with an expression of 'oh crap'. Sunstreaker grinned and rubbed the soft folds of his face.

Orion moved to climb on Dawg like a pony but fell off. When he did, Spot jumped down and walked over sniffing Orion to make sure he was alright. Then he gently took his helm into his mouth and carried him to the side setting him down gently. Orion stood a moment, his optics twirling. Then he looked at Spot with a slight frown. "Spot bad. Spot did bad."

Everyone looked at Orion. He noted that and gave his usual response to moments like this. He gave a face splitting smile.

Chuckles broke the attention and the beat moved onward. The dogs were introduced together, the beginning of a rapturous friendship commencing and spent the rest of the visit lying side-by-side in the sunlight from the big windows.

By the next orn, Dawg would have a set of identifying marks that proclaimed his awesomeness to the universe. He would bear on his muscular shoulder the Autobrand. Under it would be his name in copper tones: Dawg. On the other shoulder would be the Wrecker brand, Wreck 'N Rule! under it in red glyphs. He would be as badass looking as as they came because they would make their first public appearance, Dawg and Sunstreaker at The Sparkling Center. There they would pick up the specialty item of a big thick leather collar with silver spikes and a tag that read, "Dawg. Wrecker. Bad Aft."

Everyone would know who the amiable, loving, gentle, unassuming, beefy, incredibly muscular, shambling dog with the tiny corkscrew tail was. No one would be prouder than Sunstreaker.

-0-That night

"And I think that Spot has a best friend now. Beside me," Sunspot said as he was tucked into the berth, Spot lying beside him.

"I think so too," Ratchet said with a smirk. "Of course, you are his bestest best friend."

Sunspot nodded cuddling up to Spot, his arm around the big dog's body. "They sure liked to play. Spot is faster though."

Ratchet snorted. "I think that goes without saying, Sunny Bunny. Good night."

"Good night, Ada. Atar," he said with a smile.

The two walked out, the night light off as they left the darkened room. Entering Orion's, they lay him back down and tucked him in. The same was done with Praxus. Ironhide who was holding Prowler looked in on Hero. She was standing in her crib bouncing. She smiled.** "A!"**

Ratchet chuckled as he lay her down and tucked her in. "It's getting hard to get a word in edgewise with this one."

Ironhide smiled. "That's the advantage of servos on. Little femme is getting all of the advantages with her old dad."

"Is that it?" Ratchet said as they turned and walked to the living room. Plopping in a chair, he smiled at Ironhide who sat carefully, his son arrayed on his arm. "You should have one to complete the experience. You're a very good atar."

"I can raise them. I'll even clean out their trap door but I can't borne 'em," he said with a grin.

"Priss," Ratchet said with a grin. "He's pretty beautiful if I say so."

"I thought Prowl was going to throw a rod." Ironhide grinned. "Mech is fun to watch."

"He is. We're going to tie one on probably. Thought I would warn you," Ratchet said as he relaxed.

"I'm going to consider myself warned," Ironhide said with a grin.

-0-Elsewhere

"So … what do you think?" Prime asked as he sat on a chair by the window. The family was tucked in, the genitors settled and they were in their enormous suite. The lights of the airfield glowed outside the enormous windows.

"I think that Ratchet is a mad mech but I love him like a brother," Prowl said pausing from making up the huge berth, a pillow waiting to be fluffed in his servos. "He's good for me. He makes me laugh and we can talk about things."

"A person needs someone to confide in," Optimus said nodding.

"Differently than you and me, Optimus," Prowl said sitting on the end of the berth. "I don't have a thought in my helm that you don't have access to. No one is more dear to my spark than you. You are my first and best confidante. I think what I'm trying to say is … Ratchet is the avenue down which I can go that no one else can steer me. I get arrested with him. Me, Prowl, gets drunk and arrested. We brawl. We laugh and tell lies. Its fun." He got up and walked to Prime straddling his lap. "You are the dearest spark in my whole life. You are dignified but there is a side to you that I get that no one else does. The side that is fun and funny, calm but hilarious. I get that. I am the luckiest mech in the universe."

Prime looked at him and grinned. "Are you going to tie one on any time soon?"

Prowl grinned. "Probably." He stood up and picked up the pillows. Optimus watched him as Prowl always noted. Prime liked to watch him, to admire his beauty and elegance. He loved Prowl with all his spark. Watching him was part of the grand bargain that he never believed he would ever have this side of the Matrix.

"I meant to ask you … how did the trial of Burris turn out?" Optimus asked.

Prowl paused and turned smirking slightly. "Ironhide and old Granny Pants was there to enjoy the show. They got more than they bargained for," Prowl said as he began to relate the proceedings.

-Earlier, Magistrate's Court, Autobot City Courthouse, Cultural Center, Autobot City, Mars

The door opened and Prowl entered. Walking to the witness stand, he paused and nodded respectfully to Semi. The bailiff stood. "Do you, Prowl, promise to tell the truth without falsehood or subterfuge?"

"I do," Prowl said.

The bailiff sat, the Prosecutor stood. "Sir, you are the Second-in-Command of the Autobot Armed Forces, bond to Optimus Prime and in charge of the colony and Mars when the Prime is off world. Is that correct?"

"It is," Prowl replied calmly.

Cavalier consulted his notes. "Could you tell us about the circumstances of your command and the events that led to the arrest of Burris please?"

Prowl nodded. "I was in command of the Operational Center when the teams left to begin the repatriation and rescue of a vast migration that was being menaced by Decepticons. The Prime was in charge of the mission, itself a vast array of ships, personnel and other assets. Since he was in the field, I was in command of all of his responsibilities for the duration.

"We were receiving 25,000 individuals of varying degrees of debilitation every five joors. We had to absorb them, gather data, house, medically treat and secure them as they came in relentlessly. We had a migration of 559,000 all told that were in dire straits. There was no room for foolery. When the refugees came in they were taken into servo by trained teams who have a check list of items they are required to transmit to refugees. Principle among them is the emphatic statement and assertion that the System is dead. It is outlawed by Primal Decree. Burris knew that but chose to ignore it."

"What happened then?" Cavalier asked.

"He was making trouble and holding up the flow of repatriation. He was demanding to see the Prime and for some reason refused to understand that Optimus Prime was off world. I came to speak to him and asked for his concerns. He was emphatic that he wanted to see the Prime and that the idea of having to take his turn was repugnant to him. I reiterated that the System was over, never to return. He then made his threats to me."

"What were the threats as you perceived them?" Cavalier asked.

"Burris with his friends, Demetri and Claxon listening told me that there were many high castes in the city and their concerns along with them would not be put aside. He said it would be well for me to understand their resolve and their numbers. They mentioned there were probably others as well who held his views and implied they would be organized into opposition. His final comment was that he had made a promise to do what he intended to make his wishes realized."

"You took that to be a threat?" Cavalier asked.

"I did. We were in the midst of a crowd of war ravaged individuals and they were watching. I felt that the situation at that moment was fluid and required resolve. I believed at the time that Burris was implying organized opposition to the Prime's rule and it was disturbing to the hosts around us who had just arrived from the migration. I was responsible for helping them feel safe and calm."

"Thank you, sir," Cavalier said sitting.

The defense advocate stood and looked at Prowl. "That seems very thin evidence with which to draw a conclusion, sir." He stepped forward. "We have a mech admittedly high caste with the usual expectations but he had just come off a migration in which suffering can cause ill temper and bad behavior. I would think, sir, that you would have taken that into account and resorted to less than the extreme measures you took."

"There were starving mechanisms all around us. There were injured and traumatized everywhere while Burris was making his scene. He was disturbing traumatized individuals with his assertions and threats. He himself was in fit and fulsome condition. He had suffered no ill effects of the migration and neither had anyone on his ship. That is, those who weren't stowed in the hold."

It was silent a moment. Then Semi leaned forward. "The hold?"

"We found thirty individuals stowed in captivity in the hold of his ship, individuals that not only were in poor condition but also bore the marks of mistreatment. They were crammed into a hold with very little food while those in the ship proper had all the amenities they could want. It would appear that there was abuse of low castes and deprivation of mechanisms in the colony they had on Vector 1. His intentions were clear to me then and they are now. He was a threat to the peace and still is."

Semi sat back. "This seems to be the makings of another case. Am I to assume that, Cavalier?"

He glanced at Prowl who nodded slightly. "The military were the first to receive these reports about possible atrocities on Vector 1. This ship and two others are part of the case we are building regarding these accusations. We have been working with their intelligence and medical officers to ascertain what exactly happened there. Right now, it looks like there is evidence that slavery, abuse of individuals, unlawful incarceration and other actions were taken by the high caste population against those low castes unfortunate enough to go there thinking they would be welcome. We are still investigating. The low caste individuals are having a hard time expressing their experiences. It was extremely traumatic."

Semi nodded. "Then we have a problem here. I can understand your need to remove this individual from the scene because of his actions. Mr. Ombre, I will drop the threats charges, but I am finding facts for the disturbing the peace charge. I want you, Burris to be held over in the jail for five orns for that charge." He looked at the bailiff. "Take him to the jail, please."

The bailiff took Burris's arm and he blustered his way out of the room. His advocate watched him go, then turned to Semi. "Sir, I appreciate your decision in part but I would have liked more time to establish my case."

"I realize that this is an unusual proceeding but I have discretion. Your client is freed of the greater charge but had deserved time for the lesser. I will file this case with Barron and see that you get a Prime Review. He will decide with the Matrix if I am unjust in my findings." He looked at Cavalier. "What can you tell me about the individuals in the hold?"

"We have been working with medical on this group," Cavalier said.

Everyone turned to Ratchet. He blinked. "Ratchet, please step up," Semi said.

Prowl and Ratchet passed as the big medic took the stand. The bailiff swore him in. Semi looked at him. "Do you have any preliminary reports to make about this matter, Ratchet?"

"I have forensic doctors and mental health working with the thirty individuals mentioned. I am less aware of the other two groups at this moment. The information I do have now is that they were used to do all the menial work of the colony. They were a group that was looking for shelter and a chance to settle somewhere in peace. They were worked hard, given little to eat and very little medical treatment. There is on a couple of the bigger mechs evidence of electrical shock that is systematic enough to have been punishment devices applied often."

"I want to know more about the others. I fear that if this is true, we can have a real problem on our servos. We live here in peace, all castes. We won't be having this discord now. I want evidence and findings that meet the standard for formal indictment or exonerating evidence on my desk before he leaves jail. If he did incarcerate anyone on his ship the way you charge, there will be further charges filed. In fact, I recuse myself because of conflict with this hearing. I don't want any bias involved here. Send them to Barron. He isn't going to judge this. He can be the facilitator."

Ratchet and Prowl nodded. "Very well."

-0-In the Prime Residence

"I will see to the Prime Review with Ombre. This got cut off short unexpectedly and I want the option of hearing all of his positions and arguments," Optimus said rising to walk to the berth.

Prowl nodded. "There are a lot of high castes here now and the word is they want their own settlement."

"There will be no way," Optimus said sitting to lay back on the berth.

Prowl joined him and called off the lights. "That's what I told them. Or someone. It feels months ago."

Prime nodded and took Prowl's servo into his own. "What do you think of the new sparkling?"

Prowl grinned. "I think Ratchet's out of his processor. But I think he has great taste in protoforms."

Optimus snorted and grinned. "I think he does too."

-0-Trine

He found a pillow big and soft enough for Dawg. He put it by the window of the berth room. Putting Dawg on it gently, he knelt and petted him. His collar was hanging nearby as they gathered to go to recharge. Sideswipe and Bluestreak watched Sunstreaker as he arranged his dog's recharge. They were ecstatic. Sunstreaker was already calmer and the dog, a big easy-going beast was settling in with ease.

It was a win-win.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	274. Chapter 274

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (274) edited for boo boos

-0-The next morning, early, at the dojo

They sat on each end of a couch in the social corner of the dojo. In the middle sitting with a calmness that was catching, Dawg gandered around. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker sat on either side of him, their grins firmly in place as they waited for the word on their dog.

Kup studied him, then looked at the twins. "That's a slagging fine creature. Looks Wrecker to the bone."

"He is," Sideswipe said pointing to a tiny red brand on a brawny shoulder.

Everyone leaned over and noticed it. Kup nodded. "Knew it. Little slagger is a Wrecker."

"He doesn't give a frag about too much. He likes to walk, eat and sit. Makes him about perfect," Sunstreaker said as he grinned at his dog.

"Gets along with the kids does he?" Drift asked.

"He lets them climb all over him," Sideswipe said nodding.

It was quiet a moment as they studied the dog some more. "Don't let Xantium see him. That mech'll steal him," Springer said with a nod.

Everyone else nodded. "That big mech will hang him in the cockpit like fuzzy dice," Sandstorm said with a grin.

They all nodded some more. Lon leaned forward and stroked the dog on his helm. A big wet tongue licked him, then lolled out as the big friendly dog 'grinned' at him. "I think I like him," he said absently as he sat petting the big dog.

Dawg liked him too.

-0-Elsewhere

Ratchet hobbled out of the berth room with an infant in arms and three following behind. They had decided they liked the new baby and wanted to 'help'. It had taken longer than it should have to bring the little sparkling online and accessorized. Dining had been accomplished, at least for the house shorties. He himself would get food elsewhere. There were a lot of options. These little doodles however were topped off and ready to rumble.

Ratchet sat at the table and put Prowler on a blanket laying there. Next to it were two little Seeker hatchling bags and assorted toys, hats and booties. Ratchet grinned. "I see that you're all kitted out."

"We have to do the rounds," Ironhide said as he slipped Orion and Praxus into their harnesses. Sunspot sat on the couch, fed, refreshed, his dog and book bag next to him. "We need to start on our educational regime with the littlest ones. They were interrupted. We have to establish a baseline for Prowler to build on."

"That's always good. Being on the school board has made you aware of such things I see," Ratchet replied smiling as the big mech looked at his troops. They looked up at him with a smile, then he shooed them to the door. It opened as Blackjack and Tie Down peeked inside. "Ready to go?" Tie asked the tiny bots.

Both sets of arms went up and they were gathered.

"You two ready to go?" Blackjack asked Sunspot and his dog. Both got down nodding. "We are," Sunspot said taking his grand atar's servo. With a lot of grins and goodbyes, they walked out and the door closed.

Hero who was sitting on the floor watching got to her peds and turned to the both of them. **"A!"**

"**WHAT?"** Ratchet asked with a grin.

Hero smiled and chuckled. **"A! ME!?"**

Ratchet and Ironhide blinked. "Whoa. You better not let them hear her speaking or you will be arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for keeping her out of school." Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "You do understand you're on borrowed time."

"Don't turn me in, old mech, or I'll be hard to live with," Ironhide retorted.

"Like you aren't now?" Ratchet said rising. He stood watching as Ironhide expertly slipped Prowler into his bag with a brand new dollie of Perceptor complete with telescope. Sliding him into his hold, they both turned to stare down at Hero. She had walked over and was staring up. She smiled like the sun and held up her dollie.

Ratchet and Ironhide both looked at each other, then down at her. "I do believe she's been hanging out with her brother too long. Take care of that, Ironhide. Do we really want two delinquents? They might make a gang or something," Ratchet said as he leaned down to kiss the dollie. Hero chuckled and held it up for her old dad. Ironhide picked her up and kissed it. "Good femme. Now into the bag," Ironhide said.

He slid her inside and she lay in his servo with a big grin on her little face. Then he slipped her in with a blanket to lie on, dollies galore and closed the hatch. Patting his hold, he looked at Ratchet. "See. They both fit."

"I can see that. Just hope that Neo or Herling don't have one," Ratchet said as they turned to walk to the door. It would be a leisurely walk to Ops Center for one of them. The other would disappear into the underground of the city. He would do so to avoid a certain Praxian sparkling thief. Ironhide had read the fine Praxian print too when Ratchet told him the infant's name. He would really, really, **REALLY** have to be on his peds now.

-0-Elsewhere

Optimus Prime walked into the berth room of his genitors after rapping gently on the door. "Come inside," the cheerful voice of his ada called out. He did and found them getting up from recharge, moving slowly but in a much more fluid manner. "Good morning, son," Kestrel said pausing to hug Optimus.

Optimus held him as he watched his father stretch his arm. "Is there pain, Atar?" he asked with concern.

"No, not now. I was told to flex the joint to help with protoform development. The doctors said it would heal better that way," Tagg said turning to look at his son. He felt intense pride in Orion but he hid it, a lifetime of suppression riding him hard.

Optimus nodded. "You will be having reconstructive surgery tomorrow and your original formats will be restored. Then they will recondition and refurbish your armor and colors. We can get your engravings back as well."

"I can't really remember what I looked like," Kestrel said from somewhere in the middle of Optimus's arms. "It will take time to get used to again."

"I remember. You both were beautiful. I have given images of both of you to the team who will restore you. I have kept them with me always."

Kestrel hugged his son. "Hold me, Orion. I have dreamed of this for more time than I can remember."

"Ask me something hard, Ada," Optimus replied with emotion.

-0-Elsewhere

"Are you ready to go?" Arcee asked as she paused in the kitchen of their apartment.

Ultra Magnus who was fresh from the shower nodded. "Almost," he said walking to the small office across from their large berth room.

The apartment was bigger than most because Magnus was a big mechanism. It was spic and span, the few personal items they both had accumulated put on display. The rest of them were locked away in a enormous gun closet in the spare berth room.

Rank had privileges.

She walked to the door and leaned on the doorjamb. Magnus was downloading the overnight dump just as Prowl was probably doing. "Anything to lose recharge over?" she asked.

"Paragon made a break across the migration route to meet up with the Decepticons on the other side. I imagine there will be an alliance between them."

"No doubt," she said walking over to read over his shoulder. The data was flying but they both read it easily. Their ability to read and absorb information was stupefyingly quick compared to the that of organics. "122 new jailbirds. Burris is in the jail with the possibility of charges for abusing low castes. I wish he would try and abuse me."

Ultra Magnus glanced up at his bond. "There is nothing low caste about you," he said with a cold tone. "No one will ever be allowed that liberty as long as I am alive."

Arcee grinned at the big ruffled mechanism. "Ditto," she replied as she slipped her arms around his neck. They continued on the data download, then left together for work at the Ops Center.

-0-Elsewhere

They sat together in Springer's office, Drift's peds up on the low table. "What do you think about Dawg?"

"He's a phenom," Springer said as he reviewed the night's haul. 10 troublemakers out of 1.5 million citizens. Not bad at all.

"What about you getting a dog like that? He's got Wrecker written all over him," Drift suggested.

"He does. I think I saw it on his shoulder," Springer replied sitting back. "I like that dog. If I ever got one, it would be just like him."

"He's semi awesome," Drift said with a grin.

"He is. Sort of tailor made for us," Springer replied. "You will note that dog had no pot belly."

"Or a mullet," Drift suggested. "Frag Bay."

"I hear ya," Springer said rising. "Let's go pester Optimus. Then we're off shift. Wanna frag?"

"Yep," Drift said as the two turned to walk out of the office and City Hall. "Never thought you'd ask."

"I was overcome by the dog," Springer said with a grin.

"Ah," Drift said before the rest was lost in the early morning change of shift.

-0-Ops Center, Alpha Shift, Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet wandered in with the Cybertonian equivalent of a breakfast sandwich. It looked like an egg mcmuffin but wasn't. It was also the size of a truck tire. In Ratchet's servo, it looked normal size. He sat, took it from its box and began to eat.

Prowl who turned from the data download paused, then walked to sit across from him. "I suppose Ironhide has the infant and figures he can elude me."

"Bingo on both counts," Ratchet said with a grin. "He's pretty stealthy for a big mech. Good luck hunting his aft."

"I can track him with Teletraan. If I have to, I may send Springer to haul him in."

"Speaking of the devil," Ratchet said as Springer and Drift walked in. Springer walked to Smokescreen to deliver his report as Drift sat down at the table. "No baby today?"

"Ironhide's doing a dance of doom with Granny and the schools," Ratchet said nodding toward Prowl. "He thinks he's going to elude the octopus here."

Prowl snorted. "Poor dumb slagger."

"That is one spectacular sparkling," Springer said moving to sit down as well. "Reminds me of someone but I can't put a digit on it."

They all chuckled, then Drift looked at Ratchet. "Did you really do that to make a picture of the sparklings when he can stand up? That's what Sunstreaker and Sideswipe told us."

"I did. I also like the format and Ironhide has a thing for chevrons, especially red ones," Ratchet replied as he finished his meal.

"Now you tell me," Prowl said smirking slightly. "And all along I thought he admired me for my processor."

Ratchet snorted. "That too," he said with a wink.

Heavy treads drew their optics and both watched as Optimus and Magnus walked into the room. They took a seat and grinned at Ratchet. "No sparkling?"

"He's bonding with his old dad," Ratchet said. "He thinks he has it all worked out to keep both Prowler and Hero. He's hiding out mostly with the sparklings somewhere underground. Mech is in special ops mode."

"Shall we go and bag them?" Drift asked Optimus with a smirk.

"If it comes to that, you will get the nod," Optimus said with a smile. "I want film."

They chuckled, then Ratchet looked at Optimus. "How are the genitors this morning?"

"They're much better," Optimus said. "They will have the reconstructive surgery tomorrow. I will be happy when its over."

Prowl nodded. "This is a big step in their rehabilitation, to have their looks back again. Having their armor reconditioned and repainted will be really good for them."

Optimus nodded. "I agree. I don't know what I'll think when they emerge as themselves again but I'm grateful for everything."

They sat together chatting about the migration, genitors, sparklings, light-footed Chaos Bringers and his tiny fellow travelers for a while, then Springer stood. "Time to take a recharge. Shift is over and the migration was a long hard job."

"That is Wrecker slang for 'high grade and a good frag'," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"How did you know that?" Drift asked with a chuckle. "By the way, I love Sunstreaker's dog. He's a bad aft."

"He is for a gentle natured cyberfox-canine hybrid," Ratchet said nodding. "He and Spot like each other. A lot."

"Sort of a one sided playtime when they're together," Optimus said with a grin. "Spot jumps all over the place and Dawg looks at him with disdain."

"Sort of like us when we frag," Drift said to Springer. He looked at Ratchet. "I'll leave it up to you to figure out which one of us is which."

With a din of laughter in their wake, they walked to the doors and outside. Springer smirked at Drift. "Telling our secrets out of school again are ya?"

"Some things are too good to keep to yourself," Drift said as they crossed the intersection at the fortress.

"I couldn't agree more," Springer said as they merged with traffic and disappeared into the early morning rush hour.

The sun was rising overhead and would be warm on solar receptors. Ironhide on the other servo wouldn't notice that much. He was busy going here and there underground ending up in the main ammunition storage facility under the Main Armory in the Fortress. Hero would wobble along with her Atar dragging a dollie behind her as he carefully explained all that she saw. In his arms mostly recharging, a little mech with a magnificent tiny red chevron would blink and look, listening to a voice he would revere all his life.

It would be heaven for the Chaos Bringer and bliss for the infants.

Ironhide, 1. School system, 0.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)


	275. Chapter 275

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (275)

-0-Around, doing their job

He sat at the communications station beginning his shift without much recharge. It was hard to focus after a night of cards, high grade and a possible frag if he could really remember it but he vented a sigh and began. That is when he saw it. "Sir, we have a signal. Bogies crossing the migration trail at top speed."

Flint rose and walked to the communications station leaning over the youngling member of the Home Guard Technology Division who was doing his required duty once every six decaorns at an actual military station. "I see that," he said nodding. Patting the youngling, he turned and looked across the Ops Center to the Officer of the Orn. "Jersey, launch the Seekers. Give them the coordinates. Then patch the comm through here." He turned and walked back to the communications station. "Fort Apache Ops Center to Autobot City Ops Center. Flint requesting Optimus Prime."

"Prime here, Flint."

"Sir, we have bogies across the homeward trail. I have launched war hawks. Requesting more orders," Flint said calmly. The youngling sitting at the communications station glanced up at his commander, a look of expectation and a bit of anxiety on his young face. Flint squeezed his shoulder, then turned to walk to the center table. Sitting, he listened as the youngling put the cross talk from the Seeker flight on line.

"Red One, form up on me."

"Affirmative."

Static filled the room as the flight burst forward from the airfield heading toward the bogies that were fleeing from the hinterlands on one side toward Paragon's fort on the other.

"Prime to Flint. Have you identified them yet?"

"Not yet," he replied. "We are assuming that its Paragon returning home from his jaunt to the battle groups in the scatter field in Sector B."

"Affirmative," Prime replied. He glanced at Prowl who was synthesizing information internally. He had nothing to offer yet so Prime sat back to wait. "Flint, give them orders to smoke their afts but nothing more. We want our flight back in one piece but they need to carry home a few pieces of their own, the price of passage."

"What's up?" Ratchet asked as he ambled in with the preliminary medical report of the migration. He was officially off duty for two more orns but no one was home, Prowler and Hero were hiding below ground some place with their atar and all was well in the city proper for now. Tomorrow, he would observe the surgical team that would transform Prime's genitors from damaged appearing strangers to the loving genitors he had always remembered. He personally assured Optimus he would be there. He sat down and listened to the cross talk.

Behind him walking in with Red Wing and Thundercracker, Starscream joined them. "This is Paragon remaking his crossing. He's probably gotten an agreement with the new Decepticon battle groups. What it might mean is still hard to say but I would have gotten an agreement to build a fortress on the other side and put the migration into a vice if I was him."

Prime nodded. "I am in agreement with you, Starscream. It will amp up the danger to our people who will become pawns."

"We need to make sure that Paragon doesn't hook up with Soundwave. That mech has a fortress out here too and he is playing a weak hand," Thundercracker replied. "He might be willing to strike bargains and play both of us off against each other."

Prime nodded. "I agree. Before I forget, congratulations on your new son. I am very happy for you and your trine."

They nodded with proud grins. "Sky Warp is young and foolish but he has come through. The infant is big and healthy. We hope for his release in three decaorns," Starscream said with a nod.

"I would hope to see him when he does come home," Prime said.

"We shall do that. Any time a hatchling from our family has that much access to the Matrix, it is a good thing."

Thundercracker grinned. "I do recall the short time you had the Matrix, Star. You were happy to give it back to Prime."

Starscream looked at Thundercracker. "I do not recall that."

"We do." -everyone at the table including Prime.

"Well then, it must have met the standards by which I conduct myself. Epic. Astonishing. Memorable."

They all snorted. "You were insufferable," Thundercracker said smirking at his bond. "It made you nice."

"Impossible," Starscream replied smoothly. "I am many things. Nice, not so much."

That got the scorn and agreement that it deserved, then the comm channel crackled again. "Red One, we are in range."

"Red One to Apache One. Permission to make mayhem."

"Make it within the limitations. Come back in one piece." Flint's voice calmly gave the go. The sounds of organizational cross talk among the flight buzzed a moment, then they lit into Paragon's group like bees attacking intruders to their hive.

"**GO! TAKE HIM! SHOOT IN SET ONE!"**

"**I HIT THEM! BRING THE RAIN!" **

The sounds of pilots talking to each other, gathering through set patterns and blasting the enemy filled the airways, voices overlapping as everyone in two Autobot Ops Centers sat listening tensely. The sound of Seekers weaving in and out, going forward and falling back was reflected in the conversations which were clipped, cryptic and fast.

-0-At the receiving end

The impact of rockets and gun fire hitting his ships, rocking them grated on Paragon's nerves. They threw out counter measures but they were destroyed by the Seekers as fast as they were encountered. The captains of his two fast light battle cruisers along with his own heavier vessel were cursing over the comm lines as they used every trick they could remember to throw off the pursuit. The problem was, they had never been pursued by Seekers before.

In their darkest sparks, some of them would feel for a moment or two the tiniest sympathy for the Autobots.

-0-Ops Center

They listened to the fighting, then the break off of pursuit. Relaxing a bit, they all looked at Prowl who was concentrating as information poured into him directly from Teletraan III. He finally relaxed himself. "There were three direct hits that made an impact. Two light battle cruisers and one mid-range heavy made up the armada. They were trailing fire and fuel when they crossed the cut off point for pursuit. None of ours took any damage and all are returning to Fort Apache. It was a 'housewarming' he won't forget."

Prime nodded. "Good. I want him to feel the burn every time he steps out. I want him to know that we will bite his aft every time he emerges. I want you, Starscream to begin intel flights to the other side. I want to know if another installation is being built as a staging base for another group. I want to know how big they are, who they might host and if others are making their way there. I agree completely with your assessment. It's what I would do in his place."

Starscream nodded. "I agree. We will get on it now," he said rising. "Patch us into the intel that comes from this and other related operations. The more I know, the more I can do."

"Consider it done," Prowl said making the internal adjustments.

They watched as the big Seekers turned walking out to the rec room and their command center nearby. Prime smirked slightly. "That will never get old."

Ratchet nodded. "You read my mind."

-0-Paragon

They limped into their new home, their ships landing heavily on the surface of their big planetoid-sized base world. Paragon stepped off with a cold expression of anger firmly in place. Waiting for him was Arrow who stood quietly, expertly gauging his partner. He was pissed.

They turned together and walked inside while outside the ships were immediately swarmed by troops armed with tools for repair.

-0-On the other side of the trail

The ship captains sat on the command ship of the largest group. There was a lot on the table as they discussed their new situation. It had been a long journey through charted and uncharted space before they came here following Prime and Starscream's messages as well as one put out by Paragon. It had been enticing, the idea of settling in a sector of space that could provide actual energon. They had made do, making their food, fuel and tools from solar and other energy conversion methods.

They were in an asteroid swarm which would be good hunting grounds for energon since their sensors detected fragments among the debris. There were several large asteroids that would allow for their ships to land and be safely anchored temporarily. When their fuel supply was assured, they would be able to find a larger planetoid fragment to establish a permanent base.

The Prime was settled in an air tight solar system. Paragon was established in his own fortress. He had located Soundwave's established deep space base and there was a second fort for Prime nearby as well. It was a hugely populated area bristling with guns and the prospect of enough energon to retake and restore Cybertron.

Of course they were staying.

They bent their helms together and began to plan their own tightly controlled, deeply defended area of space. It would be supported by energon fragments that when distilled would produce C+ to B- grade fuel and food in unheard of quantities. This far out from the central mother lode inside the system that Prime controlled it was smaller and of lesser quality. But it still was incredibly better than that they had manufactured for themselves for too long.

They would band together and be a partner to Paragon. When Prime fell, then Soundwave, they would retake Cybertron. When that was done, they would cut Paragon into confetti. Until then, they would go along with him. They had learned how to be patient during the exile. Now they would be well fed and armed during the long wait for primacy over their home world and everything else they could take with a gun.

-0-At the home ranch

Ratchet rose and walked to the door exiting the Fortress. He paused at the intersection of Fortress and Metroplex, then turned to walk to the airfield. He crossed the street and continued onward passing row after row of ships ready at the slightest alarm to lift off to protect everyone and everything.

He continued onward passing the masses of migration ships that were still waiting to be stripped, assessed and recycled. All of the ships they were keeping were now housed at Ceres, a new station on the moon of Earth as well as nearby the city north of Aerie Hill. Ambling along, he turned at Prison Road and walked to the Control Center Operational Building, CCOB, that ran the system and housed the guards who worked shifts and took meals there.

Entering, he grinned. "Hi. I haven't been here for a while. I want to know if things are on the up and up."

The on-duty medic nodded. "Hi, Ratchet. It seems okay. We got new prisoners from the jail and brig serving short time and the idiots from the migration are being sorted yet. How is that sparkling?"

They chatted sparklings, then Ratchet took his leave pausing to yarn with a guard who had come around the end. "How are the big wigs?" he asked.

The youngling accessed the meaning, then grinned. "Sour faced," he replied. Ratchet turned and walked with the youngling getting the latest on his grand atar who was a very good card player and all around fun mech to know. When they made their way around the facility heading back, Ratchet could see Sentinel and his cell mates taking the sun on the cell block porch. It was nearly -40 and balmy, the breeze light to the point of negligible.

The big mechs looked at the two as they walked along talking, then Ratchet paused by the bars. "I am here to address any medical issues you may have. If you tell me about them, I will have them tended to."

No one said anything a moment, then Sentinel arose to walk to the bars. He paused staring down at Ratchet who stared back without flinching. "I am bored."

"Can't help that, Sentinel. Anything else?" Ratchet asked.

"What is going to become of this?" he asked sweeping the area with his arm. "Are we going to be stuck here forever or is there a point to this?"

"You have been appointed counsel. You should talk to them," Ratchet replied.

"I have. There is no time line to tell us if we're going to be able to defend ourselves or be let go anytime soon."

"You really think you can just walk out of here, Sentinel?" Ratchet asked with a slight smirk. "After all the slag you did and let happen, you still have dreams of skating?"

Sentinel looked at Ratchet. "You know I can fight. I know how to lead mechs. I was a great soldier and still am. You need soldiers. I'm a soldier."

"So is Megatron," Ratchet said warming up to the banter. Sentinel was calm and collected. From experience, Ratchet knew that he just wanted to talk. He turned and nodded to the youngling. "Why don't you continue onward, youngling."

The youngling hesitated, then looked beyond where they stood. "I'm going to stand over there, Commander. I don't want you to be around him without someone here. You are an ada again. You don't need his slag to bother you right now." With that, he turned to walk to the corner where he stood watching the two of them.

"You're an ada are you?" Sentinel asked.

"Surprise! All of the low castes are breeding like rats," Ratchet said with a smile. "We're going to outnumber you and when we do I wouldn't go to recharge without a gun."

Sentinel smirked in spite of himself. Ratchet was a wily, hard helmed bullshitter. He had always enjoyed sparring with him even as he wanted to punt his ass into orbit around Cybertron. He was a damned fine doctor and a useful asset. That was enough for Sentinel. "I will remember that."

"You do understand what a great and searing disappointment you were for all of us. We believed in you. We trusted you. We thought since the Matrix chose you that you had something good and great in you. That was before Alpha Trion clued us in about place keeper Primes."

"That mech... is he here?" Sentinel asked as he pulled up a chair by the fence to sit. "You don't mind if I sit do you? I like the sunlight from this angle."

"Nope." Ratchet grinned. "He's here. He has an apartment at the Temple."

"I see the dome. Tell me about it." Sentinel laced his digits as he sat back to chat.

Ratchet had funneled the conversation to Prime who had agreed to it. "The Temple was restored by Primus and The One on Festival day. We held the first real formal Festival of Primus here a while back and he graced Prime and the Temple with all the artifacts."

"You have the AllSpark?" Sentinel asked.

"The Flame, Well and AllSpark. We had three priests and just reclaimed another. Did you know that the rest are either dead or working energon mines for Megatron?" Ratchet asked.

Sentinel looked at him a moment, then shook his helm. "No. I did not know that."

"Now you do," Ratchet said nodding. "The Temple is an exact duplicate of the Simfur Temple. It was built by hand on the talents of our great people. Its beautiful, calm and holy. My little ada and atar go there regularly to pray for all the missing and offer thanks for the found."

He nodded. "I would like to go there myself some time. I miss it."

Ratchet knew that he was serious and noted it for Prime. Prime wasn't listening in. Ratchet would report the highlights. Perhaps a visit to the Temple with Prime would do all of them good. It clearly might allow Primus to get a bead on a truly horrendous slagger. "I will tell Prime."

As he said that the heavy treads of another caught their attention. They watched as Ironhide walked toward Ratchet, a tiny femme sitting on his arm wearing a little Hello Kitty hat and booties. She was wrapped in a Hello Kitty blanket and watching everything as he came near. He paused and looked at Sentinel. "You'll talk to anyone, Ratchet."

"I am here to check the medical condition of the inmates," Ratchet said as Decimus and Ratbat walked out to pause beside Sentinel.

"What's going on?" Decimus asked with an imperious air. "What brings you out here?"

"Your medical condition. Do you need anything? A check up? I am here to assess need," Ratchet said taking Hero into his arms. She smiled and looked at them, the smile fading slightly. She leaned into Ratchet and stared at them solemnly. "You wilted the sparkling, Decimus, with your bad energy."

"I can assume that is your daughter?" Decimus asked.

"Yes and if you say one bad word about her those bars will not save you, Decimus," Ironhide said with a look that could peel paint off a brick wall.

Decimus looked at Ironhide, then the infant. "There seem to be a lot of infants in the city."

"Thousands of them," Ratchet said. "More coming every orn. We are regrouping in spite of what you did and didn't do. We will rise again."

The three looked at Ratchet without comment. Then Sentinel shrugged. "We are not against that. We always had Cybertron's best interests in processor whether you agree to that or not."

"You allowed the Clampdown. There is nothing you can say that will convince anyone that you cared about us or Cybertron by that one act alone," Ratchet said. "It was the last straw for our people. Megatron became inevitable because of that action."

"We had to keep order," Decimus said.

"You had to keep everyone down to protect your wealth. You put personal self interest over our entire world and population. Everyone knows that. Too bad you probably never will," Ironhide said. He looked at Ratchet. "We need to go."

Ratchet nodded. He looked at the prisoners. "If you need help or assistance, ask the youngling over there about it," he said nodding to the youngling guard. "He will let us know." With that, he turned and walked to the guard with Ironhide and the three disappeared about the corner.

Decimus, Ratbat and Sentinel watched them go. Then Sentinel looked at the pair. "Next time I'm having a conversation with someone, butt out."

The two looked at him and smirked. "Frag off, Sentinel," Ratbat said. Then they turned and walked back to the barracks once more. Sentinel would stay where he was for a while longer.

-0-TBC

2013 (4)

NOTE: I am getting the makings of another story which I am calling 'What Doesn't Make a Difference Isn't a Difference'. Yeah, strange title. When a story comes to me this hard I have to write it. I am going to do several pieces before posting it. It will be a story I never thought I would be able to write, a Transformers: Prime long form. I will write as much as I can using Prime and related Transformer multi-verse elements, then stop the story. I won't add more until the rest of the world gets to see Season 3 without me spoiling things. It will take a few days to post, but its coming. I can do multiple stories at the same time because I guess I have no life. LOL! Hugs. :D


	276. Chapter 276

NOTE: I had to drive to Anchorage in a truck and pull back a trailer last night. Eight hours round trip. I was crawling in on my hands and knees. Going up and down over mountains, around a big inlet and the like, I was pooped. Now, I am getting my groove on. :D :D :D Here we go...

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (276) edited for boo boos

-0-On the way back from the Prison

"You need to find better conversations, old mech," Ironhide muttered as they walked along the highway that led back to town. He had Prowler on his arm and Ratchet was holding Hero. She was smiling again, her seemingly natural state as they ambled along, the warm sunlight welcome. "Sentinel might just get to expect you coming by."

"That might be good for Prime," Ratchet said as he watched Hero grip one of his digits and chew on it. "Little femme must be hungry. What have you been doing?"

"Going over munitions with Prowler and Hero. Little femme is leaning toward rockets but I don't think I want her to favor them. They're way too big for her frame. As for Prowler, I want him to think about the possibilities before he chooses his favorite. A mech can't be too careful about a munition."

Ratchet grinned. "They call me delusional."

"You are," Ironhide said with a grin. "Let's go get a bite."

"Hero is already there," Ratchet said as they cut across the airfield pointedly avoiding the Ops Center and the always alert, always vigilent Prowl.

-0-Jade

He walked into the classroom and sat placing his datapad and other things in front of him. He sat aware of the attention he was attracting but indifferent in an outwardly way of it. To be stared was part of his lot in life . The novelty had worn off vorns ago. Right now, he was attending his first University class, a lifelong passion, a course on art history. Part of being the friend of privilege was access to beautiful ancient things. He had a connoisseur's optic and wanted to learn more. He could earn a university degree in art he had found out on their page of the Community Bulletin Board so he signed up to see what it was all about.

The class began and he listened growing more and more intrigued. By the time instruction was over for the orn he had decided to pursue his degree with the single-mindedness that he brought to the pursuit of the enemy nearby.

-0-At 'The Pit Stop'

They entered a 'diner' that was newly opened for business serving human style 'diner' cuisine in a fifties-style American cafe decor just down from the Courthouse on Cultural Center Road. The legal community, pilots and artists were favoring it as the local feed bag of choice. The recently graduated culinary school students who had opened it had decided to supply an alternative to the more formal cafes and restaurants in the city. A bonded pair of younglings from a colony near the Benzuli Expansion and their two friends were the owners and together supplied an amazing array of food one could find in any good diner and barbecue joint on Earth.

Taking a seat, they parked the sparklings on the table. A lot of families were also seated, some of them eating lunch already. A cheerful waiter came and took their order ... 'hamburgers and fries' with something called a 'milk shake'. A big cookie for Hero rounded out their order as they sat back to stare around and at each other. "Ironhide, do you remember Apex IV and Roumer II?"

He paused a moment to think. "Yes. I don't want to but I do."

"Who would have thought this could ever have happened after those debacles?" Ratchet asked as Hero reached for him, her smile bright and cheery. "Here we are in a real Cybertronian city with sparklings, genitors and friends all around. We're eating lunch in a restaurant, not rations in a muddy crater."

Ironhide nodded glancing at his son who lay in the crook of his arm in recharge. "I know. I will not ever allow anything to happen to this, Ratchet."

"Me neither," Ratchet said as Hero tried to climb his shoulder to see better. As she did a big mech walked into the room with his bond and their genitors.

Ironhide glanced that way, did a double take and kicked Ratchet under the table. "Ratchet," he hissed. "Stow Hero."

Ratchet blinked, then from eons of obedience to hissed orders and suggestions pulled her down stowing her in his carry hold. She slid to the back and as she looked out, the chamber door slipped shut. She sat in the darkness blinking. Then she stood up and wobbled over to the hatch patting it with her servos.

"Hi, Ironhide," Clarion said with a grin. He reached out and gripped Ironhide's servo. "There's that spectacular baby. What a great sparkling."

The others crowded around looking at Prowler who slept though the adulation. Clarion looked at Ironhide. "Don't you have a daughter? I haven't seen her in school yet? Isn't she old enough?" he asked.

"We have a daughter but she's still pretty small," Ironhide said oblivious to the fact that Hero was asking the door to Ratchet's carry hold to open: "A? Me?"

Ratchet who was aware of it pulsed Hero warmth. She paused and looked around. Then she burst into tears. Ratchet listening with wide optics looked at Ironhide who was bullshitting with another member of the school board, Clarion who had sons in the Intermediate School. They discussed the next school board meeting, the state of the playgrounds for the Day and Sparkling schools, the improvements they would make to have them safer and more fun, the conferences upcoming, the Spring Concert whatever that was and other things. While that was going on, Hero was sitting in her ada's hold holding her face in her tiny servos sending out big weeps to the universe.

Ratchet almost joined her.

-0-Moments later

"You're an aft helm." (smirk)

"Don't be a hater, Ratchet." (grin)

Hero clung to Ratchet's chassis and sniffled slightly. It had taken a moment of groping around inside his carry hold for Ratchet to find the baby but he did. She leaned against Ratchet and looked miserably sad.

Ironhide leaned forward toward and she paused looking at him. "Hero," he said playing their game of peekaboo.

She looked at him, a tiny trace of a smile appearing, then dying under the thunderclouds of her sorrows. He tried again and she smiled, the effort fading slightly as she gathered herself. "A?"

"Hero," Ironhide said softly. She looked at him, then held out her arms.

"Got a spare arm, aft helm?" Ratchet asked as he held her out.

Ironhide took Hero setting her on the table before him. She looked up, the tiniest little whisp of a waif, her delicate petite little femme wings drooping sadly. He leaned in sniffing her, then kissed her little face. Leaning back with a grin, he was relieved to see her smile. "You're my assistant and all around good example for your brother here. You stay with me a while longer. I'll cry when they snag you."

A big figure appeared behind them, a big servo landing on his shoulder. Ironhide looked up, then paused. "I won't tell anyone," Clarion said with a smile. "Enjoy your lunch and your daughter, Ironhide." Then he turned and walked back over to his family who sat grinning their way.

Ratchet smiled and nodded, the family nodding back. Then he looked at Ironhide who looked emotional. "Good mech, that one. As poor as you at being on the school board, but a stand up mech."

Ironhide nodded. "Good mech all around."

Then their 'burgers', 'fries' and 'milkshakes' arrived. They would be pronounced 'that end of the awesome scale, Ratchet' and 'these are really pretty good, Ironhide' by the genitor units. Hero who would develop a life long fondness for 'fries' would have less to say. It would take her all the meal long to down half of the big fry she was given by her old pa. The cookie would be saved for later.

Both of them would share it on the train to the Aerie Hill Munitions Hub.

-0-At the studio

He sat on a platform designed to raise him from the ground. He sat with his tongue lolling out, his magnificence on display and his all around awesomeness evident. Dawg was getting his portrait painted. Sitting all around the big room were bots from all over the place. Smokescreen, Blurr, Hot Rod, Springer, Drift, Lon, Fury, Splice and Sideswipe watched as Sunstreaker sketched out several possible portraits from all directions. The door opened and Kup along with Topspin entered, pausing to take in the view. "There's that dog. What a champion," Kup said with a nod.

"You got that right," Hot Rod said as he leaned forward to study the big magnificent bastard. "I can't put my digit on it but that is one of the wonders of the universe."

The others nodded, their attention riveted on the dog. Sunstreaker smirked slightly. "That dog is the baddest bad aft in this room. You all think you're badder but he's the one. Poseurs."

Snark greeted that as Kup and Topspin sat down on a couch.

Dawg licked his lips and looked at Sunstreaker, his mouth closing even as some of his teeth stayed out. He had baleful brown optics and a demeanor that was hard to quantify for its sheer greatness. The totality of his lack of interest in the proceedings was enough to put him into the Wrecker Hall of Fame. He lolled his tongue out and took his tribute as he watched over his boys, especially the yellow one who loved him with intensity.

-0-In the Aerie Hill Medical Clinic

He sat in front of the incubator and watched the hatchling floating inside. He was a big infant and healthy. Eventually he would be released and they would take him home to the three that were already there. He loved them all but this one was special. He had one of his own. He was an ada.

The babies had seen him oohing and ahhing at the sight of the 'swimming baby'. They would be very little problem when they got the infant home. They slept in the traditional round crib in their own room. This one would sleep in his carry hold for a while until the new berthroom was finished. Then he would have to make do alone. Having gone to The Sparkling Store an orn before, he had gotten a big soft pillow and a big fluffy targ doll. They would take the place of siblings in his crib. He had read that hatchlings do better if they sleep together. After a long afternoon of fretting over the singular nature of this infant, he had gone to look for substitute siblings. He had found his replacement. His son would be happy.

His name would be Swift.

Starscream had considered that, then looked at the defiantly stubborn younger mech. "Swift?"

He nodded firmly. "Swift. It was my grand ada's name. She was a great flier and I want to honor her memory."

Thundercracker and Starscream looked at each other, then nodded. "Then Swift it is," Starscream said with a grin.

He sat and watched the infant. He would grow up here safe and sound. Nothing would harm him. He, Sky Warp would make sure of it. Just as he would make sure that his other three children were safe. He made that vow on the life and memory of his grand ada, Swift.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl sat analyzing the data. They had made several direct hits on Paragon's ships, an altogether wonderful thing. That goon was going to get strafed every time he emerged on the trail. The intel teams of Seekers had left in the earlier morning hopefully to tell them more about the other side. Those Decepticons either were digging in or not. They were probably staying. He would. They would know about the energon situation. That alone would be enough to bring the entire Decepticon army to their doorstep.

Fraggers.

He considered the possibilities. Two more big migrations were coming. What would the fraggers do? Risk a beating? Test their resolve, strength and how far their side would strike them?

All the way to the Pit, fraggers.

He paused, the ghost of a smile on his face. Ratchet was a good bad influence. If his ada knew he swore this much, even in his processor, he would probably frown at him.

He hated it when his ada frowned at him.

It was fragging sad how much he fragging hated it. Frag. That felt good.

With the ghost of a grin, he turned back to his quarry ... Paragon, the unknown Decepticons and Ironhide.

-0-TBC

04-18-13


	277. Chapter 277

FACTOID OF THE NIGHT: In all the universes across The Transformers, in all the mediums of print, film and cartoon, Optimus Prime has died 16 times. :D

-0-On that note, lets get going...

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (277) edited for boo boos

-0-That night at Autobot City, Mars

It was dark when he found his place again. It was as it always was he found. The area was lighted as evening set. They would sit together, most of them but the one he wanted would come outside. He always did after dinner and he expected him to come out again.

He poised his rifle, the one he had taken out to practice, the one he hadn't returned yet. He poised it and waited.

The door opened and two bots came out, someone and the one he wanted. They stood together chatting, then target he wanted stepped forward and walked toward the side closest to the administrative offices. The stars were brilliant in the sky. The city's lights were bright and the sound of ships coming and going could be heard at the airfield. His target stood facing the city, then turned.

It would be the last thing he would ever do.

-0-Prime Residence

They sat at the table doing their homework and chatting about their orn. Kestrel sat with them helping. He had done it for vorns when Optimus was a child, helping him learn through the network of illegal underground day schools where a child could come for instruction by the hourly payment and exchanges with friends who had education. They would sit together at the table in their tiny apartment listening to him read, help him form his letters and marvel at the infant who could see it one time and learn it cold.

They watched him pass them, exceeding what they could help him with. They read or tried to read the books he would bring home hoping to be of service to him by raising their own level of comprehension of the things he was learning but they never caught up. Their son was a genius, the kind of processor that teachers and mentors dreamed of helping.

They dangerously worked the system, enabling their son to have use of multiple library cards to enable him to get the books he craved. They pooled their meager income to provide tutors and books for him. They did their best and their best became Prime. The orn it happened was the greatest and scariest one of their lives. Their brilliant good son had become the leader of their people. The previous leader had been killed. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time.

Tagg walked to the table and sat, Miracle in his arms babbling about the dollies he held. Tagg looked at his grandson and smiled. "You are a very sweet baby. You remind me of your atar when he was your age."

Spirit paused. "What was Atar like as a little mech, Grandatar?" he asked.

Tagg smiled and told them, recounting the good natured smart little mech who liked to do things for them, play with his friends in the street and read. Standing in the doorway listening, Prowl would record every word.

-0-Out there

He poised his weapon, the practice rifle he used in the Home Guard. He sighted it in, the automatic mechanism finding and locking onto the target. Poised, calm, he squeezed the trigger. You didn't pull a trigger. You gently squeezed it. The ignition was triggered. A ball of energon formed in the chamber, compression making it bullet shaped. The act of compression dampened the surface temperature of the slug making a hard coat around it. It pulsed forward moving down the barrel, the action of the spiraling traverse squeezing the slug into a hard round. It would stay that way until it hit the target it was intended for. Then it would splatter and destroy a wide area around the entrance hole it would make.

He stood staring through the sight as the slug slammed into the helm he was aiming for, passing through to hit the electrified bars beyond. A small explosion sparked, then died away. He stared at the target who stood swaying a moment. Then the target fell down in a heap. The report had been loud but he hadn't heard it so intent was he on the chore of murder.

The moment was quiet as he turned, then shouting and running peds alerted everyone that something terrible had happened. He was on his way when the guards ran for the cell block, the Officer of the Orn dropping the bars so mechs could go inside. They would gather around the dead bot, then call Ops Center. The call would reach the Officer of the Orn and he would alert Prowl. Prowl would put down the dishes he was putting away and pause long enough to ascertain the situation. He would then buzz Optimus who was sitting at the dining table listening to his genitors telling stories about his childhood.

Optimus would make his regrets and the two would leave to take care of something in the city they would say. By the time they reached the 24th floor, Ratchet and Ironhide would join them for the ride down to the lobby.

-0-On the way back to the city

The Night Watch was alerted and Springer was on it. He and Drift left the Metroplex District where they were beginning their beat and turned hurrying to the prison. As they rounded the corner of Metroplex and Fortress Highway 1, they noticed a bot walking calmly toward them, a rifle slung over their shoulder. They glanced at each other, then slowed to a halt waiting warily as the bot walked closer.

It was a beautifully handsome bot with brilliant shades of emerald green on his armor. He walked calmly without emotion, a sniper's practice rifle slung over his shoulder. He slowed, then stopped looking at both of them without expression. Springer stepped closer. "Hi. May I see your rifle?" he asked.

The bot nodded, handing it over. Springer checked it and saw that it had been fired. Looking at the bot, he considered his flat affect. "Were you at the prison?"

"Yes, I was," the bot answered calmly.

"Did you fire this rifle at someone there?" Springer asked.

"I did." The handsome bot nodded.

"I see," Springer said glancing at Drift. He handed him the rifle, then gently gripped the bot's arm. "I would like you to come with me. I think we need to go back to the prison and wait for Prime to come."

The bot nodded and turned walking quietly along with Springer and Drift until they reached the Control Building and entered, disappearing inside.

-0-On the way

It was a grim group who walked along the highway heading for the prison. They were silent, each with their own thoughts as they walked to the scene of the crime. Springer had told them that they had picked up the probable shooter and were waiting in the Control and Operations Center. They had also brought the body of the dead bot there placing him on a table in the command room for Ratchet to examine.

They turned up the long drive entering the building, passing grim faced bots. Inside, the room was silent as bots stood around the edges, a single one sitting on a chair silently. The table that usually dominated the command center of Cybertronian operational posts held the body of the bot who had been shot dead nearby in Cell Block B. He was leaking energon so there was a towel wrapped around his helm. The rest of his body was limp and gray, the spark that animated the victim long gone to the Matrix.

Prime glanced at Ratchet and nodded, the big lanky medic walking to look at the figure on the table. He glanced over the chassis, examined the limbs, then peered at the helm by lifting the towel. He looked at both sides, moving the victim's helm side-to-side. It was a through and through, the energon bullet entering one side of the victim's helm and going out the other. Death would have been instantaneous. He probably didn't even know he was dead when the bullet hit him it was that fast in all likelihood.

Ratchet glanced at Prime and the others. "He was shot through the helm by an energon slug from a long range rifle. The type of wound is consistent with a sniper-type rifle. It went in his right temple, through his processor and out the left side. It was an instantaneous death, Prime. He probably didn't even know what happened."

Optimus nodded and looked at a grim faced Springer and silent Drift. "Who is this?"

"This is a new refugee named Jade. He was walking toward the city with a rifle over his shoulder," Springer said handing over the weapon taken from the suspect. "It has been fired once. I asked him if he had been the shooter and he said yes."

Prime nodded. "Has someone alerted Barron and Blackstone? This mech will need to be represented. Nothing that he says even with agreement will be admissible in a hearing or trial. We need to wait for them to arrive."

Springer nodded. "I have alerted them. They're coming. Barron is celebrating the bonding of his grandson and Blackstone was at a party."

Prime nodded and watched Ratchet check the suspect over. He appeared to be without emotion and sat compliantly following Ratchet's gentle ministrations. A sound in the doorway alerted all of them that Blackstone and Barron had arrived. Both of them paused with Prowl and Prime. Optimus filled them in. Blackstone nodded. "I will be representing this mech myself given the gravity of the offense, Optimus."

Prime nodded and looked at Barron. "I would like to have an interview of the suspect with both of you present. I am aware that nothing that is said may be presented at trial. I am concerned that this might not be the effort of one mech. I am interested in security for the city right now."

They both nodded. "If we can adjourn to the conference room nearby," Barron said.

Prime turned and gave orders, the group relevant rising along with the silent mech. They walked into the conference room and sat. Prime considered the mech a moment, then leaned forward on his elbows. "What is your name?" he asked.

The mech looked at him, then all the others. "Jade," he said.

"This is Barron and Blackstone. Blackstone is head of the Public Defenders Office in the Justice Department of our city and colony. He has volunteered to represent you in this matter. I want to ask you questions. If he asks you not to answer, you should listen to him. He has your best interests in spark."

The mech looked at him and nodded. "All right."

Prime sat back. "Did you shoot this mech?"

He looked at Blackstone, then Prime. "Yes, I did."

"May I ask why you did?" Prime asked as the door opened and Jarro entered with a colleague. They moved to the wall with the others and paused to listen.

"I shot him because he deserved it."

Prime considered that. "You knew him."

"I did."

"Did he harm you in some way?" Prime asked.

"Yes, he did."

"I can assume it was in some other place then," Prime asked.

Jade nodded. "It was."

"On Cybertron."

"Yes."

Prime paused. "Is it possible for you to tell us?"

Jade looked at him, then the others. "Who are these mechs?"

"They are security and some of my senior officers. Some of them are here to help you like Blackstone. That mech is Jarro. He will ask you questions too so that we can understand what happened here and why. It would help a lot if we can know your grievance against the deceased."

Jade looked at Blackstone who considered things a moment. "Nothing said here counts later?" Blackstone asked.

Prime nodded.

"You can tell us what you can, Jade. I will help you. Do your best." Blackstone said quietly. He patted Jade's servo and moved closer.

Jade looked at him and nodded. He turned to look at Prime. He was silent a moment, then he began. "I was different on Cybertron. I was poor but my genitors loved me and did their best. You know how it was."

Prime nodded silently. It was very quiet in the room.

"They went to work as usual when I was a sub adult. They didn't come back. I didn't know what had happened. I heard that someone had gathered up a lot of workers at the plant and taken them away to work in an energon mine. It was when the shortages began and things began to get bad. They didn't come back. I waited. I don't think they're dead. I would know." He sat in a daze of misery and shock, the dullness of his tone a sharp contrast with his enormous beauty.

They listened, all of them knowing exactly what he was saying. The high castes were grave, the low simmering. All of it was a terrible thing. For all that Prime tried to do, much injustice had happened in the maelstrom of the downfall from the imposition of the Clampdown and the rise of anarchy and Megatron.

"I was on my own. I was different then, pure white helm to ped. I was very good looking but not very good at fending off predators. This mech was a predator. He was a very bad mech. I got away from him after a while and learned that the only way to survive was to be smarter and tougher than the freaks. I studied, I changed, I buried that little mech under a hard layer of gloss. I became exclusive and protected. It made me invisible to the world, that level of protection and exclusivity. Most of the mechs in this town haven't got a clue what I had to do to survive. I walk around and get stares but no one knows who I was on Cybertron." He looked at Prime. "I am a survivor."

Prime nodded. "When did you decide to shoot Retro?"

"I came here and got an apartment. I went to the Bulletin Board and searched for my mech, my Beray. I wanted to find him on the rolls. He wasn't there. I checked for him and everyone who would know me and who I was from the old orns. That is when I saw his name. I checked for his location and found out he was in the brig. Then I saw the Watch remove him to the prison. It made it all easier."

"You are in the Home Guard. Was that deliberate? A way to get to Retro?" Prime asked.

Jade nodded. "It was. I would need to be a long shot to get him and it was easy to stand in the darkness and watch him. He had habits. They were his downfall, his habits."

It was silent a moment, then Blackstone looked at Prime. "What now? I want to know where he's going from here."

"I believe he can stay in the brig until we get him screened," Prime said. "What is the likelihood he will shoot another person?"

Jarro shrugged. "Very low, Optimus. I think the idea of putting him there is sound. I don't want him to self injure until we can examine him better."

Prime nodded and looked at Ratchet who stood solemnly nearby. "Ratchet?"

"I want him protected against that. This mech has a very flat affect. I don't like it."

"My Beray is coming. I am waiting for him. When he comes it will be good. He loves me and I love him. He doesn't care about all of it," Jade said looking at Prime. "He's a good mech. He's a bookkeeper. I met him in Iacon. I'm waiting for him because he will come. We promised each other when the city fell. If we didn't hook up to go together we would find each other no matter what. He's coming here."

Prime looked at the young mech and felt old. He nodded. "We can hope." He glanced at Springer. "Please take Jade to the brig. Have him on constant watch. Blackstone, if you could go and help settle him in."

Blackstone nodded.

"I'll come too," Jarro said.

They both stood up, Jade following, Springer in the lead and walked to the doorway and beyond. The others would sit and stand silently a moment before all would turn to the body of Retro who lay on the table in the middle of the room.

Dead.

-0-TBC

04-19-13


	278. Chapter 278

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (278) edited for boo boos

-0-The Prison Operational Center

The room was heavy, the energy somber. No one spoke for a moment, then Prime shifted. "This is a complicated situation. We now have our second murder in the city. Like the other one, this would appear to have extenuating circumstances. It is not a cut and dried situation."

Ratchet nodded. "No. You must also understand that this has an element of personal conflict as well with our family connection. I will have to ask another doctor to do the post postmortem."

Prime nodded. "I understand."

"The report from Jarro will be critical. It could be that this mech didn't have complete control over their actions," Ironhide said.

"They meticulously planned this, joining the Home Guard to get the weapon and training necessary to pull this off." Prime shook his helm. "The misery of our people from Cybertron never ends."

"It does for my son," Ironhide said coldly. "I for one won't miss Retro."

"No." Ratchet agreed. "But it would be foolish to think that Jade and Sunspot were his only victims." Ratchet looked at Prime. "I know this sounds odd considering all things but we have to build a mausoleum. We need a place to put our dead, Optimus."

He nodded. "I have been considering that as well. I think I would like to speak to Jetta about setting aside a plot of land that can be developed for a burial ground for our people. I can only assume that this and accidents, old age and the like will continue. We have to have a place to put our people that gives them honor in their passing."

Everyone nodded, then Prime rose turning to the prison crew. "I don't want this to get out. This is a sealed event until we figure out what fully happened and release it to the news in a complete form."

The crew nodded and watched as Optimus Prime followed by his senior staff and security walked out of the building. Guards who had gathered outside turned to watch as Prime and his people walked to the gate of Cell Block B. Nodding to the Officer of the Orn, Optimus and his mechs stepped through the gate when the bars went down. They went back up when the party was through.

Walking toward the barracks, they paused and waited as the inmates stepped out. Nearby covering the ground, blue energon from Retro and burnt sand from the arcing blast of the bullet hitting the bars marred the soil. Sentinel followed by Ratbat, Decimus, Proteus and Contrail stepped out of the barracks and walked to stand before Prime and his officers. Sentinel looked at all of them measuringly, then the guards who had moved to the bars, their guns in plain sight. "I don't suppose you will tell us what happened here," Sentinel said calmly.

The others weren't calm but they were silent as they watched Prime. Optimus looked at the stained soil nearby, then Sentinel. "What do you know about a mech called Jade?"

Sentinel didn't flinch but the others registered reactions. "He was a friend of Halogen," Decimus said. "What about him?"

"What else do you know about him?" Prime asked again.

Decimus looked at Prime with a calculated expression on his face. "Why? What does he have to do with this?"

"Answer the question," Ironhide said moving slightly closer. "Prime asked it. You answer it."

Decimus looked at Ironhide with an expression of loathing. "He was a friend of Halogen. A very good friend. Do I need to draw you a picture?"

"What do you know about Retro's predilection for young mechs?" Ratchet asked. "The younger, the better?"

They looked at him, some of them with startled glances. "What do you mean?" Decimus blustered. "I knew Retro for vorns of ages and what you are suggesting … you cannot be serious."

"I'm deadly serious," Ratchet said with a cold tone. "Cut the crap. You had to know. You had to know he liked younglings, the younger the better. Why the frag do you think he was in the prison?"

"For jaywalking. For spitting on the sidewalk. He was high caste. You don't need a reason to lock one up," Decimus replied hotly.

Ratchet glanced at Proteus. "You know."

Proteus, the intelligent crafty one looked at Ratchet. "You're hallucinating."

"You will be the one hallucinating if you don't level with us, Proteus," Ironhide said. "Mechs are shooting you fraggers over stuff that happened to them a million years ago on Cybertron. How the frag do we stop that if we don't know things?"

"Like you would want to, Ironhide," Ratbat said with a slight smirk.

"I don't," Ironhide said agreeing. "But the autopsies are taking Ratchet away from dinner. Spill or get spilled. Your choice."

It was silent a moment, then Proteus shifted. "We heard stories. We never saw evidence. Retro came from a good family and he did a good job on the tasks he was given. Why should we have believed anything like that?"

"Because it was true," Prowl said. "There are more than one victim of his tastes here in the city. I was chasing down the ring that ran his type of victims when I was sent to do another job that I was told was related to the case I was closing in on. It wasn't. What do you remember about that?"

No one spoke, then Sentinel shifted again. "You were made Second-in-Command of the Armed Forces for your ability. You weren't pulled off anything, Prowl."

"Of course I was," Prowl countered looking up at the mech he once had feelings for. Once upon a time in a deluded lifetime ago he thought for a moment. "I was diverted. No one ever was arrested. I pursued it in my spare time but it never got anywhere, Sentinel. You know that and so do I. He was protected from prosecution and now he's dead with a round through his processor. And no one cares. However, this isn't Cybertron under the rule of any one of you. We want the truth and the facts. So spill them. Spill them before someone else with a grudge that we don't know about shoots one of you to get even."

"We just heard rumors but never saw it. He had mech friends, romantic ones," Proteus said.

"Good cover for what he truly was. Didn't it occur to you that predators sometimes hide themselves in the tall grass?" Ironhide said coldly. "This was about babies. You didn't bother to check did you to see if this was true or not."

"We didn't have any evidence," Proteus said. "We knew his family. He was high caste. He was a good worker. He was pleasant and useful. What grounds would we have to look into his life?"

"Rumors are the smoke from fires. The kindling was innocent younglings and babies," Ratchet said. "You didn't look because you can't believe a high caste can be a monster. It has been my experience that too many of them were. You let a predator prey on children and look what has happened."

"You make everything about caste, Ratchet," Proteus protested. "This is just bunk. I don't know why Retro was shot but it has more to do with someone holding a grudge from Cybertron than anything else. Why don't you investigate that? Or does the murder of high castes matter? First Kudon, now Retro."

"This is and isn't about caste," Prime said. "Caste only matters because of the terrible injustices done to our people by the System on Cybertron and even beyond that during the Diaspora. Retro had more than one victim here and the evidence from that one and this new one is painting a grave picture. If you had investigated the claims being rumored about Retro, maybe he would still be alive and a lot of children wouldn't be victimized. Your failure to even envision this possibility makes you responsible for the actions he was allowed to commit unchecked."

"You would blame us for everything, Optimus," Sentinel said calmly.

"You deserve the blame, Sentinel," Prowl said coldly. "You and the others. After all, you were the fraggers making the slagging laws."

They all turned to Prowl who stood tense and outraged.

"Who else made the damned laws?" he asked again. "I didn't. Neither did anyone else standing here. You overturned every law and reform that Prime tried to make to save the planet from the inevitable. How could you honestly believe that genitors would allow their infants to starve and have no future while you sat on your fat afts and took everything? What the hell did anyone of you contribute that was worth the spark of one dead miner or one starving child? Frag you, all of you to the Pit."

It was silent as they stared at Prowl, then Sentinel turned to go. Pausing a moment, he looked at Prime. "Do you think we are safe in this pen or do you expect more vigilantes?"

"I expect you to be forthright with me, Sentinel," Prime replied. "All of you. You will be protected to the best of our abilities but I can't guarantee that someone else won't even a score I don't know about. That part of the security puzzle is yours to fill in."

Sentinel turned and walked back to the barracks followed by everyone but Proteus. He looked at Prime. "I didn't know what he was doing. I wasn't close to him. He was a staffer that did work assigned and was a Judicial attache. That wasn't my bailiwick."

"But you knew there were rumors," Prowl persisted.

Proteus looked at him, then nodded slightly. "I did. Twenty-twenty hindsight. I can't change a thing. I just know once in a while someone would say they didn't like Retro. They hinted he was unsavory but not more than that. I knew his brother. That is all I know." He stood a moment, then turned and walked to the barracks. He entered and the door closed.

"Slagger," Prowl said hotly. He glanced at the energon on the ground. "I hope this is the last time this happens. I don't envy what happens when this is announced."

"I will make an announcement of it myself on IntraComm. Until then, we gather the evidence, seek information on the shooter and keep this secure," Prime said. "I don't want discord beyond what is inevitable in the city."

They nodded and turned walking back together. The walk through the streets of the city, the evening crowd pausing to talk was pleasant considering the circumstances. When they reached the elevator of their building, they stepped inside and began the ride up.

"Are you going to tell Sunspot?" Prowl asked worriedly.

"I will ask Roto. He's Sunspot's counselor. We will tell him but the proper way," Ratchet replied. "He hasn't had a bad dream in a long time and I don't want to stir up tranquil waters."

Prowl nodded. The elevator paused as Ratchet and Ironhide stepped off heading for the barn. Prime and Prowl went onward to the penthouse. Entering their apartment, both hugged Ravel and Tie Down. The two went home and the apartment was quiet. The infants were all in recharge, Spot's helm rising to peer at them as they leaned in to peer at both.

They walked to the living room and sat down in their chairs. It was silent a moment. "This is a relief, Ironhide. I can't say I approve of what happened nor do I care for the taking of life. I am a doctor after all. I am just relieved for Sunspot. He won't have to testify at any trial."

Ironhide nodded. "I know. I don't care about Retro. I'm a father, Ratchet. My infants are everything to me. I am glad for Sunspot's sake that this didn't have to go to trial. I am just concerned about Jade."

"He seems pretty shocked and his affect is dull," Ratchet said with a nod. "I think even though it was clearly premeditated that there are extenuating circumstances. Jarro will find out. I just don't want caste discord. We are integrated as a society here and I want it to stay that way. Prime might have to have a Convocation of the Will sooner rather than later."

Ironhide nodded. "I hear you."

They sat together talking quietly. Nearby in a cell in the brig, a forlorn young mech sat staring at the floor as his counsel explained to him what would happen next. He heard the words but they didn't really register. He was lost in his memories of a mech named Beray who loved him.

For the moment, that was all that mattered.

-0-In the Autobot City Hospital and Medical Center Morgue

They wheeled the gurney into the locker and parked it next to two others. Mechs who had been injured in the last migration had died and they were awaiting some sort of disposition. There was no cemetery nor mausoleum in the city yet. All of the dead were stored in a locker next to this one.

The tag on the sealed bag read 'mech, gunshot wound, keep for formal autopsy-full report to Office of the Prime, CMO, Justice Department-Barron, cc Blackstone'. The mechs on duty turned and walked out, the heavy door closing behind them. The lights went out when the door closed and the room was still.

In the morning, a doctor named Ashbury would come in and do the postmortem. He would take apart the victim's helm and trace through the burnt and destroyed circuits the path of the bullet. It would be a remarkable shot going into one audial and out the other in a straight line. He would determine that the victim was in good condition, possessed a very good protoform and had the outward appearance of a high caste mech. His protoform would be neo-Golden Age in design, obviously an homage to his ancestry. It would be determined that he had good nutrition all of his life, that his function had never involved heavy lifting or manual labor and that his databanks were destroyed when his processor overloaded before death. Nothing would be salvageable.

Ashbury would never know how lucky he would be that this was so. Part of the postmortem process involving unnatural deaths was a review of any and all existing databases to determine if anything relating to the death in question existed in the files of the victim. That would not be possible with Retro.

He would take all of his secrets to the Matrix.

-0-TBC

04-20-13

NOTE: What great comments in the reviews. I will answer all of them shortly. You have given me a very good view of what this reads like to you. Readers have a ton of insight and when you share it, I love it. It gives me a good idea of whether my ideas are sound or not. HUGS to everyone who reads this, notes or no. I love you all. :D :D


	279. Chapter 279

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (279) edited for boo boos

-0-The following morning

Ironhide and Ratchet walked from the schools heading for Ops Center and the special military meeting Prime had called for the Alpha Team. The usual community-military meeting had been canceled, the events of the night before and new intel in the overnight dump requiring security for the proceedings.

Need to know only.

They entered the big room and walked past any number of hardworking dedicated professional and civilian soldiers doing their duty for the planet. Prowl waved them to the conference room so they detoured. He followed as did several others. Then the door closed for some time.

-0-Blackstone

He sat in his office collating what they presently knew. Jade was a former sex worker if that was the reference on Cybertron. Cybertronians had many nicknames for this job but no real designation. It was what it was. A job. Since the Diaspora he had worked in honorable professions using his education and intellect to run computer systems and other data entities. He sat back and considered the trade Jade had formerly plied.

Prostitution wasn't a despised profession on Cybertron oddly enough. There was enough poverty and inequity that a mech taking that route wasn't dismissed as a lesser being because of it. In fact, there were many who had gone on to amass great wealth and influence, some of them making great bonds with the high and low. It wasn't the act itself that brought about the disgust he felt himself. It was the fact that for many, that was the only road open to them.

Jade would not be condemned in the city for what he once did. No one would care about that. What would rise in the bile ducts of all concerned was the inequity that created his profession. Blackstone considered all of it and concluded that Jade's former profession would be sealed by the courts. It was irrelevant to the case at servo. This was about an abused child taking revenge on his attacker. This had nothing to do with what followed. If Jade was going to have a chance to have a life here, it would be on his own terms. There would be no cloud of past events hovering over him if he had anything to do with the legal proceedings.

Blackstone looked at his data and the list of things he asked to be undertaken on behalf of his client, then bent to his work bringing his formidable intellect and integrity online to save a lonely kid from prison.

-0-At the meeting

Prime glanced at Prowl who picked up the datapad. "We have a number of items on the deck and all of them are 'secret beyond secret'." The security designation made everyone sit a bit straighter. "First of all, there was a murder at the prison last night."

Everyone glanced at each other, then turned to Prowl. "What happened?" Jetta asked solemnly. "And what design flaw allowed this so I can fix it?"

Prime nodded. "We need to extend sensor grids farther out, perhaps as much as five miles. Any shooter with a good gun is lethal for fifteen miles. Experts like Bluestreak can drill a target from fifty miles out with his long guns. I want that fixed."

Jetta nodded. "It will be done."

"A youngling mech from the last migration, name to be kept undisclosed for now took a rifle and drilled Retro through the helm," Prowl said in a calm police-type voice. "He had joined the Home Guard to learn how to shoot and borrowing his practice rifle went to the prison and killed the deceased. He had apparently done recon on the deceased's habits learning them well enough to be at the right place at the right time."

It was silent a moment. "He committed first degree murder as the humans say. Premeditated then," Elita said.

"He may have extenuating circumstances that led to a diminished capacity even though there is premeditation," Ratchet said. "He was one of Retro's victims."

They all sat back considering that. Then Jazz nodded. "Good riddance."

"No one will argue with that," Prowl said nodding. "What is bad among many things is another high caste is murdered."

Arcee shrugged. "They had better stop being fraggers, then it won't happen."

"That's hardly a course of action, Arcee," Magnus began, "that can be counted upon."

"No," Arcee said with a slight smirk. "But it can be a warning. Don't harm people and you won't get harmed."

"We are getting mechs and femmes with histories we can only guess at. We have to expect in a large city that things are going to happen. So far our crime is petty, mostly high grade influenced. What we don't need is a lot of killing. This is a city for all our people to live in equally. If they believe that they are in jeopardy, then unrest will happen," Optimus said quietly.

"What is happening to Burris?" Ratchet asked glancing at Barron who was present for this part of the meeting.

"Burris is on orn three of his sentence. He is not happy and is making all manner of threats to organize protests. If he hears of this, his paranoia will be out of bounds," Barron replied.

"We are interviewin' low and mid caste individuals, Optimus, and it looks pretty bad for those who had the colony on Veris 1. There is evidence of slavery and brutality against the lower castes by the high castes. Some of the victims were just lookin' for a place that was safe and were sucked in. Others were just lookin' to refuel and leave. They didn't," Jazz said.

Optimus nodded and glanced at Barron. "I would hope that you handle this matter in the proper legal way and decide within the law whether we have charges to make. It is my assertion that no matter where our people are during my tenure as Prime, I have the responsibility to protect them and redress their hurts and grievances whether I am there or not."

"That is correct. It is in the charter of the Primes, Optimus," Barron said. "No matter where our people are and no matter what they did or do, you are the state and you are still their legal Prime. You have a duty and responsibility to them and to those harmed."

Prime nodded. "I thought so. I feel it in conjunction to the Matrix."

"We will have all the reports forwarded to your office, Ratchet's and Blackstone's," Prowl said making the notation.

"The autopsy is probably done by now. Ashbury will write it and send it with relevant images to everyone," Ratchet said nodding.

"Good," Barron said. "I will send briefs about the progress and direction of any charges against Burris and members of his colony when they are formulated."

"Thank you, Barron," Prime said nodding. "We have a military meeting now. Thank you for coming."

Barron rose and nodded respectfully. "It is my honor to serve you, Optimus." He turned and walked out, the door closing behind him.

"That mech has impeccable manners. Too bad Burris doesn't. He wouldn't be in jail if he had a shred of the integrity that bot has," Ratchet said.

Everyone nodded, then turned toward Prime. He sat back. "We have a problem," he began.

-0-In a classroom

Orion stood in the sandbox, a spoon in each servo. He had made a 'castle' of sorts and was admiring the view. It was lumpen and sort of box shaped. He had put toys on it so they would have a home. He loved it. He was proud. Sand was hard.

Standing nearby looking at it, considering it with his own critical optic, Han pondered the meaning of the lumpen shape. His favorite toy was stuck in the top of it. He had brought it from home and had forgotten to take it with him to the next stop in his plan, dancing. Now that he was back and on a cookie break he had noticed his favorite toy sticking out of a pile of sand in the box.

Walking toward it, he paused at the edge of the box. Orion looked up and saw him, a slight frown crossing his little brow. "You. Go you."

Han looked at him and a slight frown crossed his little brow too. "You bad."

Orion blinked. "No. You bad."

Han stepped over the edge of the box and walked through the soft beige stuff to pause by the castle. Then he reached over to grasp the toy. A rap by a incensed sparkling stopped that action. Rubbing his helm, Han looked at his nemesis, Orion who stood glaring at him, a spoon quivering in his servo. "Ow," he said with gathering fury.

Orion grinned, then set his peds just as he had seen his atar do when chasing them. He raised his spoon-filled servos in a 'ready-get set-go' position just like his brother, Sunspot had done chasing them. Then he waited, a determined expression on his comical little face just like his old dad. "Go, you. I want go you."

Han looked at Orion, then frowned darkly. Looking at his servos, he had no weapon beyond his cookie. He put that in his mouth and bent down to pick up a little truck and a small shovel. Looking at Orion with a determined expression, he charged.

-0-Conference Room

"We have verified that the three battle groups that Paragon had gone out to meet are going to be digging in. They have found an asteroid that is big enough to construct a base. They have energon in the fragmented debris of the scatter field. They also have a free range of commuications for other Decepticons to be contacted. This puts them in a pincer position on the route to disrupt. This also gives Paragon allies with which to become an annoyance to our efforts," Prowl concluded.

It was silent a moment. Then Ironhide leaned forward. "We need to take out that base. Either that base or Paragon. They might think they have a great plan going but slagging either one of them or both will undo it."

"I agree," Blackjack said. Alor sat beside him calculating the problem to the nth degree, his analytical abilities on a par with Prowl. He was once the Autobot's 'Prowl'.

"That would be a good thing. I would slag Paragon because he is the weaker of the two, probably has greater stores of energon and is closer to us," Alor said as dozens of plans began to coalesce in his calculations files.

"That would probably be a better plan than going to the others. It would help us with the two migrations coming this way. There are also Arks in the mix which appear to have an as yet undetermined number of soldiers aboard," Prowl said.

"We have sent Seekers to the migrations for intel and other information, Prime. We should have data back on the bullet express line in a couple of joors. It will be decrypted as soon as it arrives," Starscream said nodding.

"Good," Optimus said. "We need to know what we're facing." He glanced at Magnus and Jetta. "How is construction coming along?"

"We are ahead of schedule on the three new sites. We are trying to build them together so that we can have as many begun as possible. When they are framed and ready for interior construction, we are going to concentrate on five towers at a time, completing them before turning to the next. With concentrated effort on a few at a time, we can have finished housing ready starting tomorrow faster than our normal rate of construction," Jetta said. Magnus nodded.

"Good. We don't know what these migrations encompass but they might be big. Right now, they are just echoes on the margin of our sensors," Prime said.

-0-At the school

Han charged Orion with a determined expression. The little black bot blinked, then doubled down. He got ready as Han got closer. Then Han stepped on his castle, bogged down and fell flat on his face. Lying face planted in quicksand, a toy and shovel in his servos, he wallowed.

Orion shocked that Han had destroyed his castle stepped forward and began to beat on him with his spoons. Their titanic struggle continued silently as one concentrated on getting up and the other concentrated on keeping him down.

Nearby with their own cookies paused halfway to their tiny mouths, Olo and Mimi watched the battle royal. They glanced at each other, then as one walked to the sandbox to watch. As they did, they blocked the view for Neo who was helping El and Kaon nearby.

-0-TBC

04-20-13

NOTE: An observation. I watched Dark of the Moon from the opening to the butt shot of Carly. I don't dare watch more for this story might be impacted. I find that Bay is an anomaly. His dystopian view of Cybertron is not matched by G1, G2, most of the novels and Transformers Prime. There is no sunlight or sunny streets and plains. There is no sensible organization to the buildings. They reflect a metallic sensibility but not a livability to me. All of the universes even when they are gritty and down in the dirt reflect the G1 sensibility in art and form. They are livable, well lit and organized. Bay's universe is more alien, more metallic and more removed from human sensibilities but to me as interesting as it is, it is an outlier. It makes me feel better about things that I hold to tradition and he goes down his own road. :D :D :D


	280. Chapter 280

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (280) edited for boo boos

-0-In the school

Orion beat on Han for a moment, then stepped back watching the little bot swim in aspic. Han floundered, his backside stinging from the blows. He had sand in every part of his body including his mouth. That was the worst part, the sand in his mouth. He hated that. Pausing, he looked up at Orion who was standing uncertainly, his servos poised with their spoons. "You fall."

Han looked at him spitting out sand. He frowned. "Orion boo!"

They both paused considering what the new word meant and both failed. To Orion, it sounded like a threat. To Han, it sounded like swearing. **"BOO!"** he said 'swearing' at his nemesis.

Orion blinked, his tiny processor going through the possibilities. It sounded like swearing to him too. "Han bad! Han say boo!" Then he began to pound on Han again.

Olo paused her cookie in front of her mouth and glanced anxiously over her shoulder. No one was paying attention. So she handed her cookie to Mimi and clambered over the wall. Walking unsteadily across the sand, she paused beside Orion. Looking at Han floundering, she turned to Orion. "O. No."

Orion paused, then looked at the sparkling white little femme with the delicate wings who was a good friend of his and sometimes dancing partner. "Olo!" he smiled brilliantly.

Neo glanced their way and smiled. "All is good over there. I think I will help you, my darling El, to move over here." With that, she began to gather the tiny femme to move to where the sun would warm her body and help her protoform to grow.

Olo looked at Han, then reached down and grabbed his arm. Tugging, she tried to pull him up. Orion who stood watching put his spoons down and leaned into the task. If Olo wanted him up, he, Orion would help. They tugged and tugged, then Han was up.

Han sputtered for a moment, then looked at both of them. Reaching out, he slapped Orion on the nose. Orion blinked and sputtered himself. Then he slapped Han on the nose too. Olo who stood surprised looked at Han. "No."

Han looked at her, then Orion. "Bad, O."

Olo looked at him, then Orion. "No."

They both paused, then looked at each other. Han pushed Orion hard but he had been planted firmly in the sand. He wavered, then pushed Han himself. That bot fell over and landed on the former castle. He lay akimbo for a moment, then thrashed to get up.

Orion watching turned and looked at his bucket. It still had sand so he took it and poured it over the top of Han. Then he began to bury the little mech in the sand with his spoons.

-0-At the hospital

Ratchet stood to one side as the plastic surgeons began to remove the masks that had hidden the genitors of Optimus Prime from discovery since the Fall. Dozens of images supplied by the family had been studied with parts fabricated and armored to replace that which had covered their familiar features for so long.

Out in the waiting room, Optimus and Prowl sat chatting with the ten Elite Guards who had been their protectors, friends and guardians for all the long years of their ordeal. They themselves were immaculate in appearance and as expectant as Prime. They had come to love the two self effacing gentle individuals and had as much emotional investment in their recovery as the family.

Ironhide stood in the doorway, a wary optic on Prowl. That bot sat next to Optimus on the couch listening as they whiled away the hours.

So far so good.

-0-At the school

Han rolled over and clambered out of the sand trap turning to cast a vicious optic at Orion. Orion looked at his peds and planted them carefully like his atar, his little spoons coming up before him like fists. Olo who was alarmed patted at both of them as Mimi stood holding both their cookies, a solemn look on her face. "No. No no," Olo said mimicking her genitors who were exceedingly careful with her dainty self. "No, Olo. No no," was a common comment gently delivered at her home.

Orion looked at her and paused a moment putting down his spoons. He turned taking her servo and walked to the edge of the sandbox with her in tow. Walking her there through the sludge of sand, he helped her climb out. As that happened Han went for a spoon. He got one and was going for the other when Orion turned. Orion lunged for the one remaining. They stared at each other, both armed with a plastic spoon and a menacing optic. They then commenced to swing on each other with all their might.

Han fell down and Orion ended up stumbling. He faced backwards from Han when he finally steadied and paused looking around for him. Olo and Mimi just glanced at each other solemnly.

-0-At the surgery

They worked gently taking away parts that were designed to make them nondescript. Replacing them with the original armor plating, Prime's genitors began to emerge from their exile. Kestrel had most of the looks that Optimus had inherited in his protoform. His colors came from his atar, Tagg. That handsome bot was red and blue with bits of white here and there.

Kestrel was mostly blue with red highlights here and there. He was vivid in his colors which reflected the effort and expense his genitors had expended on his protoform. For a low cast mech, he had a very good one. Tagg's was handsome and durable but the original colors weren't as vivid. Both families were as destitute as everyone else at their level but Kes's family had scrimped long and hard before he was even considered as a possibility.

Their armor was waxed with a textural salve, a thick oily conditioner that was rubbed on until it no longer was absorbed. This armor in its state took a lot of it before they achieved balance. It would texturize and strengthen the plating, restoring it to a healthy condition once again. It would be better and stronger than it had at any time in their lives. Because it was, the protoform underneath it with the liquid metallic substances that formed in layers over their internal skeleton would be strengthened and balanced as well. All the aches and pains, the ill feelings of distress and the damage caused by protoform wasting would begin to turn around and find the path to resolution.

All that would be missing was a detailing of the surface colors and designs which would adhere to the armor plating like steel. Even a scratch would be rebuffed when the process was complete.

Ratchet watched and saw handsome mechs re-emerge. He turned and walked to the door pausing to look outside. Everyone silenced and looked at him. He smiled. "All is going very well. What handsome mechs your genitors are, Optimus. They look and are doing very very well."

Optimus looked intensely relieved and the Elite Guards beamed. Ratchet turned and went inside as Prowl rose and turned to the door. "Fork over the sparkling, Ironhide," he said with a relieved expression on his face. "That's an order."

Ironhide's smile 86'ed itself and he begrudgingly pulled Prowler out of his carry hold. He was wearing his brand new stuff just picked up that morning from The Sparkling Store on their way to the conference meeting. He had a black Holstein cow print on his cap and booties. His little sweater had the same only in tan. His blanket was white with a big cow smiling and 'MOO!' printed in black letters on the middle of it.

Prowl took the baby and grinned. "Well, if you aren't the cutest little buckaroo in the room."

After the reference was referenced, everyone smiled. Prowl turned and sat holding him so Optimus could see. "What a cute little baby you are," Prime said grinning at his partner's namesake. He looked up at Ironhide who was sulking at the door. "You have another one inside your carry hold, grabby. Why not bring her out too?"

"Prowl is greedy," Ironhide said smiling in spite of himself. He reached in and pulled Hero out setting her on her peds. She wore her Little Blue Dog kit and held the same plushie by an ear. She looked at everyone and smiled. Toddling forward in her hat and sweater, dragging her little dollie behind her, she headed for anyone who would hold her.

Her atar looked at her efforts like she had just invented the cure for cosmic rust.

-0-At the school

Orion stumbled around trying to find Han who had managed to move forward. He had Orion's bucket in servo and with herculean effort plopped it on Orion's helm. Picking up the spoon he had held before falling on his face, he began to hit the bucket hard. Orion stumbled forward bumping Han who fell down and as he staggered trying to get the bucket off, he fell over the edge of the sand box and landed in a pile.

For a moment, the two femmes just stared with incredulity that such things could happen in a civilized world. Then they put their cookies down and walked forward. Olo gripped the bucket and Mimi gripped one of Orion's tiny peds. They both pulled.

Hard.

-0-A bit later in the surgery

Optimus looked at the face of his atar and felt emotions flooding him. This was the face he had loved, the face who had loved him. Sitting up nearby, Prowl's arm around him, Kestrel sat looking at the armor that had been so damaged and now glistened a healthy strong shade of gray. "This is so wonderful."

Ratchet nodded and held out a mirror. Kestrel looked at him, then took it taking a big breath before looking. The face looking back was a memory from long ago. It was handsome and wise. It was good and gentle. The face staring back in the mirror was a face that had accepted its lot in life, worked hard without complaint and did without so his son and bond could have what they needed. Kestrel was kind and shy. That mech was once more evident now. He looked at his servos and the rest of himself, restored again to what and who he once was. It was almost an out of protoform experience.

"Kestrel."

He looked up and flinched. Tagg was looking at him, the mech he had met and loved, the mech who had done his best to protect him all the long exile and who he had tried to protect. He was standing with his son, their son, their wonderful son. Tagg was handsome again. He was beautiful. He was the mech he had met at the plant who loved books and his family. He was the mech who ate shit and worked for stupid people because he had a son and bond to support. He had always done his job, teaching their boy their shared values of obligation to others and basic decency. They had together created a son worthy of the Matrix and now he was back.

Kestrel got to his peds and with a wary Prowl by his side walked to Tagg who rose himself unsteadily. He embraced his bond, holding him tightly, then he looked at Tagg's face. "You are so handsome. You are yourself."

"You are too, Kes," Tagg said hugging Kestrel tightly. "I love you, Kes. I'm so happy to see you again. You were beautiful no matter what happened. You were always you. I just missed your beautiful face, that's all."

Kestrel nodded. "I know, Tagg," he managed.

Optimus didn't dare speak at all. None of them did.

-0-At the rumble in the sandbox

Orion managed to get on his peds and clamber back inside. He looked around and picked up a fistful of sand. He threw it at Han but it fizzled out before it reached him. Han watched it fall to the ground and laughed. "O, bad!"

Orion then decided to head butt Han. He had seen Sunspot do it in jest with Sideswipe. Sideswipe had fallen over in a faint when Sunny did it. He would do it too. He then commenced to chase Han around the sandbox nodding his helm toward Han each time he managed to get close to him. He never connected but he tried.

Mimi and Olo looked at them, then turned running as fast as their tiny selves could go to where Mr. Roto was chatting with an aide about a class later on that afternoon. They stopped and looked up, way up at him. He paused and looked down grinning. "Hello, ladies. What can I do for you?"

They looked at each other, then both pointed toward the sandbox. "O! Han! Bad. No no!" they both said mostly at the same time.

Roto stepped out and looked as Neo rose from where El was laying on her little chair. They both paused to watch.

Orion was chasing Han, his helm bouncing forward in some sparkling attempt to headbutt. Han who was running ahead of Orion because he was looking where he was going would pause and hit him with a spoon. Orion would stop when he did and glare at the little bot comically. Then they would continue.

Roto looked at Neo who looked at Roto as both looked down at the femmes. They all looked at each other. Then Roto grinned and hoofed it to the sandbox pausing at the side with a stern expression. Two hoodlums in a tizzy paused and looked up at him, fake smiles breaking out on their faces at the same time. Quashing an intense urge to laugh until he died, Roto took the spoon away. "You two are the biggest pair of clowns going. I would paddle you both but I think you would like it." He reached in and glommed them both.

Setting the Chairs of Doom in the corner, Neo watched with a barely suppressed grin as they were hauled over and plunked down on their seats. Both of them looked up as Roto set the timer, a severe expression on his face that he didn't feel. "Bad mechs. You sit here until the timer goes off and I come get you. Understand?"

Both little mechs, their chins quivering nodded. Neo and Roto walked to the couch nearby to sit with an upset Mimi and Olo. Orion and Han looked at each other and on cue, they both began to spit at each other. They would do their time out in another corner but their wild aft excursion into hoodlum land would be passed around in the staff room with great hilarity.

-0-TBC

04-21-13

NOTE: I re-watched the same seggie in Dark of the Moon and find the terrain of Cybertron as imagined by Bay fascinating but beyond me to do in story form without it turning out to be very dark. It really is alien. I like the TF: Prime, G1-G2, novels for their original tone/= and look and how it applies to my stuff. I might try and imagine a story eventually with that kind of grittiness but not now. It will harm this one and the other. By the way, that story will come slower because it will remain second to this one. I hope to post on the same schedule but it will be hard to do some days. :D

A factoid that might make you smile. Frank Welker aka Megatron who is considered the best voice actor alive makes Bumblebee's voice. He says words in the pattern needed and they apply the sound effects over it to make Bee's speech. Ah-sooome. :D :D :D :D


	281. Chapter 281

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (280) edited for boo boos

-0-At the studio

They walked in and paused, Optimus looking around at the space. He had not been there yet and he regretted it. The sunlight was bright and warm, the ambiance comfortable. A studio shared space with children he thought as he looked at the play area roped off for the babies. He turned and looked at Sideswipe who was standing in front of a couch and Sunstreaker who held a paint pot. He was stirring it as he worked to make the colors perfect. The others walked inside including Prime's genitors "I want to thank you for this, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. This is a long overdue thing for my genitors."

Sunstreaker nodded. "No problem," he said as he began to eye the two quiet mechs standing behind their son with a critical optic. "Come on in and I'll have Sideswipe put the undercoats on and the protective cover for the armor that goes before the color is applied."

Tagg and Kestrel looked at each other. "What does he mean, Orion? Aren't we just getting color applied?" Tagg asked.

"Sunstreaker is not only my son-in-law, Atar, he's an artist. There is an art to customizing and detailing armor properly and he and Sideswipe are professionals. Its time that all of us got the chance to have good color and decoration on our armor and not just those that can afford it," Optimus replied gently.

They looked at him, then Prowl who grinned and nodded. Turning uncertainly, they walked to the platforms where they would stand and climbed on. Sideswipe checked his equipment, then turned and began to apply one of several coats of primer along with the protective layer for the underlying protoform. They stood and turned, raising this and that arm, tilting this and that way. Everyone sat on the couches and chairs watching silently.

"What do we do in payment, Orion? I realize these boys are our family too but they are giving up their time and the paint must be extremely expensive. We don't want to take advantage of their good natures," Kestrel asked as he raised his arms over his helm. "We should work shouldn't we?"

Optimus swallowed hard. "You don't ever have to work again. You have worked enough."

"We need to pay our way, son," Kestrel retorted. "We don't want to be any more of a burden than we have been for so long."

One of the guards stood up and caught Kestrel's optics. "You know better than that," he said gently. "You always carried your own weight, Kestrel."

Kestrel looked at him a moment, then nodded. "I don't know what to think. I still think I'm dreaming."

"You can speak to Jarro and his team. They are used to this from rescues and refugees. It will pass, Kestrel. You won't wake up on Cybertron from this. This is real," Ratchet said gently.

Kestrel looked at Ratchet for a moment, then looked down at the floor. "All right," he said quietly.

The guards stirred but kept their peace. Optimus noticed that and looked at Ratchet. "Will you schedule my genitors for a conversation with someone in Mental Health? I would appreciate it, Ratchet."

"We aren't crazy, Orion," Tagg said glancing at his son. "Your ada is just tired."

"And they can help," Optimus said. "I think it would be best for you both."

"Very well," Tagg said quietly. They both stood doing what they were told, then the undercoats were finished. What came next would take more time and care.

-0-At the school

Spot lay in a sunbeam dreaming of running along the rustic shores of the Sea of Rust. His boy was nearby working on his math, his concentration complete. Spot had been a spectacular playmate at recess, shared a snack at snack time and listened attentively during their reading period. They would be going to the main room for lunch with the other classes, two of which had service dogs as well.

They were both styled on the human canine called Labrador retrievers. One of them was partnered with a mech who had screaming nightmares about starvation and the shooting of his family. Everyone had survived but the transit with wounded who had no treatment had been profoundly disturbing.

The other lab, Silky, was the companion of a little femme named Hilo who had yet to talk. She had seen the acid monsters and had been burned on her tiny foot. She was spending her orns in class sitting in a chair by the window. She listened to the stories and hugged her dog close, the warm sunlight on her face soothing. Since she had gotten Silky, a black animal with a sweet face she had begun to make the journey back to reality. She had actually joined the line for lunch for two orns straight. It was a step forward for the forlorn little femme and her terrified family.

Silky was their collective hero.

Next to Hilo.

Sunspot paused and looked toward the windows where Spot lay, his beautiful white body absorbing solar energy. He looked like a cloud, the aura of his pure energy appearing to Sunspot like a halo. He loved his dog so much he couldn't focus a moment. Then he did, working through the mathematics that had been geared to his deficiencies. He would fill the pot holes of his databases, then move on to new tasks. He wouldn't move forward alone. Spot would be by his side.

It was a pleasant morning in the intermediate schools as the treasure of their city worked hard.

-0-In a sparkling school nearby

They stood looking chastened, both of them standing side-by-side in front of their teacher, Mr. **'TOTO!'** Roto. Staring at the floor, nearly to the verge of tears, they listened as Mr. Roto explained for the hundredth time that fighting was a **BIG NO NO!**

Of course, he geared it in his usual kind bemused manner. He looked at them, tiny bots with big brains and smirked. "If I didn't love both of you, I would put you in detention."

They heard 'love', 'you', and 'I'. It didn't sound too badly so Orion looked up, his sincerity clear. "Han say boo!" He made a shocked face and raised a servo to his mouth like an old lady who just heard her grandson say shit. Han glanced at Orion, then Roto. He looked again with an angry glance to Orion, then up at Roto shaking his helm negatively, his optics as innocent as he could make them look.

Orion turned to Roto and patted his arm. "Han say boo. Boo not good. Boo is no-no." He looked shocked and covered his mouth again staring at Han with almost realistic fake astonishment. "Boo is bad, **she** say." He pointed at Han and looked at Roto.

Roto who had knelt before them gathered himself and with great will didn't fall over to laugh. "Boo is bad?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Boo is bad. Bad say him. Boo **is**," Orion paused and made his astonished face, his optics wide as he tried to convey his overwhelming aghast horror at Han's 'swearing'.

Roto swallowed hard and composed himself. Looking sternly at Han, he leaned slightly forward. "Are you swearing, 'she'?"

Han leaned back slightly, a look of fake surprise and innocence fairly exploding on his face plates. "No! Han good! **She** bad!" he said pointing at Orion.

Orion looked at Roto, then Han. "**She** bad! **Orion** good! **She** say boo!" He looked shocked and astonished, turning his face to Roto to make sure Roto got it about 'she'.

Han who had actually **said** boo and** meant** it punched Orion in the nose. Orion blinking at the slightly whiffed punch looked at Roto. Roto looked at him with his own astonished expression, then Han. "Han bad," he said in spite of himself. He stood and lifted Han placing him back on the Chair of Doom. Turning to Orion, he paused.

Orion was grinning broadly at the back of Han even as he rubbed his nose. Orion looked up catching Roto looking at him and the smile faded immediately. It was replaced with a look of utter hurt and dismay. It was so instantaneous that Roto was surprised something on Orion's face didn't unscrew and fall off.

He stifled his laughter to the best of his ability, then picked up Orion. Orion sat on his servo looking at him with a deeply aggrieved, deeply serious expression. **"MR. TOTO! HAN SAY BOO!"**

"He did," Roto said smirking at his little charge. "We don't allow swearing here. Is that a swear word? You both seem to think so."

Orion considered that incomprehensible sentence, then looked down at Han. He smiled in spite of himself, then committed his own hanging offense. He spit at Han from above.

He would spend a while on his own chair in his own corner.

Mr. Roto 'Toto' on the other servo would go to the staff room and split a gut trying to convey to the staff on break what had happened and just how damned funny and cute it was.

He would fail.

-0-At the studio

They stood in front of the mirror watching as a hard finish was applied to their coats of paint. They had had fifteen layers of color air brushed onto their main schemes. That had dried as hard as rocks on contact. It was Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's secret formula. The tape protecting other areas painted first was being stripped off as the finish landed where it was supposed to be. When the last strips were pulled, the two stared at the mirrors and saw finally themselves from helm to ped as they once were.

Only several planetary diameters better.

They shone like glass. Their chrome glistened. Their colors were intense, the kind one got with dozens of layers of paint. Only with the pigments that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker used, they were the most intense of any artist and detailer in the city.

"You will get fifteen more coats, two covers for the color and a few scratch and protection layers," Sunstreaker said as he watched them stare at themselves with astonishment. "I think you're too tired for those now. We can do that later."

They looked at him, then Orion. "You mean this isn't it?" Tagg asked with incredulity.

"Nope," Sideswipe said with a grin.

Kestrel turned and hugged Sideswipe tightly. "Thank you, Sideswipe." He turned and hugged Sunstreaker. "You are the best young mechs," he said with a smile. "You made my Tagg look so handsome. It's like the first time I saw you, Tagg. You look wonderful."

Tagg hugged them both, then turned to the others. "Thank you, all of you. You made both of us so happy."

They stood up and hugged, chatted and congratulated the twins who stood enjoying the moment. It was not everyday that your work got 100% rave reviews from the masses. Then Prowl turned to Ironhide and smiled. "Hand over the sparkling. I want to have him this afternoon." He grinned at Ironhide and waited with his servo out.

Ironhide blanching muttered as he reached inside his hold and pulled out a recharging Prowler. Prowl took his little mini-me and smiled. "Now Hero."

Ironhide grimaced. "You don't have a hold over her."

"No, but I want her. Matched set," Prowl said, his relief at things working out making him bold.

Ironhide coughed her up too. Then Ratchet paused taking an internal call. He turned to Ironhide with a grim expression. "Mr. Roto wants us at the Sparkling School."

"What happened? Is Praxus or Orion hurt?" Ironhide asked as the room froze.

Ratchet's expression formed into a frown. "Not yet," he said as the message landed with Ironhide too. He looked grim himself, then they turned and stalked off.

"What was that about?" Kestrel asked worriedly.

"Orion." -Prime, Prowl, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe with a grin.

Kestrel and Tagg just blinked.

-0-TBC

04-22-13


	282. Chapter 282

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (282) edited for boo boos

-0-At the Sparkling Day School, Terra, Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet entered the building with Ironhide, the two arriving at the school from the underground and a brisk walk through the open plaza in the middle of the town. They walked to the elevator and got off at the third floor where the school held all of their public and parental meetings and gatherings.

As they stepped off, they noted two equally aggravated individuals pacing in front of the bench outside the door that led further inside. They paused when they saw Ironhide and Ratchet, their affect deflating as they saw in the two their own soon-to-be revealed genitorial failures.

Ratchet and Ironhide walked to them and paused. "We're you sent for too?" Ratchet asked.

They both nodded solemnly. The four stood a moment digesting the news, then they all sat down on the bench. It was silent a moment, then Neo walked out. She grinned. "You look like you just got twenty to life in the big house."

"Did we?" Revo asked as Heva and Ironhide stood up anxiously. Ratchet rose and felt once again like a sparkling who got caught doing 'a bad' by his genitors.

Two feet tall.

"Come on in. Roto is waiting for you," Neo said with a chuckle. She turned and led the way. The interior space was divided with numerous conference rooms, a demonstration classroom and one large conference meeting space where genitor-school committee meetings were held regularly. They entered a smaller one and saw Roto waiting. He stood and grinned. "Have a seat. I want to show you something that happened today."

They glanced at each other and sat docilely, silently, depressingly. He sat himself and considered the four. "Your boys were fighting."

They all began to talk at once.

-0-At the studio

"What is this about, Orion?" Kestrel asked.

"My namesake, Ratchet and Ironhide's oldest youngest son," Optimus began. "He was the first sparkling separated in I don't know how many vorns, right here. He was named for me. He is a fire ball and gets himself into trouble right and left."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Sparklings are so wonderful, I hate to see one learn the hard way," Kestrel said. Tagg nodded. "You were an exceptionally good youngling, Orion."

Everyone smirked at Prime who grinned. "I had exceptional genitors."

They grinned. Everyone grinned. Elsewhere, there were several who weren't.

-0-At that place

Roto held up his servos and they stilled. "I think it might be instructive if you can watch the video. To sort out who was what in the entire thing, I checked the security video. I am not sure that you know about that entirely. We have video cameras everywhere in this and the other schools. We have infants who hide sometimes when things get too tough or they have too much stress. We have to find them. Sometimes they leave without telling us for a number of reasons. We want the highest level of protection we can give. It also allows us to see and hear this," he said as he reached back and pressed a button on the console. The huge monitor behind him lit up and it featured a crystal clear shot of the sandbox.

Orion was playing there talking to himself as he designed and built a structure. He was pleased with the shape that had toys sticking out of it. Then Han appeared and they began to talk to each other.

Orion: "You. Go you."

Han: You bad."

Revo looked at Heva who looked compressed into an anxious pile of woe. He looked back at the screen.

Orion: "No. You bad."

That was when Han stepped over the edge of the sand box heading for the shape Orion had made. Heva sat up. "Is that his toy? The one his grandada gave him last night?" he asked glancing at Revo. He nodded. "It is." They both froze as Orion rapped Han on the servo when he reached for it. Ratchet and Ironhide froze too.

With mortification.

Han: "Ow." He looked furious. Revo looked stunned. Heva looked pissed. Ratchet looked like he wanted to crawl into his own carry hold. Ironhide looked like he was going to pass out. Then he saw Orion imitate him by setting his peds, raising his spoons and looking determined. There was a smidge of his spark that was dancing. He didn't dare show it. He started a file and stuffed it inside for later celebrating. Orion looked pugnacious in a pug dog sort of way, the kind of pugginess that led to fisticuffs. "Go, you. I want go you."

Ironhide counted two new words. Ratchet counted on formal written apologies after this was over. What Revo and Heva thought no one could determine from the frozen looks on their faces. Then they had their own big sinking moment. Their son picked up a little shovel and truck, got his own pug look going and charged.

Roto paused the film, a big grin on his handsome face. "I think its clear that in the first incidence Han was clearly off base. He was trying to take a piece of a structure that Orion had worked on for about a joor by himself. Orion of course was off base rapping Han on the servo. It gets better," he said pressing the button again.

The infants glared, then Han charged. Orion got ready but Han stepped on the mound and face planted. Orion stepped forward and beat on him with his spoons. Han struggled to rise. Orion struggled to keep him down. Then Olo and Mimi walked into the scene, their faces showing shock and cookie crumbs.

Orion paused, Han looked up and words flew. Orion glared. "You fall."

Han glared back. "Orion boo!"

Then Roto paused the film. "I want you to know that both sparklings fighting and the little femmes reacted to 'boo' as if it were a swear word."

All four genitors hit their databanks searching for that word and failed. That is, all but Ratchet. Consensus: "That's odd because that doesn't mean anything in our databases."

Ratchet: "They say that at Halloween but I don't remember teaching it to Orion. He only wanted his candy."

Heva and Revo sat still a moment, glancing at each other furtively. "Uh, I remember teaching it to Han during Halloween so he could trick and treat his grandgenitors. They thought it was funny. Somehow," Heva trailed off.

It was silent a moment.

"They believe its swearing?" Ironhide asked.

Roto who had a giant grin on his face nodded. "Uh huh. Which because of their intentions makes it so."

All of the genitors looked at each other, then Roto. "Oh."

Roto began the film again.

Orion had paused considering the new word. He looked as confused as Ratchet felt. Then Han repeated it. **"BOO!"**

Orion blinked, then returned the favor: "Han bad! Han say boo!"

Then he began to pound on Han again. Ratchet saw sparkles in front of his optics. Ironhide swayed beside him. Revo and Heva flinched with each blow. Which weren't hard. The blows. Truly.

That was when the little femmes stepped into the brawl. Olo handed her cookie to Mimi and clambered into the box. She staggered to Orion and tried to stop the fight. "O. No."

Orion paused and smiled brilliantly at Olo. "Olo!" he exclaimed.

Olo then began to try and lift Han off the pile of sand that was owning his tiny aft. Orion saw her do that, threw down his spoons and began to help her.

Ironhide felt his helm wrench off watching. Mercurial little muffin he thought. Ratchet on the other servo saw a glimmer of light at the end of the fight club tunnel. That would be dashed shortly but he had it and he would treasure it while it lasted. Revo and Heva just stared, their optics twirling. They decided between them at that moment they wanted a femme of their own. Preferably white with tiny winglets.

Blessed be the peacemakers.

With enormous effort, they got him up. For their reward Orion got a slap on the nose. He blinked and slapped Han back. Olo boggling looked at Han. "No."

Han decided to enlist her support. "Bad, O."

Olo not buying it for a moment looked at him, then Orion. "No."

It lasted a nano-click, then Han pushed Orion. Orion with his little peds planted pushed him back causing him to fall and crush his lumpen design. It was aggravating and Orion looked it. Watching Han flounder, Orion looked around, took his bucket of sand and dumped it on Han. To make it worse, he took his spoons and began to bury the little mech too.

Olo looked aghast. Mimi looked shocked. Han looked smothered. Orion looked determined. Revo and Heva looked faint. Ratchet looked pale. His face was already white but he looked pale. Ironhide was ready to plotz.

Roto was having trouble keeping a straight face.

At that point, Han arose and Orion expected anything, his little spoons poised for war. Olo was standing between them patting first one then the other in alarm. Mimi on the other servo had two cookies and a shocked expression to keep her company. "No. No no," Olo said to no avail.

Then it availed.

Orion put down the spoons, took her little servo and walked to the edge of the box. He helped her over, something that did wonders for his genitors who were poised on the brink themselves.

Then Han made a break for the spoons like the stealth sparkling he was. He only got one before Orion dived for the other. He was no poor shakes in the stealth department either. He didn't run amok every time baths came up for nothing.

Oh no. Not him.

He got his own spoon and they began to swing at each other. They weren't very good at it. Few blows connected before Han lost his footing and fell face first. Orion on the other servo stumbled, spun around and found himself without an opponent. Nothing but sand and toys were before him. Han had been left behind. He looked over his shoulder and saw his enemy clambering up from the sand.

It was here Roto paused the film. "I want to let you know that if I laugh my aft off from here on out, it isn't that I condone or approve of what I am seeing. It is just that these little knot heads are so funny in their ineptitude. I have watched this four times and each time I laugh. Just so you will know." He then continued the film.

It was tough sledding for both infants in the sand. They stumbled around trying to connect with each other again. Han had grabbed Orion's bucket and with as much agility as he could managed to place it over Orion's helm. Han then picked up a spoon and began to beat on it as hard as he could.

Orion in his mania to get free ran right into Han who fell. He stumbled around, then fell over the side of the sand box in a heap. Ratchet felt his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth. Maybe he was going to swallow it. He didn't know. Ironhide on the other hand nearly got up to help Orion to his peds so engrossed in the moving disaster was he that he forgot it was film. Heva had gripped Revo's arm and was squeezing hard enough to leave digit impressions. Revo in his abject astonishment wouldn't feel it until later.

That is when Olo and Mimi put down their cookies and ran to rescue Orion themselves. Olo grabbed the bucket, Mimi a ped and they pulled. It looked like Orion's helm was going to come off in her tiny servos.

"Oh frag," Ratchet said solemnly.

"Yeah," Roto said guffawing. "It's hilarious isn't it?"

They all looked at him. He caught himself and wiped an optic. "In a train wreck sort of way, of course."

They all turned back to watch.

Orion had gotten to his peds and climbed back into the box. He threw sand but it was a fizzle. Han however laughed and taunted him: "O, bad!"

Heva sat lower in his seat.

Orion then tried to head butt Han. They were then treated to the spectacle of the two running around in a circle in the sandbox, Orion nodding his head forward every time he thought he was close enough to his prey.

He wasn't. By a mile.

That was when Olo and Mimi cried foul and ran for the referees. They could hear them talk to Mr. Roto in the background as their sons ran in circles, one howling with laughter that taunted the one chasing. The one chasing nodding his helm in his fury to catch the other and knock him into the next galaxy with a head butt poured it on relentlessly.

Roto: "Hello, ladies. What can I do for you?"

Both ladies: "O! Han! Bad. No no!"

Then they heard a huge guffaw caught in time by Roto. He then appeared and paused by the side of the sandbox, servos on hips and barely managed look of serious umbrage on his handsome face.

Orion was chasing Han nodding his helm as he tried to get close enough to head butt him. Han was running and every so often paused to hit Orion with the spoon in his servo. He would laugh, Orion would glare and they would be off again.

Neo appeared with the tiny femmes and everyone looked at each other astonished. Roto harrumphed and the two bots slammed on the breaks, their angry faces changing into the biggest most insincere fake smiles ever.

Roto took the spoons, scolded them mildly and plucked them both up. The film didn't show the action that followed but the audio could be heard. Apparently, the Chairs of Doom in the Corner of Doom were their fate. Roto and Neo walked to the couch to sit and console an upset Mimi and Olo. Then Roto got up again.

The sound of chairs moving and repeated instructions to sit until relieved of their positions were heard. Then the video paused. Roto wiped his optics and looked at them. I am sorry I laughed. Maybe when they graduate from college you will find this funny. Right now, we have to discuss this situation." Then he leaned forward. "And this is not the end of it," he said with a grin.

Four sparks actually fluttered.

-0-TBC

04-23-13


	283. Chapter 283

NOTE: I posted this last night to ffnet but it didn't show up. I didn't notice until now. :0 Orion face. I don't know what was up with ffnet last night but its a pain. Here we go. Last night's show...

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (283) edited for boo boos

-0-In the (adult) Chairs of Doom

They sat aghast as the film wound down. Roto who was chuckling and apologizing for it looked at them. "And that is not the end of it."

They were rocked but stoic waiting for what could be worse. Roto tuned in another camera and the angle they couldn't see before they could now. Roto stood with two little bots standing before him contrite and weepy. It was excruciating to see with a capital E. Roto was kneeling with the two little bots. After explaining the taboo of fighting in the classroom, he looked at them. "If I didn't love both of you, I would put you in detention."

That was when Orion was emboldened enough to speak. "Han say boo!" Then he did the little Our Gang exaggeration of a big expression of horror followed by a servo over the mouth.

Ironhide tried not to do it. He tried to terminate it even as he failed. A huge snort of amusement greeted his son's ultra transparent attempt to show by **ENORMOUS** personal **SHOCK** and** DISMAY** why Han should get his butt paddled. Everyone glanced at him and he wilted. "Sorry. It looks so … uh … it was funny. Sorry," he said looking at the floor in an uncanny imitation of his son.

The film rolled onward.

Han who was startled looked at Orion, then Roto, then Orion with a glare of anger, then Roto with the most transparently false expression of innocence ever displayed by a Cybertronian face.

Orion possibly noting that he was losing ground patted Roto and said, "Han say boo. Boo not good. Boo is no-no." The look of horror and amazement returned to Roto with that statement along with the pie hole cover of his tiny servo was epic. His optics looking enormous with horror and emotional injury were spectacular(ly)(fake).

The little boo.

Then he continued and demonstrated to all concerned that personal pronouns would likely be a problem for him for some time to come: "Boo is bad, **she** say." He pointed at Han, then looked at Roto as if his teacher could part water and paddle butts at the same time.

Hopefully Han's.

Roto appeared to be in the throes of hilarity but he held himself together and got to the point: "Boo is bad?"

Apparently it was. To Orion. Han on the other servo looked like a(n) (fallen) angel in his failing effort to cover up his 'bad' with a sweet face and innocent optics. Orion on the other servo continued to drill the point home: "Boo is bad. Bad say him. Boo **is.**" Cue the astonished expression of astonishment.

Ratchet felt things crackle inside and fall into the dustbin in his aft. His oldest youngest son was a snitch.

Ironhide considered his failings which were many but teaching his son to be truthful wasn't one of them. Until now. Since he had lost track of who was in the deepest hole, his son or Han, he sat as dazed as the rest of them.

Roto who stayed on task with admirable will power could be seen girding himself to be stern. Looking at Han, he said, "Are you swearing, 'she'?"

It was Revo's turn to snort. Everyone stared at him and he froze like a man caught sitting on a toilet after a tornado ripped the walls off the restroom.

In the center of town.

In the lobby of the Empire State Building when nuns are taking a tour.

With ratty underwear on.

Like that.

They turned back to Roto who was wiping his optics. "Let's continue."

Four adults nodded meekly. The film rolled again.

Han with his back to the wall did what any reasonable smart individual would do in that situation. He lied: "No! Han good! **She** bad!"

Deflection is sometimes protection.

Heva nearly having an out-of-protoform experience made a note to kill himself after the meeting and also hire a speech therapist for his son. The morals training of their infant and first born hope for the future would have to be gotten from his grand genitors because it was obvious that they, Revo and Heva sucked at it.

It continued.

Orion drove home the last nail in the 'Han Is Bad' coffin with his deeply felt, dramatically delivered, utterly bogus '**She** bad! **Orion** good! **She** say boo!' clincher. He homed it in by showing his '**SHOCKED! I'M SHOCKED!'** face once more to **MR. TOTO! ...**

...who was nearly splitting a gut biting his lower lip as he grinned like a maniac at the display of **'OH YEAH!? THEN WHAT ARE YOU!?'** being so expertly delivered to him by the shortest pair of hoodlums he knew.

At that point, Han had reached the saturation point of personal abuse and improper pronouns so he turned and punched Orion in the nose. The collective gasp from the parental units would have sucked the oxygen out of the room if there was any. They sat back rocked by the brazen but pretty good punch by 'she'.

Orion's expression was classic. It was sort of **'WTF!?'** followed by heaping helpings of **'CUT A BITCH!'** ending with 'Ow. That sorta hurt.' He looked at Roto. Roto looked at him. Han was levitated into Roto's servo and ended back in the Chair of Doom.

His genitors hung their helms at the same time. Then they sucked it up and watched. Roto's remark of, "Han, bad," rang in infamy in their processors as they sat in puddles of shame. Then they watched and felt a smidge better because the slagging little Autobot would not leave well enough alone.

Roto glanced down. The camera showed Orion rubbing his nose with a gigantic smile on his little face. His cute little face. His Ironhide face. When he looked up at Roto, he dropped the smile so fast even slow motion couldn't help a viewer see it happen. He placed on his little pug face the saddest hurt expression he could find which was pretty intense. Roto who looked ready to throw a rod picked the little hellion up. Orion ready to drive a stake in the spark of his nemesis had a serious expression as he said: **"MR. TOTO! HAN SAY BOO!"**

Obviously, he didn't like that word very much.

Roto who was grinning attempted to burnish the cow pat of this encounter with some reason: "He did. We don't allow swearing here. Is that a swear word? You both seem to think so."

Orion misinterpreting the commentary and good energy of his God aka **MR. TOTO!** grinned ginormously, then looked down at Han and spit on him.

Ratchet nearly slid off his chair onto the floor.

Ironhide lost data in the massive glitch that overtook his reason during the 000.0000034 nanoseconds of the feedback loop caused by his emotional distress that began in the middle of his sphincter valve in his aft, crescendoed upward and over the top of his helm to end somewhere around his lower back.

Revo reached into his mouth and pulled his tongue out of the back of his throat. While Ratchet the Poseur merely thought he would swallow his own tongue, Revo nearly did.

Heva listened to the sirens in his helm for a moment, then blinked. He poked his thigh. He couldn't feel it. At that moment, he considered his entire life and started a file in his processor called 'I am sorry, Primus, for all I did if you help me beat this sparkling into submission file'.

Roto on the other servo laughed out loud. "I wish you could see your own faces. I don't know which is funnier. You or these two hoodlums." He continued laughing.

They continued looking at him as he warbled through his hilarity. Ratchet finally kicked his ankle. "Are you through or do you need a moment or two?"

"I'm sorry. I truly am. I just think these two are the funniest things ever."

Ironhide looked at him, then rose. "Oh well then. Nothing to see here. Let's go," he said before being jerked back into his seat rather rudely by his Only One.

"What are we supposed to do, Roto? Now that you've shown us this and had a snicker," Heva said shooting him a caustic optic. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Well, we need to have behavioral modification for both of them at home, everywhere and here. We have to be on the same page of expectations and reactions. I know that they don't act like this elsewhere and they don't act like this to anyone else. But they do to each other and we have to program that out of them."

"Behavioral management," Ironhide said nodding. "Alright."

The others nodded too.

"Anger management too," Roto said. "They are so generous and kind to everyone else that this is one of those things. They are both wonderful little mechs. They have so many good friends. Some day, these two will either bond or bomb each other."

Two sets of genitor optics met two sets of other genitor optics. Then they fixed on Roto. "O-kay," four sets of genitors said in unison.

Roto grinned. "I have banned them from the sandbox. I have them losing three recesses outside. They cannot have unsupervised play and we will begin on the anger management training tomorrow. You have to make sure that they behave in an acceptable way everywhere else. They have to share, be nice and not fight. Arguing and differing are two things. Fighting is another."

They both nodded, two sets of chastened adults who would leave few inches shorter than when they came in. Signatures for training were obtained and they rose. "I think you can take them now if you would like. It isn't going to be long before school is out."

They nodded, glancing all around. Then Neo appeared at the door with two little wilted mechs standing on either side of her. They stood a moment, then spied their genitors. Both of them broke into huge wailing sounds at the same time.

It was a photo finish ending to a really classic afternoon.

-0-Outside on the sidewalk of the school tower

They stared at each other with weepy infants. Neither knew what to say but all of them were **THRILLED** that they didn't live next door to each other anymore. After a moment of limp chit chat, Revo and Heva turned and walked onward heading to the sparkling school and their infant, Lef.

"You better see if you can get Praxus, Ironhide. I just remembered we had another one. That's a joke by the way." Ratchet stood swaying with an exhausted Orion in his arms. Ironhide nodded and walked back inside. Ratchet crossed the street and paused in the quad that dominated the center of Terra. He sat on a bench and looked at his son. "You are a terror. I love you madly and we pat your servo and aft when you do wrong. You sit in the corner and you get training on character. You have extended family … grannies and grandpas, yet you brawl in kindergarten. Whatever will we do with you?" Ratchet asked with a smirk. "You're supposed to be a good example for the infants coming up."

He looked up at Ratchet and vented a ragged sigh. "Han bad."

"So I hear," Ratchet said kissing his son's helm.

"She say boo."

Ratchet grinned. "I say boo too, hoodlum. You're getting a nap when I get you home."

He was too tired to argue.

Ironhide walked out of the building with a happy Praxus and they turned heading for home. A short visit to RTR Tools and a pit stop at the store for dinner items culminated in a ride up the elevator to the apartment. Entering, Ratchet walked to Orion's room and lay him on his bed. Stuffing toys around him, he covered the infant with a quilt. "Go to sleep, hoodlum."

He smiled at Ratchet as he grasped his favorite toy this decaorn, a soft brown teddy bear. Venting another sigh, he slowly fell into recharge.

It had been that kind of orn.

Walking out, Ratchet watched as Hero and Praxus stood beside Ironhide watching him as he put groceries away in the fridge and 'baked goods' into the cupboard. Prowler was lying on the couch. Ratchet picked him up and kissed him moving to the rocking chair by the window. Watching Ironhide kibitz with the sparklings, he grinned glancing down at the infant who was looking up at him. "Hi, stranger. How is the dance of doom with your old pa?"

"No one has reported us. No one has said a word, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a grin. He turned and walked to the couch sitting, watching as Praxus and Hero walked to the toy box nearby. "I'm too stealthy for them."

A message light beeped on the monitor as they sat relaxing. Ironhide opened it. It was from Herling.

"Hi, Ironhide. I am inviting you to bring Hero in for pre-school examinations so that she can enter the next cycle of infants in the kindergarten. Let me know when you can come. We are so excited about having another Ratchet-Ironhide collaboration in our school. Thank you, Ironhide. By the way, our Genitor-Teacher Committee meeting is changed until tomorrow at 1900 hours on the Terran Military clock. Glori is bringing the punch. If you could bring a snack we would appreciate it. The agenda is rather long so we want to have refreshments. Thanks! -Herling, Director of Education for Mars.

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide who looked like he had been slammed in the face by a low flying Seeker. "Frag," he whispered.

Ratchet felt Ironhide's pain. "I'm sorry, Only One. You were so stealthy too. I am really astonished that Herling remembered Hero."

Ironhide sat a moment in major shiva, then glanced at Ratchet. "Are you kidding, Ratchet? Look at her."

They both did. She was still wearing a little quilted coat that Ironhide had picked up that morning at The Sparkling Store. It matched her little hat, an egg yolk yellow color with butterflies on it. She was smiling at Praxus and handing him blocks out of the toy box. He was smiling at her and building something with them.

"That little femme is so slagging awesome, they can see her from space," Ironhide said with a tear in his optic.

Ratchet nodded. "Her atar is that far outstanding, Ironhide."

He nodded. It was silent a moment. "Thank you for Prowler, Ratchet."

"You're welcome, Only One."

Ironhide looked miserable. "I miss her already. She's great company."

"I know. I do too."

It was quiet a moment.

"She likes the little firecracker hand grenades that the micro-mini cons use," Ironhide said.

Ratchet grinned. "See? If you hadn't had her with you, how would we ever know?"

Ironhide grinned in spite of himself. "Yeah," he said glancing at Ratchet with a smirk. "How would we?"

The evening would pass quietly at the homestead. Ironhide would take 'donuts' to the meeting. He would not put cyanide in them thanks to Ratchet.

-0-TBC

04-24-13


	284. Chapter 284

The Diego Diaries: Down Time (284) edited for boo boos

-0-In the apartment

She stood on the table meant for sparklings as her atar soaped her tiny self up. She stood shrouded in soapy bubbles, her tiny smile as bright as the sun. Her wings dripped suds as Ironhide carefully washed her little frame with a soft washcloth. She was shined up and only needed a good scrub and lotion. They had formulated a lotion that prevented grit and blowing sand to abrade infant armor. Given that they were still growing and expanding their outer shell, the affects of an organic world had greater consequences for infants. They developed a lotion that not only protected them but gave them a beautiful shine.

"**A! ME?"** she asked with a giant smile. Her optics twinkled and her winglets fluttered slightly. She was the apple of her old man's optics and he was filled with dread at handing her over shortly to the world where he was only a visitor.

"You. You are my little princess," Ironhide said. He meant it. He had given a lot of thought to his roles and this was among the most important. He was a mech confident about who and what he was. He was a Cybertronian male, a mech. He was an Autobot and a warrior. He was smart, tough, ruthlessly cold blooded about his job and profoundly proud of his family. He had children and a wily old mech who gave in no matter what he asked for...

Usually.

He had it all.

This little waif was one indication of his persuasive powers. The only slaggers he really couldn't frag with in the totality of his orn were the schools and their leadership. They were really aware of how hard this was for him however, hence not going for Hero through the last cycle of infant intake into the pre-school program. Now they were locked and loaded. He had lost this round but still had an ally in his orn. He still had Prowler.

For now.

"A? Me go?" she asked dazzling her old man with a new word.

"You go. To school, the slaggers. I'll come by at break time with a cookie though. They don't mind about that. Sunspot's teachers do. They have a slagging schedule. But yours are more civilized," he said with a smirk. Taking the infant hose, he tested the water, then sprayed his daughter gently. She clapped her servos, raised her arms and turned slowly on the table. Then she held out her arms so she could be enveloped in a warm towel. She knew her old man and his ways really well.

He carried her out in her white cocoon and handed her off to Ratchet. The big medico had given the little mechs their breakfast and they were eating away. Praxus and Orion were good to go with bowls and spoons now. They were pretty neat for beginners so they got to eat at the table on booster seats. Spot lay by the window sunning himself as his boy dined. They were inseparable.

"Did you do your home work?" Ratchet asked as he sat with Hero. She was a ball of white with a little face peeping out. Ratchet kissed her and began to unwind, wiping the droplets of water that were left over.

"I did," Sunspot replied.

"You always do. You're that side of awesome, Sunny Bunny."

He grinned. "I had Spot by my chair when I did it. He's really smart, my dog," Sunspot said glancing at his dog. Spot wagged his tail and grinned in that tongue lolling sweet faced canine way all canines in every universe and dimension have when they look at their boys.

"There you go," Ratchet said holding a completely unfurled femme in his servo. She clapped. **"A! ME GO!?"**

Her tone was supposed to be loud but she was very small. What stood out beside her almost uncanny imitation of her loud mouthed older brother were the words she was using. "Ironhide. Have you heard Hero use 'go' before?"

Ironhide finishing up tidying the wash rack walked through the hallway to the dining room. "She just did in the wash rack. Femme is a sponge."

"She is," Ratchet said handing her to Ironhide. He pulled a plate from the counter and set it in front of them both. "Feed her."

She grinned at Ratchet, then Ironhide. "A? Me?" she asked looking up.

"I think we have a unisex name or something with her. Ada and Atar are the same thing I think," Ratchet said as Ironhide handed her a piece of 'bacon'. She began to chew on it with gusto.

"I think you're right," Ironhide said. "What's on your schedule?"

"Last orn of time off. Gotta get on it tomorrow," Ratchet said. "I am going to see the genitors, hang out with Prowl at Ops Center and see if there's someone with a loose lug nut to tighten in the Clinic at Aerie Hill."

Ironhide nodded. "I'm going to the seventh level of the Terra Armory and cry," he said as he watched his daughter make headway on her food. "I miss you already, Hero."

She paused and looked up at him, a smile spreading on her little face. Offering him her 'bacon', he pretended to take a bite. Then she settled back down for a nosh.

"Sometimes life can suck," Ratchet said. He glanced at Orion who gave him a giant grin for the attention. "Then it can suck harder too."

Ironhide glanced at his oldest youngest son, then Praxus. "I think I'm sort of partial to this sparkling today, Ratchet. Haven't had a bad word about Praxus since he was separated."

Praxus smiled broadly at the sound of his name.

"He is a bit of a phenom," Ratchet said agreeing. "Takes after me I hear."

Ironhide snorted. "He's an outlier. I don't know that either of us can claim him."

"I will anyway," Ratchet said leaning closer to the happy little mech who liked to share. He offered a bit of his breakfast and Ratchet pretended to take it. Orion watched them both, then turned to Sunspot offering him a bite of his 'bacon' as well. Sunspot pretended to bite it and everyone was happy.

Typical day in the neighborhood.

-0-Later at Ops Center

Ratchet wove his way through the small group of individuals who were talking together at the doorway to the command center of the colony. Inside, the Alpha crew had come online and were running the show with their usual amazing ability. He ambled to the table where Prowl was sitting, grabbing a chair to join him. "Howdy, pardner."

"Hello yourself, Tex. What's going on in your neck of the woods? I hear that Orion is a 'ring leader' of the shortest gang of desperadoes known in these parts."

Ratchet grinned. "You got that right. He brought us to our knee joints yesterday by having a riot in the sandbox and earning a foul by being foul. If that little mech doesn't learn not to spit, I will bend him into wall sconces."

"You should see my ada's. She had some made from a pair I remember seeing since I was born. They're beautiful, Golden Age," Prowl said.

Ratchet snorted and laughed. "I will pencil it in. What's with the mob by the door? Or do I need to ask?"

"No," Prowl said, a frown marring his handsome face. "They want to see Optimus. All of them are 'concerned' about Burris and a rumor that something happened at the prison."

"Do they really know or are they fishing?" Ratchet asked.

Prowl checked the reference, then nodded. "I don't think anyone really knows more than something bad happened."

Ratchet nodded. "Those are high castes out there. Prime is going to hear about it."

"I will be there to listen too," Prowl said with a coldness borne of old.

"That's my Prowler," Ratchet said with a smile.

"Speaking of which … where is that spectacularly handsome baby?" Prowl asked with a smirk.

"He's consoling his old pa," Ratchet said with a sad and sincere tone. "He had to deliver Hero to the pre-school."

Prowl's smirk faded. "I'm sorry. That bot loves his infants."

"He does," Ratchet said with a nod.

-0-At the Sparkling Day School earlier

Ironhide stood in the doorway looking at the tiny bots that were forming a line to go to their first examination. Their solemn-faced genitors stood nearby getting ready to leave, the little ones with them either ecstatically happy or clinging. Ironhide himself was clinging to Hero who sat on his arm oblivious to the fact that the first serious sundering of her existence was about to commence. Prowler who was sleeping in his little bag in the hold of his old pa had no opinion on the proceedings.

Herling who was helping line up the babies noticed Ironhide. He walked over and paused. "You look terrible, Ironhide. I'm sorry this is so hard."

Ironhide didn't reply but he also didn't fork over the sparkling. She sat and grinned at Herling. Then she looked at the bad energy of her old pa and hugged her cheek against his. "A?"

Ironhide didn't dare look at her. He pulsed her oceans of love and without a sound gently put her on the floor. She looked up at him, her little white sweater and hat even more poignant to him than he though it would be. Herling knelt and she turned to him smiling as she gripped her servos together uncertainly. "Hero, come with me, baby. We have some games and toys for you to play with. There are so many little bots here for you to be your friends. Atar can come and see you at the break time. He can come and watch you any time he wants," he said for the benefit of the wretched Chaos Bringer who stood silently before them staring at the tiny waif who listened to the stranger talk to her. He stood and offered his servo.

Hero looked up at Ironhide who managed to nod. She stared at him, then took Herling's servo following as he turned and led her slowly to the line of infants nearby. She got there and stood looking back at Ironhide. He looked at her, unable to turn to leave. As he began to finally step back out of the door she turned and ran toward him.

**"A!"** she said as she ran toward the door. **"A! GO ME?!"** she called to him.

Ironhide felt his insides crush as he watched his daughter run to him. He knelt and she reached for him, pressing against him in confusion. Herling who stood watching walked back over. "If you make a clean break, Ironhide, it helps."

Ironhide looked at Herling, the mech who was asking the impossible. He nodded and hugged his daughter, handing her over to Herling. That mech turned and carried her back to the line as Ironhide turned to go. He could hear her call to him, then burst into tears but he kept going. He walked outside and transformed, his son carefully stowed in the space for such things in root or vehicular mode. Then he drove away heading for the hinterlands where he could sit and cry undisturbed.

-0-Ops Center

Optimus Prime walked from his office into the great room and paused by Ratchet and Prowl. The 'appointment' was gathered in the conference room and he got their impressions before entering.

"They are angry and concerned," Prowl said as Ratchet rolled his optics. The disturbance over the bond with Ironhide was going great guns but Ratchet would wait to console his mech. Ironhide had to expend the sad energy first.

"Sounds about right," Optimus said as Blackjack and Alor walked into the center. "I see you ordered reinforcements?" he asked nodding to the pair.

"Praxian Warrior Elites, or one of them anyway," Prowl said nodding. "Ironhide is indisposed."

"Hero got nabbed then," Optimus said glancing at a pensive Ratchet. That bot nodded. "I hate to hear that." Nodding to his troops, Ratchet, Prowl, Blackjack and Alor followed Optimus into the conference room, the door closing behind them.

A good seven mechs stood as Prime entered, walked to the front of the table and gestured everyone to sit. They did. He looked at the datapad, then them. "I have asked Prowl to be here to take recordings of this proceeding and the others are witnesses. They are Ratchet, our C.M.O., Blackjack, a commanding General in the Armed Forces and Alor, a commander and strategic planner for our military."

They nodded, although one looked affronted. Prime looked at him. "Do you have an objection?"

"It seems hardly collegial, sir, that you would bring four witnesses to this meeting," he said.

"It is the way it will be and reasonable considering you brought seven," Optimus said. "If there are questions to be answered, I have the senior officers here who can assist that process. Please, who will speak for you if anyone and shall we begin?"

A mech who had been sitting quietly watching the opening exchange nodded. "I am Fenix," he said, "and I am elected to speak for the many who have asked us to come here."

Ratchet considered him, then picked up a datapad to dabble through the databases of the city. He would have the 411 on this bot before the opening salvo was over.

"You speak of many," Prime asked. "Do you have a figure or is that considered off limits to this conversation?"

"We are forming an association for our like minded fellows. There are presently 1,237 members," Fenix said. "It is a small number but then we haven't advertised our association nor have we actively sought members. We are still in the beginning stage of our group's formulation."

"What is the purpose of your group?" Ratchet asked peering over the top of the datapad in his servo.

"We are gathering to represent the interests of our membership, many who feel that they have not been heard in the course of living here. They don't feel safe nor appreciated," he said smoothly.

:He's a lawyer. He worked in the executive. This slagger might have had a hand in enforcing the Clampdown: Ratchet said to Prime, his in-laws and Prowl. :He's from a sickeningly rich family. Had cushy jobs in the executive. He was a member of Sentinel's Central Councilor Administration. He's Sentinel's hatchet mech: Ratchet said clicking off the datapad.

"Then speak and air your grievances," Optimus said sitting back to listen, his face neutral of emotion even as a slow burn began in his tanks.

The others looked at Fenix who was a very handsome well made, well designed mech. His paint scheme like the others was amazing. The colors were rich and well applied. He was smart, smooth and presented himself as a quiet calm person. Who he really was could be anyone's guess. He had learned in his career to be a shadow. He had learned to make Sentinel Prime efficient, molding his image to something more than the mech actually was. Getting what he wanted in difficult circumstances was his specialty. He had actually negotiated a number of times with Megatron and Shockwave, Megatron's designated negotiator before things fell apart. He sat forward and gathered his thoughts.

"We are concerned that those who were high caste on Cybertron are not safe here. We are aware of the murder of Kudon and the sentence for his killer, who we understand is your son-in-law. We are aware that high castes are being systematically excluded from positions of influence and power within the government of this colony. We are aware that Burris, a high caste industrialist and philanthropist is now in jail and there are rumors that he may be heading for prison. We are very concerned, sir, that you are acting upon prejudices brought on by the Clampdown to take care of grievances."

It was silent in the room. The heat coming off of Prowl was amazing. He looked at them with his usual composed expression but anyone who knew him knew he was broiling. Prime had no expression, his affect calm and collected. Blackjack was stiff with outrage but calm on the outside. Alor looked at the group before them with a look of disgust that he could get away with because he was among the few Cybertronians that was universally acclaimed among all castes including the criminal among their people.

Ratchet looked at Fenix studying him. He sat without expression or emotion, as if calling the Prime of his people, the earth bound representation of their warrior god himself a fragger was a normal thing for a Cybertronian to do. That he, a servile member of Sentinel's government would dare to say that about Optimus Prime outraged everyone who wasn't them in the room.

It was very quiet. Then Prime sat forward.

TBC

04-25-13


	285. Chapter 285

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 285 edited for boo boos

-0-In the conference room

Prime leaned forward, his affect calm even if his interior was angry. He considered the figure before him. The others were as quiet and attentive as Prime's team. He thought a moment, then began. "You do understand that this isn't Cybertron, that we aren't living under the System and that our life here embodies the principles that Primus set forward in the Chronicles and through His many statements remembered by everyone as His hopes and dreams for us, His people. They do not include the supposition that some of us are better intrinsically and more entitled to be first in all things regardless of effort or merit.

"The System destroyed our world. The inequities created by it fueled the rise of Megatron and the Clampdown sealed our fate. I am not prepared to countenance anything even remotely related to it and it was made extremely clear to everyone when they arrived. You were told. There will be no return to the System. As for your claim about being blocked from positions of authority ... that is untrue. When the first refugees made it here, there were 27 of them. Most of them were civilians but there were Autobots and a number of orphans. All of us pitched in to make this city and colony what it is. We will not vacate them from their positions of responsibility to make room for those of you who feel you are entitled to their jobs because of who you are or what you once were. We are a meritocracy."

"You are wasting a great deal of talent, sir, by disallowing us to be in the government. We have eons of experience and we can help make this colony more than it is now," Fenix said.

"That's humorous," Blackjack said with a smirk. "You destroyed Cybertron and you want to give us the benefit of the same behavior here?"

Fenix looked at him spotting the small designation of his caste that was carved in the corner of his left finial. He was what Fenix thought he was, Praxian Warrior Elite. He outranked every single individual in the room. "I find that amusing coming from you. You are Praxian Elite. What have you not had that was given to you by your caste?"

Blackjack looked at him with the coldest expression Ratchet had ever seen on his face. He leaned forward. "I have bullet holes in my aft that I got all by myself protecting your sorry butts. I got years of grief fighting the enemy that you created with your fragging policies and sorry aft sense of entitlement. I missed a huge section of my son's life because of the war that happened because of you losers. Don't sit there and lecture me about the caste system."

A big mech sitting next to Fenix looked at Blackjack with a stern expression. "We all had our roles, General. I would think you would know that."

"Frag that," Blackjack said. "How does it compare to what I had to do with you sitting on your aft in Iacon pushing stupid laws through that alienated everyone on the planet? What have you ever done that even compared to the newest rawest recruit getting shot at? You never did anything but stand in line first for everything that we paid for with our labor and our lives. Parasite. Don't you even think you can talk back to me," he said with rising anger.

Everyone sat straighter, the energy in the room becoming more tense by the second. Prime sat quietly watching the group before him. They were going to be a problem because they weren't going to be taking anything he said as gospel. They had lived lives where they could manipulate reality and giving up delusional points of view would take enormous effort they didn't even know they had to expend.

Fenix sat forward again. "We aren't asking for anything but the opportunity to serve and be in positions that are worthy of our education and experience. We are the most highly educated and experienced mechs and femmes in the colony. We are asking to be able to serve."

"And your request has been noted. However, we have been a fully functioning colony for a number of years with mechs and femmes stepping in to do the work of the colony with great skill and dedication. No one is going to be removed to make a place for anyone else because of a contrived system that helped kill our home world. You may apply for positions that you feel qualified to hold but there will be no accommodation made for you because of what you may have been on Cybertron."

"I told you it was hopeless," another mech said looking at Fenix. He turned to Prime. "What is happening to Burris? We hear he might be heading for prison."

"I am not at liberty to speak about an ongoing investigation," Prime said quietly. "You should understand that."

"We know that he's high caste and he's being held in prison for an argument with Prowl. We know that Prowl is your bond. We know that high castes get short shrift here. We know that some are even murdered and their killers walk away without a suitable punishment," the mech said hotly.

Ratchet turned to him. "You sure hear a lot of slag but I don't recall you asking anyone who might know the truth about it. Kudon is the one you're asking about, right?"

The mech nodded. "Your son murdered him." He looked at Prowl and Prime. "Your son-in-law."

"That case was tried and a sentence handed down that was fair and honest. If you really knew what you were talking about, you would keep your trap shut about it," Ratchet said hotly as the door opened and Ironhide appeared.

"You should keep your trap shut anyway," the big mech said testily.

Everyone turned to look at him. His energy was bad, his affect menacing and he filled the doorway with his size. "What can we expect from you, Ironhide?" another mech asked, one who was a former military attache for the Director of Defense."

"You expected me to save your aft when things got dangerous," Ironhide said. "I had to come and pull your aft out of the fire along with everyone else. You slaggers. What have you ever done that was for the good of anyone but yourselves? We built this colony out of the dirt with our bare servos. Where the slag were you? Who the frag are you to discuss **my** son? He was judged and sentenced by the slagging Prime using the Matrix. If you don't like it you can step outside and discuss it with me. **No one** frags with my son. He fought on the front lines for vorns protecting your sorry afts. Frag all of you. That's what you can slagging expect from me, slagger."

The group looked at Ironhide, then Fenix turned to Prime. "We would like to know the circumstances around the murder of Kudon. We have heard a number of things and they all sound preposterous."

It was silent a moment, then Prime nodded slightly to Prowl. That bot turned glacial optics upon the group. "Sunstreaker is a front liner in the army that protects all of us including once upon a time your sorry afts. He is also a carrier. He is the ada of three infants. He was defending his own ada when the incident occurred. Kudon had a physical defect which was a deciding factor in his death. He was tried and judged. He was sentenced. The case is closed."

"For you. But not for us. What we see is a murderer that was let off with a wrist slap. We see a system that disallows high castes from being allowed to have any position of authority in the colony. We see a system that punishes individuals who disagree," Fenix replied.

"I am assuming you are discussing Burris again," Prime said quietly. "That is an ongoing investigation so I cannot speak to it."

"We are here, sir, to explain what we see as an inequity and seek redress for our grievances," Fenix began before Ratchet's snort cut him off.

"How comical this is. You are coming here to complain about being locked out of positions, opportunities and all the rest because of caste. Am I the only one here who sees the irony?" he asked.

"No," Alor said with a look of great disgust. "All I see here is a bunch of whiners finding out how the other 99% lived. You don't like it do you. We aren't excluding you. There are plenty of important things to do that don't require kicking someone out of the job they have been doing for years. You don't even see the karma at work here you're so clueless."

They shifted a moment, then one stood up. "It's clear that this is a futile exercise," he said. "We need to leave."

"We need to tell Prime what we intend to do," another said glancing at Fenix.

"Oh please," Alor said. "Tell us."

Fenix looked at Alor, then Prime. "We are going to be building our own colony."

It was silent a moment, then Prime leaned forward. "Where?"

"We would like to have a settlement on a section of land about 100 miles from here. We have the site marked on the map of Mars at these coordinates," Fenix said handing a small datapad to Prowl.

He looked at it, then handed it to Prime. Prime looked at it, then placed it on the table. "And how do you expect to accomplish this?"

"It isn't like any of you slaggers ever held a shovel yourself before," Ratchet said with a big grin.

"We intend to seek workers among the city," another mech said. "I am sure there are plenty of civilians in this colony that would be happy to live in a colony that upheld the glories of the past."

Ratchet looked at him and blinked. "You are in need of medical attention. You are deluded."

"Stupid is more like it." Ironhide walked to the table and pulled a chair. "No one is going to willingly go back to their chains. This place is what Cybertron was supposed to be but never was."

"There will be many who would seek the return of our culture and traditions. There is poetry in order," Fenix said quietly. "We don't have to be a part of this colony. We want to start our own."

"That won't be possible," Prime said equally calmly. "This planet is going to have a cohesive program of settlement under one rule so that we can defend it. The System is over and is not coming back. You will have to make the adjustments that all of us have made. I forbid you to build another colony and bring discord into this new start because we are one. All of us are one."

They sat quietly a moment, then Fenix leaned forward. "We are a long way from Cybertron, Prime. We are asking to make a colony of our own away from here where we can live our values."

"Until something happens and you need us to save your sorry afts," Blackjack said. "You would come crying on your knees if Megatron came. Or do you consider yourself so pure, you wouldn't need us then either? Maybe some of your amazing high caste virtue will sway him. Oh wait. It didn't the first time. I doubt it would the second time. In fact, I think he would love to roast you over a spit if he could."

Fenix sat back regarding the brick wall before him. Another mech looked at them as he leaned forward. "You would deny us a chance to have a colony of our own? Who are you to do that, Prime. This isn't Cybertron."

"No. It is not," Prowl said coldly. "You are speaking not only blasphemy against the person of the Prime, you are talking out of both sides of your mouth. If this isn't Cybertron, then the System is nothing more than a cast off bit of rubbish. If you feel the need to commit blasphemy and insult the Prime of Cybertron, the only living legal ruler of our people, then why do you hold any good will to the System? If nothing from the past matters, if nothing has value and authority to you, why would you want to preserve the caste system? You know and I do that no matter where you are, Prime is supreme in authority. He** is** Cybertron. It is in the charter. Or does that matter either? Why should we take you seriously when you pick and choose what is good and what is not? What you will honor and what you will not? Make up your mind, cowards."

Fenix gripped the servo of a bot who was prepared to rise and angrily challenge Prowl's remarks. Prowl for his part just stared at the figure before him. The bot sat, Fenix pausing to speak internally to the group with him. Then he leaned forward. "You are right to an extent, Prowl. If the Prime has not value anymore, then neither does the System. We don't wish to dishonor ourselves with being disrespectful or blasphemous. We don't wish that. We wish to honor all parts of our past and who we are. We are bothered that you don't wish to do the same.

"We are prepared to make a colony away from here to live the life our people have always lived. We are only asking your permission as the Prime of our people and the authority of all that is Cybertronian now and in the past. As long as the Matrix resides with you, we are compelled to ask your leave."

Prime considered that, gauging the seriousness of the enigma before him. He couldn't tell but he knew that Fenix wouldn't be content with anything but complete freedom to do what they wanted. "I am the unity of our people. I am the center that holds us together. For you to ask for a colony elsewhere to practice what is formally and totally banned would be to undermine that unity completely. I cannot grant to you that wish you ask. There will be one unity, one purpose, one people. Until all are one is what Primus wanted and it is what I am here to serve."

They looked at him and one sat back regarding him with anger. "Burris will go to prison. There was a dust up at the prison we are told and maybe another high caste is dead. Where is there a place for us that is safe from oppression?"

Ratchet leaned forward and looked at him pointedly. "Funny you should ask that question. I remember saying it every day of my life for eons. Welcome to the other side of the fence."

The mech looked at Ratchet, then rose. He waited and the others rose too. Fenix stood last and looked at Prime. "I would seek permission to advertise our organization."

"Give me your goals, purpose and mission in writing. If it doesn't incite, I will grant you the right to organize a fraternal association. If you are going to organize opposition to the unity of our people, I will deny it. Please be clear on that point. Anything that undermines our unity will be forbidden by law."

"Maybe you can institute a clampdown, Prime," Blackjack said glancing at Optimus. "Let the slaggers know what it felt like to live with a boot on your neck."

Fenix glanced at him, then Prime. He bowed his helm respectfully. "Thank you for your time, Optimus Prime."

"You are welcome," Prime said. No one spoke as they left, then they all turned to Optimus. He vented a sigh. "Never underestimate how tightly privilege grips the reins of power and how deeply tenacious the delusion that fuels it can be."

"They will be a problem. They won't give up," Prowl said worriedly.

"They have their limitations. It's up to them to step over them. Until then, they are just another group of citizens in the city," Optimus said.

"Then we better grow optics in the backs of our helms," Alor said relaxing in his chair. "I don't like the looks of Fenix. He looks too clever by half."

They nodded. Then Optimus turned to Ironhide. "I am sorry that they snagged Hero."

Ironhide drooped slightly. "I am so bereft of hope."

"Then you won't mind handing over Prowler," Prowl asked with a slight grin.

Ironhide looked at him for a moment. "I'm not **THAT** bereft."

It was just the right touch.

TBC

04-26-13


	286. Chapter 286

The Diego Diaries: Down Time 286 edited for boo boos

-0-In the conference room

"Well, that won't be over by a long shot, Optimus," Ratchet said. "They're going to organize so at least we'll have a good estimation of the opposition."

"They will have to meet the rules for legal association the same as any other group," Optimus said. "If they don't then that's it. I won't allow any associations that have a sole purpose of causing insurrection."

"Fenix is a problem. He's got skills and time," Alor said. "I am guessing that he hasn't found gainful employment yet?"

Ratchet turned and accessed the directory. "You must be psychic." He turned and grinned at his ada-in-law. "He lives in a tower in Terra. He has no employment. But the decaorn is young."

"Then he needs to step up. We don't need fit and able individuals to be lazy or not contribute to the common good," Prowl said.

"After the weekend, I want them to be involved in something or working at getting there," Prime said.

"How about having them in the Home Guard? Maybe having to help defend this world would teach them some humility," Blackjack suggested. That was met with grins.

"Plan Z," Optimus said with a smirk.

"I will look forward to it then," Ironhide said rising. "Its been a while since I kicked afts that entitled."

They walked back into Ops Center, then Ratchet and Ironhide turned to walk out. Dinner would be had at the apartment that night with the grand genitors from both sides over. For now, they would walk around the city and enjoy Ratchet's last orn off from separation leave.

The sky was clear overhead and the sun was warm. Traffic was brisk and the pedestrians moving about the city thick on the ground. Nearby to the north, the now enclosed habitat of the Hu An glistened in the sunshine. It was a huge dome with their living and working areas inside clear and visible to anyone outside. Their housing was multilevel and was linked up one to the others with stairs going up and down for foot traffic. Stacked up, it didn't take up a lot of ground space. Around the habitations there were balconies and platforms for gatherings and relaxation. Apparently they lived as much outside as inside.

They were inside now terraforming the terrain that they had enclosed. A great deal of their mental and emotional well-being was tied up in having lush green surroundings. Part of their effort included genetically re-engineering reasonably compatible plants and trees from Earth. Eventually there would be a jungle on Mars and it would be enclosed in a habitat that would encompass space equal to ten major league football fields.

"We'll have to go there one of these orns, Ironhide. It looks like its going to be a very interesting place, their habitat," Ratchet said as he slipped his servo through Ironhide's big arm. "Those are very interesting aliens."

Ironhide nodded. His energy was terrible, he was missing his little buddy and there would be no consolation for him from anyone today. Going to the meeting and listening to aft helms challenging Prime didn't help.

They walked up the highway from the Fortress heading for no place in particular. By the time they reached the road to their apartment, they turned down the cobblestone path and walked to their building. A short ride up got them home. The apartment was quiet, tidy and sunlit. Ratchet turned to Ironhide and paused. "I am so sorry. I hope you know how much."

Ironhide nodded, then reached into his hold. Prowler was sleeping as they both stared at him. "He's a keeper," Ratchet said.

"He's pretty wonderful," Ironhide said turning to put him on the couch with a pillow to keep him from falling off. He turned to Ratchet and pulled him into his arms. "I feel so terrible."

"I know."

"She cried when I left her. She called for me to come and get her. She wanted to go with me," Ironhide said with great emotion.

"I'd want to go with you too," Ratchet said. "She's a good little buddy."

"She's the best. She's my princess. We're companions." Ironhide hugged Ratchet tightly. "It was just like giving up Orion and Praxus. It crushed my spark with them too. I didn't give Praxus enough time with me to show him how things worked. We both had Orion a long time. Then Praxus got short changed."

"He's doing great guns in school so being with you was a great advantage for all of them. It was for her. Femme walked and talked early. And she's very smart about a lot of things," Ratchet said. "You are a good influence on sparklings, Ironhide."

"We waited so long to have a family, Ratchet. I didn't think I even wanted one. I was a warrior. I **am** a warrior. I was just joking around, pranking," Ironhide said. "I was making a joke and you made it a miracle. I love the kids, all of them. Thank you, Ratchet."

"You're welcome, Only One. I knew you would be an outstanding father," Ratchet said as they swayed together in each others arms. "You have been an inspiration."

They stood together quietly, companionably, then they turned and walked to the berth room together. Prowler continued to recharge on the couch.

-0-Elsewhere

They gathered in the living room of the apartment of Fenix and his bond, Tril. They sat together talking about the meeting and their deep disappointment regarding the Prime. No one expected different but hope always springs eternal. Tril walked to the kitchen and began to lay out the refreshments as the core group for the newly formed Iacon Order sat to plan their campaign to not only win recognition as a legitimate organization but to work toward their ultimate goal, a city of their own.

-0-On Charon

Sunstreaker sat at the console running the deep space linkup to monitor the migration trail. Two big groups were coming, one close enough to begin to appear on the sensors and the other still mere echoes. He was on duty for a decaorn, long enough to fulfill his work schedule but not too long that he missed the games that would conclude the professional season of Cybertronian Adult League Football.

Bluestreak was training his shooters and Sideswipe was off rotation. The kids would be his job. The news of the shooting had reached the station and the message by Optimus taped this morning before his meeting with Fenix was just broadcast on IntraComm. It had reached them on the entertainment relay all the outposts shared.

Two murders now. Both high caste slaggers.

He thought about Kudon, someone who seldom entered his processor and considered his little brother as well. Sunspot would no longer have to testify about what happened to him. That was the best part of all. He only regretted that he hadn't killed Retro himself. As for the one who did, he felt only sympathy.

-0-Earlier that morning at IntraComm

Optimus Prime sat in the studio that had been decorated to reflect his office and Cybertron. He sat waiting as the crew got ready and he then taped his short comments for The Hourly News and the morning news and entertainment programs. When he was finished, he headed for Ops Center and a meeting with a handful of irate high castes.

By the time that Sunstreaker had seen it, the entire colony had as well. It was short, to the point and final.

"Good morning, Autobot City, Terra and Aerie Hill. I am here this morning to talk to you about an incident that happened in the city recently. It involved two civilians that ended in one death and one arrest. Because our people have had much hardship and difficulty, they bring with them to this colony a lot of private anguish and grievances that we are unaware of when they arrive. Sometimes it passes and is dealt with. Sometimes it doesn't. Since this is an ongoing investigation, I cannot release very many details nor can the principles involved be identified.

"The matter is being handled by the relevant authorities and will be considered in a court according to Cybertronian law. I wish to convey to all of you, our people, that the matter is well in hand. If there are concerns then you may contact my office. For now, there can be nothing more said publicly to allow a fair and just outcome based on the evidence. Thank you."

It had been cut and broadcast. On the call-in shows like **!*THE JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW*!**, sentiment was guarded but willing to allow the system to do an orderly assessment of the situation according to the law. There were a few callers that obviously had a lot of opinions to the contrary. Sunstreaker listened to them with a slow burn.

"This is Blaster. What's on your processor?" he had asked.

"I heard the message of the Prime this morning on 'Good Morning, Autobot City!' and I have to say I am not satisfied with his explanation. I heard that the victim is a high caste shot dead by a low. I also heard that this is the second murder of a high caste by a low in the city. I don't feel safe here."

"How long have you been here?" Blaster had asked. "This city has been going for a few years and no one has been hurt until now. We can't know what the refugees bring here. There was a lot of hurt and crimes committed out there and they bring it here. We work hard to make this place safe and given the size of the population we're doing just fine."

"You say that. You're not high caste."

"Frag that," Blaster said with uncharacteristic heat. "The system is dead. No one is high, middle or low caste anymore. That system is dead and if you don't know that then you better learn it." He hung up on the caller.

"You have steam risin' from your finials, Blaster," Jazz said with a grin.

"I know. I'm living up to my name," he said opening another line. "Hi. This is Blaster. What's on your slagging processor?"

-0-In the Mall of Metroplex

He stood in the bookstore looking for the sequel to a story that was being written in a serial format by a local author with a flair for dramatic stories with a strong romantic subplot. The big monitor by the door played the headlines for the city, Earth, the solar system and community events. Customers could have the Autobot City Daily News paper downloaded into their datapads. They could find a book they liked from their local writers, Earth and its vast spectrum of books and other species collected along the road to Mars.

The headlines spoke of the migration and its startling statistics. The news also told of the schools and universities expanding to meet the needs of increased population. There was business news, sports including the next playoff between Vos and Kaon who could clinch either a spot in the finals or jump start Iacon's redemption. The city was holding events at the Museum, Temple and several art galleries around the city showcasing important cultural artifacts from Cybertron.

The long term weather was available too, an important issue for some given that two camping areas were opened to the public and being used to great acclaim. New business openings, food ads for stories and cafes and the latest reports on the industrial parks were written in-depth in the business section. There were interviews with city committee members discussing their areas of expertise and the scheduled meeting outcomes.

Two mechs who were getting comics from Earth talked together quietly nearby next to a table filled with colorful graphic novels. A femme who was looking for a particular textbook for her business class passed by him. She was preoccupied in the quiet atmosphere of the bookstore. Nearby working in cubicles that they used daily for their work, authors wrote their articles, books and magazines that entertained, educated and informed the city every orn.

He found his book and walked to the counter to get it loaded on his datapad. As he did he listened to a couple of mechs sitting at a table nearby eating pastries and drinking the Cybertronian version of a cappuccino. "I don't believe Prime," one said. "I think there is a lot more that happened that is being held back. I think someone is killing high castes in this colony."

"You don't know that," the other said. "Prime is following the law. We have a million and a half mechs in this city and there is very little crime. Tell me that you've ever lived anywhere including Cybertron that was as safe as this place. Name a place with more opportunity too. You need to wait and see what Prime and the legal system does."

"I think that there's someone killing high castes. I heard that some are getting together and making an association to protect our interests," the first said.

"'Our'? Are you including yourself in that mix?" the other said.

"I don't know," he said. "I want to know what they have to say. Someone told me that they want to make a settlement away from here."

"I don't want to live anywhere else, especially not in a city where there the System exists. That ship has sailed," he said.

They sat chatting quietly as he stood getting his purchase made. When he turned to walk away he looked at both. They were civilians, newbies compared to him. But he remembered them anyway. Walking out of the bookstore, Perceptor made a point to discuss the situation with Wheeljack. Perceptor, a high caste highly educated mech who had lived a good life always would tell Wheeljack, his low caste bond. Wheeljack would pass it along to Jazz. Jazz would make sure that the news reached Prime.

It was in the servos of the high castes now how this would end.

-0-TBC

04-27-13 Sorry this took so long. I had to do stuff. HUGS! :D


	287. Chapter 287

The Diego Diaries: "Onward into the breach, dear ones." 287 (PS Hero's first day of school is in The Chronicles of Orion, 15) :D edited for boo boos

-0-Later that night

She sat on his lap so enfolded in a cocoon of warm loving energy that she could barely keep her optics focused. She was exhausted. It was the worst orn of her tiny life. Her hero had left her with the Enemy and she had spent all orn trying to find him again. He and her ada had finally shown up and she had fallen into the Pit.

She had clung to his face pressing her tiny cheek against him as hard as she could. Then he stowed her in her favorite place, the crook of his brawny arm. It was warm there, her hero rerouting heat to her spot as she snuggled in as tightly as she could. They had both then talked to the enemy, the femme and mech who had taken care of her all orn long.

"She will get better, Ironhide," Roto had said gently. "It would help if you could leave her with good energy before you go. If a genitor approves of this place, so will the infant. The transition is faster and smoother."

Ironhide looked at him as if he were the enemy but he wasn't. He respected Roto with his life and the future of his children. He loved the easygoing mech too, this bond of his son's teacher. Neo was without a doubt one of his closest friends, a great and decent spark. But they asked for a lot. He nodded anyway.

Ratchet grinned peering into the crook of Ironhide's arm. "If little femme gets any closer to you, your arm is going to acquire a few new nuts and bolts." Tiny little blue optics peered anxiously out of the depth of Ironhide's arm as Hero tried to blend in. Ratchet looked at both of them. "Thank you for tolerating our neurosis regarding the house shorties." He looked at Orion and Praxus who sat on his arm and they both burst into gigantic smiles, optics twinkling brightly.

They all laughed but Ironhide who was still assimilating the new reality. They made their goodbyes and as Ironhide turned, Ratchet paused a moment. "Thanks. He'll get better. This is always a terrible thing. I have home school key words blocked on the house computers."

They snickered and watched as Ratchet turned to catch up, the entire group heading down as the elevator door closed.

"I really like them," Roto said glancing at Neo.

She grinned and nodded. "Never a dull moment with any of them. Hero is just the latest in a long line of fun."

Roto nodded as both of them turned to walk back to the business of education.

-0-At the house

Ravel paused before Ironhide and Hero, the anxious appearing little femme looking up at his grand ada. She raised her arms and Ravel took her. Ravel hugged her and turned picking up a blanket from the bag on the floor nearby. Walking to the rocker by the window, he sat and covered her, rocking gently as he hummed. "You remind me of Ratchet when he was tiny, my little Hero. He would fuss when he had to leave us too. You are much too loved for your own good. Your poor atar is so sad to leave you." He looked at Ironhide. "How do you feel, son?"

Ironhide looked at Ravel, among the sweetest gentlest bots he knew. "Only a little bit better. I'm dreading tomorrow, Ravie."

"Well then, son, let me take her to school until she gets used to it. I don't like her suffering either but it's short term. She will find friends and learn great things. In the end, she will feel better. This way you don't have to watch her cry."

Ironhide looked at Ravel and vented a sigh. "I would be a big coward if I did that, Ravie."

"No, you are an atar, a very great and dedicated atar. I will help you through this, Ironhide. I will come here tomorrow and help you," Ravel said leaning down to kiss his granddaughter's little forehelm. She was quietly watching her grand ada, a mech with very warm loving energy. It was always a good thing to be held by her grandgenitors she was coming to believe. The sun was warm and she fell into a calm recharge.

"I see you still have it," Ratchet said as he turned to put dishes on the table for the potluck to celebrate Hero's first orn of school. School being such a hard won, rare commodity on Cybertron, one took the acquisition of it very seriously and there were celebrations in families for every milestone accomplished. Hero's first orn would be the first formally celebrated in the old fashioned manner of all the infants. Having grandgenitors around was good for traditions.

The door opened as Blackjack, Alor and Flint walked in heavily ladened with traditional dishes for the celebration. They put them on the table and counter, picking up dancing sparklings who stood below with their arms up. Spot who was laying in the sunshine next to Ravel, Sunspot's lap a pillow for his helm looked at them with a big tongue lolling grin. Sunspot smiled brilliantly too.

The door opened again as Sideswipe and Bluestreak entered, infants akimbo and a big awesome dog, Dawg thundering in behind them in his own awesome manner. Spot looked at him with excitement, then relaxed glancing up at Sunspot. Sunny was petting him gently, his face and energy showing great contentment. Spot quelled his urge to bound over and land on Dawg in favor of his buddy. He, Spot was excelling at his own mission in life too.

"Hi," Sideswipe said putting high grade in the fridge. "How is Hero? How did her orn go?"

"She cried all orn long," Ratchet said as everyone paused to listen. "She tried to run away, she slept like she was wrestling targs and she was a wreck."

Tie Down nodded. "Poor baby. Ravel and I will take her to school tomorrow," he said sympathetically glancing at Ironhide. "We can help here until she understands what's happening. I think we can even sit with her to help her get used to things. We don't need to open the store as early as we do."

"**HOLD ON!"** Ratchet said turning to his atar with amazement. "Did I just hear you right? You have put something for yourselves over the store? I think I need to call the Daily News." He grinned and leaned down kissing his atar on the helm. "Not only would that be this side of awesome, it shows me that having your own business for your own selves is helping moderate your work ethic for the better."

"We will stay a bit later to meet the demand, Ratchet. We will always put the family first but our customers depend upon us to make their orders in a timely manner," Ravel said.

"So it's an orn later than usual," Ratchet said glaring at his little ada, his servos on his hips. "You have earned the right to choose what and when you will do things. You can choose, Ada. Your stuff sells itself and your customers are around the block. They don't mind waiting an orn or two longer, trust me."

Ravel looked at Ratchet and vented a soft sigh. "I know. I'm still trying to believe it." He looked at Hero who was sleeping peacefully. "But for the family … for her, I will do whatever you need."

They all had an 'aw' moment then turned to look at Sideswipe and Bluestreak. "How is Sunny taking the news of the prison murder?" Ratchet asked. "By the way, that is strictly 'top secret over secret' for now."

Sideswipe nodded. Bluestreak nodded too. "We know. He's relieved for someone who won't have to testify. We're all relieved," he said glancing toward Sunspot who was oblivious so happy was he that Spot and Dawg **LOVED** each other. "I don't like random violence but this time I'm better with it."

Ratchet nodded as he turned to pull plates out of the cupboard over the sink. "I hear you. Eat." Ratchet grinned as he also pulled out utinsels and cups.

The family gathered around getting their dinner and drinks as Ratchet set the infants on the floor near the window with their sippie cups. The rest of their meal would come when there were adults ready to supervise. For now, drinks first.

The sun streamed in and its warmth was welcome as the family unwound and celebrated a transition for the littlest Autobot among them. The dogs lay together in a contented pile, Spot's helm parked on Dawg's butt. On the monitor overhead, Sunstreaker kibbitzed with the gathering joining in long distance from the moon of Pluto. It was all good.

-0-At the station on Luna, the satellite of Earth

They stepped off the shuttle and turned watching as the hatch closed and the vessel rose up to leave. The pilot waved and they waved back. It disappeared toward Earth heading for Diego Garcia and five orns of downtime before it would return to pick them up from their newly allowed once every two decaorns short visit. They stood a moment enjoying the view, they turned heavily ladened to walk to the hatch of the installation.

When they reached it, the hatch slid back and a joyously happy youngling mech helped his genitors carry in the things that they had been cleared to bring. Entering the spacious installation, they piled numerous huge bags on the dining room table, then took turns hugging their deliriously happy son tightly in their arms.

"I am so glad you came. You should see the stuff I'm doing," Burnoff said as he gestured around the big space. There were a number of tables with things on them, scientific appearing things and books. Writings were pinned to the wall, writings on giant datapads designed to serve in the manner of chalkboards. Writings they couldn't descipher were there along with pictures of the things from which the writing was translated. Nearby, other experimental items showed a mech who was fascinated, focused and motivated.

They were thrilled.

"You must tell us all about this, son," Turquoise said fairly shaking in joy at the opportunity to spend time with his son. Copperton himself agog with the enormity of his own pleasure nodded. "We brought you all the things you wanted. The Probation Office is so happy with your progress, son that they allowed even more than you asked for. We had talked to Perceptor and he suggested a number of things which we brought."

Burnoff looked at the bulging bags and felt a lightness of spark he hadn't felt since the last visit. He looked at them and smiled. "Thank you," he said with gathering emotion.

Copperton looked at him with his own emotion and pulled the three of them together. They stood silently hugging tightly, then Turquoise stepped back. "We brought you dinner, all the things you love. We also want to tell you that Blackstone is going to petition for you to have your sentence commuted to probation to be served under supervision on Mars."

He looked at his ada and smiled. "I won't try and think about it, Ada, until there is something to show it might happen. But I want you to know that I want an office space with a lab extension to work in if and when I get back. I will work hard. I found so many things to do I can hardly keep up and if I can come home again I will continue. My own building space will be a good thing so I don't overrun the apartment."

They looked at him, their wayward son and saw vitality, health, joy and service in his manner. They were overcome and stepped forward into a hug again. "We will help you, son. I think the Cultural Center would be perfect don't you, Copperton?" Turquoise asked looking up at him.

Copperton nodded glancing proudly at his son. "We will help you. If there is anything we know how to do to assist you, you only have to ask."

Burnoff nodded, a slight grin on his face. "You have done it all."

They stared at each other a moment, then Turquoise looked at his work. "What is this, son? I am so impressed. It looks so complex."

Burnoff then turned to explain his work to his genitors. It was a cross section of his interests which had begun to emerge in isolation. Once the despair phase had lifted, he had found in the books and databases of Cybertron gathered on Mars and in the great data mines of Earth what pleased him to study. That it would prove useful to their colony was also a good thing.

He walked to a table and pointed at a big datapad that held strange square clay tablets with ciphers pressed into them before they were baked. "These are two systems of writing from Earth that are at least 6000 years old and were until now indesciphered. This is Cretan Linear A and this is Cretan Hieroglyphic used in Minoan society. They have not been translated until now. I have scoured the internet for examples to test my translations and they hold up so far. Such interesting things they tell about humans," he said with a slightly absent tone. Then he looked at them. "I did it and I want to have sciences send the analysis and dictionary translators as well to human experts on Earth for verification. I want then to publish them for the world. They should know their own history."

He moved on to explain a number of theoretical projects he was working on some of which actually utilized his engineering degree earned while incarcerated here. It would be a wonderful few joors with their son before they would take their leave. When they returned, they would see Blackstone, Jarro and the Economic Development office on his behalf. It would be the highlight of their decaron.

-0-At an apartment in a tower in Terra

They made their goodbyes, the core group of the Iacon Order. They had drawn up the rules, activities and mission statement of their fledgling association for presentation to the Prime. It was innocuous enough to pass muster they believed and would be the platform for the organization and implementation of their ultimate goal, a colony and opportunity of their own to reinstitute their lifestyle once more.

Fenix shut the door and turned to Tril who was cleaning up the apartment. "That was very useful. I will send the package to Prime's office tomorrow. If he has caveats, he can note them. The sooner we have an official framework, the sooner we can collect like minds to our cause."

Tril nodded. "I know. The sooner, the better."

"There is merit to the notion that we get gainful employment in relationship to criticism. How is your search going?" he asked helping his bond to clean up.

"I have an interview at IntraComm tomorrow," Tril said. He paused. "It's for a menial tech job. Nothing involving policy or planning."

"Don't worry about it. Just maintain. I'm going to see Blackstone tomorrow about working in the Public Defenders office. It will be a good window into what's actually going on legally and criminally around here. I am also going to see Ultra Magnus about working in the city administration, another window."

"Blackstone might let you in. I don't know how plugged in he is to Prime but Ultra Magnus is practically his brother," Tril said moving to wash dishes, a menial task he always actually enjoyed. Fenix dried them and they could talk together.

"We'll see. There is also a position coming up on the Labor Council and in Patents," Fenix said. "I am a lawyer whatever that may mean to anyone. I do know the law."

Tril nodded. "You are a very good lawyer, Fen. They will be glad to get you."

-0-In another place

"I have to fill a position in the office tomorrow. Venture and Magnus are going to let me make the decision since he will be exclusive to our office," Caro said looking at the datapad filled with very qualified able candidates. Payload looked over his shoulder as he held the servo of their son, Mars as he walked back and forth in front of them getting slightly in the way as he babbled and laughed. They both grinned at him, then turned back to the search.

"Anyone that stands out?" Payload asked.

"I have reviewed the skill sets of everyone in the office so far and I think we're a little weak in the legal department. I am thinking this mech would fill that gap and help with the law that we encounter with our business. It would relieve the legal department in the city administration's office and allow me to get timely decisions much more quickly. He can also liaison with Warren Roberts and take the meetings on Earth without me having to go. Good for the family."

Payload nodded. "Will it mean you won't have as much overtime as you have now?"

Caro grinned back. "Yep."

"Then he's our mech. Who is he?"

Caro looked at the datapad in his servo. "His name is Fenix..."

-0-TBC

04-29-13


	288. Chapter 288

The Diego Diaries: Moving forward (288) edited for boo boos

-0-That night at the apartment

They had eaten dinner together, chatted and finally made their way onward. The last individual left so Ratchet closed the door and turned to survey his domain. The night lights had come on outside and the city beyond was getting into the swing of evening. The other two cities, Terra and Aerie Hill were also getting their night life going. The next day would be the last work day of the 'week' so the loafing would continue afterwards for the three day Cybertronian weekend instituted by vote.

Entire city: Yes. Opposed: 12. It was rumored that one of the twelve was Ultra Magnus but it couldn't be proven.

It however was a rousing success for everyone. Unless of course your own weekend didn't coincide with the greater mass of citizenry. There would be one more orn on the job, then they would have three to futz around. Ironhide would be able to have his daughter and emotionally gear up for the start of school again on Cybertronian 'Monday'.

It was win-win, sort of.

"Are you going to recharge in that chair?" Ratchet said walking over to sit in his.

"Femme is dozing," Ironhide said about the tiny morsel lying on his chassis as he lounged, his big peds up on the low table before him. The Hourly News was nearly on so Ratchet relaxed. In the other rooms infants could be heard laughing and playing. Occasionally, Spot would bound out, bend down, his fanny in the air tail waggling, then bound back in to the screeching delight of the house shorties. Prowler lay in a sagging pile in his bouncy chair which was by the window. He dozed himself, comfortable in his discomfort.

"Sparkling is sagging," Ratchet observed.

Ironhide grinned. "He's still boneless."

"Aw. I must have missed that class at medical school," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "You good with my ada taking little femme to school?"

"No. But I see his point. Ravie will stay a while with her. Tie too. That might help." Ironhide looked like it wouldn't but then he was in the five stages of something and had still to surmount denial, rage, bargaining and fist shaking at the netherworld where Zeta Prime ruled in oblivion.

"I see. Did you know an apartment came open on the floor below the Residence?" Ratchet asked as the Community Bulletin Board scrolled slowly on the monitor.

"No," Ironhide said glancing at Prime. "How did that happen?"

"The family that lived there had a sparkling. They also found their genitors in the migration. They asked for a bigger apartment so they could keep their genitors with them and Prowl granted it. The apartment is a bit big but Prime is happy to give it to the genitors. They can be close to him and he can keep them close to him. Win-win."

Ironhide nodded. "That's a good idea. I know they worried that they were abusing something or other."

Ratchet nodded. "Prowl nearly lost a wing nut trying to explain to them that they were always and forever welcome in the Residence but I hear them about independence. I wonder if they have moved in yet or need help." Ratchet connected with Prowl. :Prowler: (giant bemused snoopiness)

:What?: (surprise tinged with something else)

:I hear the in-laws will have the mother-in-law apartment: (grin)

A momentary pause to do the necessary research returned a slightly bemused reply. :I know. Serendipity: (slight grin, bigger aggravation)

A momentary pause to do the necessary research returned a slightly bemused reply. :You don't say: (smirk on the half shell)

A momentary pause to do the necessary research returned a slightly puzzled reply. :I just did: (WTF?)

Ratchet snorted and grinned. :Its an expression, doofus: (smirking sneer)

A pause, then a reply. :That's doofus, **SIR**: (giant **'YOUR MAMA'** back)

They both sat at their respective ends with a grin. :Prowler, do you need help setting up Kes and Tagg? If you do, you know where we live:

:I'll let you know. Right now, we're staying put until the weekend:

:Okay. Let us know. Ratchet out:

:Prowl out: He paused and looked up at Optimus who was staring down at him. "Sorry about that."

Optimus grinned. "Route everyone to the message box," he said. Then he didn't say anything more.

Neither did Prowl.

-0-Back in the Bosom of Love

"What did Prowl say?" Ironhide asked as he picked up the remote to turn up the sound of The Hourly News broadcast.

"Not much. He was fragging Prime but he did mention the weekend," Ratchet said with a grin.

Ironhide glanced at him, then smirked. "You two have been hanging around too much together. You're going to contaminate Prowl with your crazy."

"Too late, Only One. Too late," Ratchet said as the news began.

-0-On the beat

"What do you want to do this weekend?" Drift asked as they walked to the subway station to go to Aerie Hill. Shift had started and they were making their once decaorn tours of all the stations and substations of the Watch to show the flag and kill time, or so Drift would say with a grin. Walking down the stairs to the subway platform at Cultural Center Way, they paused waiting for the right train to come.

"I don't know. What about you? I'm always stuck making the decision," Springer said glancing pointedly at his bond mate. "Choose."

Drift looked at him and shrugged. "How about rock climbing in the Valles?"

"Sounds fun. I hear the rock faces near the campground at Sheer Cliffs are really challenging," Springer replied as they watched their train slow down to stop before them.

"Do you want to be challenged a lot or a little?" Drift asked as they entered. The train was filled with happy younglings, sub adults heading out for an evening. They saw the two enter the train and toned down their laughter which was just all right with a pair of old mechs heading back to the Metroplex District. They were the old geezers that played games everyday in the courtyard of the Fortress. One of them looked up at Springer who grinned down at the pair as they sat on their seats by the window. "'Bout time a Watch mech showed up. Those younglings over there," he said pointing out a number of giggling mechs with his cane. "They're too noisy. Can't hear a word edgewise."

Springer looked at them and they calmed down immediately, staring at the two big mechs with big optics. "They look pretty nice to me," he said glancing down with a grin at the pair.

They glanced at each other, then frowned. "Fat lot of good you are."

Springer grinned as Drift snorted. The big white mech sat down across from them. "You can talk to me. My hearing is great."

They looked at each other, then the big mech. "Young people these orns go out in public and have no concern about anyone else. They just want to make noise and be stupid," one said glaring at the younglings.

Drift looked at them and they got quieter. "Youth. They don't think some times. I bet you were a bandit when you were younger."

The old mechs looked at each other, then at him. "Who have you been talking to?" one of them asked with a wary optic.

Springer snorted as the train stopped at Metroplex District Station #2. The old mechs got up and walked off as Springer held the door for them. When they were off, he let go of the button waving as the two turned to watch the train leave. When it did, both mechs turned to look at the younglings. They looked at Springer and Drift sheepishly, then the two mechs focused on the one they knew.

"Hi, Sadee," Springer said as Drift grinned.

A tiny femme with a lot of talent and 'tude looked at them both with a weak smile and a slight wave of her servo. They all got off at the next stop.

-0-At an apartment in Terra

He saw the light blinking and opened the message. He grinned slightly and turned to his bond who was getting ready to go to recharge. "I have a message from the Patent Office, Tril."

Tril paused and turned. "What does it say, Fen?"

"I got the job," he said looking at his bond with great satisfaction.

-0-On a job site in the distance

They walked the high steel, their peds magnetizing to the structure as they guided new girders in. They were incredibly indestructible. The type of steel they maneuvered had been used on their home world and it took direct hits and intense fire to bring down the buildings. Some of them had been very old but were as sound as the day they were constructed.

They were in a housing district in a satellite city yet to be designated. Aerie Hill had been named by Starscream. It reflected the structure of the land and the purpose for which it had been build. Sound Cybertronian thinking. Autobot City was self explanatory. Terra had been named for their allies, the Terrans of Terra who called themselves humans. Their Terra, their Earth was a bright star in their night sky and it twinkled over them as they worked.

The city was working on expedited plans to meet the coming torrent. They had limited housing available right now but more was coming on line soon. Towers, some of them connected now with bridges at a level created for public space in the buildings added something of Cybertron to the new constructions. Residents could go between buildings in the new system without going outside. The sky bridges would be enclosed with transparent steel to allow views of the vast plain and industrial region beyond.

The night wore on as the mechs pulled steel and welded it into place. They would frame five towers at a time, then move on to the next as crews came behind them to add their piece of the puzzle. Still other crews would follow until each set of towers was completed. By the time the next group came there would be enough housing for immediate occupation for a colony-wide population planned to reach two million. In buildings to be constructed when the housing numbers were secured, commercial space, amenities and public buildings would rise as well to meet the needs of the residents. Until then, they would have to take subways or drive to Terra or Autobot City to get groceries or services.

None of them would care about the inconvenience.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

"And tomorrow's weather will be the same as today. The sandstorms that usually follow the season are now under control. Sciences representative spokesmech Beachcomber talked to Jacx today." The scene cut to the lab at the top of the Educational Tower. Beachcomber sat at a counter with scientific equipment on it, a spectacular view of the air field and Aerie Hill behind him.

"Beachcomber, you have been part of the team that has been working to bring the sandstorms under control for the past two Martian years. What can you tell us about it and the press release earlier today by Perceptor that they were under control?"

Beachcomber nodded. "I have been part of the study we have made since arriving on Mars. I handled the geological side of the data gathering. What we had to do was understand the relationship of the upper atmosphere and the land surface with all the temperature fluctuations. Wind funnels would form and gather sand, carrying it along until they ran out of energy. Then the funnel would collapse and the storm would subside. However, we found evidence that on occasion the funnels would grow greatly and combine shrouding the entire planet in a massive dust storm that could last for several decaorns. What we had to do was study the patterns of the upper atmosphere, detect what conditions had to be available for funnels to form and build counter measures. The interesting thing about this is we have found an easy way to create atmosphere here on Mars that would if carried to the furthest degree would make it possible for humans to live without environmental gear. It is byproduct of our efforts with the storms."

"Terraforming?" Jacx asked.

Beachcomber nodded. "There are a number of problems that would have to be solved to make that leap. First of all, the inner core temperature of Mars is much cooler than Earth so that would have to be compensated for. We would have to bring the atmosphere up a great degree to make enough oxygen for humans to be comfortable. There would be a mass melting of the ice packs at the poles which would flood the ancient seas that still can be seen here. We would have a lot of factors to weigh and balance to make a terraform that would change this from a relatively dead planet to one that could support life. It is an interesting academic exercise."

"The Hu An are terraforming their habitat. There were large shipments of plants and trees sent to them from Earth. They have been working in their sealed greenhouses to replicate their home world environment through genetically engineering those plants."

Beachcomber nodded. "The Hu An are extraordinary scientists when it comes to terraforming. They always recreate their favored living conditions wherever they are. When in captivity, it wasn't possible. But they can teach all of us a lot with their advanced techniques and skills."

"What is the likelihood that we will have a sandstorm now, Beachcomber? Will the big ones be a thing of the past or will we be dealing with small ones that never mass up?"

"We won't be dealing with sandstorms again," Beachcomber said. "We have the technology in place to prevent them from happening. The ecosystem here doesn't depend on them for positive necessary effects. They are just the fall out of a famished planet. We can prevent them from happening with what we have in place. The system is delivered from space and monitors the conditions of the entire planet constantly. It was a massive effort by a lot of mechs and femmes. I am proud to contribute to it myself."

"Thank you, Beachcomber and the team that has made spring, summer and fall a lot better around here," Jacx said with a grin. "Back to the studio," he said.

The scene switched and Lim-lee appeared on the screen. "Thank you, Jacx. "In other news, the Office of the Prime has released the figures of the last migration which brings the population of our colony nearly to one and a half million individuals." Lim-lee continued as Ratchet and Ironhide rounded up the hoodlums, bussed the rooms and tucked everyone in their beds. Praxus serenaded them as they tucked him in until they gave him his bear. He loved on it and turned on his side snuggling as he settled for recharge.

Sunspot and Spot were already in bed, their berth room immaculate.

"You could give youngling lessons, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said kissing Sunspot's helm. He petted Spot, then moved so Ironhide could as well. "Go to recharge, sport," Ironhide said.

"I will. Are we going anywhere this weekend?" he asked with a smile.

"I hear that the pool is the place to be," Ratchet said with a smile.

Sunspot smiled. "Can I bring Spot?" he asked as the big dog lay down nearly on top of him. He chuckled and moved to make room for both of them.

"I'll find out," Ironhide said nodding. "Service animals get to go places."

Sunspot nodded. "I love you," he said to both of them as he turned and spooned behind Spot.

"We love you too, sparkling," Ratchet said as they turned and walked out. Crossing the hallway, they peered into Orion's room. He was still trying to gather his toys into the box. Turning to see them, he paused with a block in both servos. Smiling enormously, he waited. Ironhide obliged and helped him, then he tucked the little bot into his berth. Handing him the preferred dollies of the night, they kissed him and tip-toed out. He settled and went to recharge.

The little mech loved his big boy bed.

Walking out, pausing to look at Hero as she sat in Ironhide's chair, the remote in her servos, they grinned. "We were watching the news, Hero," Ironhide said as he picked up his daughter.

"You put her to bed and I'll park Prowler," Ratchet said as he walked to the window. The infant was sound asleep so Ratchet took the bouncy chair and all to Prowler's room at the end of the hallway.

Ironhide picked up Hero and looked at her. "I love you. I don't want you to be afraid. There isn't a force in the universe that would keep me from coming to find you. You and your brothers, your old ada and our family have saved my life. I have something to slag the 'Con's for besides anger." He kissed his daughter and she hugged his face as tightly as she could. He looked at her, sniffed her and grinned. "Old mech can really crank out the good ones," he said as he turned and carried his princess to her room.

Tomorrow would come but that was later.

-0-TBC

04-29-2013


	289. Chapter 289

The Diego Diaries: The next morning... edited for boo boos :D

-0-At the house

They sat together at the table, one eating a baby cracker and one watching. Ironhide watched as his daughter noshed, his son, Praxus sitting on his lap sipping a cup of Cybertronian 'milk'. Praxus was watching Hero who was one of his favorite partners for play. She was watching him, smiling every other bite at the older brother most like her in temperament.

Orion was following Sunspot around, a Blue Dog dollie trailing in his wake. He had it by an ear and was 'chatting'. Sunspot was chatting back as he gathered his school stuff, cleaned his room, fed his dog and helped.

Ratchet walked out of Prowler's berthroom, the baby in arms and a clutch of hats and jackets for the infants. Spring was in full force but the nights had turned colder. They ranged from a comfortable -40 degrees for infants to a brisk -120.

He carefully put Prowler into his bouncy chair which was waiting on the table for him, then sat. "I grabbed a few things for the sparklings. It's cold out."

"I saw that. Planet should decide what it wants to be," Ironhide said taking a little black jacket with a bunny on it for Praxus. Given that he had wings, it was a matter of bending him forward enough to slip the jacket on and button it. His hat had bunny ears. He looked adorable.

Ratchet snickered. "Praxus, you are so cute."

He grinned ginormously. **"ADA! ME?"**

"Prac, you," Ratchet replied handing Ironhide Hero's little yellow coat and flower covered matching hat. He carefully folded her femme wings down and put it on her, fastening the front. The hat took a moment of positioning to get her finials right but she was finished and cute as a bug.

A knock and the door opening caught everyone's attention as the grand genitors entered to Spot's delight. Orion leaped on his grand atar's ped as a big servo gripped his tiny aft. Sitting on Blackjack's servo grinning like the Cheshire Cat, Orion was good to go.

Ironhide tossed him Orion's hat and coat. Blackjack held him while Alor dressed his squirming little aft. "I hear that we don't have to worry about sand storms anymore. I wonder if they can do something about the cold. Little mech doesn't like getting dressed up."

"It isn't normal for him but then this planet isn't either. Beggers can't be choosers the humans say," Ratchet said rising. He turned and tossed Sunspot his hat. He slipped it on with a grin, then was helped into his coat. It was designed for Seekers. It allowed him to fit his wings which were sensitive to fluctuations in temperature at his still developing age.

"You look awesome, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said with a grin.

He smiled. "Does Spot need a jacket and hat?" he asked looking at his dog.

Ratchet shrugged. "Watch him. If he does, let us know."

"I will," Sunspot said getting his book bag and small globe of Cybertron. Today was mapping of the home world in clay. He was going to do the Sonic Canyons.

"I see that Hero is ready to go," Ravel said smiling at his granddaughter. She smiled back and offered her arms.

Ironhide leaned in and kissed her, rubbing his nose against her cheek. She smiled and gripped his face hugging him closely. Then Ravel picked her up and kissed her cheek. "We will go and see how your orn goes, my baby," Ravel said tucking her into his arm. "Then you will have a happier orn. So will your atar."

Ironhide stood and watched as the group turned to go to school. When Alor and Blackjack were in town, they took the infants to school. Tie Down and Blackjack took Orion and Praxus. Ravel had Sunspot usually and Alor took Hero. Today, Ravel and Tie would care for Hero. They took their leave and it was quiet a moment.

"Does this help?" Ratchet asked quietly.

"A little. Maybe." Ironhide looked down at Prowler who was looking up at him with quizzical optics. The tiny red chevron was bright as the infant tried to figure out his situation. Ironhide sat and pulled the little chair over. He looked at his son. "Just you and me, kid. Its not going to be as much fun today."

Prowler waved his arms in excitement as he watched his father looking at him. Ratchet sat and looked at him too. "Looks like he got over it," Ratchet said with a grin. "You will too."

"No. I'll get used to it," Ironhide said quietly. "I haven't gotten over the others yet either."

"That's why there's weekends, Ironhide," Ratchet said patting his servo. "I have to go to the hospital. Been a few and I have to get things back in order." He rose. "You and Prowler have fun." He walked to the door and with a grin exited the apartment.

It was quiet, the soft background sounds never heard normally suddenly very loud. He sat looking at his newest progeny and grinned slightly. "You're too cute. I like chevrons. Your old ada actually got a fake one because of that. Your old ada is a hoot." He sat back, the infant following his every move. "I think I have to do some data work first. You'll have to hang out in your little bag. Then we'll go down below to check out the Seeker munitions stockpiles here and around the city. Might as well get right into the life. We're in the army and there's no rest from the bad mechs."

Prowler smiled, a giant smile that was spark warming to his old pa. Ironhide grinned and rose walking to the berthroom to get the stuff he needed. A blanket to be a pad in his hold, the little Seeker bag that was home away from home and the little hat that would keep his little helm warm. It was a black and white hat with a badge woven into it that said 'To Serve and Protect'.

Deft servos did the delicate work of getting a baby into a bag and hat. Then Ironhide tucked him into his hold. He would walk to the Armory and get his work done. Then he would wander onward with his littlest buddy inspecting things, chatting as the baby lay on a flat box while his old atar lifted lids to see inside munitions boxes and share a cookie later on.

It would be better than the day before. By a long measure, it would.

-0-At the hospital

Ratchet walked into his office and noted the pile of things stacked there. He sat and sorted them wondering as he did how Hero and Ironhide would be doing. Transitions were hard especially when they had a chance to live a nice life at long last. Being an older parent was a pain in the aft sometimes. He began to busy himself in work and the joors slowly crept by.

-0-Bluestreak and Sideswipe earlier

He stood at the kitchen sink stacking morning things. The twins were dressed and so was Kaon. Grandpas Miler and Venture would be coming to take them because Bluestreak was due at the shooting range in breems. Sideswipe who had the orn off considered what he would do. When Miler, Venture, Bluestreak and the sparklings left, he grinned. He walked back into the berth room, collapsed on the big expanse of soft comfort and fell into recharge.

-0-Prowl and the in-laws

They stepped off the elevator on their way back to the Residence. It was the floor just below. Glancing at each other, they turned to Prowl. Didn't we miss a floor, Prowl?" Kestrel asked.

"We both, Optimus and I want to show you something, Kestrel," Prowl said gently taking Tagg's arm. "Optimus is already there." He led them to the second apartment door from the elevator and opened it. He stepped back and nodded, the two walking past to go inside.

Optimus was sitting on a couch reading a datapad which had all of the overnight news and important things necessary for his attention down loaded. He looked up and smiled, rising to stand. "Hi. Welcome to your new home."

They looked at him, Prowl, then all around. The apartment was big and beautiful. It was three berthrooms with large general living spaces. It fronted on the air field and had a beautiful view of Aerie Hill. The place was furnished comfortably with extra touches that Prowl and Bluestreak had provided already. Kestrel turned to look at Optimus. "Orion, what are you saying?" he asked, his familiar face and colors soothing to his son.

"Everyone gets a home, Ada. No one gets a better home than anyone else. This apartment became vacant because the family who lived here found their genitors and had need of a bigger space. Now this is yours." He felt almost giddy at the idea of giving his genitors a nice home of their own for the first time in their lives. It was astonishing to him how good he felt at this moment.

They looked around, then at each other. Tagg turned to his son. "Orion, what do we do?"

Optimus considered that a moment. Then he understood. "Nothing. You don't have to do a thing. Elders don't have to slave anymore if they don't want to. We take care of them. If you want to go to school, you can. If there is a skill you want to learn, you can. You don't have to do anything to live here like this if you don't want to. You have earned the life you will live here. No one will order you around any more," he said with more bitterness than he thought he still felt.

They looked at him, then each other. "This is so beautiful, son," Tagg said. "Kestrel and I want to help you. If you tell us what we can do, we will. You have a big burden, Orion. We want to help you."

"Just being here safe and restored helps me more than you can know, Atar," Optimus said. "Just knowing that you live here, that you can do what you want and you aren't hurt or hungry, that makes me very happy."

They nodded, then Kestrel looked at Tagg. "You always wanted to be an engineer, Tagg."

He nodded. "I know. But that was then. I'm too old and uneducated to have thoughts like that."

"No," Optimus said quietly. "You aren't. I myself took a physics course at the University just recently."

They looked at him, then smiled. "You went to University?" Kestrel asked.

He nodded. "I did. I really had to work hard. Physics is more abstract than I thought it was."

They nodded. "I am sure you were wonderful. You always were a wonderful learner, Orion," Kestrel said. "Maybe we can look. Do they mind if we look?"

"They want everyone to look. I want you to spend time just walking around to look at things. There is so much to see and do here. The idea of you being whatever you want to be is the ideal here."

They looked at their son, then nodded. Kestrel looked around, then walked to the hallway peering into the master berthroom. "Oh my," he said. "This is so nice." He disappeared for a moment, then appeared again. "Tagg, they have a wash rack in the apartment. Just like the Residence."

"All of our habitations do, Ada," Optimus said with a slight grin. "Everyone gets to live a good life here."

He looked at his son, then leaned against the door. "I don't know what to say."

Prowl walked to Kestrel and took his arm. "Sit down, Kes. You look tired."

Kestrel sat and Tagg joined him. "This is going to take a while to get used to," Tagg said.

"We **all** still are," Optimus said with a nod. Prowl sat down beside him.

"We're just glad you're here. The infants need good influences," Prowl said gently.

"We will help you with them. All of them are so sweet. The older mechs, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe ... they're lovely boys," Kestrel said as Tagg nodded.

Optimus and Prowl just smiled and nodded too. Pranks be damned.

-0-City Hall, Autobot City, Mars

He walked down the corridor that led to the Patents and Terran Business Office headed by Caro, bond of Payload. It staffed five employees, two techs and a secretary. It would now count a lawyer as staff as well. He entered and walked through the crowded office to a door that was open. The youthful figure of Caro was inside sorting through a number of datapads that required vetting. He looked up. "Hi. Can I help you?" he asked.

"I think that's my question," Fenix replied with a slight grin. "How can I help you?"

-0-TBc

04-30-13


	290. Chapter 290

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 1 (290) edited for boo boos

=0=In Ops Center

Prowl walked to the door that led to the corridor where all of the offices of the senior officers were. The door to Prime's office was open so he paused waiting for him to look up. He did at last, then Prowl entered. "Did you notice the addition to the Patent Office?"

"I did. I would like to see Smokescreen, Mirage and Tracks if you can manage it," Optimus replied.

Prowl nodded and turned walking out to make it so.

-0-On the street

They walked together down streets that were named and paved, enormous glittering buildings towering over them. The sidewalks were wide for big mechanisms and vehicles passed, some of them sentient as the pair stood at the intersection to Cultural Center Road and Metroplex Highway 1. They watched as the lights changed, mechs and the occasional femme crossing in the pedestrian lanes.

They crossed themselves and walked to the corner watching as mechs came and went. They continued onward to the Mall of Metroplex, then entered that three story wonderland. Pausing, looking around with astonishment, Kestrel and Tagg continued onward toward the Metroplex Grocery Store. They stared inside at the cornucopia of food items, then each other. Hesitantly, they walked in to look around.

-0-At a 'Gentlemen's Club' in Terra

They sat at the table playing a popular game named poker, one that the army brought with them from Earth. Around them, the ambiance and decor of the club was right up their alley. The room was big and there were different areas for activities and relaxation.

It was Hoyle's, a club and bar modeled after the classy men's clubs of nineteen fifties and sixties Earth. The decor reflected the masculine tone of clubs of that era with paneled walls that appeared wood tone, furnishings of dark 'wood' and red leather. There was a huge bar with mirrors behind it, glasses and bottles sparkling in the low lighting. Music including Sinatra, light jazz and Cybertronian played softly in the background.

Beyond the bar, there was a large area with tables and chairs for sitting, conversation, eating bar food and drinking. Along the back wall of this area were dart boards. Nearby were pool tables for play and beyond that a number of tables for gaming. There was always a game or two going on at the club which had become super popular with young civilian and army mechs.

The three mechs playing at a corner table chatted, sipping 'beer' as they played and waited for more to join. A big mech walked in and grabbed a beer leaning against the bar as he looked around. Spotting the game, he walked to a wall computer and put in his code. A program tallied his winnings thus far and asked how much he wanted. He input a sizeable number, then collected the chips that it dispensed. There was no 'money' involved. When mechs played, they all started with the same amount when they registered the first time. It was up to them to add or subtract from the total they earned or lost in the games. Every decaorn they could apply for the starting total and begin all over again.

"Deal me in," Tracks said as he sat. He was dealt cards, looked at them and smiled. "Great."

Demetri looked at the big mech spotting the small glyph that signaled his caste.

High.

They glanced at each other, then began to play. As they did a big mech who had played darts turned to walk to the bar. He paused and looked at Tracks' cards. "Private game or what?" he asked.

"**This** hand is, slagger. Join in. It will be fun to slag you to the Pit," Tracks said with his usual smug confidence.

Smokescreen grinned and walked to the wall pulling out a nice amount from his gigantic account. Walking back, he sat and watched as Skot, a high caste mech won the hand. They dealt the cards again, the game resuming. As they waited for their hands, all three of the civilian mechs looked for Smokescreen's glyph. They found it.

Low caste.

-0-In a wonderland

They walked around the store looking at this and that, their affect common to the employees. Having a place of plenty was amazing but hearing that you could have what you wanted and leave with it struck them numb. They didn't have to provide shanix for any of it. This economy didn't use money.

Kestrel paused staring at a display. "Look, Tagg. Orion's favorite candy."

They both walked closer and looked at it. A mech glanced their way and smiled. "That's the good stuff."

"We're sorry," Kestrel said startled.

The mech looked at them a moment, then stepped around the display with concern. "No, no, no. I mean, its really good. Here. Let me get you some to take with you."

They stood quietly as the young mech hurried around and filled a box with the candy. He looked up. "What else can I help you with?"

They glanced at each other, then the young mech. "We don't know," Tagg said.

"Then let me help you," he said picking up a basket. They would walk around the store, the youngling explaining everything to them and how the economy worked in the city. They would gather dinner, learning about the virtues of 'prime rib' and side dishes. They would leave that store and pause before The Sparkling Store. By the time they left it, they would have little hats for all their grandchildren.

They would go home, put all of it in its proper places, then sit by the window for Orion to come home. It would be a very surreal afternoon before their son stepped in to check on them before going up to his own home.

When he did come, they both looked at him, then got the candy. Giving it to him, Kestrel began to cry. Tagg stood helplessly as Optimus hugged his ada. "I want both of you to go see someone in processor health. It will help you make this adjustment."

His atar nodded as he patted Kestrel. "Kestrel is having a hard time right now. He can't get over how much there is here and how we don't have to work if we can't. We've always made our way, son. We don't want to be a burden."

Optimus pulled his father into his embrace. Holding his parents, he shook his helm. "You have never been, you can never be a burden. You are going to get better. Come up and have dinner with us. The little mechs will want to tell you about their orn."

"We can bring the candy, Orion," Kestrel said. "We can tell them that you liked it best."

Optimus nodded and the three turned, one carrying the box and all of them leaving together. What they wouldn't tell the little mechs was that it took three orns wages to buy a tiny box of the candy for **their** little mech. They wouldn't tell the children that when they did so for Orion's separation orn anniversary, they themselves wouldn't eat for a couple of orns.

Such was Cybertron prior to The Fall.

-0-At Hoyle's

Smokescreen lived up to his name, smoking the opposition behind the screen of his gambler's facade. The three high castes were good gamblers picking up on the principles of poker rather quickly. But they weren't in Smokescreen's league. He was in a class by himself.

Behind them walking to the table to pull out a chair, Mirage sat down. He watched a hand, made his order to the bar mech and leaned back to trade slag. "You haven't lost your touch I see," he said nodding to the big stack of chips in front of the white and blue gambler.

"Nope," Smokescreen said with a grin. "If these slaggers were half as good as they thought they were, I would only be beating them half as much as I am."

Claxon frowned. "That's a smart mouth you have on you."

Smokescreen looked at him with a smirk. "Smart mouth, good hands. Bite me."

They looked at him a moment as they considered his remark. "You would think differently on Cybertron," Skot said taking more cards.

"No I wouldn't. You would still come down to the clubs and I would still kick your aft," Smokescreen said.

"Don't argue with him, Skot. Its not worth your effort," Demetri said. "Frankly, I think I want to rescind your presence in this game."

Smokescreen looked at him and grinned. "Really."

"Yes," Claxon replied. "That means you can't play here anymore."

Smokescreen looked at them, then Tracks. "I suppose you agree."

"Why? Because I'm high caste and you aren't?" Tracks said in his more condescending tone that he seldom used since The Fall. Mirage snorted and leaned back. "Looks like you're odd mech out, Smokey. You're out numbered."

Smokescreen looked at them, then slowly rose to his peds as he gathered his considerable winnings. "Maybe," he said with a cold expression. "Frag all of you parasites." He turned and walked to the computer depositing his winnings. When he turned he glanced at them, then turned leaving the bar.

They sat and watched him go. Then Skot looked at Mirage and Tracks. "How do you stand it?" he asked quietly.

"What?" Mirage asked as he turned back to look at the group at the table.

"How do you stand being around them as equals?" Skot asked.

Tracks looked at him and saw himself once upon a time. He knew that Mirage was feeling the same thing. He made himself shrug. "I'm in the army. I fight to protect our people. I don't care one way or the other. Besides, the System is banned. What can you do?"

"But don't you wish you could live in a city that was ours, that held up our values and kept the riff raff out?" Skot pressed.

They both looked at the three. "That will get you brigged around here," Mirage said leaning forward, his voice low and his manner concerned. "You better watch where and what you say."

"But what is your answer?" Skot asked leaning forward, his voice lower.

"It doesn't matter. Prime will never allow it," Tracks said quietly. "We do our best. That's all we can do."

"No. Its not," Claxon said softly. "We asked for our own city and Prime said no. We're making an association, the Iacon Order to make sure that our rights are represented here. Kudon was murdered. So was another high caste, or so I'm told. No one knows more than he was killed. Then there's Burris. We're under seige. Join up with us. We can use someone on the inside."

Tracks looked at them, then Mirage. The big mech looked to be considering Claxon's statement. Then Mirage leaned forward. "What do you want us to do?"

Tracks nodded.

-0-Later that evening

Mirage walked into the apartment heading for the fridge. He took out a brew and turned leaning against the counter as he sipped it. Jazz looked up from the floor where he sat leaning against the couch, a plethora of datapads on the low table before him. "You look busy."

"I am," Jazz replied. "I hear you have an exclusive assignment now."

"I do. I'm going to Diego Garcia in two orns to shadow Fenix and I'm now a charter member of the Iacon Order," he said with a grin.

"Iacon Order? What's that?" Jazz asked.

"You don't want to know," Mirage said, his grin fading. "You couldn't make it through the front doors. The fraggers." His tone was ice cold.

-0-Earlier that morning

She stood between her grand ada's legs and watched with anxiety. Ravel sat by the window with Hero who hung onto her with an iron grip. Beyond her, the room was filled with sparklings off all kinds playing and relaxing after a morning filled with testing, jumping, picking up and putting down, etc.

The babies were happy, most of them. A couple of them hung out at the fringe unwilling to risk getting closer. She wasn't alone. But she was the most anxious infant in the room. Roto who was kneeling nearby picked up a ball and rolled it to her. She disappeared behind Ravel's leg, then peered out. It rolled to a stop before her. She stared at it, then slowly walked to it. She picked it up and stared at Roto.

Roto smiled and held out his servo. She looked at it, then him. She peered up at Ravel who smiled. "Good, Hero. Give him the ball."

She looked at him, then hesitantly carried it closer. Letting it drop, she ran back to Ravel and leaned against his leg. Roto grinned. "Here, Hero," he said as he rolled the ball. It stopped before her. She looked at him, then Ravel. Ravel picked it up and handed it to her.

Hero looked at it, then him. Then she pushed it forward in an awkward throw. Roto caught it and laughed. "Good girl!"

She looked at him, then smiled.

He rolled it to her and she flung it back as best she could a couple of more times. She looked at him, then her grand ada. "A? Me?" she asked.

Ravel nodded and smiled. "You."

It was a start.

=0=TBC

05-01-2013 Happy May Day! :D


	291. Chapter 291

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 2 (291) (Note at the bottom of this and the next piece detailing the Smokescreen thing. :D)

-0-The evening (edited)

Ironhide walked to the Ops Center, two infants stowed in his hold. Before him hopping like bunnies, Orion and Praxus chattered and laughed. He held their leashes and moderated his speed to match the infants, a very slow progress indeed. Ratchet kept Sunspot and their dog, heading for RTR Tools to see the genitors. He had finished his shift and gathered some of the infants. They had an exchange of little bots at the intersection of Metroplex and Fortress, then went their own way.

Ironhide and Company entered the Fortress heading for Ops Center. Orion and Praxus said 'hi' to everyone they passed. Entering the command deck, they walked to the table where Prowl, Prime and a couple of mechs sat. Those bots turned to look their way, the rambling infants a good break to the serious conversation they were having. Orion and Praxus paused before the table looking around with giant smiles as they stood admiring the view.

Prime reached down and picked up the two little bots sitting them on the table. They grinned at him and took the rust sticks that Prowl produced from subspace. Ironhide sat pulling Hero and Prowler out of his hold as well. They were glommed by Prowl.

"How was her orn?" Prowl asked.

"Ravel stayed for the morning until she went to nap, then Tie came to stay. She was pretty good as long as she could see them. She likes the kids and some of the staff but she's very afraid to be alone. I think she feels we're abandoning her," Ironhide said as Hero stood up and looked around the table. She wore no coat because the orn had warmed but her little flowered hat was cute. She smiled, her rust stick in her servo. She turned to walk to Optimus offering him a bite. He pretended to take one. Then she walked to everyone at the table to give them a bite as well. Satisfied that everyone had their bite, she walked to Ironhide and sat awkwardly down to chew on her candy.

"It will get better," Prowl said as he held his namesake. Prime who was grinning at Orion looked at Ironhide. "We have two of our own inside Fenix's organization. Mirage and Tracks are going to do recon. Mirage is also going to be tracking Fenix when he goes to Earth in two orns."

Ironhide nodded. He leaned forward encircling his daughter in his arms. "I wouldn't put it past Fenix to scope out Earth and hook up with the Family and MECH. I don't put anything past him for causing trouble here."

Prime nodded. "If it happens it will be a window into the human's organizations. Fenix is going to be a long term project. I won't be pulling the plug on him until we get it all."

Ironhide nodded. "Any word on the migration?" he asked.

"Two interesting side bars to the one's we've been tracking thus far," Prowl said leaning forward to move datapads aside so that everyone could see the big one that was the tactical picture of the solar system and great distances beyond. He touched it, changing the data until he came to the screen he wanted.

The two migrations they knew about were lights on the screen. One of them was a mass that was leading the other, itself still indistinct echoes on the board. Cutting sideways across their path two different other trajectories could be seen. "This one," Prowl said pointing to a set of identifiers, "is a large group of Seekers. They are coming from the far end of the Benzuli. This group," he said pointing to another, "are Autobots with what appears to be ships with some civilians and important artifacts. We have received messages and directed them to radio silence. We are going to be getting that group tonight. The others … the Seeker group will be met by flights from here because they haven't responded to our hails over the encoded bullet line the Seekers use."

Ironhide nodded. "When will we get the Autobots? What time?" he asked.

"As soon as the Trigger is refueled. Its been refueling for about half an orn. When its 2200 on the Terran Military Clock, we will open it and bring them in," Prime said sitting back with Orion on his arm. The infant grinned at him, then returned to his rust stick. Optimus kissed the little bot's helm.

"Any firm intel on the troops coming?" Ironhide asked.

"Not yet," Prowl said. "We shut their comm line down when they began to give their numbers. We don't want the Decepticons to go after them too."

-0-Out in the sticks

The two arks flew swiftly through the darkness, their precious cargo stowed safely. The crew was in good shape having lived among colonies with resources over the length of their exile. Leaving when they had to, helping everyone they could along the way, they finally heard Prime's call. They turned and flew onward as fast as they could toward protection and the ranks of their own kind.

A youngling soldier sat at the communications console waiting for something, anything that would tell them that rescue and repatriation was at hand. He was young, handsome and ready to fight. He wasn't part of the effort to save his home world for very long. That had fallen just as he was getting ready to help, to fight. Running in the Fall, he had found himself with older more experienced mechs. Their life thus far had involved very little fighting.

They ran with their cargo and didn't stop anywhere they might be taken prisoner or lose their precious stores. Now they were coming back to the Prime and he could feel the electricity on his own neural net. He was going to be a part of Prime's army. It didn't get better than this.

-0-A joor later at Autobot City on the air field

Blackjack and Alor stood with a sparkling each. Ironhide had Prowler and Hero was sitting on Ratchet's arm. They had gathered at the air field to watch the bridge discharge a group of arks that had been coming their way for ages. Sunspot was at the Residence with Miler and Venture, his dog a highlight of their evening.

Lights at the air field came on as Ravel and Tie Down finally reached them. Ratchet turned and smiled. "The cavalry arrives," he said as Ravel took a very happy Hero. They joined the others as the senior officers left the Fortress to walk toward them. "This is exciting, Ratchet. I have not been available to help a group when they came."

"You chose a good night. This is a group of Autobot soldiers who have been coming this way a long time," Ratchet said as he slipped his arms around his genitors' shoulders. Nearby, a pack of photographers and their human handlers filmed the goings-on. Season two of 'Platoon: Autobot City' was already go and they were here in greater numbers to film.

A flash of light in the dark sky indicated that the bridge was opened and ready to receive travelers through its whirling expansion. A flight of Seekers would go through, meet the arks and lead them back. It would be less than a couple of breems before the ships sat down on their gear and discharged their cargo.

Prime, Prowl and Jazz joined the group along with others. Mirage, Barron, Jarro, Starscream and Neo walked up to stand, all of them ready to assist if a problem came up that required their expertise.

"It's always good to welcome our people home," Neo said to Alor. "We need to be together."

Alor nodded. "I know," he said. "We have to find them all."

A pair of lights appeared in the deep midnight of space signaling ships coming down to land. Their light grew larger until in the dark sky overhead shapes could be seen. They came lower, their Seeker escort peeling off to go back to Aerie Hill. The sound was terrific as they came in, their gear lowering for the landing. Sand kicked up and stung them as the ships slowly lowered themselves. They settled on their gear, then began to power down.

A hatch popped just as the engines cut out, the resulting silence almost painful. A ramp slid down as bots began to step out looking around with amazement. They were standing on a real tarmac and not a rutted dirt strip. Around them a massive flight installation operated with real overhead lights throwing light everywhere.

It was like Cybertron to the oldest among them. Eerily like home.

The bots gathered, their leader talking to them a moment. Then they turned and walked to Prime and the welcoming committee. When they reached Optimus, they stopped and stood at attention. Their leader saluted, then stepped forward. "Sir, I am Commander Aldet reporting," he said. "We have been looking for you for a long time."

Optimus gripped his servo as Ultra Magnus and Arcee walked to the group. "I am honored to meet you, Commander. Welcome to Autobot City and safety."

He looked relieved, then nodded to his soldiers. "These mechs are ready to live in a decent place and servo you, sir. We all are. We bring with us the relics of Iacon and some of the oldest archives among other things. We saved a lot of things that are irreplaceable. We have been looking for you to restore them properly for a long time."

"You are home now and we can relieve you of your burden, Commander," Prime said gripping the mech's servo. Behind him, Optimus could see the exhilarated faces of the others. "I would like to greet your troops, Commander."

He nodded and turned. "Come forward orderly."

The troops stepped forward, each of them gripping not just Prime's servo but that of the others, all of them known to them, all of them nearly mythological figures as well. One of them, a white and blue youngster with an eager expression gripped Prime's servo tightly. "I am honored to meet you. Optimus Prime! I knew you were okay. Is this your city? Did you build it?" He paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Of course you built it."

"I understand your meaning," Prime said with a grin. "We all did and you are welcome here. What is your name, soldier?" he asked kindly.

"Smokescreen," the youngster said. "I'm Smokescreen, sir." He snapped to. "I look forward to serving as a member of the army, sir, and training under your command."

The other mechs smiled fondly at the youngster. Arcee stepped closer. "You said your name is Smokescreen. Your paint scheme is familiar."

He looked at her and grinned. "I'm named for and designed after my grandatar."

The senior staff blinked. Ratchet grinned broadly. "Your grand genitor is Smokescreen? A former gambler? Tall and good looking? A real smart aft?"

He grinned back. "That's him. That's my grandatar."

"He lives here," Arcee said.

Smokescreen looked sharply at Arcee. "My grandatar? He lives here?"

Ratchet paused, then nodded. "I just sent for him."

A solemn expression crossed the youngster's handsome face, then he grinned slightly. "That's great," he said with a smile.

The crew sort of looked at each other, then they heard the sound of a high octane car engine driving up. The sound of transformation was heard. Then everyone turned to look at Smokescreen. "You called?" he asked with a grin. No one spoke and the grin faded slightly. "Okay. What did I do now?" he asked.

The group parted to reveal a younger semi familiar version of himself. Smokescreen stared at the youngster who bore his likeness and name. It didn't register a moment, then it did. He started to smile, then caught himself. "Smokey."

"Grandatar," the youngling said with a slight smirk. "You made it."

"You did too," Smokescreen said as he stepped forward and enveloped the kid in his arms. He lifted him off the ground, then set him down. Holding the youngling's arms for a moment, he looked him over. "You made it through the Elite Guard training."

"I did." He grinned at his grandatar, then he punched him in the face. Smokescreen staggered, then stabilized holding his nose structure a moment. "What did you do that for?"

"Grandada told me that if I ever ran into you again first, to punch you in the face for him," Smokescreen said with a grin. He stood before his grandatar, grown up, handsome and amused.

Smokescreen grinned and rubbed his nose. "Well, your old grandada would do that wouldn't he."

"He would and I think he will when he gets here. He's in the next migration along with my genitors. You better ditch whoever you have on the side and be ready to fight when he gets here."

Smokescreen considered his grandson, then nodded. "Thanks for the heads up, Smokey," he said with a smile.

Then they embraced each other tightly.

=0=TBC

05-02-2013

NOTE: There are a number of things about TF's that I love. The vastness of the scope, universes here and there including shattered glass. :D What I am interested in here with the Smokescreen thing is taking the enigma of Smokescreen the G1 gambler and making a story for him. Since he's a gambler, I wondered what else he was. Was he bonded? Did he have kids? He's an older bot and the possibilities were great.

It is pretty clear that TF: Prime meshes characters together. Wheeljack and Drift are an example of this. Its almost like they can't agree on the characters they want to add so they blend them. I see Smokescreen aka Smokey the younger as a mix of Smokescreen, Hot Rod (wants to fight, party, is a young goof ball and prime material) with overtones of Springer. He was knocking on my door here. :D

When I began to write him, the image of Smokescreen from TF: Prime was in my mind. Some mentioned how they thought of him as the G1 adult figure. I considered that and decided to make him more neutral in the future to allow readers to decide which one they wanted to feel he was. I like the younger version too so I decided to merge the two and make a backstory for Smokescreen by having his 'grandson' here looking like him, but not him. It will be part of that to have his family come, his bond, his son and bond and with Smokescreen who will be referred as Smokey now, what happens then? Was Smokescreen like a stereotypical gambler who cheated around and was less than dependable? How did a gambler become a devoted Autobot? This will either work or not. :D :D :D

Either way, I am good with it. :D Hugs, readers. I have really enjoyed your comments. Sorry I am not more clear. I am tweaking this to make it make more sense.


	292. Chapter 292

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 3 (292) edited

-0-That night

A group of cars pulled into the driveway of the house of their benefactor. He was a very wealthy man who had very narrow views of what was 'acceptable' for the universe that he believed mankind occupied and what wasn't. They were gathering to plan the public relations end of their campaign for the hearts and minds of the human population of Earth in all the corners of the globe. They parked, then walked down the path to the house, entering. Others were there, none of them with a name that they would claim as their own.

No one was that stupid.

They got drinks, ate some finger food, then sat together around a big table. A monitor was available for their plans to be seen and edited as they talked for hours about what they would do. They discussed the money trail and the divisions of labor. They would use the social media networks that were already in place and organize others. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other outlets for their campaign would be utilized. Organized letter writing campaigns to send the same message to newspapers all over the world as well as online movies and videos was already in the works. It was a tried and true method to make something appear more popular than it actually was.

They would begin to saturate markets in every possible manner to turn the tide. It would not start to bear fruit right away they all agreed. But they were good at waiting, taking progress steadily if somewhat slowly. The goal was getting the aliens out of the solar system. How they would protect it themselves was very clear to them. They would do it themselves.

There also was the idea of using the Decepticons against the Autobots themselves. Let them kill each other.

Someone on their side of the mental landscape once said that you, the great mass of the unenlightened 'lived in reality' but they, the enlightened 'made their own reality'. Such is the grip of delusional thinking and the power of the ego over reason.

-0-That night elsewhere

The infants were in bed and they were lounging. The news had just concluded, the city was ready for a weekend and they were ready for down time themselves. A migration was coming and they had to get ready. Not much was known but this would be the first traverse now that two new groups were players in the game. Paragon and the other as yet unknown group were now something more sinister and held the possibility of disrupting what had become a very organized operation.

"Interesting orn. The artifacts and relics are something else. Alpha and the priests taking them to the Temple was a good idea," Ratchet said as he sipped his 'beer'.

Ironhide nodded. "I know. Some of them are dangerous and some of them are only available for Primes. Putting them in the deep freeze is a good idea. The weapons Solus made are beautiful."

"They are. Optimus is deserving. Megatron can't use them, the slagger. They belong with us," Ratchet said.

They chatted a while, then began to gather themselves for recharge. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" Ratchet asked as he hauled himself to his peds. He extended his servo. "Get up, slow poke."

"The pool seems like a good idea," Ironhide said as he stood up. They turned things off and walked to the berth, Ratchet falling upon it wearily. "Good idea. Enjoy it. I am assuming you'll have the bigger bots and I get the two bitty ones."

"Seems like a fair trade," Ironhide said as he turned out the light, leaving the wash rack. He lay down wearily and relaxed. "We'll work it out tomorrow. Right now, I'm too tired to think."

"You and me both," Ratchet said spooning behind the big black Autobot of his waking nightmares. "Good night, Only One."

"Good night, Ratchet."

They fell into recharge immediately.

-0-Elsewhere

Paragon walked to his quarters, cube in servo. They were recovering physically pretty quickly on the quality and supply of energon available to them now. It was extremely wonderful not to just think about good food but to actually have it. Finally, a break was going their way. His allies on the other side of the migration trail had good and plenty energon for themselves as well. It was fortunate. He was sure they were heading for a shooting war with Prime.

The film from the relay leak was discouraging. The amount and types of defenses and weapons they had at Autobot City as well as throughout their solar system was startling. It wasn't unexpected. The Seekers were always heading toward the city. But nonetheless, seeing it was hard to take. They would have to beef up their game. His call was working. They had allies. More would come. He had gone to Ops Center to catch up on the intel that told them a number of Arks had been gathered up by Prime'sspace bridges, ships that apparently bore 'relics and artifacts of some consequence'.

That was the statement they received before Autobot City told them to go silent. By the time he had considered an interception, no small feat without a space bridge, Prime had already done it. Now he was left with a smaller migration but one of great importance. Apparently, the High Chieftain of all Seekerdom was heading this way with his band, a number of civilians and Seeker flights that had been chased away by Megatron.

He considered what a coup it would be to have him come their way. Seekerdom considered him nearly a god and to have him join with them would put Seeker loyalties to the test. He had sent a message asking for a meet up and after an excruciatingly long wait, a reply was received. He would deign to meet with Paragon for a moment and sent coordinates. He had gone to his ship and they had stood out for the long journey to the meeting place. Right now, he was heading for his cabin for a long talk with his partner, Arrow. As he did, a Seeker flight was heading toward him to meet at the place their leader had designated.

It would take half an orn to reach that spot for both of them. During that time, they would be monitored by Prime, Prowl and the Alpha team at Autobot City.

And the Alpha team at Fort Apache.

-0-Some time later

He landed on the rock and stood quietly as his flight landed all around him. He was big and bore his dignity as well as the scars of a long fabled life on his body. They had arrived first so they spread out sitting and standing as they waited for Paragon. His name was Rainmaker and he was the acknowledged clan chieftain for all of his kind. He was considered to be the oldest still living Seeker, the etchings on his format telling the tale of his long life as well as the scars, burns and bullet holes of his body.

His sons and their sons stood with him as was their habit. He carried his staff, one that bore the glyphs of all their people's tribes and clans, the staff that gave him extraordinary authority over all their kind. He walked to a rock and sat. He would sit there until Paragon came. When they talked, he would not rise. Paragon would know of the insult but do and say nothing. Megatron had breached the compact when he had angrily and stupidly put out the death warrant upon them. Rainmaker would not be standing for a Decepticon again. He would stay seated during discussions to make clear his point.

And it wouldn't be lost on Paragon.

-0-Early morning in Ops Center

The Beta team had tracked the bogies on sensors all night long as their shift wove its way though the evening toward morning. The Seeker flight which had cut its way across the migration trail like the Arks had was getting closer. Sending the message he had been asked to send once they reached a certain distance, the Officer of the Orn sat back to wait.

Optimus and his senior crew were on their way.

-0-Out there

It was evening somewhere and morning somewhere else. In the vastness of the sector that they entered, it was only dark and cold. His ship and escort fights fell into orbit around the planet as onboard Arrow and Paragon discussed protocol for the Great Elder. Seekers were in orbit already signaling their readiness to obliterate his ship and escort upon orders of the Great Elder. If told, they would. If they did, they could.

None of it was lost on Paragon. They turned and stepped out together, Paragon riding down alone on the back of his partner. They were lost from view almost immediately.

-0-Ops Center, Mars

Optimus sat at the command table and watched the intel on the monitor over communications. It was filling the screen with intriguing possibilities. An important Seeker group was meeting with Paragon. They had tracked his group since they left their small fortified system. A series of heavily shielded sensors, small but incredibly powerful, thank you very much, Wheeljack were strategically placed in the hinterlands to help boost the gain on their equipment. They could follow Paragon wherever he went until distance really strayed into the equation. He would never be able to sneak up on them even if he was as clever as he thought he was.

"Starscream is coming," Prowl said turning from Teletraan III. "He's been tracking this group all night."

Prime nodded watching as Ironhide walked into the room with his genitors heading for the table as well. They would sit and watch the data, see the groups on the big datapad and wait.

-0-Out there

He touched down and the two walked across the hard smooth surface of a giant planetary fragment that floated through space like an asteroid. Nearby sitting on a rock, Rainmaker waited. He was studying them but showed no signs. He was aware of everything, this almost mythological figure and Paragon knew he had his work cut out for him. Pausing before the big mech and his silent body guard, he bowed low. :Elder, it is an honor to see you and to speak with you about important things:

Rainmaker waited a moment, then nodded slightly. :You may speak:

Paragon straightened, then considered the figure before him. This mech had been almost a king on their world, the Seekerkin referring and deferring to him with almost messianic respect and reverence. He had earned it. Before the Fall, he had been the guiding servo behind their air supremacy. He had chosen the mechs who would become powerful for their kind. Silverclaw, Harrier and Starscream were his students.

He had fought for the Decepticons because he believed it was time for change and opportunity. No one supported the status quo. Not even the Autobots. Optimus Prime was someone he actually could relate to and he respected him greatly as a mech, a warrior and a leader. Prime kept his word and he was religious. He was the First Disciple of Primus and had guarded their people and relics with all his ability. That he had lost had been more a testament of the situation at the time than a referendum of his ability.

Prime had tremendous ability.

But the thirst for revenge and respect as too great among the Seekerkin, the group which some wag once said was 'so low, they couldn't reach high enough for a caste'. They were the lowest rung of Cybertronian society, a designation that still burned hot in Rainmaker's chassis. He was part of the Decepticon makeover and his people went with him.

Then Megatron lost his processor. Some said that he had finally decided to terminate Seekerkin because of Starscream. That bot had finally worked his last nerve. So be it. Starscream was his student, his lieutenant and someone who had taken the abuse for their people. He had always been the wall between the tyrant and Seekerkin and Rainmaker respected and liked Starscream tremendously, personal quirks and all.

Another source of anger for the Great Elder was that in the end even Megatron didn't respect them. Not after all they had done to further the Cause whose values he had appreciated enough to commit their people to that side of the argument. He was livid.

:I am making a fortification and calling all of the Decepticons within the sound of my voice to join me. We are in a place where energon is actually plentiful and easily retrieved. We want to rebuild our forces and resurrect the Cause from its ashes. Soundwave has a base within three orns distance from us and we are establishing another nearby with wandering fleets. We want to make a force big enough to neutralize Prime and retake Cybertron. We would be honored if you and your forces would join with us. Seekerkin obeys you, Lord Rainmaker. We would become unbeatable even for Prime and the Seekers with him would come at your call:

Rainmaker considered that, more than aware that this was the reason for their meet up. He wanted allies. Rainmaker looked at Arrow who bowed lowly and waited. Proper response, Rainmaker considered. After all, Arrow belonged from the looks of his tattooes to his personal clan. :You are Arrow, from my own clan:

The Seeker nodded and waited.

:Speak to me of this alliance and why I should ever trust a Decepticon after the warrant against us: he said coldly.

Arrow nodded and stood, his optics downcast in an expression of respect and abject subserviance. Such was the proper behavior of a subordinate mech to a superior one. :Great Elder, we ask you to come with us to allow us to reclaim the honor and glory of the Cause which has been cast into dishonor by Megatron. We have turned from him as have others because he has not shown either leadership or respect for our people and our values as Decepticons.

:We would be honored to serve with you and seek your wisdom. I myself am asking as a Seeker and as a Decepticon for you to join with us to rectify the great wrongs perpetuated upon us by Megatron and to seek retribution against our enemies:

Rainmaker considered that, pleased that the youngster understood and demonstrated not only a respectful attitude towards him but also the correct way to show remorse. :You may look at me, youngling:

Arrow straightened, his helm bowing slightly. It was thrilling to see the big elder and know this mech was part of his own clan CNA. Rainmaker looked at him, then Paragon. :Tell me about Prime and the new alliances:

:Prime has a heavily fortified secured solar system ahead that extends out a great distance. He has his own outlier forts as well. He has called and is receiving the refugees that I am sure you have been passing along the way here. He currently has collected over one and a half million mechs. There is a major city being built on the fourth planet in the system. There are rumors that the AllSpark and other relics, some Prime related reside there in a restored Temple. It is an impressive sight:

:And Seekerkin? Do they reside there too?: Rainmaker asked.

:No: Paragon lied. He felt the surge of emotion from Arrow, something he didn't expect. But he surged back and they both waited, no emotions betraying them as they did.

But it didn't matter. Rainmaker had heard the call of Prime. He had heard the calls of Prime and Starscream together. He was aware of the situation on Mars to some small extent. :They do:

Paragon looked at him, then bowed his helm. :They do, sir. But I am not clear on the conditions by which they are accepted. I merely intended to say no, I am not clear about that. I apologize for any misrendering of the answer for your inquiry: He bowed his helm and held it. It was the proper ettiquette to retracting a lie.

Rainmaker knew that and accepted it. This mech had a thankless job. He could remain with the Empire and suffer the consequences of madness or he could make his own way, build his own empire and make alliances as he could. There was no harm here. No foul. Rainmaker looked at both of them. :Thank you for coming:

They paused a moment, then bowed. Taking their leave, they returned to their ships and began the way back to their base once more. It would have been insulting to wait. Rainmaker would know the way to their base. Sitting on the command deck, Paragon waited impatiently. "I hope you understand my remark back there."

Arrow nodded. "I did. So did he. No harm there. If he doesn't come, its because of the insult to our people that the death warrant renders. It won't because you didn't try properly. He will either demonstrate his acceptance of the new Cause you outlined or he will demonstrate that his anger will never be placated against Megatron. If this fails, its Megatron's fault."

They waited together hoping against hope that the harm caused by Megatron wasn't so deep that the Great Elder would refuse to forgive. As they did, they watched the Seeker group rise into the sky and begin their trek once more.

A trek that would take them away. Away from Paragon and his sphere of influence.

They had their answer.

-0-TBC

5-3-13

NOTE: The remarks about living in and/or making your own reality was actually stated by someone who was in a position of power about ten or eleven years ago. Delusional thinking is almost impossible to budge when its feeling justified. Thus, these diehards are actually part of our real life. Unfortunately. :D

There are a number of things about TF's that I love. The vastness of the scope of characters and events, universes here and there including shattered glass. :D What I am interested in here with the Smokescreen thing is taking the enigma of Smokescreen the G1 gambler and making a story for him. Since he's a gambler, I wondered what else he was. Was he bonded? Did he have kids? He's an older bot and the possibilities are great.

When I began to write him in this story, the image of Smokescreen from TF: Prime was in my mind more than I thought it was. Some mentioned how they thought of him as the G1 adult figure, not the young kid from TFP. I considered that and decided to make him more neutral in the future to allow readers to decide which one they wanted to feel he was.

I like the younger version too so I decided to merge the two and make a back story for G1 Smokescreen by having his 'grandson' here looking a bit like him, but not him. It will be part of that to have his family come, his bond, his son and bond and with Smokescreen the Younger who will be referred as Smokey now... what happens then? Was Smokescreen like a stereotypical gambler who cheated around and was less than dependable? How did a gambler become a devoted Autobot? This will either work or not. :D :D :D But your comments are incredibly welcome as are your view points on this story. Keep them coming. :D I love my readers.

Either way, I am good with it. :D Hugs, readers. I have really enjoyed your comments. Sorry I was not more clear. I am tweaking this to make it make more sense.


	293. Chapter 293

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 4 (293) (edited)

-0-Autobot City, Mars in the early morning

He walked to Cosmos bag in servo to do the business of business with the humans at Diego Garcia on the next planet over. Because he was new, he was going with Caro to meet Sam Witwicky and Warren Roberts there. They would hold a conference with a number of businesses in the communications hangars and discuss a number of items of import with the various armed forces. It would take all orn and he would get to see ground zero of their efforts here in this system.

They entered Cosmos walking to the seats along the hull. Sitting, they chatted about this and that as they waited for lift off. Several soldiers who would be trading places with several others joined them aboard. The garrison at Diego rotated in and out with the one at Autobot City. The Home Guard were also being sent there to do their required duty every few decaorns for the experience. No one cared. It was beautiful by the ocean.

A real ocean with water.

Cosmos took off at last disappearing into the night sky for Earth. Sitting in the engineer's seat in the cockpit, Mirage kept Cosmos company as they flew. He was invisible. No one knew he was there but the slightly nerdy shuttle.

-0-In Ops Center, Diego Garcia

Several soldiers sat on station on top of the table in the middle of the room monitoring their portion of the sensor network that covered the Earth, Luna and the system out for what seemed like forever. They had the duty of watching the Earth arrays set up by humans. They chatted and worked amiably with the bots who ran their side of things with Teletraan II interfacing with Teletraan III on Mars.

It was balmy and quiet, a morning that would culminate with the humans going off shift in about three hours. Rain had fallen in the night but now it was evaporating, a steaming mist covering the tarmac as it visibly began to disappear. The trade winds were gentle, a soft kiss against the skin. Trucks were busy, planes came and went. When Cosmos came in to land he was just another ship of many. He was stationed on Mars but did the daily runs with Sky Dive and Astrotrain to Earth and back. Giving that the two latter bots were beaus, it was a good run for them.

The hull door opened and the ramp slid down allowing all on board to walk down to the soil of the planet that had spawned their redemption. The sun felt good considering the usual temperature of Mars. Solar collectors would have a field day today. Fenix followed Caro and the soldiers, his optics looking around at the rather nondescript but huge army base with archaic appearing nonsentient ships parked all over the place, some of them quite large. Nearby, a huge hangar door that sported a giant Autobrand which was split in half with the doors rolled back greeted him. Bots were going in and out as were humans, a very strange sight considering how tiny the humans were.

They entered the building, a rec hall greeting them. He paused to take it in. Along all the walls were murals of Cybertron. He didn't know they were there to celebrate the pending separation of Orion, son of Ratchet and Ironhide. They had been painted by Sunstreaker and left in place by popular demand. They were amazing.

Along the walls were food dispensors, trays of delicacies flown in everyday from The Energon Basket in the Business Plaza back on Mars. The garrison was taken well care of here. He turned, pausing as he saw a road that took off in two directions beyond the rec room. Both led to barracks, personal quarters, stores and a day care room that had celebrated the first Christmas Surprise, a holiday that oddly appealed to him too.

He saw the Ops Center which was opposite the Medbay, so he followed a happily chattering Caro to the command core of the facility. It was festooned with monitors, soldiers at work and a table with humans monitoring things as well. He stood and looked at them, soldiers whose forces had killed Megatron and The Fallen. It surprised him, they were so small and vulnerable.

Then he turned and followed Caro to a conference room nearby. They would leave their gear, homebasing out of the space during the orn but for now they would explore the area. Caro would tell Fenix the tales of this now legendary embassy where everything had happened, about the humans who had betrayed them and the beaches where good and bad had happened. They would wander over the island looking at this and that including the ocean that both decided was astonishing. Then they would meet Sam and Warren who would fly in from New York for the meetings that would occupy most of their day.

-0-Out there

He had made up his processor so they followed him. They would anyway. He was their moral center and their leader. Nothing he could ask of them they wouldn't do. When they were in range, he sent a message over the bullet line that Seekers had been using on their own all over the galaxy. Megatron didn't know it existed but he was sure Prime did.

They flashed on into the night disappearing into the darkness as if they had never been there.

-0-Flight Center, Aerie Hill, Autobot City, Mars

He sat looking at the message in his servo, then rose turning to go. Once out of the facility perched on the roof top of the tallest tower, he transformed and flew to the city. Landing at the airfield nearest to the Fortress, he walked with purpose to the installation.

Prime and his command crew were seated around the center table discussing the situation as it was developing and glanced up as Starscream walked toward them. He paused and handed Prime the datawafer in his servo. Prime read it, then glanced at Starscream. "What does this mean to you?" he asked.

Starscream grinned grimly. "Good things, Prime. We need to send a message. I would like to do that."

Prime nodded so Starscream turned walking to Communications. He sat as that bot moved and formulated a reply that would be sent out over the open line directly to the armada moving their way. He did and rose walking back to the table to sit. They would discuss the situation, come to agreement and wait. They wouldn't have to wait long. In three joors, the bogies would be within range of the coordinates sent for the bridges.

-0-Out there

He received the message dispersing the information among the armada with him. He flew in front unprotected by those who accompanied him. The civilians and other noncombatants were in the middle surrounded by the mass of Seeker soldiers who were in their group. But in the front flying alone, Rainmaker led his group. He was the Great Elder. He didn't need protection. He defied it. They would journey onward heading toward a mutually agreed upon spot in space that when reached would take them immediatly away. When they were gone it would cease to exist once more.

-0-Several joors later

Word had been sent that a momentous occasion was going to commence. Every Seeker in the city and beyond had begun to congregate at the airfield. The electricity in the air was palpable. The humans who had seen the masses heading that way took up their usual positions when something was happening at the air field.

The shipping crates and boxes stacked near the edge of the field.

Terradive and his class was there along with other Seekers and their students. The day care at Aerie Hill, a place for the tiniest infants too young for Sparkling Day School was there as well, infants in arms or hold. Civilians were arriving too, drawn by the news and Autobots as well. The place surged with bodies as thousands began to gather.

Standing in front of a huge cleared space ringed with Day and Night Watch security as well as soldiers, Prime and his command crew waited. Individuals emerged from the crowd and walked to them, the elders and clan leaders who were filled with expectation. They shown like glass. The staffs of their authority were held firmly in servo, their faces shining.

Lennox, Epps, Graham and several other humans stood on the shipping crates to watch. :What's up? Who is this mech coming?: one of the humans, a scientist who was there to help design a permanent residential habitat for humans asked.

:He's the Great Elder, the chieftain over all the clan chieftains. He's supposed to be the oldest living Seeker and no one to fuck with. He's bad ass to the bone: Lennox replied.

:What does it mean that he's coming here? This is good, right?: the human asked.

Lennox shrugged. :I suppose it is. Starscream looks happy: he said as they all looked at the big Seeker standing with Prime, a look of expectation on his face.

Overhead at that moment, a bright light flashed and everyone below knew that the space bridge had begun to deliver its cargo. Watching the bright light, they began to see smaller ones, the leading edge of the newcomers. They grew and appeared to be Seekers in flight, Seekers that flashed over them and disappeared.

:What the fuck is that about?: the human said nearly ducking from the low level of their pass over.

:I've seen this before. It's two things. Information gathering and a salute: Graham said watching as they flew straight up, drifted over at the peak of their flight, then fell downward. Transforming in air, they landed with resounding thuds on the ground. They stood up in the middle of the circle, a good dozen handsome mechs and waited. They wore their colors and markings, had no Deceptibrand on their bodies and looked expectant.

Starscream stepped forward into the circle walking toward them with great pride. They turned to face him nodding their helms in respect. He stood with them, all of them gripping his servo, then they leaped into the air and blasted off. Starscream watched them go, then turned back to Prime and his group. He took his place with them and waited.

The Elders already there stood together, their families around them. All around the circle, the masses of Seekers, all of them colorful and proud waited. It was like the second coming, the arrival of this figure. Genitors held up infants so they could see. It was likely that the memories of this would be one of those turning points in their lives that were spoken of in holy terms.

Optimus and his staff understood the moment too. This was a phenomenal coup if this individual was going to throw his lot in with their side. No Seeker anywhere would be able to stay with the opposition without receiving great scorn and censure from the rest. This mech was that important to their people.

Overhead, more activity emerged as groups of Seekers began to fly downward. They transformed in mid air, some landing heavily like the warrior or the younger mechs preferred, others less so. They began to gather, a large group of Seekers, all of them seemingly civilian.

Then the soldiers began to drift downward going through the proud motions of midair transformation and heavy landings. They stood up proudly, moving back to eventually ring the civilians, ever protective even now. Then the leadership began to come down, handsome mechs, many of them marked with the same etchings indicating family and clan connections. They wore their tattoos proudly, even arrogantly, defying The Fallen's admonition of no identity beyond his own.

It became silent, even tense as everyone waited. Then he came, a flash across the tarmac as he saluted the gathering. He flew straight up and rolled, coming down again in a screaming run to barrel roll over the assembled group. Up and down he flew, demonstrating his prowess even as he saluted the gathering. When he finally transformed and landed with a thud, the atmosphere was nearly at a frenzed peak. He straightened, his staff in servo and looked around slowly. Then he turned to Prime.

-0-TBC

04-05-13


	294. Chapter 294

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. (5) (edited)

-0-At the airfield

Then he turned toward Prime.

Optimus Prime, leader and student of his people fully understood that the salute going on was a good sign. The mech before him, a huge bot with his history etched in his armor was significant to their history. He had been the youngest mech selected to be the Great Elder of their people in the history of Cybertron. He was wise, proud and loyal. He was decent and had been an ally early on in their mutual quest to improve the lives of all their people, especially those on the lowest rungs. Seekers were the lowest rung of all.

They knew each other and both admired the other. What it would mean now, who knew but Prime had hopes. But first they would have to acknowledge the proprieties. Starscream turned to Silverclaw and bowed. That worthy stepped forward pausing before Rainmaker. He bowed and knelt down on one knee. As he did, every Seeker in the area including the other Elders did that same. Half of the crowd seemed to melt down at they acknowledged the primacy of the figure before them. All of his own party did the same until of all the Seekers, he was the only one standing.

Then Prime knelt down, bowing his helm, acknowledging the figure before him in the proper but seldom used manner by Primes in the past. It didn't mean that he was deferring his power to another. It meant that he respected the figure before him enough to surrender his ego to him for a moment.

All around him, the crowd did the same until Rainmaker was the only one standing. Even the humans on the boxes and around the field found themselves drawn downward in their astonishment of Prime. Rainmaker stood a moment accepting the tribute, then raised his staff overhead.

The crowd stood, then broke into a soul shattering roar of happiness, pride and solidarity. Seeker songs went up into the air, small tunes of glory, clan might and identity. Infants were raised into the air by their ecstatic genitors as they celebrated the return of their greatest leader. Starscream shouted and sang, the others joining him as the gave their ovation to the Great Elder.

Then it died down until it was silent again. Rainmaker stood like a god, his optics meeting Prime's levelly. Then he did something unprecedented, something that had never been done before. He walked closer to Prime, then he knelt on one knee bowing his helm.

There was dead silence as shock spread throughout the massive crowd. No one had ever seen this figure or any other who had held the title do this before. It was unthinkable and unheard of. Then Starscream turned to Prime and knelt. The Elders throwing off their shock did the same thing. For a moment, there was silence. Then the crowd began to kneel. Everyone did, human, Hu An, Cybertronian.

Optimus Prime looked around in pure astonishment. Everyone was kneeling acknowledging his primacy. Even the Great Elder who bowed to no one ever had knelt to acknowledge his primacy. The Seekers would accept this as he knew well and there would be no argument about who Seekers would serve. Even he, Rainmaker acknowledged his rank before Prime.

Then the big mech stood, the others rising with him. The sound of triumph, of celebration, of solidarity would be remembered in legend forever as all of the voices present including the throngs that lined roof tops and all of the streets and roads of the city in their zeal to be there raised their voices together.

Until all were one.

-0-A joor later

They entered at last the Ops Center, Rainmaker and his six sons, the other Elders, the Command staff and several key members of the Community Council along with the priests heading for the big conference room to talk. The walls had been slid back to allow the use of two others rooms, the group was so large. They settled, Prime and Rainmaker last. It was silent a moment, then Prime began the formalities.

"I am honored to have the Great Elder of the People as my guest and colleague. We are the greater for your presence and that of your House."

Rainmaker once again impressed with Prime for observing the formalities nodded. "I am honored to be here, in this place with the Prime of Cybertron. You honor me and my House with your gracious welcome."

Optimus Prime grinned and extended his servo. Rainmaker gripped it and the atmosphere lightened. Rainmaker sat back and smiled slightly. "You have never failed to impress, Optimus. Your observance of the formalities is only one example."

"Thank you. You threw me for a loop out there. I am speechless to express my gratitude," Optimus replied.

Rainmaker snorted and grinned. "I see my people, thousands of them. They wear their colors proudly. They hold up infants, hundreds of them. I have not seen this many babies and children in vorns. I know that means comfort and acceptance or they would not make families. I see them part of the whole, part of the city in a way that is equal, not separate. I knew in any colony run by you, my people would have the same opportunity that anyone else had. They are happy. Their Elders were there in their pride. This city reflects cooperation. A city for Seekers connected to the whole. I am here in the place that should always have been, Prime. Only you could have made this happen. It was my honor to honor you."

Prime nodded. "We are one here."

"Until all are one," Rainmaker said nodding his helm. "We are here to add pages to the legend. Our flight has many civilians. They were caught in the middle of trouble but we solved that problem." He expression was cold and harsh, then lightened. "We bring troops and skills."

"Our people are encouraged to gather more skills, Elder," Starscream said nodding his helm in respect. "We have a university here that it open to all. Our infants go to school side-by-side with grounders. We are all united in our outlook here. We also have football," he said to the Vos fanatic that listened so carefully.

Rainmaker blinked and his party shifted in surprise. "Football."

Starscream chuckled. "Yes. In a few orns, Vos will face off with Kaon for a chance to play in the championship game for the football primacy of this world."

Rainmaker smiled and glanced at Prime. "Football? Then what you are saying to me ... this place is the Matrix?"

Optimus chuckled and nodded. "Not if Praxus loses," he said nodding toward a grinning Prowl. "I personally have taken no position on a team given that my bond is a Praxus fanatic."

Rainmaker looked at Prowl and nodded. "And I am a Vos fanatic." He looked at Prime. "I have not seen a game in vorns. I saw the stadiums. It is impressive that a city should exist at all, an authentic appearing Cybertronian city but to have amenities such as this?"

Prime nodded. "You can thank Ratchet for quality of life around here."

All optics turned toward the red and white medic with the fake chevron. Ratchet smiled. "I'm compulsive. I'm also Iacon United to the core."

They chuckled, the atmosphere lightening greatly. Rainmaker relaxed a bit and the others did too. "Then I am going to forgive you your delusions," he said to Ratchet.

Ironhide snorted. "You will be forgiving all orn long if you do," he said to general chuckles.

Rainmaker looked around the group, then settled his optics on the kind smiling faces of the priests. "I saw the Temple. I am overcome with the idea that it still exists even as a replication."

"The Temple is restored," Chevron said. "But so are the relics. The AllSpark, the Matrix Flame and the Well of All Sparks was restored to us by Primus at the last Festival through the grace and acceptance of the leadership of our Prime, Optimus," he said bowing his helm respectfully to Optimus.

Rainmaker stared at him a moment, then sat up straighter. He glanced sharply at Prime. "Is this true?" he asked in astonishment.

Prime nodded. "It is."

Rainmaker relaxed slowly. Then he nodded. "Then this venture is holy and blessed, First Disciple of Primus."

Optimus nodded. "I think so."

Rainmaker nodded, distracted for a moment. "I will have to go and give thanks then. It has been too long." It was silent a moment, then he glanced up spotting Neo standing against the wall with Thundercracker. His affect changed. "Neo."

Neo flinched, then stood straighter. Before she could reply Starscream interjected. "Neo is with us. She is reformed. She is repentant. She cares for our infants like an elder. What you might feel from the past, my Lord, is not relevant now."

Rainmaker glanced at Starscream, then relaxed. Neo herself tense bowed her helm. "I am on a path, Lord Rainmaker, of personal redemption. Everyday I go to the schools and serve our people. Everyday I come to meetings of the Community Council and Senior Autobots to find ways to improve our lives. I was destitute of love and hope in the past but this place and her people … Optimus Prime … it has saved me. I live to serve."

"Neo is the strongest ally against the past that we have," Optimus said nodding. "She is my great friend and ally. We can live in the past and repeat it or we can build a future ourselves where we can all be one."

Rainmaker considered that and nodded. "I agree." He looked at Neo and bowed his helm in greeting and respect. "I agree," he said looking at her.

She bowed her helm back, her expression near to tears. "I do too," she said quietly.

It was quiet a moment, then Rainmaker leaned forward. "Let me tell you about the galaxy beyond," he began.

Everyone listened intently.

-0-On Earth

They finished the last meeting, a business venture with an energy company. They were due to leave in a few joors so Fenix begged off in favor of a walk around the edge of the ocean nearby. Caro who wanted to finish his work before going home to free up the rest of the weekend cheerfully nodded as he sat in the rec room and commenced.

Fenix walked out heading toward the beach and the nearly hypnotic sparkling ocean. He stepped over the fence eerily imitating bots in the past. Then walked to the beach. He stood a while looking at the glistening waters, then pulled a device from subspace. It was a small box that could find signals without detection. He stood and began to scan the millions of signals that plied the Earth with invisible electronic cords.

It would take a long time but he would find one among the zillions that showed promise. When he filed the frequency, he would continue along the beach sitting at last upon the rocks that had hosted festivals by the first bots who had lived here. He would watch the ocean roll in and out and Mirage would watch him.

-0-TBC

04-05-13


	295. Chapter 295

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 6 (295) (Edited)

-0-Conference Room

"The galaxy is wide open. Megatron has gone off with his most loyal fleets to invade a sector of space with very dangerous aliens. They are called the Borg and they have an empire that is massive. He likes to fight them and has disappeared into their space for some time. The area around the Benzuli Expansion is filled with dread. Aliens have now put it off their charts as space to cross," Rainmaker said. "The specter of the Liege Maximo is bantered about with Megatron sending emissaries for meet ups who never return."

"The Liege lives in the Hub somewhere doesn't he?" Ultra Magnus asked.

Blackjack looked at him. "That is far away, Magnus. There has long been talk about linking up with him but he hates all of us. He considers all of us inferior beings."

Rainmaker nodded. "He does. There is only talk and hopefully that is all it is. That bot would spell the doom of all of us. I also heard talk of the D-Void."

They were silent, then Blackjack leaned forward. "The void is other world and would need a portal to enter our universe. As long as that is closed, we are safe."

Rainmaker nodded. "Megatron's son has been sniffing around the edges of that mystery and has been warned off. He is with his father now in the Borg Empire."

"His son?" Springer asked. "I thought that was rumor and nothing more."

Rainmaker sat back, a look of distaste on his handsome face. "No. It's true. An unholy match up between Megatron and Shockwave. He is called Galvatron."

They considered that, then Ultra Magnus sat forward. "I have heard of him. He's mad. Impulsive. Crazy."

Rainmaker nodded. "He is. He's had … problems. It's affected him personally and he's not a very stable individual. I personally will off line him myself the first chance I get."

"He's Shockwave and Megatron's son so he can't be working on good CNA nor can he have had much of an upbringing," Ratchet said leaning back in his chair. "What a pair to draw to."

"We have Shockwave," Optimus said. "We took him out of the game when he was the leader. We have him in stasis in the deep vault under this building."

Rainmaker looked at Optimus a moment, then grinned slightly. "Bravo," he said softly. "Right now, the Empire is in the servos of the weakest link, Soundwave. He ordered me, then asked me to come to a meeting to patch up the outrages against Seekerkin that Megatron had ordered. I said no. I put out a message in the Empire to reach all of the fringes. Follow Starscream's signal and come. I expect they will obey."

Starscream nodded. "This is a good place. I want our people here. We can be what we choose. They're doctors and lawyers, engineers, teachers and architects here. We sit on the ruling committee to design our own future together."

Rainmaker looked at him, an emotional expression on his face. "That is good to know."

"There are some among us who would seek a return of the old system," Magnus said. "But they are learning to their own dismay what an impossibility that is."

Rainmaker nodded. "That is the way it should be. Not everyone can bend to the new reality. For me, it is the way it should have been to come here and work with the Prime. The Matrix is sacred to me, the ways of Primus the only ones. I come here to be a blessing, not a burden."

"You are a blessing indeed, Rainmaker," Optimus said with a grin.

"There is talk of Nemesis Prime, of Jhiaxus in the Expanse," Rainmaker said missing the startled, then angry look on the faces of Elita and Arcee. "I am unclear about it beyond mentions here and there among those who travel in that area. They apparently still live. But they have been lost in the void, the darkness from which there is no escape."

"Good," Arcee said with venom. Elita nodded in agreement.

Blackjack nodded as well. "We were the ghost ships that lived there. We fled with our people and gathered more. We used the void and its reputation to help us hide and save our civilians. I heard about that too, about those who go in never coming back out. Jhiaxus is a demon. I hope he never re-appears. If he does, he will be a minion of the Dark Lords that inhabit that space."

"Unicron," Alor said quietly. "May he stay asleep."

"We discovered a plot to rebuild Cybertron out of a collaboration between Megatron and Sentinel Prime," Prowl said. "Do you know of that at all?"

He considered that, the number of meetings he was not allowed to attend and all the other faded memories of the past. "Megatron was only interesting to me when the Clampdown appeared. His commentary about equality was always first in my spark. But his rhetoric against the regime began to really resonate when he began to speak out and act out against the Clampdown. He came to us and spoke about how it would be liberating for Cybertron in all manner possible if we joined. I got concessions for our people, then did." He looked at Prime. "I knew you were working hard as an agitator but I had no confidence. If it is any consolation, I was behind your rhetoric from the start."

Prime grinned and nodded. "We had enough conversations even then for me to know that was true."

Rainmaker shrugged ruefully. "Such were the times. Sentinel Prime was riding a dying wave and when he left, it was with an Ark and technicians. I was interested in that. I asked Megatron once when we were relaxing after a meeting and he told me a story. He said that Sentinel Prime had come to him with Ratbat, Contrail, Proteus and a couple of others … I would have to think to remember their names … they wanted to try an alliance.

"I was intrigued so I asked him to recount the tale. He did. He told me that Sentinel wanted to save Cybertron even if it meant making an alliance with him. He said that he would take an Ark, new space bridge prototypes and set a trail for Cybertron to follow. The sun link was broken and we were becoming uninhabitable due to the dire energy situation. Cybertron began to freely drift through space, albeit slowly.

"He was going to fake his death and leave. They would lay the trail to a planet that had lots of energon, workers and materials to use for the refit. Megatron went along. He would bring Cybertron to that place with the space bridge, then allow the rebuild. When it was finished, he would kill Sentinel and the others taking control himself.

"While this was going on, you were made Prime and all of it fell apart. We never heard from Sentinel again. He disappeared. I thought it a strange scheme myself. He always was a mad mech, Sentinel. He thought because he wanted it or said it, then it was true and possible. He was a good riddance for our people."

Prime nodded. "We found him here. Apparently, this was the planet he was seeking. We have tremendous reserves of pure Class A energon both here and on Earth. We found him crashed and took him into custody, he and his mechs. They're in the prison east of the airfield."

Rainmaker considered that, then smiled. "Everyone mistook your reason and will for peaceful settlement as weakness. I always knew that would be the downfall of those who opposed you. It would appear that I was right."

"What do you know about the state of Soundwave and Cybertron?" Alor asked.

He considered that. "Soundwave is a smart mech who is hard to read but he asked me to align with him which is a sign of weakness for me. I don't think he's up to it but he's all that's left of the original leadership. He hasn't got the linkage with the army that you would need to inspire either fear or loyalty but they follow him because he works hard to feed and arm them. Cybertron is being rebuilt rather slowly. He cannot spare much to do that but he's trying to rebuild the bigger cities. Kaon is relatively rebuilt and Iacon is coming along."

Prime nodded. "We have contacts with the underground resistance on Cybertron. One of our main goals is to liberate her. That requires something done to Megatron."

"And his son," Rainmaker said. "He has to be removed as well."

They sat together talking and discussing the situation beyond their borders, then everyone rose together. Prime shook Rainmaker's servo, nodding to Starscream. "If you would do the honors of settling in the Great Elder, I would be very happy."

The clan leaders and Starscream grinned. "That would be our honor," Harrier said.

They waited as he exited the room, then followed, the rest of the numerous Seekers going with him. When they were gone, the rest sat lost in their own thoughts a moment.

"This is great," Ratchet said. "No Seeker can honorably fight for the Decepticons again now that the Great Elder has repudiated them."

Prime nodded. "That's the best part of this," he said with a grin.

-0-RTR Tools

They had watched the arrival on IntraComm 9, the amazing spectacle playing as **LATEST BREAKING NEWS!** on all the channels. The sight of a once feared enemy coming to be a ferocious ally was mind boggling. Ravel looked at Tie who was rubbing a knife blade with a soft cloth. "This is a very strange life we're leading isn't it, Tie?"

"Yes. A very strange, very wonderful life," Tie said as he glanced at Ravel, a smile on his face. "Look at our son. He's front and center."

Ravel smiled. "I know. Our boy is helping to save us all."

They watched with great happiness as the Great Elder of Cybertron was welcomed home.

-0-At the Community Center later befiore the big show

They sat around a table listening to their instructor, Goldwing. He was among the many who volunteered to help the younglings learn when their plight was told. Three of them, Farrel, Cardinal his bond and Storm, his young brother sat together learning the fundamentals of writing and reading. They were very limited in their understanding even if they had fully loaded adult databases in their processors.

Jarro had studied them himself and found along with the medical team that sorted out their CNA that these seven younglings were about the maturity level of Sunspot. They were slightly bigger because everything during their incubation period had been accelerated. When they were hatched, fully adult databases were force loaded into their immature processors causing a dichotomous viewpoint to emerge.

They were babies essentially forced to function at an adult level with expected adult responses. They were unable to function as either children or adults but were caught in the middle somewhere. The lag time between an immature processor receiving orders or input and the adult response emerging to answer the input was dangerous. Sometimes it caused a momentary freeze up of the thought processes and in combat that could and often was fatal. They had talked about others, ones they knew were 'like them' and too often it had ended badly.

They were babies doing adult things, in adult marital arrangements without the age, experience, perspective or ability to function fully. It was criminal in the extreme that they should end up like this and it soured the community for some time. The infants themselves were swarmed with attention and assistance, whole families taking it upon themselves to explain and include them in the life of the city.

They sat now working out their glyphes, actually learning why they made the sound they made or were shaped the way they were. The response that would arise from their adult databanks was rote. This was real. They sat together working hard in the sunlight filtering in through the big windows.

Their other bond, Raptor was at the clinic getting his regular check up. He had a wound on his wing gotten in combat that had never healed. Paragon for his part made sure his crews were in prime condition. They all were. But this had been beyond their ability to heal. It would here. Among other things.

-0-TBC

05-05-13

TIP of the hat to Starfire201 for guessing the offspring of Satan and his cyclops. I found it really difficult to find someone suitably awful to represent the mix of their CNA. Galvatron kept popping up. It may require a leap of faith for some since Galvatron in some universes **is** Megatron. :D

NOTE: Leoness, you are the queen. Keep jogging the memory. I have a list here somewhere. :D


	296. Chapter 296

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 7 (296) (Edited)

-0-Out there in the deep darkness of space

A big fleet was flying together silently, their malevolence proceeding them almost like a shroud of death. They had been in the sector, the one the humans called Delta Quadrant exploring the region for materials, fuel sources and allies. They had come across a malignant species, the Borg and had triumphed over them in every encounter.

They were as numerous as the grains of sand on the beaches of the insect world that had trumped his masculinity by holding him like some dissected specimen for nearly an entire vorn. Megatron had been captive and unable to move but he had been able to see and reason. The horror of it had changed him, the anger it generated fortified and guided him. He was going to regroup, gather allies he could trust and come back. He would not only wipe the species of that planet from the universe, he would break that world into dust particles. No one would know that human insects had ever existed.

No one would know of his humiliation.

He had entered this quadrant of the galactic map and encountered the Borg, a bio-mechanical cybernetic life form that was created out of the broken bodies of organic beings. It was as massive as any force he had ever seen, massive in the way that viruses were in a host body. Endless numbers of individual beings with no thought other than to obey the queens that commanded them met them in waves like some malignant ocean.

He had already killed six of them, their femme leaders. Their bodies, what little they had were no match for his fists and weapons. They had come at him arrogantly demanding that he submit to assimilation.

Submit.

Never.

He would never bow his knee to anyone so long as he lived and he planned to live a very very long time.

Glancing sideways, he saw his son standing nearby watching the forward view port and the eventual appearance of more Borg ships with feral optics. They would engage, destroy nearly everyone, take aboard a queen if she were among them and he would allow his son to learn the hard lessons of war that he had learned in the gladiator pits of Kaon. He would give his son the pleasure of killing the queen himself.

Galvatron stood by the weapons station, his optics focused on space ahead of their fleet. It was soon going to be filled with the strange bio-mechanical beasts that they had been hunting with gusto for some time now. It had been exhilarating, the hunt as well as the slaughter. They had bypassed any number of worlds chasing the Borg. He wasn't aware of what they offered if anything. He just knew that standing with his atar, hunting the enemy and crushing them was joyous.

Megatron considered the oncoming fleet that was now appearing on their sensors. They were a wily foe, one that had learned to adapt with each encounter. Their hive mind was learning but it would not be enough he considered. Nothing they could do, no combination of tactics would be enough to save them. They just didn't have the same degree of firepower and armor that the average Cybertronian possessed. They would lose. His son would learn. It was a win-win for Megatron.

-0-Elsewhere

She paced nervously in her command sphere, the connection to the other four queens, new ones derived from the old clear and busy. She could feel the unease among the Hive, the warrior elements uncertainty over their ability to defend their empire.

It had never been like this before. They had never encountered a species that could not be swayed, destroyed or assimilated. This species had elements of unbelievable exceptionalism, something that almost verged into a godlike sense of unholy wonder for the queen. She had never met a species in all the eons of her long life that had been so perfect. They would add incredible distinction to the Hive but for one thing. They weren't organic. Nothing about them could be assimilated.

They were animated and sentient, intelligent and ruthless. Their bodies displayed nothing of an organic nature. They had in the course of searching through their vast incomprehensibly enormous databases only a couple of mentions of this marauding species. They were as ancient as the universe. They lived on a planetary type so rare it was mythological … a metallic planet. There were tales of gigantic beasts among them that could devour whole planets. Almost all species that encountered them feared them deeply. They were war like and dangerous. Now they were hounding their footsteps with the intention of complete destruction or domination.

Nothing in her thinking could conceive of either happening. The Borg dominated, everyone else cowered. This species would too when they configured the right combination of actions and personnel. Then she would preside not only over the destruction of this group but of their entire benighted species. They could not be allowed to live and raise the specter of coming at them again. She would see to it personally.

-0-Cybertron

Soundwave sat in his office working out the reconstruction of his home world. It was very slow, the lack of energon the biggest hold up. He had gotten a call from Paragon and had set up a meeting. Paragon had said he could be of assistance in helping him rebuild hinting at sources of energon he would be willing to share. He sat back in his chair and considered that. He already knew that Prime had endless sources of energon, possibly of a very high quality and it would appear Paragon did as well.

If there was energon on planets in systems, it was also usually found in the broken fragments in the range of that system. It would appear that Paragon had gotten lucky. He stood and walked to the window staring out at the dark streets of the Decepticon city that had remained their headquarters even now. It had been repaired as far as his line of sight could reach. Beyond that, not so much.

He had heard rumblings of an organized opposition and it worried him. He would have to increase the energon available to the workers and others who lived here to make sure their loyalty was to him and not any other war lords that decided to take him on. Right now, he was sure that their loyalties were to their own survival, not his. Without him he calculated, the survival of the still resident population could become even much more difficult than it was right now.

He had to meet with Paragon, do what he had to do to start energon supplies coming home and keep his guard up. He was very good at that. Being quiet and unreadable was a good tactic. Paragon had been an early study project of his. He had learned that bot very very well. It wouldn't be as lopsided as it seemed when he arrived to meet. Paragon hadn't had access to him as much as he had of Paragon. His spies and taps were everywhere. He gathered information even from Megatron without being detected. He knew his foe well even as his foe knew little of him. Soundwave was determined to be the winner in their encounter.

Walking to his desk, he sat in Prime's chair, the one that Megatron had brought to him from the Residence. It was big even for him, an acknowledgment of the changes a Prime went through upon gaining the Matrix. He would beat them all and restore Cybertron. He would make that happen, then turn his attention to the rest of the galaxy. Cybertron would rise from the ashes of this long dark defeat and once again the universe would quake at the mention of their name. He, Soundwave made it his vow.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They sat together working out the latest intel as the leading edge of the next migration was making itself known beyond echoes. They would be retrieved through space bridges, brought from where they were to the city that way. In a few joors, a flight of Seekers would be taking off to go to where they were and alert the city and her reclamation mechanisms about what they were facing.

"We have enough housing ready to meet the needs of nearly 350,000 individuals now. We are working around the clock," Jetta said as Magnus nodded. "Our material output is sufficient and our teams are in the groove. They have the system down pat. Even the factories are organizing materials and parts in pallets that are designed to be taken by different groups to their specific location and job."

Prime nodded with relief. "That's good news," he said. "We might have to house some in community rooms and around the city if this comes as fast as it seems. I would prefer not to do that."

"You and me both," Jetta said sitting back.

"Ratchet?" Prime asked.

"We are go. It will be nice to use the planet as our platform. Instead of being there, we can be here and utilize the facilities directly rather than transferring sick and wounded from their vessel, to ours, then here. All around win for us I think," Ratchet said.

They discussed security, supply lines and all the enormous steps that had to be taken to make this reclamation smooth. As they did, they were filmed. Whether it made it into Platoon was anyone's guess. But it would be the first episode where Optimus Prime would be shown doing what he did best, leading his people through the quagmires facing them.

-0-On Earth

Paris, France

They walked along the leafy city street hurrying away from their designated targets. They had all dropped off their part of the bombs that would be detonated, melting away afterward into the early evening. The expert who was at the small apartment putting it together would fade away himself. He would get far away, then make a cell phone call. It would trigger the bomb and a huge portion of a beautiful neighborhood would be in pieces. That the Defense Minister of France lived across the street would not be lost on anyone.

Berlin, Germany

The bombers finished and left, the big hulking pile of explosives stacked in a room of an apartment enough to level the building in which it was housed. It was in a nice neighborhood of hipster business types and upscale mid level government workers in the defense departments of the country. When the bomb blew up, they would feel the love in the cratered stone walls of their own homes.

London, England

The walk from the West End was leisurely as the bombers left behind their own contribution to the alien problem. The bomb had been gathered, constructed and wired to detonate when the call to it was made. The bombers blended into the mass of happy young people who were out and about on the town at the coming of evening. They themselves would be long gone when the explosion would ring out.

Los Angeles, California, USA

The stadium had been infiltrated and the bomb gathered, the bits and pieces carried through the sewer lines, then the underground tunnels that were a part of the big facility. A stadium built once upon a time for the Olympics where the youth of the world would gather for peaceful competition would be the site of an explosion that would bring down one large portion of an entire side wall. The bombers would be back in Nevada before it would commence.

Toronto, Canada

The bomb would be ready for the synchronized set off and would decimate the area around the Air Canada Center. They had planned their actions carefully, the expertise available to them by special operations soldiers in their midst, both active duty and retired the clincher. They would not be around when it happened. They would merely dial their number and it all would go boom.

-0-At the same moment in five different countries

They dialed their phones and waited. Five different big bombs went off and five countries were shocked out of their sense of comfort and safety. Five different groups walked away taking their phones with them. They would be destroyed and the bombers out of their respective countries before any net could be dropped over them. No one would know who they were.

-0-At the table in the Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl rose and walked to the console to get the details himself. His monitoring of the information flowing into Ops Center had alerted him to something new and bad. He gathered it, considered it and turned from Red Alert to walk back to the table. He sat and handed a datapad to Prime with the information he had personally routed to it himself. Prime read it and put the datapad down, his expression grave.

Ratchet picked it up scanning the data, then handed it on and waited as the others read the news.

"Frag," Blackjack said glancing at a pensive Prime. "Bombs. How cowardly can you get?"

"Five countries. All of them signatories of Autobot treaties," Magnus said as he held the datapad. "They are attacking us at the heart of our alliances."

Prime nodded. "MECH and the armed resistance has thrown down the gauntlet. Now its in our court."

"Then we bring the rain," Ironhide said grimly.

-0-TBC

05-06-13


	297. Chapter 297

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 8 (297) (edited)

=0=Aerie Hill Medical Clinic

Cardinal walked into the facility to meet with Jarro and his team who were helping the group of seven younglings he had come in with. He was a very handsome mech, red and black like the human bird. He had bright yellow optics and a sweet manner. Even though he had fought like an adult, he had a sunny personality and a kind manner. He sat and looked at Jarro. "Hi."

"Hi, Cardinal," Jarro said kindly. "You look better today. Last time we talked you were tired and worried."

"I know. We've met some of the Autobots and they don't seem like bad bots. We were worried about that," he said nodding.

"I'm glad. You're safe here, all of you," Jarro said.

"I think so," he said with a grin.

"We want to talk to you about your trine, Cardinal," Jarro said sitting back. "We want to know how you came to be in a trine and what that means to you."

Cardinal nodded and glanced at his guardian in all the proceedings that they had to go through to sort out their situation, Thundercracker. He nodded and Cardinal began. "We were friends. We hatched in the same place, all of us. We stayed together because we felt safer."

Jarro nodded. "I see."

"I love my trine. We love each other," Cardinal said nodding. "We take care of each other. When one of us got hurt, the others helped. All seven of us have been together from the time we were hatched. I don't remember when they weren't with me and I was with them. We decided to be a trine because we love each other." He sat and looked at Jarro, then Thundercracker who was struggling with his emotions.

Jarro nodded. "I am aware of that. You are very close. Tell me about how you managed to keep off the radar with Megatron. He forbade trines and bonds."

Cardinal nodded. "I know. We didn't tell anyone."

Jarro sat and waited but it was clear the little Seeker had told him how they had done it. They just didn't tell anyone. He glanced at Thundercracker who was leaned back in his chair, his face reflecting the anger and upset he felt. He cleared that away and leaned forward slipping his arm around Cardinal. "Tell me, sparkling. How did you manage not to get sparked?"

He looked at Thundercracker, then Jarro. He thought a moment, then looked at Thundercracker again. "I don't know what you mean."

Jarro leaned forward and looked at him. "Sparkling, do you understand that there is an intimate side to being bonded?"

He stared at Jarro, then Thundercracker. "You mean holding servos? We do that. We sleep together because it makes us feel better like when we were really small. My bonds hug me. Like that?" he asked.

Thundercracker looked at Jarro. "I think Ratchet needs to come and talk to these babies. Maybe he can figure this out."

Jarro nodded. :Ratchet:

:Ratchet here:

:Can you come to Aerie Hill? I think we have a problem with the sparklings. We're trying to discuss intimacy and they don't appear to have a clue. Or at least Cardinal doesn't:

:On my way:

-0-Opts Center

"I have to go to Aerie Hill and help them with the sparkling Seekers."

"Is there something wrong?" Prowl asked with a slight frown.

"They are discussing intimacy and I don't think the babies know what that means," Ratchet said turning to go. He cleared the room and headed out, his rage building inside as he hurried. While he was gone, they would continue to watch the news of the bombings from Earth.

-0-Aerie Hill Medical Clinic

Ratchet walked in and paused as he noticed three youngling Seekers sitting together with Thundercracker and Jarro. His assistants were sitting along the wall listening as he entered. He nodded and looked at Jarro. "I'm here."

"Good," Jarro said. "We have been talking to Cardinal and during the conversation about their trine, he mentioned a number of things that constituted their relationship."

The three Seekers listened to Jarro, glancing at Thundercracker as they watched the adults in the room discuss them. "What does this mean?" Raptor asked as the other two nodded.

"What we want to know, sparklings, is how your family life is," Ratchet said sitting across from them. "I'm a doctor. Since you are so young and we are so careful about caring for our younglings, we need to ask you some questions that might seem embarrassing but are important. Don't worry that anyone will tell. I'm a doctor and so is Jarro. Thundercracker just loves you all to pieces."

They looked at him and he grinned nodding. "I do."

They smiled at him, then looked back at Ratchet. These younglings had done some hard things, were tougher than younglings their age should ever be but they were also infants who were trying to make sense of things. "Alright," Cardinal said glancing at the others. They looked at him, then nodded. Cardinal looked back at Ratchet. "What do you want to know, Doctor Ratchet?" he asked.

"You have a trine and that means that a certain kind of behavior can be assumed. What we need to know, sparklings, is if you have merged your sparks yet."

They looked at him, then each other. It was silent a moment, then Cardinal leaned forward hesitantly. "What is that?" he asked uncertainly. The others just looked at Ratchet with confusion.

:Slag: Ratchet said to the gathering. No one contradicted him.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They sat watching the news feed from Earth as the media began to piece the magnitude of the bombing spree together. Five different news programs ran on one big monitor at the same time as the different countries involved began to work through the debris and dead bodies for answers.

Prowl glanced at Prime who looked sick at spark. "There's a call from Glenn Morshower. Do I put it up or do you want to take it privately?"

"Put it up, Prowl," Prime said venting a soft sigh as he sat straighter.

Prowl turned and nodded to Red Alert who put the image of Glenn Morshower on another big screen and cut the sound on the other. "Optimus."

"Glenn," Optimus said. "We just received the news from our Embassy at Diego. I cannot find the words to express the grief I feel for the countries and people involved in this."

Glenn nodded. "I know. I think its important for you to touch base with the allies. If you can come to Diego tomorrow, we can have a meet up. Ministers and officials are already on route to the island and I'm calling you from a plane in flight."

"I will be there. If you can tell me when, I will be there with Prowl and Ironhide," he said nodding. "Was there any graffiti around the scenes?"

Glenn nodded. "There was. The same 'Earth first, Autobots out' crap."

Prime nodded. "It would appear that the bombers were targeting signatories of the treaties."

"They have," Glenn replied. "The goal is obvious and the effort is going to be strenuous. They are organized, well prepared and funded and have no problem killing innocent people. This is going to be a tough slog, Optimus. I am warning you now. I intend to fight for the alliance and treaties. I don't intend to allow this to become a political football. Our working arrangement keeps the 'Cons out of the system. No one knows about Paragon and his other allies. It might be time for you to come to the United Nations and speak."

"I am prepared to come to Earth and speak," Optimus said nodding. "I feel the same way about the working arrangement. I don't want to tell you what you need to do, Glenn, but the idea of you facing the Decepticons alone is terrifying to me personally. I would also say that if we are not welcome on Earth, we will do our best but we stay here on Mars. I have one and a half million civilians to take care of and protect with another half a million to a million coming. That is just the ones we are reasonably clear about. We cannot leave this planet without incredible suffering and I won't do that to my people."

"You won't have to. I will resign before it comes to that and rip the balls off the opposition if necessary," Glenn said coldly. "I am a Cybertronian citizen too now and I will help defend the colony and your right to be there. Besides, how are they going to make you leave?"

Prime nodded. "I agree. Tell me what you need and I will be there," Prime said.

Glenn nodded. "I will. I will be at Diego in eight hours. If you can arrive two hours later, ten hours from now we will be ready to go. It is going to be a conference call with a lot of individuals. Bring who you need to make your points. Ratchet may be a good call too if he can come. Maybe Blackjack for background about the situation in the galaxy and anyone else who has information to add about what's going on with Cybertron and Megatron. The fortress building of Paragon and Soundwave will be important. They have to know the danger and only you will be able to show and tell it to them."

Prime nodded. "We will be there."

"Good. I will meet you there then," Glenn Morshower said with a nod. The screen went blank.

It was silent a moment, then Prowl leaned forward. "Who do we organize to go, Optimus?" he asked softly.

Optimus thought a moment. "Blackjack, Ironhide, Ratchet, you and the Great Elder," he said.

Prowl nodded and rose walking to the comm station. He put out the requests and came back to sit. "Cosmos will be taking us."

Prime nodded. "I think we need to get the sparklings and younglings parted out," he said.

Prowl nodded. "I'll let my genitors know. Ironhide, are you going to take care of it or do I need to call Ravel for you?"

"I'll go now and get that organized. Ratchet is at Aerie Hill. I'll get him," Ironhide said rising.

Blackjack rapped the table. "Leave the sparklings," he said. "Alie can take them home and help Ratchet's genitors take care of them."

Ironhide slid the sparklings out of the hold handing them to Blackjack and Prime. Then he turned and walked to the door disappearing from sight. Prime looked at Prowler and kissed him on the helm. The infant was sleeping in his little sack and yawned before relaxing again in recharge. He glanced at the others at the table. "No matter what happens, we stay here. We have to protect the Earth no matter what. They have no idea what they're facing and we're going to help them long distance if nothing else."

"Our Embassy should stay too," Prowl said. "We are sovereign territory and we have paid a lease for 100 years."

Optimus nodded. "I know. The public will decide to a great extent how this unfolds. Right now, they're in shock and outrage will follow. We have to be ready to hear condemnation of us from the segment of Earth's population that operates from a fear level."

Blackjack nodded. "Then we better do a good job of explaining who and what we are and why our continuing presence is important."

No one argued the point.

-0-Aerie Hill Medical Center

"That's what happens when you do that, sparklings," Ratchet said as he pointed to different images on a datapad.

The younglings looked at it, then each other. Raptor, a much more assertive youngling looked at Ratchet aghast. "We've never done that."

Ratchet nodded. "Good. Your trine is a good arrangement for you. Its comfort and family but the idea of you being sparked isn't. You three are just too young to raise a family."

Farrell who hadn't said a word the entire time looked at Ratchet gravely. "We would want to some orn. We talked about having hatchlings and giving them a home like we never had. I know our genitors are somewhere and they will come. I know it. They would love to see us happy and raising a family."

The other two nodded.

"Miracles happen every orn here, sparkling," Ratchet said gently. "I see families find each other every time a group comes in. Right now, I want you to go with Gold Wing who is that mech over there," he said pointing to a solemn-faced Seeker standing by the door. "He will help you get what you need to prevent sparking. Someday when you want to, we can remove it but for now, we can't allow you to do it. You have too much to do here just catching up on what you missed."

They looked at him, then Cardinal hesitantly arose, then sat again. "Farrell? What do you want to do?" he asked.

Raptor and Cardinal looked at him, then he looked at Ratchet. "We aren't going to be separated are we? This is my trine and I won't allow it." He looked stubborn and resolved.

Ratchet shook his helm. "No. We just don't want you to complicate your lives right now until you get old enough to choose something as serious as being a genitor."

He considered that, then looked relieved. "All right." He paused. "Will it hurt? I hope it doesn't hurt." The other two nodded looking at Ratchet with worry.

"No, sparkling. It won't hurt," Ratchet said nodding to the worried youngster.

With that, they rose and stood, Raptor taking hold of Cardinal's servo. They turned and walked out with Thundercracker and Gold Wing, then the door closed. Ratchet who watched them felt a volcanic rage informing him and he glanced at the others who felt it too. Then the comm tweeted. "Ratchet, report to the air field immediately."

He rose and looked at the group watching him, then turned and walked out. The others waited for the younglings to be finished with Gold Wing, then sat down again to talk about things they needed to finish their report.

-0-At the airfield

Ratchet hurried across the tarmac entering Cosmos after the last mech. He walked to the seating area and sat next to Ironhide. Prime, Prowl, Blackjack and the Great Elder were already there. He sat silently a moment, then slammed his helm backward against the hull. Everyone paused a moment, then looked at him as he sat raging.

"What the frag did you do that for, old mech?" Ironhide asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, Ratchet," a nerdy voice asked from out of nowhere. "That hurt."

Ratchet deflated, then looked at the ceiling. "Sorry, Cosmos. I had a rough moment. You remember those little Seekers that came in the other orn? Seven of them from Paragon?"

"I remember. Everyone knows about those little ones," Cosmos said.

"They're on the cusp of younglinghood. They're in the ball park age of Sunspot," Ratchet replied. "They're infants. Warrior infants."

It was silent, then the Great Elder leaned back and shook his helm slowly. "I will send urgent messages out into the universe when we get back on all the channels available. Everyone is to come here. They must find all of these infants and bring them. No one is to be left behind."

Prime nodded. "That would be a spectacular idea," he said with conviction.

-0-TBC

05-06-13


	298. Chapter 298

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. (298)

-0-Diego Garcia, Earth

They walked from Cosmos heading for the Embassy. Ironhide and Prime walked on either side of Rainmaker answering his questions about the scene around him. He looked at the place where their repatriation began, the idea of an ocean of water sobering. They had small bodies of liquid, some of it water on Cybertron but never an ocean of this magnitude. Given their ramblings and experience through the universe, it was surprising that so many of the Cybertronians in the solar system had such little experience with great bodies of water.

The Embassy loomed ahead and they walked toward it pausing a couple of times to speak to soldiers that drove past. When they reached it, they entered disappearing into the cool interior. Outside it was 89 degrees with a chance of rain likely. It was perfect.

-0-At the human end of the equation

The heads of state of five countries had been on the phone since the night before to each other, N.E.S.T. and other bodies that were connected with the Autobots including Warren Roberts. Their security agencies were tracking the bombers through their sources, other agencies both foreign and domestic as well as private contractors who trafficked in information. Other nations who were signatories of the treaties tightened security, made statements of solidarity even as some of them were reconsidering their positions.

The defense ministers of France, Germany, Canada and England would conference with the Autobots and U.S. officials to discuss the situation, compare notes and make a solid front against the evil that had befallen their people. The Diego contingent would speak to them over secure lines in the communications hangar offering both their vast experience and assistance as well as their spark felt condolences.

General Morshower along with his aide-de-camp and a couple of other officers sat on their plane as it circled the island on approach. He was tired but determined to manage his input in the presence of Optimus and the bots. They were very good at presenting their position but he felt the seriousness of the situation required his personal presence at their sides. He had been made a citizen of Cybertron by Optimus Prime at Christmas Surprise, he and his family so the interest was more than professional or academic.

It was personal.

The tower cleared them so their plane began its descent, the newbie officers peering out their windows to see the Autobot aircraft that spent time there. They had never been to the island nor had they seen any Cybertronians live. After the amount of information broadcast and the programming ongoing about them, they were familiar and scary at the same time.

The plane touched down on the steaming runway rolling to a slowdown. It turned and taxied to its parking place, pausing to stay until called upon to leave with its human cargo once again. Nearby, sitting in the sun gathering energy, Cosmos relaxed in alt form. The humans began to deplane when he transformed, becoming his alt robotic format. He turned and began to walk to the beach crossing the tarmac in front of the humans. He paused and looked down, smiling. "Hello, General," he said in his nerdy voice.

"Hi, Cosmos," Glenn Morshower said as John Fulton drove up to greet the incoming dignitaries. "How are you?"

"I'm fine and dandy," Cosmos said nodding. "Hello, Colonel. Looks like a long afternoon here."

Fulton smiled at one of his favorite Autobots. "I think so, Cosmos. I guess you get to wait around to take everyone back?"

"I do. Optimus brought the Great Elder with him too. Right now, I think I'm going to the beach." Cosmos nodded and continued onward heading to the fence nearby and the beaches. The newbie soldiers watched him go, then continued onward, their eyes apprising everything they met for sentience. Some of the stuff they saw actually had it.

-0-In the Embassy, Ops Center

Ratchet commed off and turned walking to sit at the center table. "They finished the profile of the infants. They will be forwarding me a copy as well as you, Optimus. You can read it, Elder, at the clinic. I can't give it to you because of patient confidentiality."

Rainmaker nodded. "I will go there then."

"We believe at this stage that they can attend school to catch up maybe every other orn or two or three in a row at a time. Their trine status complicates their placement. Not yet adults, more than babies. Jarro thinks that Terradive would be a good fit for the teacher given his amazing luck with infants who lack skills and Sunspot will be with them as well. Given that they have a service dog with Spot, it could be a very good placement."

Prime nodded. "I hope so," he said as Prowl returned from the communications station.

"They are ready for us, sir," Prowl said as he paused by the table.

Optimus turned to Rainmaker and rose. "We will be talking to a number of humans, many of which don't speak the same language. There will be translators at their end. We will broadcast in American English which is the scientific and economic lingua franca. You have it in your database downloads?"

"I do," Rainmaker said with a nod. "I will follow your lead, Prime."

Optimus nodded and the party rose, walking to the door and outside together. The stroll across the tarmac to the communications hangar brought back a lot of memories, some of them not so good. When they arrived, they followed Optimus inside.

Sitting in rows working at their part of the puzzle, airmen and women, soldiers and the odd naval personnel could be seen. A tall structure that allowed face to face conversation stood at the back of the room which was a maze of equipment, cords and other primitive communication devices. Blackjack, Ironhide, Rainmaker and Ratchet moved back to the door pausing half in and out, watching as Prowl and Prime walked to the construction. Glenn Morshower, John Fulton and the replacement State Department liaison, a man named George Kelly greeted them. The screens were already on and there were faces filling each.

Ratchet turned and looked at Rainmaker. "Welcome to Earth," he said with a grin. "We began here back in the orn. It was Prime that saw the potential in Mars and that's how we ended up in the city."

"Starscream has told me a number of things. Apparently, this was the place, this planet where they held Megatron," he said.

Ironhide nodded. "They held him nearly a vorn. He was aware but they didn't know it. He nearly lost his processor and personally, I think he has. He will never forgive or forget."

Rainmaker nodded. "I dealt with him often and he is a vindictive megalomaniac. There is no negotiation, no give, no hope with him."

"You will be incredibly important, Elder," Ratchet said. "You are just back from out there. You can tell them a lot and reinforce what they already know. They are good, humans. They just are small and have little experience with aliens. That their first aliens should be like us is very disconcerting."

He nodded. "I can see their point. The important thing is, can they see ours?"

The conference began so they turned to watch. Prime and Prowl stood together, Prime towering over the winger as introductions were made. Most of the figures both knew at least by name and reputation. They were hard helmed and tense. The UK representative began. "Gentlemen, we have a force that is very connected, funded and fearless. We also are afraid that among their most effective members are active duty soldiers from our armies and security forces."

Prime nodded. "Our preliminary read on this supports that notion, Mr. Minister. We are certain that the level of damage and the substances used indicate a breach in your own security."

"There are forces at work here, sir, forces of reaction that would push you and your people away from our system," the Canadian replied. "They would believe that if you go, so would the Decepticons."

Prime shook his helm. "I have opposed Megatron for nine million years, sir. He would not step away from a goal anymore than this planet could reverse its rotation. I am maybe inadequate at explaining the offense he feels over the violation of his body and the captivity he endured over the period of time humans held him unwittingly. It has changed him by all accounts and made him doubly dangerous. He will never change or be diverted from the path he has chosen to take. He will annihilate this planet and kill all of your people to make sure no one ever knows what happened to him."

"We understand that, sir," the French representative said. "What we also understand is that except for two battles here, you have not seen him for some time. Your intel is not fresh and perhaps given his defeats, he might have changed his focus. I personally don't believe that. I believe that you are correct on that issue. But I am speaking the arguments that some are saying and would like to know how to address them more forcefully."

Prime nodded. "We are getting refugees at regular intervals and we share that with you on broadcasts and with the visitors to Mars that come from here. Among those visitors are those who can tell of the picture beyond this system about the galaxy beyond. Some of them can speak definitively about Megatron as well. I would like to introduce a couple of them to you so that they can tell you what you need to know." He commed Blackjack who stepped past Ratchet and walked into the room.

Soldiers glanced up at the Autobot upon whose frame Ironhide was designed. Apparently, Alor had the same myopic viewpoint of perfection that Ratchet had. Blackjack paused beside Prime who turned to the screen again. "This is General Blackjack of Praxus. He was a commander of troops on Cybertron for generations of mechs and is the father of my Master of the Armed Forces and munitions expert, Ironhide. He has been on Mars for a while but can speak with authority to a lot of the current situation beyond our system." Prime nodded and stepped back allowing the stern expressive face of Blackjack to fill the screen.

"General," the French representative said. "Bonjour."

Blackjack nodded. "Hello, Mr. Aylet. I am Blackjack and with my bond, Alor we managed to keep a sector of space free of the 'Cons for a very long time. It was in an area called the Benzuli Expanse. The 'Cons ran a lot of operations there until we began to pick them off. There are unstable energy floes and a lot of strangeness that made it a dicey area anyway. Then we came and became what were called 'The Ghosts of Benzuli' because we struck and disappeared immediately.

"We kept the region isolated because we were going to rescue and gather refugees. It was in this area that we first ran into the son of Megatron, Galvatron," he said with a grim tone.

-0-TBC

05-08-2013


	299. Chapter 299

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. (299)

-0-At the conference

"We have fled taking a group with us that included Seekers. Most of them had defected from the army to the Decepticons after The Fall, but we had a flight that was loyal. We had gone into space to hunt for the AllSpark because we knew it had been launched to prevent Megatron from getting it. We found along the way a lot of desperate civilians. We gathered them and found a refuge in the Benzuli region, in sectors next to it protected by unstable energy surges.

"We burrowed in and built colonies adding more and more individuals to our protection over the vorns. The 'Cons looked for us, then pulled back as Megatron regrouped and began to re-organize his position. He has a son, a very dangerous unstable mech whose only happiness is in fighting and killing. Megatron gave him control of the area with the brief to kill anything Cybertronian in the area that didn't identify as Decepticon.

"He sent in ships with hunter groups whose sole purpose was to blow up entire worlds if necessary to find and kill anyone who wasn't a party to his father's machinations. We had to strike back and we developed a lot of skills doing it. Then he withdrew. I don't know why but he did. The rumors were pretty strong but what happened was Megatron disappeared. He was gone nearly a vorn, then he came back. He was changed, homicidal and beyond dangerous.

"What had transpired was, he had been taken captive by an organic people, you and had been held against his will. The word was that he was aware of what was happening to himself the whole time. He never was very stable but the mech that came back, especially after losing two battles on this planet was infinitely worse and more dangerous. He took his son and headed into space to look for allies in his quest to even the score. Even with allies.

"We heard that he was in the Delta Quadrant. Shockwave was his closest ally and he is in Prime's custody. Their son is a danger to all things because as bad as Megatron is, Galvatron is worse. That bot has nothing between his audials but hatred. You are delusional if you think that because we leave, he will too. What you did to him offends the deepest part of the warrior ethic of our species and make no mistake, Megatron is a warrior. He will never forgive or forget."

They stared at Blackjack with solemn expressions, then the British representative nodded. "How fresh is your information on these two and their whereabouts?"

"I have been here for a while but another with us came yesterday from the frontier," Blackjack said nodding to Prime. He turned and walked back pausing beside Ratchet, Ironhide and Rainmaker.

Prime turned to the screens and nodded. "We have with us a very important personage, the Great Elder of Cybertron. He is the chieftain above all chieftains and the final authority over Seekerkin. It is good to remember that Seekers went almost exclusively to the Decepticon side and to have them with us is not only a great advantage but an indication of the problems in the Decepticons and their faltering leadership. I would like to introduce Rainmaker, the Great Elder and Lord of all the Seekers of my species." He turned and nodded to the big Seeker who looked at him with expectation.

He walked forward and paused, allowing the humans to take his measure even as he took theirs. He was huge, incredibly heroic in his demeanor and covered with the kind of gravitas that one only got with years, experience and hands on. Optimus had it. Blackjack had it. Rainmaker had it. Megatron would never even know it existed.

"Gentlemen, I am Rainmaker and I came to the sanctuary of our Prime with my people. I was a Decepticon and fought for the Cause which spoke of equality and opportunity for my people. Prime did his best but the corruption was too deep. Had it been different, I would have stayed by his side, I admired and respected him that much. But the times were torrential and bad happened.

"Shortly ago, Megatron put a death order on Seekers, perhaps in reaction to the defiance of Starscream, perhaps in response to the growing paranoia and hatred that he carried back after being missing for so long. I am personally party to two conversations about his captivity by an 'insect species that needs to pay for their actions' he said. I never knew what species that was until I came here. Megatron is seeking allies in the greater galaxy as of now, then he plans to come back. He won't be reasoned with, not by you or us. He is teaching his maniacal son to be his successor and if you believe Megatron is a bad mech, you haven't seen his son.

"The Empire is in disarray. Megatron holds it together by force and unbridled fear. If a unit doesn't please him, he decimates it. He lines them up and kills randomly among the ranks until the message is driven home. Cybertron is in the care and control of Soundwave, the weakest link in the chain of command. Shockwave is in captivity and no longer the horror he once was to all of us, especially to Seekerkin but Megatron seeks to know his whereabouts. You are fortunate that Prime keeps him in stasis, a condition that prevents his discovery. If you had killed him, Megatron would not be deterred by any threat or bargain you could concoct. Shockwave is his bond."

It was silent a moment, then Rainmaker continued.

"Entire battle groups of Decepticons are becoming autonomous in the dissolution of the Empire. Until Megatron comes back and asserts control, the leadership of the battle groups will either continue to serve him in fear or breakaway and form their own kingdoms. There are two within range of this solar system that we passed on our way here with many more evaluating joining them.

"One of the satraps building his own fiefdom nearby this system is called Paragon. I have known him for vorns and he's very dangerous. He will have designs on Cybertron, the leadership is in play with Megatron gone and Soundwave weak, but he will also look to this system. The only reason he hasn't followed the energon trail to this planet and Mars is because Prime and our army is here. The fragments of energon in the system beyond come from the planets inside. They know that. We do as well. It kept us alive on our trek here because we used it as we found it floating freely from the formation of this system.

"The energon alone will keep them here. It is rare in the universe, essential to our existence and no source is ever not exploited to the fullest, with or without the cooperation of the native species. There are three fortresses here already. Paragon has one, another group as yet unidentified and Soundwave. Soundwave has built a fort to fall back to when Megatron returns and make no mistake. He will return.

"You are not to be blamed for this but you are also not blameless. You made yourself important when you held him in captivity, exploiting his body and mind all the while he was aware. We are here gathering our people together. I will put out messages to the galaxy calling all Seekers to me. No Seeker will work for Megatron when I do this. They will come, all of them including our suffering children.

"We will band with Prime and defend this system. We will defend the million and a half civilians already on Mars and the million on their way. We will defend you. I am one with Prime, the First Disciple of Primus. I will lead my flights under his command. We are united in our resolve. Even if you refuse to believe me, it is so. Even if you refuse to face reason and the responsibility of your own actions, no matter how much you didn't know, we will continue to do that.

"The beasts that roam among you have no clue what lies beyond your blue skies. We do and we are here to defend you along with our own. No matter what you say here, we will stay on Mars and help our people. We cannot leave and take two million individuals with us into uncertainty and privation. It won't happen. We must hunt these groups together and end the threat they pose to our unity. I am the Great Elder of Cybertron. I have never bent my knee to another being. Even Megatron stood up when I entered the room. But I do so to Prime, the only lawful moral leader of our species. You would do well to listen to him. He speaks with great wisdom and knowledge."

The Elder nodded and turned walking to the door where the others stood. It was silent a moment. Then Morshower turned to the representatives. "We do the work. We face the risks, the Autobots, Seekers and us. You sit in your comfortable offices and never have to feel the heat of battle. I am standing by Prime and our treaties. I am standing against these bastards and I think you should too. We have to find the wolves in our flock and take them down."

The representatives sat a moment, then the Canadian representative nodded. "I agree," he said.

The others nodded and leaned forward. "What would you suggest that we do, Optimus?" the German representative asked.

Prime looked at Morshower, then the screens. "We hunt them down and end the threat. You will have to manage the politics. We will take care of the chase. We have done it once already. We can do it again."

They continued to talk for an hour, then the meeting broke up. The decisions were clear. Optimus Prime and the Great Elder would speak to the United Nations explaining the threat to the world-at-large. They would continue to take in their people no matter what the humans had to say. There was no possibility of leaving Mars with between 2 and 2.5 million Cybertronians, the possible population of the planet when the next two migrations arrived.

They would also manage the threat of the three fortresses in their sector. That was brandnew news and resounded among the representatives. The idea of battle groups founding their own kingdoms and taking out whatever and whoever was nearby was terrifying. They would also work in tandem with N.E.S.T. and agencies in various signatory countries to capture the individuals that were causing the bombings and terror.

When the reps signed off and Optimus walked out with Morshower and Fulton on his servos, the basic framework was in place. It was a standoff over the continuation of their presence. Diego Garcia was their embassy and sovereign territory. It would take a sundering of the treaties between the United States and Autobot Nation to force the close of the Embassy and that wasn't going to happen.

The group walked to the Autobot hangers and entered turning into the Ops Center to sit and debrief. Optimus set the humans down and Prowl fetched chairs. They sat as the big bots settled. "Well, what do you think, Glenn? John?" Ratchet asked as he sat.

"I think that the United Nations events will be important. I would be sure to impress. I also think that we have the task at least for now to catch these fraggers," Morshower said.

John Fulton nodded. "You made the case, gentlemen. The threat nearby and the realization of the mistake of holding Megatron dented the hard shell."

"Megatron would come even if you hadn't held him, John. He would come for the energon. Mars is between 40 and 45% pure high grade energon. There is also at least 15% energon on Earth. The conditions were ripe for its growth with the volcanic nature of this system's worlds," Prime said.

They all nodded.

"This Galvatron sounds like a fragger," Glenn Morshower said.

Rainmaker nodded. "I had the chance to end him but it didn't happen. He has optics in the back of his helm. He's feral and as dangerous as they come. His father sees no wrong in him, giving him chances to be cruel and murderous at every opportunity."

"Then we off his ass," John Fulton said. "End him like The Fallen."

Ironhide grinned. "Better get in some time at the dojo, Prime. Little mech thinks you need to kill them both."

Prime grinned. "We may come to that, old friend."

They sat and began to plan the campaign that would lead to the capture of the shadowy groups that had begun to attempt to change public opinion though fear and violence. Before it was too late, they had to act. The beginning campaigns were laid out in the Ops Center of Ground Zero, The Autobot Nation Embassy at Diego Garcia on Earth.

-0-Back at the farm

He stood at the window looking out. Someone was supposed to come and get him. He had his harness on and his little book bag in his fist. His brother stood next to him equally flummoxed. Footsteps behind him alerted them so they turned and smiled brilliantly at the same time.

Tie Down grinned. "Hello, my sweet little mechs. Time to go." he took their leashes, their little bags and turned them, the trio walking out the door to the elevator. It was the first orn of weekend but the Pit had arrived so they were in military and emergency infant day care for a few hours. Grandpa had to finish some smelting that had reached critical mass. Now he was back and they would pony up, heading for the big world beyond. Orion and Praxus were ready to roll.

-0-Alor

Alor had the two babies, Hero and Prowler. They were lying on a soft blanket in a sunbeam in his apartment recharging. He himself was reading his favorite series of books, murder mysteries with an Englishwoman named Jane Marple. It was quiet and peaceful in the apartment, the calm before the storm. When Blackjack and the others got back, there would be no time like this to enjoy.

In a few orns, the playoff game between Kaon and Vos would occur. Conferences were coming up in the schools. All of the lovely things were proceeding as well as the darkness. He looked at his babies and smiled. "Who loves ya?" he asked. Then he returned to his novel and the murder of an artist by someone.

He could never guess who.

-0-The Trine

Bluestreak and Sideswipe walked home putting groceries away. They were having a small party that night in the apartment with couples from their group. There would be finger food and high grade. The infants would be spending the night with the grand genitors, Venture and Miler.

It was their 'date night'.

Sunny was at the dojo shooting the slag, Sadee was coming soon to discuss her new paintings, then they all would come home to get ready. Ten mechs were coming over and they would have a great time. As Bluestreak fussed around the apartment getting toys and other things put away, Sideswipe lounged in a chair to enjoy the view.

-0-Sunspot and Canine

They sat in the store watching Ravel hone the edge of an impossibly sharp and long knife. "That is a sharp knife, Grandada. Whose knife is it?"

"A youngling in the Home Guard, sparkling. He wants to give it to his atar. His atar is a wood carver. He picked up the skill on an organic refugee planet."

"Do we have wood?" he asked as he sat watching, Spot sprawled on the floor beside him.

"We can get it from Earth," Ravel said with a smile.

"Are we going swimming this weekend, Grandada?" Sunspot asked watching as Ravel rubbed the blade with a soft cloth.

"We plan on it after dinner," Ravel said with a nod. "We want to see you all swim. I hear you can float very well."

"I can," Sunspot said with a big smile. "I'll show you."

"I cannot wait, sparkling," Ravel said with a grin. "That's why I'm trying to get this done. I want to be able to see all three of you in the water."

He sat watching his grand ada working hard, his amazing servos coaxing the steel into a sharpness that was lethal. They would chat and laugh, tell stories and work until Tie Down came with the babies. Then they would all go to the Community Swim Center to play in the water.

-0-Aerie Hill

They sat on the berth in their little apartment. They had been given one but had a 'house mother' who helped them, visiting every day to assist their independence. They had never had a home of their own before and they were enthralled with it. Their friends, the other four were living in a nice dorm with community rooms and their own space.

It was glorious.

They sat chatting, trying to figure out some of the events that had overpowered them. It grew silent a moment. Then Cardinal shook his helm. "I didn't know that in a trine things like merging happened. I don't know what to think about it."

"I know," Raptor said, his expression slightly distasteful. "I don't like looking at my spark. I don't think its safe is it?"

"I don't know," Farrell said reclining. He thought a moment. "What do you think about going to the school?"

"I don't know. I don't know how to read and write very well. I don't want anyone to laugh at me," Raptor said with a cold expression.

"They won't. I won't let them," Farrell said with his own cold expression.

There was a knock on the door and they paused. Cardinal got up and walked to the hallway that led to the living room. He opened the door. Outside, a Seeker mech stood with a grounder. "Hi," he said with a smile. "Can I come in with my bond?" he asked.

Cardinal hesitated, then stepped aside as the two walked in. Farrell and Raptor stood in the hallway staring at the strangers. They looked at the younglings, then smiled. "Hi," the Seeker said. "My name is Terradive and this is my bond, Roto."

Roto smiled and nodded. "Hi."

They looked at each other, then the two. "Hi," they said back.

"Can we sit a moment and talk to you?" Terradive asked.

They nodded and all of them moved to the couches and chairs sitting. It was quiet a moment, then Terradive grinned. "I used to be a Decepticon. Now I'm an Autobot and a teacher. I want to talk to you about coming to my class," he began.

Roto nodded. They would spend time with the little trine, get commitments and when the time came, the little mechs wouldn't be able to enter the classroom. No one said anything was ever going to be easy.

-0-TBC

05-09-13


	300. Chapter 300

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. (300)

-0-Home again

They walked from Cosmos heading for Ops Center and the rest of the remaining weekend. It was getting along toward evening as the sun began to fade away behind the mass of Olympus Mons nearby. The city was busy, the three new satellite cities visible in the distance. They were rising with their housing towers, amenities and business constructions. It was a priority and a good thing. It would only be three orns before the first migration was going to be rescued. What the next one comprised of would be determined at the same time, a plan to bring them in as well underway.

They entered and walked to the center, sitting to relax a moment. "The humans we conferred with understand the situation, Prime. I have little faith in the rest," Rainmaker said. "Perhaps it is because I have little experience with their kind."

"They are good but some of them aren't," Optimus replied with a nod. "They are our best allies and given enough information, the majority will come with us. The rest are fear motivated and have a struggle with realities as they are. Some of them get their information from liars."

Rainmaker nodded. "Sounds like Cybertron once upon a time."

They sat and discussed things, then broke to leave. The United Nations meet up would be in two orns. The refugee rescue in three. Their time was compressed between a rock and a hard place. Or as it was known on Mars … a typical orn.

-0-At the Community Center, Terra

They walked in and paused by the railing that separated the gigantic swimming area from the lounge that surrounded it. They had entered through a three stage air lock that prevented the lack of atmosphere from destroying the swimming area. It was a huge long pool that began with a shallow end and culminated in a very deep area. Part of it was roped off to allow diving. The water was deep allowing for the weight of heavy mechanisms falling into it.

The Home Guard learned to swim here and do deep water exercises against the future. The schools were taking classes here to learn how to swim because interestingly enough, swimming wasn't a natural process for them. Cybertron had very little surface liquid. It wasn't necessary to learn there.

Families had areas to sit and watch their loved ones play, fed by a couple of tasty food businesses and a bar. The place was well lit and brightly designed, a soft yellow color on the walls reflecting a mid morning summer sort of effect. That most of it was transparent steel helped make it feel outdoorsy even though it was one of the most tightly contained buildings on the planet. A number of infants were in the water including theirs and they stood watching them.

Orion floated in the middle of the relatively deep end, his body encased in a yellow flotation ring. He flapped his arms patting the water as he sang at the top of his lungs an incomprehensible song. Nearby treading water, Sideswipe floated holding Praxus, a big grin on his face as he watched Orion. Bluestreak knelt at the edge with another set of toys, then noticed Ironhide and Ratchet. He rose and walked to them, a red floatie ball in each servo. "Hi. How did it go?"

"Not too badly," Ratchet said. "Optimus and Rainmaker are going in two orns to speak at the United Nations."

Bluestreak nodded watching as Sunstreaker walked to their table with refreshments from the bar, Dawg waddling along behind. "Looks like snack time has arrived."

"You two go eat. We'll take over. Where is Ravel and Tie Down?" Ironhide asked as he walked to the edge of the pool.

"We let them go home with Sunspot and his dog," Bluestreak said as Ironhide stepped off disappearing into the water. He bobbed up and began to slowly swim toward his kids. "They have friends coming over for dinner."

Ratchet glanced at Bluestreak. "Yeah? That's awesome."

"I think so," Blue said with a big grin.

Sunstreaker walked over and paused. "You hungry?"

Ratchet nodded. "How about double what you brought, son of mine?"

Sunstreaker smirked and nodded, turning to walk back to the bar. Ratchet and Blue turned, sitting at the table where the food and beer was. "This is the life."

"It is," Bluestreak said handing him his share. "The babies love the water. Whose idea was the pool?" he asked with a smirk. "Yours?"

Ratchet paused a moment, then grinned back. "Actually, I think it was. Maybe."

Nearby, a bot knelt with three little infants. Tril had brought his babies to the pool to play. The city had many amenities, an almost unheard of thing and they were for the most part Cybertronian in nature. It was healing to walk through a Cybertronian city once again. But the pool was different and the idea of learning to swim a good one.

He stepped forward and lowered his infants into the warm water, their flotation devices holding them up. Stepping in too, he sat and watched them float and play. It was very restful and fun.

Ironhide reached the infants and they shrieked their joy. **"ADA! I SWIM!"** Orion said with great gusto.

"I see," Ironhide said bobbing in the water himself.

"How was the trip?" Sideswipe asked handing an animated Praxus over to his atar. "How did Rainmaker do?"

"He was pivotal. He could give fresh intel and both he and Prime are headed for the United Nations in two orns."

"I can imagine the entourage they need. I suppose I'll be chosen," Sideswipe said with a smirk.

Ironhide grinned as he bobbed Praxus up and down. "Egotistical piece of work."

They bantered in the water, dozens of bots swimming past, some of them as 'boats' for smaller bots. Ratchet watched, then looked at Bluestreak. "See that bot with the three little sparklings? At the shallow end? Red chevron?"

Bluestreak nodded. "I do."

"That is the bond of Fenix." Ratchet shook his helm. "Look what Fenix is jeopardizing."

"He's the one that is trying to bring the system back, right?" Blue asked watching the four at the other end of the pool.

"Yes and I will have to gut you if you tell even the twins," Ratchet said with a severe optic.

Bluestreak smirked. "Yes, Mom."

They chatted, ate food and watched the infants enjoy themselves. When it was time to go, they wandered off together toward the evening's plans.

-0-The Trine

Bluestreak laid out a range of food that would serve about ten mechs who were coming over for the night. Drinks were available, the apartment bussed and ready for mechs to sit, some to play cards which was a staple of their parties and even dance if they wanted. The twins had gone to the studio to finish up a bit of business for a couple who wanted a portrait of their infants. Bluestreak looked around and smiled. "Good. This is going to be fun."

-0-Venture and Miler

They looked at the babies and smiled. "There are my babies. Aren't you lovely," Miler said as the three little waifs stood looking up at him, gigantic smiles on their faces. "Ven? Are you ready?" he asked.

Venture who was fixing little dishes nodded. "We're good to go, Milie," he said as he turned to put the little plates and cups, a special order from The Housewares Store in Metroplex on the table. They were special order with the image and glyph of each baby impressed upon it. Little booster seats kept in a cupboard in the spare room were already on the chairs.

Miler sat each infant on their seat, then took the dishes Venture handed to him. They both sat and looked at the infants who were waiting for them politely. The trine was adamant about manners and it showed even at this age. "Babies, eat your dinner," Miler said enchanted. Only then did they begin.

-0-At the Residence

Tagg and Kestrel sat at the table helping the little mechs do their homework. Miracle sat on the table, a chew toy consuming his attention. Outside, the sky was beginning to darken and lights were coming on here and there. It was comforting, safe and delightful. It was the anti-life of their former existence. At no time in their long ordeal did they ever think this was possible. But it was and they slowly, painfully assimilated the idea that it was truly real.

"Grandada?"

Kestrel leaned forward. "Spirit?"

"What is this?" he asked pointing to a word on his reading datapad.

Kestrel carefully explained it to the infant and Spirit continued. As he did, Kestrel experienced a sense of deja vu. How many times had he sat with his own little mech, Orion and did the same thing around the tiny table in their miniscule apartment? More times than he could remember. It was warming to his psyche to remember and he bent himself to helping the little mechs around him with their work.

-0-Alor

He sat on the floor with a rattle in his servo and a smile on his face. Prowler was sitting in the bouncy chair that had belonged to Praxus. He was smiling and laughing, a very tiny sweet sound. Hero was standing beside Alor, a giant smile on her tiny Ironhide face. Alor smiled at her. "You are such a beauty. Your ada was a very smart mech to make you so pretty."

He suffered the same emotional delusion as Ratchet obviously.

Hero walked to Prowler and leaned down kissing his fore helm. She turned to her grandada and smiled. Alor for his part nearly capsized on the sweetness. "Aw. Such nice babies."

The door opened and Blackjack stepped in pausing to smile. "Hi. I see we have a few of the jewels."

"We do. Ravie has Sunspot and the dog. We have these two. I think the trine has Orion and Praxus."

"Ratchet and Ironhide have them by now. Do we get to keep them overnight?" 'Jack asked as he sat down on the floor. Hero stomping her peds in excitement held out her arms. He picked her up and loved on her, setting her gently down again.

"We will. Possession is nine points of the law or something," Alor said with a grin. "Time for dinner now that Grandatar is home, babies. You watch them and I'll get things ready." Alor stood up and carefully stepped over everyone on his way to the kitchen. As he pulled Hero's tiny plates out, he turned and paused. Blackjack was lying on the floor as Hero patted him, kissing his face in a game. He was grinning, kissing her back. Alor smiled and continued, a contentment he never thought he would feel overcoming him.

Ironhide would be sent packing when he came to get the babies.

Life was good.

-0-At the home front

Ratchet walked inside the apartment with Orion and Praxus. Removing their harnesses, he watched as they ran for their rooms and the toy boxes in them. He walked to the monitor and checked his mail.

"Ratchet: We're keeping the babies. If Ironhide comes, he's going to get the boot. Hugs, Alor"

Ratchet grinned. Ironhide was on his way there now.

"Ratchet: We want to have Sunny Bunny and Spot. We want to keep them tonight. I hope you don't mind, son. Take care and I hope your mission was good for all of us. I love you, son. Ada"

"I love you too, Ada," Ratchet said softly as he continued down the list.

"Ratchet: I would like next weekend off. Breakdown and I have things to do. I won't bore you with the details. I'm just asking. -Knockout"

Ratchet considered the schedule, the fact that the last playoff game was that weekend and quelled the impulse to say **FRAG NO!** "Knockout: Take the time but make it up during the championship game. I will have someone cover you and you can exchange duties. -Ratchet"

Before he could reach the next note a return pinged. He opened it. "Ratchet: Scratch the request. I think I'd rather have the championship orn off. -Knockout"

Ratchet okayed the request. Then he continued. As he did, Ironhide walked in with a slight sad. "Hey. I hear that your genitors were going to punt you at the effrontery of thinking you could retrieve your children."

"You got **that** right," Ironhide said. He walked over. "Any notes for me?"

"Plenty. What do you want for dinner?" Ratchet asked closing his account.

"Whatever you can put on a plate. I'm hungry." Ironhide began to sort through his messages as Ratchet walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out things. They would have an eclectic meal of leftovers. There would be Italian, Cybertronian and Chinese food on everyone's plates that night. It would all taste good.

-0-At the Residence

They finally walked in to the acclaim of their children. Kestrel and Tagg sitting on couches smiled. "How did it go, son?" Kestrel asked as he stood.

"I think it went well. I have to speak at an international forum in two orns but all is pretty well for us." Optimus hugged his ada and atar.

"Well, we'll go now," Tagg said glancing at Kestrel.

"No. You're staying for dinner," Prowl said with a grin.

They looked at him, then Optimus. "We can help you fix dinner. You have been working all orn," Tagg said firmly.

"You can help me, Tagg," Prowl said putting down T-Bar.

He nodded and turned following Prowl into the kitchen, T-Bar and Spirit in tow. Optimus turned and picked up Miracle who was patting his ped. Moving to sit, he looked at his ada. "How did your orn go, Ada?"

Kestrel smiled. "We walked around window shopping with the little mechs. They actually helped us pick out a couple of nice things for the apartment. It was fun."

Optimus smiled. "Good. I want you to have fun. Both of you."

"We are," Kestrel said as laughter could be heard in the kitchen.

They sat and chatted, had dinner and when it was time to go they both went away happy. They also had Spirit and T-Bar with them.

-0-In the woods of eastern Europe

They walked to the landing zone in the dark, torches giving the only light they had. A plane had landed and they were going to off load explosives and guns. They were a team that would be responsible for terrorist acts in this part of the world. Other teams had their own responsibilities. They would begin their spring campaign of damage and death to keep up the pressure on the aliens.

The sound of trucks driving off echoed in the woods as they came forward to do their part. Boxes and crates of guns and ammunition were offloaded, then the task was over. Climbing aboard, they drove off into the night as the plane turned to leave. They watched its lights rising into the sky to disappear into the inky blackness. They did too, melting into the night, fading away down a mountain road.

-0-TBC

05-11-13

NOTE: I was pooped last night. :D This is part 300 of part three. I added them all up. There are 1,082 segments of the story with 2,141,093 words. :D Yes, I am obsessive. :D I promise you a bunch more. This doesn't feel close to being done. :D Have a great weekend. :D We are one Cybertronian weekend from Vos v Kaon in the semi finals of the Martian Championship of the Cybertronian Adult Football League finals. :D


	301. Chapter 301

The Diego Diaries: Here we go. (301)

-0-Later that night

The apartment was full of mechs who sat around the living room talking and the dinner table, a card game going strong. A huge dog was sprawled by the window, himself the subject of much admiration. At the game, Smokescreen was winning as usual although the twins weren't doing too badly. Sunstreaker leaned back regarding his cards and the gambler. "How come you never told anyone you were bonded and had a family?"

Smokescreen glanced over his cards regarding Sunstreaker for a moment. "No one ever asked."

Scorn met that comment. Then Bluestreak turned from the counter where he was putting more snacks on trays and looked at him. "Who is your bond? Anyone we know?"

He considered that, then grinned. "I am sure you do."

"I hear he's going to kick your aft when he gets here," Sideswipe said with a wolfish grin. "You deserve it too."

Smokescreen snorted. "I probably do."

"Your grandson is a real cute mech," Bluestreak said leaning against the counter. "He's a good kid I'm told."

"He's the best," Smokescreen said. "I love that kid."

"What about your son?" Sideswipe asked.

"My son is a good kid. Sort of took another path than both of us but he raised a good mech with Smokey."

"He looks a lot like you," Sunstreaker said.

:He does. That surprised me when I first saw him," Smokescreen said with a glance at the pot. He anted up. "My son is very forgiving. His bond is more hardcore. He is a good mech, my son."

"You haven't told us who your bond is, Smokescreen," Bluestreak repeated with a grin.

He glanced at Bluestreak with his own. "My bond is Devcon."

It was totally silent for a moment.

-0-At the bosom of love

"The United Nations speeches are going to be huge," Ratchet said handing Ironhide a drink. He sat himself, relaxing in his chair as the monitor played before them with the sound turned down. "Are you going?"

"I don't know. All I am aware of as confirmed is Prime and Rainmaker," Ironhide said sipping his high grade. "I'm really impressed with Rainmaker."

"I know. He was a smart guy trying to uplift his people. Prime liked him and always counted it as a failure that he went with Megatron. A personal failure," Ratchet replied.

"Well, he's here now," Ironhide said. "Unlike our younglings."

"Are you going to whine about your genitors having the infants overnight? The babies love it." Ratchet grinned. "Besides, you have Orion and Praxus."

They glanced down the hall listening to the happy sounds of play in Praxus's berth room. They were down three younglings and a big dog. It felt odd.

"I do. They need a scrub. I suppose I can do that tomorrow. Weekend," Ironhide said as Ratchet rose to get a snack. He brought it back and put the snack plate on the end table between their chairs.

"There's always tomorrow, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a grin. They sat together eating a candy confection called 'fudge' and sipping high grade as IntraComm played a series of rugby games from Europe.

It was heavenly.

-0-Maccadam's Old Oil House

He walked in and glanced around looking for anyone he knew. He didn't recognize anyone so he walked to the bar and waited. The bartender took his order and returned with a brew popular in Vos among the working class.

"Are you new?" the bartender asked.

"Just got in," Smokescreen aka Smokey said with a grin.

"Welcome," the bartender said. They would talk together for a while. Then Smokey would go out and hunt for his grandfather.

-0-Trine

"Devcon … Devcon?" -everyone

Smokescreen grinned. "What better bond for a gambler than a bounty hunter?"

Bluestreak considered that. "You met in a bar I suppose," he said with a grin.

"You read my processor," Smokescreen said. "Are you going to ante up or what?"

The others did.

-0-Aerie Hill

He stood on the verandah watching the running lights of Seekers coming and going off the balconies of their own apartments and the ground below. He had a large apartment at the top of the huge housing project, one with floor to ceiling windows and enormous rooms. His sons and their families lived nearby, his two bonds sharing this space with him. One of them was resting, the journey still taking its toll on them. The other was inside watching The Hourly News.

A tour of the facility had been astounding, the possibilities for their people vast and unlimited. The amenities here were forbidden on Cybertron. There were doctors and care, businesses for Seekers by Seekers and public facilities for families. The central open places were carefully groomed and designed for recreation for the community.

The meeting with the humans had been interesting and the visit to their embassy on Earth intriguing. They had started there, moving to the world they inhabited now, expanding the potential to save their people dynamically. Footsteps behind him caught him in his reverie as one of his bonds stepped out to pause beside him.

"The night is beautiful, Rain," he said.

Rainmaker nodded. "This place is beautiful. I am deeply impressed and amazed though I shouldn't be. Prime is The One."

His bond nodded. "I think so too." They stood together companionably, then his bond looked at him. "Poor Starscream. He's really suffered. Skywarp told me that he worried that Megatron would come for him no matter what."

"He probably is right. But Megatron won't get close. I sent the messages out through the relays to the ends of the universe. I expect all of our people to come."

"I hope so," Vio said nodding. He grinned. "It is going to be wonderful, that moment when Megatron sees what has been wrought and fully understands the forces against him."

Rainmaker snorted, then grinned glancing at his bond with affection. "I would love to be there to see it," he said. "By the way, I have to go to the Temple tomorrow. I want to see Alpha Trion. It has been a long time."

"I know," Vio said nodding. "We'll go with you. I want to see the relics. Only Prime could get them all back."

Rainmaker nodded. "This place is blessed."

Vio nodded and they stood together quietly talking as the evening wore onward

-0-At the Hu An Habitat

They stood in the enormous open space and considered what the plantings would encompass in this, the first step at terraforming the habitat for their well being. A plan was made, the ground prepared, textured and laid with elements that would keep the temperature at a level that would be conducive to plantings.

Larc turned slowly his gaze appraising. :This is well done. We can bring the first plantings out of the greenhouses tomorrow. The oxygen levels are enough for us to start this terraforming:

Her lieutenants nodded and they turned walking to the greenhouses nearby. They were filled with plants in various stages of growth, all of them genetically engineered from stock brought from Earth. Not only were they adapted to their own needs, but they were adapted to grow here. It was their habit of adapting plants on the planets where they lived for their own uses.

The towering habitation nearby glittered with lights as the night deepened. The lights of the airfield nearby were softly golden in the distance, adding a sense of contentment to the aliens inside the huge domed habitat. The lights to the southeast nearby, those from the prison were less interesting.

-0-On the beat

"You know … we could have delegated this shift," Drift said as they walked from the Polyhex Business Plaza. It was almost balmy, a mere -22 and they saw the stars overhead in the velvety darkness of the sky. It was getting to be home, that sky.

"Where would be the fun of that?" Springer asked. "You know that the first night of weekend is always the most fun."

"True, that," Drift said as they stepped around a passel of micro mini-cons on their way to somewhere. They continued onward to the park and their never ending hide and seek with the subadult mechs and femmes that liked to cut a wide swath.

-0-Earth

They sat together playing cards in the house that had been provided for them by their billionaire benefactor. Jim Johnson, Sam Hedges, along with Lawrence Dobbs, Tim Bolton and Carlos Ortega, three mercs from the old days passed the time together. They were part of the MECH offensive being launched against the Autobots and their allies. They were darlings on the talk circuit and ran websites that spread the word.

Johnson and Hedges had been served regarding their breach of confidentiality by the Defense Department. A group of conservative lawyers funded by their benefactor had taken over. They merely had to lay low and behave. Sitting in a beautiful cabin in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, they did. In a week, they would go on the offensive, meeting the rumored United Nations speech of Optimus Prime head on. They were looking forward to it with relish.

-0-On the street

He stood under a street lamp looking around himself. The city was overwhelming and he was basically lost. Drift and Springer who were cutting across the park spotted him, then turned his way. When they reached him, the gaggle of younglings they were tracking could be seen nearby heading for the dark side of the housing towers across the way.

"Hi. You look lost," Springer said.

The youngling looked at him and smiled. "I think I am. I'm looking for my grandatar."

"There they go," Drift said nodding to the younglings as they drifted into the darkness and disappeared.

"We're tracking younglings," Springer said. "Care to join us?"

Smokescreen aka Smokey glanced at their tattoos noting they were Night Watch officials among other things. He grinned. "You bet."

With that, the three continued onward in the direction of their quarry, elusive younglings with a 'tude and a set of spray cans.

-0-Elsewhere

He stood staring at the sky, a place he had spent most of his life exploring. Now he was land locked and it was awful. He was clear that he would never get off this place again. Only Megatron would be able to change that bleak outlook. Prime would never have a place for him nor would he let him go.

Sentinel Prime turned walking to the chair where he spent much of his evenings. He liked to be out when the sky was dark. He liked the quieter portion of his orn and he preferred to spend as little time with the others as possible.

He had watched the news and knew what the city was doing based on their reporting. It was very open and servos on. The city was laid bare and it seemed that nothing was hidden. That was a change from Cybertron when only what he wanted said was told to anyone.

Prime was a lot harder, stronger and more up on politics than he once was back in the early orns when they were adversaries. The populist agitator was smart, tough and more than equal to him as an opponent. He didn't completely despair. There was always the shifts and turns of fate and events. Anything could happen in the end. He merely had to be patient. Highrode, his attorney was working on his behalf and that part was covered. He would have to be vigilant and wait.

He was very good at waiting.

-0-At Substation #6

Smokey watched as the slightly tipsy subadults were booked into the jail. They were drunk, feisty and reasonably happy anyway. Drift and Springer walked out pausing with Smokey. "You were looking for your grandatar, right?" Springer asked.

The youngling nodded. "That's right. He's called Smokescreen."

They both looked at each other, then grinned. "You're Smokescreen and Dev's grandson."

He nodded. "I am," Smokey said. "Do you know my grandada?"

"I do," Drift said with a chuckle. "He used to hunt me."

Smokey grinned. "He's not a good one to slag off."

"No," Springer said turning. "Come with us. He's hanging out with the trine."

For a moment Smokey considered that, then turned to follow. "Who's the trine?" he asked.

"Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bluestreak," Drift replied as they walked down the sidewalk toward the Mare Tranquilitatis.

"The twins?! The jet judo twins!?" he asked with surprise.

"Yep," Springer replied with a grin.

"Oh wow. That's just … that's going to be amazing! I studied everything I could find on them!"

They walked onward, two mellow veterans and one intensely excited youngling heading to the apartment in the Praxus Tower where the trine lived with their dog, Dawg. It was going to be an awesome evening.

-0-TBC

05-12-13


	302. Chapter 302

The Diego Diaries: Week end. (302)

-0-That evening

A rap on the door was answered by Bluestreak. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Are you coming to the party?" he asked.

"We came bearing gifts," Springer said as he entered the room. Drift followed, then Smokey, his bright optics looking around the room. He spotted his grandfather and grinned.

"This is Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Tracks," Springer said introducing Smokey to the bots sitting around the living room. "That is Lon, Splice, Topspin, Sandstorm, Whirlaway and that bot," he said nodding to the grinning mech at the table, "I believe is your grandpa."

Smokey grinned and nodded. "He is."

"Did you come to play?" Smokescreen asked.

"We're on duty. We work this weekend, we get the game orns off," Drift said.

"Sounds good," Bluestreak said nodding. "If we're still going when you get off, come back by."

"You got it," Springer said as he turned and walked to the door. "See ya," he said as Drift followed him out. The door closed, then Smokey turned to the bots in the room. "This is amazing. I've studied everyone in this room."

Smiles and chuckles greeted that as Bluestreak handed the youngling a cold brew. He took it and walked to stand behind Smokescreen. "Nice hand. Are you winning?"

"Do you have to ask?" Smokescreen said with a smirk. Scorn met that as a new hand was dealt.

"What is that?" Smokey asked as he glanced toward the window. Dawg was laying in recharge. He was on his back, his belly showing, his tongue lolling out.

"That is one of the great wonders of the world, youngling," Kup solemnly said as the others nodded. "That is Dawg."

Smokey walked to it and knelt touching the belly of the beast. He grinned. "This is awesome. He has Wrecker and Autobot tattoos."

"He wrecks **AND** rules," Sideswipe said as he antied up.

"No doubt," Smokey said as he stood back up. He looked at the bots around the table. "You're the twins. Amazing. I read everything you ever did. Jet judo with Starscream and his trine. All of it."

Sideswipe smiled and Sunstreaker grinned. "Pull up a chair and sit next to me, kid," Sunny said to the general amusement of the crowd.

He did.

-0-The season finale of Platoon

Ratchet turned up the sound as Ironhide tucked in the last little bot. The final episode of season one was about to air so they hurriedly put the infants to bed deferring clean up of their myriad toys until the next orn. Walking out to park his carcass, Ironhide settled as the opening sequence of the show began. The camera lingered over the moody bots as their names and other data flashed on in Cybertronian, then English. Then it faded along with the music.

(Cut to airfield. A reclamation is going on)

(Bots were standing around the perimeter of the vast reclamation space, dozens of stations handling the processing of thousands of individuals who stood in lines with civilians who already lived in the city. There was chatter, the crying of infants, the odd adult outburst but mostly it was orderly. A family stands before a bot who is taking their information)

"Were any of you separated on or lived on Cybertron itself?" (A data clerk asks as he works at a computer on his table top)

"We did, my bond and me. The infants were separated in refugee camps. We were living in New Cybertron until the pirates came."

(The clerk nods, his fingers flying) "What ages are your babies?"

"Our oldest is a sub youngling and the other two are sparklings."

"You will be required to send them to school when you settle. We will have information on that process on the community bulletin board. You will find it on the monitor in your apartment when you get settled," they were told. (Clerk looks up and smiles)

(They nodded, awe on their faces) "That's what we have been told while we were waiting in line. I am struggling to believe it." (The others with him nod.)

"Everyone does at first. You'll get used to this. There are processor health personnel to help you if you need them. You can request it if you need it."

(They nod solemnly. Their guide smiles)

"What sorts of skills do you have that might be something you can do if you choose to?"

(They look at each other. Then the mech who was their group spokesman answered) "We're laborers."

"Out there. You can be whatever you choose to do if you want to work for it here. We have a university and adult education to allow you to study and catch up on your education. I'll put laborer on the data form but your guide will explain the rest. Right, Jan-e?"

(A femme grins and nod.) "That's the best part of this."

(The clerk looks at the screen, then at Jan-e) "I will transmit their housing and other details to you, Jan-e. I think they can go now. Welcome to Autobot City," (He said smiling at the newbies)

(They look at him, then nod following Jan-e with a slight air of shock and disconnect about them as they went. It was typical. Then another small group steps up and the bot continues)

(Cut to the airfield and a tense group waiting for someone)

(A group had gathered, all of them with beautiful paint schemes. They were waiting with agitation for someone to arrive. Camera cuts to the direction of the Fortress and a calm looking Prowl who is walking to the airfield. He arrives and the group crowds around him.)

"We are glad you are here, Prowl. We find the situation before us intolerable," one said, apparently the leader of the group.

"How so. Please specify," the winger replies in a manner that would invite comparisons to Mr. Spock in the blogosphere the very next day on Earth.

"We were told that there would be no accommodation made for our status and that we would be living in mixed housing. They said that we would have to apply for work, that we would not be allowed to hold positions that were commensurate with our efforts on Cybertron. We were told that caste housing distinctions didn't apply here. We are astounded at this sort of news and would like you to explain to the officials managing this situation how this cannot stand."

(Cut to winger who is having an internal moment that doesn't show up on his face. Around him, armed guards watch with amusement as strained refugees stare, some with gathering alarm. It is obvious that this is a minority opinion seeking to assert itself.)

(Prowl replies.) "You will find that there are no caste distinctions here. Optimus Prime has banned the System. It is no longer a part of our culture and national life. In fact, expecting it will get you jailed. You are allowed to recuperate and enjoy learning about the city, what it offers as well as sightseeing. When a few orns pass, then you will be expected to do so if you are able to work. We have citizens who are disabled or elderly. They don't have to work. We care for them because they are ours. All of them. However, if you are able bodied you are expected to work. Your infants and younglings are required to go to school with everyone else. There are no exceptions and absolutely no distinctions."

(Cut to group for whom this is not acceptable and they express it, mostly through the commentary of their spokesman, Burris)

"Prowl, you are a high caste. You understand what we are saying. Surely, you don't mean to imply that the city is wide open and the rules that made our people and culture great are no longer applied?"

"I do." (Prowl responds coldly) "The rules you insist upon keeping alive have been responsible for our near extinction. I cannot stress enough that you will be jailed if you try to assert even one of the System's rules."

(Momentary shock as they glance at each other, then bull necked doubling down) "We would like to speak with the Prime."

(Winger through tone, though calm doubles down himself) "He's with the reclamation. I am his designated spokesmech and I have told you what the rules and regulations are. Everyone here matters equally. If you go somewhere and quietly contemplate that notion and the idea that Primus himself said all are one, it might help you assimilate the new reality much easier. I would suggest the Temple."

(Burris and group pause, then frown.) "We expect to see the Prime. We would like to make an appointment."

(Outwardly nonplussed winger) "Go to the Community Bulletin Board and look at the Office of the Primes folder. There will be an electronic form for you to request an audience. Right now, that will be held in abeyance. He is quite busy saving our species from the stupidity and hatred of the past." (He looks at all of them coldly) "Are there any more questions?"

(Momentary pause as both look at each other glacially)

(Highly polished bot, Burris, steps closer and glares at S.I.C) "No. It would be well advised for you to know that there are a lot of us here, Prowl. I am sure others are as well. We will not be discounted or put aside."

(Winger's wings rise higher and a faint trace of irritation appears on face, then fades) "There are many more who would disagree. We have plenty of brig space for troublemakers. I am assuming that you just made a threat."

"I made a promise." (Burris tenses, leans slightly forward as he speaks.)

(Momentary silence, then winger gestures to a nearby guard to come forward) "Please take this mech to the brig. He has made a threat against the peace of the city."(Nods toward Burris)

(Burris and others jolt, then look shocked.) "Surely you are joking."

(Glacial stare and low tone greets that.) "Surely you have forgotten. I'm Prowl. I don't** have** a sense of humor."

(Guards grab Burris and drag him off screaming as all watch. Prowl looks at the rest who remain silent. Then he turns and walks back to the Fortress. No one filming or watching is aware that the entire moment was sent to the command ships and Fort Apache by Prowl to serve as witnesses. The entire Autobot Senior Staff are laughing their butts off at that moment.)

(Cut to ship scene, out in the migration. Epps and Graham are looking out the side of their safety cube over the shoulder of a big bot who is the pilot)

:Look at the migration. It goes on forever. How many does this migration have, Revo?: (an off camera Lennox asks as he films)

:We're not quite sure but we're expecting and have planned for half a million bots: he replies.

:You have this down pat. If this was happening on Earth among the humans, it would be a catastrophe: (Graham replied as they watched thousands of ships fly into the space bridge and disappear.) :The space bridges are awesome. I heard they were Autobot technology:

:They are: (Big grin on face of former 'Con.) :Slagging Autobots:

(Graham walks closer and leans on glass) :How do you get along really with the Autobots?:

(Moment of silence) :We do fine. We still have our moments. Slagging Autobots is meant as affection: (Grin on normally serious solemn face)

:Hurts to lose the war?: (Off camera voice of Lennox ventures)

(Big mech shrugs) :All of us lost the moment the first shot was fired. We don't have any other home but here. Prime keeps his word. Tell me the name of one of **your** own politicians who does that? He's the leader, the one who bears the Matrix. That makes a lot of slag right:

(Ships flashed past going into the migration and they pass Seekers. The conversation ends as the humans stare out at the spectacle beyond their ship)

(Cut to a medical ship. CMO Ratchet is working feverishly with other doctors doing heavy duty surgery)

:Ratchet, how are you doing?: (Off screen voice of Jessie Landon is heard)

:Getting there. You?: (Big bot looks up and grins)

:I'm okay:

:I can get you out of here, Jessie if you need it. No harm, no foul:

:I know:

(A number of traumas come and go and the clock ticks onward. Cut to scene in doorway of ship. It is obvious from the film that Jessie is sitting on Ratchet's servo. A stretcher precedes them out the door, then Ratchet steps out and they both begin to float over.)

(Shots that follow in disjointed motions from unsteady camera...

(The migration is seen but it is a smear of light across a long horizon line, a bulge in the middle more of an optical illusion than anything else. A line of ships forming up nearby before the space bridge were like a string of emergency vehicles on a night time run on Earth. The camera swings back and takes in the vast size of Kappa, whose hatch is open as bots come and go. Omega is nearby, himself a lighted behemoth like Kappa. Runabouts buzz here and there as Seekers fly about. Bots float through space between them, some towed, others flying on their own.)

(In the chaos is organization. Masterful organization. Jessie reaches a ship stepping off the giant hand that can be seen around the edges of her recordings. She looks back and Ratchet is seen floating. He smiles and waves, then pushes off heading back to the light flooded doorway of Kappa. The hatch door of Jessie's ship closes and the scene fades)

(Cut to a group of soldiers at the massive airfield in the city including many of the bots from Platoon. They are watching as massive ships settle down and taxi to hangars where bots swarm them)

:What's going on here?: (off camera voice asks)

:Beta and Alpha Supreme have arrived from the migration and are being tended to: Nitro said glancing down at the segway crew.

:They look just like Omega and the others. How many are there?: -voice

:At one time, over twenty, maybe closer to thirty. We don't know how many are still alive. We thought Kappa was dead: -Nitro

:Those ships are sentient?: -voice

(nod) :They are. They're very happy. Can you feel it?: (Stares down)

:I think I do: -voice

(Nitro nods) :They haven't seen each other in nine million Terran years. It is a happy thing to see them:

:I think that would be an understatement: -voice

(Nitro looks down) :Yeah. I imagine it is:

-0-In a trine apartment

They pause to refresh drinks and snack trays while a commercial break plays. During the commercial breaks on the main download broadcast, the Community Bulletin Board plays announcements on Autobot City screens and the weather is displayed. No commercials are allowed to play on IntraComm.

Smokey looked at his grandfather and shook his helm. "This is awesome."

Smokescreen grinned. "It is."

"Wait until Grandada gets here on the next one or two," Smokey said smirking at his grandpa. "Grandada is going to kick your aft."

Smokescreen smirked. "He will, the slagger."

"You will deserve it too. Have you dumped all your mechs?" Smokey asked as the others smirked at Smokescreen's discomfort.

"I have behaved for a long, long time, grandson. You might want to tell your Grandada that."

"I'm going to be too busy watching the fun," Smokey said with a chuckle. He squeezed his grandfather's arm. Then the program came back on and everyone turned to watch.

-0-TBC

05-13-2013


	303. Chapter 303

The Diego Diaries: Week End. (304)

-0-Showtime

(Cut to a gigantic enormous habitat that is covered by a massive transparent dome. Inside, three tall structures of housing stand. Each rather resembles a stack of platforms sticking out of a central pole, turned just a little like a spiral staircase, each slightly higher than the next. All of the platforms are apartments with steps leading from outdoor balconies to the ones above and below. It is beautiful and intricate.)

(Below on the enclosed land aliens are hard at work. A giant span of greenhouses stand in rows nearby the habitat. They are open and the atmosphere geared to Earth's own is conducive to the plants growing inside. Many of them are being carried out to be planted according to a detailed plan)

(Focus on a big red headed Hu An named Orcra) "Orcra, what is the plan here?" -voice off screen (Leonora Huttle)

"We are terraforming our habitat. We want it to be more like our own home world which is very green and lush. We also wish to grow our own food." (Big brown eyes stare down at human as the ten foot tall alien with brawn on her brawn pauses to chat) "You came to visit, Leonora. You are most welcome."

"Thank you, Orcra. I am delighted to be here. Your habitat is beautiful." -Leonora

"Structure without beauty is an eyesore. We design our life to be as close to perfection as we can." (Big female Hu An looks down) "Our version of perfection that is."

"You are so amazing as a species, Orcra. Tell me about your people if you can. You are a female dominated society and culture. Your males are smaller than you. You are led by females. Why?"

Orcra paused to consider that. "Because that is what is. You are a reversal of us. Your body dimorphism is reversed. We are who we are. The Cybertronians are who they are. We are what and who we are. Simple."

"Larc is your leader. Tell me about that and her. I like her a lot."

Orcra smiled. "I do too. We are cousins. Larc is very tough and smart as well as brave. We are peaceful until pushed, then the warrior class steps forward to lead. Larc is warrior class."

"You have classes in your society? The Cybertronians have had a hard road with that sort of thing. How does that work in your society?" -Leonora

(Pause) "We are a meritocracy. Males can do what they want but our structure of leadership and general society is matriarchal. The families are built around the females. Clan leadership is built around females. The males are smaller than females. Perhaps that is the strangeness for you. As for the warriors … they are a group that I suppose constitutes a class but we don't abide by castes or classes. They are inherently unfair. Most of the females in our society are warriors. They step up and lead during conflict. Then they step down and the civilians lead again. We will defend ourselves with all we have. Being held in slavery by the Decepticons was hard to take."

"You were extracted by the Autobots when they attacked a camp."

"We were. We were being used as slaves along with another species, a non-corporeal one. We were freed and came here. Our home world system is held in bondage by the Decepticons."

"Do you expect to go home someday?"

"We will. We will also keep our place here. We are in debt to the Autobots. We respect Optimus Prime greatly. He's honorable and decent. We will help defend this place because the Autobots and Prime are our allies now."

(Cut to the land beyond where Hu An worked to plant greenery. Light streams through the dome and the sunlight on the ground is bright. It is a good enough environment for humans to move about outside of their enviro-suits)

(Cut to schools)

(A little green and white sparkling totters across the rug covered floor to the couch nearby. Grabbing it, he laughs)

"Neo, tell me about the babies." -off screen voice

(Cut to beautiful femme with a spectacular paint scheme) "They are our treasure. They are our future. During the exile, I didn't try to think about the possibility that we would end up dying out as a people. There were so very few babies and children. These infants are the heart and soul of our city. They are the reason we work so hard."

"You were one of the rulers of Cybertron back in the day. Do you miss that life? How does this compare?" -voice

"I miss our home world. We all miss it but there is no comparison between this life and that one. That one was unjust and cruel. Our people were riven apart by a caste system imposed and maintained for generations. For those of us who benefited, there is a great burden of shame. For us, there is a debt that must be met everyday in service to our people. I am here in this wonderful place everyday to help raise our children, educate and help them achieve. All of them have an equal chance to be anything and everything. When there is no justice, no choice, the whole society suffers. There are individuals in that system who never were able to achieve and thereby contribute important things. This is the life I love, choice, unity and freedom. Here."

"You are in a bond with another femme. Is that usual or typical?"

"We are very rare in our society. It is rare because **we** are rare. We chose to love who we love. Whoever that is, we are together. We don't have problems with gender in our society and culture. We don't think about it. It isn't an issue. There are individuals, the greater number being mech. Some bond with mechs, some with femmes. Ultra Magnus and Arcee are a bond, mech and femme. Most bonds are mechs because most of our people are mechs. That is who and what we are. That is how it works."

"There are those on Earth who find that unsavory or immoral. What do you think about that?"

(Pauses) "We don't mostly care. We understand that your species is new to the idea of alien life forms and I am sure we are very strange to you." (smile) "However, we are aliens. We aren't you. We are us. I don't judge your relationships. We used to. High caste and low castes had to get a dispensation from the government to bond. Ratchet and Ironhide had to get permission from the government to bond. It is stupid, cruel, ignorant and unloving to judge like that, either here or on Earth. Humans need to understand love better. Perhaps your definition of love is different from us."

"What is your definition?"

"I can't speak for all of our people but I know that for me love is without rancor. Its inclusive and kind. It is tolerant, understanding and gentle. For me, I am working to make up for a lot of unloving things from my past. I find myself awash with gratitude everyday that I am accepted and forgiven. Love is forgiving. I would die to protect our people. I live everyday for the greater good. We are only as strong as the weakest smallest member of our society. I love all of them so much. It frees my spirit."

"Who was the low caste and who was the high caste in Ratchet and Ironhide's bond?"

(Thoughtful pause) "No one was ever low caste because they were. That was a societal construct born from the absence of love. All of us are important, none more so than anyone else. Ratchet was the low caste. Ironhide could bond with a mid or high caste without permission. But he couldn't bond with Ratchet without government agreement. A hateful artificial distinction could have prevented the greatest bond I've ever seen. It is the opposite of love."

(Cut to Science Center, Fortress)

"What are you working on, Wheeljack?" -voice off screen

"Actually, I'm checking out some videos that were forwarded to me in an e-mail. They're from your internet website, Youtube."

"What ones?" -voice off screen

'Something called TED talks. Apparently really smart people talk about all kinds of things and they put them there."

"What about you? Why don't you do a TED talk?" -voice

"About what?" (Curious optics look downward from a face shielded by a blast mask)

"Are you kidding? Just your memoirs alone would be awesome. If you just showed up and read the phone book, people would come to listen." -voice.

"Why would anyone do that?" (Perceptor glances at a bemused Wheeljack) "Why would you reading a listing of names and numbers from an archaic communications system be interesting, Wheeljack?"

"Actually, Percy, its just an expression, right?" (Audial finials blink blue with amusement as big bot looks down at camera)

"I think its probably true in your case, Wheeljack."

"It doesn't make sense to me." (Big red bot looks at Wheeljack with a confused expression, then turns to walk to another table to work)

"Percy is confused." -off screen voice chuckles.

"He sometimes is." -big grin and bright flashing finial audials

"Maybe he needs to get out more." -off screen voice.

(Blue optics and a smirk greet that) "Perceptor is a Wrecker."

"Perceptor? A Wrecker?" -voice filled with incredulity

(Two pairs of blue optics look down at the floor) "He was. Why?" -Wheeljack

"He just … seems like a professor, not a warrior of a lost cause gang." -voice

(Both glance at each other, then down) "I was and still am a professor. I teach at the University in advanced courses in Science and Engineering."

"But … how could you be a Wrecker? I don't think that would be a good match for someone of your talents." -voice

(Chuckle) "Yeah, Perceptor. How did you manage that with your refinement and manner?"

(Baleful stare at partner who finds too much amusement in the moment) "You know very well. Since it is classified, I will drop this whole conversation and return to my work." (Turns and walks to work with a disdainful turn of helm.)

"Did I insult him?" -voice

"Nope. He's just touchy about his mystique. He likes the mystery of his past."

(Baleful look over shoulder greets that) "Wheeljack, you are making sport of me again."

"I'm not. I am just enjoying you, Perceptor." (Grin) "Smart people can be very funny. They just don't usually know it."

"You need to tell me about his Wrecker adventures." -voice

"Go see Kup. He was there." (grin)

Camera backs out and they turn to each other. "I hope they brought a lot of their primitive film. Kup will make them wish they never asked."

"I know Perceptor." (Both grin)

Cut to...

(Studio of IntraComm where two bots are getting ready for their televised radio program.)

"Jazz."

(A blue visor stares at the ground) "What?"

"How do you feel about being one of the most prominently seen and admired Autobots among the humans?"

(Grin) "Are you kiddin' me?"

"No." -voice

"Well, I guess its fine." (grin)

"On polls about your people you are always in the top best liked and well known Autobots."

"We do the games and there's the download of the program we do. I guess I didn't know that."

"There are those that see you as aligned more to ethnic groups on Earth. That your style is geared to that sensibility. What do you think about that?" -voice

(Pause) "We don't have races among our people. We do have types. The Seekers are different from grounders and there are those who are even more specialized. But I never gave it much thought. We have striven to find commonalities, not further divide ourselves into smaller groups. The caste system took care of that." (Grin) "I do get what you mean. I would be the African-American in the movie that got killed. The red shirt."

(Chuckle) "They do seem to." -voice

"I got ripped in half in the first Bay movie. That was ridiculous. I had style and I should have lived. What does a brother have to do to make it to the end of an action movie?" (Big smile)

(Chuckle) "I don't know. Don't talk to Michael Bay?" -voice

(Huge grin) "If you say so."

-0-TBC

05-14-2013

NOTE: go to youtube and put ngsmoov into a search engine. energon-o commercials, small videos and reworked animation will crack you up bad. :D :D :D


	304. Chapter 304

The Diego Diaries: Week End (304)

=0=Season Finale of Platoon

(Cut to arena. Two groups of tiny tiny bots crowd around several very tall adults who look GIGANTIC next to the little bits. Appears to be just before the migration arrives)

"That was the last game of the season this go around. All of you did such a good job. We will have the big ceremony during the playoff game next week end. You will find your coach when you get here and they will take you to where you should stand. Any questions?" -Coach Blurr and several assistant coaches, one official)

(Cut to two tiny femmes holding each others hands) "Will we get to carry our flag?"

(grin) "Yes."

"Will we get to carry our team belts? They won't know which team we are if we don't."

"Yes." (Bigger grin)

"Can I bring my baby brother?" (Big optics look into the bemused optics of her gigantic coach)

"I don't think so, Spinner." (Coach Blurr grins and glances at another bot who grins and shakes his helm no.) "The officials think he can come when he's big enough to be on a team."

"Can I bring my mouse?"

(All glance at the smaller of the two waifs) "You have a mouse?" -Coach Blurr

"I got my mouse from the Well. The mechs at The Animal House got him for me. You should see him. He's so cute." (Enormous smile from tiny wisp. All other tiny helms nod in agreement)

"We are the Mighty Mice, Coach Blurr. Kip can bring her mouse and we can show everyone." (Tiny earnest little mech named Pi says with a big smile)

"We can talk to your genitors, Kip." (Coach Blurr smiles. The conversation goes on, then they are dismissed to genitors who gather them and walk to the entrance gateway of the stadium. Coaches and officials watch them go)

"Blurr."

Optics peer down to the ground. "What?" he asks with a grin.

"Your team. You coach. Why?" -voice off screen

"I was a professional athlete on Cybertron. I played a bit of football but my sport was racing. No one ever beat me. Ever. I like coaching the little kids. We sort of drew teams out of a hat like you say. I got the micro mini-cons and we had to start a league for them because they were so small, the others run them over."

"How did your team do?" -voice

(All of the mechs grin) "The micro mini-con league doesn't keep score. They play for the joy of it and to have everyone excel. They decided among themselves not to keep score and we don't. They also agreed that there should be two goalies on each team so that anyone who wanted to be one could." (Grin) "They crack me up. Try and argue that score keeping is important to one of those little things." (Blue Autobot picks up tiny footballs which look like miniscule peas in his servos and shows them to the camera) "They play with this. Isn't it cute?"

"Adorable." -voice

"They play a tough tight game for little bits." (Coach Blurr stows balls in tiny sack for the season)

"They are tough?" -voice

"Like iron." (grin) "I love this."

-0-(Cut to Ops Center, The Fortress)

(It is quiet as the Beta shift work at their stations. The room is vast, filled with equipment and monitors. A massive computer terminal dominates the far end and has several mechs sitting at stations around it. A table in the center of the room is being used for discussion by a number of familiar bots including the prize of them all, Optimus Prime)

"The migration is going to be sorted out for a few orns." (The winger, Prowl is speaking) "We have housed everyone and the usual loose ends are presenting themselves. We have teams doing follow ups and referrals as usual and it appears to be in servo for now."

(Camera goes slowly around the table filming the bots as it goes. Ironhide, Prowl, Prime, Ratchet and a couple of others sit to discuss events. They were the last group to re-enter the system behind the remaining ships being reclaimed)

"We will get the medical report together when I care more. Right now, I'm tired. It would appear that everyone has done their jobs really well. I have no outstanding problems to report." (Red and white medico leans back and glances down) "You do know this might not make the final cut."

"We know." -voice off screen. "Can't blame us for trying."

"Sure I can." (Grin) "Make sure you get my good side." (White doctor bot gets slag around the table as they lean back to relax. Optimus Prime is spectacular)

"Every side is your good side." (Ironhide weighs in)

"Suck up." (Optimus Prime weighs in) (Chuckles and slag all around)

"What was the migration like? You went out in it, right?" -voice

"We did. It went very well." -Ratchet

"You had how many new refugees this time?" -voice

"Over half a million." -winger with a calm unnerving stare

"You got that many and housed all of them?" -voice

"It's what we do." -Optimus Prime with a grin.

"Sir, do you expect in future that you and your image will become common among humans?" -voice

"I had hoped it wouldn't but sometimes things happen. It was for strategic reasons that we kept some information out of the media." -Prime

"What is your opinion of the unrest on Earth?" -voice

"It is not to be unexpected. I would hope that people begin to understand the danger that faces them with Megatron and the Decepticons. Believing that he'll go if we leave and seeing it happen are two different things. Many have thought so and none of them remain viable worlds."

"You have been enemies for ages. How do you view this whole situation between your side and theirs?" -voice

(pause) "It didn't start out badly but he has goals for himself that don't allow for the welfare of anyone else. Any leader who puts their own interests ahead of those they lead has no right to the loyalty of the people."

"You were the last legal leader of your home world. You carry the moral authority as well as the legal right to rule. Even the former Decepticons here agree." -voice

(Nods) "Yes. It is here what it should have been on Cybertron. We are remaking ourselves and our future into what it should have been instead of what it is. We owe our people protection and care."

"There are those on Earth who feel the threat of so many of you here on worlds that they consider ours." -voice

"I am aware of that. It could have been possible that we were hostile but we aren't. We are doing our best to be good neighbors. Having us this close if we had been hostile would have spelled the end of your world. Not having us here means the same thing. You do not sufficiently possess the technology and fire power to defeat them on your own. We have evolved and expanded because our people came when I called for soldiers to come here and help defend. I doubt that the numbers and problems of this many Cybertronians would have been welcome on Earth and we couldn't turn our backs on our helpless people anymore than you could your own. We live here in peace and defend this system and light years out from here with all that we have. And if you look around, that is a lot."

"What do you think you would say to allay fears among humanity on Earth about your presence and that of your people?" -voice

(Pause) "I think that all of us coming in peace is the thing that should be remembered. It could have been much different. It could be the Decepticons massing here. Because of Megatron's captivity, he will never leave until his vengeance is assuaged. His humiliation. To think otherwise is delusional."

"Will you ever come to Earth or show yourself to the masses in any significant way?" -voice

(Slight grin) "If this makes it past the review board, I suppose it will be the first step."

-0-(Cut to dojo)

"Where did you get that great dog?" -voice

"That dog is a work and a wonder." (Big greenish Autobot with stogie speaks from the midst of a group of content bots) "He came to show us all the way."

(Cut to dog who is sprawled on his back, his legs akimbo and his tongue lolling out. He's recharging rather noisily)

"He's ours." (Tense yellow and black Autobot replies, Sunstreaker) "He's the family dog. His name is Dawg."

(Camera tunes in and focuses on his tattoos) "So you have a bad ass Old English bulldog with tattoos. Looks like Wrecker tats and the Autobrand. Awesome." -voice

"He is." -Sunstreaker

"We're seeing more and more of them in the city. I even saw a miniature horse being ridden by a baby with a disability." -voice

"Most of them are service animals." (Other twin, Sideswipe tells) "My little brother needed one because he's had a hard life and our ada organized it."

"Your ada is Ratchet, right?" -voice

(Nods) "Yep." -Sideswipe

"Atar means 'father' and ada means 'other father' or 'carrier', right?" -voice

"That's right. We don't have a problem with all the gender crap you humans have. All the femme versus mech crap." -Kup

"You don't have differences between partners? Sort of roles and such?" -voice

"No." (Mech named Springer says from his comfortable chair, his peds up on a low table) "I'm a mech and so is Drift but in our relationship he's clear on who cracks the whip."

(Snorts and derision met that)

"What do you think about that, Drift?" -voice

"You can't broadcast what I think of it." (Grin)

"So … basically its a male world with male behavior and male expectations?" -voice

(Everyone pauses to consider that. Kup leans forward, his stogie in servo) "If you tell me what the frag you're saying, I would tell you an answer."

(Scorn and mockery met that)

"If you had a processor that could hold more than ten words at a time, old mech, you could hit that one out of the park." -Springer

"Frag that. All I know is I don't have to do the candy and flowers crap. I don't have to go to 'chick' movies and all that. My world is pretty simple. A good meal, a good action flick and a good frag."

(More scorn and some agreement. Lots of grins. Including the voice and the team when they edit the piece keeping all of the remarks in)

(They're money)

"Do you have a bond, Kup?" -voice, filled with humor

"Don't need one. Bot can frag around without setting up house."

"With who? Name someone." -Springer

(Grin) "Soundwave." (Gets a sharp elbow) "Okay. Who **have** you fragged?" -Sideswipe

Gimlet optic meets that question. "Do you think I'd tell you?"

(Grin) "I won't tell. Who was it? Anyone I know?" -Springer

"It was probably his desk calculator." -Sunstreaker who gets a kick from a ped.

"You would need a calculator to count the fragging I've done in my time. And now. Especially now." -champs on stogie with a far away look in his optics.

"Tell us a yarn then. Tell us about what it was like to frag Unicron. I want details." -Sideswipe

"I would but you would weep." -Kup with a smug grin.

"You got that right." -Sideswipe before he gets a fist to the noggin.

-0-Later when the show is over and everyone in the Habitat is winding down

"I can't believe they let you leave Optimus in," Lennox said sipping his beer with half the crew of the show and everyone else.

"I do. Did you hear what he said?" Jessie Landon said as she lounged nearby. "He's the greatest."

"Did Kup knock Sideswipe hard?" Epps asked with a grin.

Leonora Huttle grinned. "It only hurts when he smiles."

-0-TBC

05-15-2013


	305. Chapter 305

yv ugfvvhvbvv=0=Diego Diaries: Week End (305)

-0-That night

It was quiet in the city as Springer and Drift walked around on their beat. There were always bots going here and there, some of them heading to work and others coming home. The bars and most restaurants were all night operations and all of them were on their mental landscape. Most of the time, the patrons were good to go if somewhat unsteady some of them but now and again, they would get a keeper.

"Hi," Springer said as he and Drift paused in the light of a street lamp before a tipsy band of mini-con younglings.

"Hi. How are you?" a sweet looking young mech said as he hung onto the street light pole for dear life.

Springer grinned at the mini-con youngling and his friends. "I'm good. You look like you need a lift."

"I'm good. It's my first orn." He grinned and so did his tipsy friends. They smiled and nodded. "It's his first orn," a tiny femme said as she held onto another.

"What first orn, youngling?" Drift asked as he warmed to the moment.

"Of my adulthood." (Gigantic grin) "My friends are helping me celebrate."

"I can see that. How do you expect to get home this way? I don't think you can," Springer said with a smile. "You might bump your helm a few times."

"I know." The youngling smiled gigantically. "My genitors are going to be mad at me."

"You're only an adult once." Drift paused. "Let me rephrase that."

The four mini-cons just looked up at him, smiles gracing their cute young faces. They stood weaving before the two mechs as if standing on a street corner drunk off your peds was a normal part of their orn.

"I think we need to get someone to come get them or maybe take them to the substation to wait for rescue there," Springer said.

Drift nodded. "Are you ready to come with us? We can get you a chair until someone comes to get you."

"Sounds like a nice thing, Bo. What about it? I've never been arrested before." A little femme grinned at Bo, then Drift. "You're really cute."

Springer snorted. "You're really cute, Drift. Independent confirmation."

"Little femme has good taste and better optics than you," Drift said reaching down to pick her up. She snuggled into his arms and smiled. "I like tall mechs," she said dreamily before falling into recharge.

"How old are all of you younglings? Are you all adults?" Springer asked.

"We are. Barely," another said with a chuckle. He was picked up and laid gently over Springer's shoulder as the big Wrecker chief reached down to pick up another, holding him on his arm like a toddler. He sagged against Springer like one too, relaxing into recharge himself.

Drift picked up the 'birthday boy' as well and they turned heading for substation #8A nearby. It was a very happy bunch of little mini-cons that went with them. The ones that were still awake.

-0-The Grocery Store at Mall of Metroplex

The young femme walked through the aisles looking at all the bounty before, at the sides and behind her. She had been in a terrible colony and had suffered for most of her young life. Being here had been a comfort so great that she was struggling to assimilate the change in her life.

She came to the Mall nearly every day to walk around and look at things. It was a cashless economy where she could get what she wanted by merely shopping for it and that concept was as strange to her as it was to her genitors who had been born and raised on Cybertron at the wrong end of the caste system. She looked at the food all around her, most of it strange to her understanding.

It had been patterned after the food on the next planet over. The flavors were different too and when you combined them in ways that the 'Cybertronian-Terran Cookery Book' showed as well as cooking shows on IntraComm Channel 4, they tasted amazing. She had eaten a number of things including the endless arrays of traditional Cybertronian foods included here. She couldn't seem to get enough.

It wasn't that she would eat all of it. She didn't. She hoarded it in a closet where it would be when things fell apart.

The idea that she even had a closet was extraordinary. That it was her room in an apartment that belonged to them, a high caste looking housing unit was amazing. She recharged on the floor near the door so that when it was time to run, she would be ready. Her room was pristine. It hardly looked like anyone lived there. They would have to open her closet door, look under the berth and in the dressers to find the hoard that she kept at servo.

Walking through the store at night when she was supposed to be in her berth, she studied the bounty and tried to understand it. It wasn't part of her life before but it was now. She would continue to wander until a clerk saw her and went to her aid. A short walk to the hospital would be the first steps she would take to peace of mind and good processor health.

-0-At the Food Guild Warehouse, Industrial Park 3, Dock #5

Restauranteurs walked in and went through the aisles checking ingredients on the pallets. Rather than raid the stores for their food wares, they used the Guild warehouse and its vast inventory of goods to plan their menus. This was the place where all the food for everyone in the city both private and commericial was formulated from the databases built by the restauranteurs, cookbooks from Earth and Cybertron databases, the cooking schools, trade academies and experimental food geniuses like Rampage and his students.

It was well lit and busy, pallets of boxes and piles of any number of amazing things filling half the space to the ceiling in some places. A new section included food for the animals that were starting to appear in the city. The rest was taken up with individuals making the goods for groceries, bakeries, restaurants, caterers and others who had begun to diversify the city's amenities and services.

Rampage walked through the section that had 'fruits' and other 'sweet' things he used to make his baked goods so popular. He was tracking items to make his own take on apple crisp and fruit breads. His mind never stopped thinking about things that would be pleasing to his customers. At no time did it linger on the mech he was before Autobot City. He didn't care about that guy. He only cared about who he was now.

Trailing his assistants, he walked through the warehouse picking out the very best specimens of ingredients to make sure that his bakeries and restaurants had only the finest things for his customers. The wares for the next orn would be snatched up by his fiercely loyal customers among them most of the Senior Autobots and their families.

-0-The Pit Stop Cafe, Cultural Center Road and Airfield Junction

The night crews from the airfield were coming in to eat breakfast. That usually consisted of Cybertronian breakfast products and enormous 'skillets' similar to those served in truck stops on Earth.

A group of mechanics sat by the windows laughing at a joke as a cheerful waiter delivered their meals. Cooks worked on the orders in the big well-lit kitchen as others tended the counter where numerous mechs sat eating their meals as the monitor overhead showed the weather for the next few orns.

"Who are you betting on for the finals?" a big red mech asked as he sipped his energon 'coffee'.

The green and white bot sitting next to him, another ground crew worker glanced at him. "I'm still hoping that Vos beats Kaon so Iacon can go to the finals."

"That won't happen," the first said with a grin. "You know Kaon will beat Vos to dust."

"Probably. But a bot can hope," the second said as the counter waiter refilled his cup.

"Dream on, brother," the first said with a chuckle.

A group of younglings came in and sat down at a table, their laughter drawing attention around the room. The buildings around the airfield also held the offices of engineering, architectural and technology firms, some governmental and others private. Given the pace of expansion of the city, many of them doing urgent work ran a night shift during the big push times. Their personnel tended to be young.

"Look at that," the green and white mech at the counter said nodding to the younglings. "I have never seen so many young mechs and femmes in my life until I got here."

The other nodded. "I know. My son is in his first year at University. He's going for an art degree. He wants to make art glass pieces, the kind that you blow and are delicate and colorful."

"Sounds beautiful," the other said. "My son is still in Youngling Intermediate Day School. He wants to be a pilot. Or a football player." He grinned and the other did too.

"Treasure him for now. When he decides it probably won't be either."

They bantered together enjoying their meal as they wound down from their last orn before their weekend. The younglings would eat their dinner, heading out for home as the night time of the city deepened.

-0-Fortress Maximus Flight Center

They sat sipping their energon as the night wore onward. The flights due from the far flung Wrecker bases out in the solar system had all returned and there was a brief break before the cargo ships from Earth were due.

"Did you go to the Temple yet?" one of them said glancing at the mech sitting next to him.

"Not yet. I have the stones ready to put in the garden. We just have to have the same moments free. The bond is going to take a break from University next session to care for the sparkling. When the genitors get on their peds, they want to take him so Eton can finish school."

"Nothing like a new infant to turn everything upside down," his friend said as he checked data for the satellite reconfiguration due to begin in a breem. "When my son was separated, I thought I would never see the inside of my own optics again. Tired is a condition only time will treat."

"I know," the other said. "I want the stones in the garden and show the priests the infant. I want a blessing done for him in front of the AllSpark."

"You'll like that. Its very comforting," the one said as he turned to the board to assist in the satellite re-alignment. "The priests are wonderful. I find it interesting that all of the Council of Ancients are acolytes. Its sort of fun to see Gravitas and the others so humble."

"I'll check it out," he said with a grin. "That will only heighten the experience."

"It will," his friend said as he turned to the panel and helped Teletraan III begin the job of moving the Midway Array situated halfway between Earth and Mars. It managed deep space communications, traffic and intel from Mars to the sun and all planets in between in the Inner Planetary System Array.

-0-At substation #8A

They sat on the bench in an inactivated cell chatting together happily. Out in the main room a number of genitors were waiting chagrined to pick up their younglings. Springer who was talking to them assured all that they were good younglings, hadn't done anything wrong and were being taken care of because of their impairment. The genitors finally understood that their younglings weren't going to be punished, harmed or endure long lasting scorn. After a bit of chat, they were allowed to take their kids with them and the place settled down once again. Drift closed the computer screen incident report page and turned it back to the staff at the station as the two walked back outside to continue. "That bunch of younglings are hilarious."

"They are," Springer said with a chuckle. "They are so happy to be adults. Poor fraggers."

"I know. I think we should check back later on in their life and see how they like it then," Drift said as they crossed the street heading for the Mare Tranquilitatis. There was a group of giggling subadult younglings lurking around and they would track them for about two joors before nailing their fannies.

For once, Sadee would not be among them.

-0-In the bosom of love

"Well, that was edifying. We were both in the show. I'm astounded that Prime was too." Ratchet turned and walked to the kitchen putting dishes in the sink. He fussed a bit putting things away, then turned. "Are you going to put the infants to recharge?"

Ironhide nodded. "Orion. Praxus. Come to me."

The chatter going on in the berth room of Praxus ended. Then little peds came running. **"ATAR! ORION COME! ME COME!"** He ran to his father and leaped on Ironhide's leg, bouncing off to take out his brother. They lay on a heap and looked at him with big smiles.

Ironhide reached down and picked them up, one in each servo then sat back. He held them up and grinned. "Time for recharge. Beddy-bye."

"**NO! ORION NOT GO! PAX AND ORION PLAY!"** A gigantic smile followed that statement.

"Beddy-bye."

"**NO!"**

"Beddy-bye, slaggers."

"**NO! ADA! ATAR, BAD! ORION GO PLAY! YES!?"**

Ratchet sat in his chair and looked at the two smiling infants in Ironhide's servos. They were smiling at him, confident that he, Ratchet would save them.

"Orion, Praxus, you go to beddy bye," Ratchet said with a grin.

They looked at him, then each other, then Ratchet.** "ADA! COME ME! SAVE ME! SAVE PAX! GO PLAY, US!"**

"Orion. Beddy bye." Ratchet looked at them. They looked at him. Then Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "You take care of this. I'm about ready to say stay up and play."

"Slagger," Ironhide said rising. He walked to the berth room with the infants for their cursory wash up and 'sleepy beds'.

"**ADA! COME ORION! COME ME! ATAR, OW ME! OW! ORION, OW! ME, OW! I FLY! YOU COME! ME GO YOU!"** The sound was muffled as Ironhide walked into Sunspot's berth room to wash them down from the grime of the orn. Bath time would be the following morning but the grime of the orn had to go.

The usual loud slag was traded among the three, then Ironhide walked out with the sparklings. Ratchet rose and walked to the berth room of Praxus gathering toys for the toy boxes in the corner. "You brought out all your toys, Praxus. You sure now how to play large."

"Little mech knows what he wants to do and does it. My kind of mech," Ironhide said as he lay Praxus down in his crib.

Ratchet walked over and tucked him in. Kisses and slag were exchanged, then they walked out to Orion's room. Toys were gathered there too, then he was stashed in his big boy bed. He was happy to hug his dollies and smile. **"ADA! GO ME!?"**

"Go you to sleepy bed, Orion." Ratchet grinned and kissed him. Then he left to re-tuck Praxus in and settle his tiny aft. They went back and forth until the sparklings settled before going to the living room to sit. "Those sparklings are a handful. I'm tired and we're down three. Think about that, Ironhide."

"I know," he said sitting on his chair.

"Well, we'll get them back tomorrow. Then the next orn we have to get Prime and Rainmaker to the United Nations. I imagine that I have to go too," Ratchet said.

"Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see," Ironhide said.

"I will probably have to go."

"No."

"Ironhide..." (grin)

"No."

-0-TBC

05-15-2013


	306. Chapter 306

The Diego Diaries: Week End (306)

-0-Morning in Autobot City, Mars

Shift change in Ops Center was slow, the incoming coming in slower than the outgoing going out. Mocking jokes and fist bumps were exchanged as the teams passed each other. The overnight intel was quiet, nothing of too much import to speak about. Three battle groups that were being tracked this way, all of them Decepticon were still coming. Paragon was instituting regular flights around his territory and Soundwave was supplying his fortress. The other base across the way from the migration trail was still a bit of a cipher.

Prowl appeared at the doorway as the Gamma team took their places. He walked to communications and downloaded the overnight dump. Chatting a moment, he turned and walked back out heading for the rec room and breakfast with the fam. It was his weekend but they would only have today.

Unless something **ELSE** happened.

Right now, they had today before the United Nations would beckon. Such was the burden of leadership.

He headed back walking through the doorway to the rec room. The younglings and Miracle were eating at a pair of tables pushed together. Venture and Miler sat with them along with Kestrel and Tagg. They were chatting happily caring for the infants. Prowl joined them sitting with a cube as he enjoyed himself too. A subroutine was sorting the data dump.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

They sat together going over the meeting that would occur the next orn in New York City. Rainmaker listened in on the link as they discussed that format and the content of their joint presentation. Ironhide listened, entering a comment or two. The importance of Prime's appearance was going to be super critical to human opinion making. Support in some places was softening although overall, their continued alliance with Earth was still enjoying majority support. When the two objectives were met Prime sat back and relaxed a bit. Then he said it. "I would like you to come and make the introductions."

"No."

(Grin)-Optimus and Ratchet

-0-Shortly after Optimus left

"I don't like it."

"I don't care. I'm going. Watch that toy. Its his favorite."

(Sidestep) "I don't like it. Why does he need introductions? He's Optimus Slagging Prime. Everyone knows that."

"Ironhide, allow me to explain slag." (Gimlet optics fix on big hulking mech picking up toys as three little mechs look up at him with adoring optics and big smiles) "We are trying to not only shore up support but build more. That takes finesse and organization. Optimus Slagging Prime can't just walk to the podium and say, 'Hi. I'm Optimus Slagging Prime'. We need to present an image that favors our position."

"And you standing there saying 'hi, this is Optimus Slagging Prime' is part of that?" (Big black hulking mech stares down at slightly bigger (tonnage-wise) hulking red and white mech) "Really?"

"This is why I'm the slagging diplomat and you're the go boom guy." (Grin) "You're so cute when you're a doofus."

"Don't try to use The Sexy on me, Ratchet. I'm made of **steel**. I don't bend. I **can't **be manipulated." (Extra gimlet optics meet red and white bemusement)

A fat chuckle emanates from somewhere below. Both sets of optics gimlet or otherwise look down. Three little mechs are looking up at them as a tiny femme toddles over to join. They stare up with gigantic smiles as a little banded black mech issues a fat chuckle from his little pie hole. **"ADA!"**

"What, Orion?"

"**YOU FUNNY!"**

Ratchet chuckled himself as he surveyed the blossoms in his little garden. Four of them were looking up as the last one who was sitting in Praxus's bouncy chair nearby gazed at his fist. "How did all of you get so cute all of a sudden?" he asked them.

"**A!"** Hero smiled brilliantly as she stood dwarfed by her three brothers. Spot got up from his pillow near the window and walked up too, licking the back of Hero's helm as he did. She fell forward and disappeared behind Praxus. He turned and reached down to drag her back up. She looked at him with a tiny frown, then stood up looking at Ratchet with a mild look of WTF! **"A!"**

"You take this one, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a smirk. "Your princess needs consolation."

Ironhide grinned as he plucking the waif from the floor. "Come with me, Hero. I'll take care of you."

She sat in his hand smiling like the sun. Glancing down at the others, looking over at Ratchet, she pointed at Ironhide.

"That's me," Ironhide said with a grin. "Your old mech."

"Ada, what do we do today?" Sunspot asked with a big smile. "Are you both going to be home today?"

"We are I think," Ratchet replied. "Are you going to go to the park with Grandada and Grandatar later on?"

"We are," Sunspot said with a smile.

"Good," Ratchet said. "How about house cleaning now?"

They all groaned.

Even Hero.

-0-At the park later on

They sat on a bench watching as families and younglings went about their business. The park was among five big developments dedicated to recreation and contemplation at present in the city. This park, the one Metroplex provided was The Park. Others were known by their location or housing development. All of them were the common shared areas of the city. Even Aerie Hill made common areas for their residents.

Younglings were playing nearby, a ball game and they sat looking at it with interest and a bit of longing. As they sat, they noticed another of the animals they had seen here and there running into the park. He was followed by a yellow and white Seeker their size and a big mech carrying a tiny femme. Behind him on leashes, two more came singing and talking to each other and everyone they passed. Behind them, the doctor that they had spoken to earlier followed holding a blanket wrapped sparkling. He was talking to four other mechs, all of them part of a group. Maybe a family.

Sunspot ran to the swings nearby and turned running back. He subbed a ball and threw it for Spot. That dog ran like the wind and caught it in mid bounce, turning on a dime to run back. Sunspot took it then turned to throw again. He paused a moment, then smiled. Walking across the open space will all the confidence children who are deeply loved feel, he paused before the three sitting on their bench. "Hi."

They looked at him, then Spot, then each other. "Hi," Cardinal said. "What is that?" he asked pointing at the dog who was waiting excitedly for another throw of the ball.

"**THAT IS SPOT! HE'S MY DOG!**" Sunspot said with his usual burst of joy and love. "Do you want to throw his ball? He'll chase it and bring it back to you."

Cardinal hesitated, then rose taking the ball. Looking at the dog, he turned and threw it. Spot was off like a shot and caught the ball in an airborne grab that was beautiful to see. He landed and ran back dropping the ball at Cardinal's peds. The red Seeker youngling smiled and looked at the others who were watching with interest. "Did you see that? I like this dog." He picked up the ball and threw it again.

They would take turns throwing it, chasing Spot around and playing with the other kids in the ball game. By the time they were ready for lunch, Ironhide and Ratchet had guests for the meal and Terradive had three new students for his class.

-0-Trine

They walked to the studio infants in servo, Bluestreak carrying the toy and 'kid stuff' bag following. The streets were busy and so were the sidewalks as the city's residents took advantage of the weekend and sales in several stores that provided housewares and home design products.

Apparently, it was 'Do It Yourself Weekend' in that Guild. When they had reached the studio, Blue intended to go to the Mall of Metroplex and The Housewares Store to get a picture frame for several new images of the infants created by Sunstreaker.

The sun was warm overhead and the energy of the city happy. Humans buzzed here and there, their presence as much a part of the city as anything else. Now and then, Hu An could be seen heading for this or that, mostly the museum to learn about their hosts and allies. The movie theaters were bursting with individuals who were there to watch the first four episodes of Transformers: Prime, Season 3 shown at the theater in Terra. 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' played at the one that was once in Metroplex but now had a new home in the Polyhex Business Plaza.

A new phenomenon, street vendors occupied the odd corner providing traditional Cybertronian and human street food to passersby. The aroma added to the experience of being outside. It was considered a hit especially among the hung over.

Knockout and Breakdown walked down the street heading for the club, Hoyle's, where they hung out and played cards. It was a beautiful place filled with games, the best hooch available and good food. Card games, billiards and darts were available along with good music and no distractions.

Billiards had been a revelation. The humans' game was very popular among the mechs and Knockout found he had a talent for it. Smokescreen did too. He was going to beat that slagger today. It seemed that Smokescreen lived there when he wasn't working. As for working, they were off until swing shift. Then the next weekend was theirs. He had almost signed off on the wrong weekend with Ratchet.

The slagger.

They paused long enough to look at something called 'hot dogs with slaw, chili and/or kraut', then moved on jonesing for something more traditional at the club. They disappeared into the crowds.

-0-At the Bosom of Love

"This is great."

"Thank you, Cardinal. I'm glad you like it. I chose what I thought growing Seekers would enjoy." Ratchet grinned at the four Seeker younglings sitting around his table eating 'pizza' by the fistful and drinking the Cybertronian version of root beer. They were relaxing in the comfort of a family atmosphere and the good energy of Sunspot.

That little mech was **DELIGHTED** to have **HIS FRIENDS COME OVER, ADA! **

So was his extended family.

Blackjack and Alor sat on a couch by the window in the extended living room feeding Orion and Praxus who kept up a hilarious commentary on the three new faces in their midst. Ravel and Tie Down sat across from them on another couch juggling their own food. Ironhide sat in his chair and Ratchet commanded the galley with good humor.

Spot on the other servo roamed around the table laying his tongue lolling face on the table for a bite. He got them too. Lots of chuckles and giggles met his sweet efforts as he wagged his tiny tail and grinned back.

The younglings had played all morning with Sunspot going from the swings to the other toys to the field for ball. By the time they were ready to go, the Seekers were incredibly ready to come too. They were sweet, young, needy and fun.

"So … are you younglings going to school with Sunny?" Ratchet ventured.

The Seekers looked at each other, then smiled nodding. "If its this fun, yes. We want to go to school. I do," Cardinal said.

"I don't want anyone to laugh at me," Raptor said pausing his glass before his mouth. "I don't know how to read much. Or write."

"No one will laugh," Sunspot said. "Our class is **awesome**. Our teacher, Mr. Terradive? He's just the **most awesome teacher.**"

Every adult in the room grinned. Ratchet squeezed Raptor's shoulder. "No one laughs at anyone anymore. We all are one. Remember that."

They looked at Ratchet, then each other. "Will we get to learn how to read better?" Farrell asked hopefully. "I saw some books in The Book Store that I think would be fun."

"You will, sparkling. We'll help you," Ravel said nodding. Everyone else did too.

The door opened with a knock and Sideswipe peered in. "Hi."

He entered followed by Bluestreak, Sunstreaker and Dawg. They paused looking at the infants. "Looks like you have company," Bluestreak said with a grin.

"We do. We have friends of Sunspot in for lunch. They're going to be in his classroom," Ratchet said taking the bull by the horns.

Sunstreaker nodded looking at the smile on Sunspot's face. "Awesome," he said nodding too.

-0-Later

They walked along the street, four youngling Seekers and two front-liners. They were going on a tour of the place, getting the lowdown on where to go and not, what to do and not from two who would know. It would be an thrilling afternoon for three hesitant little Seekers and one bursting at the seams with happiness. That they would wander in the company of 'two of the most **awesome slagging dogs in the entire solar system**' would be a bonus.

-0-TBC

05-18-2013


	307. Chapter 307

The Diego Diaries: Week End (307)

-0-At the Bosom of Love

"What do you think of my friends, Ada?"

Ratchet looked down at Sunspot, his sweet earnest face looking back up. "I think that they are very good younglings, son. I think your new friends are wonderful. You will have to be a resource for them, you, Spirit and T-Bar. They are worried about being in school."

"I know. I will take care of them, Ada. We had so much fun. **THEY LOVE MY DOG!"** He hugged Ratchet tightly, then looked up with a smile. "They're nice. This is going to be fun. More Seekers."

"You're blazing a trail, Sunny Bunny. It will help new Seekers go to school and feel okay because of you," Ratchet said picking him up. He hugged Sunspot, then set him down. "Tomorrow, I will have to go to Earth for a little bit with Uncle Optimus and the Great Elder. I think it would be a good thing if you help everyone with the sparklings."

"I will," Sunspot said glancing around himself. Hero was standing beside Praxus holding her Blue Dog dollie by an ear. Praxus was fishing out something from a pail of toys he had dragged out. She was tweeting to him softly as she watched.

Orion was licking the window.

Again.

Ratchet snorted. "Look at Spud. Little mech has a screw loose," Ratchet said.

Sunspot chuckled. "He's so cute."

The far door opened as Ironhide walked in heavily laden with their usual weekend food. That is, any food they didn't have to fix themselves. Sunspot ran to him and held out his servos. Ironhide used to Sunspot 'helping' handed him a small bag. They walked to the kitchen and put things down.

"What did you get, Only One?" Ratchet said moving sparklings here and there so Ironhide could pass.

"Good stuff," he said pulling a lid off a big box as well as taking Sunspot's bag. "'Italian' its called."

"Smells good," Ratchet said pulling dishes out of the cupboards. "I'll dish up if you get the younglings parked."

Ironhide turned walked to a cupboard nearby where all the booster seats were stored. Placing them, then the sparklings took only a moment. They sat with giant grins as Ratchet dished up 'raviolis', 'spaghetti' and lots of other items. Little plates filled with food were placed in front of the babies along with sippy cups. Ironhide sliding Prowler out of his hold put him in the center of the table on his bouncy chair. He looked at his father, a smile forming on his tiny white face.

"Who is a cute sparkling?" Ratchet said as he put Ironhide's big plate down. Getting his own, he sat too. "What took you so long?"

"I ran into Prowl on the way out. He was coming home and told me about the new liaison officer for us. Apparently, the new one is considered a … 'ball buster' he said."

Ratchet accessed the relevant meanings, then drooped slightly. "Great. Who is it?"

"Someone called Charlotte Mearing," Ironhide said.

Ratchet nodded. "Never heard of her. It is a 'her', right?"

Ironhide nodded. "This person is Director for National Intelligence and has taken over the Autobot brief. I think you're the one who has to deal with her as Prime's intermediary, or so Prowl told me."

"Oh great. Are they Jason Daniels in a dress?" Ratchet asked as he did an internet search. "Apparently she is," he concluded before Ironhide could say a word.

"Where do they find these fools?" Ironhide asked as he helped Hero bite into a ravioli.

"I don't know," Ratchet said. "Why did he bring her up?"

"Apparently, you're going to be meeting her tomorrow in New York. Another reason you're not going."

Ratchet snorted. Grinning, he pressed down on Prowler's chair so he would bounce again. "Dream on, Ironhide."

-0-A trine

"What do you think, Farrell?"

"I think I like Sunspot a lot."

Pause. "I think school will be fun, Farrell. Do you want to go?"

"Cardinal … I think I'll try it. I know you want to go. You can go for sure. I'll go and see how it is."

"I don't want anyone to laugh at me, Farrell."

"No one will, Raptor. Sunspot is going to be there. I think we can try it."

The three nodded rising to walk to the balcony. Boxes of food sat on the table where they had eaten dinner together. Walking around town with Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, they had seen how they could get food and other things that they might need or want.

Like toys.

Raptor picked up the ball that had rolled out onto the terrace. "They have football here, Farrell. The season is over, but next time … we have to play." Cardinal smiled. "I like this place."

The others nodded as they knelt to take kits of model aircraft out of the box of toys and games they had gotten from The Sparkling Center. They had left Sunspot and the twins after a while pretending to head for home. Then they doubled back to the Mall of Metroplex. The idea that they could get things like this there and it wasn't stealing was still resonating through their processors. They would sit on the balcony putting the models together until their guardian stopped in to visit.

The next orn was the last one of weekend. Then they would go to school with Sunspot.

-0-In Washington, D. C.

She walked into her house locking the door behind her. Throwing her keys into the basket by the door, she walked onward putting down her coat and briefcase on the table in the kitchen. Checking her messages, she turned walking to her home office. Pulling up a screen on her computer, she looked at the information on the monitor. It was the file containing everything that could be found in American and foreign files about the Autobots.

She was going to meet with the Ambassador, the bot named Ratchet. She didn't think of him as a person or someone whose feelings were of any consequence. She didn't give anyone's feelings much consideration. She was controlling, impatient and overbearing with everyone. She also had no respect for N.E.S.T., her clashes with Glenn Morshower the stuff of legend.

She had fought for and was given the Autobot brief since part of her purview was intelligence. Reporting to the President directly, she had power that no one else had. She could find out anything she wanted, her tentacles currently into everything and everywhere. She now had a clear path to rectifying a number of perceived wrongs including the laxness of their side of the Autobot-human equation.

N.E.S.T was only going to stay in business if she had control of it and its operations. Nothing was going to happen from this day forward that she didn't have controlled. Given that there were home grown terror organizations displaying their ire over the presence of aliens in their midst, she didn't feel that there would be much opposition in the establishment if she took control of things. One never went broke expecting cowardice among the political classes.

She didn't like to lose. She didn't plan to even on the small stuff. Charlotte Mearing was ready to play hardball.

-0-Prime Residence later that evening

"They're all in bed." Prowl walked to the couch and sat peering at the datapad upon which Prime was constructing an outline for his speech. "How's it going?"

"Well," Optimus said nodding. He glanced at Prowl. "Tell me more about the shake up and why it happened?"

"The pressure in the public to do something about The Family, Mech and the other groups is growing among some segments of society and they want a hard aft on point. Apparently, this woman is a hard aft's hard aft. I don't believe she and Glenn get along. I spoke to him about it earlier and he was very upset to hear about this. He told me he intends to protect the relationship no matter what she says or does."

Optimus nodded. "We will have to work together in spite of this obstacle. The relationship we have must be preserved."

Prowl nodded. "I agree," he said. They sat together and worked out the remarks for the following day's speech on Earth.

-0-On the air, national news programs

"What do you suppose we should look for in the Prime's speech tomorrow?" a reporter on a news panel asked.

"First of all, his personal appearance will be a major factor in his reception here. Twenty-five feet tall, literally millions of years old, this will be an imposing moment before he even opens his mouth. I am supposing he will do what he can to reassure Earth that our safety and well being is first and foremost on his mind. He's going to be sure to reiterate the importance of the most important fact, the treaties."

"There has been unrest in some of the countries that are signatories of the Autobot treaties since the bombing campaigns began. Some of the countries who are part of that are making noises about withdrawing," another said.

"It should be clear to all of us given the amount of information we have about the Decepticons as well as programming showing Autobots that we cannot survive against the Decepticons without their support and assistance," another said. "We would be destroyed."

"That will be the biggest thing to overcome, the waffling of allies around the treaties," another said as all present nodded. "That will be the biggest problem for the Prime to overcome."

-0-Rainmaker

His family sat with him discussing their plans for the future. The three youngest sons, all of them hatched in the Diaspora and unused to fighting the way the six older ones were discussed with their genitors plans to go to school and learn trades. He listened and nodded, pleased with their initiative. The six older had no plans to leave the service.

Either way, Rainmaker and his trine were good.

"Your visit to Earth tomorrow … do you wish us to come with you?" one of his older sons asked.

"The teams are chosen as well as the flights. Security is good. I am told it will be broadcast on IntraComm."

His son nodded. "Show time," he said with a grin. "You are going to be famous."

His father grinned and nodded. "Lucky me," he said with a smirk.

-0-The next morning

Ironhide watched the infants go off with his and Ratchet's genitors. They had Prowler too. Until both came back they would keep him too.

-0-At the Residence

Optimus and Prowl left earlier, Venture and Miler taking the infants into servo. They sat having breakfast, chatting together as the sun rose slowly over the horizon.

-0-At the flight line

Kup, Springer, Drift, Bumblebee, Red Wing, Cloudburst and a number of other bots waited together chatting quietly. They were impeccable in appearance, shiny and impressive. They were going to be escorts for the mission. Omega and Kappa would be the ships carrying the two speakers, one for Prime and the other for Rainmaker. Two flights of Seekers waited for the go as well.

They would in under a joor.

-0-The United Nations, New York City, USA, Earth

Glenn Morshower stepped out of his vehicle, his aide and attache following. They walked into the United Nations through the VIP high security entrance. Cameras filmed his arrival since he was the director of the Global Command that was the military umbrella for the operations involving N.E.S.T and the Autobots.

National leaders and their designated representatives had been arriving all morning as the world gathered to take the measure of the Prime of Cybertron who was making his appearance at the building. This time he would be speaking and the world would be listening.

Hard.

-0-Inside

She waited in the room where Morshower was expected to come to wait. She wanted to make sure that he was aware of her appointment. They had no rapport, no common emotional connection. She considered that a good thing. It would help her run the show and get the terrorists that were making things difficult internationally.

The door opened and Glenn Morshower stepped inside, pausing a moment when he saw her.

"Hello, General Morshower. Its about time you got here," Charlotte Mearing said with slight irritation.

Glenn Morshower stared at her a moment, then sighed. "You," he said with disdain.

-0-TBC

05-19-2013


	308. Chapter 308

The Diego Diaries: United, One Nation (308)

=0=On the airfield that morning in Autobot City, Mars

The cameras of the city placed everywhere fed a down link from Autobot City through the MCA to Earth. Once a mere 250, they now numbered nearly 600 due to the expansion of the city. The images rotated slowly allowing a view of the goings on here and there. None of the images went out prior to the outing of Optimus without scrutiny. Now they did mostly. None of the cameras were pointed at security or personal areas, they merely showed the streets, the airfield, the Mall of Metroplex, roads between towns, a few of the construction sites and the parks. Images also included the Valles Marineris and other spectacular features of Mars taken from Teletraan III's satellites.

When the view came past the airfield the scene was one of the gathering of groups that would be leaving for Earth. Bots were standing together along with Seekers who would fly escort. They would be leaving shortly and fly together to New York. When the officials came out they would not be on the screen as the scene would be manipulated by IntraComm to allow Optimus, Ratchet, Rainmaker and a late addition, Larc to board without exposure.

Less was more.

-0-Ops Center

Ratchet stood beside Prowl who would be staying in the city. Ironhide would come along with the party to provide 'hulking fragmentation to the slaggers if they get out of line, Ratchet'.

"Hulking fragmentation?" Ratchet had asked with a grin.

A solemn nod from Ironhide met that. "I will frag them to the Pit if they so much as smirk, Ratchet."

"Ah," Ratchet said before punching him in the arm. "My hulking hero."

It did nothing for Ironhide's attitude. Some things change, some never change.

-0-On the way out

They walked together, the four principles who would be speaking to the masses of humanity, most of which were glad that they were among them. What was difficult were the slaggers who wanted to blow up their world to save it.

Larc was spectacular, her long hair in a braid, her horns polished. She was formidable looking, incredibly formidable. She would be a good sight for the humans to see and hear. Optimus had talked with her the night before and both had come to the same conclusion. She had to speak to the reality of her life as the citizen of a conquered species. She could speak not only about the mining slavery that had been the lot of her small group for so long but also the fall of her own world to the Decepticons.

It would be a cautionary tale for the humans on Earth.

Optimus and Rainmaker walked with purpose, both of them incredibly beautiful in their appearance and demeanor. Ratchet followed with Larc and Ironhide. They entered the big ships, Larc, Ratchet and Ironhide with Prime, Rainmaker and his oldest son with Starscream and Thundercracker. The doors closed as the last security mech entered. Then the Seekers rose up in a peal of thunder.

The big ships lifted off and floated out of sight in the blink of an optic. Those on the ground watched until they were gone, then headed onward to their lives. All over the city, every monitor and screen would be tuned to IntraComm's coverage of the event on the third planet from the sun.

-0-At the United Nations, the VIP lounge

"And I am telling you, General, that the brief is mine."

Glenn Morshower stood toe-to-toe with Charlotte Mearing, the smaller woman making up for smaller stature with abrasive irritation. "I am in command of the Global effort. You can whistle Dixie out your ass if you think I will turn over operational control of N.E.S.T and all of the affiliated agencies to you and your political bullshit."

"I don't care what you don't care about, General. I have the brief. You can suck it up," she said coldly.

"We'll see about that. If you think you can boss Optimus Prime around you are more delusional than I think you are already," Morshower said with great disgust.

"I am in charge. He will have to deal," she replied moving to sit on a chair.

Morshower snorted, then chuckled. "I can't wait to see you try to make that happen." Morshower walked to a couch and sat, then turned on the television with a remote. A flick of channels found coverage of the Prime's progress to Earth. They were halfway there so both sat silently, deeply furious at each other and listened to the commentary.

-0-On board

"How much trouble do you suspect this new liaison will make for us?" Prime asked Ratchet.

"A lot probably," Ratchet said. "I am going to be meeting her today but I will make sure that she doesn't speak to any of you. The less contact with her by all of you, the better."

"That's why you are the diplomat," Prime said with a grin.

"This human … they will be a problem?" Larc asked.

"There are some people that are devious in spite of themselves. This woman is not part of the process we went through. She won't have the emotional attachment that all of the others have. That makes her a problem. We have always had problems with the liaisons," Ratchet said.

"I see," Larc said. "Then we must avoid her."

"Bingo," Ratchet said with a grin.

-0-New York

They came in, dozens of brilliantly colored Seekers flying in low. They transformed in air and landed heavily, standing up straight once more. From a distance, it was clear that big ships were coming in too. The cameras followed them as the crowd around the field began to make noise.

Omega was first and landed nearly silently, rolling to a halt in an incredibly short space. Behind him, Kappa came as well coming to a stop behind him. The ships sat quietly, the crowd noises louder than the ships as the Seekers moved to stand in a ring around the vessels. The cameras at the field showed all of it, the images and commentary of the network panels describing and discussing the tableau.

"The ships that brought the Prime, those two ships are sentient," one said.

"They're alive," another echoed. "That is just incredible."

"It is. When they transform according to the Autobot City Information Office of the City Manager, the first one called Omega Supreme is nearly 700 feet tall. The ship with him which is feminine from what they tell us is the same height. Apparently they are siblings."

It was quiet a moment as they watched the doors slide back and ramps come down to the tarmac. Mechs began to come out and take up places with the Seekers, the entire group exuding an air of controlled menace and scary competence. They stood together relaxed and observant as the leadership inside the ships gathered to leave. Local representatives of N.E.S.T and Sector 7 walked to the perimeter of the security team and waited. They didn't have to wait long.

-0-Inside

Larc nodded. "I will fit myself inside, Optimus Prime. I am sorry in advance if it is uncomfortable for you."

Prime grinned slightly. "I have carried mini-cons in my cab. You will be an easy cargo I assure you." He glanced at the others, then nodded. Moving to the hatch, he transformed and opened a door. Larc looked inside, then climbed in fitting better than she thought she would. The door closed, then Prime drove forward moving down the ramp to the tarmac below. He moved forward pausing at the security ring for the others. Nearby, a Cybertronian aircraft rolled down the ramp of Kappa Supreme.

Rainmaker exited followed by his son. They moved to the open space beside her and waited in their flight format. No one watching really understood what they were watching but it was awesome anyway. Two jets of a strange design had rolled out of a monster ship. That was breathtaking. It was as intriguing as the endless line of trucks and vehicles rolling out of both to join a Peterbilt tractor with red flames.

:Are we ready to go everyone?: Prime asked.

:Affirmative: -Ironhide

:Affirmative, Prime: -Jazz and Mirage

:Roger that, good buddy: -Ratchet to snickers all around

Others affirmed so they gathered to go, some of them holding N.E.S.T personnel and others in their cabs. General Morshower was already onsite along with other N.E.S.T officials and they would hook up at the United Nations.

Security vehicles formed up with Prime in the middle and headed for the gate where they would be escorted by NYPD vehicles and helicopters. As they did, the two alien flying vessels lifted off and flew into the sky disappearing immediately.

"What do you suppose that is about?" a commentator asked.

"No one is clear on the speakers coming beyond the Prime and Ambassador Ratchet. Those two might be anyone or anything," another replied.

The commentary went on.

-0-The ride over

It was a short ride between the airport and the United Nations Plaza. Ratchet had come this way before so he led off, Prime and the others following. It was a spectacular array of concept, foreign made and home grown vehicles that followed. All along the way, humans waved, watched and held signs. It was hard to tell how the feeling of those present went. Prowl would examine the visuals being broadcast to determine from them some of the sentiment in New York City.

By the time they turned off onto 1 United Nations Plaza the intensity was huge on the television screens and among those watching. The unlikely group turned into the VIP entry and passed high security stations that were supplemented with N.E.S.T personnel and SWAT teams from the New York City Police Department. They disappeared from view as overhead, two unusual flying machines came in for a landing behind the buildings that blocked everyone's view.

-0-Behind the building in a big parking area

Glenn Morshower stood with his aides, his expression schooled to mild rage and not the full Monty. He had come back several days before after a brief stint at Autobot City. He was feeling the burn of Mearing. It was coupled with an intense desire to protect and assist the greatest collection of individuals he had ever met. The sheer decency and courage of the bots coming to this uncertainty, to face the possibility of intrigue and maniacal self interest among some present was their glory and he was determined to safeguard them and their interests. Autobot interests and his own coincided both professionally and personally. He would make sure it remained that way.

Two jets transformed and dropped to the ground lightly. They stood together, a confluence of intensely beautiful power and dignity. They would be Rainmaker and his son, Ebony. Ratchet transformed as did Jazz and Ironhide. He turned and grinned at Morshower. "Hello, Glenn. Good to see you here."

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away, Ratchet." He moved closer as Ratchet bent down and they conversed quietly, their words swallowed up in the sounds of transformation around them. Ratchet nodded and glanced at the intense human femme standing nearby with a number of her own aides. He stood and grinned down at Morshower as Larc stepped out of Optimus's cab.

Larc stood a moment staring around herself, then Ratchet knelt again. "Glenn, I don't know if you have ever met Larc but she is here to speak personally about what it means to have a Decepticon force destroy your life."

Morshower looked up at the incredible figure before him and nodded holding out his hand. "I am honored to meet you. Welcome to Earth."

Larc looked at him, then extended a huge hand taking his carefully. "Thank you, General. I am understanding that you are a friend of Autobot Nation."

"I am honored to say so and I also have citizenship from the Prime himself, something I treasure," he replied.

"Then you are a friend of my people too," Larc said nodding.

That is when Charlotte Mearing stepped forward.

-0-Inside

They came in and sat, the diplomats and leaders of the world. The room was bulging with people and the cameras panned the room as they waited. A commentator having been given word mentioned that Ambassador Ratchet would do the introductions and that there would be two speakers before the Prime himself. Both of them were individuals who could speak with authority on the situation in the galaxy in general and Megatron in particular. As they covered the dead space before Ratchet was to talk, a big door opened out back as a white and red rescue vehicle began the journey to the General Assembly room through a specially designed route.

-0-Moments before

"I would like to speak to you, Ambassador Ratchet," she said looking up at Ratchet without much expression and less fear than Ratchet had come to expect from newcomers to their species.

"I have a speech to deliver right now," Ratchet said. "I suppose we can talk at the airport before we leave."

"That would be inadequate," she replied. "I need to talk to you about a number of issues since it appears that you will be the official interface between me and Optimus Prime."

"I have a speech," Ratchet replied.

"And I have the Autobot brief, Ambassador. If you can't give me a moment of your time, please point out your Prime and I will discuss my concerns with him."

"No. You won't. You may not speak to anyone without my permission and theirs," Ratchet said kneeling down. "You will make an appointment, Ms. Mearing. You will use respect for a sovereign and his staff or you will get nothing."

She looked at him, then the others including a smirking Morshower. She frowned at him. "You need to wipe that smirk off your face, General. I don't think you will be smiling if you keep it up."

"Make me," he replied lightly.

Ratchet grinned and turned as an official of N.E.S.T came forward. "Mr. Ambassador, they are ready for you."

Ratchet nodded. "Thank you, Boyd." He glanced at Mearing. "Make an appointment. I have to go be famous now." He rose and walked to the big doors pausing a moment as he did. "Given the gravity of the situation and the need for our delegation to have a moment to compose their thoughts, don't let this person speak to anyone. We don't need distractions right now."

Boyd and Ironhide nodded with a grim expression. "Consider it done," the big hulking fragmentation device said in his mud flavored voice.

Then Ratchet turned, transformed and disappeared inside. Larc who was watching moved closer to stare at Mearing. Mearing looked upward barely registering her surprise at the alien before her. She was good at containing everything but irritation.

Ironhide grinned. "Larc, meet Mearing. Mearing, meet the finest slagging femme I ever met."

Larc glanced at Ironhide, her ears flicking with amusement. "Why thank you, Ironhide," she replied in her deep voice.

"Femme?" Mearing asked in surprise.

Morshower grinned with grim satisfaction. "Damned right," he said.

-0-Inside

Ratchet rolled to the space next to the podium where he would speak, then stopped. Behind him four vehicles entered, transformed and walked to stand along the wall behind him. Jazz with his visor and gleaming white, blue and black paint scheme looked mysterious. Mirage who moved to stand beside him looked only a smidge disdainful. Springer and Drift stood on the other side of the door, relaxed, calm, slight grins on their handsome faces.

As they finally relaxed into place, Ratchet transformed. He rose up and stood, unbelievably tall, a sweet expression on his face. He glanced at Ban-Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations and nodded. Secretary General Moon bowed slightly then walked to the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, representatives of the nations of the world, presidents and ministers, leaders of the nations of Earth, welcome to a special meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We have come together to discuss the growing menace of terrorist groups that stand in opposition to our allies, Optimus Prime and Autobot Nation.

"I would like on behalf of all the nations and peoples of this body to welcome Ambassador Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer of the Autobot Armed Forces, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and personal representative of the Prime of Cybertron to our halls. I would like to turn the podium over to you, sir. Thank you."

Applause filled the room then died down, expectation replacing welcome in the vast room. Ratchet nodded and turned looking over the room, discretely scanning all present as well as the structure itself. There were sick people in the room he concluded so he would quietly do what he always did at moments like this when he had a second. He would send his findings to the relevant individuals. He would save six lives and mitigate the effects of major illness for four others. He glanced at the bots behind him who grinned and nodded. Then he looked at the gathered representatives and leaders of the nations of Earth. "Thank you, Mr. Secretary for the invitation and the opportunity for me to tell you about my own people and our long long journey," he began.

-0-TBC

05-20-13


	309. Chapter 309

The Diego Diaries: A Wandering Tale 1 (309)

=0=The United Nations General Assembly

Ratchet stood framed in the doorway, two big shiny mechs standing on each side of the opening. The cameras lingered on all of them before coming back to him. Jazz stood quietly, a slight smirk on his handsome face, his visual abilities hidden by his visor. He looked like a sport, like someone who could run faster than a train yet make you glad you lost the race anyway by virtue of his good natured personality. He shown like glass as he leaned lightly against the wall, his good humor apparent to all who looked at him.

Mirage on the other hand was harder to read. He was big, handsome with a blue and white paint scheme and a slight look of disdain on his face. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed before him and watched the spectacle with barely evident disdain. He was a poor little rich boy who had a big estate on Cybertron, opportunities out the wazoo but still sided with the Autobots. His ability to become invisible or project images that fool even Decepticons had served their cause with distinction and would be showcased today.

Of course, Ratchet hadn't told him yet.

Springer and Drift parsing the room over their bond link stood with their usual incredibly competent yet casual demeanor, expressions of amused attentiveness on their handsome faces. They stood together, big and calm, a contrast to the tightly wound intensity of too many of the humans. As they stood where they were Glenn Morshower walked out and went to a chair that Ratchet had called to be placed near to him where the room could see him. Morshower did, relaxing. He was putting his Chairmanship on the line for the alliances.

Ratchet grinned. "I asked that General Morshower join me to illustrate the enormous regard that our people hold for him, his leadership of the Global effort and our great personal mutual friendship." Morshower nodded and grinned.

"You got that right," he said as the room chuckled.

Ratchet smirked and looked back at the crowd. "You are looking at a low caste mech," he said. The room stilled. "I had almost no status once upon a time on my own world. We were a gifted species, bold, brilliant and good. But somehow in the ancient past we lost our way. I am bonded to a mech who is a member, or was of the highest caste on Cybertron. He was Praxian Military Elite. I am telling you about bonds and castes because I realize you don't know us. You have only the things we told you and whatever you could deduce from conjecture and supposition. That hardly seemed collegial."

Morshower who was unaware of what they would say looked at Ratchet with surprise. Ratchet looked at him and winked. Then he continued. "I am in a bond. It is older than you as a species. It is a fulfilling relationship with the result of four sparklings and three younglings, two of which are adults. I am a grandparent, a parent, a partner in marriage if you will and a relation as an uncle and friend to others. I have no brothers or sisters, nor does my bond, Ironhide. I miss that. But I have phenomenal parents. They had nothing, managing to educate me and take care of my dreams even as they sacrificed their own for the entirety of their lives. They are with me now as well as Ironhide's parents and its glorious. I wish you could know how much. Now its our turn to give them everything and we do with gratitude and joy.

"We live in an apartment in a tall Cybertronian style tower, raise our children, take them to school, get them lessons in swimming and football, exclaim over their triumphs, grieve over their failures as well as teach them character and what it means to be Cybertronian. They may never see our homeworld but they will know who they are. They will do it without a caste system holding them down.

"I was forbidden to go to public school. We had to live in a tiny apartment in a tenement. We were not far from the tenement that Optimus Prime grew up in because he too was low caste. The mechs behind me can speak to that life too. Jazz," he said nodding to the handsome bot standing by the door, "was low caste. When his family was broken, he was left to fend for himself on the streets. The mech beside him ... Mirage ... he is high caste. He came from what humans call 'old money' and had a life of comfort and opportunity all his days. He is the pre-bond of Jazz. If this were Cybertron, it would have not happened. When Ironhide, the highest of high castes wanted to bond with me, we had to ask permission from the state. The same would be true of Jazz and Mirage if this was Cybertron then. Prime and Prowl have a bond. The same would be true for them because Prowl is high caste and Optimus Prime was low. Imagine that if you can. If Optimus had not been able to become Prime anyway, we would be over as a species. That is how important and spectacular that mech is to our continued survival and revival now.

"I tell you this so that you can understand and find common ground with us. We have suffered injustice and triumphed. The two other mechs are Springer and Drift. Springer was what we called midcaste. He was from the strata of our society that did the management of things, ran businesses and the like. That caste was allowed to go to school. I wasn't. Neither was Drift. He came from the low castes too. Most of Cybertron was low caste, a status determined from birth based on a system applied to us eons into the past by others. We didn't shake it off and we paid the price.

"Megatron was low caste too. Shockwave, his partner was mid. Soundwave was mid caste. All of them were as fed up as were we. The Seekers to the last mech were given the lowest caste placement of all. Even the saddest low caste could feel slightly better because they had a microscopic level of status higher than the greatest Seeker. That is the past that bred our present. But it isn't the impetus for our future. We are re-writing ourselves to be who we were supposed to be, not what we were. It takes a bit of intestinal fortitude to do so but we are rising like a phoenix out of the ashes of our past. We want you to know that."

He glanced at Morshower who nodded back to him, his own expression thoughtful. "When we came here, we were searching for a relic that was of extreme importance. It had brought Megatron here eighty years before and we were there when he freed himself from your captivity. None of what has happened is strictly your fault. But some of it is. You held a tyrant of incalculable intensity for eighty years probing his body, extracting things to your benefit. I know you thought he was incapacitated but he wasn't. He was entirely aware of what was happening to him the entire time."

An uncomfortable energy went through the room before everyone settled.

"There is really no blame to give to any one country. Any country that had found him would have done the same. It is however the foundation of his grievances against this system and you, the sentient lifeform who tormented him to madness for nearly a vorn. It is against his creed to allow a debt to go unpaid. He will crawl with his last gasping breath toward you to kill you. We who have known him from the beginning, from the moment when he stepped from the shadows of Kaon to rise with the speed of light on the genuine grief and grievances of our suffering people, we know he will never stop until we kill him.

"We don't tell you that to frighten you. Our point is enlightenment. Our point is to help you stay alive. Our military is growing with the addition of each soldier who returns finding us in the vastness of space. Every Seeker, every civilian who comes is one more brick in the wall that protects you, Earth, from his vengeance. We have secured the system out 35 light years in all directions. No one can come within a centimeter of that distance without alerting us. We monitor all movement including the odd comet and planetary fragment well out into the Oort Field, the debris radius of this system's beginnings. Given that Alpha Centauri is only 4.2 light years away from Earth, that tells you how far out we go to claim security and the advantage over anything coming this way.

"During the creation of the system back in the day, a special kind of energy was forged in the volcanic fury of planetary formation. It was an energy that was seeded there by Seeker drones sent out in the beginning of our specie's history as a fail safe against the failure of our local system to provide the building blocks of life for us, energon. Seeker drones went all through the universe depositing energon crystals on planets that had the possibility to encourage their growth. All it took was immense volcanic activity and time. Mars and several of the other planets were places where this happened. Because energon is here grown in the fire of planetary formation, bits of it from failed efforts have drifted through the Kuiper Belt and now the Oort Field. Anyone passing by who knows what it is can use it. We have attempted to retrieve all of it when we came here but it is too vast a dispersal for success.

"Others have discovered it too. There are groups that are nearby, outside the kill zone of our buttoned down system that have found it. It is rare, essential and of a purity here that is almost unheard of. We have it on Mars and it fuels our life there literally. The Decepticons ranging away from the Empire are finding it too. Some of them have decided to put down roots out there because of it, building their own kingdoms against all comers. I don't tell you this to frighten you. I tell you this because its true. I also tell you that none of them are as strong as us including Soundwave who is caretaking Cybertron in Megatron's absence.

"We are training our people to be Home Guard soldiers. We have almost 7,000 Seekers of all the many specialties and armaments who regularly fly the system on security detail as well as defend us on missions and escorts. They are an extraordinarily important part of our defense. Given that they are among the oldest kindreds among our kind and that they are deeply feared as a military asset, Megatron's decision to destroy all of them no matter how young or loyal is not only criminal, but stupid. But it is to our favor that they come. They are welcome among us because they are us too. It is a measure of Megatron's spite and mental condition that he would seek an order of extinction on an entire aspect of our species.

"Our standing army is veteran, diverse and immensely able. They are formidable in a way that will carry us past the enemy in the end. They are a mixture of Autobots, former Decepticons and civilians who have skills that allow them to be considered active duty personnel. They number over 9,000 as of today. We work together for the common good and every Decepticon group that comes here has had defections to our system by their own. We outgun and out class the enemy. There are giants among us who serve Optimus Prime with all their spark. Omega and his siblings, Beta, Alpha, Kappa, Gamma and Zeta are there along with Fortress Maximus and Metroplex, who when he stands is half a mile tall. He is the beautiful city you see in the images near the Temple. These two mechs," he said glancing at Drift and Springer, "are among the finest. Springer is the head of our special 'no hope, suicide squad', the Wreckers. His bond, Drift was a former Decepticon of incredibly dangerous reputation. He is among the most loyal and dedicated soldiers we have among us."

Drift smirked as Springer grinned, both of them looking at Ratchet with great affection.

"There is a lot said about our religion or perceived lack of it. Suffice it to say that it gives us cohesion and solace when needed and a unified sense of self in the face of overwhelming adversity. We are spiritual beings having a physical journey and that is all I can say about that. The diversity of the universe is a good thing and I would hope that it would be embraced by your people even as we embrace you. I could tell you a lot of things, of my gratitude for the leadership of Optimus Prime, of my love for the soldiers of Earth who work with us and the thought that my children will be able to go to school freely with everyone else and not know any differently. But its time for someone else to speak about their life, their experiences with Megatron and his fixations on power and domination.

"The speaker who will come next is named Larc. She is from a species called Hu An. They are organic like you and I know you have seen them in the video downloads that we send everyday from Autobot City. She is the leader of her group, a femme of high standing among her people in her home system and a great inspirational friend of our people. I would like to introduce Larc, Chief of the Hu An of Amacar."

Ratchet stepped back a moment, then looked down as Larc stepped into the room through the great doors.

-0-TBC

05-21-13


	310. Chapter 310

The Diego Diaries: A Wandering Tale 2 (310)

=0=United Nations

Larc stood on the platform as Ratchet moved back to the door. He stepped to stand with Springer who grinned and nodded to him. Ratchet smirked back turning composed and silent. Larc considered all before her and waited as they took in her alien form. She was an extraordinary sight. Ten feet all and brawny in the way a hardworking man who carries steel and heavy loads would be, she shimmered with contradictions. She looked like a bison with a humanoid body. Her nose structure was bovine yet shorter, more snug to her face. She had horns that curved with pointed tips. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that was thick as a man's arm and ended in a taper near her knees. She wore dark pants and dark boots, a simple sleeveless shirt rounding out the ensemble. Dark eyes filled with wisdom and mystery gazed out at the crowd.

Black tattoos which told of her people encircled one arm ending in a henna-like tattoo on her left hand. That was the name of her planet, region, town, people, clan and station in life as their leader. She looked incredibly formidable, intelligent and strong. She waited for a moment sorting out the energies that bombarded her telepathy, then began.

"I am Larc and I was chief of the Amacar, a planet that was part of our home world empire before the Decepticons came. I lead a population dedicated to agriculture and the common good of our people. We were a confederation of 12 planets, peaceful unless provoked who traded for eons among the local group civilizations. We were respected and included among diverse groups many of which never got along together themselves.

"When the Decepticons came we fought them but it was hopeless even as advanced as we were. They overtook our worlds and captured all the leadership, myself included. We were either killed outright or parceled out to slave labor camps, the remainder slaving on our home worlds for them. We are a telepathic species, able to communicate mentally with each other. We can speak with the Cybertronians the same way. It is our preferred manner. We were sent to a mining camp, three hundred of us to facilitate the operation with that ability. Cybertronians were there being worked to death by the Decepticons. Even for their own kind, they have no pity. We were there when Optimus Prime and his soldiers came. They rescued us and freed another species that had been enslaved as well, a non corporeal species we only understood to be called The One.

"We were brought here and given a habitat of our own. We have been supported and we support the city. It is our home now and even when we free my own system and we will some day, it will continue to be our home as well. Optimus Prime is an honorable soul. Among our kind, honor is everything. Your word matters. Given an oath, it is imperative that you keep it. We gave our oath to Prime and he gave it back. No matter what it takes to defend this system, I have pledged my people to the task.

"I understand your angst and worry. I understand how strange this must be for you to see someone like me when it is obvious you are a very young species living a very young technological life in a supposedly empty universe. But I tell you from the experience of my own life, of the agony of losing our home system, that you cannot defeat them alone. We are a long time space-going species with tremendous defensive and offensive capabilities. Yet we failed. My home is under the command and dominion of Megatron. I wish I could tell you in some small way what that feels like but I can't. Suffice it to say, I don't ever wish that upon anyone else.

"Your enemy isn't us. It is the forces of reaction among you who destroy your towns and your people in the name of saving both. They kill others. People are dead because of their delusions. I am very sorry that this has happened. I wish only peace and at some point in future the return of joy to those who loved those lost. I feel on some days some small measure of that myself, I who have lost my world, my culture, my identity and somewhere on the conquered world of my home, my family." She paused a moment then looked at them with emotional optics. "If I thought you could defeat them alone, I would counsel it to happen. I would join you to redeem my own life back. But I know you cannot. Don't allow delusional thinking to insure that you and all you love is destroyed under the implaccable hatred of a monster.

"I, Larc of Amacar wish you peace and wisdom. I wish you to know that I stand with Optimus Prime and the Autobots in soidarity against the enemy. I wish you to do so too so that when you dream you see visions of a future that still exists instead of what I see. Thank you for your time. Be wise. Be smart. Stand with us against the common enemy. Know that it includes those among you who wish to break the alliances through whatever means they can, including the blood of the innocent." With that, Larc turned and walked out the door to disappear into the building beyond.

It was silent, then Ratchet stepped forward. He glanced around the room taking the temperature which was somber, then he began again. "Larc is a miracle. It was luck that we found and saved her band. They are an inestimable asset to the life of our city and we love her and her people. There are so many good souls in our city. Another has agreed to come to speak to you. This individual is very special even among our own kind.

"Seekers are a clannish, tribal people. They have huge familial alliances and are led by clan chieftains. Among them, the chieftains select a supreme leader who is called the Great Elder. That mech or femme is incredibly important, honored and honorable. The Great Elder of Seekerkin was believed lost in the fog of war. Then shortly ago, mere days, he came with his family and clan members from space. He came with Seeker civilians as well and enriched our city life immeasurably. It is a great honor for me to introduce to you the Great Elder of Cybertron, Rainmaker."

Ratchet smiled and turned waiting. Heavy footfalls could be heard after the sound of transformation nearby. Through the door at last, Rainmaker, the Great Elder of Seekerkin appeared in the doorway. He paused, then stepped forward nodding respectfully to Ratchet. That worthy nodded to him, then moved back to stand against the wall with Springer and Drift. Rainmaker moved to the speaking platform and stood silently to allow the room to take his measure even as he took theirs.

He was incredibly imposing, this elder and he stood exuding dignity, charisma and danger to all who sat watching. He was tall, nearly as tall as Prime and he was big. He had a greenish brownish blend of shimmering colors, the finish of which bore the engravings of his family and the blows of his long event-filled life. His optics were orange and piercing, typical of his clan. His brawny arms and legs gave some small measure of his strength. He gripped his staff, a silver pole engraved and studded with the names and symbols of the clans of Seekerkin, all of whom were subordinate to his rule. He was the first and last court of resort and was mentor to all of the Seekers of any consequence among their kind.

When it seemed that everyone would climb out of their skins, he began. "I am Rainmaker, the Great Elder of the Seekerkin of Cybertron. I am the leader of my people chosen from among all of them to be so. For eons of your ages, I have been the first among my kind. We have suffered a great deal, my people. We had no status on Cybertron. For those of us who fought to change that and I include Optimus Prime, it was disheartening to be unloved among your own people. As time wore on and the indignities and injustices became harder to bear, a mech began to speak to the broken hopes of our people. His name was Megatronus and he came from Kaon, a city of desolation and despair.

"He had the right ideas, that all of us were beloved of Primus and that we all deserved a better life than we had. The caste system was breaking apart and we found ourselves working to undermine it and the government as well. At that point, the Prime, Sentinel was killed and the new one, Optimus was chosen. I admired him greatly and we had many meetings to make the changes we needed. I considered him then a good mech, a decent mech with honor, someone who was a friend and I still do. I regret things in my life. I wish things had been different. I wish I could have followed Optimus but it was clear that the revolution sweeping Cybertron was going to go Megatron's way and I had to make hard choices to protect my people, especially the civilians with families who were deeply vulnerable.

"During the breakdown that followed, the chaos and fighting, I aligned our people with the side that would be the winner. I got major concessions from Megatron and he kept them for a long time. Then he began to change and my people began to suffer once more. Prime was gone. I had no idea where. The AllSpark was lost and so for a time was Megatron. At this point, I had withdrawn my clan and as many others as I could contact. We had heard at last that a call had been made, a call with the Prime and the leadership of the Seekers who were waiting on a planet in a small solar system not too far away. So we went.

"It was a long hard journey and along the way we met battle groups that are striking out to find their own futures as roving predators. Some of them are already settling into their own fortresses, staking out their own territory, a couple of them near to this system. Some of them asked us to join them but we refused. The Decepticons set out to exterminate us. For that, we will never serve their cause again. The goals and aims of our cause changed. It isn't about justice and possibilities for all anymore. Its about feeding the ego and demands of a single individual.

"I personally knew Megatron. I have had many meetings, personal conversations and encounters with him. He is as ruthless and unshaken in his desires and goals as he was long ago. You don't mean anything to him. You are nothing. This is the mech who ordered the extermination of my people who were among the greatest assets he possessed. He has no feeling for us, not as soldiers or as Cybertronians. What makes you think, humans, that he will care about you when he doesn't care about us, his fellow Cybertronians and allies?

"I have seen him murder for no reason. He has decimated worlds and people without a thought to their lives. He has nothing inside but revenge, burning ambition and murder. You are nothing. The forces that are trying to break the alliances might as well wear the Deceptibrand. They might as well be Decepticons themselves for they are serving the goals of Megatron as they do. If we weren't here, I can tell you without reservation that Megatron would come in force and leave nothing alive on the surface of this world. There would be nothing." He stood quietly watching the faces of the gathered as they absorbed his words.

"I have just come in to this system and what I tell you is fresh. There is chaos in the Empire now, chaos that will lead to destruction of anyone who is in the way. Scores are being settled now. No one is enforcing unity with Megatron out looking for allies. When that mech comes back there will be a swift reckoning, then he will turn to unfinished business. **You** are unfinished business. What we can as allies offer to you is the difference between extinction and life. We will stand with you and defend this system. We will defend your world as if it were our own. This I pledge to you on my sacred honor. Among our kind, when a pledge of this magnitude is given, to not honor it is to become nonexistent among the Seekerkin. I, Rainmaker freely pledge on my sacred honor to defend this world against the forces of reaction and invasion. I stand with Optimus Prime. I pledge the Seekerkin to the task. I will not relent nor be dissuaded. On my honor, this I promise." He stood a moment, then turned nodding to Ratchet as he passed.

Ratchet nodded back and waited until he was gone. For a moment he stood, internal conversation exchanging between himself and someone outside. Then he turned and walked to the platform. "I wish to say that a sacred vow has been made. When an Elder makes a vow, it is kept or they die trying. For the Great Elder to make a pledge like this, it pledges all Seekerkin that exists anywhere in the universe to the fulfillment of the task. Earth has no greater protection than that which the Great Elder has promised."

He paused a moment gathering himself. Then he grinned. "I wish I could tell you how much I admire the last speaker today. I wish I could tell you how honored I feel to introduce you to Optimus Prime. He is the only legal leader of the Cybertronian people and wherever he is, there is Cybertron. He bears the greatest of the Matrices, the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. It chose him and he was made Prime the moment it did. Before that, he was a regular mech, a working mech, a longshoreman. He was a champion of justice and equality all of his life and he was jailed on more than one occasion trying to change Cybertron toward justice and equality for all. He is the greatest Prime ever to live among our kind, the greatest fighting Prime, the greatest mech I know. I can't detail in enough words what he means to us, his people. We have followed him for millions of years as he doggedly worked to gather us and recreate a place for us to rise again. He is our beacon, our moral center, our brother. His word is unbreakable, his honor sacrosanct. I have met few individuals in my life that I admire more fully than this one. So it is my great joy to finally present to the world, the Prime of Cybertron, Optimus Prime."

Ratchet smiled, then looked backward toward the door. The bots there stood straight and all listened as the sound of a powerful engine was heard. The sound paused, then transformation filled the air. The sound of heavy treads resounded, then a massive mechanism appeared in the doorway pausing. He was awe inspiring, incredible, incongruous and carried a sense of gravitas that for most was unknown until now.

He towered over all of them, even the big bots that had come with him and he stood looking at the humans who had gathered to speak to him. Glancing at Ratchet, he nodded, the ghost of a smile on his face. Ratchet grinned and nodded, stepping back to stand beside Springer once more. The room was silent as Optimus allowed them to look him over. He had listened to the speakers one by one and was deeply pleased with things so far. Now it was up to him to close the deal. Stepping forward, pausing on the platform, he looked down at the humans and began to do just that.

=0=TBC

05-21-13


	311. Chapter 311

The Diego Diaries: A Wandering Tale 3 (311)

-0-At the United Nations, New York City, USA, Earth

He stood before them, magnificent and remarkable. Looking around the room, he paused. "Good evening. I am Optimus Prime." His voice was rich and surprising to the delegates. It wasn't what a person would expect from a thirty foot machine. "I am honored to come here with my colleagues to talk to you about the troubles that have settled upon the Earth. Before I do that, I would like to express my most deeply felt condolences to the families who have been harmed by the forces who stand against us. I wish to express them for myself and for my people.

"For now, we stand at a crossroad. You have a choice before you that could have grave consequences for your world that could include extermination of your species. We who have suffered the ultimate penalty for the poor choices of our people can only watch you with concern. When we came here it was to retrieve an artifact with great meaning to our people. We weren't aware that Megatron was here as well. When he freed himself, we stayed to defend this planet and the humans that we had become to know as brothers.

"When he was defeated, it was with mutual effort between your species and mine. He has left this world to gather allies together to reclaim all that he feels belongs to him. He wants dominion of the universe and that includes Earth. For you to ignore or minimize this reality has incredible consequences for your future.

"We have carved out a niche for ourselves on Mars. When I called for soldiers to come, our people came too. They were a trickle that has become a flood. There was no place here on this Earth that would allow for us to take care of them so I did what I am obligated to do. I began a colony on Mars for them to come and be rescued. Megatron has ordered the Decepticons to root out our civilian population wherever they are found and to drive them here, harassing them all along the way. It is our belief that he means to overwhelm us and destroy all of us together in one spot. Our efforts to overcome that have allowed us to absorb wave after wave of refugee and be ready if he comes behind them.

"With our suffering multitudes come Seekers who have been given a death order by Megatron to end the perceived threat of their leadership against his rule. The Seekers have always protected each other against his capricious orders and he has run out of patience with them. Thousands of them came and still come, answering their Great Elder and me. They come and are an asset to the defense of this system and the quality of our life as Cybertronians.

"Among those who have come are Decepticons. They have turned their backs on their Cause and have found common ground with us. Our military ranks swell with them, their steadfast determination to oppose Megatron unquestioned.

We work together everyday to make sure that the system as we have sealed it is still secured against anyone with bad intentions against us.

"Doing so, we have identified three locations out there that are being built up by Decepticons that have gone their own way. They are outside the radius of our territory and are yet to become a threat. In some small way, they help us in that they fracture the Decepticon forces, dilute their ability to function as an autonomous entity and undermine the authority of Soundwave who now caretakes Cybertron.

"All of this would have happened with or without the containment of Megatron on Earth all those years because of the finding of energon in this system to such an extent. It is the life blood of our species and is rare enough that they would have come for it even if they had no other reason to be here. You are inexplicably intertwined with us, your species and mine. We are here to defend you and collect our scattered people in the process. It is my duty to do both.

"Ratchet has told you something of our life on Cybertron. It was a hard existence for too many. Some entire segments of our population were considered of little value by others. We had a revolution that nearly destroyed us, a revolution that is continuing as our people come to understand that the values of Megatron are no better than the values of the past when the few ruled ruthlessly over the many.

"For so many years now, we have served side-by-side with the soldiers of N.E.S.T and with civilians who have been a part of the effort to protect this planet. We have come to love and respect them, these individuals who work hard to make sure that everyone of you are safe. General Morshower and his soldiers are our brothers and sisters.

"The forces of reaction that believe that Megatron will leave here if we do are wrong. Megatron has been offended and he won't allow that lapse to go unpunished. The energon alone will bring him back. The offenses he feels will allow him to destroy you without regret. Those who say otherwise are operating with delusions and if you follow them, you will go the way of too many worlds who thought the same way.

"Larc of the Amacar told you of the tragedy that befell her people. They were advanced and capable, but no match for Megatron. Given all that, there is no hope for you should you be alone to defend against the invasion of Decepticons that he has planned for you when he gets back with allies.

"I am aware of the sentimental value of the planets and other bodies in this system into your thinking. I appreciate how strange it must be to see me and know that we exist. It can upset a neatly managed mental apple cart and bring all sorts of questions to mind. What I would hope you would remember is simple.

"We are here to protect you. We have families and friends, a city and culture, allies and comrades from all manner of places that we will defend too. Our people come and come. We are approaching two million now. We have no place to put them but Mars. I have many duties. Some of them are to you but most of them are to the people I was chosen to lead. I will gather them, care for and protect them with all the tenacity and skill that I bring to the effort to protect you. It is who I am and what I am supposed to do.

"All I ask of you is to understand the incontrovertible fact that it is delusional to think that our removal from this system takes you off Megatron's radar. That would be dead wrong." He paused a moment, then glanced at Morshower. "General, I would like Earth to know how much I appreciate what you and your forces bring to the table. Thank you for your support and continued effort in the battle to end aggression against all of us." Morshower nodded, his expression filled with conviction.

Optimus looked at the crowd a moment, then shifted. "I would hope that after all we have done together, the human forces and us that you would have confidence in our ability to protect this system and her residents. Anything less than our combined effort is suicidal and extinction-making. I greatly appreciate the opportunity for us to speak to you. I would hope that you take time to reflect on what you have heard and perhaps our alliances will be the better for it. Thank you." Prime nodded, then turned and walked back to the door. He disappeared from sight, then the sound of transformation and a powerful engine revving was heard.

Ratchet who peered down the hallway turned and walked back to the platform. "Before I go, I would like to show you some of the stuff we bring to the table. You have seen many different bots doing many different things over the years both on the MCA via IntraComm or other media. The four bots with me are front line soldiers, all of them extremely veteran and capable. But there is one bot that has a wonderful capability and I would ask him to show you now." Ratchet turned to look at Mirage. He smirked slightly, then stood straighter. As he did he disappeared completely.

The room was silent a moment, then a murmur went around the space. Ratchet grinned as he followed Mirage on his sensors. The bot crossed the room and stood by the door through which access to the great space was made. Then he reappeared. Humans startled, then sat looking up at him as murmurs buzzed. As they did, he disappeared and returned to his place coming into focus again.

"That is Mirage, an aptly named bot who can do that among other things. This is the level of skill and technology that we can bring to the fight. And even as we can, so can Megatron. How many of you sitting in this room can say you have a defense against what you just saw? Anyone?" Ratchet looked around the big room full of delegates and leaders who looked at him silently. "That is what you face. That is what we bring to the fight. If you give in to the terrorists who kill your people to save them from us, what will you do when Megatron comes? That is the central question of this moment isn't it. What do you do if you are wrong and Megatron comes?"

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet grinned. "Thank you for the invitation to speak. On behalf of the Prime of Cybertron and our people, I wish you the best and our condolences go out to the people of Earth who are suffering because of the hateful actions of their own fellows." With that, Ratchet turned and walked out the door followed by the four soldiers who had come with him. The sounds of transformation and engines running filled the air as the delegates sat listening.

Secretary General Bank-ki Moon arose and walked the podium. "This concludes the general assembly gathering. Thank you very much." At that, the gathered humans arose and began to talk to each other. As they did, the camera noticed that General Morshower's chair was empty.

-O-In the hallway

Glenn Morshower walked to Springer's truck and climbed in settling back. They were slowly working their way out of the building into the big parking lot out back. When he arrived, he climbed out and walked to Prime entering his cab. "General, thank you for coming," Optimus said.

"I would be here no matter what. What do you think?" Glenn asked.

"I believe short speeches by many speakers trumps one person speaking at length," Prime said through his radio.

"I thought you laid out the case and even if folks don't like you being here, they have the testimony of Larc and the Elder to consider. I think you did a good job," Morshower replied.

"It is my hope that they have something to think about. I don't want to have anyone suffering any further denial about the possibilities," Prime replied.

They sat together discussing the situation, then Morshower brought up Mearing. "I don't like her and she doesn't like me. She's going to be a problem. She won't treat you respectfully."

"Thank you for the heads up," Prime replied. "I have met those like her for a long time. We shall see what she can and can't do about us."

Ratchet sitting next to them tooted his horn. "You did a great job, Optimus," he said through Prime's radio. "Short and sweet. Given that you are the Chosen One leading us up the primrose path to glory and all, I suspect that you turned the focus off us and back on the homegrown bad guys. Not bad for an alien messiah."

Morshower chuckled. "I sometimes have to think hard about whether you are bullshitting me or telling the truth, Ratchet."

"You and me both, Glenn," Optimus said, a smile in his voice. "Do you need a lift anywhere?"

Morshower grinned. "I have one but I am coming for the game next weekend."

"I'll save you a spot," Optimus said. Farewells were given and the line up gathered as they began the short nine mile trek back to the airport. By the time they were loaded and heading back to Mars, the flash polls taken by news organizations all over the world showed elevated strong support for N.E.S.T and the Autobots.

Mission accomplished. For now.

-0-TBC

05-21-13


	312. Chapter 312

The Diego Diaries: For now (312)

-0-On the way back

"And so I think we're in good shape. Better shape then before." Ratchet glanced at Ironhide who leaned against the bulkhead. "Too bad they didn't get a look at your figure. They would know the bad guys didn't have a chance just from that."

Snorts and groans circulated as Ironhide preened. "Truer words never spoken. By the way, I don't like what that femme said to you. No respect at all to the ambassador of a Prime."

"Something tells me that she doesn't use respect for anyone perceived to be less powerful than her," Ratchet replied with a nod. "I've negotiated with worse. Shockwave. Megatron himself. I don't fear her. Much."

Grins went around the space. Springer glanced at Mirage. "At least you got a turn on the catwalk."

"Yes," he drawled in his best high caste imitation. "They got my good side. All of them."

(Hoots and derision)

"I'm kind of partial to the invisibility," Drift said.

"So am I," Jazz replied wickedly. Groans and laughter greeted that.

"One down and a few to go. I suppose the next step is eradicating the bad guys on Earth," Springer asked glancing at Prime who nodded.

"We will do intell to isolate spots where they operate," Prime said. "Then we get them."

"Sooner rather than later I hope," Ratchet said with a grim expression. "I'm monitoring frequencies for reactions and we just got one. Five new bombings have just occurred at the same time on Earth."

It was a grim ride to the city.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

A huge crowd had gathered waiting for them to return. Seekers, civilians and soldiers were there, some with their families. This was an important event and had been followed closely on the IntraComm. As the group flew back, the crowds gathered. Omega and Kappa appeared and the crowd grew more tense, watching as the big bots came in and touched down. Rolling to their stops, the hull hatches parted and ramps descended. One by one, the team stepped down to tumultuous greetings of the masses.

The Great Elder was hurrahed by the Seekers, thousands of voices calling to him, singing to him as he returned victorious. The Hu An gathered in front raised their voices both internal and external for their champion whom they enveloped in their numbers. The soldiers descended, grinning and smiling, waving happily as they were swallowed up by the crowd.

There was a pause, then Ratchet stepped off to tumultuous applause and approval. At the bottom of the ramp, he stood waiting for Ironhide and the others to come as well. They did, the cheers of the crowd floating them to the ground, then it was quiet. For a moment, there was no movement inside. Then Optimus Prime appeared in the doorway.

The crowd went mad.

-0-On the consortium broadcast follow up to the United Nations appearance, Earth

"They are very happy to see their Prime," a newscaster said as the scene was played. "All of them were welcomed like heroes but for Prime, there is another layer of respect." As he watched, he didn't know that Starscream and Thundercracker were hurrahed and enveloped by the crowd as well. It was a celebration and the leadership were being welcomed back into the family. They watched as Prime walked to the bottom of the ramp and began to make his way through the crowd. "Imagine this happening on Earth with any world leader you can name."

"It wouldn't happen," another said quietly. "You couldn't get within three hundred feet here. Apparently, you can see him all the time around the city and talk to him if you want. This is the single sovereign leader of an entire species and their world. Imagine that here? No way."

They continued to watch.

-0-Prime

He walked through the crowd which stretched on forever it seemed. All around him the others were equally feted as the crowd welcomed home their champions. Decepticons were seen, former enemies now partners in the great reclamation on these shores. They were as happy as anyone else, a fact not missed on the crowds on Earth. Some of them had been identified on The Hourly News so their former affiliation was known and commented upon.

It was a slow progress but eventually the Alpha team made it to Ops Center and a smiling Prowl. Towing his genitors who had come to see their son return, Optimus walked to Prowl and enveloped him in his arms. Hooting and catcalls greeted that, then all sat down at the table, Prowl hustling chairs for Tagg and Kestrel.

"Well, that was nice," Ratchet said with a smile. "Of course, no one earned it more than me."

Abuse greeted that, then they sat smiling at each other. Prowl looked at his datapad. "Apparently, the preliminary numbers are firming up and rising. This was a very successful meet up."

Larc who stood beside the table nodded. "It is to be expected. If we could not defeat Megatron, they cannot either. Simple math."

"Some will still consider 1 + 1 = 6 but they are diminishing. That is all we can hope for," Ratchet said grimly.

"The explosions when we left. Where are they and how bad were they?" Prime asked.

"They were in Budapest, Hungary, Moscow, Russia, Vancouver, BC in Canada, Melbourne, Australia and Phoenix, Arizona. They appear to be maximal damage and minimal harm to humans," Prowl said. "Apparently, they appear to be more 'message' and less 'carnage'."

It was silent, then Prime looked at him. "Put together a team whose sole focus is tracking these cowards for capture."

Prowl nodded. "I will."

"Do they really mean to break the alliance, Orion?" Kestrel asked with concern.

"Some do, Ada. But they will fail," Optimus said soothingly.

"The numbers who want us gone are like a grain of sand on an ocean beach. The rest of the populace can figure out the futility of going it alone, Kestrel," Ratchet said squeezing Kestrel's arm gently. "We have been through this before."

Kestrel nodded. "Alright."

They chatted and debriefed, all impressions aired, then they broke up and wandered out to their lives and shifts. Ratchet watched as Ironhide rose. "Where are you going, big boy?" he asked with a smirk.

"I'm going to get Prowler," Ironhide replied with a jaunty smirk. "Little mech needs to do the rounds for the hub and depot inspections due by tomorrow," he said pushing in his chair.

"Tell him hi for me," Ratchet said as Ironhide turned to leave. A wave greeted that, then Ironhide disappeared out the door. "Big whiner. I will say in his defense, little mechs and the femme can tell the difference between ordinance already."

Chuckles met that, then they got down to business making a plan to intercept communications, grid search the world and narrow down locations to scour. They were going to find the enemy if it took forever.

They personally had the time.

-0-On the road again

He walked from the subway car to the corridor off the platform that led to the hub that fed Terra. It was well lit and marked as a terminal for soldiers and Home Guard militia. Entering the space at last, he paused looking around. It was a big area. On one side of the big round room were half doors with counter tops where mechs could come to get their weapons repaired and field loaners until then. In the rooms behind the counter were walls and shelves filled with all the types of weapons they used. Many of them were the personal weapons of Home Guard mechs and femmes who stored them here. Others were being repaired or waiting for a freed up tech to get to them.

On the other side were the same stations where a mech or femme could get ammunition for any weapon fielded by the garrison. A vast store of munitions lay beneath his peds brought to the pick up stations by elevators. The munitions below were held in heavily reinforced rooms to prevent explosions from attack or accident reaching the ground levels where technicians worked.

In the middle of the room was a lounge section with monitors that played the news, local and human programming and sports. A couple of mechs were sprawled on couches and they nodded to Ironhide as he entered, his son tucked into the crook of his arm. It was a short stop, everything in tip top shape so he headed back out to the platform and a train to the next stop. It would be a sweet afternoon and a very educational one for the tiny winger that lay in his atar's arm watching and listening as his old mech told him everything that he saw around him.

-0-Ratchet

He walked out of Ops Center pleased with the plans in place. Saying goodbye to Rainmaker, Ebony and Larc, he walked onward to the city. It was warm, the traffic light and pedestrians thin on the ground. In a couple of joors, it would be different as the lunch crowd took their meals here and there. Reaching the path to Mare Tranquilitatis, he headed for the hospital and an afternoon of rounds, conversations with med students, a couple of repairs to keep his servos on and chit chat with the trine who decided to hang out.

It would be awesome.

-0-Trine

"What do you want to do?"

"Nothing. I wonder what Ada is doing?"

"He was at Ops Center debriefing."

(Pause. Search internally on sensors) "I think he's in his office."

"Let's go hang out with him."

Sideswipe nodded as he and Sunstreaker looked down at Bluestreak. The smaller mech turned and headed out from the Cultural Center toward the Mare Tranquilitatis where the Autobot City Medical Center was located. The twins followed bantering along the way and when they reached the floor where the CMO's office was, they entered to sit. Ratchet who was working looked up at them. "What brings such fine specimens of handsomeness to my office?"

All three grinned as two preened. "Good luck. Yours," Sunstreaker said. Everyone snorted including Sunstreaker. "So, what's the plan and when do we deploy?"

"We're laying out the intel and starting a grid search. When we get a handle on this, you're on. It would appear that some of the bad guys are on duty soldiers."

All of them sat a moment digesting that. "That sucks," Bluestreak said. "What a bunch of slag."

"Playing to the choir, Bluestreak," Ratchet said nodding sympathetically. "We will be going after them when we have more information."

"Count us in," Sunstreaker said nodding.

"It may mean taking another format for the missions," Ratchet said with a grin. "You after all are pretty well known and I don't think there are that many Lamborghinis working stake outs anywhere let alone Earth."

"What sorts of formats?" Sunstreaker asked with a touch of concern. "I have an image to think about."

"Maybe these," Ratchet said calling up on the monitor a number of questionable options. He chose a number of wankish vehicles including Lamborghinis' Veneno, named the ugliest vehicle ever devised by the mind of man.

"That is a Lamborghini," Sunstreaker said leaning forward to look at a fin covered beast. "Zero to 100 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds … 750 horsepower ... $5.6 million dollars … only three made … what is the problem with that?"

"Car cliches I think they said," Sideswipe said admiring the vehicle. "I think I have a new format," he said. "Fraggers don't know a good format when they see one."

Sunny nodded. "That car will be awesome with my colors," he said studying the vehicle. Then two beams of light shot from their optics as they scanned the image into their databases. A moment or two passed, then the pair sat back. "We need more information but we have another choice in the databanks."

"I can see you on guard duty doing site intel," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Nothing to see here. Just 11 million dollars in concept Lamborghinis parked by this warehouse. Nothing wrong there."

Sunstreaker grinned. "You and me, we're simpatico."

-0-On the ground

The water main gushed sending plumes into the sky as the rescue teams worked at the site of the bombing. The city sprawled all around them as the forensics teams worked to preserve evidence. Vancouver was heading into the evening, their peace compromised by forces that had struck against them without warning. Other places on the planet were going through their own nightmares too. The groups that wanted Earth for Earthers had leveled another demand.

They crawled here and there looking up with relief when the utility company finally shut off the gushers. Covered in water, blown to bits, the ground was littered with evidence of man's inhumanity against his fellow man. As they gathered it, they were careful. The experts were the best their city could field. Among them was a man who worked just as diligently but every so often would pocket a bit or piece he found.

He was one of them.

-0-TBC

05-23-13 Google Lamborghini Veneno and see for yourself. :D :D :D


	313. Chapter 313

The Diego Diaries: For Now 2 (313)

-0-Earth

Charlotte Mearing sat in her office in Washington, D. C. having just completed a debrief with the National Security Council of which she was chairperson. She ruled it with an iron fist having claimed her chairmanship inch by slagging inch. She had posed her brief to the President under the guise of increased efficiency and communications by demanding and mostly getting some control of N.E.S.T. and most of the technical side of the Global Alliance of which N.E.S.T. was a major component.

Morshower had been at the meeting as well and the combat between the two could match any battlefield anywhere for sheer ferocity. He had kept operational control as well as most of the administrative and budgetary components but he had to include her for intelligence and communications. Nothing that was going on between his office and the Autobots could be kept from her.

He was not happy.

"Thanks for taking a moment, Optimus," he said from his office over his encrypted line, the one he had with Optimus that no one else knew about. That one. "I just had a knockdown drag out with Mearing."

"I heard that she is going to be a problem, Glenn. I am sorry that you have this on top of everything else," Optimus said as he sat in Opts Center on Mars. "How can we assist you?"

Glenn Morshower smiled. "You already have. I would like for you and me to communicate directly with each other and that we keep her out of the loop as much as possible. Our encrypted lines will facilitate that but it will take effort to keep her talons out of things that don't need her attention."

Optimus nodded. "I understand. This reminds me of Cybertron when I became Prime. I was surrounded by individuals from whom the truth was kept for the sake of keeping my government intact. I will apply the same mode for this. How much trouble will she be when we locate the enemy and come to Earth to round them up?"

"Plenty, I think. She isn't impressed by our efforts so far in the main but that's too bad for her," Morshower said, his voice making his opinions clear.

Optimus grinned slightly. "Well, we will make sure she doesn't step on our operations."

Morshower nodded relaxing at last. "Barbara and I are coming for the playoff. I suppose Prowl has a bet laid out on Praxus?"

"He does," Optimus said with a chuckle. "I personally will be glad when the season is over to tell you the truth. The tension is thick on the ground around here."

They would chat for a bit, then break, their plan of action firmly in place.

-0-Johnson and Hedges

They gave themselves up in Las Vegas, going to the interrogation with their billionaire-financed lawyers. It was quiet in the interrogation room as Sam Hedges waited with his two attorneys. An FBI agent entered with a Las Vegas detective and a member of the ATF, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the agency that monitored munitions in the United States. They all sat as both sides stared at each other. The FBI agent began. "Mr. Hedges, we are wanting to know your whereabouts yesterday please."

"In relation to what?" one attorney asked.

"In relation to my question," the FBI man asked.

"Unless you tell us the circumstances relating to your question, I am going to ask my client to decline to answer."

And so it went.

-0-Out in space

They came through the darkness, a fleet filled with menace. Four battle cruisers and seven affiliated lesser vessels headed toward the signals that were emanating in the same approximate area. One was from Prime alone. The next was a message from Prime and Starscream. There was also a stronger newer one from the Great Elder. The one that drew them was from Paragon, someone their captain had known and served with. Everyone in the group was aware of the messages; they were ubiquitous communications.

They were also aware of other things too. There were strange communications programming from a planet filled with organic aliens. The communications were a gamut of entertainment, sports and news. Some of the programming was interesting. The 'westerns' and war shows were popular among the crews. Comedies such as 'I Love Lucy' were an acquired taste. What resonated were the movies and programming of 'Transformers'.

They could actually see reasonable facsimiles of themselves in programs. What was incredulous was that they were about Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Soundwave.

Shockwave.

Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, Ratchet and others.

Incredible.

They changed course and were heading toward Paragon who had made the offer of sanctuary and spoils, energon and opportunity for anyone who would come to join his regathering and reworking of the faction. They were aware of Soundwave's fortress and steered away. That situation was not clear to them yet. Viable or no? They couldn't tell. Paragon was more reasonable, a small independent operation that was gearing up to become something.

There might be a niche and future for them there.

As they drew closer, they found out other things. The Autobots had a forward base too. They also had a city.

A huge Cybertronian city.

It had a Temple.

It had Guardians.

It looked incredible.

They had spent inordinate amounts of time picking up the signal from that city that somehow had leaked from a transmission feed into clear space. The programming was incredible. The views spectacular. The quality of life that was available there Cybertronian.

There were schools.

Businesses ran by Cybertronians for Cybertronians.

Aliens who supported them.

There was even football.

Sports stadiums filled with Cybertronians engaging in Cybertronian football. They had the leisure and numbers to have sports.

It was incredulous making.

They flew onward, the leadership gathering on the deck of the command vessel. They would discuss their next steps together. Their leader wanted to go to Paragon and make a force big enough to challenge Prime. They would now discuss the feasibility of doing so.

-0-Barron

He sat in the conference room for his office on the top floor of the Autobot City Justice Building which had once been the old museum. The entire museum area had now become the permanent home of the legal arena of Autobot Nation. All seven floors down to the sub basements were dedicated space. The jail below held prisoners who were awaiting trial, had been sentenced to less than three months or were held in special sentencing circumstances like the younglings involved in the caste fighting.

"What is the status on the review of Burris's case regarding his trial?" Barron asked Coln-2 as Endar and Highrode paused their private discussion to listen.

"The panel of seven random citizens listened to the evidence unaware of the other charges regarding alleged brutality of those in his ship and found that Semi and the Prime were fair in their judgment of his guilt. They decided that there should be consideration given to the behavior of those when it can be determined to be based on class beliefs. The majority found that this conception was counter to the peace and should be considered with caveats as a separate charge in cases like this."

"We discussed at length our own objections and they agreed that there should be multiple judges to hear such cases to prevent caste bias from being a part of the judgment process. The idea of the Prime was considered separately because his judgments are made in conjunction with the Matrix. This judgment was upheld on the facts and on the matter of the Matrix's impartiality and adherence to justice," Endar said ruefully.

"What about the sentencing itself?" Barron asked nodding.

"They felt it appropriate," Coln-2 said nodding himself.

"I will forward these findings to the Prime and suggest that we institute an appeals process parallel to the Prime himself so that any cases that bring into question the possibility of discord based on undertones such as this one had have an avenue of review. Our people are used to debased institutions. It is up to us to rebuild trust in our department and the objective, which is fair and impartial hearings and reviews of behavior. I will also ask him to appoint a group to study the idea of special circumstances in law and sentencing if found guilty of those involved in caste incitement."

They all nodded and the meeting continued.

-0-Aerie Hill

Sky Warp stood on his balcony holding his son. They had named him after his grandada and to him the baby was perfect. That meant four perfect infants lived in their home. The other three were in school, a thing he still marveled over and he was alone for the afternoon. Starscream was at work in the Flight Center and Thundercracker was in college working on his degree in aerodynamic engineering. He was tending the home fires.

Behind him in the open spaces behind Aeirie Hill another construction was ongoing. They were building upward from the new habitat adding spaces for future Seekers who were coming. He could feel it, the regathering of his people and he was well pleased. His son would have more friends to grow up with. He would someday fly in these skies and know contentment. He would never know war. Of that, Sky Warp and the trine were in agreement. None of their infants would ever know what they knew. They would never experience it.

The sun was warm on his face as he stared at the sky. Soon more would come and they would be stronger. They would know more about the world beyond these skies. That would be good. They had young to protect and they would. He, Sky Warp would make sure of that.

-0-In a Youngling Day School classroom

They sat together around a microscope, one taking notes, the others discussing the images on a small monitor nearby as another manipulated the views. They were intent on their task as the rest of the class worked on their own projects. They were studying microbes in the soil of Mars and it was fascinating. They were preparing to go on a field trip to the foothills of Olympus Mons nearby to collect rocks and minerals for further study.

"I think they look like little bugs," Cardinal said as he pointed to one of the shapes on the little monitor.

Sunspot nodded. "They look like weird legos."

The others looked at him. "What are legos, Sunny?" Raptor asked.

"The greatest toy. They are snap together blocks that you use to build stuff. Come to my house after school and I'll show you," the little Seeker said.

The three looked at each other, then Sunspot. "Okay," Farrell said with a grin. Then they turned back to their task.

Terradive standing nearby watching his little class work hard smiled. It was a good orn he concluded before he turned to help Spirit and T-Bar draw their impressions of their specimens.

-0-In another place

Iacon, Uraya and Hero stood together watching their aide stack blocks in a certain order. They were smiling at each other, then their aide, then the three student teachers watching, then each other, then at the blocks, their aide, the blocks, the student teachers, the …

-0-In yet another place

Orion hopped when everyone hopped. He moved sideways in side steps when everyone did. He turned with his arms up twice like he was supposed to and stopped when everyone else did.

Dancing was awesome.

-0-Back there

Hero held a yellow block and looked at it. She turned to Iacon who was chewing on a red one. Reaching for it, she took it, Iacon watching her with a slight frown. Turning to put it on the floor, Hero placed hers on it. Then she turned to her niece and smiled. Iacon looked at it, then smiled back. Taking another block, she put it on the stack. It wobbled a bit but stayed up. Uraya who watched as she held two dollies, one for her and one for her twin smiled too. Then she put both dollies on the stack. It fell over. The three looked at each other, then laughed.

It was a tiny laugh.

It was deathly cute.

Such was the consensus opinion of all who watched.

-0-In the prison

Burris stood at the bars in the 14th orn of his imprisonment. His bond had taken over the household keeping things together. Their son was in the city jail attending college during the orn but reporting back for every second otherwise. It fried his circuits in a major way. So did the appeal.

They had failed. A bunch of nobodies had been drawn from the population at random and found not only that he was guilty but that laws needed to be made to address the idea of caste abuse and 'incitement'.

Frag that.

He would check in with Fenix when this was over and join the Iacon Order. Frag Prime if he didn't like it. He would be with his own kind, they would have their own thoughts and if Prime wanted trouble he would get it. He was resolved on this issue. He mused, then looked up as Proteus came to stand by him. "You look pensive, Burris. Care to unburden yourself?"

"I am filled with angst over my situation, Proteus. One cannot be oneself anymore," Burris said with his usual melodrama. "Do you know a mech called Fenix?"

"I don't believe so," Proteus replied.

"He has organized an opposition to the Prime disguised as a social club. He has gotten a good position in the office of the city administration and is going to exploit for our own advancement the system's opportunities."

"I see. I don't know how successful he will be. Apparently, the system is outlawed and the population against its re-institution."

"We want our own city and colony elsewhere. We want to make our own place, Proteus. Prime won't allow it."

"He has to defend the territory that he can," Proteus said playing devil's advocate. "If there are too many places, that is problematic."

"You sound like him," Burris said with a slight tone of disgust.

"You will find that not acknowledging the facts in your quest will sink you. Find arguments that are sound for every counter argument. That is the only way to win the favor of public opinion."

"Hang public opinion," Burris said. "Hang it all."

"Apparently that might be an outcome for you," Proteus said with a slight grin. "Iacon Order or no, your behavior in light of the migration is going to get you hung."

"We shall see," Burris said with a cold tone.

As they stood together Sentinel Prime walked over to stand with them. "You two look happy."

"What is to be happy about, Sentinel? The system is outlawed, I am in prison. The greatness of our people was predicated on a number of ideas and plans, none of which are in force here."

"I don't know, Burris," Sentinel said looking toward the glittering bustling city beyond. "It looks like they have things in servo from here."

Burris vented a sigh. "We shall see, Sentinel. I would think given that your leadership would be needed to pull things together again, even if only in our own colony that you would have more interest in what Fenix and the others are trying to do."

"What makes you think I don't, Burris?" Sentinel asked enigmatically.

Burris looked at him a moment, then stared back out across the barren landscape of the desert before him. "Just so you know, Sentinel."

Sentinel stared with him.

-0-Outside a pretty county house in the Wimpole Parish, Cambridgeshire, England

They burrowed in waiting for the arrival of the one they wanted. It would take a few days but they were professionals who could wait. The countryside was beautiful in early spring though the weather was marginal, light rains interspersed with sunshine and temps in the 50's to low 60's. They were camouflaged, hidden in the trees near the estate. No one could see them. They could watch however.

And they did.

-0-TBC

05-24-13 (PS I am replacing segments as edited out the wazoo. The first 20 of Diego part 1 are up to specs. The rest are coming. It may take 20 years but they are all going to shine like a diaaaaaaaamonnnnnnddddd... uh, sorry. :D I will update how far along the replacements are. Someone told me they want to print this out to have a hard copy. I want their copy to be shiny. Hugs to all, my darlings. It is finally sunny here and getting warmer. Alaska is a harsh mistress. :D


	314. Chapter 314

The Diego Diaries: Onward Ho (314) OOPSIE! I posted the wrong part. Here we go... :D

-0-Out there in a Decepticon battle group

They flew onward following a series of calls. One of them was from Prime. It was the oldest. The next was one with Prime and Starscream. That one had lead to a lot of discussion among bots on the ships. Then there was one from Paragon. That one was the most discussed of all. All of the officers had gone to the main ship to review the data and decide how they would proceed. The images of Autobot City were much debated especially the football games which they had seen in full broadcast. They were apparently real. For an outpost to have amenities like that especially with the population they had to support was mind boggling. They considered the muddled picture before them and flew ever onward heading toward a system on the outer arm of the galaxy, one they would never have journeyed toward but for the messages.

-0-On the site

Jetta and Payload along with Bulkhead watched the steel going up the side of another tower in the fifth unnamed housing development slash city on their master plans. Behind them rising into the sunlight, windows glittering were Autobut City and Terra. They were well into the construction of three more, each of them spokes off the hub of Terra. They were going to be satellites of that satellite, habitations with amenities and businesses, medical facilities and governmental as well as educational towers. Another school would be founded here inside work station #4 where they stood talking, one for younglings, some of which would be shifted from the original school now called Public School #1, Autobot City Youngling Intermediate Day School. The one at Terra was Public School #2, Autobot City Sparkling Day School. They were being supplemented with this new facility, Public School #3, Autobot City Youngling Day School. This one would in the end hold all of those younglings as the Intermediate need had grown. They along with the cities would be supported by the underground train system and new roads that were still required paving yet. "That tower is nearly finished and we can diversify the construction teams around the others," Jetta said pointing out a tall habitation tower that was getting the finishing touches. "We have ten at final stages with 15 more to go. I am very happy about this, gentlemen."

Bulkhead grinned. "We're ahead of schedule and on track to have this city and the next one ready for the migration coming."

"Good. It's still only echoes but it appears to be a big one," Jetta said. He grinned and looked at the two big bots. "A little birdie told me." Striker, a Seeker liaison official between the Planning Commission and the city management just smiled.

-0-In Prime's Office

"That is the plan anyway, son."

Optimus looked at his genitors with emotional optics. "I think that is a wonderful plan, Ada. You and Atar need to do what you feel the urge to do."

"Well, we have a lot of catching up to do and Ravel said that he would be happy to have us help him at the store when things get busy as well. We can be a resource in the family too," Tagg said nodding.

They looked at their son searching his face for approval as they waited. They had discussed their situation and obligation to the city and their son for some time together, finally broaching the subject with Ravel and Tie Down. They had dinner together and figured out what to do, both sets of genitors feeling the burn themselves. Now they hesitantly broached the subject with their son in his big shiny office.

"You do know don't you," Optimus began in a gentle voice, "that you don't have to ever work again. If you want to do other things, learning and the rest you can. You can volunteer or do things you always dreamed of doing."

"That would be fine for hobbies, son, but we have a responsibility to our city and to you, to support all of it with our efforts," Kestrel replied, nodding his helm as he watched his son with anxious optics.

"I think your plan is outstanding," Optimus said nodding back. "I think it makes me terribly happy to know that you are getting to do things that you always wanted but never could."

They relaxed and smiled. "We want to be useful and help," Tagg said nodding. "We talked to the Adult Education Center and they are ready to help us."

"They are so nice over there, Orion. I think this will take some time. Both of us have to catch up but we will be ready to begin as soon as we can," Kestrel said.

"Take your time," Optimus said with a smile. "We do number about 2 million now. We have a lot of support for those of you taking this path."

"Well, we will do our best," Tagg said firmly.

"I know you will," Optimus said sitting back in his chair, a look of pride and love on his face. "You do know that the Adult Education Center holds graduations just like the University."

They glanced at each other, then their son. "We didn't know," they said.

Optimus grinned. "Count on it."

-0-A little while later

Two bots stood in the doorway, new datapads in servo. The room held a number of individuals who looked as uncomfortable as they did. A friendly bot in the corridor patted Kestrel on the back. "Let's go inside shall we?" he said cheerfully.

Kestrel and Tagg looked at him, then nodded moving inside to sit side-by-side at a table. Others entered and one joined them, a youngling with unease writ large on his face. At the front of the room, a friendly cheerful bot stood. "Thank you for coming. I want to ask your names to make sure all of you are here, then we will begin. By the time you finish this course the University will be your best friend." He picked up a datapad. "Armature?"

A bot answered.

"Genovese?"

A Seeker femme answered.

"Kestrel?"

He glanced at Tagg, then the teacher. "Here."

"Tagg?" he asked as the afternoon rolled on.

-0-Fenix

He sat at his desk in the cramped corner of the office that Caro ruled with a sweet attentive servo. He was vetting a number of contracts for various green technology ventures on Earth. They were good contracts that made a lot of money for the Nation even as the cost to those who wanted to use them was small. What they lost in point of sale was made up for in volume. His brain told him why. Earth was in dire need of alternatives and there was great demand. Yet, some part of him felt they were getting low balled even though Caro assured him they were on track.

"We know the Earth has great need and no one should be denied things just because they can't afford them, Fenix. We even do installment payments for things that people buy to improve their lot, low small payments so they can have the same opportunities as everyone else. We also work through foundations set up that give technology and grants to allow low income individuals to get things to help improve their lives even if they can't pay. Its the way we roll. Until all are one."

Fenix signed off on the last one, then rose walking to the door where Caro sat chatting with Warren Roberts via conference call. Rapping on the doorjamb, he smiled. "Lunch time. I'll be back."

"Thank you, Fenix," Caro said looking toward the door with a smile. He sat in his office, a very comfortable place filled with work and pictures of his family.

Fenix nodded and turned walking through the cramped quarters toward the door. In three orns, they would be in one of the new cities in new offices at the top of the building that would share schools, government offices and the medical center for the new site. It would be great. He would have an office of his own and windows that could see forever. It would be a vast improvement over what he had now. Taking a pause outside, he turned and walked toward the Cultural Center and Club Hoyle. His bond was going to be there and so would others in the Iacon Order leadership. Lunch would be a good strategy time for all he thought as he disappeared into the crowded streets.

-0-At the Sparkling Day School, Terra

Neo felt Ratchet before he appeared in the doorway, the sensation of being scanned touching her neural nets. Ratchet appeared and stepped inside walking to where Neo sat in a rocker by the window. Laying on her shoulder, Praxus sniffled. Ratchet paused and looked at his son, the infant unaware that he was there yet. "What happened?" he asked.

"Poor baby. He fell of the couch on his helm. The school medic looked him over and found nothing but I felt I should call you to come," Neo said as Ratchet took Praxus. He looked at Ratchet, then burst into tears wailing loudly. Ratchet settled him against his shoulder patting his tiny aft. "Poor sweetie."

"There's nothing wrong but a sore head," Ratchet said with relief. "Poor pup. I think I'll take him with me if there isn't anything big going on right now."

"No," Neo said rising. She squeezed his tiny ped. "He can go if you want him. I'll check him out."

"Thank you, Neo," Ratchet said. They chatted a bit, then Ratchet turned and walked out. The ride down to the lobby and the short jaunt to the door through staff and friends who chatted was accomplished finally. Ratchet stood outside watching the locals go about their business as the sun overhead continued on its journey. He patted Praxus who looked at him with sad optics from the middle of his little bunny hat. He wore his matching sweater and looked impossibly cute to Ratchet. "Come on, baby. Let's just walk around and look at things. I haven't had a chance to really explore Terra yet."

Praxus whimpered, then cuddled up to Ratchet as the warmth he sent began to gather on his ada's shoulder. Ratchet turned and walked down the street pausing at the intersection. Down to the right on Main Street were businesses and restaurants. He turned and ambled along looking at the windows as he went. He saw one across the way and crossed the street against traffic pausing before it.

It was an Art Guild affiliated business, one that produced art and other important things for Cybertronian tastes. It was called Full Circle and bore the symbol of the Circle of Light in the corner of the main window which was filled with samples of their wares. He entered and paused looking around the large shop that had a traditional Cybertronian hand loom in the back where a bot was working. Shelves and aisles bore objects any Cybertronian would know, books and different things that signified all sorts of aspects of their cultural and religious life.

He walked to the far wall to go up and down the aisles but paused, caught by the tapestries hanging on the wall. He had seen them in museums and high caste stores on Cybertron and he was aware that Prowl had one that was an heirloom, saved during the Fall. This one was made in shades of blue, from a luminous dark to a reflective shimmering light. On the surface woven into the fabric were images of the pantheon superimposed over an overall image of Cybertron itself, placed upon it like numbers on a clock face. The main image of course was Primus, his golden armor shining luminously as he looked out with a calm expression of confidence.

The images held famous quotations attributed to Primus that were woven in gold thread here and there. It was incredibly beautiful and held Ratchet's attention. He felt rather than saw someone at his side. Glancing left, he paused. "Hi."

A Seeker femme who wore the double gold bands of Circle of Light around her forearm smiled back. "Hi. Can I help you or are you just looking?"

"Both I think," Ratchet said with a grin. "I love this tapestry."

"It is beautiful. I am thinking that it belongs to you."

Ratchet paused, then looked down. "Its handmade."

The femme nodded. "It is. That tapestry was begun elsewhere and finished here. They take about ten years to make by their makers because they are made by hand one by one."

"I can't take it," Ratchet said glancing at it in wonder. Then he glanced at the femme. "Can I?" he asked with a grin. "They were always out of reach of mechs like me."

"That was wrong. They belong to all of us, our pantheon. This work was seeking the family it will belong to. You came and saw it so it is yours. I will get it ready for you," she said reaching up to take the big image down. She turned and walked to a table carefully rolling it into a tube before slipping it inside another, sealing it with a cap. She turned and walked back to Ratchet handing it to him. "This is a beautiful object. I hope it brings you happiness."

"It already has," Ratchet said nodding. "Thank you so much. I will put this in a place of honor in our home."

She nodded back. "You are welcome."

They chatted a moment, then Ratchet stepped out heading for the street again. "Well, this is a good orn, Praxus. How do you feel?" The infant was sagging into a light recharge in the company of his ada so they turned together and headed onward to the subway station nearby. Going down, they disappeared as they made their way to Ironhide.

She watched him go, then turned to the wall and its empty spot. Reaching for another laying on a display table nearby, she hung it up and stepped back to look. Smiling, she turned and walked back to the loom at the end of the big room sitting to begin once again on the tapestry she was weaving. Nearby, working on a copper plate with quotations from The Chronicles, another artist was hard at it.

-0-A bit later

He walked into the hub under Metroplex, one that took care of the armaments of the bachelor soldiers who still lived in the barracks under that big construction. Standing at the door of the gunnery station, Ironhide was talking to the depot master. Pausing, he looked over his shoulder to see Ratchet walking to him with his son. "What's up? What's little mech doing playing hooky?" he asked with a smirk.

"Little mech fell off the couch and bumped his noggin. I thought he needed to hang out with us," Ratchet said as Ironhide reached for the baby.

That big bot sniffed the half groggy infant, then looked at Ratchet with alarm. "He's hurt? Should he recharge?"

"He's alright. He has a sore helm but he's fine," Ratchet replied.

Ironhide tucked the baby into his arm, then looked at Ratchet. "What's that?" he asked looking down at the big tube in Ratchet's servo.

Ratchet smiled. "Come over here and I'll show you," he said as he turned and walked to a table nearby. They followed.

-0-TBC

05-26-13 NOTE: Happy Memorial Day weekend to all in the USA who celebrates it. It is a day set aside to think about those who are not among us and remember their lives.

Shout out to Elita-2, MegatronOwesMeMoney, Kami Count D, Kaekokat, Phoenyx Starr, Maraluch, Lockdownthegunner, optimusprime101, Cry4Me, Magebreaker, Skyenhamarisa, whackedgourd, panthothenate and everyone else who reads this story. You are my heroes.


	315. Chapter 315

The Diego Diaries: Memorial Day (315)

-0-In the hub under Fort Max

They walked to the table and gathered around Ratchet as he uncapped the tube and pulled the tapestry out. Unrolling it on the table, they stared at it, all of the mechs with Ironhide. "That's beautiful, Ratchet. Where did you get it?"

"Full Circle, a Circle of Light and Guild shop off Main," Ratchet replied. "They have them and other beautiful things. I think I want them around the house for the sparklings and for me. We never could have them when I was growing up. We had paper images in the apartment."

Nitro nodded. "We did too. I only saw these in museums or in houses of the high castes."

"You saw them there?" Alloy, a big gunnery master asked with a slight grin.

Nitro smirked and glanced at him. "Of course the owners weren't there at the time."

A general chuckle went around the group. "Did you have one, Ironhide?"

The big bot glanced at Ratchet sheepishly. "We had two. One was an heirloom and the other was one Ada got during a Festival of Primus."

"That's coming up in about 6 decaorns isn't it?" Nitro asked as he touched the beautiful figure of Primus gently.

"It is," Ratchet said. "I'm not sure which festival I like the best, that one or Christmas Surprise."

Everyone nodded agreement. "They're both good," Nitro said, his optics fixed on the image.

They chatted a while, then gathered up to go. Ratchet carried the tapestry tube and Ironhide, Praxus in arms turned to move on to the next hub. Ironhide paused glancing at Nitro. "You coming?"

"I have something to do, Ironhide. I'll catch up," Nitro said with a nod.

Ironhide nodded back and turned walking to the corridor that would lead them to the train station nearby. Nitro watched them go, then headed out the same way. When he got his train Ratchet and Ironhide were already gone. He headed for Terra.

-0-About, here and there

They stood on the train heading for Aerie Hill, Praxus recharging in the comfort of Ironhide's arm. "How is your orn going?"

"First rate," Ironhide said. "We are optimal in munitions, efficiency is tip top and I have Praxus. Can't get much better."

"How is Prowler?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"He's talking to himself," Ironhide said patting his carry hold. He grinned. "Little mech is a wonder."

"Takes after his old man," Ratchet said with a grin. The train rolled to a stop, others getting on and off before continuing onward. "What about lunching out as they say in the English novels?"

"My ada is sure into them," Ironhide said with a nod. "I'm up for it."

"Good," Ratchet said as the train slid into Aerie Hill Station #1. They stepped off and walked down the corridor to the hub station where they would shoot the slag with the mechs there before heading off for more stops.

-0-Out there

They flew onward, their group captain deciding that Paragon was the way they would go in terms of realigning with the faction. The stars streaked by as he relaxed in his chair. The power that they brought wasn't insignificant and he was more than determined to carve out a niche of his own in the structure that Paragon would have created. His ships were a force to reckon with.

As he sat thinking ahead he didn't notice the movement behind him. Three ship captains had joined their master on board his ship to discuss this and that, remaining ostensibly to hang with colleagues and friends for a bit. If he had looked he would have seen blasters in the servos of two of them, blasters that were pointed at his helm. He did however feel the steel against his helm when they reached him.

-0-At the armory under Industrial Park #6

They stood in the construction of the facility as overhead the finishing touches were put on the industrial park that would be dedicated exclusively to making Cybertronian steel and its major component, Cybertanium. Given the expected expansion of the city with migrations that were already signaling their presence on the sensor array that could reach 35 light years into space in all directions, the need for steel would always be extreme. Because it was now located in the boondocks from the city, the need to defend it was always also going to be extreme.

"This is coming along," Ironhide said to the big mechs who stood around them explaining the progress of the facility. Praxus who was feeling better sat on his arm looking at them. **"ADA!"**

"Praxus." Ratchet grinned and looked at the other mechs who were grinning. "He has a big mouthed older brother. Neither of them understand indoor voices."

"Sounds like mine," a big mech said with a chuckle. He tweaked Praxus's nose and the sparkling smiled widely. "Cute paint scheme."

"It's a family joke," Ratchet replied with a big grin. "Little mech just cried out for a medical paint scheme."

They chuckled and chatted, finally resolving all the remaining issues before turning to go. Onward ho.

-0-On Main Street in Terra

Nitro stood across the street looking at the store, then he crossed between traffic. Pausing outside, looking at the wonders within, he finally entered. Looking around, he saw stacks of beautiful things, books and plaques, all of them engraved with their cultural and religious beliefs and ideas. He looked at one, a child's book explaining their beginnings from the Creation until the Fall of Unicron and the Sacrifices of Primus for them.

He held it for a moment considering his daughter, then noticed a sweet faced femme standing near him waiting. He put the book down quickly, shifting from ped to ped. She smiled. "That is a beautiful book for a youngling. I assume you have infants?"

"I do. My daughter is beautiful. She's in the Youngling Day School," he said.

"Then you should give her that book," the femme said with a nod. "It never hurts for the young to know who and what we are."

Nitro nodded. "I want that. She should know who we are and where we came from."

The femme nodded and looked further down the shelf. She picked up a fat volume and held it out. "It doesn't hurt for us to know either."

Nitro took it, the cover engraved with 'The Story of Us'. The pages like almost all books on Mars were paper thin sheets of steel engraved with colorful photographs and other illustrations for the text. The cover was a thicker page with images of Cybertron and archetypal photos of early Cybertronians doing this and that. "This is a great book."

"Both of them will be yours then," she said smiling as she picked up the child's book and gently took the one from his servo. She glanced at the tapestries which he had paused to stare at when he entered. "I see that you admired the tapestries."

"I did. I do," he said looking at her a moment. "I ..."

She waited accustomed to revelation from the big mechs and how it sometimes took time. She nodded sympathetically.

"I used to see them in the museums. I also saw them in the high caste houses on the out country estates."

She nodded and waited.

"I was breaking into the houses," Nitro said with a bit of shamefaced regret. "I thought they were beautiful when I saw them."

"They are." She looked at him a moment. "That was then, in a different time and place. We were all something different there in those circumstances. It is what we are now that matters."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded barely perceptively. "Maybe you're right."

"Which one is your favorite?" she asked with a smile.

"I like the green one," he said pointing to the tapestry with shades of green in metallic tones. It was beautiful.

"Then its yours," she said. She walked to the table nearby and laid down the books. She walked to the wall taking down the shimmering green tapestry. She worked at the table packaging up the items and turned handing them to Nitro. "There you do. They were always intended to go home with you."

He looked at her and nodded. "I forgot how that worked," he said with a slight grin. "Thank you for this. They will all have places of honor in my apartment. My daughter will read both of them. I'll help her."

The femme nodded. "That makes me happy."

Nitro looked at the gifts in his servos and nodded, a smile on his face. Turning, he walked to the door and out into the world once more. She watched him go, then turned with a smile. Picking up a red tapestry, she hung it up in the empty space then turned to return to the loom where she was making another.

-0-Lunchtime

They walked along the street to The Pit Stop Cafe on Cultural Center Road near the airport. Getting a table by the window, they settled in. Putting Praxus on the table, they sat grinning at him. He felt better so he grinned back.

"What a good looking sparkling, Ironhide. Impeccable paint scheme if I say so myself," Ratchet said sitting back to relax.

Ironhide snorted. "You're certifiable," he said as he handed a spoon to his son. Praxus took it and smiled, pounding on his ped with it happily.

"He's as nutty as his brother," Ratchet said watching the baby. "I don't get what they get out of that."

"I'll ask them when they're old enough," Ironhide said with a grin.

The waiter came and they ordered 'the usual', ie, Ironhide's 'cheese burger, onion rings and high grade' as well as Ratchet's 'Reuben sandwich', awesome 'pickles' and 'milkshake'. An onion ring for Praxus would be sufficient for his little belly. The waiter hurried off to get it going. The place began to fill up including among the fly boys and mechanics lawyers from the Courthouse nearby and their support personnel. It was lively and happy in the big cafe.

"Well, what do you want to do about Scouts now that football is winding down?" Ratchet asked with a smile.

A **SEVERELY** hostile gimlet optic met that remark. **"Shh!"**

"Why, Ironhide. Don't tell me that you're wimping out on me, you little femme. It's not like you have to do this alone. Prowl is your second-in-command by order of the Prime." Ratchet leaned forward with a smirk. "He told me he hopes that both you and Prime have forgotten that."

"**Frag that**," Ironhide said grinning in spite of himself. "That slagger is going to be there too. By the way, what do we do or do you even give a frag? You get me into this slag and then you disappear. What the frag kind of bond are you, you slagger?"

"Why, Ironhide," Ratchet said sitting back with fake umbrage. "I actually covered your aft during football. I organized the mechs who did all the work. You just got to stand around sucking up the glory and answering a question or two. Tell me if you ever appeared on the news and in the newspapers as much before footie?"

"Frag that, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a smirk. "Your slag isn't going to make this better."

"Aw," Ratchet said pouting comically. "Did you get your prong caught in your zipper?"

A pause for clarification and a wince that could be felt in Nebraska preceded a caustic optic leered at a smirking bond mate. "You are demented."

Ratchet leaned in and grinned. "You knew that going in, slagger."

"True, that," Ironhide said with a grin. "You are a wily old slagger."

"I know. It's part of my great allure," Ratchet said sitting back to preen.

"Is that what it is?" Ironhide began before the appearance of the twins cut him off from further slag. They paused, then made a beeline pulling out chairs to sit. Sunstreaker took Praxus and hugged him. "What is Praxus doing out of school?" he asked.

"He fell on his bean," Ratchet said. "He has a processor ache and the big idea he should come with us."

"Oh," Sunstreaker said kissing the infant who settled against his shoulder venting a contented sigh. "What's in the tube?"

"A tapestry from Full Circle in Terra," Ratchet said.

"I like that place. They have a lot of relics and things. We have small tapestries for the girls and Kaon. We hung them on the walls over their beds."

"That's where this one is going," Ratchet said. "Proper place for a work of art like this."

Sunstreaker nodded. "There's something going on in space."

"What?" Ironhide asked.

"A 'Con battle group in this area is diverting toward us," Sideswipe said.

"They were heading toward Paragon but now they're coming toward us," Sunstreaker said.

Ironhide paused to contact Ops Center. :Prowler, what's going on?:

:We have a group maybe heading this way. They changed course from Paragon's fortress and seem to be on course to come here. We're sending out a force to meet them when they get close enough. You are on standby just so you know:

:Thanks. I will be by later. We're at The Pit Stop with the twins having lunch. Can you get away? Onion rings:

There was a pause. :I can be there in a minute. We have time until they get here. On my way:

Ironhide grinned. "Prowl is coming."

"Onion rings?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.

"Bingo," Ironhide said.

-0-Moments later

Prowl entered, Optimus in tow. They pulled up another table and sat, Praxus making the rounds until he ended up with Granny. Orders were made and onion rings stolen as Ironhide and Ratchet received their orders.

"These are addictive," Prowl said offering a bite to Praxus who took it.

"I figured you would come. Wave an onion ring in front of him, Optimus and he'll do anything," Ratchet said. "Including being the second-in-command to the Scout Master of Mars himself."

Two sets of malevolent optics bordering on lethal levels of gimlet looked at Ratchet. Prime on the other hand grinned. "I had forgotten."

"Thanks, slagger." -Prowl and Ironhide

"You're welcome." -Ratchet

"**ADA!"**

They all looked at Praxus who was sitting in Prowl's arms. He looked at them looking at him and forgot his train of thought. He clapped his servos and smiled ginormously. Prowl grinned. "Come live with me. Your ada is a slagger."

"**OWL."** He grinned at Prowl. Prowl grinned at him. He got another bite of onion ring.

"Tell me about the newcomers," Ironhide said taking a bite of his burger.

"It would appear that there is a rebellion going on aboard that group. It would also appear that the signal drift that we have going on is working," Optimus said. "I have also authorized leaking the story of my life."

Ratchet snorted. "I can't wait for that. I think IntraComm is wasting a bet not making that a movie. You and Springer overseeing a demented family. Kup alone is worth the price of admission. A winner in every way possible. Award winning."

"You like to revel in that don't you?" Prowl asked with a smirk of his own. "You're hopeless."

"Actually, Prowler, I'm well balanced. I get my delusions out," Ratchet said.

"Well, some of us have a reputation to maintain," Prowl sniffed. The abuse that got was deserved.

Meals arrived and they busied themselves a moment eating. Around them bots came and went, their happy chatter, laughter and occasional disagreement texturizing the moment into something deeply Cybertronian. If the décor was different, it could have been any place on Cybertron at meal time. That it was on an organic world with influences of an organic species nearby was of little consequence. The Cybertronian need to be a unit, to be a town, a people was the most striking feature of the moment and the city beyond.

It felt like home.

-0-At the prison

Burris stood by the bars. He had finished a meeting with his lawyers. He had been indicted for slavery, abuse of authority, assault and battery, violation of several Cybertronian laws including those regulating space ventures and would be held over for trial. He had sat shocked out of his processor as the news was laid out before him.

It was beyond his ability to think that anything he had done was wrong.

Apparently the thirty mechs in his hold had been interviewed and they had alleged crimes against him that weren't even on the books. On Cybertron, he had run vast industries including mining as well as manufacturing of steel and other heavy metals. Mechs and femmes had been hurt, some even dying. It wasn't his fault. He was just the owner. Managers ran the show, not him. He didn't even go to the sites themselves. This could not be against the law, he thought. It had happened on Cybertron and no one cared.

Why now?

Why here?

He could barely process all of it. Beyond the fence, the city glittered, all manner of things going on that he could not participate in. He could not be with his family, make a place for himself and offer his expertise. It was a stunning development. He would stand by the bars for a long time trying to understand what had happened. Then he would appeal to the Prime himself.

It was his right.

That he expected for himself what he never gave others never entered his processor once.

-0-Paragon

"What are they doing?" Paragon asked. "Have you communicated with them?"

"I have," his communications officer asked. "They have ignored all of our messages since the first one with their fleet captain."

Paragon looked at his sensor officer. "Track their path."

He nodded and complied. Looking back, he answered. "They are heading for Autobot City, sir."

Paragon looked at the screen before him and frowned. "Frag," he said quietly.

-0-Out there

A new group captain sat in the command throne. The old one was in the brig cooling his heels. They had come to a meeting of the minds, the three ship captains. Go to Paragon and take their chances or go to Prime and see what the city they saw in the leaked images had to offer. Football or a forward base? A city with literally millions living there or an army camp living rough? It was an easy choice for most of them.

The officers weren't giving up anything. They were prepared to leave and seek out alternatives among the players but if they could live in a city like Prime's, it was a great improvement over the eternal drifting that they had undertaken so far. They would speak to Prime, figure out the limitations, then decide. They were aware that staying there would require stepping down from leadership, arms and predation because Prime would neuter them as his price. Whether they would or could do that was still in flux. They knew they were tired of roaming but they weren't tired of being Decepticons.

Most of them.

It would be interesting.

They continued into the darkness heading for a set of signals that were profound in their dissonance. They headed toward a solar system where Prime and Starscream were allies.

It would take a while for that to feel anything but astounding for all of them.

-0-The Pit Stop

Bluestreak entered walking to the table where Sideswipe pulled him into his home-away-from-home, his lap. He grinned. "Onion rings I see," he said glancing at Prowl.

"Want some?" Prowl asked as Bluestreak took one anyway. "I sure failed with you. Or maybe hanging out with you two has eroded your manners, Bluestreak."

"Be lucky we took him off your servos," Sunstreaker said with a grin.

Abuse and laughter met that along with a slap on the back of the helm by the aforementioned ring thief. "You're so lucky to have me," Blue said. He looked at Ironhide. "I want your sparkling, Ironhide."

Ironhide looked at Bluestreak with a comical frown. "You are as bad as your atar," Ironhide said as he reluctantly slid a recharging tiny winger from his hold. Bluestreak took the baby and kissed him. "Your atar is a big crybaby."

A little blue optic opened slightly to look at Bluestreak, then closed. Blue grinned and glanced at Ironhide. "Even your sparkling agrees."

"That sparkling is a true blue sparkling. He could no more be a traitor than Ratchet can fly," Ironhide said with a big grin.

A slap to the back of the helm greeted that remark. "You're fragging lucky I put up with you, Ironhide."

"Look at the marital discord," Sideswipe said with a smile. "No wonder the two of us are so rotten."

"Speak for yourself, Sideswipe," Sunstreaker said grinning at Ratchet.

"You two hit the mother lode when you got us. By the way, I'm drafting you into the Autobot Scouts, all three of you," Ratchet said to the everlasting spark wrenching angst and all around ennui of the Scout Master and his S.I.C. sitting at the same table.

"That's right. I had forgotten that. Mostly," Optimus said pausing mid bite in his burrito. "When does that start by the way? I want to tell the little mechs."

"**DON'T YOU DARE!"** Prowl said looking at Optimus with alarm. "We'll get on it. Trust me."

"Yeah, Optimus. Trust him. The cheating slagger. Cheater, sparkling thief, all around low balling double dealing slagger," Ratchet said with a giant grin.

Prowl looked at Ratchet with a grim expression. "You slagger. You did this on purpose."

"You better believe it, ***Prowler***. How does it feel?" Ratchet asked with a smile.

"Watch your backside, Ratchet," Prowl said grinning in spite of himself. "Praxus is still going to win and that will carry me through my hour of need."

"Traitor," Sunstreaker said looking at his in-law.

"Some things transcend family, Sunny," Prowl said sitting back smugly, Praxus drowsing against his armor.

**"Football?**" Sideswipe asked with a snicker.

"Football," Prowl said with a grin and look of triumph which he shot to Ratchet postage free.

"I will console myself, Prowler knowing as I sit in my apartment all content and clean that you are sitting in the dirt trying to make fire with 1,000 little mechs and femmes watching."

Ratchet grinned.

Prowl didn't.

-0-TBC

05-27-13


	316. Chapter 316

The Diego Diaries: Dance (316)

-0-Later that night in Ops Center

Prowl and Prime walked in pausing at the center table where Blackjack and Ironhide stood waiting. Jazz was working at the sensor station and Mirage was manning intel at the communications station. "What do we have?" Prime asked.

"We have a message, Optimus," Jazz said turning to walk to the center table, a datapad in his servos. "We have a message from one of the three Decepticon battle groups we've been tracking."

"What does it say?" Prowl asked taking the datapad to peruse the data.

Jazz nodded to Mirage and he commed it over the system. "Optimus Prime, this is Commander Shield. I lead a Decepticon battle group and we have heard your signal. We want to talk about terms for settlement at your base. If you are interested, this is our frequency." The data was read by the Commander, then he spoke again. "We are looking for a home port. We know you are interested in getting the battle groups out of the game. We are interested in what you offer. Call me. Shield out."

They stood a moment considering the offer to meet up. Optimus looked at his senior officers. "Any of you know this Decepticon?"

They considered that question, then Jazz nodded. "I knew a criminal in Kaon named Shield. Sunstreaker could probably tell you more, Sunny and Sideswipe. They were mortal enemies if this is the same one. Both of them ran competing gangs."

"What was your place in the mix?" Prowl asked.

"I was neutral in their arguments. You could get dead otherwise really fast." Jazz's face was serious as he thought about it. "Shield is a bad actor, Prime, if he's the same one. He might be talkin' for the whole group or just himself. It will be up to us to sort that out."

"Then again," Alor mused, "He could be coming here to be a spy for Paragon. I know they had to have heard his appeal as well."

Optimus nodded. "When will they be in range to make trouble?"

"Two orns," Jazz said. "I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to answer him. Make him sweat."

"That is a physical impossibility," Prowl said. Everyone looked at him and he looked smugly at them. "Humor."

Optimus snorted. "Okay."

Prowl rolled his optics, then spread out the roll up data pad inputting the data so far as known. The sector of space appeared and the lights of three different battle groups could be seen. The two forts, Paragon's and the fortress on the other side of the migration route commanded by someone as yet unknown could be seen. The two groups that were still unidentified were moving at a slower pace then the one signaling them. Those two appeared to be heading on a course that would bring them together at some point yet far away. A meet up appeared likely. "These two look problematic," Prowl said pointing out the groups moving toward each other. "It might do to send sensor teams to scan the sector through the bridge … in and out fast. The more data the better."

The sound of heavy footfalls behind them drew everyone and they turned to watch Starscream and Rainmaker walk across the enormous room toward them. They joined and stared at the map. "This looks interesting."

"A battle group wants to speak to Optimus," Blackjack said explaining the data before them. "A mech named Shield. A bad one."

Starscream considered that, then shook his helm. "I have known a great number of bad mechs. That one I am sure has met the greatness that is me, but he does not ring a bell as the insects say."

Everyone including Rainmaker smirked, then Rainmaker looked at the datapad. "This is following our own intel. We saw more than three groups out there but only these three were heading this way. I think that many more kingdoms are being built besides the one Paragon has. Some of them appeared to be pirates rampaging around. Megatron would be very vexed to see this," he concluded with a big grin.

Optimus nodded, a smile on his own face. "I am sure he would be." Then they discussed sending fleet teams of data collectors through a bridge to find out what was really happening.

-0-Paragon

He sat in a funk in the comfortable chair of his quarters. Arrow was out flying intel about the other groups that had appeared on the edge of their sensors. He wasn't here to make things better by his mere presence so Paragon was stuck with his own thoughts. Taking a remote, he tapped it and the file collecting information from the Autobot's leaked damaged signal throughout the last few orns opened up. There appeared to be included among other things private messages from Prime to someone in the city. He sat up straighter and opened them reading them silently. As he did, he began to smile slightly. More insight into the leader of the opposition was always a good thing. That it was revelatory was a bonus and a half.

"Optimus," the first one, a personal text said, "keep the next few nights open. There is going to be a family get together at your genitors' apartment and we have to be there. Its a sort of open house thing. Don't ask me. It just takes several nights and they want you there. You tell the younglings. I have duty for the evening. I'll be home late. Take care. Love, Springer."

He blinked. Springer. The head of the Wreckers, a fighter of cunning and fearless fortitude was talking to the Prime like a bond mate. He sat back and delved into his files. Tall, tough, green and yellow, easy going and smart. Springer.

He opened another.

"I got your message, Springer. I thought we were going to the Valles Marineris for a little rest and relaxation. You know what I mean. ;D What's going on? Ada never told me anything when I had breakfast with him this morning at the hospital. -O"

"O". Optimus. Paragon opened more and read several.

"They're your genitors, Optimus. I only live to serve. By the way, your daughter wants to talk to you about her mech. You have more rapport. I just want to stomp Magnus in the … well, you get the idea. I can't talk to her. She gets in a huff. You do it. I think we're supposed to bring something to the first party-dinner thing. What do you want me to get? I ain't cooking anything. Your Ada is a great cook and I don't want to see the pity in his optics. -S"

"I don't know what to bring. Bring a pie. Go to The Energon Basket and see what Rampage has or make a special order. Ada told me that he likes something called cherry pie. As for Arcee … I will take care of it. Really, Springer, you and Arcee better find some common ground. You know I hate to be in the middle.-O"

"Common ground. Ultra Magnus wants to bond with our daughter and all you can do is tell me common ground? You** KNOW** he still looks down on the Wreckers. If he's going to be in this family, he better show more respect. By the way, your **SON **is hanging out with bad actors again. I told him that he can't spend any more time with the mini-cons. They get drunk, fight and I have to arrest them. Bumblebee had better get a talking to as well. I could have arrested him last night, Optimus. I can only do so much. Pretty soon the newspapers and media are going to find out that our son has delinquent ways. -S"

Paragon considered the messages which were in standard internal text format. They were the sort of stuff that passed between bond mate, usually internally but also sometimes through normal relays.

They had a son and daughter.

Optimus Prime and Springer.

Bumblebee and Arcee.

They were hellions from the sound of it and he** ALMOST** felt sorry for Prime. Then he considered the information. It was gold. Sitting back, he began to build a mental picture of Prime and his seemingly disfunctional family.

"Ada, what do you want us to bring for your party tonight? Springer is going to the bakery later. Tell me what you want and we'll bring it. Have you discussed anything with Arcee? She's getting serious about Magnus and you know what Atar feels about that. -Orion"

Paragon paused, then nodded to himself. Prime's original name was Orion. He continued.

"Orion, I like cherry pie. Your Atar likes lemon cream. If you could bring desert that would be wonderful. I haven't discussed Arcee and Magnus with your father. It makes me want to purge my tanks as well. You do know that your father decked Magnus over his intemperate remarks that time and they don't get along. I am concerned and think you need to talk to your 'little princess' soon. Last thing we need is a shotgun bonding and a sparkling right now. Its fragging football season, son. -Ada"

Ada. Who could Prime's genitors be? A son, Bumblebee and a daughter, Arcee. He knew both of them by reputation but not more than that. Prime's family? It was processor boggling. He continued.

"Orion, did you call your Ada? He's on my back about the parties. You know how he is about tradition. Arcee is on the firing range by the way. Little femme is working out her ratings. I told her to get out there and not make us all look bad by fragging around. And **NO**. I am not happy about Magnus. You know that already. By the way, call your grandatar. He's in the dojo with the rest of the reprobates. He wants to know about seating at the semi-final game. -Atar"

"Grandatar, can you come by the Ops Center? I'll help you find where you're going to sit for the games. By the way, Hound and the family want you to come over for dinner. The sparklings are missing you. Make sure you come to the dinner tonight at the folks. They'll have my aft if you don't come by. You know how Ada is about Atar's traditions. -Orion"

"Orion, I got your message. Hound is here at the dojo. You grandkids are sometimes more trouble than they are worth. As for Ratchet, frag him. Go or not if you want. You and Springer haven't had a good frag in decaorns. Your ada will get along without you. The slagger. See ya at lunch in the club-Kup"

Paragon blinked, the cognative dissonance in his processor enormous. Ratchet was Prime's ada and Kup of all things was his grandatar. Hound was Kup's son so he was Prime's brother. He dove into the data in his processor looking up the named individuals. Hound was a soldier and tracker, someone who once on your aft never let up until he wasted you. Kup was a legend even among the Decepticons. A Wrecker, one of the oldest soldiers around and no one's fool, Kup was old school. He didn't get as old as he was fighting in the groups he had populated without being a very dangerous foe.

Springer.

Arcee and Bumblebee.

Kup.

Ratchet was the Ada so Ironhide was the Atar. Ironhide was Prime's atar. It couldn't be. But it was. He read on.

"Ada, you talked to Atar. What the frag?-Arcee"

"Arcee. Get over it. Of course I did. If you're going to bond with Magnus, I think we're entitled to know. By the way, your grandatar hates him. Oh and don't kill the messenger. -Ada"

The next message was a swift return to Springer about Arcee.

"Springer, I'm trying to get work done here. What did you say to Arcee? -O"

"Nothing she didn't need to hear! I give her to you. You wanted a femme. I was good with a mech or two. Bumblebee better shape up before I get home. Right now, I want to punch something. -Springer"

"Atar, I want to let you know that I can't come to dinner at Grandatar and Grandada's house. I have to do duty at the prison. Someone needed to go somewhere and they asked me. Sorry. Love ya, Bee"

"Do you really want me to look that up and check it out, son? -Atar"

"Would I lie to you? ^-^ -Bee"

"Yes-Atar"

Paragon considered the messages so far, all of them leaking out of the system on the heavily encrypted frequency that also leaked IntraComm programming. It would appear that Prime had a ragged home life with spoiled younglings and a frazzled bond. His genitors were Ironhide and Ratchet. That part just refused to settle in his processor easily. But the messages were here and no one knew he was receiving them. It was better than television. He settled in to read more.

-0-Earlier that orn in Ops Center

"You are one twisted old mech," Ironhide said as he read the messages that were going to be going out to Paragon on the 'compromised' relay line. "This is like one of those soap operas that you like to watch."

"It's slagging better," Ratchet said as he continued.

Prime and Prowl who were reading them on the other side of the table paused. "This is insane," Prowl said with a look of alarm. "Paragon isn't going to believe this is he?"

"I don't know," Optimus said with a chuckle. "I think I am."

"You are one burdened messiah, Optimus," Ratchet said as he continued writing more.

"You're a wimp," Prowl said with a grin. "Serves you right bonding with Springer."

Optimus guffawed.

-0-Out there

"Ada, when are you getting off shift? -Bumblebee"

"Why, son? -Ada"

"I have prison duty. I want you to tell Grandada and Grandatar that I'm not coming. I also have some stuff at The Sports Shop that I need you to pick up and take to my apartment. -B ^_^"

"What? I'm working and I'm not your taxi service. And your cute smilie face isn't going to save you. You did this on purpose. Now I have to listen to your Grandada complain. You younglings are going to be the death of me. I suppose you want me to do your housekeeping too. -Ada, trying! to! get! some! work! done! before! the! party!"

"If you wouldn't mind. I sort of had a party last night. -B"

"**ARGGGH!**-A"

"Optimus."

"What?"

"Your son had another rowdy party and he wants me to not only run his errands but clean his mess up. What the **FRAG** is wrong with that boy? -Springer"

"**SIGH!** I will take care of it. **I AM HOWEVER CAUGHT UP IN GETTING SOMETHING SETTLED FOR THE TWO MILLION CITIZENS WHO DEPEND UPON ME FOR SLAG!** -O"

There was a pause in the time stamp, nearly a breem passing. Then Springer replied. "**ENJOY THE COUCH TONIGHT**!-S!"

Paragon considered the exchange and almost felt a pang for Prime. This was hilariously entertaining and revealing, the Matrix not withstanding. Prime was just another wimpy bond with an overbearing and unbearable family.

**HA!**

He looked at the file and there were no more to go. He put a search algorithm on the data and sat back. It would be caught when it came. He found himself wondering what it would be like at that dinner. Tense for sure. He wished he could be there. Then Arrow entered the room and they sat together reading the messages. When they were finished, they laughed a long time.

-0-TBC

05-28-13


	317. Chapter 317

The Diego Diaries: Dance (317)

-0-Opts Center, Autobot City, Mars

"Ratchet..."

"What?"

"It may seem like a small point but don't you have the … dare I say, relationships … in this little … side show wrong?"

"Prowl … you aren't looking at the big picture."

"Oh please … do tell."

Ratchet smirked at his bestie and glanced at Optimus who sat pretending to read a datapad as he waited to approve the next few texts. "Tell Prowl to have faith."

"Have faith, Prowl," Optimus replied with a smirk.

"You are out of your processor. Sir." Prowl sat back and folded his arms over his chassis, his optics falling on Prowler who was recharging on the table on a soft blanket. He snagged the sparkling, grinning with triumph over the baby at a suddenly peeved Ironhide. "Get over it, Ironhide. Ratchet's writing my mech into a story of dysfunction and this is the least you can do in return."

"You are such a little femme. By the way, you will be in the story too," Ratchet said glancing up at Prowl with a smile.

Prowl's expression changed so fast Prime almost felt he had to look at the floor to find his nose. He leaned toward Ratchet to peer at the texts but Ratchet leaned away. "Back. You will see what I'm writing in a moment."

They all did. Prime passed on it and away it went into the ether.

-0-Paragon's quarters, out there

The alarm went off signaling more personal messages from among the principals of Autobot City. He nudged Arrow who had come home to recharge with his lover. :More fun:

The big Seeker rolled over and looked at Paragon. He grinned as they both accessed the file together.

"Optimus, I am going to be really late. We're tracking a bootlegger. Tell your family that I'm sorry but I'll make it up.-Springer"

"I'll tell them, Springer but expect to catch the Pit. You know what Ada thinks about missing events and slag. -O"

"Can't be helped.-S"

"Bootlegging is outlawed there?" Arrow asked with surprise. "Half the army would be in jail if that were so."

Paragon grinned and nodded. "Including you."

There was a time stamp of nearly a joor before another text came through.

"Prowl."

"Sir."

"That's a little formal don't you think? -O"

"Perhaps. But you like it...-P"

"I do. Where are you now?-O"

"At my apartment.-P"

"Meet me tonight in the usual place. Springer is working all night. I have to go to dinner at the genitors but I'll get away when I can. Then we can get together.-O"

"I will be there.-P"

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars around a table moments earlier

"Let me get this straight. Optimus is bonded to Springer and having an affair with me."

"I had to put you in the story some where, Prowler. Tell me a better scenario?" Ratchet asked.

"I could give you twenty better scenarios. Me, seeing a bonded mech? I don't think so," Prowl said with a sense of outraged moral umbrage.

On the outside.

Inside, he was delighted. **TAKE THAT, SPRINGER!**

"I can't imagine what Paragon is thinking. What makes you think that he's even going to believe this slag?" Prowl asked as he watched a deeply amused and utterly contented Prime out of the corner of his vision.

"He's thinking, Prowl, that Prime has it going on," Ratchet said with a chuckle as he continued typing away.

"What?" Prowl asked.

"What?" Ratchet asked glancing up at Prowl.

"What does Optimus have going on?" Prowl asked with a slight frown.

"It's an expression. It means he has it going on … all of it." Ratchet grinned at him enjoying his confusion.

"All of what?" Prowl persisted.

"You really need to get out, Prowler," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

/... apparently so do I …/ -Prime and Ironhide

-0-Out there

They sat together relaxing in their quarters as the messages trickled in. Apparently, Springer was a policing officer who had a 'beat' in the city. He was going after the bad mechs and had an overnight shift to work. Prime on the other servo was on call orn and night including as part of that 'call to duty' having an affair with his second-in-command, Prowl.

That had surprised Paragon. "I never bought into the rumors that Prowl came with the Primeship. I was around him before things fell apart and he was very aware of the protocols. I think Prime liked him a great deal but Prowl was circumspect. Apparently we know why. Springer."

Arrow nodded. "I know. Prime's firewalls must be amazing to keep this off Springer's radar. That mech is formidable. The slagger."

Paragon nodded. "This is intriguing. Think of the possibilities."

Arrow nodded.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They entered the room and sat glancing around. "You called?" Sideswipe asked.

Prime nodded. "There is a ship commander leading the Decepticon group heading this way named Shield. Do you know this mech?"

The twins glanced at each other, then Prime. "We do. That is if he's the same one."

It was silent a moment, then Sunstreaker looked around. "If its him, he's bad news. He ran a gang in Kaon and had contacts in the underworld throughout the region. He's a very bad mech."

"He's a killer, a stone killer but he's also very smart. He's not someone you can trust. Ever," Sideswipe said. "We found ourselves fighting him off a lot. He's like a virus. He creeps in and absorbs things, other gangs and their games. He wanted our territory and we didn't want to give it. His club was on the other side of the Hole from us."

Prime nodded, the mention of the biggest ghetto in Kaon a wincing thing to him. "If this is him, what is your suggestion based on how you know he acts?"

"He will come on calm and easy. He's assessing you when he does," Sideswipe said as Sunstreaker nodded. "But know, you can't trust a word he says. He's patient. He might give you his word but its only a matter of time before he breaks it."

"He'll undermine you," Sunstreaker said to Prime. "He's never going to be second to anyone. But he's willing to wait to gain it no matter how long it takes."

They sat quietly a moment, then Prime nodded. "Well, two can play at that game."

"I hope he promises the Matrix, then gets blown up," Sunstreaker said with a cold expression. "If anyone deserves it, he does."

"You younglings had better write your memoirs. I imagine it will be a bestseller," Ratchet said looking at them with a smirk. "And it would be nice if your old genitors actually knew about your life before you got slagging lucky."

Sideswipe smirked himself. "Not on your life," he said to general abuse and all around snarkiness.

-0-Out there

He sat in the brig of his own ship, his processor burning under the burden of his outrage. Shield had led a rebellion, turning away from Paragon to try his luck with Prime. They had all seen the images that had drifted from Autobot City, images of a vast city filled with amenities and population. They had seen the towers and arenas, the theaters and air field. There were infants and children, literally tens of thousands of individuals who had a varied and event filled life.

They saw the televised programming, all of it censored and edited to present the images they wished but that wasn't known to the intended audience, the Decepticons out there. The Decepticons saw a brilliant city rising up out of the rust colored soil of an organic planet. They saw a bustling city, several in fact filled with life and industriousness. They saw sports. Given the choice of Paragon or the possibility of Prime and his city, there was no choice for them.

However, he saw it differently. Paragon offered less but in the end, there was the chance for more.

Or all of it.

They could have built up a force that could take the Prime. There were others out there looking for opportunities too. If they worked together, they could overthrow Optimus Prime and take over his city. He had seen Metroplex and Fort Max. He was unaware that the Supremes were finding their way home again but had never seen one in a broadcast. Prime didn't allow their images out but he didn't know that. The big Autobots were concerning but not a deal breaker to him. He had faced many obstacles in his career and prevailed. This would just be another intellectual exercise.

That is, it would have been. He was in his own brig and traitors were running the show. He would have to overturn this before it was too late. Paragon was the best route to success. He would do what it took to make the slaggers understand that. Sitting back, he waited patiently for the first opportunity to show itself.

-0-School

Sunspot stood in line, Spot by his side. Behind him were the other three Seekers now attending school full time. They were going to recess before lunch time. They had been told that they would be expanding their schools again, their new one in a new city being constructed nearby. It was exciting.

"Elder Harrier told us that you are taking flying lessons, Sunny," Cardinal said peering around Raptor. "Do you want us to help you?"

"I think that would be fun," Sunspot said with a giant smile. "I am being taught stuff I never learned because I don't remember my genitors."

"We remember ours," Cardinal said with a nod, his face filled with an anxious hopefulness. "We know they're out there and they will hear the call and come back to us."

The other two nodded. "We do," Farrell said firmly. Standing nearby waiting to take them, Terradive listened unobtrusively. He felt a sadness in his spark for the three infants. His own genitors were somewhere too. He had the same hope inside but he was older and more aware of the likelihood that they would never regroup. Moving forward, he turned and smiled. "Ready to go play?"

A cheer rang out, so he turned and they followed him out the door to the elevator and the playground beyond.

-0-Later that orn

"Jazz here. What's on your processor?"

The comm line was lit up like a Christmas tree as the chat portion of ***!THE JAZZ AND BLASTER SHOW!* **began.

"Jazz, what do you hear about public opinion of us on Earth?"

"We are holdin' very high numbers on Earth among the populations of the signatory nations of the Autubot-Terran treaties. The people there know the value of the alliance. The politicians say and do a lot but they understand our presence is a good thing."

"The bombings are worrying us here. It is disturbing and sad that there are people being hurt over this. We don't know how much suffering the humans can withstand before they decide that we are a liability," the caller said.

"The sad part of this is that the ones doin' this don't love their own kind enough. They're killin' their own people. They're goin' to lose. They can't win in the end. The goal now is getting' these terrorists. We're workin' on that with our allies and we aim to win."

"Thank you, Jazz." The caller hung up and another one came online. The afternoon passed with the broadcast going down to Earth on the MCA.

-0-On Earth

They listened to the show, Jazz and Blaster taking questions during the call in part near the end of their broadcast. Some of their team attended to the media coming from Mars to gather intel. Nothing was not monitored. They were located in France at a chateau rented by their benefactors. They had set up their communication and intelligence gathering capabilities there.

Their side had networked throughout the world and had buried their presence deeply. They had divided their responsibilities. There were those who did the politics and communications, others who did the technical side of warfare and the rest who were the soldiers of the revolution. Many were duty soldiers in armies around the world. Some of them were in places no one could even have imagined.

One of them was even a soldier in N.E.S.T.

-0-TBC

05-29-13


	318. Chapter 318

The Diego Diaries: Here (318)

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean that next morning

The sun was glinting off the windows of Flight Control as the big cargo planes landed. They were due in from Ramstein Air Base on their way to the small island where not only the big bombers roosted in waiting for calls but also the Autobots. They rolled forward, their giant engines blowing the runway clean in their prop wash. They turned and were guided to their spots by ground crew. Nearby, five Autobot aircraft relaxed in alt mode as they waited to return to Mars. Their conversation was family oriented, a lot of speculation among them about some of the signals coming from a couple of distant migrations. There were signs that big craft were among them, craft that returned the faint signal of the faction.

Could other Supremes have survived? They hoped so. There were several dozen created back in the orns of old. Maybe some of them were coming. It was heartening to think that they were. They discussed the soldiers stepping down from the planes, their gear and weapons in hand. They were new striker team members, most of them brand new to the enterprise, eager to come here and see what was what. Lennox and Epps along with Graham were waiting for them having come back earlier from Mars with Ironhide. He was their first introduction to the force expeditionary. He wasn't about as yet, preferring to meet them when they were mustered on the firing range. Then they would meet the awesomeness that was him. The soldiers lined up for the three officers in rows, their eyes roving around to take in the sights.

"Welcome to Diego Garcia," Lennox said as they looked at him with varying expressions of awe and amazement. These three soldiers were becoming legends in their profession, Lennox, Epps and Graham. "You have finished striker training and will be doing regular duty here and at the new garrison outpost at Autobot City. All of you will eventually be on duty there. It will take time to rotate you in and train you to work around the Cybertronians. Be patient. I will also remind you that everything about this place and there is classified. You gave your oath. We expect you to keep it. Two former soldiers didn't. You may have heard of those bastards. If you break the oath, I will personally kick your ass." He turned and nodded to Epps.

"Get your gear. Form lines and let's go," Epps said as they complied. He walked off with them, twenty new soldiers heading for their new life. As they began to pass the aircraft waiting, Sky Dive began to transform. The group paused and watched as the big jet stood up staring down at the humans with a grin. Epps smirked back. "Hi, Sky Dive. What's up?"

"We're waiting for you bums to get out of the way so we can leave. You coming to the game this weekend?" he asked.

"I am. I have large on Kaon," Epps replied.

"You and me both," he said with a nod. Then he turned and walked toward the beach, well aware of his effect on the newbies. It actually was a game among them and the three soldiers to indoctrinate the 'n00bs' into the life of really tall metallic beings.

Epps turned to the still figures around him and smirked. "That's Sky Dive. He's an Aerialbot. So are they," he said nodding to where four other vessels sat including Silverbolt. Their gleaming white configurations and gigantic Autobrands should have been the tip off. That they all began to transform and rise up was another. The sound of the transformation was enormous and when the four were upright they glanced down, nodded to Epps and turned with a smile to follow Sky Dive to the beach. Epps and the newbies watched them go, then Epps turned and they began to follow him again.

The four bots joined Sky Dive at the beach, Silverbolt turning to look back at the air field. "That never gets old."

The others agreed wholeheartedly.

Epps walked along watching a blue streak in the distance getting closer. When it finally could be seen as a car, it continued swiftly toward them then transformed. It flashed into the air and landed on its peds, blue optics looking at the startled group of soldiers and the smirking Sargeant that led them. "Hi, Bobby."

"Hi, Jolt," Epps said walking closer to the big sparkling Autobot. He turned to his newbies and grinned. "This is Jolt. He's an Autobot, a veteran warrior and from what I hear, a kid."

Jolt snorted and smiled. "That's me. A youngling." He looked at the newbies. "Is this the new meat?"

Epps snorted. He chuckled and nodded. "Yep."

Jolt looked them over, then stood up straight. "Cool." He nodded and turned walking toward the big open doors of the Embassy. Then he paused. "You coming for the game?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away," Epps relied.

Jolt nodded. "Bet on Kaon." Then he turned and continued inside to disappear into the shade of the interior.

It was quiet a moment, then Epps turned. "Let's go," he said and they did.

-0-Inside the Embassy

Ironhide sat at the center table, Prowler on a blanket lying quietly among the army detritus and datapads. It could have been another sparkling in another time and place. Bots worked around him and the soldiers who worked in the Ops Center with their end of the slag filled him in. "The liaison, George Kelly actually has his shit together, Ironhide. He's not feeling the love with Mearing though," Lt. Andrew Sheffield said. "He's only on duty here because the Secretary of State demanded it. Mearing is slowly sucking up all the power related to us and the bots."

Ironhide nodded. "She's hard helmed, that one. Already had a losing conversation with Ratchet at the U.N.," Ironhide replied. As he did, a hummer drove in with Lennox and Graham. "Hey! You ready to impress?"

Ironhide looked down and preened. "I'm always ready." He stood up and picked up Prowler, who opened an optic, then closed it. Stuffing him into his carry hold on a pile of blankets buffered by a couple of pillows, Ironhide turned to follow as he sound proofed his hold. Little mech wouldn't hear or feel a thing. He turned and walked out pausing in the warm sunshine. The hummer paused. "Hey, Hide."

He looked down. "What, Will Lennox?" he asked.

"What's the word on the 'Cons out there?" Will asked as they slowly followed Ironhide who turned to walk to the firing range.

"They're coming. One group thinks they might hook up with Prime. We'll see. The other two we know about are still floating around. Prime has it under control. He's Prime," Ironhide said as they walked past buildings and hangars waving and pausing to talk to a couple of individuals. Then they came close to the firing range where 20 new soldiers and Graham were waiting. They looked intense, all of them fixed upon the behemoth coming toward them. He was enormous and looked incredibly dangerous, a nice introduction into what they could expect from the Decepticons. They could feel tremors under their feet from the big mech's ped falls. They reached the group, Graham and Lennox hopping out of their vehicle. Walking to stand in front of the group of newbies, they looked up at Ironhide.

"Ironhide, these are the new striker team members from America, France, the UK and Russia. They are here to get the basics down, work around the bots that are here in the garrison and rotate out to Autobot City with the regular teams. We thought you would like to give them the lowdown," Lennox said.

Ironhide nodded at him, then glanced at the humans, looking them over as he considered his words. "I'm Ironhide. I'm the personal bodyguard of the Prime of Cybertron and Master of Munitions and Weapons for the Autobot Armed Forces. I run the armory and decide on the munitions and weapons our garrison needs. I'm a front liner and chaos bringer. I work with the striker teams that come with us on missions as well as those who man the garrisons both here and on Mars. We are a united team. We work together as brothers and sisters. You will learn to do that or you will be washed out. I don't care if you passed every requirement to be a part of the program. If you don't pass mine, you don't stay. Until all are one."

They nodded silently, their gazes fixed on the big Autobot. Ironhide looked at Lennox who nodded. Ironhide turned and walked to the firing range calling up the targeting mechanism. Then he unsubbed his weapons. A loud whine rolled out as his guns materialized from thin air twirling up to fix into place. Then he began to shoot. Nothing that flew up or out of this and that place made it past his arms. He braced himself, the recoil of his weapons strong enough to bring down a plane in flight. The flashes were brilliant, the flare of his munitions terrifying. Then it was over. He straightened, then he rolled them back into sub space. Turning, looking down at the humans, he felt deep satisfaction in their looks of amazement and awe. "Any questions?" he asked.

Lennox, Epps and Graham only smirked.

-0-Later that evening after orientation

They sat in the barracks after dinner cleaning gear and discussing the afternoon. The sunlight was dimming outside as the sun was swallowed up by the dark ocean. Night would be warm with the with the possibility of a light rainfall. The base was always a going concern but the pace settled down somewhat during the evening. They sat in their barracks and talked.

"That bot is as bad ass as he looks on television," Jamie Cocoran said as he stretched out on his bunk. "I've never seen anything like him. Not even a fighter plane on a strafing run can touch that."

"Ironhide is bad ass. Lennox, Epps and Graham love him. He loves them," Apollo Michaels said nodding as he looked down the barrel of his rifle. The rest of it lay in parts on his bunk. "This is going to be awesome. They're building an outpost for us in the city near the airport. I can't wait to see it."

"I hope I get to go with the first four of us," Iver Kane said nodding. "I can't wait to see this and there's a football game coming up. We would have a seat on the fifty yard line."

"I want to see the game," Jacob Harris said nodding. "I want to see the twins play. The tv doesn't do them or anyone else justice."

"I want to see them. So far, Jolt, the Aerialbots and Ironhide. There's Ratchet and Prime, Prowl, the twins and Bluestreak, Nitro and Revo who look really dangerous. That doesn't count the rest of the platoon. We might be in the show ourselves. You can see soldiers around in the episodes," Iver said.

More soldiers walked in bringing beer with them. A card game and beer took care of the rest of the evening as they settled in for their first day in the service of N.E.S.T. They all enjoyed it including the soldier who was secretly working for MECH.

-0-Late that night

He came in and paused by the cabinet where he laid his weapons. Locking the door, he continued as quietly as he could pausing before the door of each infant. Hero was awake listening for him. She stood hanging onto the side of her crib, a giant smile on her tiny face. He grinned and walked over kissing her helm. "You need to sleepy bed, sparkling," Ironhide said helping her to lie down. He tucked her in and patted her belly. A couple of dollies helped her resign to the idea of sleeping so he turned and tiptoed out. Orion and Praxus were recharging well and so was Sunspot. Spot wiggled his tiny tail, then lay back. He continued onward to Prowler's berthroom pausing by the crib. He pulled back the covers, then pulled Prowler out of his carry hold. Holding the drowsy baby, he put him in the bed and arranged his bedding. Standing a moment to see that he was sleeping again, he crept forward through the apartment to his own berthroom.

The light from outside streamed in, the city going about its business as it did day and night. Reaching his berthroom, he settled down relaxing. On cue, Ratchet rolled over and snuggled. "Hi."

"Hi."

"How was the new group?"

"Suitably impressed."

"Good, Ironhide. They should be."

(grin) "That's what I thought all along."

(grin) "You put the boom in kaboom."

(grin) "I do. You?"

"Finished the last bunch of texts Paragon's getting for now."

"How did that go?" (grin)

"Prowl is sparked."

(Pause) "We are talking about the story, right?"

(grin) "Yep."

"Oh. Good."

"He's going to spark again eventually."

"I know. Mech needs to have another sparkling to prevent his grabby ways."

"You're a big femme, Ironhide." (grin)

"If you say so, Ratchet." (grin)

"Good night, Ironhide."

"Good night, Ratchet."

-0-TBC

05-30-13


	319. Chapter 319

The Diego Diaries: Drift and Springer (319)

-0-On the beat

"You're awfully quiet." -S

"I'm reading." -D

Pause. "What?" -S

"'The Last Stand of the Wreckers' and a Spotlight novel about one of us." -D

Pause. "What's that?" -S

"Graphic novels." -D

"Oh." Pause. "What's a graphic novel." Pause. "That's a graphic novel? The cover on 'Last Stand' is insane." -S

"I think it has you and Kup down pat." -D

"I don't see it. Where are you? Perceptor … in Spotlight too? Is that him?" -S

"I think so," Drift said with a grin as they paused to let a little family walk past.

"He looks insane on the cover of 'Last Stand'." -S

"He does. I think I should tell Wheeljack about this. He might enjoy it until he gets to the back of Spotlight: Drift."

"What happens then?" Springer stepped out to cross the street, Drift following.

"Perceptor gets blasted." -D

"Yeah? Wheeljack won't like that." -S

"Nope." Pause. "I save him though. I'm quite the sexy bitch in the story." -D

(grin) "So … its fiction is it?" -S

"Most likely," Drift said as they walked down the street toward the Autobot City Youngling Sports Arena.

A rowdy conversation was going on at the corner of the Arena Access Road and the footpath that led down into the Mare Tranquilitatis. A family was arguing about what to do that night … go to dinner or bar hop. They settled with help from Springer on going to dinner, then the bar afterward. They continued onward heading for the arenas.

"You look pretty good in the Spotlight book." -S

"Thank you," Drift said with a grin. "You look demonic in 'Last Stand' if I say so myself."

"You just did." -S

(grins-2)

"I'm pretty bad aft." Springer paused to allow two vehicles pass. Then they continued. "There's a novel about Ironhide."

(Pause. Initiate, Transformers: Ironhide, download, end connection) "Whoa. Look at the cover." Drift shook his helm. "Bad aft."

"I know. Looks just like him." -S

(grins-2)

"I think we have a civic duty to let Ratchet know about this. What do you think." -S

"You do it, Springer. I don't want Ironhide to kick my aft." -D

"Done deal." -S

And it was.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

Ratchet paused a moment to take an internal message. The sparklings were running amok prior to 'sleepy bed' and Ironhide was watching with a grin, Hero sitting on his arm to prevent an accidental run over by a happy dog and prancing little mechs. He listened, took the download, perused it in seconds, then grinned broadly.

"**ADA!"**

"What, Praxus?"

"I play now?" he asked as the others paused to stare at him.

"New word, Ironhide," Ratchet said.

"**A!** Pax."

Everyone paused to look at Hero who was holding a little baby dollie with long braids. She smiled gigantically at the attention.

"A new word by little femme," Ratchet said with a smile. Ironhide looked at her, then Ratchet. "I don't know," he said. "I don't want her to grow up too fast."

"She's a waif, Ironhide. You can barely see her on your arm," Ratchet said turning to pick up Prowler from the couch where he was sitting propped up, his little face expressing his inner joy. He waved his little balled fists as he squeaked tiny sounds, his optics staring at Ratchet intently.

"Little mechs need to go to bed," Ironhide said putting Hero gently on the ground. She looked up at him, her tiny baby doll clutched in her servos as she grinned up at him. She was a smaller, finer, daintier version of Orion. And Praxus. And himself. It was incredibly wonderful to look at her, his little daughter.

His little princess.

He looked at the others who had paused in their game of chase to look up at him. "Time for sleepy bed."

Orion looked at him, then Ratchet. **"ADA! ATAR BAD! WE PLAY! PAX AND ME! OKAY!?"**

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "Okay?"

"New one." Ironhide looked at the infants. "Nope."

"**ATAR! WE PLAY! PAX AND ME!"** Orion looked at him with a gigantic smile, one that usually bought them a few minutes more.

"Orion, berth time," Ironhide replied.

"**No!"** He smiled with a face splitter, then ran, his optics staring over his shoulder at his atar as he did. Shrieking with delight, he ran as fast as he could.

Into the wall.

He bounced back and lay still a moment, his processor twirling, then sat up staring around. The room was quiet as everyone looked at him, then he stood up staring around. **"OW ME!"**

Ironhide chuckled, then guffawed. He looked at the baby then smiled. "Spud, you are a hopeless case."

"**ATAR! OW ME! I OW ME!"**

"You did, you little slagger." Ironhide scooped Orion up and they disappeared into Sunspot's berth room and the usual battle of the bath. Praxus reached out and took Hero's servo, then turned and the two went into the berth room too. Sunspot followed along with Spot leaving Prowler and Ratchet behind. He looked at Prowler who looked back at him with a smile. "Wait until your old pa finds out someone has read his processor." With that, he turned and walked in to watch the show with Sunspot and his dog on Sunny's berth.

-0-When all was quiet again...

"Ironhide? Have you ever told anyone about your mom van dreams?"

"The soldiers once. A few others. Once in a while, some Autobot. Why?"

(grin) "I'm sending you a file of a graphic novel called 'Transformers: Ironhide'." Ratchet did and watched as Ironhide went through it, his optics growing with each new page turn. He looked at Ratchet. "What is this?"

"Springer sent it to me just a moment ago. Its about you and you're seriously bad aft, Only One. And may I say? You are a red mom van."

He paused a moment to peruse the story again, then grinned. "No mom van I've ever seen looked that bad aft. Did you notice the design? I'm bad aft."

"You slagged Alpha Trion. You decked his sorry aft," Ratchet said as he set down his glass on the small table between their chairs. "The story appears to be unfinished. Or maybe it's a series. Sunstreaker has several novels and in one set of stories he was tortured by humans who sort of took him apart for their own purposes. Sideswipe and him aren't very close if at all."

"That's slag. Those two are peas in a pod as the humans say," Ironhide said looking the story over. "So I took a shot for Prime and was out for about a zillion vorns. I don't have any memories but no one seems to care in this story. Alpha Trion sounds like an aft."

"Metroplex looks good. Must be nice for one old mech to run around with a bot like Metroplex all to himself," Ratchet said. "I like the stuff he said about you. All that bravery and throwing yourself in front of weapon fire to save Autobots. By the way, if you ever do that I will frag your aft myself."

Ironhide sat back preening slightly. "I am a bit of a self sacrificing slagger aren't I? Handsome too. That old mech in the story is one handsome slagger for a red bot with strange square legs. I did kill several hundred insecticons all by myself. Not bad work for a **CHAOS BRINGER! DOOM MASTER! BUG CRUSHER!"**

Ratchet snorted. "That's you, ba-bee. You looked good for a mishmash Human-Cybertronian design. I may have to update things a little bit in 'The Sexy Doctor and The Mom Van'. Maybe I can make you taller. Although having the ability to walk under tables without bumping your helm **IS** an advantage I would think. I might let that stay the same."

"Ha-ha, Ratchet," Ironhide said with a grin. "I did punch Alpha Trion in the face. That was good."

"Should I tell him about this book? He was a huge aft in it, talking in the third person … "I am Alpha Trion. Perhaps you heard of me?'. I love that you didn't."

Ironhide snorted. "I didn't. That was epic."

"It was." Ratchet grinned. "Did you see Prowl? He has these shoulder rocket launchers. I have to ask him about that. I would think if he had them it would make fragging interesting."

Ironhide considered the pictures of Prowl in the story and grinned. "I would hate to be anywhere near that bot when he overloaded. You could get killed."

Ratchet snorted. "I'm sending this to Prowler." Sitting back, he called. :Prowl:

**:WHAT!?:**

:Are you fragging the Messiah? I detect upset but then, that's why I'm the doctor and you aren't:

A grin floated over the link. :What do you want, slagger?:

:Are you aware that there are books out there, cartoon stories called graphic novels that have us doing things with pictures showing the action:

:Really? Well that's nice. Good-:

:You're in them:

Pause. :Alright, I'll bite. Dooo tell:

:I'd rather show you. Check your inbox. I sent the file:

-0-Prowl and Prime

He looked down into Prime's face and frowned slightly, the slight mar on his perfect complexion charming to Optimus. "That slagger has the worst timing." He sighed and opened the file going through it quickly. :Ratchet. Where do you find this stuff? Truly?:

:Springer sent to me. I sent it to you. Consider it a bonding moment between the first and second Mrs. Optimus Prime:

:You are out of your processor: Prowl grinned and sent the file to Optimus who read it swiftly. He lay beneath Prowl with a giant grin on his handsome face. :By the way, this is not the Mom van that I envisioned in your … epic:

:My magnum opus? Why, Prowler. By the way, this novel has you with twin shoulder mounted rockets. Nice shoulder pads. Are they couture?:

Prowl accessed the meaning and grinned. :Everything I got is couture, you slagger:

:No doubt. Just remember … my old mech took a bullet for your old mech. You both owe me:

:We owe … if that is the word … Ironhide:

:Ironhide owes me so I'll take your slavish worship as a down payment on his debt:

:You're nuts. Good night, Ratchet:

:Good night, Prowler:

Prowl cut the transmission and snickered. "Ratchet is a menace to society. Sir."

Prime snorted, his arms tightening around Prowl's body. "Sir. That makes me tingle all over."

Prowl smirked slightly. "Sir," he said. Then he didn't say anything more.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

"Prowl's fragging Prime again."

Ironhide chuckled. "You're certifiable."

"If you say so, **Mom Van**."

-0-On the streets of the city

"Do we have a staff meeting in the morning?"

"We do," Springer replied as they sat in The Pit Stop having a break. "I suppose I'll get the breakdown on the story from Ironhide by then."

"I want to get Ratchet's opinion. After all, he left Sunstreaker and Ironhide behind on the scrap heap. Not a very good bonding thing to do," Drift said as they got their food.

"No. I wonder if they have a graphic novel on Ratchet?" Springer mused as he began to eat his snack, something called a cinnamon bun.

"The one on me is filled with gore just like 'Last Stand'. What I don't get is the energon spilled is red," Drift said as he at his own donut.

"Dramatic license," Springer said with a grin.

"Is that what it is? I just thought someone fragged up," Drift replied with a grin. As he did, the door opened and a bunch of drunk mini-cons came inside to sober up.

They sat looking at them, then glanced at each other. "Wanna bet how long it is before we take them to jail?" Springer asked.

Drift considered that, then smirked. "Nope," he said with a grin.

The door opened and Kup wandered in with Lon and Splice. They walked across the room and pulled up chairs to sit. "Nice to know my taxes are being put to such good use," Kup said as he stuck his stogie in his mouth.

"You don't pay taxes, old mech. You never did. Soldiers have always been exempt," Springer said with a grin.

"Least the slaggers could do," Kup said as a waiter handed him a cup of warm energon. He gave his order along with Lon and Splice, then looked at the two bots lounging before him. "So … what's up?"

"We're talking great literature," Drift said.

Kup looked at him studying the bullshit, then shook his helm. "You slaggers wouldn't know good literature if it hit you in the face."

Springer sent Kup 'Last Stand of the Wreckers'.

Kup paused a moment to read and study the novel, then he looked at Springer and Drift. With a slight smirk, he removed the stogie from his mouth. "Let me rephrase that," he said.

-0-TBC

05-32-13

NOTE: The books referenced are graphic novels by IDW and they are just amazing. Spotlight: Drift and The Last Stand of the Wreckers. :D


	320. Chapter 320

This is a short interlude that I am including now because I have to drive a truck somewhere and tonight's episode will be posted late. This is a 200 word challenge at archiveofourown dot org where the prompt is a hero and villain writing letters to each other about the behavior of their children toward each other. I chose Megatron and Optimus Prime slagging each other about their children's behavior at day care. This would be funnier if FFnet had a strike through feature on their pages. I have put the parts that are crossed out by Optimus into brackets to show you what it would have been like if that feature was here. SIGH. I am going to ask them to put it into the programming for writers. This is way funnier when you see that he wrote the letter, struck out what he really wanted to say and sent the message to Megatron anyway. I love you, readers. You are the wind beneath my wings.

Like that. :D

Hugs, me.

-0-

Prime,

My son, Shockwave has a painted hand print on his optic that your little demon spawn, Bumblebee put there during nap time at My Little Pony Day Care today. I am gravely displeased. If this continues I will invade your base and break things at random. Get your brat in line. I will not give you further warning.

Yours in deep malevolence,

Megatron

-0-

Megatron,

First of all, (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!) allow me to convey to you my most (insincere) sincere (indifference) dismay about this incident. That being said, may I include my (BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!) extreme (delight) disappointment in my son's (fabulous) actions. I am afraid he tends to take after (my old lady) his mother, Ironhide. I am (delighted) sorry that Bumblebee decided to embellish your (Cyclops) son. Please accept my (riotous laughter and) sparkfelt (guffaws) apologies for my son's act of (inspired awesomeness) vandalism and (utterly delightful) awfulness. I will make sure that he gets (extra desserts and a pony ride) the appropriate punishment to fit the (great accomplishment) crime. I hope from my words that the seriousness (*snicker*) that I take this is expressed to you in the content of this (celebratory announcement of the awesomeness that is my son) email.

With the utmost (contempt) seriousness of (yawn) intentions,

Optimus Prime

PS. Mow your lawn.


	321. Chapter 321

The Diego Diaries: Training (320)

**FACTOIDS ABOUT BLURR:** He was voiced by John Moschitta, Jr. who held the Guinness Book of World Records title as the fastest talker on Earth until the category was eliminated. :D I am blending many universes to create the Blurr in this story. New stuff added today. :D

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They stood at the obstacle course waiting with barely contained excitement for their training partners for the day, the Lambo twins and Blurr. All of them knew who they were, the twins especially but were getting the 411 from Epps anyway.

"The twins are or were the only twins ever known on Cybertron for their entire history until recently. They are the father of twins themselves. Two of the most amazing little girls I might add," he said with a grin. "They are front line warriors and incredibly lethal to the enemy. Sideswipe has the lighter personality of the two. Sunny is … unimpressed with humanity. By the way, you call him Sunstreaker, not Sunny. Only a few of us get to use that name. He is fine with those of us he knows but the rest? You'll have to earn it by competence. Don't get me wrong. He is semper fi to the superstructure but he has little patience with stupidity or carelessness. Remember that. There are few bots I would go into combat with that I had more trust and respect for than these two.

"They can turn on 70 degree angles which is stupendous to watch let alone experience. Sideswipe can fly for short distances, one of the few Autobots who can and the two of them like to practice what they call 'jet judo'. That is, they like to climb on the backs of Seekers in flight and beat the crap out of them."

The soldiers glanced at each other, then Stepan Sidorov of N.E.S.T. Russia shifted slightly. "Sir, won't they crash?" he asked, saying out loud what the others were thinking.

Epps nodded. "Yes." It was silent a moment, then he continued. "Both of them utilize seven foot energon swords and can transform into a humanoid shape with either foot treads or wheel skates. They are incredibly fast, can maneuver on a dime and frankly, you need to just get out of the way or hang on tight. They do what they do and they are phenomenal at it. They were gladiators in the Games at Kaon on Cybertron and never defeated with the exception of the time Sideswipe lost to Megatron in single combat."

A murmur went through the group. Gerard Fornier, a soldier from N.E.S.T. France spoke for all of them. "Could you tell us more about that, sir?"

Epps smirked. "Both of them were tough mechs among tough mechs back on Cybertron. They were always being recruited by Megatron to join his gladiatorial team but they never did. They were independent. They fought for themselves and Sides had a bout with Megatron himself. He put a lot of dents into Megatron but he was physically outclassed. Sides is 25 feet tall and displaces about 2.9 metric tons of pure lean killing machine. Megatron is 35 feet tall and displaces nearly 4.5 metric tons. Sides took him on anyway. That should tell you about their balls."

The soldiers glanced at each other, then nodded. "I agree," Sidorov replied with a grin. "I think I like these two."

"Welcome to the group," Epps said with a chuckle. "They are parents, Sunstreaker is an amazing artist and Sideswipe is **THE** martial arts expert in their army. There are many expert martial artists among the Autobots and I am speaking strictly of the formal arts they master. Metallicato which is so lethal its outlawed is among their own forms. Prowl is said to be as great a master of it and Circuit-Su as Master Yokotran who was considered the greatest practitioner of all time. They have a lot of art forms … Choryuken, Circuit-Su, Crystalocution, Rokuhenka, Difussion, Laser Lathi, Tahtib-tron, Tekkaido, Mueikyaku and others. You already know about Jet Judo. I've seen demonstrations of them all and they are incredibly dangerous and effective. Sideswipe is a master at all of them and qualified to teach them to others which he does. He spent a lot of time wandering before reaching Sunstreaker again and along the way perfected what he already knew and learned a lot of others from different alien species he encountered along the way. He's a master teacher and you would do well to pay attention to him. He will show you along with the others how to work among them without getting hurt. Remember, we tend to be support in most battles unless the configuration requires us to take the lead. Do not assume it just because its happening. They're very good at assessing and configuring plans on the fly."

Everyone nodded.

"The other Autobot today will be Blurr. No one alive is as fast as Blurr. He can run faster than the speed of sound at speeds exceeding 800 miles per hour. That is more than a mile per five seconds." He paused to let that sink in, a factoid that delighted him to express. Then Epps continued. "The fastest Autobot used to be Bluestreak, the bond mate of the twins. Now its Blurr who was a racing champion on Cybertron. He's a good bot, this one. I like him a lot. He can have a bit of an ego but he's genuine and good. He can reverse the polarity in his opponents rendering them immobile. He has the ability to emit low level energy that flattens out the road bumps and holes ahead of him allowing him to run on surfaces he smooths himself. While you and I would flip over on a pot hole-filled road, he skims along on a rutted surface he smooths himself. Neat trick. New York City needs him."

Laughter and nods greeted that.

"He has wheel skates and peds interchangeable but then a lot of them do. That makes him lethal and fast in car or robotic form. He can also steal speed from others adding to his own. That is part of why he has never been defeated in races on Cybertron in the history of the Games. His fame among his own kind is hard to express. Imagine all of the sports heroes of all time everywhere here rolled into one and you have Blurr. He has to be careful when he moves because he's so fast sometimes he crashes into things because his off-the-mark time is beyond belief.

"He owns a legendary bar on Cybertron, Maccadam's Old Oil House which has strange attributes I don't pretend to understand. I was told it exists in space outside the time continuum or some such shit even though it was located on a street corner in Iacon. You're going to hear and see things that challenge your world view and sense of things. I have. If they say his bar exists outside of time, I believe them. He has a replica of it in the Polyhex Business Plaza in Autobot City that rules," Epps said as he felt the tread of heavy feet coming their way. Turning, he smirked slightly as he moved to stand behind his men. Their expressions as they watched new bots approach them were a perk of this sort of newbie training.

They had arrived, checked in at the Embassy to trade slag and gossip, then turned to walk to the obstacle course for the training of the n00bs. Ironhide had briefed them that the new group were serious soldiers who wanted to learn and had serious respect for them and what they could do. That was enough for them. Pausing along the way to chat with soldiers and civilians including Aisha Mohammed and two new femmes from Philadelphia who had just been assigned, they continued onward, their optics never leaving the twenty soldiers waiting expectantly at the course.

When they reached Epps they paused and nodded. "Epps. What's up?" Sideswipe said with a smirk.

"Newbies, Sides. They need some learnin'," he said with a grin.

"Came to the right place," Sideswipe said with a ferocious smile. They stood together looking down at the soldiers, considering them, filing them into a new data file in their processor's N.E.S.T. soldier data sector. Sideswipe knelt leaning in closer. "I'm Sideswipe. I'm an instructor and front liner in the Autobot Army. The yellow bot is my brother, Sunstreaker. The blue bot is Blurr. If you do what we tell you and understand that you are support, not first responder, you will live. If any one of you are cowboys, you will probably be dead in the first fire fight. The first thing you have to understand is your place in the order of battle. I am sure Epps told you." He glanced sideways at his favorite soldier. Epps nodded. "I did."

Sideswipe stood up again. "Good."

"Personally, I don't give a frag about fighting with humans. You get in the slagging way. Lennox, Epps and Graham are the only humans I give a frag about in combat but I will defend you all. Everyone of you. Just don't get in the way," Sunstreaker said as Sideswipe, Blurr and Epps chuckled.

"He's just that way," Blurr said kneeling. He considered the humans. "We will defend you just like we defend everyone on this rock. What Sunny is saying is simple. Try not to get into the fighting with a Cybertronian unless asked. You are slagging outmatched. We don't want to have to scrap what's left of you into a baggie."

"That's what I already told them, Blurr," Sunstreaker said with a flash of fake umbrage.

Blurr snorted and rose to his peds. "Let's light this candle."

Epps nodded and the soldiers stepped back to see what three of the fastest, toughest, baddest, most highly lethal soldiers of this or any other world could do when they were cut loose. It was mind blowing. By the time they demonstrated their basic moves and possibilities it was time to begin the training that would allow the humans to interact and fight beside the Cybertronians and emerge alive at the end. It would be exhausting, comprehensive and humbling.

For the humans.

-0-On the way

They reached the point in space where it was incumbent upon the intruders to send a message to Prime of their request for parlay and their peaceful for now intentions. They did. Sitting back, Shield waited for the response which he knew would be swift. He had fought against Optimus Prime numerous times and found him a dangerous and intelligent foe. Too many of the Decepticons underestimated or downgraded the threat of Prime. He didn't. He never did anyone he met or fought. That was stupid.

And suicidal.

His group captain sitting in the brig should have seen it coming. But he didn't because he suffered from the same mental disability ... assuming.

"Captain, we have a reply."

Shield nodded to his communications officer. "Put it through," he said calmly.

"This is Optimus Prime. We have received your message and will agree to a meet up at the coordinates contained at the end of this message. We are going to come heavily armed and will blow you to the Pit at the least provocation. If you come here to stay you will have to agree to stringent rules and surrender your faction completely. Optimus Prime out."

The coordinates and time was then received and Shield considered them. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he said quietly. Then he rose and with the other ship captains in tow walked to the hangar deck and the runabout that would take them to a large asteroid nearby.

-0-At Ops Center

Prowl stood by the door waiting for the others to come so they could leave for the meet up. He was going as was Starscream, Rainmaker, Ironhide, Blackjack, Alor and Prime. They would be going on Omega with Kappa and Alpha joining them. A flight of 200 Seekers would be the frosting on the cake. Prime turned from the central command table walking with his officers to the door. They joined Prowl and exited the building catching up to Alpha Trion who stood with a priest, Chevron on the flight line. They gathered together and walked to Omega who stood waiting for them. Alpha and Kappa were already air borne.

They climbed on and the hatch closed, the master vessel rising almost immediately. Gathering with his siblings, Omega led the group into the maelstrom of the space bridge and they disappeared almost immediately.

-0-On the other side

They flew out swiftly forming up into a battle configuration immediately. Omega flanked by Alpha and Kappa ranged before the massive planetary fragment supplemented by a cloud of Seekers. They had arrayed at the moment of arrival making the maximum point of their power. It would not be lost on the group that waited for them on the fragment nearby.

Shield flanked by his companion captains and a small contingent of soldiers watched the space bridge flare and an array of firepower he had not seen even the Decepticons field in a long time appear out of nowhere. He considered what that meant.

First, their space bridge capabilities could mean that they could appear and disappear all over the place without giving away anything. Secondly, the firepower before them was vast and given the variety in front of them merely the tip of the iceberg he was sure. It was clear that they had made a show but he was also clear that they could make a lot more of them if necessary. The Seekers had rallied to Prime.

Megatron was an idiot.

One of the big ships began to descend toward them landing nearby on the surface of the planetoid. The dust settled around it as the hatch slid back. The ramp came down and it was silent a moment. Shield and his mechs stood silently watching, then Starscream appeared in the doorway. He walked down followed by a big Seeker that even Shield knew was Rainmaker. Behind them came Prowl, Blackjack, Alor and finally Prime. If that wasn't enough, behind that group came Alpha Trion and what was clearly a Temple priest.

The group formed around Prime and he stepped forward pausing a short distance from Shield. They stood quietly watching the others, then Shield moved to face them himself. They stood considering each other, then Shield nodded. :Prime. I am Shield:

Prime nodded. :I am here to listen:

Shield considered that. :We are an independent group. The Empire is unraveling without Megatron to enforce solidarity. We are looking for a new home. We are here to parlay with you about that eventuality. We are here seeking terms:

Prime nodded. :They're simple. You have to renounce your faction, give both personal and professional oaths to the Matrix and settle peacefully among us. If you don't agree to that, you have to leave. You will also have to understand that any reneging on the simple compliance that we demand will lead to your incarceration or death. We have prisons for those who disagree with us and a mausoleum for those who decide to break their oath to the Matrix:

Shield nodded. :I understand. What options are available for us if we surrender and become part of the city? I am aware that you have a city and amenities … opportunities:

Prime considered his remarks, understanding that the information they were feeding Paragon had either been made available to this group or had as leaked signal made its way here. Either manner was good for him. :You would be required to find work that you wanted to do, work that was honorable. You would be given housing and opportunity to go to school including university to become whatever you decide to learn. If you remain in the army you would have to wear the Autobrand and serve under my rule. You would also become a member of the association of former Decepticons who would help you assimilate as well as monitor your activities until you prove yourself to us. The former Decepticons of our colony are very vigilant and they make sure that the newcomers understand how things work. They also police their ranks.:

Shield nodded. :I see you brought others with you. I am assuming they have something to say:

:You would be assuming correctly: Starscream said stepping closer. He was imposing, his colors brilliant and his affect that of old. :You know I am Starscream:

Shield nodded. :I know you, Commander Starscream:

:Good. Then you know what I was to the faction and my loyalty. I was a scientist of some note on Cybertron and a leader of my people. I was Megatron's second. Yet he threw me over even as he did you. My people are now hunted and the only sanctuary left is the colony we call home now. Our flights fly for Cybertron and the only real leader of our people that lives, Optimus Prime himself. Our infants go to school together with grounders and Autobots and our people work at what they want instead of what they are told to do. There are no castes allowed. There is unity and solidarity. There are bonds and families being made. All of us are one: He looked behind him. :You know the bot behind me:

Shield nodded. :I do. Hail, Rainmaker, Lord of the Skies:

Rainmaker nodded. :You know the salutations. What do you know about futility?:

:I am here to learn about it, Elder: Shield replied smoothly.

:Then allow me to help you: Rainmaker said. :The faction is lead by a tyrant who puts death orders to entire segments of the army that displease him. What displeasure that is, no one knows. It can be anything. Our families were our death sentence, that and the courage of Starscream. We came to the only other sanctuary that exists for our kind, the colony of the Prime. We will defend it to the last of our kind. There are thousands of us there. You would do well to make a very considered decision. I have called all of Seekerkin to me. They will come and you know it. No one wishes to be outcast among the Seekerkin. You will not defeat us, not in your wildest dreams:

Alpha Trion nodded. :The Elder speaks truth. You would do well to decide what side of this chasm that you belong to. This enterprise is Primus blessed:

Chevron, a sweet expression on his face nodded. :You must understand the truth to that statement, Shield. The Pantheon have blessed our new home restoring to the possession of the Prime and our people the AllSpark, the Matrix Flame and the Well of All Sparks. They are now housed in the Temple Restored. Our efforts have the support of The One. You would do well to reflect upon that and the futility of opposing us:

Shield stared at the priest for a moment, then looked at Prime. :I recognize the other bots you brought with you. General Blackjack and Commander Alor I know: he said nodding to the pair. :I also know Prowl. I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how intriguing an opponent Paragon finds you, Commander Prowl:

Prowl considered that, then nodded slightly. :Then you are aware that he has never won an encounter between us yet:

:So I have heard: Shield said. :I can only hazard a guess that you are Ironhide. Wherever Prime seems to be one can expect you:

Ironhide nodded. :You would be right. That includes the battlefield, slaggers:

Shield permitted a slight grin. :Same old Ironhide I can see: He considered the group before him. :You have nothing to say, Prime?:

:I told you the conditions. You have to surrender and be an asset. The Matrix will exact the punishment you will receive if you fail to honor your word. There is really little else to say:

Shield considered that a moment, then nodded. :We would like to settle on your world. I suppose a separate colony is out of the question even considering the size of your planet?:

:It is. Entirely: Prime replied.

Shield nodded. :Then I would like a moment to discuss the decision with my comrades:

Prime nodded, then all of the Decepticons moved away to discuss things internally.

-0-TBC 06-02-13


	322. Chapter 322

The Diego Diaries: Decision Time 1 (322) This is dedicated today to Novamyth who understands Prowl's pain. ;)

-0-Out there

They stood together talking over their predicament internally as the Autobot party watched. Prime considered the possibilities. They could be genuine in their desire to come to the colony. They could come and not be genuine, merely biding their time to make their moves or they could leave. He didn't believe they would. The city was a big draw and having them in their midst would require extra security precautions until they proved themselves. The former Decepticon Association would have to keep a heavy servo on them. The leadership would be tracked night and day, hopefully without their knowing.

The group finally turned and walked back pausing before Prime and his party. Shield nodded. :We would like to come in from the cold, Prime. We understand the limitations as well and accept them. We're tired of having no home:

For a moment, Prime indulged what it would be like for the words spoken to be true for Shield but it passed swiftly. He nodded. :Very well. We want your crews to disarm and transfer to the Guardians. Your ships should power down weapons systems, lock all personal arms in lockers, then fuse them and wait for the transfer. We are going to be working on the theory that you are hostile until we get you through the processing procedure. It is standard for every Decepticon that we get. Ask Starscream if you don't believe me:

Shield glanced at the big Seeker who nodded. :We will have you in our sights. Until all are one must be proven by my former faction:

Shield nodded back. :Very well. I will give you my weapons now: He subbed his guns and they were taken by Ironhide who turned and called to a mech in Omega. He stepped from the ship and took the weapons as others crowded around him. One by one, the group of Decepticons 'disrobed' allowing their weapons taken and an inspection of their subspace to be performed. When they were clean Prime nodded. :You will come with me. I will expect you to stand down the ships in your group and allow transfer of personnel to our Guardians. I am calling for transport ships to help facilitate this maneuver:

Shield nodded and turned with his group heading with Prime's for Omega. They boarded and the mechs were parked on a bench, an Autobot with weapon in plain sight standing casually nearby. They looked around, this the first time they had been on a ship of this nature before. None of the vessels in the Decepticon fleet were sentient. None of them. The Autobots on the other servo nearly overflowed with them. Kappa and Omega were here. He knew about Metroplex and Fortress Maximus. Logic would dictate that more of Omega's siblings could and should be expected. "Nice vessel," he said to no one in particular. "I had not been aware that any of the Supremes had survived the war."

Rainmaker sat across from him staring at the big Decepticon appraisingly. "There are many there with more coming. It would do you well to know that once you cross the line into Autobot Nation, you are entering a fortress of enormous power and security. There will be no tolerance of anything that detracts from the peace of our homeland. You must prove your fitness to be free or we shall imprison you just like we did Shockwave and Sentinel Prime."

Prime who was watching the datapad on the table before him quashed a grin. This would be an interesting trip home. He stared at Shield from the periphery of his optics as Rainmaker tested the mech for his edification. All of them were expert at probing situations and individuals for his benefit and Rainmaker was no different. They were one indeed.

"Shockwave," Shield said quietly. "I wondered where he went. Megatron is looking for him."

"He will have to look longer and harder. He will not get that one back," Rainmaker said as Starscream sat down beside him, a smirk on his handsome face. "All of the worst are in the prison."

"Blind Spot, Barricade, Scorponok, Turmoil to name a few," Starscream said with a grin. "A few of the Senators from Cybertron too."

Rainmaker nodded. "Fools. You cannot win against us. I am giving you warning. Every former Decepticon will be watching you. Do not humiliate us by disturbing the peace. I personally will not like it."

Shield noted that more than aware of the power Rainmaker wielded and the reality of the threat to his person. "I am ready to relax, Elder. I want to find a place without war."

"We will hold you to your word, Shield. We have not worked this long and come this far for you to bring discord. I have been traveling a very long distance to find home. We have found it in the city. We will be swift in our defense of this good place and all who live there. Never forget that," Rainmaker concluded. "I have spoken."

Shield nodded more than aware that the conversation was closed to further commentary. Glancing around him, seeing guarded interest on the faces of his subordinates, he wondered what would be next. Outside, ships were being boarded by groups that had come through the space bridge outside their window which had opened up upon their boarding of Omega. Vessels of both Cybertronian and alien design came through heading toward his own to disgorge dozens of armed soldiers and boarding experts. Seekers poised on the holds of the ships he had brought added to the impetus of surrender. His ships were.

It would take three joors to empty them, secure their contents and supply flight teams to bring them in. A tanker refueled three ships before they began to stand out heading toward the space bridge and the fabled realm of Prime.

-0-At the city

The airfield got ready to take in more big ships, vessels that would need a lot of refitting. The shipyards had been moved north of the airfield away from the Temple and Human Science Habitat area to maximize access to the technical opportunities the field supplied. It also opened up that area to development in future for those already there to expand. The shipyard was vast and an intriguing sight for the Hu An habitat that was south of it. Nearby, also north of the airfield but south of the shipyard the N.E.S.T. habitation was going up beautifully. The three permanent human habitations were finally getting sorted out. The big apartment in the tower in the Mare Tranquilitatis would be the home of humans who were friends and family of the Cybertronians. Even though visitors would be given rooms there for their stays, it was the homebase of the humans that were loved, many of whom even held Cybertronian citizenship. The Human Habitat, the domed structure that was first would remain the habitat of those who came for science or scientific inquiry. This new habitat would be the home of the soldiers and civilians of N.E.S.T. who worked with them.

-0-On Omega

Prime sat stoically, the alpha crew with him chatting offline among each other, Rainmaker and Starscream's helms nearly touching as they went over a plan for expansion of entrepreneurial space in the business mall that was rising at Aerie Hill. Shield sat watching them and the others considering his options as his own officers sat without comment. He looked at Prime, then focused on his own internal thoughts. It would be a quiet ride to Autobot City.

-0-At the airfield

They came down through the space bridge and landed in the hurley-burley of mid day in the city. Security was there to gather up the slaggers and corral them in the former triage space that could be turned into a prison in the drop of a hat. Prowl walked to Ops Center as the rest of them organized the bad guys. It would take a few joors before they could be brought to medical for their implants. Everyone was waiting as Jazz and Elita worked out the interrogations that would have to precede any further considerations.

-0-Ratchet

He stood in the emergency room watching his crews work like well oiled machines. Things had turned out well with the 'Cons so far. They were giving up to come in and that meant four new battle cruisers and three battle shuttles to add to their fleet. The fighter carriers and other support vessels would be a good addition too even though they were of Decepticon design and construction. Low on amenities and high on battle, they were antiseptic in design and intention. No comforts beyond that of the officer's quarters. The very high up officer's quarters. He turned and walked out heading for the street and a stroll to Ops Center. Prowl was running the show from ground zero as Prime pursued servos on as lead Messiah in the holy quest for a homeland without slag for all of them.

Reaching the Fortress at last, he sassed the elder mechs playing games in the courtyard, bantered across the rec room, then entered the Ops Center making a bee line to the center table where Prowl sat working. He looked up and grinned. "What's shakin', bacon?"

Ratchet sat, a beatific grin on his face. "Nice one, Granny. Not much. The mech of my dreams is out in the field with Ironhide."

They both snorted, sitting back to relax a moment. "We won this first round but it is apparent to everyone that they can't be trusted. They will require intensive implants and some without their knowledge. We want a tracking device, one that can't be dampened or redirected. Wheeljack has a youngling who has been working on this as a required implant for our soldiers so we can find them. We're going to test it on these slaggers."

"Good. Nothing like a smart youngling to make things spin around," Ratchet said with a nod. "I can do that. We don't want them to know so we can piggy back it on the detonator device, right?"

Prowl nodded. "We can." He leaned forward. "This Shield, he's friends with Barricade. Actual real friends. They worked together in Kaon. This is going to be strange."

Ratchet nodded. "I'll pack extra C-4 in his chassis," he said.

"Don't tempt me, Ratchet," Prowl said with a grin. "We have plenty of space in the prison. Jetta has drawn up plans to put an expansion for the officers in detention over that little ridge on the other side of Sentinel's cell block. They can speak but be far enough apart not to become a problem."

Ratchet nodded. "I would love to hear their conversations. You're not putting them in with Turmoil or Blind Spot? What about Motormaster and Deadend? They might cancel each other out."

Prowl snorted, a grin forming on his handsome face. "Don't tempt me. I think putting them all in the same cell block might be interesting. Add Scorponook and Barricade and see what happens."

Ratchet considered that, then nodded. "You might want to do that. It might be instructive."

"Or destructive," Prowl said nodding. "Have you heard about Sideways?"

"That little con man. What about him?" Ratchet asked.

"Nothing so far. I saw him go into Club Hoyle during the middle of the orn and wondered what he's doing to earn his keep. Nothing so far. He's loafing, hanging out in the bars and pursuing a youngling mech whose family is not impressed," Prowl said.

"Maybe he needs to be arrested for vagrancy. Bring him in so I can scan him, then throw him in with the others. Might be fun," Ratchet said. "He can work. He needs to and he doesn't need to bring down anyone's youngling."

"I will pose it to Optimus. He is ruled by the Matrix. If that seems too personal an attack to his menace, he will be curbed from doing it. Or not," Prowl said with a grin.

"I would decapitate his aft if he was buzzing around Hero," Ratchet said with a nod. "Ironhide would disperse his body parts all around the planet."

"That goes without saying regarding Iacon and Uraya," Prowl said with a nod.

Ratchet paused. Then he stood. "Time for my close up. They need me. THEY REALLY NEED ME!"

Prowl laughed, then shook his helm. "You're certifiable."

"That I am, Prowler. That I am," Ratchet said as he turned and walked out heading for the triage tent and the mass of newbie, would be, might be, probably won't be citizens of their fair shores.

-0-TBC

June 3, 2013


	323. Chapter 323

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 1 (323)

-0-On the way to the n00bs

Ratchet swished out heading for the triage-processing pavilion that still doubled for a lock up for intransigent bad actors when called upon to do so. The bars were easily resurrected and the space large enough to hold the bad mechs until they could be sorted, the wheat from the chaff.

The bars were going strong and the area inside was thick with gray as well as purple Decepticons. They stood staring out with anxiety as their leadership was gathered around Prime. There were terrorcons and regular troopers, all of them standing as close to the bars as they dared, all of them listening as Optimus Prime gave them their terms. No one spoke but they looked around, most of them goggle-opticed with surprise and amazement at the sight of a genuine Cybetronian city.

That was even before the chosen representative group of the former Decepticon association reached them to lay down the law. Rampage, Nitro, Revo and Heva, Scar and Breakdown walked along the sidewalk behind Ratchet as they came to impose their will on the processors of the new meat. Nearby walking together from the hangar installations nearby, Astrotrain, Goldwing, Red Wing and Cloudburst walked to join them as well.

Ratchet paused by the door where the techs stood waiting to install the devices as the big mechs caught up. They gathered around him, their cold optics regarding the newcomers without mercy. Scar looked down at Ratchet. "We're going to be here while you do your stuff, Ratchet. Anyone who gets any stupid ideas can deal with us."

Ratchet grinned and slipped his arm through Breakdown's. "I would swoon from all the stand up mechliness here but I don't have a couch to catch me."

They grinned and glanced at Prime who was going through the riot act with the leadership. "That's Shield, huh?" Nitro asked.

Ratchet nodded. "He's good friends with Barricade I hear," Ratchet said. He looked up at the mechs. "Genuinely I hear."

"Well, that isn't good," Scar said glaring hotly at the back of Shield's helm. "We're going to be monitoring these slaggers orn and night."

"Thanks, boys. I know how hard this is to get slaggers from your side of the fence but some of these younglings might actually be alright," Ratchet said nodding to the mostly young, mostly intrigued mass of soldiers behind the glowing bars.

"They better be," Scar said darkly.

At that point Prime paused glancing over Shield's shoulder to the mechs standing around Ratchet. "Gentlemen," Prime said with a nod.

Scar nodded back, then stepped forward moving closer to the leadership who looked at him warily. They knew who they were looking at, the array of big bots before him so they hiked their level of concern upward. "I am Scar. You know me," he said glaring at the three leaders who for their part met his gaze levelly. "I live here. I came in Turmoil's battle group but you know that. The others? They were free arrivals from space or gathered up on the Earth, the next planet over by the Autobots. All of us were among the most feared and dangerous Decepticon warriors who ever lived. All of us have done terrible things for Megatron. But when we needed leadership and room to grow, to have families, to get some **small** payback for **our** effort, he cut us up." Scar turned to the others and nodded.

Rampage stepped forward and even Shield took a step backward. "I am Rampage. You know me. You know what I am. I am a Predacon. I am part of Predaking," he said with an affectation of prideful menace. "It took a seven foot energon sword through my gut to drop me. I would have been left for dead by Megatron but I wasn't. I was saved," he said nodding to Ratchet. "He saved my life. He fixed me back up and I have a life here that doesn't require me giving everything I got to someone who isn't prepared or even knows he owes me in return. My brothers are somewhere. I don't know where. But if they come here to make trouble I will fight them.

"This is my city. I have work here that makes me happy. I've never been happy in my entire life until now, in this place. I own several businesses, I teach in the University and Career Center and I have a mech I love who loves me back. I will fight for that. I will die for that. I will **kill** for that. If anyone doesn't understand what this place means for me, remember **that**. Prime took me in. No one else would have. **No one**. I live here and I love it. Frag you to the Pit by my own servo if you try to mess with that."

"We all have the same story," Nitro said. "I'm a Seeker but my bond is a grounder. We have a daughter who was dying when we finally reached this place. My daughter was saved. She goes to school, she plays with her friends and they are everyone … Neutral, Autobot, Ex-'Con, Circle of Light, Knight of Cybertron … all of it. I am a writer now. I have two books published and they're being read in the schools. I never knew I could do that. Only here. I work in the Armory with Ironhide," he said nodding to the big hulking mech beside Prime. "I help make every bullet, bomb and gun this city and army uses. I make the bullets that are going to take down Megatron. I live with my bond and daughter in a beautiful apartment. We are together, my family all of whom Megatron ordered to be killed. Frag anyone who tries to endanger that."

Breakdown looked at Ratchet, then the newcomers. "I'm a Stunticon. I'm Breakdown," he said as a murmur went around the group. "My brothers are in the prison, two of them. They tried to sneak in here to spy and got caught. My own brothers are in the prison and they belong there. They were going to sell us out and cause the colony to be breached. Frag that. I am happier here than I ever thought possible. I live decently. I work in the hospital as a medic ... in the field too. I'm studying to be a doctor. **Me, Breakdown**. No one ever expected that I could do that but Ratchet did. This place lets me. You will never make it to step two in any plan you have to take down this place. We won't allow it."

Everyone nodded. "We all come from crap," Heva said. "We all grew up as poor as we could be including Prime. We joined the Decepticons because Megatron said we were going to become something better for all of us. But what happened? Are you better off with him at any point in this futility? We aren't. Never with him. It was all about **him**, **his** dreams and needs. He doesn't care about us. We never were allowed to make families, to bond or have a life with him. Only here. I got my engineering degree at the University over there," he said nodding to the city. "I'm going to be a designer of aircraft and make a business with my bond, Revo. We didn't even get to go to primary school on Cybertron and here I am a college graduate. My bond," he said nodding to Revo, "teaches aviation at the University."

"I do. I get to do a lot. I get to fly and teach flying as well as mechanical engineering of aircraft and ship design. This I get to do. I learned to really read and write here and I have textbooks in production for aviators that I wrote myself. I'm part of a private business working to make leisure aircraft for local on-world flying. I wasn't allowed to do that on Cybertron and I wasn't allowed to with Megatron. There's no daylight between Cybertron back in the orn and life with Megatron."

"I was shot down by our own side," a huge Seeker said. "I'm Astrotrain. You know who I am. I was doing my job when the shoot-to-kill order on Seekers came down from Megatron. I had no warning. I was shot up and barely escaped. I flew on and on barely alive because if I died which I believed was going to happen, I didn't want it to be on some rock somewhere by myself, without anyone ever knowing what happened to me. I wanted to be among my own kind. The Autobots heard me and came. Do you really believe I would be standing here if only Decepticons had heard? What about you, Shield? Would you have come to save me or finish me off? I hung by a thread but survived. I serve the colony and myself. I have a bond now. Sky Dive, an Aerialbot and I bonded, Autobot and Decepticon. We aren't the only ones. There are Autobot-Decepticon infants here. We want our own family. We can here. Frag the Cause and Megatron and frag you if you come here to cause trouble. We will take you down and no one will ever find your parts."

Goldwing, Red Wing and Cloudburst nodded too. "We helped pull you through, Astrotrain. You almost went to the Matrix," Goldwing said. "But you didn't and I'm glad. We're all glad. We all together have made a home here. We have festivals and holidays, schools teach the young, the Seekers are respected. **We are respected.**"

"You know me," Red Wing said stepping closer. "You know that I was subcommander to Starscream. I did everything I was asked to do but it didn't matter in the end. I don't know what Shield and the others have told you to do here. I don't know if they told you to bide your time and wait for something to happen. But I do know you will regret for the rest of your orns that you threw away a chance like this if you do. We are a Cybertronian city, a genuine one under the leadership of the only mech who has the respect of everyone from all factions, Optimus Prime. I go into combat under his command. I fight for this city to protect my trine and our younglings. I have an orphan in my family because of Megatron, an orphan whose life was turned upside down because all that mech knows how to do is hate."

"All your life you obeyed one mech and now at this point when he steps out of the picture you have nothing. These snivelers," Cloudburst said glancing at Shield and his two captains, "probably told you to wait for some signal so they can harm this city and our people. You would be very great fools to do that. There are nearly 2 million of us here with uncounted more coming. We will defeat you handily. Then we will take you apart and bury you deep," he said quietly, his menace and promise evident.

"You listen to them," Rampage said nodding to the three ship captains, "and you will be against us. Look at us, younglings. You can either be assisted by us to reach your potential both for yourself and our colony or you can be against us. I wouldn't advise doing that. We didn't get our reputations by not standing by what we say we will do. We will."

It was silent, all sides taking the measure of the moment. Then a young mech stepped forward. "How do I get a chance to live here? I don't want to fight anymore."

Prime stepped forward. "You have to give me your oath, both personal and professional to abide by the rules and laws, to accept my rule and stand down from your faction and its goals. You make that oath to the Matrix. If you break it the Matrix will exact a punishment that could terminate your life."

The youngling considered that, then nodded. "I will. I'm sick of this. If they can live here and be alright," he said nodding to the former 'Cons who stood quietly watching him, "then I want the same chance." He looked at the group of ex-'Cons almost plaintively. "Can you help me?"

Scar nodded. "I will, youngling. Just don't shame us. We are one here. All are one here."

He nodded and moved to the gate to wait. For a moment no one moved. Then others joined him until more than half the group was lined up, the others glancing at each other hesitantly before moving that way too. Prime looked at them. "You will have a probationary period. You will wear a device inside you that can be activated remotely and will if so detonated blow you sky high. You cannot take it out yourself or it will automatically explode. This device will track your movements and when its clear that you mean to be an asset, not a detriment, it will come off. Understood?"

They nodded, those ready to go. Prime looked at the three captains, then turned to Ratchet. "You can begin, Ratchet. I will take the others to the hospital and you can do the honors there with us available. We are not clear on their freedom to go around yet given that they were the leadership of this group." Prime looked at Nitro and the others. "You have custody, gentlemen. Thank you."

They nodded. "Don't worry about them, Prime. We'll take care of it," Scar said with grim determination.

Prime nodded and with the three Captains as well as some of his officers in tow, they began to walk down the sidewalk to the city. Ratchet watching them go, turned to his techs and assistants. "Let's get going, younglings. These guards have other things to do," he said with a grin.

In a joor, they would be wired, dispersed and on their way.

-0-In the high up echelons of Autobot City Medical Center and Hospital

They sat in the waiting room of the Emergency Services level of the hospital. The Officer of the Orn was of all mechs Knockout. When the group entered he paused and took in the three captains with Prime. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" he asked with his usual trademark smirk.

"They'll let anything in I see," Shield said with a grin.

"That's what I was thinking about you, Shield," Knockout said. "I suppose you're waiting for the witch doctor to get here."

Prime snorted in spite of himself as he sat in a big comfortable chair. The others who took their places as well as Shield stared at Knockout with a considering gaze. "Tell me, Knockout … are you still infatuated with Prime? Or did I just let out a secret?" Shield ventured.

Knockout startled, then glared at the big Decepticon with a look that could drop a Seeker in flight. "I don't know what you're taking, Shield, but it must be giving you waking hallucinations."

"Really? It's old news among the 'Cons that you have a soul destroying lust for Prime. You like them big don't you. Everyone knows that." He glanced at Prime with a smirk. "I don't know if you knew that but Knockout has never made it a secret."

Knockout glared at Shield, his servos gripping his hips the way they would have had they been Shield's neck. "Keep talking, Shield. Keep the lies coming." With that, he turned and stormed out of the room.

It was silent a moment, then Shield glanced at Prime, a grin on his face. "I don't know if you knew about that but there you have it. I am holding nothing back from you."

Prime who was amused in spite of himself looked at Shield. "I'll be sure to tell the bond. He will be delighted."

Shield snorted, then shook his helm. "I am sure that Springer will be," he replied.

He had no idea why Prime and Ironhide laughed at that remark.

-0-TBC June 4, 2013


	324. Chapter 324

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 2 (324)

-0-Emergency Room, Autobot City Medical Center and Hospital

Ratchet walked in and paused, a smirk on his face. "You all look like the patient died."

"For some of us, it did," Shield replied with a smirk of his own.

Ratchet looked at Prime. "Well? Do we mine them now?"

Prime nodded. Shield and the two captains rose and turned walking with several security mechs into the surgery nearby. Ratchet entered, pausing by a table of devices and equipment. He glanced at Breakdown. "Nice little talk you gave, Breakdown. You become even more awesome to me everyday," Ratchet said as he gathered a couple of tools. Prime walked with Ironhide into the room and both leaned against counters to watch.

Breakdown grinned. "Thanks." He turned to assist as nearby in the duty officer's office Knockout sat fuming.

Ratchet opened their chassis and took the nondescript tracer-mines from Breakdown inserting them into the space just below their spark chambers. It took microwelds and a bit of effort to implant them, then seal the munition's detonators in a clear steel cover disallowing anyone but him to remove the intricate but totally lethal devices. Stepping back, calibrating the three bombs with a meter he subbed, Ratchet glanced at Prime. "We're good to go, Optimus," he said reaching out to close the chassis covers on the three bots. "You now have an explosive device in your body that is tamper proof. I cannot emphasize that enough. There are four failsafe steps to removing them, three of which are circulating at random in Teletraan III's algorithm database. If you input the wrong one, even if you get two right, even on a guess or dare, you go boom. You may be able to unscrew the plating, but that without the proper steps will cause the explosion to occur as well. You are stuck. Period. Don't be stupid and think I'm bluffing. I have infants of my own here. I would rather detonate you now than have you about but if you actually have the mentality to understand what a miracle this place is and pitch in, I will stay my servo. Probably."

They looked at Ratchet, then Shield laughed out loud. "He called you a 'witch doctor'," he said. "Knockout. He called you that. Bot has insights."

Ratchet smirked and reared up to his full height which was still seven feet shorter than Shield. "Knockout needs another shellacking then. I periodically kick his aft around for the practice. I am afraid of no one. I recharge with Ironhide."

The three glanced at the smoldering pile of menace leaning against the counter nearby, then Ratchet. "I imagine you're a riot in the berth," Shield said with a grin.

Ironhide rose up like Vesuvius, Prime gripping his arm quickly. "Watch your mouth, slagger, or I'll show you a riot."

Shield considered Ironhide and the reaction a simple remark had created in him. It was good intel. "You can't take a joke can you, Ironhide?"

"Frag you, Shield," Ironhide said dangerously.

"They're mined, Optimus. I would be careful around potholes if I was you," Ratchet said looking at them coldly. "I might have made the detonators hair trigger in my zeal to be a slagger. No doubt."

They looked at Ratchet, two of them with concerned expressions, then Prime stepped in. "You will go the prison for now. We will go through the databases of your ships and decide what level of security you will live under. Some of the captains and other transitional prisoners have freedom during the orn and reside in lockup during the night. I will decide tomorrow what your status at least for now will be." He glanced at the muscle and they stepped out taking the three in charge. They left without a word.

Ratchet looked at Ironhide who was still smoking hot. "Sorry, Only One."

"What for? You don't need that kind of slag. You're a slagging doctor. They're exempt."

Ratchet grinned. "Exempt? I just put mines in their chests."

"You're a slagging doctor. You don't deserve slag and they will rue the day they try," Ironhide said with barely contained fury. "Remember that."

Ratchet slipped his arms around Ironhide's waist. "I will," he said with a grin.

Ironhide hugged him tightly, then glanced at Prime. "That bunch of bums better behave themselves or I'll frag them myself."

Prime slapped Ironhide on the shoulder. "They will have tight reins. I think they can wander but stay in the prison for now. I don't want them to make trouble but I'm not adverse to seeing what they do with our resident slaggers, Barricade and Skorponok."

"They would know they were being watched," Ironhide said nodding.

"I would like to know if they would find common cause with Fenix and the Iacon group," Ratchet said as he swayed gently in Ironhide's grip. "I think they have common purposes if not common final end goals. Shield would support anything and anyone who might be ready to undermine us and Fenix would be ready to use anyone and anything to make their goals happen. Might be a possibility there."

Prime nodded. "I was thinking that too, Ratchet. I think letting them roam will be good. It might smoke out vendettas and the like before they have a chance to happen. I don't want the twins evening any scores."

"I'll talk to them. Maybe they can be a resource here," Ironhide said. "I doubt that Shield would think they would reform. Maybe they can be a window into these slagger's real intentions."

Prime nodded. "Talk to them. What happens, happens. Nothing forced."

"Agreed," Ironhide said with a nod. He looked at Ratchet. "Stay away from that slagger."

Ratchet snorted, nodding. "Aye, aye, captain."

"Make it so," Ironhide said with a pointed tone.

-0-Nearby

Knockout sat at his desk, his long fingers tapping out his angst on the desktop. Shield hadn't been far from the truth. He did have an unbridled lust for Prime. A lot of bots did. He was **HUGE** and ... **HUGE**. The idea of being dominated by a bot that big sort of torqued his lugnuts. He had a thing for big bots, Breakdown a case in point. Being dominated by one in the berth was not something that he wanted anyone to essentially know **ANYTHING ABOUT**. His swagger and all around oblivious confidence in the face of even outraged insecticons was the stuff of legend.

He was sure of it.

He didn't show fear. He showed style.

Until he was in the presence of** HUGE** sexy bots. Big ones with big servos. Huge arms and a chassis like a space shuttle. A deep voice that demanded ... things. Huge sexy big demanding bots who wanted things. That would just about sum it up.

"Knockout."

He broke his reverie to look at up at the bemused optics of Ratchet. "What?" he asked in his usual ill humor which in and of itself was hilarious. He didn't know though. Ratchet refused to divulge any of his secrets.

Ratchet walked in and sat. "I hear you find Optimus intriguing."

A smoldering optic ... not the good kind met that remark. **"WHO SAYS!?"**

"Don't kill the messenger. I find Optimus sexy too."

They stared at each other, two sides of the same demented coin. Then Knockout relaxed in his chair, his smirking face appraising Ratchet with something new.

Interest.

"So ... you like them big too?" he asked.

"Sure. I bonded with Ironhide. He's huge." Ratchet considered the wily fragger before him, a mech with more angles than a compass factory. "I like my bots big."

"So you wanna talk sex do you? What do I look like? Your mother?" Knockout shot back.

"No. My 'mother' is cuter. I just think its good for the constitution to talk about what you will never have. Optimus is staked out and off the list of possibilities ... not that you ever stood a chance."

Knockout looked at the window a moment as a Seeker flight took off disappearing into the darkness with dispatch. Then he turned his beady optics onto Ratchet's beady optics. "You're a slagger. Just because they're nailed down doesn't mean they're off the market. A bot can dream."

"I know. Tell me. Do you dream about Megatron?" Ratchet asked with genuine interest.

"Are you **kidding**? **That slagger**? He's got impotence stamped all over him."

Ratchet snorted, then guffawed. "He does? He fragged Shockwave on a regular basis. They have a demon spawn of their own."

"I heard about that. Galvaston or something. Never saw him but he can't be too good. Considering the CNA those two possess, I imagine that he has an optic on his helm and one on his aft," Knockout said as he settled in himself.

Ratchet guffawed again. "I have such a mental image of that." He grinned. "Breakdown is a helluva bot. Just so you know."

"Tell me something I don't know," Knockout said rather proudly. "He is after all studying to be a doctor. One class a semester. At that rate, he'll be board certified in about 80 vorns."

Ratchet smirked. "Doesn't matter. He's doing his thing. He's doing what he never thought he could do by his own choice, his own way. I'm proud of him."

Knockout looked at him a moment, then sat forward. "You ... you aren't going to adopt him or something are you?"

"Now** there's** an intriguing idea," Ratchet said standing up to go. "You would have to call me Mom." With that parting observation, Ratchet swished out and headed for the elevator.

Knockout watched him go, then sat back, a look of alarm on his face. "Mom ..."

-0-On the street

They had finished their orientation in the Labor Hall, first stop on the way to full citizenship for newbie 'Cons. Scar had led the meeting, other bots joining those with him as he outlined the process for them to follow to have a life that was free, interesting and served their dreams and hopes. That this served the city as well was honed to a fine point as he explained their responsibilities explicitly.

"You will spend the next two orns looking around. Then you will come here to find a job. Everyone who is able bodied or not sparked works. That is, you work unless you're going to college. Most of us who go to college also work. If you can do both then fine. If not, allowances are made for college.

"Everyone gets a good place to live. Bachelors which most of you are used to live exclusively in barracks. Now there are apartments, small ones for bachelors that give you privacy and amenities. You will have to prove to us that you deserve one. For now, you will be living with a 'Con family. We have waiting lists of 'Con families that will mentor you until you prove worthy of living on your own. Some of them have infants. You will be on your best behavior. You will use respect and treat your host with it at all times. Anyone who acts up will have to meet with your group leader which will be assigned before you go with your families on a tour. All of us," he said sweeping his servo around the group of formidable bots around him, "are the group leaders. Anyone acting up or breaking the laws or disturbing the peace or being disrespectful ... you will have to explain yourself to us."

The newbies looked at them, then each other, the weight of the menace that group possessed in abundance felt heavily upon them. They nodded attentively.

"Any questions?" Scar asked.

No one did a moment, then a youngling mech tentatively raised his servo. "Do we get to look at stuff?" he asked in a slight fearful voice. "I heard there's football here."

Scar noting the soldier's young age relaxed slightly. "You will. We're facing the playoffs for the championship of Mars."

The soldier looked at the others, then Scar. "Can I go?" he asked in a hopeful voice.

He would. He would also go home with Scar. He would be an easy transition to the good guys. The others? Time would tell.

-0-TBC June 5, 2013


	325. Chapter 325

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 3 (325)

-0-Here and there at Autobot City, Mars

The breeze was light and the warmth of the sun welcomed as the younglings walked around the city seeing the sights. They had washed up at the Labor Hall finding their true colors under the purple or gray of their Decepticon rankings. They had also had their Deceptibrands removed as well. Some had looked forlorn about it, they were young after all, but others, most of them relieved. The splendor of the Hall alone was enough to intrigue them about the potential in the glittering city beyond. When they were clean, shiny and organized, small groups lead by their group leader designate left the Hall and walked to the underground station that fed the area. Cars laden and not so flashed past, some of them stopping and when the proper ones arrived they entered. Off they went on the vast underground system to explore the city that was just out of their reach thus far.

-0-Recess

A dog ran and jumped grabbing a ball in mid flight. He landed and paused scoping out a group of mechs who were watching them on the sidewalk nearby. When he ascertained no threat, he turned and ran back to a small group of younglings who were waiting. Cardinal took the ball and threw it again, watching with great excitement as Spot ran like the wind to catch it. "I love your dog. I wonder if we can get a dog," he said with a grin.

"You can," Sunspot said with a smile. "Go to The Animal Store and get on the list. Have Mr. Terradive write you a letter or get one of the Elders to help you. I bet you can get a dog right away."

"I would like a dog," Raptor said as he took the ball from Spot. "I want a dog. What about you, Farrell?"

Farrell paused from digging in the sandbox, an intricate number of sand sculptures dotting the area where he played. "I would love a dog. Can you help us, Sunny?"

"I will ask Ada. He can do anything," Sunspot said with conviction as Raptor threw the ball again.

It flew through the air and bounced, one of the newbie youngling Decepticons catching it. Spot ran and slid to a stop before him, gazing at the newcomer with an appraising optic. The newbie looked at the others, then threw the ball back toward the kids. Spot spun on a dime and went for it jumping to catch it before Sunspot could. The little Seeker looking at the newbies turned walking confidently toward them with the verve only the most loved possessed. He paused and looked up at them. "Hi. I'm Sunspot. This is my dog, Spot." Spot had turned to run to Sunny, standing beside him protectively. He had the ball in his mouth and the other three younglings ran toward him to stand as well. "Who are you?"

"We're uh … we're new here," a youngling mech said. The others nodded.

"That's great! More mechs for our city!" Sunny said happily. "We hope you like it here. Do you like our school?" he asked looking over his shoulder at the glittering tower behind him.

"That's a school?" a youngling asked with surprise.

The four little Seekers nodded. "It is. It's our school too. We were warriors but we can't be now," Cardinal said innocently. "We go to school here. I like it better."

The soldiers looked at the little kids, then watched as they ran back at the whistle to where Terradive stood waiting to take them back inside. The soldiers looked at their mentors. "What's with that?" one asked.

"Megatron. He used infants for soldiers. Those four little Seekers were in battles. They were shot and hurt. They were harmed because Megatron doesn't care. Think about it," Rampage said with a coldness that used to spell murder. With a nod of his helm, they turned and walked on. By the time they were through a comprehensive tour of the city, they would end up in The Energon Basket in time for fresh kilned cookies and something they would learn was called 'a coke'.

It would be awesome.

-0-At the prison

They entered the section where they would live until further notice and looked around as the gates sprung into life behind them. No one was there but them. Apparently, old friends and a few indifferent allies lived here as well. Walking to a bench to sit, they stared out at their surroundings. Acer, a captain of the ship, Destruction looked at him. "Well, we're here. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Being here is half the battle. We can assess from the inside what we face and make plans accordingly."

"Prime's no fool," Reverb said as he stretched his legs. "Look at this place. This is power made manifest. This must be the source of the energon we found out there floating around in bits and pieces. Prime has this system locked down. He has unlimited energon. He's gathering millions of bots together using space bridges among other things. How do you suppose to do anything about this?"

"I don't know but I do know being on the inside of the tent pissing out is better than being on the outside pissing in," he said with a smirk. The others just shook their helms.

-0-In the Office of Patents and Contracts

Fenix sat in his beautiful office that had windows that looked out upon the city in which his department was located. It was the combined office tower of the city administration, local policing department and their lockups, the hospital annex for the city and centralized school district administration offices. Herling because of his good natured unwillingness to do anything good for himself before taking care of everyone else was given as his office a large portion of the top floor. It was spectacular.

The entire floor where the Patent and Contracts offices were located was shared with planning and zoning. Caro who was thrilled with his own expansive digs worked down the hall from where Fenix sat doing the legal business of business. Pictures of his bond, Tril and their three little mechs lined the walls along with monitors and large boards with information about how things were done, the hierarchy of the system and all manner of detailed stuff he needed.

The work was interesting and surprisingly sophisticated. It was detailed and fulfilling, something he hadn't expected. The staff was surprisingly well trained and efficient, something else not expected from a mixed caste office. He shared a secretary slash administrative aide with another who was also on top of their game. But then, they were mid caste and used to being effective.

The Hourly News came on so he turned up the sound taking a moment to catch up on things around the city.

"Today, a Decepticon fleet surrendered to the Prime and gave up a crew complement of 357 soldiers, 2 Seekers and three ship captains and their staff. They were taken into custody by the Prime using a commanding force of three Guardians, 200 Seekers and other support ships through The Trigger. The event was accomplished without a shot being fired and garnered the military four battle cruisers, three battle shuttles and a number of smaller vessels including two fighter carriers. Lim-Lee talked to Jazz, the Autobot Information Officer earlier about it," Gen-O said.

"Jazz, how did the mission go and how did you know that they wanted to meet up to discuss surrender?" Lim-Lee asked.

"We had followed them on the long range sensors that we have out 35 light years. No one gets near without us knowin' and we track them orn and night. This group actually commed the Prime and asked for a meet up. We went out, discussed terms and they surrendered. We think a lot of Decepticons are running out of fuel, supplies and patience with their faction. Their side is fallin' apart without Megatron to run things orn-to-orn."

"What do you know about Megatron, his intentions and whereabouts? Did they supply any information

on that score?" Lim-Lee asked.

"No. We don't know. We just know he's off recruitin' allies and knowin' him the way we do, he probably found someone to fight who can defend themselves. That would draw him like flies to honey. Or is it bees?" Jazz asked with a big smile.

Lim-Lee chuckled. "Tell us about the crews. We have seen them around town in the company of the Former Decepticon Association members."

"The bots in that group are comin' through again. They take the newcomers under their wing and show them the ropes. They monitor them and make it way easier for the rest of us to do what we have to do. They will be out and about as they learn how to live here so I hope they are welcomed. I also hope they behave themselves or Scar and Rampage will whip their afts."

Lim-Lee grinned and turned to the camera. "Back to you in the studio, Gen-O."

Fenix watched as film of the newbies walking here and there was shown, then an interview was broadcast of some of them.

"This is Jacx reporting from Main and Fifth Street in Terra," he said turning to smile at half a dozen **VERY** nervous youngling mech former Decepticons. "I wonder if you can tell us what you think about the city so far."

They glanced at each other, then one was nudged. He looked at his friends, then Jacx. "It's awesome."

The others nodded and looked at him encouragingly. Then another one stepped closer. "This reminds me of Cybertron. I like it here. We had cookies at The Energon Basket. They were really good. They reminded me of my grandada's cookies." He paused. "Uh, I'm hoping we get to go to the football game. Vos and Kaon are trying to see who plays Praxus. I would love to do that."

Jacx glanced at Payload who grinned and nodded. "It would appear that your mentor says you'll go."

They looked at him with excitement, then back at Jacx. "I really like this place," the young mech said with a big grin.

Fenix considered that, the idea of Decepticons among them and felt himself shudder. That everyone did the first few times this happened didn't make him bad. It made him a refugee. A rap on the door caught his attention. Caro was there with three datapads. "Hi. Could you look over these contracts please? I am going to be talking to the Two Worlds Panel shortly via conference call and they want to know if these ideas have even a chance of happening. I need to know the legal before the call." He walked in and handed the pads to Fenix who nodded. "No problem," he said as Caro nodded and walked out. He sat staring at the door, then turned to the stack of work on his desk. It felt like Iacon he thought idly. Then he began to work.

-0-Barricade and Scorponok

They watched The Hourly News from the perch of their table in Club Cybertron. The ships that had been brought in were known to both as were the command crews. The film shown of the groups leaving the vessels had been surprising. Shield was one of the captains. It must have been pretty bad for him to surrender. Fuel was a problem for all of them.

All of them but the Autobots.

"Shield looks pretty relaxed for surrendering his group," Scorponok offered.

Barricade nodded. "He does." Barricade looked around, then sat forward. "He doesn't surrender. Never. He has something in processor. I wonder if they are going to be letting them live in the towers or if he's going to be in the prison with us."

"I would jail his aft," Scorponok said sipping his high grade. "I wouldn't trust him if I was Prime. I'm not Prime and **I** don't trust him," the strange mech said with a smirk.

Barricade nodded. "I do. He and I go way back. I wonder what he's got in mind. We'll have to see how we can talk to him tonight. I want to know what's going on beyond this fragging system."

"You and me both," Scorponok said quietly.

-0-In a conference room in Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prime sat staring at him as did Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet. Being a bullshitter, the mech waited. Finally, he looked at Prime. "What's up and why all this?"

"Because we are hearing bad things about you, Sideways," Prowl said. He looked at the mech like he was a suspect and Prowl was a cop again. Which he was. For the interview. "You want to come clean or do we beat it out of you?"

Ratchet glanced at Prowl more than aware of his interest in the BBC series, 'Copper'. Glancing at Prime, he could see the leading edge of a guffaw trying to emerge. Ironhide merely sat back with a great show of steel behind which a hardy laugh was ongoing.

Sideways looked at Prowl, then shrugged. "I don't know what that would be. I've been a very good boy."

Apparently he watched 'Copper' too Ratchet thought as he sat thoroughly entertained. Prowl looked at him. "Have you examined him, Doctor?"

"I have," Ratchet replied with a slight grin. "This slagger is fit to work in every manner and shape deemed possible in the mind of anyone with a mind."

Prowl rolled his optics for a moment, then looked at Sideways. "You do not have gainful employment."

Sideways looked at Prowl, then relaxed. So that was what all of this was about. "I'm looking into it. I am also looking into college. I was thinking accounting was a good safe career choice."

"You have had more than two years to find and keep employment. You have had three jobs since you were allowed to go into general population, none of them lasting more than a week. You have been unemployed for more than a year and a half. Gambling at Club Hoyle is not gainful employment. Tell me why we don't send you back to prison?"

He sat up straighter and caught himself, cursing silently his slip. "I have been trying. I also have been in a relationship that is important to me. I have issues about the past few years and it makes it hard to think long term. Post traumatic stress." He looked at Ratchet with faux sad optics and nearly got a howling laugh out of his 'doctor' in response.

"I am aware of this 'relationship'," Prime said calmly. "Apparently, the mech's family hates you and what was it they told me they wanted, Prowl?" Prime asked.

"I believe, sir," Prowl said making a show of looking at his datapad, "'We want him dead'. Sir."

Prime composed himself internally, quashing the **INTENSE** desire to laugh out loud. Then he nodded. "I think what you think they want and what actually is are two different things, Sideways."

"This is all a big misunderstanding, Prime. My mech's genitors** love** me," Sideways stammered.

Prime nodded to Ironhide who stood and walked to the door. He opened it and a pair of genitors entered. So also did two sets of grandgenitors, three brothers, a pair of sisters, two aunts and their bonds, a number of youngling cousins and a priest. Chevron smiled and nodded, his energy and affect as lovely as ever. "You were saying, Sideways?"

He looked at the mob who stared daggers at him minus Chevron who smiled sweetly. "Hi," he said. "I'm so glad you could come."

At that point, the door opened and a chuckling Drift and Springer entered walking to Sideways to take him by the arms. They lifted him off the floor and carted him outside, his protestations echoing off the corridor walls. When he was gone, Prime smiled at the family. "Who is this mech?"

A rumple in the wall of individuals birthed a youngling mech who was good looking, sweet faced and **WAY THE FRAG** too young for the conman who was just carted out. Prime nodded at the nervous youngling. "Hi. I understand that you were considering a relationship with Sideways."

He looked at this family, the mechs involved and the sympathetic face of Ratchet. "I … uh, I guess not."

Prime grinned. "Have a seat. We want you to be fully informed about this mech and how he earned his return to prison." Prime nodded to Prowl who sat forward, a ubiquitous datapad in his servos. "I was a detective on Cybertron on loan from Praxus to Iacon and Capital City. I had professional reasons to run into Sideways and arrest him on numerous occasions for crimes and other bad behavior."

The youngling sat listening intently, his family with boatloads of revulsion and the senior officers with a sense that they were just in the nick of time. No 'facing had happened, just a lot of snoggling in the odd place. By the time Prowl was finished, the youngling was frightened by the sheer mendacity and amoral slaggery of Sideways and his family was ready to pile up wood and get a match. They were intensely effusive to Prime and Prowl as they gathered their sweet youngling and left. When they were gone, Ratchet burst out into laughter. "Hi. I'm so glad you could come."

"He's where he belongs," Prowl said with an umbrage so high he was underwater. Prime and Ironhide on the other servo laughed their afts off.

-0-At the prison

He was tossed into the prison without ceremony, Drift and Springer adding enough parting insults and laughter to tide the slagger over for a while. Sideways abused them back until they were out of sight before turning. He froze and stared at mechs he hadn't seen in a long time. Shield sat grinning at the little con man who had swindled him out of shanix large before the war drove everyone off Cybertron in self defense. Sideways swallowed hard. "Hi," he said as Shield stood up and planted his fist into Sideways's nose structure.

-0-TBC June 5, 2013


	326. Chapter 326

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 4 (326)

-0-Later on

Barricade walked to Club Hoyle to spend a while playing poker with other 'Cons. It was the only thing human that he cared about. Scorponok had disappeared earlier but he didn't care. He was a loner, although Shield showing up was all good. They were genuinely good friends, the two of them having grown up together in the same blighted neighborhood enduring the same deprivations. They had joined up early and stayed together, sharing spoils and punishments equally. He was the only mech alive that Barricade would take slag for and it was mutual.

Entering the plaza, he paused to look around. It was busy and homey though he would be loathe to say so out loud. Walking to the escalator, he rode up to the third floor where the club was. Walking along the bannister, he looked down watching as business and bots wound around each other. The club doors were open, the dark interior beckoning. So he entered and walked to his table to wait for the comrades and danger junkies that liked to flirt with death come to sit and lose to him.

He was that good.

-0-Communications, The Trigger

Sunstreaker sat monitoring the part of the four big arrays that The Trigger was delegated. The crew was attentive and the space quiet. It gave him time to consider things including the news that Shield was here after surrendering. Ironhide had come by to discuss this and had gone away clear in his processor that Shield didn't ever surrender.

Ever.

He recoiled his talons to observe, assess and make plans. He didn't give up. He didn't bow his knee. Oaths to the Matrix be damned, he was going to be trouble. His atar had listened sympathetically as Sunstreaker told him about the turf wars, battles for the hell of it and other diversions in the crime life that had once been the only refuge the twins could find in the indifferent world of Cybertron during the prelude to The Fall. Daggers pierced Ironhide's spark but he kept it off his face as he gathered the intell that he needed. When his atar left, he had left a bot with a mix of memories and unresolved feelings behind.

:Sideswipe:

:What?:

:Where are you? Where's Babe?:

:We're at the pool. Kaon's class is having an outing:

:Oh:

:Why?:

:Atar came by to find out more about Shield:

Pause. :What did you tell him?:

:Just enough. Nothing too detailed:

:Good. When do you stand down?:

:Dinner time:

:Come to the apartment. Babe is on a cooking kick. He's taking some kind of annex course online about making your own food:

:Take out is easier:

:True. But Blue has a bug up his aft about us eating better than we do. Be ready to say it tastes good:

:Thanks for the heads up, Sideswipe. I gotta go:

:See ya:

The line went dormant, the faint energy of Sideswipe always present. What was new was Blue and the infants. It was a good presence. He sat straighter and bent himself to the task before him.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They gathered, the Alpha crew to discuss the migration that was beginning to show itself on the edge of their deep space arrays. They sat and stared at the roll out datapad before them. Prowl explained the various this and that's, the inside and outside and all the possibilities that his wily mind could manage in ten column math. He looked at them and nodded. "That's what we have."

Flint who would be in charge of the security for the entire event nodded. "Then we can expect perhaps some trouble but not a lot."

"Shield has let Paragon down. They haven't the numbers and the other fortress on the other side ... its still a cipher," Prime said nodding.

"Then we better prepare for a big one. The other two behind ... any idea of size?" Jetta asked as he furiously scribbled notes into his datapad.

"We have no idea. We do know from using the previous migrations to estimate this one that we are looking at about 600,000 in this tide. The others don't echo as large. I would assume that they are massing up as they go considering the word around the galaxy must be pretty good that we are not only here but up to it," Prime said. "I want the bridges to send analyst teams out to measure and assess for planning. I want channels opened so that we can hear what they need and where as well as pinpoint target that need. I want us to begin tomorrow to bring them in a bunch at a time while they are out there and not close enough for Paragon or the cipher to have a servo in making this harder than it already is. What about shelter?"

"We will just make it, Optimus," Jetta said glancing at Magnus who nodded.

"We will go from nearly 2 million to just over 2.5 million in a few orns. We have to be able to pivot on a dime," Magnus said grimly.

Everyone nodded. "I agree," Prime said. "This is priority one. We will begin to pull them in as the need is assessed. Most dire first, the rest on the sliding emergency scale. Take food out there, medics, all that we can do in the usual manner. We will have the refugees pulled into the system as its set up now. Spreading it out on the tarmac north of the air field will be good."

"The civilian airfield will be ready south of the Fortress by tomorrow so we can put ships there. We will also have the depot on Ceres and the storage facility on Charon available as well. We can sort through the ships as we have time," Revo said with a nod. Starscream nodded as well. "I will send teams now. I am supposing you have messages to play for the migration? I have mine to add for Seekers."

Prime nodded. "I do. We can send them with the assessors. We have to hustle. Having Shield surrender is a bonus but I feel he's the tip of the iceberg."

They all nodded and bent their helms to figure out the logistics of having a retrieval of this magnitude.

Again.

-0-Here and there that night

They sat at the table looking at the dishes before them, all of them prepared by Bluestreak. The kitchen was immaculate, the outcome of a mid caste upbringing by the winger who sat with a sweet expectant expression on his face. "Well?" he said hopefully.

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe, then the folded stuffed pastry lying on a platter in the middle of the table. It was a traditional Cybertronian puffed bake that had been made through a rather arduous process. One took a massive pastry and rolled it out putting the Cybertronian equivalent of butter in chunks in each of the layers. It was folded and rolled out again several times until it was soft and creamy in texture. Rolled out one last time, a spicy mixture was piled in the middle and the pastry folded over, its edges crimped in a pattern that was individual to each city-state. This one was crimped with the edges common to Praxus. It was baked and shiny, smelled rather good and was intimidating. "I've never had this. I've only seen them. What do you do?"

Blue stood and cut off giant squares of the big confection placing them on plates. Handing them to the twins, taking his own, he watched with anxious optics. "Tell me what you think of it."

They nodded and took forks cutting off bites. They paused, then both put them in their mouths. They held the pastry a moment savoring it, then chewed, swallowing it quickly. Sideswipe looked at Bluestreak. "This is good."

Sunstreaker nodded and began to dig in. They would demolish the entire enormous pie and both would get fragged that night in salutation by a very relieved, very charged up new cook. It was a win-win.

-0-That evening around town

They walked their beat, a chatty youngling with them. Smokescreen aka Smokey Jr. walked with them talking about the migration upcoming and the city overall. He was happy to be where he was, ready to prove himself to Prime and the senior Autobots and filled with questions. They answered them as they walked along, Drift smirking at Springer as he answered some about himself. Being the boss of the Wreckers, the heir of Impactor and an all around good natured bot, he had no idea of what it meant to be an 'icon' and 'heroic mech' but Smokey was filling him in.

"What about your grandatar? How is he taking having a youngling around?" Springer asked at last.

"He's good with it. My grandatar is really a good mech. He used to be a slagger. He would roam if you know what I mean. His firewalls must be awesome because my grandada is a bounty hunter and relentless. They are a matched set," the youngster said with a big grin. "I think they're the greatest. Neither of them wanted me in the service. My ada was good with it and my atar worried but they supported me. They got me educated and taught me to do my duty. I think they sort of went the other way than my grandgenitors. They're more conventional mechs than my grandgenitors."

"What do they do?" Drift asked as they walked down the street toward the Cultural Center which was lit up in the darkness with street and building lights.

"My ada is an administrative assistant ... does it all and my atar is a certified public accountant," Smokey said with a chuckle. "As I said, they went the other direction."

"No doubt," Drift said with a chuckle as they continued onward on their rounds.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

**"LA-LA-LA-LA!"**

**"ATAR IS FUNNY! ADA! ATAR IS FUNNY!"**

"Do you want help with the spar-?"

**"NO, RATCHET! I AM AN AUTOBOT! I AM KIND, THRIFTY AND BRAVE! I DON'T NEED NO SLAGGING HELP!"**

Ratchet watched as Ironhide grabbed a couple of cackling infants carrying them to the washrack in Sunspot's room. Sunspot and Spot stood beside Ratchet to watch as Hero walked up and looked at the three of them. "Ada."

Ratchet blinked and looked down. Hero smiled and pointed her tiny digit at the hallway. "Why Atar go there?" she asked in perfect Cybertronian.

Ratchet nearly fell on his face.

-0-Moments later

"Say it, Hero. Do it for Atar."

Hero stood in front of her genitors, her little smock slipping off one shoulder. She had been painting before wash up and had made a red blob for them to hang up on her little bulletin board in her room. She smiled gigantically as she wound a toy rabbit into knots in her tiny servos. Ratchet smiled at her and she smiled back. "Ada, why Atar go there?" she asked.

Ironhide who was sitting felt his optics flip backwards as he heard a tiny voice say a pretty damned good sentence. His name was there and so was Ratchet's.  
"Why is she speaking like this? I am ... speechless."

"I don't know. Little femme was always watching and listening," Ratchet said equally captivated.

"Aw," Ironhide said picking up his daughter. She sat on his servo, a bit of red paint on her tiny pug nose and smiled at him. He could feel his optics mist over as he looked at her. "I went to wash your brothers. They needed it. Do you?"

She smiled. "I will go there," she said pointing at the hallway. "I will go with you, Atar."

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet whose own optics were twirling. "Did you hear that?"

"I did," Sunspot said. "She talks really good for a baby."

Both adults nodded and looked at the infant on Ironhide's servo. She smiled. **"ADA! ATAR!"**

"What?" Ratchet asked in a daze.

**"I GO POTTY!"**

And she did.

-0-Moments later with all the sparklings in berths

"That was funny. You have to say it was funny." Ratchet snickered. "She knows her two digit debris valve combination too."

"I should have made sure she had a check this morning but it was rushed. My fault," Ironhide said with a grin.

"That sparkling can do no wrong. Right?" Ratchet asked squeezing Ironhide's servo.

"Nope," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "That sparkling takes after you."

Ratchet grinned. "She rather reminded me of you, Only One."

They sat together marveling at the twists and turns of infant mentalities as the evening grew onward. The Hourly News would tell of the reclamation starting the next orn and alert the city to the need. Hero would blow Mr. Roto out of the water the next orn when she finally decided that she would talk to them in complete sentences too.

-0-TBC June 5, 2013

NOTE: Hero's talking is a homage to my sister who was her age and decided to talk from day one in complete sentences. My parents still marveled at it even now. HUGS!


	327. Chapter 327

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 5 (327)

-0-Out there

They received the message of a Seeker flight heading their way through space bridges to help them with their travail. They were masses of different groups all of whom were under the command of a Circle of Light guru, Heatout. He was a teacher and scholar, someone with gigantic charisma and respect who had stepped in when it appeared they needed organization to continue in a safe united manner. His soothing tone and critical appraising optic had helped them get organized and they needed it. There were over 610,000 individuals heading toward Autobot City in every manner of ship including a number of politicians from Cybertron, high castes, criminals, Decepticon defectors and civilians of all manner. Only Heatout could make them blend enough to share their resources even as he organized technicians to beam their distress call out into the ether. It was what was echoing on the sensor nets of Autobot City. They were actually farther out than their signal. The Seekers would confirm that when they returned to the bridges and were sent out farther.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars in the middle of the night

Springer and Drift walked in along with Splice. "You called?" the big lanky bot asked with a slight grin.

"I did," Prowl said with a smirk of his own. "We have a leader in the migration, a bot named Heatout. I hear he's some sort of philosopher-king among the Circle population. I was wondering what you might know."

Splice glanced at Drift. "He's the main thinker behind the Circle movement. He's a pacifist and a mech most of us call the leader of the life. He's smart, decent and good. He will be an asset. Don't you agree?"

Drift nodded. "I think so."

Prowl relaxed a little. "There is only one leader here. Do you suppose there will be conflict?"

"No. That is, not unless you expect him to fight. He won't. He's a committed pacifist. But he understands the need to protect. He won't be an issue for Prime. I imagine his writings will tell you more than we can. He is revered and given respect, sort of like Rainmaker. Think of him as the Great Elder of the Circle movement and you have him pegged," Splice said as Drift nodded.

"You know me. I'm Circle too but I will fight, Prowl. The Circle will defend this place. Most of us. Some are his school of practice and won't," Drift said.

"Good. As long as they don't complicate Optimus's authority, then fine," he said glancing toward the door where a youngling mech stood waiting. "How is Smokey coming along?"

"He's a great kid," Drift said with a grin. "He's got a lot to learn but he's a great kid."

"We'll help him learn the ropes," Springer said glancing back at the youngling who smiled at him. "He's a quick learner."

Prowl nodded. "Good," he said. "One less worry."

-0-At dusk earlier

They walked with their guard details to the gate of the prison. The bars went down, they entered, the bars went up. Same old, same old Barricade thought as he turned, then paused. Standing nearby with a giant grin on his face was Shield. Barricade felt his own face smile in spite of himself. "Well, look what the targ drug in," he said before he was enveloped in a bear hug.

-0-That night much later on

Hero stood in her crib, her tiny servos clutching the rail tightly. Her tiny blue optics gleamed in the night as she looked around. Outside if the tint wasn't dialed down she would see more Seekers leaving to scan the migration which they had just found out was farther away than first thought. It was close enough to the range of Soundwave to make it a worry. But she didn't know that. She was a tiny femme with tiny wings having a moment. She smiled and bounced, happy and content until she lost her grip and fell backwards onto her soft quilts.

She stared at the ceiling noticing lights wavering here and there from her night light twinkling. It was pretty and she absorbed it for a moment. Then she began to clamber back up. When she did she saw blue optics looking up at her. She smiled. "Spot."

Spot waggled his tail and stuck his nose through the bars. Hero chuckled and patted it. Then another pair of blue optics appeared. "She!" he said in his softest loudest voice. The smile that came with the greeting was ginormous.

"Orion. Come here to me?" she asked kneeling down to see him better. Spot licked her face. She sputtered, then laughed. "Spot funny."

"**She** funny!" Orion said with a chuckle.

Ironhide standing in the doorway with a smile nodded. "All of you are funny. Now go to sleepy bed," he said before he swooped down and scooped them all up.

-0-In the prison

"That slagger needed a beating for a long time," Barricade said as he glowered at Sideways. That bot sat on a berth nearby looking at a novel on a datapad, his sensors trained large on the newcomers and Barricade. Skorponok was outside watching the night go past as he contemplated how awful life was considering that his digging mechanisms had been disconnected. What had once been a walk in the park was now a forlorn impossibility. He was as trapped as the others in this cage.

"He still owes me large. He plays both sides against the middle. He'll go to Prime for advantage if we ever say anything that matters in front of him," Shield said as he stared at the other bot. "We better be careful."

Barricade nodded. "You got that right."

-0-At the school in Terra

The night crew walked through the school shining it up, making it ready for the next orn. It was nearly weekend and The Game was looming on their horizon even as the migration absorbed all their conversation. They were a team, this group and their contribution was enormous. They made things right as they did yeoman effort in the service of others and they were appreciated. Most of them had done this sort of work before, finding it the only avenue they had in the straight jacket of Cybertronian society. Now they did it here but with different purpose. They were treated with respect, had the same housing and advancement opportunities as anyone else and they **chose** to do this. That was the big difference. They chose to be the crew that maintained the school in Terra. They went through the facility top to bottom making it ready and when the kids came shortly they would be ready to learn in a flawless impeccably ready facility.

In Autobot City as ruled by Prime everyone's contribution counted.

-0-Near Fabrication Plant #3, Metal Works and Fabrication-Home Fixtures

He walked along, a youngling mech with a basket in servo. The ride from his apartment in Metroplex was swift with only two stops and one change on the underground. He headed down the wide road from the underground station that led to the brightly lit factory ahead chatting with the foreman at the gate for a moment. He strove toward the big doors of Factory Building #6 where his youngling mech worked. He, himself was a machinist at the aviation electronics department in another part of the same massive installation but he was taking leave for a while. Given that his mech was working and it was nearly dinner time on his shift, he had gotten the things his mech loved best and brought them to share at the plant.

The walk across the courtyard to the big doors was long and overhead the stars of his new nation twinkled in the velvet blackness of the sky. Soon they would separate a sparkling and that youngling would grow up here in this city, one that they had come to love. They worked here helping their people progress. Soon they would have an elusive thing, a family and a future.

It was glorious.

The shadows near the door began to show movement as the big bots came out to go to dine at the food carts nearby. He waited until his mech came, smiling as he saw him walk out from inside. They would go to tables nearby to sit to eat together, chatting about this and that until he had to go back inside. It was something they never expected, home, contentment and safety. This was beyond the wildest dreams they could manage in the awful darkness of their homelessness.

This was perfect.

-0-Elsewhere

He rose up and walked to the room that belonged to Prowler. That infant favored Eeyore and Piglet so they were images on the walls of his cute little room. At least that is what Ironhide said when he came home after the infant was separated with big lazer cut designs of the two characters. Ratchet was more of the opinion that Ironhide liked them. He did too. They were sweet and gentle just like his kids. He paused by the crib and noted his son curled into the usual ball. He grinned and picked Prowler up, laying the groggy infant on his shoulder.

Walking out, Ratchet sat on the rocker by the window and pulled his feeding tube out tapping the baby on the mouth with it. Prowler opened one optic, then slid back to sleep ignoring the gesture completely. Ratchet grinned. "Not hungry?"

Prowler had no opinion. He laid the baby on his shoulder. "We're going to be busy for a few orns, infant. You will have to stay with your grandgenitors while we rescue a lot of mechs and femmes. You be good to them. They're out of practice. Your brothers and sister will be at the day care. Your old pa doesn't want you there because they might take liberties. You might find yourself in school and what would he do then?" Ratchet grinned and rocked in the chair for a while as outside the machinery of reclamation began to gather itself.

-0-The next orn

"**ADA!"**

"What?"

"**ORION IS GOOD!"**

Ratchet looked down at the little black and yellow hellion staring up at him with a giant smile. "What did you do, Orion? Sounds like you're trying to cover something up," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He picked the baby up and set him on the counter. "We may not be as free as usual for a while, spud. You will have to behave. Your old pa cries when you get upset. Messes up his image as a bad aft."

"Ada?"

Ratchet looked down. "Hero."

"Can I come with you?" she asked clearly.

For a moment Ratchet's optics twirled, then he picked her up sitting her next to Orion. "I wish you could, Hero. I personally want to see the helms explode when you open your tiny pie hole."

"You and me both," Ironhide said as he came down the hallway, Sunspot and Spot in tow. "They're all spiffed up. Praxus," Ironhide called out as he paused to look back to Sunny's berthroom. Tiny feet came running, then a smiling faced buff little white and red sparkling ran out to pause. He grinned at everyone and looked up at Ironhide. **"ATAR!"**

"What?" Ironhide asked mesmerized by the small version of Ratchet smiling up at him.

**"PAX LOVE YOU!"**

Ironhide picked up Praxus and kissed him. "I love you too. Are you hungry?"

**"YES!"**

"They sure do wake up happy," Ratchet said as everyone settled around the table. "Good thing."

"I think so," Ironhide said as he looked at Hero. She smiled. "How are you, Hero?" he asked.

She smiled bigger. "I love you," she said.

Ironhide melted. Everyone smiled. Ratchet calculated how much she would get away with around Ironhide if she ever learned to play her cards right.

Everything.

-0-TBC June 7. 2013


	328. Chapter 328

-0-And now, back to the show

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 6 (328)

-0-The Staff Meeting, Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They gathered, the entire committee and sat waiting for the word. Over the night, the city had begun to prepare. Extra attention was given to medical and housing. The finish teams were going upwards in the towers adding the amenities and finishing touches that the builders ignored in the rush to have adequate housing created. Inspections had been done for most and were still underway, Jetta asking to report last so that he could personally give the latest on the situation. His brother Mack sat in on the meeting for him.

"Well, we need to go over the plans for this migration which is by the preliminary intell over 620,000 individuals plus or minus 10,000," Prime began. He sat a moment letting that sink in. "I am sure we will manage this the way we did the others. We have more than one doctor now."

Ratchet snorted. "I remember when I was it for a 1,000 bot migration. I was hallucinating at the end."

"You mean you aren't now?" Magnus asked innocently.

Ratchet snorted even as Ironhide frowned. "Why, Magnus. Humor. Arcee is agreeing with you," he said winking at the femme who sat smirking between Chromia and Firestar. She winked back.

Ironhide didn't wink at anyone.

Prowl looked at his datapad, then his doppelganger who he had frisked Ironhide for at the door. The baby looked at him and smiled. Prowl took 1.00005 nanoseconds to roll in the bliss of enchantment before returning to the moment. "I agree, sir," he said regarding Optimus's remark.

Everyone grinned at his obliviousness including Prime who winked at Ratchet.

"I would like to troubleshoot any of your plans which I have already reviewed and approved. If there are questions or other remarks that address this effort, please speak now," Optimus said leaning back in his chair.

"We are going to be keeping the children of those involved in the work. We have a lot of volunteers and we have planned activities as well. Don't worry about the younglings. I am assuming you found alternate shelter for Prowler?" Herling asked Ironhide with a smirk.

Ironhide blanched, then nodded. "Ravel and Tie Down will be taking care of him for now, Herling. Thanks anyway."

General snickering met that comment and they pressed onward. All of the departments discussed their issues, then it was done. Prime leaned forward on his elbows. "Thank you for your great efforts. I am proud of the city and everyone in it stepping forward to assist our people to come home. I would like the military to stay but the rest of you can go now. Thank you."

Everyone who wasn't military and they were many arose and left bantering with those staying. When they were gone, Optimus leaned back again nodding to Prowl. That bot turned to those left and consulted a datapad. "We have begun a grid search of the Earth and found three cells that are dug into their positions. One of them is in Australia, another in Scotland and the other in New Mexico. We have tracers out looking for others but the initial search has borne fruit. What is disturbing is the fact that the signals we are searching for are heavily shielded. Cybertronian-style shielded."

It was silent a moment, then Wheeljack leaned forward. "That isn't good. Do you think they have our tech or maybe even one of us that wasn't accounted for?"

"We haven't information sufficient to make a deduction, Wheeljack," Prowl said with a slight shrug. Prowler mewled softly, then settled in Prowl's arm. He took 1.0000000005 nanoseconds to smile, then returned to the task at servo. "We can assume that they must have. Nothing in the tech that we've seen so far indicates that these humans have come that far."

"So far as we know," Ratchet said. "Have we asked the humans to check? Maybe they have stolen tech from their own governments or the traitors in their midst have funneled it to the enemy. It could be that some governments are the enemy."

"Perhaps," Optimus said. "I just think this has become exponentially more difficult. I think we should approach this problem with the assumption that they have our tech. If they have something less or perhaps we're reading this problem wrong, then that's a bonus. I don't want to underestimate them or their dangerous possibilities."

Blackjack nodded. "When this migration is reclaimed, perhaps intel is in order. Intel on the ground."

Prime nodded. "That is problem number one after the migration. I would like you and Flint to head up the effort."

Blackjack nodded. "Of course."

-0-Out there

Heatout stood on the deck of his ship chatting with the managers of each part of the massive ship migration. They had been on the trail for a while and between all their vessels had managed their resources and expertise to the greatest benefit. There were some who were sick or hurt but no one so far was dying. Everyone was hungry. There was never enough food to make everyone happy but no one was starving to death.

Yet.

Infants, sparked individuals, the elderly and the ill were given priority and most of the group agreed. That there were Autobot and Decepticon soldiers available to enforce that point of view was a bonus. Mixed among them were Decepticon and Autobot ships whose presence was invaluable. It had taken a great deal of effort and persuasion to keep everyone together. It was a good thing too. Nearby, even now scanning them was the fortress of Soundwave and the Decepticon Armed Forces he commanded under Megatron.

"There is a message for you, Heatout," an aide said from the communications station.

"Put it through, Vortex," he said quietly.

:This is Red Wing. I am seeking Heatout:

"Heatout here."

:Sir, we are here to bring about the repatriation of the migration which you lead to Mars where the Prime of Cybertron has established a colony and armed installation:

"We are ready to come," Heatout said with relief. "Tell us what you need us to do, Red Wing."

:We need data. We need to rescue the most needy before anyone else. We take the neediest then the rest in descending order: Red Wing told him as he magnetized on the hull of Heatout's ship.

"Prepare for a data transfer. We assumed you would have a plan and we have compiled data for some time now in anticipation. Stand by," Heatout said as he turned to the communications officer of his ship. "Send the data, Vortex. They 're going to get us out of here."

The comm officer nodded and made it so. Before it was fully downloaded a message was on its way to Prime that contact was established and information already being collected. A message for the migration wound its way to Red Wing. He looked through the forward windows of the command deck. :I have a message for your migration from Starscream and Optimus Prime. They are one, Heatout. Everyone needs to hear it:

"Send it, Red Wing. I will broadcast it on the open channel to the ships in this migration," Heatout replied. He stood quietly, then Vortex spoke up. "We have it. Shall I transmit?"

"Do so, Vortex," Heatout said nodding.

The communications officer opened the channel with the usual greeting. "This is Command One, Heatout speaking. We need your attention."

Heatout tapped a link and spoke. "We have established contact with Optimus Prime and his colony. They are here to take us there. There is a message that I will play for everyone. It is from Optimus Prime and Starscream who are allies in this colony. Please listen." He nodded and the message went out.

A deep rich voice sounded over intercoms and comm links all over the migration as tens of thousands of individuals on thousands of ships paused to listen to a voice they never dared to believe they would hear again.

"My name is Optimus Prime and I am waiting for you. We have established a colony in a secured system that is impenetrable to enemy forces. I have sent specialist troops and Seekers to help you reach us and we will be utilizing space bridges to expedite that transfer. All you have to do is have a bit more patience. We will be taking the most endangered members of the migration first. We have sent food and medical personnel to help you with your immediate needs. The Decepticons among you who come in peace are welcome. Those who come any other way will be obliterated. Seekers are welcome under the same circumstances. Have patience. We see and hear you. We are coming to get you."

A pause in the message was minimal before Starscream's voice was heard. "This is Starscream. You know who I am and what I was in the Decepticons. Megatron put a death order out on Seekerkin. We have fled and gathered to the Prime in great numbers. That includes the Great Elder and most of the Clan Chieftains. We are asking you to stow your weapons in storage and fuse the locks. You will be required to give your professional and personal oaths to the Prime and swear them on the Matrix. You know what it means to break an oath to a Matrix of Primus. Once that is accomplished, you are ours. We are one. You will be given a home to live in, a chance to choose your occupation and respect. You have my word on that. Come to us. Come to our new world and settle into our new home. Be an asset. You are welcome. Starscream out."

Heatout listened to the messages, his shoulders sagging just a little. "Thank you, Primus," he whispered softly. The rest of the migration made their thoughts known with the shouting and cheers echoing over the intercom systems all across the vast group.

-0-On the ground at Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet stood at the triage center looking at the ragged tide of injured, sick and worn out beginning to come to the city on the ships that were coming through the bridges already. Some of them were wounded but not many. They had been lucky that way. The Decepticons apparently were just allowing groups to leave. Apparently it meant an easier demand to meet for supplies and food. They had been a flood as groups gathered to go, some of them meeting others, some finding more in space as directed by signals from Prime, Starscream and now Soundwave apparently.

The ships began to land as they came through the aperture above them, the flame of its energy and that of the other smaller one becoming more visible as the orn wore on. Doctors were doing the dance of medicine directing here and there the endless stretchers, limping and/or half carried individuals and their strained exhausted family and friends. They were grateful. Some of them were delirious with gratitude, confusion, fear and dread. Some of them were delirious from hunger though not at death's door. No one was dying from starvation. They were merely starving slower due to the sharing of energon and other food staples among the masses. It had been done at gunpoint in a few cases but they had done what they could to make sure everyone made it.

Autobot ships, dozens of them were among the mass, flying alongside dozens of Decepticon vessels, all of them weary, longing for journey's end as they worked together, the past laying between them as ashes. These were older mechs and the occasional femme, all of them looking for an end to chaos, for a home and safety for their families, for a leader that could lead without cryptic absences and other variables that usually ended in their death or harm.

A number of the ships among the mass had been slated for decimation … that is, Galvatron's erratic behavior necessitating a wholesale slaughter of some troops to ensure the continued adherence of the survivors and everyone else to the Cause. What it had done instead is cause them to band together and leave taking with them expertise and ships that Megatron could ill afford to lose. They flew with the Autobots making peace for the journey under the direction of Heatout. They had worked in the mass of ships side-by-side ensuring that everyone could make it.

They had.

-0-Day Care

She stood holding her baby doll, a little dollie with long braids and a white dress. Her shoes and other clothing was in a toy box at home somewhere, falling off in the throes of play. She looked up at her aide with a smile. Laret smiled back, kneeling. "Hero, how is my darling this orn?" she asked pulling Hero's little hat and coat off preparatory to storage in her little locker.

Hero smiled. "Hi. I will go with you."

Laret blinked and looked at her, the tiny femme looking back with a smile and her usual happiness.

"Hero," Laret asked with stunned surprise.

Hero stepped forward patting Laret's servo. "I am Hero. You are Et."

Laret stared at Hero, then picked her up. Walking toward the big open room that Group C would occupy for the next two joors, she looked for Roto. Spotting him with three other teachers and two aides, she walked over and paused. "Guess what?" Laret asked with a smile. She looked at Hero. "What did you say, my darling?"

Hero looked at her, then Roto with a big smile. "I will go with you, Et. I am Hero."

Roto nearly pitched over backwards onto the floor.

-0-Moments later

He sat at a table, Hero sitting on the surface before him, her tiny legs dangling. He smiled and played 'The Game' with the tiny femme. He would say a word, she would reply.

"Duck."

"Duck."

"Dog."

"Dog."

"Play."

"Play." She smiled a dazzling smile and held up her dollie.

Roto snorted and grinned kissing her dollie. "You like to share your dollies too?" he asked to no one in particular.

She nodded. "I do. Do you want to play?" she asked.

His optics fritzed for a moment, then he grinned. "You are such a bundle of surprises, you Ratchet and Ironhide sparklings. You can talk so well. I am surprised but I know it happens. I just never saw it before."

She smiled at him, hugging her dollie tightly. "I love my atar."

"You do, do you?"

She nodded. "I love my ada. I love you, Toto."

He snorted. "I love you too, Hero."

"You play with me?" she asked with an animated expression.

"I guess I will," he said as he set her down on the floor with great care. She turned and walked to the door pausing to wait for him with a giant smile. When he stood and walked toward her, she turned and went out heading for the row of boxes filled with dollies and toys. They would sit together playing and by the time she was ready for her dance class he would find out that she had a huge vocabulary and was finally ready to use it.

-0-TBC June 8, 2013


	329. Chapter 329

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 7 (329)

=0=Medbay Emergency, Autobot City Medical Tower and Hospital

Ratchet worked on the endless stream of patients that were brought in carefully and gently by orderlies and the odd medic. Most of the field medics including Sunstreaker and Breakdown were in the migration going from ship-to-ship taking triage to the scene. Sideswipe worked beside Ratchet as his assistant while Bluestreak sat in the data center in City Hall working through the mountains of information that were being sent there and two other sites from the triage touchdown site east of the Cultural Center and north of the airfield. This was the second time they used the new expanded sites and it was working out beautifully.

The hospitals around the city were taking in their delegated patients as the categories were parceled out among them. Terra received the elders and disabled. The hospital in Metroplex handled youth, infants, sparked and femme patients as well as the overflow of elders from Terra. Ratchet handled the rest with a few aid stations taking those who were only in need of the most minor adjustments. Tagged in the migration, they were automatically brought to the appropriate places with ships landing in an open space near Terra to cut down on time.

Ships were beginning to come through in numbers and they would be at it for about three orns. The city was filled with bots stepping up to help and the new city sites were beginning to be utilized for that and for housing. There were three new city habitations beyond Terra. They were called Sites One, Two and Three for now but names chosen by students in the schools would be released on The Hourly News that evening. Terra Road led from Metroplex Highway #3 which split Metroplex District nearly in two pieces. It merged into Terra Highway that went through the vast open spaces beyond to the city of that name.

Beyond that, Industrial Park Highway #1 lead west to Sites Two and Three eventually ending up at the vast industrial parks where most of the city's workforce were employed making everything from the greatest steel fabrications to the most minute tools and diodes. From Terra going south on Autobot City Highway #1, the road lead to city site one, a tower habitation with business and public amenities available to residents.

A steady flow of traffic filled the roads as weary dazzled newbies were taken to their new homes. Under all of it, the expanded subway system worked hard as well. There was no location in the city and its expanded horizons that could not be reached by subway. Processing newcomers took a while but they were then taken home to rest, relax and regroup. It was going very well.

-0-Temple Restored

Chevron gathered a number of artifacts that had been given to him assisted by Templar and Eronus. They turned following him to the steps that led downward into the vast subterranean sections of the beautiful structure. They walked down a corridor with the story of their beginnings carved into the stone walls passing by small apartments that were available for those who needed to come to a place where they could recover from traumas or hurts in a quiet contemplative atmosphere. Since Circle members were coming in force, some of them from the more contemplative practices their use would burgeon.

Continuing onward, they turned down several corridors until they came to a doorway that enormous, metal, with images of the Pantheon carved into the surface. He pushed the release and the doors swung backward allowing entrance. Walking in, the light switched on allowing them to move across to the far wall where there was space for new things. There were incredible things here, old artifacts some of which had belonged to the Pantheon themselves. Protected by the Well and AllSpark, they would be safe here. All of the most irreplaceable sacred objects of their culture and religion were kept here by order of the Prime. They sat the artifacts down and arranged them on the shelves. When they were satisfied, Chevron smiled. "This is quite wonderful. We have more to recover but the path is open to us now. I believe we shall be that lucky."

"I hope so, Master," Eronus said with a nod. "We need to find everything so our people will have them for comfort."

"The Festival of Primus is coming soon," Chevron said nodding. "We will have to make displays of our relics in the Temple Annex. That way the city may look at them. We shall have to coordinate with the Museum to make displays that reflect information about these things so our people will know what they mean to us as a culture."

Eronus nodded. "I would like to help, Master."

"You shall," Chevron said with a smile. "We will be consecrating you as priests during the celebration. I look forward to that very much."

"So do we," Templar said with a smile.

They stood a moment savoring the glory around them, then turned walking back to the door and the corridors beyond. The big doors closed behind them.

-0-Out there

Sunstreaker left a ship and floated in space toward the next one. His mark on the vessel's forward windows were his glyphs in yellow ink. He floated from ship to ship attending to the inhabitants and their hurts. He had helped all manner of bots and their dependents, all of whom were hungry and weary. He had marked for expedited help some of the inhabitants, necessitating runabouts coming to take the passengers on board through the bridges sooner. Farther into the migration, other medics worked making their way through the maze to take care of the most endangered first, energon following in their wake.

The migration was massive, the number of ships stretching out to what seemed to him to be infinity. Lights from the vessels seemed to merge into a ball in the distortion of the view from his angle. Kup and the others were trailing him and several other medics, all of them supported by the runabout and her crew. They would need it. They would be at this for three orns before the last ship passed through the space bridges.

-0-Kup and the others

He sat in the co-pilot's seat watching the sight outside as Topspin flew the vessel. Other roundabouts worked in the grid pattern that had been laid down by computer at Ops Center who were monitoring the entire magilla from Autobot City. He sat relaxing, chewing on his stogie as Sunstreaker leaped out of a vessel nearby. The big bot floated with jet pack propulsion through the gap between ships before magnetizing on the hull of another. Rapping on the hatch, it slid back as he slipped inside. "He's doing pretty good for a youngling," Kup said to no one in particular.

Topspin grinned. "If you say so, old mech."

"I do." Kup glanced backward out the view port and saw others moving among the ships, some of them moving away to go through the bridges and others getting mechanical assistance from crews who were working on damaged vessels all over the migration. "This is going to take a while."

"It is." -Topspin

"Gonna add a few more mechs to the mix back home."

"I think so." -Topspin.

"More soldiers. I wonder if I know anyone here from the old orns."

"You know everyone." (grin)

"I do. Went to kindergarten with Unicron."

"That's what I heard," Topspin said as he answered a call on the intercom. He leaned back and looked at Kup. "Not much to do. Everyone is bringing their 'A' game."

"They are. Hungry?" Kup asked.

"Sort of," Topspin replied. "You cooking?"

"Nope," Kup said.

Topspin chuckled.

-0-At the schools

Cardinal looked out the window as he paused by the science center cabinets to put a device back in the place he had found it. Outside, there was great activity with many Seekers coming and going. He watched it and was aware that it wasn't his concern. It was liberating to know and feel that. He had been in war since he was very young and really didn't know much beyond fighting and being afraid. His trine had been his salvation because in the friendship that they had, he found others as scared and worried as he was.

His databanks were filled with information that he could only manage to a degree. It had been downloaded into him when he was born. He was a small child inside a body that was at least sub adult in maturity at this point due to growth acceleration. He had been given information and a mandate. The older mechs had tried to help them, these frightened inadequate little ones. They also were stuck in the middle of Shockwave's madness and Megatron's need for soldiers. Some of the infant warriors had been taken away by them and hidden. He had been. At some point, they were always found and incorporated into the mix anyway. Perhaps that had been part of Megatron's animus toward them, the defiance of the elders as they tried to protect their children. He didn't know.

Raptor had been hidden but Farrell wasn't. Farrell was born to fight and always had. He was tougher and smarter about their fate, more at ease with the dissonance in his processor and sense of self regarding the misery of their situation. He was their leader, the one who made most of their decisions because he was more able to do so. When they had a chance to be young, to go to school and step away from war Cardinal had jumped. He had longed for liberation as long as he had lived.

Flying in combat had been terrifying. Fear of them dying, of getting hurt or being separated had made him terrified and anxious. Farrell had taken up the slack by being strong and leading their tiny family. Raptor was the bridge between their personalities and obligations. They were comfortable and comforting, supportive and loving. That they were a trine should have not surprised anyone. That their 'trine' was more a statement of their need for comfort than an actual fact was. No one was aware of how oblivious the three little mechs were about the full range of their interpersonal possibilities in the 'Cons.

They slept together like hatchlings for comfort and convenience. They hugged, kissed and held servos because they loved each other. The rest of the range of options open to a trine relationship they had not even been aware until Ratchet discussed it with them. The banter of mechs about 'facing and the rest they had heard and been aware of.

Sort of.

What it really meant, they didn't know. They didn't want to know now. They were too young and it was embarrassing, 'all that stuff'.

He felt the call of his bonds who were waiting by a table for him to come back. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded, turning back to the window. The Seekers flew, the ships came and bots stepped out. But it wasn't their duty to help. They had to stay here and learn. For Cardinal, it was the best thing that ever happened. That and their apartment filled with toys and food. That was the best thing too. He turned and walked back to his trine so they could begin mathematics with their classmates and their awesome teacher, Mr. Terradive.

-0-Sparkling Day Care, Sparkling School, Autobot City, Mars

Prowler sat on the floor by himself looking around as he sat on his bottom. He was smiling at everyone and everything as a volunteer took care of him. He had napped and eaten his lunch, grinning and waving his little servos. He had smiled and chatted, his tiny tweets sweet and soft. Now he was up and hard at work sitting by himself. He was pretty good, only having fallen about three times thus far. Around him other infants were cared for, some older and a few younger. All of them were attended to carefully.

Ironhide had entered with a long face giving over the infant until Ravel could come and get him. The two, Ravel and Tie Down were working on an emergency order for medical implements that had come down from the hospital about the same time Ironhide had come to deliver the infant.

"If you do that, Ironhide, I will go fetch him and keep him with us. We just have so much flying shards and other things including a series of proofings of hot metal that I'm afraid for him. This order is to be expedited. I promise it will only be a couple of joors. I will deliver the implements to the hospital, then get him."

Ironhide quashed his sinking guts as he looked at Ravel's anxious optics. He nodded. "That's fine, Ravie. I'll take him by and you can get him there. A couple of joors?"

"No more than that, son," Ravel said with relief.

So Ironhide had walked in and reluctantly given up his son. Then he had turned and walked out to do his part in the rescue of more than 2/3 of a million new citizens. He would fret until Ravel let him know that he had gotten the baby back out of the Clutches of Doom, or Sparkling Day Care as most called it.

-0-On the streets

Lon walked with his supervising Sargent of the Day Shift doing duty with the masses of newbies being brought into the city. They were in the new site called Site 1, a town that could be reached by taking Temple from Metroplex straight through. The new site connected to Site2 by a road that would be named when the city was named. They were working at this site because it was the one being accommodated by newbies at the moment since Terra and Autobot City were at full capacity at last. The waiting list to live in Metroplex was long and eventually housing would be arbitrated and swapped out through the Housing Authority as families and friends found each other. In Terra, two entire buildings were gathered bots from the 'old neighborhood' in Polyhex and they brought that warm friendly sensibility to their new lives here as well.

The streets were filling with cars and trucks, some carrying weary newcomers, others goods and belongings. They would pull up at one of the many towers and offload, transforming to help stunned and grateful individuals find their new homes. They were asked for directions, scores of individuals asking about this and that, employment possibilities, resources for this and that … all of it typical. Lon and his sargent had redirected two distraught bots to the hospital aid station nearby when they finally lost it in the comfort and safety of their new home.

All of them were happy, astonished and humbled. Some of them walked about without expression. It was hard to tell what their story was. Many of them were high castes. Most of them weren't. What that meant no one really knew but the Iacon group was out and about looking up individuals from the refugee data lists that ran on the Community Bulletin Board. Organizing their own, they were determined to gather a presence in the city. They were also noted by authorities.

-0-Hero

She sat on the small chair listening to the story in her tiny group. All of the little bits in her 'pod' were her age and none of them spoke as well as she did. She watched as her teacher finished the book and grinned at them. "And that is how the little bunny found his home again."

She smiled. "I like that."

Her teacher looked at Hero with the same expression that Roto did. "I am so glad, Hero," he sputtered.

She smiled. So did everyone else.

-0-Nearby

"**TOTO!"**

"What?"

"**HAN DID THAT!"**

Roto looked at Orion as he pointed to a mess of blocks nearby. Han had played with them, then walked away. It was anathema to Orion's sense of … something. The two were still nemesis bots and picked at the many peccadilloes that both had in spades. Orion looked at Roto with an aghast look of fake aghastment on his cute little Ironhide face. **"HAN DID THAT! HAN DON'T DO THAT! CWEAM."**

"Cweam?" Roto asked as he sat down in front of Orion.

Orion smiled brilliantly noting the attention of his teacher was his for the moment.** "CWEAM!"**

Roto grinned. "Clean. You want him to clean up his mess?"

Orion considered that, then nodded. "Yes."

Roto looked at Orion, then leaned forward and kissed his little helm. "You are a slagger." Roto looked around the room, then found Han looking at toys nearby. "Han."

The little bot turned, spied Orion, frowned, then looked at Roto.

"Clean up your mess," Roto said pointing at the pile of blocks he had been playing with for some time.

Han looked at it, then Orion, then Roto. He pointed at Orion. "He bad. He this," Han said pointing at the blocks.

Orion blinked, looked at Roto, then frowned comically. "He bad. **HE BAD! BAD HAN! TOTO! HE BAD! ORION, NO!"**

Roto snorted as he nodded. "This time you mean."

Orion looked at him, then grinned. "Orion good," he said smugly as he glanced at Han. "Han slagger."

Roto's optics nearly rolled into the back of his skull.

-0-TBC June 10, 2013 **NOTE:** Someone asked me to do a detailed plan of the city and all the stuff in it and I am. I had to draw it out and it covered a paper four feet long and two feet wide. :D It will be one of the pieces up coming and it will be a walking tour of the city.

**HUGS TO ALL!**


	330. Chapter 330

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 8 (330)

=0=Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Earth

They sat at their posts, three Home Guard newbies and one veteran running the show at Ground Zero, the Embassy hangars. They were part of the specialist division of the Home Guard that were training in communications and intell gathering. They were there under the direction of Blaster who had come over with them when it was clear that Revet could manage the news and Jazz the intell from ships and interviews. He came with the three youngling soldier-volunteers to show them how to manage on the home world of the humans.

**"HEY BLASTER!"**

He paused and looked at the ground grinning as he did. "Aisha. What's up?"

"Me if you don't mind," she said with a big grin.

Blaster reached down and gently raised her to the console where he sat working on the grid search for The Resistance. Reaching up, he put a lazy boy recliner on the console for her and she sat pushing back until the chair slid out letting her put her dogs up as they say. "This is the life." She grinned. "You know pictures are in order."

He snorted and supplied them, a long array of the family including his in-laws, all of them built around the wonder that was 'Vette and Revet.

"What a great looking family. I miss that sparkling. He's such a great mech. Roadie gets handsomer every time I see him. By the way ... we're all coming for the game," Aisha said. The others did their work watching her out of the corner of their optics. All of them had seen humans but had no practical interpersonal relationships with any. This was new all around.

The sound of a hummer was heard behind them and they looked down. A hummer filled with femmes and two mechs had crossed the room parking near Blaster's ped. Humans climbed out and shouted for pick up. Blaster complied and arrayed all along the console in easy chairs seven more humans to chat the day away.

It was a very strange learning experience.

For the Home Guardsmechs.

For the humans? Just another day on Diego Garcia.

-0-In the place where stuff happens

They sat on the table their legs hanging over the edge. Sitting in front of them with a gimlet optic piercing their very spark, Roto mused on his two pearls. He struggled to school his expression into the proper level of displeasure their antics had elicited. Being responsible was hard around hoodlums as funny as these two. He considered the luck of his life that he was their teacher. They were tiny, smart, hilarious and loveable. They were his for that portion of the orn required by law and he was the luckiest mech in the world because of it.

"You two are going to become the death of me."

Orion glanced at Han, then Roto. Leaning closer, his servos gripped in angst, he nodded. **"TOTO? YOU OKAY?"**

Roto snorted, then nodded. "Mostly."

Orion sat back regarding him a moment. "I love you, Toto. I good me you. You good me. We good."

Roto smirked. "Seeking a softer landing for your criminal tendencies by buttering up the judge?"

Orion considered that. "Toto good."

Roto leaned forward staring at Orion with a grin. "Orion good. Usually. I agree with you that Han should have 'cweamed' up his mess." He leaned into Han. "You made it. You clean it up. Thems the rules, youngling."

Han leaned back, then looked at Orion. He pointed at him. "Orion bad. He bad me. I am good."

Roto snorted and sat back with a huge grin. "Talk to me, babies," he said with great contentment.

And they did.

-0-Sideswipe

He helped remove a pile of trays to the dumbwaiter nearby that would take them to the sterilization room where they would be cleaned and replaced on trays for re-use. Tall cabinets that could be rolled out to the surgeries held dozens of basic implements for most things. Specialist cabinets were nearby for more complex operations. The computer system that kept track of everything could tell a doctor or tech where they were and direct that cabinet for use in seconds. It was streamlined and efficient, born of many a hectic retrieval.

Turning to walk back, he helped a little femme onto the table. In her arms was a terrified famished infant. Sideswipe looked at it, stroking its little helm. "You came to the right place," he said gently. "Do you want me to hold him while the doctors look at you? I have three myself."

She looked at him, then her son. Hesitantly, she held him out. Sideswipe took the baby and lay him against his armor. The infant tensed, then relaxed. Sideswipe swayed gently as Ratchet looked at the femme's arm. It had been injured in the getaway from their last landfall and needed an adjustment. A commotion in the doorway drew their attention as a young mech entered, his optics looking wildly about. "Rider!" she said with emotion.

The infant began to cry as the sound of his mother's distress pushed his last button. Rider paused beside Sideswipe to comfort his son. "It's alright, Trevi. I'm here."

Sideswipe gently transferred the baby to his atar and glanced at the femme who was crying too. "What happened to you three?" he asked.

"We were separated," Rider said nodding to his femme. "Silla and Trevi got away from me at the last landfall and we couldn't get back together until now. I was so afraid. I'm supposed to protect and care for them," he said as his resolve began to fall away. They were exhausted, starved and emotionally at the end of their rope. Rider walked to Silla and they hugged. Moving to lean against the medberth, he looked ready to fall on his face.

"Sideswipe, get some energon for this mech," Ratchet said as he finished a cursory scan. "Formula 1-R."

Sideswipe nodded and turned walking to a big unit nearby. Opening it, he pulled out a cube and turned. "What about the femme?"

"Let me finish here," Ratchet said turning back to her arm. "Then the same formulation."

Sideswipe nodded and pulled another before closing the door and walking back to the pair. Handing one to Rider, the youngster drank it down savoring the taste. "This is amazing. I think its been a while but this ... it tastes amazing."

"It's Class A," Sideswipe said.

The pair blinked at him, then glanced at each other. "I've never had any before," Rider said.

"Get used to it. You're standing on it now," Sideswipe said with a grin. Neither of the two said a word. The size of their optics said it all.

-0-Later

They stood in their apartment in city Site #1 and looked out the big windows of their new living room. They had been given a tour by their handler, shown the Community Bulletin Board and told about the agencies that were here for refugees to get them settled and integrated into the city. The place was extraordinary. Never in their mid caste lives had they had a home like this. A room for Trevi was across from their own, one that had a private wash rack. A kitchen was next to the living room and the sparkling brand new furnishings were deluxe to them. They were having been delivered just the night before in anticipation.

"Rider ... this is amazing," Silla said standing by the window next to the kitchen counter. "This is ours. We are so far up. Only high castes lived this high up on Cybertron."

"I know," Rider said moving to stand next to her. "The forty-second floor ... what a view. There's the Temple. We have to go there. The AllSpark is there."

Silla nodded. "I know. Wait until the family comes. They were in the back of the migration. We can help them."

He nodded. "How do you feel, Silla?"

"Better. My arm doesn't hurt."

"Good. I'm sorry I got separated. We had to hold off the acid monsters. I should have helped you and Trevi."

She turned and looked up at him. "You did the right thing. We got everyone away. They would have killed us all if you and the others hadn't been brave, Rider."

"It was awful. It goes against all I believe," Rider said. "Fighting got us into this mess. I hope it isn't the path out."

"Prime is wise, Rider," Silla said leaning against her bond. "Heatout said sometimes you have to do the hard thing in order to do the right one. That was a case in point."

Rider squeezed her shoulders. "Sideswipe said there are Missionaries here now. At least we won't be alone."

"No," Silla said as she glanced at her son. He had been fed the right formula for his condition and they had been given several big bottles of it for his next feedings. For a decaorn he would have this mixture then go back on his regular ones from mom and dad. They had to recover too. "I think he needs to go to bed."

Rider nodded and turned walking with Silla to the berth room of their son. Laying him down on the bed, they stood around his crib and talked quietly as outside the windows the rescue continued in the great glittering city beyond.

-0-Kup and Topspin

"Those are Decepticon ships. Did you let Ops Center know?" Kup asked as he peered at three big vessels flying in the midst of several civilian ships.

"I did," Topspin replied. "They're mapping them all over the migration. The Seeker data is being sorted and maps updated. They want us to keep visual on them until they have someone board and take control."

"Sounds good," Kup said champing on his stogie. "Not as much fun as slagging it out but acceptable."

Topspin grinned. "I'm glad you agree."

-0-Fenix

He walked among the crowds looking for things to do to help in the reclamation. He had a datapad in subspace that was culling the refugee intake for high castes. He had been building his organization, the Iacon Order and official approval of it as a social organization was pending their mission statement and plan. He and his friends were working on it and part of it was going to be prison outreach. Every organization on Cybertron had their 'good deed'. His wanted prison outreach. Prowl had snorted over that news when it reached him.

"They want to talk to the Senators and Sentinel," he had said to Optimus one night the decaorn before.

"They can. Good intell from that I can imagine. I want to see what they do," Optimus said as he dried Miracle off from his bath. "Maybe they can do prison outreach to Turmoil and Blindspot. It might be fun to make that part of the deal."

"I will make it so when I get their petition," Prowl said with a laugh.

Fenix paused in the mass of waiting mechs and femmes, all of whom were lined up to be processed through initial intake. He looked at a group of mechs who were standing patiently in line. Walking to them, he grinned. "Vin, you made it."

A big handsome bot with a brilliant red paint scheme turned and smiled back. "Fenix!"

They stood together talking, Fenix and the former governor of Tyger Pax, his friends and family. When they were ready to intake, they were led through the process by Fenix. He would show them their apartments in City Site #2 and join him and his group for dinner at the restaurant at the top of a tower in Terra. They would do a lot of catching up.

-0-The Hourly News -Latest Breaking News

"And in further news," Gen-O said as he turned from the reclamation to other things, "the names of the new hub cities have been chosen from the infant school competitions. Terra was named for Earth and our great allies, the humans who live there. The three new sites that radiate out from Terra were also a contest by our schools to have students choose names that the city population could vote for. I am authorized to announce the names and the students who proposed them now.

"Site #1 is going to be called Phobos for one of the two moons of Mars. It was suggested by Wheelaway, a first year student in the Youngling Intermediate School. Site #2 is going to be called Crystal City. It was suggested by Topper, a sparkling school student who likes Omega Supreme and wanted him to have another city to protect and I quote, "so he bees better"." Gen-O smiled, then continued. "Site #3 will be called Pax which is the human language Latin word for peace. The suggestion was made by Amble, a youngling day school student who also reminded this reporter that Pax was the name of the Prime before and I quote, "we got lucky enough for the Matrix to pick him". Congratulations to all who entered, thank you to all who voted and congratulations to the winners. When we get back from this break, we will go back to Intake at Triage Field. Now for news from the Community Bulletin Board."

The board filled the screen with its endless list of events, opportunities, amenities, group activities, sales, names of refugees and other important news. Rider and Silla sat and looked at it with overwhelming amazement and riveted optics.

So did Vin and his group.

-0-TBC June 11, 2013


	331. Chapter 331

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 9 (331)

-0-In a refugee apartment later that night

Vin stood by the window as his bond cleared away the dishes from their late dinner. They had spent all their time with Fenix and his colleagues learning about the Iacon Order and their plans for exclusively high caste habitations elsewhere on Mars. He had mulled over their remarks and the information they had laid out turning it over this way and that. "Joon."

The femme who was his bond turned and walked to him pausing by the window. "What do you think of Fenix and his efforts?"

She considered all of it, then shook her helm. "Maybe at one time but not now. Not after all of this. I will not be a part of it."

"Nor I," he said. "When I was governor of Tyger Pax I was a different mech. I was cold and filled with my own ego and personal desires. I had no time for anyone or anything else but the small circle of mechs and femmes that I felt were worthy. **Everyone** was worthy, Joon. I can't go back."

She squeezed his servo. "Nor can I, Only One. I doubt very much that Prime is fully aware of what Fenix and his confederates have in mind for the city."

"I will fill him in," Vin said with determination. "When Heatout gets here, we might consider helping the Circle families that are here. There is a lot to do that is good, Joon. I will spend my efforts doing that. I have no fight left in me to defend The System which caused all of our hurts."

Joon nodded. "Good. By the way, there is a dinner at Steno's house tomorrow. He's found some of his friends including Missionaries and is hosting a get together to help us find our way here."

"Steno made it," Vin said with a grin. "I am glad."

"So am I," Joon said. "For everything."

-0-In Ops Center

Optimus sat at the table going through the myriad piles of things that required his attention. The retrieval was well in servo and so far there was no trouble. The Decepticon ships had been located and tagged on the maps before him, all of them getting boarded as the battle shuttles wend their way through the maze of ships waiting to be rescued. The traffic between them and the Autobots was business like and on the ball. Nothing of a defiant nature was being detected. As he watched the red lights turn to green, each indicating a ship secured, he was noting that the majority of the defectors were families and young mechs with the occasional femme. Apparently, they were taking the very young away from Megatron to save them from combat. That was a very encouraging sign to Prime.

"Kup to Prime."

"Prime here."

"We have a group of Decepticon officers that want to speak to you."

"Bring them through. Send them on a roundabout unless you're ready for bed," Prime said with a grin.

"Smartaleck. Sir," Kup replied, the general mirth of those with him clear over the intercom. "We will do that. I'm sending Sandstorm with them as a guide. Kup out."

Prime sat back considering the mechs coming. They could be an easy assimilation. They would not be expecting a city like this unless the leaked information made it their way. Bringing kids out of the battle field was a plus in their favor and that they were family mechs also was a bonus. He considered his options, then called for backup. Glancing at Prowl nearby, he grinned. "Hey."

Prowl glanced up and came to where he sat. "What?" he asked with a slight grin.

"Kup is sending the officers of the Decepticons in the migration. I think we need the usual suspects to be there when we chat."

Prowl smirked and nodded. "I will make it so, Captain."

Prime snorted watching as Prowl walked to the communications station and called the welcoming committee. Then he turned back to the job of balancing an elephant on the head of a pin.

-0-The Trigger

The shuttle came through flown by an Autobot pilot with four Decepticon officers on board. They had not been identified yet but they were apparently very senior battalion leaders or some such. Seekers flew with it imposing upon the occupants the seriousness of the opposition the newcomers were facing, flying to the ground to land on the highway side of the air field. Setting down, they were greeted by armed guards who frisked them finding nothing but personal mementos in their subspaces. The walk to the Fortress was silent as the four took in the city and the amazing tableau of the organized rescue of which they were a part.

Entering the courtyard, they walked toward the door pausing a moment as a number of elderly mechs gave them guff, one of them shaking his cane at them. **"YOU BETTER COME HERE WITH A GOOD ATTITUDE OR WE WILL PEEL YOU LIKE A GRAPE!"**

The officers blinked, then glanced at Sandstorm who was snickering behind them. "Continue," the big Wrecker said. "Prime has a lot of stuff to do."

They continued up the steps, the abuse of the elders following them. Entering to walk across the big space, they marveled at the familiarity of the surroundings, the murals of Cybertron on the walls, the amenities and the vastness beyond that beckoned mysteriously. Pausing beside the huge doors that led to the vast Ops Center, they glanced around. A flight operations center apparently used for briefings was across the big room, its gigantic monitor visible through the open doors. Around the vast room civilians and soldiers, all of them watching the four paused in their dinners and conversations to stare. A hub was nearby, Central Hub and corridors that disappeared into the distance beyond them.

"Come on," Sandstorm said nodding to the open doors and they turned walking inside. Everywhere they looked there were soldiers working hard alongside of the occasional civilian technician. The room was vast, the technology remarkable and sitting in the back in the middle of a circular space was a computer nexus as big as a house. That it was as big as that three stories down was beyond their knowing. The stations that surrounded it were busy with mechs doing their job. Runners here and there passed them heading about their business as overhead monitors poured out information. The center table was filled with the instruments of leadership but Prime wasn't there. Prowl was however and he looked at them with a cool optic. "Sandstorm," he said nodding at the mech with the four. "Who are these individuals?"

"These are the leaders of the 'Cons in the mix, Prowl. This is Deadbolt. That is Howl, this is Timbre and that is Combo. I am sure you have heard of them," he replied.

Prowl nodded. "What brings you here?" he asked simply.

The four glanced at each other, then faced him directly. "We wish to offer terms of surrender so that our soldiers and their families can find safety. We have families and children. We have been in contact with the Seekers and know that they have been slated for extermination. We have also heard that families will be exterminated too. Some of us ..." he nodded to the others. "We have been our own masters in our sectors. We have begun to make families, do things on our own and now that there is a focus by the High Command on tightening things up, we fear our turn is coming. We seek shelter and wish to know your terms."

Prowl nodded. "Come with me." He turned and walked to a doorway nearby that led out to conference rooms. Following, they looked around noting the degree of complexity of the operation around them. It was astonishing. Prowl paused by a door and nodded. They walked in and halted as the tableau before them was shocking in the extreme.

Nitro and Revo, Ironhide, Starscream, Rampage, Scar and Payload stood or sat in chairs at the huge table with Optimus Prime in his usual place. They were silent but stared at the newcomers with stern optics. Prime nodded. "Please sit."

They hesitated, then did, pulling chairs to sit nervously. Prowl walked to stand behind Prime as Blackjack, Alor and Thundercracker entered behind him. They took places along the wall and stared at the four with unwavering looks of coldness. Prime watched them, noting their unease but also their affect of determination. "Tell me what brings you here," he said nodding.

Deadbolt who was senior officer nodded back. "I am Deadbolt and I commanded a battle group on the far side of the Empire maintaining trade routes to keep supplies moving. There were hostiles there and it was my job to keep order. I was very good at it. Then Megatron disappeared. Someone said that he was seeking the AllSpark while others said he was looking to replace everyone with allies from other worlds. No one really knew. Starscream was commander, then Shockwave was commander, now Soundwave. No one knows what's happening. We just know that a squeeze on all of us is coming down from Cybertron. I don't know if Megatron's back or if Soundwave is going his own way. No one knows.

"We were on our own and we made a lot of changes for ourselves. We made bonds, had families, tried to make a life out in the middle of nowhere … it was a logical outcome of things. Then the word from the Seekers was received and no one believed it. I sent messages to Seekers I knew and they confirmed it. Seekers were to be killed on sight. We told ours to leave. We told them to go toward the messages that were coming our way, messages from you and Starscream. We would follow when we could, when we knew more. It was getting dangerous to stay. So we left. We cut around the Empire and made our way toward this sector following the signals. We barely avoided Paragon and the other group, the one led by Cyclonus."

"Cyclonus," Prime said. "Paragon has a fortress nearby on the migration trail."

"Cyclonus commands the other group," Howl said. "He has a fortress too."

"The other one. We know who the commander is now," Ironhide said with grim satisfaction.

"That slagger is a piece of work," Blackjack said. "I've flattened him several times myself."

Prime nodded. "You came here. What do you know about things out there?"

"We don't know why Cybertron is putting the squeeze on all of us. It's coming from the HQ at Kaon. I don't know if Megatron is back or what's happening. I do know that we were supposed to funnel all of the energon that we could find to Cybertron. Then the commands stopped. We were told to stockpile what we had where we had it and send the stats to Kaon."

It was silent a moment, then Prime nodded. "Continue."

"We gathered together, the three of us. We were friends from before the war and all of us are tired of the chaos and the threat to our families. We all four have families," Deadbolt said. "We were terrified that they would be killed by fanatics that don't care anymore. So we left. There is a tightening up of the Empire going on all over the place. It was very hard to get through. I don't know how many more will without shooting but there is much unrest. If Megatron comes back and whips things in shape it might settle but right now there are groups going their own way. If Cybertron is serious about tightening up their operation, there could be battles among them until someone comes out on top. We don't want to be a part of that because there are rumors of sub commanders killing their captains to take their place."

Prime nodded. "That sort of accords with what we are hearing," he said. "How many are there of you, how many Seekers if any and what is the possibility that you are more trouble than you are worth?"

The four glanced at each other. "We are 11,000 bots all together, 2200 of them Seekers who were on their own but came when they heard us. Of that number about a third are families. We have 6600 soldiers in our group. As for the trouble factor, we give our word that we are ready to surrender and be no trouble. We have about 3000 youngling soldiers here that we are trying to save."

"You were among the worst commanders for destroying things back in the orn. Now you tell us that we can trust you," Ironhide said. "Why? How?"

Howl looked at Ironhide. "I remember fighting you. I remember fighting with and against most of you in this room. That was then. This is now. The Cause is coming apart. Its not about anyone of us. Our need to have a life doesn't matter. They were breeding Seekers to fight in combat. Sending babies with adult databases into combat is not something I can stomach. Not anymore. We have kids here that were going to be cannon fodder for Megatron's delusions. We have to save them. We are ready to surrender, to turn over our ships and live here as an asset."

"If you decide to do this, you will have to give to me … all of you … your personal and professional oaths knowing full well that you will be giving it to the Matrix. The Matrix will not forgive you if you break that oath. In fact, I have heard that mechs who do die. Badly," Prime said quietly.

"We have a city that will be at the end of this migration two and a half million strong," Prowl said. "We have five towns in this array and more firepower than anyone anywhere including Megatron and Cybertron. The Temple is here and so is the AllSpark. Nothing you can do will turn over the fact that we have Guardians, Metroplex and Fort Max as well as endless soldiers. We also have ex-Decepticons who are an asset and more Seekers than anyone else. If you were to so much as ruffle anyone's feelings here, you would be slaughtered. We are peaceful and safe. If you broke that, you would become confetti."

They nodded. "We know," Timbre said. "We're tired and worried. We expect that this will be a transition especially for some of the younger mechs but there is no place else to go that will take us in and we don't have confidence that building our own place is going to keep them from hunting us down and killing us. I have two sons," he said. "All of us are fathers. We have responsibilities."

"We will monitor you orn and night," Rampage said quietly. "You know us, all of us."

The four nodded. "We do. That's why we came here. We heard that Decepticons had a chance to live here and make something more of themselves than being targets for Megatron. We have kids. We have to protect them," Combo said with grave seriousness.

The conversation went internal as everyone in the room gave their point of view. Prime nodded and looked at them. "We have a prison where all of you will be taken. From there we will process you and assign you a former Decepticon mentor. Your progress and level of freedom depends upon you. You will have to make the oath to me. You will be expected to live here peacefully. If you can't, the prison will be your permanent home. We are serious about the quality of life we provide for our people here. If you are here to disrupt, disturb and bother, we will shoot you dead. I hope my point is clearly made."

They nodded. Nitro and Rampage sat down at the table, their optics level with the newbies. "I own businesses here. I was left for dead but I live here now because they saved me. I teach in the college and annex, I have amazing opportunities for my life and I love someone here, an Autobot. If you were even to think that you or anyone you bring down here could disturb that, your body will never be found. If my **brothers** were to come here and bother that, the same thing would happen. I hope I am clear with you," Rampage said.

They nodded, their expressions grave with concern and hopefulness. It was deeply strange to see it but it felt to everyone present that they were serious about what they were asking for. Combo looked around the room at the hard expressions of everyone present. Then he extended his servo. "I am Combo, a saboteur and special ops commander for the Decepticons. I offer my surrender and give my personal and professional oaths to the Prime of Cybertron and by extension the Matrix. I do that knowing full well that if I break them, I will die. I do this for my command, for my family, for my son and daughter. I surrender, Optimus Prime."

Optimus took his servo and the deal was sealed. He shook with the others, then rose. "You will go to the prison and wait. Your ships will be turned over to us and your crews brought here, Seekers included. I expect, Starscream that you will handle the Seekers in this mix?"

"I would be delighted," he said rising himself. "Nitro and I will take care of them."

Prime nodded. "Go with Starscream and Sandstorm. You will occupy a prison block in our military prison. I expect that you will explain the obligations to your troops. Tell them that Starscream and Nitro are authorized to take the Matrix oaths and that the Matrix will acknowledge that to them when they do. We will begin the processing of you and your families as soon as they arrive. I would like you to let us know who needs medical assistance which will be provided. It will be your responsibility to impress on your people that we are vigilant about our security, the peace and our cities. No one will be allowed to disrupt. No one."

They nodded and rose, expressions of relief on their faces. "We will do that. Thank you," Howl said nodding. He looked at the group that had risen and moved to the door. "Tell us what to do and we will do it. Our soldiers deserve another chance."

Rampage nodded. "They do. If they blow it, they will be sorry. I promise you that."

The group then turned and filed out until it was only Prowl, Prime, Ironhide, Blackjack and Alor. Alor stared at the door, then looked at Prime. "The world is upside down."

He nodded. "I know." He looked at Ironhide. "Impressions?"

"More positive than negative. Their sparklings make me think they're on the up and up. I hope they are," Ironhide said.

"You and me both. The Matrix will see to it," Prime said as he stood up tiredly.

They turned and walked back out, the door closing slowly behind them.

-0-TBC For Pip

June 12, 2013


	332. Chapter 332

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 10 (332)

-0-Landing field near the Cultural Center, Autobot City Mars

He stepped down from the ship with two others pausing to survey the astonishing sight all around him. The place was crawling with refugees and all around them were Autobots and civilians who obviously lived here working to help everyone. A city was before and around them no matter which direction they looked. It was astonishing.

"Ada, do you think we can find them?" a tall handsome mech asked.

His ada nodded. "I'm sure of it, son. Just follow me and we'll see."

The tall handsome mech, another by his side and the mech who was his ada stepped forward and joined a line.

-0-In the med tower

Ratchet worked on a mech with a processor injury bringing him back from death to the possibility of recovery. A few more orns and it would all be better for him. He stepped back and waited for the techs to remove the patient to intensive care for the recovery period ahead when an internal buzzer went off. Pausing in surprise, he checked it, then turned grabbing Gullwing by the arm. "I have an emergency. Please take over, Gullwing. I'll be back as fast as I can."

"It's alright. The list shows nothing we can't handle, Ratchet," the big Seeker processor surgeon said nodding.

"Thanks so much," Ratchet said as he turned and hurried out heading for the elevators and the street below. As he did, he alerted the ones he wanted and disappeared.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl received the alert and turned to Optimus whispering into his audial. Optimus nodded and rose glancing around. "I'll be right back," he said as Prowl nodded. Hurrying for the door, he disappeared into the crowd.

-0-Springer and Drift

They came up from the underground that had brought them from Terra. Nearly colliding with Ratchet, they turned to go with him as he headed out to the airfield on a mission. Moving through the crowds, Ratchet paused by a supervisor of the intake and made his inquiries. They directed him to a group gathering nearby to go into the city. Drift and Springer followed Ratchet as he dove through the crowds. When the big bot got there, the group turned and looked at him. Ratchet looked back spotting the one he probably needed. "Are you Beray?" he asked.

The handsome slim youngling nodded uncertainly. "I am," he said.

-0-In a conference room in the Autobot City Municipal Courthouse, Cultural Center, Autobot City moments later

Prime entered the room where a pensive looking youngling sat with Blackstone, Ratchet and Springer. Drift stood against the wall observing silently. "Optimus," Ratchet said rising. "This is Beray. He really exists."

Prime extended his servo and moved slightly as Jarro entered. "Beray, I am glad you are here."

"Thank you, sir," the youngster said nodding nervously. "But why?"

They paused a moment for internal discussion, then Ratchet leaned forward slightly. "Jade is here."

He looked at Ratchet, then stood up swiftly jolting the table. "Jade? Jade is here? I have been looking for him forever. Can I see him? I **have** to see him."

Optimus nodded. "You will. We just have to inform you of his status in the colony at the moment."

They did.

-0-At an intake station on the Triage Grounds

"Your name?" a cheerful mech asked glancing at the three who were sitting before him giving information so they could be settled here.

"I am Moda," a young intelligent looking mech said. "This is my bond, Tress and my ada, Devcon."

The clerk input the data as given. In a conference room sitting with a nice weeping young mech, Ratchet got another ping. He considered it and delegated. :Ironhide:

:What?:

:Devcon is here. Let the Smokeys know. Record it. I want to see the fireworks, slagger. Right now, I'm helping with a problem. **RECORD THE SLAGGING THING DO YOU HEAR ME!**?:

:Count on it: The smirk on Ironhide's face floated over the link. The big mech turned and nearly flew to the intake station on the Triage Grounds.

-0-Lock up

"He told me everything. He was a kid and this slagger took advantage of him. He got away eventually but it was hard surviving on your own at that age. He's such a good mech. He's so smart and good. What's going to happen to him? Can I take his punishment? He's suffered enough," Beray pleaded. He looked at Prime with anguish and Prime felt old.

"We are going to settle this situation, Beray. There are extenuating circumstances and we will hold a closed Prime Hearing into this matter. The evidence and circumstances will determine the outcome. What is important now is that Jade knows you are here and that we do this the best way possible without causing more harm." Prime looked at Jarro and Ratchet. The three conversed a moment, then Jarro nodded. "I think that we need to let them have a moment together, Prime."

"Can I be in jail with him? I won't be trouble. I just don't want to be separated again. Its been so long and he's the one, the only one," Beray asked, anguish straining his voice.

Jarro thought a moment, then conversed with Blackstone and Prime privately. Prime nodded, then looked at Beray. "I ordered a review of Jade, his fitness now and his threat to the common peace. Jarro tells me that he can be released into house arrest pending the hearing if you are the custodian of his custody. He would have to wear a tracking device and his freedoms will be limited for now. If you are prepared to do that, I will allow it. Blackstone?"

"I would agree with that. Jade has a home and you can both live there until things get sorted out. I will call on you there and we will prepare for his hearing together," the lawyer said nodding.

"I will agree. I will take care of him," Beray said. "He **needs** me."

Prime nodded. "Ratchet, can you put a tracker on him?"

"I can download one from my files now," Ratchet said complying. He sat a moment, then glanced at Prime. "It's done. I can traverse the toughest firewalls around and I have. That kid is pretty tightly wound, youngling. This is going to be a good thing to have him go with you. I am on call orn and night. Call me, okay?"

Beray nodded. "Yes sir."

"Springer, Drift, bring Jade here," Prime said as the two turned and walked out. It would be a silent anxious wait for everyone.

-0-Ironhide

He spotted Devcon just as the mech and two others were finishing up. They had been assigned housing and were ready to go with someone who was going to take them. He walked up and grinned. "Hi, Dev."

"Ironhide," the handsome blue bot said. He grinned. "You made it."

"So did you. Are these those younglings you always talked about?" Ironhide asked nodding to the others.

"My son, Moda and his bond, Tress," Dev said as he shook Ironhide's servo.

Ironhide shook theirs and grinned. "Your son told us a lot about you, Moda. That youngling is a stellar youngling."

"Smokescreen?" Tress asked with surprise.

Ironhide nodded. "He's here. So is your bond, Dev."

Devcon stared at Ironhide a moment, then a slow grin formed on his stunningly handsome face. "Do tell," He said. "Please, Ironhide. Take us to them. You know you want to."

Ironhide snorted, grinning broadly. "My pleasure." With that, he turned and led the way to Ops Center.

-0-Conference Room

Jade sat leaning into Beray, his emotions in tatters from the amazingly unimaginable realization of a desire so immense that it had haunted him orn and night for ages. Beray held him, his arms around the beautiful youngster, his Jade. No one spoke for a moment, then Blackstone squeezed Jade's servo. "Jade."

For a moment the youngling said nothing. Then he sat straighter and looked at Blackstone. "We have made an agreement that you can go to your apartment with Beray and stay there until the hearing about the case. You will have to stay there and follow a few rules but it will be better than having you sit in the cell. Do you understand?"

"I can go with Beray? I told you he would come. He came for me," Jade said softly, his voice filled with exhaustion and emotion. "My Beray … he would come for me," he said leaning against Beray again. "I can go with him?"

"You can. Jarro and I will be checking in. Ratchet will too. Do you think if we tell Beray what the rules are that you can follow them?" Blackstone asked gently.

Jade nodded. "I will. I want to go with Beray."

"You can," Jarro said glancing at Prime. "We can take it from here." He looked at Ratchet. "Thank you, Ratchet for following this through."

Ratchet nodded. They rose and firmed up details, then Prime and Ratchet stepped out. They walked to the street, then Ratchet took Prime's arm. "Come on. Be quick. Devcon is here."

Prime glanced down at Ratchet sharply, then grinned. "What are we standing here for?" he asked as he turned and put the metal to the pedal. Ratchet drafted along in his wake.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

They walked through the Rec Room unaware that Prime and Ratchet were coming in behind them. They also had no idea, at least three of them that Smokescreen Junior was coming up from his post in Communications-Major Data Retrieval down Central Corridor of the Fortress. All of the major parties were converging on Ops Center where an oblivious Smokescreen Senior sat doing his job at Communications. The scene was as follows.

Prowl stood at the center table doing his thing, being Prowl and doing it better than anyone else.

Smokescreen was deep in conversation with Kup out in the migration as the big Wrecker worked to bring home refugees and tell stories about various and sundry things he was seeing as he sat co-piloting his shuttle and shooting the slag.

Smokey Junior was walking with his usual light pedded tread toward the Ops Center where Ironhide had called him to come. He was glad. Communications data retrieval sucked.

Ironhide was walking with a light ped and a smirk on his face toward Ops Center trailing a family that was about to write a page in the annals of Ops Center for here, now and forever.

Devcon was winding up his sensors scouting for the signal that informed him of his onliest Only One without the slagger knowing such were his firewalls. He walked with purpose and behind him two younglings followed in various stages of fear and loathing.

Moda, a cracker jack accountant followed his ada, his bond in tow. Both were very good looking. Devcon himself was extra handsome, indeed abnormally handsome which made most of the mechs who knew the waywardness of Smokescreen mystifing. Few bots reached the handsomeness of Devcon. Few bots were as extraordinary in build and protoform delineations as this fearless devoted bounty hunter. Abjectly filled with hatred for Decepticons, he was nice, friendly, good and devoted to the Autobots and their Cause.

To way too many bots, Smokescreen was a slagger.

Tress followed Moda, servos in servo as they wound their way toward the great open doors. Behind them moving with a speed and grace most would not attribute to someone so big, Optimus Prime followed.

Behind him, a smile on his face as he barely kept up, Ratchet the Yenta, Ratchet the Slagger's Slagger followed.

Ironhide led through the doorway, Smokey was next, then Prime and Ratchet. No one missed a slagging thing.

Prowl looked up and blinked recognizing the bounty hunter immediately. "Dev," he managed before the firewalls fell and Smokescreen looked up from Communications. He stared at Dev with a gaping look of stunned amazement, then stood pulling the plugs out of his chassis. "Dev. Moda."

Devcon paused staring at Smokescreen with a grin. "Smokescreen. Nice to see you again. You do remember us don't you?"

He gulped, then stepped forward his servos up in supplication. "Dev, I've been good a long time. I tried to find you but you kept moving. The kids … Smokey is here. There he is."

A big handsome bot stood behind them smiling with delight. "Grandada! **ADA! ATAR!"** he said before his genitors enveloped him in hugs. Dev watched, then embraced his grandson next. They stood together, then Dev looked him over. "You are growing up so fast. What a handsome mech you are, grandson."

Smokey grinned. "You look awesome. You're here! This is so great! You're going to love this place. Optimus **freaking** Prime is here. I'm working under his command. This is the greatest place in the universe. You are all here."

Dev hugged him tightly, then stood back looking at him fondly. That is when he turned and planted a fist on Smokescreen's chin lifting him completely off the floor. As he did, Ultra Magnus walked into the room.

-0-TBC June 13, 2013


	333. Chapter 333

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 12 (334)

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Smokescreen landed on his butt and lay still a moment. Then he sat up slowly staring at the handsome face of the bond. Rubbing his own, he grinned in spite of himself. "I see you still have it."

"I do," Devcon said with a smirk as he stood quietly, his optics fixed on the handsome face of his long time, much punched bond. "I see you're still a slagger."

"You would be wrong." He stood up and rubbed his chin. "I've been good since forever. Ask anyone," he said glancing around the room. Everyone who was there stood grinning at him, that is all but Magnus.

"He's been here since nearly orn one, Dev. I can attest to him," Tracks said with a smirk. "The slagger has been missing all of you since he came here."

"Is that so," Dev said quietly.

Smokescreen stepped forward and enfolded the big blue and white mechanism. He hugged him tightly and Dev hugged him back. "You look awesome, Dev. It's been a long time."

Dev patted Smokescreen's back, then looked at him. "You deserved that punch."

"I did once. Now I'm a lot smarter." Smokescreen glanced at Prime. "Permission to stand down."

"Granted," Prime said with a grin.

"Come on. I'll show you our place." He looked at Moda and Tress. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"We do, Atar," Moda said.

"Let's go," Smokescreen said turning to leave, his arm around Dev's shoulders. The big deadly mechanism slipped his arm around Smokescreen and followed. Moda and Tress glanced at each other, then Prime. They nodded and turned hurrying off. Smokey who was standing beside Ratchet glanced at Prime. "Aren't they awesome?" he said with a smile.

"They are," Prime said with a chuckle. "Hurry up."

Smokey paused. "I'm on duty, sir."

"You may stand down," Optimus said nodding.

Smokey's smile was brilliant and he turned, then paused. "Thank you," he said. Then he turned and ran out of the room after his family.

It was silent a moment, then Magnus turned to Prime. "He struck another officer. You let him go after Devcon hit him."

"They're a bond. I can only imagine Smokescreen deserved it," Prime said with a grin.

"Optimus," Magnus sputtered glancing from face to face in his outrage.

"That's my name," Prime said as he turned and walked back to his place at the table. Pausing before sitting, he looked at Magnus. "Did you need me, Magnus?" he asked sweetly.

Magnus looked at him a moment, then shrugged. Glancing at Ratchet, he frowned. "You." he said before turning. He walked out without another world.

Ratchet grinned glancing at Prime. "I think he believes I corrupted you, Optimus."

"You did," Prime said with a smirk.

The laughter could be heard in the rec room.

-0-In an office in City Hall

"Then he ***hit*** Smokescreen in the face. It lifted him off the floor."

"How is it that I never get to be where the fun is, Magnus?" Arcee asked as she sat on the couch in her bond's office. "You get to go to the fights and I'm never there."

"Arcee," Magnus said in a huff. "This is a serious thing."

"It is but you also remember who the Prime is, right? Optimus maintains the order he needs. Besides, Smokescreen deserved to get one in the face plates. He's not always been a good mech."

Magnus looked at him. "His firewalls must be extraordinary. Dev is no mechanism to mess with."

"No he isn't. I'm going to ask that Dev gets assigned to us so we can track the slaggers on Earth. No one ever gets away from him."

"No," Magnus agreed. "But I'm still not satisfied with this."

"We know," Elita said from her perch in a chair next to the couch. Arcee grinned. "We do."

-0-Elsewhere

Devcon stood by the window of Smokescreen's apartment and looked out, the city spreading out into the distance for miles. There were six cities now, the two original and four more. They lived in the tower projects of the Mare Tranquilitatis. It was part of the original habitation, Autobot City. The

'burbs surrounding were Aerie Hill, Terra and the newest, Phobos, Pax and Crystal City. They were in the distance beyond the city connected not only by highways but underground systems of transportation. It was dazzling. "This is a good place. Amazing."

"When we first came here there was nothing but a dusty rocky plain," Smokescreen said walking to stand beside his bond. "It has been a long road."

Dev nodded. "I know. It took a while to hunt down the younglings. I lost track of Smokey. When did he get here? Did you find him?"

"No," Smokescreen said. "He came in himself with a fighter group. He was part of a unit guarding relics from Iacon."

"He's a great youngling," Dev said nodding. "I suppose I can find something to do here."

"We're after terrorists on the next planet over. It's tailor made for you," Smokescreen said nodding.

The door opened and Moda came in followed by his son and bond. They walked to the window and looked out. "I'm so glad you're here, grandada," Smokey said leaning against his grandgenitor. "What's happening out there?"

Dev looked at him, slipping an arm around the youngling. "Bad things, grandson," he said quietly, the anger he reserved for Megatron and his army evident in his voice. Devcon had a burning unrelenting hatred for the Decepticons which drove him to hunt them without mercy. Now would be no different. He would be hunting the human format of Decepticon. They would be sorry.

-0-Ops Center

Will Lennox sat on the console next to Jazz listening to the bots as they worked out the migration. He had come back to Mars to help settle the final format of the N.E.S.T habitat that was being finished north of the air field and west of the Hu An habitat on Cultural Center Road. Epps and Graham along with the families and everyone else were coming on game day shortly. He was watching nearby talking to Jazz when Devcon walked into the room and decked Smokescreen.

He liked Smokescreen. He found him funny and full of it, like a lot of the soldiers who were strong, confident and eccentric in the way that men at arms sometimes were. He was a gambler even in combat, smart, charming and perceptive. When new bots came in and one of them decked Smokescreen he had been surprised. Sitting on a console in an easy chair, he had watched. When the group left, he turned back to Jazz who was laughing along with everyone else. Everyone but Magnus that is who left in disgust. "What just happened?"

Jazz sat and looked at him with a grin. "Smokescreen's bond caught up with him. Dev punched his face just in case."

"Who's Dev?" Lennox asked.

"Devcon. He's a bounty hunter. He goes after the 'Cons that he thinks are too dangerous for us." Jazz grinned. "That mech is one tough slagger. He's specialized in design. I can't think of too many who can outlast Dev. He's got a ship format that can go huge distances. He's relentless and heavily armed. He has a canon on his head that stays in subspace until he needs it."

"Whoa," Will said considering that. "This could be fun."

"It always is when Dev is around. He's one of the good ones," Jazz said with a nod.

"No doubt," Lennox said sitting back. Bounty hunters. There was no end to the surprises he considered.

-0-In an apartment up high

They sat on a couch laying in each others arms. The night was coming outside, the sun making its way toward evening. It was quiet in the apartment as they rested together. The walk from the Courthouse had been almost unbearable to Jade who gripped Beray's servo tightly. Staring at the ground, holding himself together, he followed Beray as he followed Springer and Drift to his apartment. He hadn't been home in orns spending every one since the murder in the jail either alone or in the company of someone who was trying to figure out what happened with him. Blackstone, his attorney visited him every day.

Then Beray had appeared out of nowhere and it was almost more than he could assimilate. The Prime had come and Ratchet had helped him, getting him a chance to stay with Beray at the apartment. He had limitations but he also had Beray. Nothing else mattered now. He snuggled with Beray, both lying with him on the couch.

"Jade? Are you alright?" Beray asked in a small voice, fear infusing him as he considered the delicate condition of his one and only.

"I'm with you. There is nothing that could be better than that, Beray," Jade said quietly. "I **knew** you would come."

"I would **never** stop looking for you," Beray said. "We'll be okay. You will see. The Matrix will help Prime help you."

Jade nodded but he didn't care. Beray was here and nothing else mattered. All that he needed was here.

-0-Out there

Kup sat in the cockpit of the shuttle he commanded as they worked to defang the 'Cons who had come with everyone else. The four captains had surrendered and given their oaths. Now they had to mop up the rest. Boarding was going on without incident. There were families on the ships, lots of adults and many younger mechs ranging from sparkling to sub adult in age. What was also included among the groups were hundreds of younger soldiers, many of them startlingly younthful. At least 250 of them were Seekers who were disturbingly like the small trine that they had rescued earlier. Apparently, the infants who had been forced into adulthood were being gathered by the few Decepticons with consciences to ensure their survival.

Sandstorm walked through the ship securing with his team the weapons and crew of the Decepticon war ship, Obliterate. The crew was silent as they watched the Autobots walk through. They turned heading to the main hold as directed, sitting as they were told, their optics filled with hope and concern. Among them were the families, all of them in pretty good shape but afraid. He paused by a pair of elders. "How are you for hunger? Do we need to bring food?" he asked.

An older mech looked at him, then shook his helm. "I think we're good until we get to where we're going. What is it like?" he asked.

"Its beautiful. It's a real city. We have a lot of mechs. We're going over 2 and a half million when this group is passed onward."

The bots on the floor considered that silently, then the mech looked at him again. "Will the Prime accept us? We're tired and want a home."

"If you keep your word and give your oath to the Matrix, you will be fine," Sandstorm said.

The mech looked at him, then nodded. "You have my word."

"Fair enough," Sandstorm said nodding.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

Hero sat on a tiny chair watching the aide explain how playdoh worked. She was missing her old pa who usually came about now to share a cookie. He hadn't come today and she had a tiny worry going on inside. Sitting on the chair with other little mechanisms in her group she had concentrated earlier on the Velveteen Rabbit and the storyteller who would now teach them how to make the characters in the dough. Peeking at the doorway from time to time, she waited. Her atar would always come and they would share her favorite cookie, one that was shaped like a star and had little metallic looking spreckles on it. She would take a bite, he would pretend to take one and they would 'chat'.

Wringing her tiny servos, torn in her concentration, she would wait futilely. Atar was out in the mix helping others find their way home. It would be about dinner time when he would be able to take a moment to peek in. She would be a nervous wreck by then.

-0-Dinner in an apartment

They sat around the table taking the first meal together as a family in vorns. Smokey was filling them in on the amenities, the opportunities and upcoming events in the city as they dined on the best food they had ever eaten. The notion of Class A energon being the norm was amazing. That it was so imaginatively presented was another. Dev listened to his grandson, then nodded. "I am proud of you, Smokey. You're living up to all our expectations beautifully, though I would have preferred a non combat profession for you."

"I know, but this is **awesome**. I get to train with **Prime**. **How great is that**?" he asked with excitement.

Tress shook his helm. "I don't know, youngling. We didn't raise you to be killed in combat."

"I won't, Ada. Grandpa is showing me the ropes."

Moda looked at his son. "Grandpa?" he asked.

"That's what the humans call it," Smokey said nodding at a smirking Smokescreen. "It sort of sounds cute."

"If you say so," Moda said with a softly vented sigh. "I need to find work. We need to pay our own way, Atar," Moda said glancing at his father.

Smokescreen grinned slightly. "You don't have to push it. I would suggest that if you want to continue accounting that you speak to someone at the City Hall."

"Who do I speak to, do you know?" Moda asked.

"Ultra Magnus. The one who came in just as your grandada clipped me in the face," Smokescreen said with a grin.

Devcon smirked. "Served you right."

"Oh great," Moda said shaking his helm. "Thanks, Ada."

"You are welcome," Dev said with a grin.

-0-TBC June 12, 2013


	334. Chapter 334

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 12 (334)

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They came through the smaller gate, 250 youngling Seekers following Red Wing and an Elder from north of Stanix. They circled Mars, then came down in the common area of Aerie Hill where they were met by hundreds of Seekers and as well as emergency personnel. A huge crowd had gathered to welcome them and to offer themselves to help.

250 youngling Seekers stood uncertainly, overcome and overwhelmed by the masses who had come to show them love. The Decepticons had experimented with growing their Seeker numbers by mass hatching infants and placing them in adult protoforms with downloads of adult data. The data wasn't assimilated, but rather accessed through forced means so that the action for the moment might be right but the understanding wasn't there. There was no care given to allow them to mature, no opportunities granted to allow them to fit the formats they were forced into. They were taken from separation and their spark chambers refitted into large formats in order to have troops at the ready faster.

Shockwave was the 'mastermind' of the operation, a chance conversation between Megatron and himself sparking the idea. Genitors were not given their infants back. The little Seekers were marched out in numbers to fight in battles before their processors were even able to understand language. Sensing the disaster this could become, many of the infants 'disappeared', spirited away by Seekers and soldiers. Some were found, their defenders killed and the babies forced back into war. It would take a number of defeats before Shockwave concluded that it was 'counterproductive' to do this further.

The infants left were gathered into groups to be hidden and protected as they were found by sympathetic officers, shunted to the scut work of their commander's ships, keeping them safe and alive. The commanders who gathered them were actually horrified when it became clear what the anxious 'dimwitted' Seekers really were. The 250 with the four captains were only one group that had been saved and hidden away from Megatron and his officers. Now this group was here among those who might help them and they were terrified.

Silverclaw and the Great Elder stood at the edge of the crowd that had gathered around the infants. Red Wing was speaking to them and they huddled together, their fearful optics glancing around themselves as they tried to comprehend what was happening. They were so ill defined as Seekers, so inexperienced with their own kind and customs that many of them were afraid they were going to be hurt by the emotional gathering. Rainmaker with his sons and Silverclaw walked forward, the crowd parting to let them through. By the time they reached the center of the circle where the infants were the crowd was silent.

The younglings turned and looked at him, some of them stepping back behind others to hide themselves. Rainmaker looked at them, then Red Wing. "These are the infants recovered?"

Red Wing bowed his helm, then nodded. "Yes, Elder. These infants were brought by the Decepticons so they could be saved."

Rainmaker nodded, then stepped closer, his affect extraordinary and his gaze direct. A number of younglings met it, their trembling bodies aside. Others ducked their helms staring at the ground as they huddled behind others. "Younglings, I am Rainmaker, the Great Elder. You are welcome among us as precious youth. We are here to save you, to care for you and teach you the ways of your people. This place is safe and you are among protectors. No one will harm you and you will never fight again. We love you without reservation."

They looked at him, then each other. As they did a bigger mech stepped forward, his body covered in old wounds and other kinds of scars. "I am Trident. I lead this group. We don't know what's happening. Our captains told us to go with Red Wing. Where is this place and what are we supposed to do now?" he asked, his firmness crumbling under the burden of his fear and exhaustion. He paused, trembling with emotions as he stood up for the youngsters behind him.

Rainmaker handed his staff to Silverclaw, then stepped forward to rest his servos on the youngster's shoulders. "You have to let us take you in and care for you. That is all you have to do. As for this place? We call it home," he said before he pulled the youngling into his arms in an embrace.

The youngling let him.

-0-Ops Center

Ratchet snorted in, steam coming out of his audials. He had just returned from Aerie Hill with data on the infants that were recovered by the 'Cons. Pausing by the table, he pulled a chair and sat. Prowl and Prime glanced up and paused themselves. "What?" Prowl asked.

"There are 250 Seeker younglings that were just brought in by Red Wing through the gate. They are just like the little trine we recovered a while back. Infants jammed into the bodies of older mechanisms who were forced to fight."

Prime winced glancing at Prowl who looked like he had been punched in the face. "What the frag?" he whispered.

"They are all battle veterans and all of them are suffering from post traumatic disorders. They are terrified, battle scarred and worn down. The 'Cons found them and pulled them into their group keeping them out of battle. The captains who spoke to you are the ones who did. Apparently, its being done all over the Empire because these babies are no longer being produced and exploited. Apparently even those lunkhelms got it that this as a bad idea. It was Shockwave's program need I might add."

Prime's expression was grim and he nodded. "What do you need to help them?"

"We have it organized. The Seekers are going to absorb them. We need to find out if there are more groups out there and pull these babies in. They have them fighting fragging combat," Ratchet said with enormous rage. He leaned forward. "This is a war crime, Prime. They took their sparks from their original formats and put them into these bigger frames. They downloaded adult data, then put them into battles. I can hardly hold it together. This is horrendous."

Prime nodded. "I agree," he said. "Seekers are taking them in? What sorts of things do we have to provide to help them get better? They will get better won't they?"

Ratchet thought a moment. "Some of them look destroyed … emotionally. All of them have had hard wear. Many of them just tremble when they stand still. The dissonance between their image and their reality is tremendous. Some of them are stronger and are helping lead the group but they're babies too."

"Whatever it takes, Ratchet," Prime said quietly.

Ratchet nodded and rose. "We're at halfway now in the recovery. The medical problems we're seeing are not life threatening. Mostly its hunger and smaller stuff. At this rate the hospitals will be discharging earlier patients before we get overrun by new ones."

Prime nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded and turned walking out as Prowl vented a deep sigh. "This is so awful," he said with a look of desolation on his handsome face.

Prime nodded. "We have another target to add to the rescue list. I would like you to interrogate the captains yourself to find what they might know and how to do this, Prowl."

Prowl nodded. "I will."

-0-At the prison

The inmates stood at the bars as the sound of ships landing nearby drew their attention. After a moment, lines of mechs, the occasional femme and infants both carried and walking could be seen coming into view. They were led by Autobots and guarded by them too. They walked to the big prison block between A and C, opening it for the newcomers. Inside already, technicians and other officers sat ready to begin the processing of the prisoners.

"What do you think this is about?" Blind Spot asked as he stood by the bars with the others. Turmoil looked on by himself but Shield, Barricade and Scorponok gathered by Blind Spot. Sideways hung back by himself on the porch of their barracks, his optics watching the others warily. He had become a punching bag so he was careful not to come too close.

"New 'Cons. I recognize a couple. They must have surrendered in the migration," Shield said nodding. "That is the subcommander of the Obliterate. I used to serve on that ship once upon a time. The captain is tough but fair."

"Sounds soft," Barricade said.

Shield shook his helm. "No. He's hard as nails but he's fair."

Families stood inside the bars uneasily, their children gathered around them. They began to make lines before the tables that held computers. One by one, the newbies began to be interviewed.

"Look at that. There's Rampage. Frag. He turned. Who's the other one?" Shield asked glancing at Barricade.

"That is Payload. Mini-con mayhem team … would gut ships in space and leave them behind with the bashed or dead crews to drift derelict … that one," Barricade replied.

Shield nodded. "I've heard of him … them. He's changed. They both changed."

"Rampage will still rip your skull apart but he does it for Prime now," Barricade said.

Nearby standing at the bars themselves, Sentinel and the Senators watched as well. A long thin line of individuals walked from the distance heading together to the prison block. They entered gathering into bunches, then forming lines as some were moved out. They walked out the other side, a couple being pulled aside for whatever reason as more came. It was clear that families were getting a preference, little kids and elderly as well while bachelors were held longer for more interrogation.

Monitors in their barracks played all of the city's efforts as The Hourly News: Breaking News coverage showed the entire thing including new features that detailed the migration out in space. They had sent news personnel to film and interview allowing more information sooner for all to know and see. The sound drifted out as the inmates watched the newbies, their optics following the exhausted hopeful groups as they trudged along.

"This is intriguing. Prime is very trusting to allow this many Decepticons to have free access to the city," Decimus said shaking his helm. "What is to keep them from rising up to cause trouble?"

"About 2.5 million individuals who wouldn't like it," Sentinel said blandly.

The influx continued.

-0-New York, USA, Sydney, Australia and London, England

They got the word that tourist flights to Mars had been canceled due to the arrival of a big migration. They would be rescheduled and apologies were given. Most of the travelers were appeased but there was always those that weren't. Several men were escorted away by security in New York when they were informed. The Autobot City Tourist Company was apologetic but firm. Migrations had precedence and nothing would be allowed to interfere with their ability to rescue their people. That half their staff on Mars were soldiers and Home Guard, thus had duty in the event of emergencies like this one ensured that no one would be going to Mars for a few days.

-0-A small group of former Decepticons

They followed their guide as they walked down Fortress Road to the city beyond. A soldier was taking them, ten civilian families, their members who had until now been Decepticon soldiers and several bachelors. "This is the road to the city, the first road. That is the Fortress, the first building. Underneath our peds is the Old City. We built underground because of the threat of you coming here and blowing things up."

No one said a word, then a little old mech looked at him. "Sorry about that."

The soldier grinned. "No harm, no foul. You get a chance to come here and live. This is Autobot City, the main city on Mars. Going that way," he said pointing north, "is Aerie Hill, the Seeker settlement. They live there because that is where Starscream and his trine came to surrender. Starscream was half dead but we saved him. He and Prime are allies and compatriots.

"Ahead of us going west as far as the optic can see is the rest of the colony. We have a number of cities. Phobos is where you all will live. Then there's Pax, Terra named for our allies, the humans and Crystal City. The Industrial Park is farther out. Almost everything that is manufactured is done out there. We are self sufficient."

"I hear that there's football here," a youngling said hopefully.

"There is. We are having the last playoff game in the adult league before the championship of the world happens. We have two arenas. One is for the adult games and citywide events and the other one is for the schools."

"What about schools? The intake officer said we can go," a femme asked hopefully.

"All kids go to school. Adult schools and university is open to all adults," the soldier said as they turned at the intersection of Fortress and Metroplex Highway 1. Heading toward a subway station, he grinned. "It's the law for younglings and sparklings." He began to descend the stairs into the subway station as the crowd with him followed overcome with the idea of freedom, education and abundance. They disappeared into the crowds below.

-0-TBC June 15, 2013


	335. Chapter 335

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 12 (335)

-0-Sunstreaker

He stood at the door of a ship, a sparkling bundled lying in his arms. Behind him a large family was gathered to go. The infant with Sunny was very sick and needed immediate attention. His protoform was damaged and would have to be replaced. The protoform designers were already perfecting a new one and the doctors who specialized in spark transfers were already going over the data that he had sent. Everyone was in dire shape emotionally, beyond their ability to express their gratitude at his presence as they huddled together ready to go.

A shuttle runabout rose up out of seemingly nowhere and leveled with the hatch door. Sunny who was in contact with the pilot waited until the hatch opened and medics inside appeared. Stepping out, he floated to them and handed the sparkling over. Then he turned and floated out helping the family and their friends abandon their vessel. It would be towed away, their few things tagged and stored for their return to claim them. He moved to their vessel and stood looking inside. Then he leaned out and signaled the shuttle to leave. It did.

-0-In a classroom with Hero

"I can get it."

Hero turned and walked to the toy box nearby rummaging until she found a big dollie. Pulling as hard as she could, the Pooh bear came free. She turned and walked back to a tiny femme who was standing by a chair with a big smile. Hero handed her the dollie, then stepped back to smile at her bestie. Popi smiled back. "Tweet." She was slightly younger than Hero and very sweet. They were best friends and played together in their free time. Hero stepped forward and hugged her dollie and all. "There. You have a baby."

Sitting nearby watching with intensity and amazement, the specialists of the school tracked Hero's speech. Even though infants sometimes 'burst' into speech and they knew it, none of them had ever seen it. Roto sat on a couch holding Mimi as she dozed, her 'feed' being a 'little off' that morning. She was tired because her grandgenitors had arrived in the mix the night before and she was exclaimed over almost all night long by her doting grandadas. Hero was his student along with Orion and Praxus. He had pulled rank and seniority stocking his list with the three little Ironhide/Ratchet mergers. He watched her playing sweetly talking to Popi. She was a dazzling speaker he concluded. So would the others.

-0-Orion

He stood in line with the other five students who had just concluded dance class with him. They were working on a routine and it had been fun. Twirling around was the most fun. He didn't fall down now.

As much.

Han was in the class, the school persisting in placing them in proximity. Both did their best to ignore the other. Detente was not reached in a single orn. Nor in a number of them. They stood, Olo between them in the line and followed Neo out the door heading for lunch. It would be had at the tiny table in their classroom where their group, D, would have their turn at the spaghetti-O's. They had voted on the menu choosing from a number of carefully selected pictures what they wanted to eat that week by consensus voting. They would eat spaghetti-O's every orn if not supervised because they were fun.

Apparently.

Walking through the main room and turning down the corridor, they reached the big classroom where everyone met in the morning together before breaking into working groups. Pulling tiny chairs from the tiny table, they sat down and grinned at each other and the 'room adas' who cooked in the big kitchen in the tower in Autobot City. Lunch was dispersed to the schools, carefully packaged and creatively prepared food that was either served to groups like this whole or dispensed through buffet lines as they did in the Intermediate School and the University Cafeteria.

Orion watched with barely contained happiness the bustle in the tiny kitchen nearby. A cabinet full of trays were being unloaded, each little tray heading for the table and a baby. He got his and looked at it. A tiny bowl filled with spaghetti-O's sat in one slot on the tray. A piece of 'french bread' was next to it. A 'banana' and half an 'apple' were in their own slots alongside 'green beans' and a small container of energon 'milk'. A spoon had its own slot on the tray and there were napkins. He looked at Neo and Laret who were supervising along with two aide-trainees and smiled gigantically.

"What's next, Neo?" one of them asked.

"We help them get their spoons and napkins arranged, then we watch. They won't begin until we tell them dinner is served," Neo said as she sat Mimi's tray on the table. They assisted and fussed until everyone was ready, then Neo smiled and nodded. "Bon apetit, infants."

They all grinned, then picked up their spoons to eat. It would be surprisingly mess free.

-0-Near Uluru-Ayers Rock, Australia

The last tourists left for the day as night began to descend on the great desiccated plains surrounding the majestic Uluru. Hidden nearby in the sandy rocky landscape several creatures watched. They had lived in a number of places unseen and this was just the latest. No one should have come here their research indicated but even in the worst more barren areas of this Primus forsaken world, the insects still tramped, treating the area as a pilgrimage site of sacred stature. When all was still and their sensors indicated that they were alone, they came to the surface. They were living in the ground, deep if they could manage it because their signals could be masked there.

They had been part of a group that had followed Megatron to implement the Infiltration Protocol that all Decepticons used to overtake and control alien worlds. It had six parts. First, one had to infiltrate and gather intel to use in step two, which was to agitate local disputes and make them international in scope. Pretenders were key to that success impersonating locals to get the natives to destroy each other. Part three involved increasing agitation and eliminating those who would oppose such activity. Part four and five involve phased levels of direct involvement in the fighting by the 'Cons themselves. Five involved modes in which siege facilities such as fortresses on the ground are implemented without concern for stealth. At six, it would be all out invasion with specialized mechanisms like Six Shot, Black Shadow and Overlord doing the annihilation for their lord and master. What followed would be re-population of the destroyed world by the Decepticons. There would be nothing left of the natives. They would be dead.

Every last single one.

However things were out of servo here. They were hiding and had been since before the battles that dispatched The Fallen and caused Megatron to leave the world. They were to stay hidden, those actions exempt from their prime directive. They were aware of the seven 'Cons who had been abandoned on the Earth and their woe begotten end at the servos of the Autobots. Those seven didn't know about them. They were deep cover and expected to remain that way until the means of carrying out their mission reared itself.

It had.

They walked to the rock beyond them, a beautiful oddly haunting locale. They would gather raw materials scattered here and there for energon production in their field devices, then go back down. They had set up their machinery to listen in on the humans' comm systems, both commercial, private and top secret. They would continue to try to understand the world as it was, then begin in even greater effort to feed the various groups named under the media umbrella, 'The Revolution' everything that they felt they could without giving themselves away.

Yet.

-0-Ratchet

He worked on patients fixing broken things and helping them to get the follow up treatment that they would require. The degree of injury coming in now was marginal compared to earlier. Broken things, hurts, dents, tears and rips. The occasional acid burn reminded him that the horrible alien monsters still existed on that side of evil. In a pause, he walked out into the main room off his surgery and peered through doors. Knockout was working on a knee assembly for a youngling mech. Gullwing was working on a processor injury and a number of other physicians were hard at it too.

It was glorious.

With a lighter tread, he turned and walked back into his own and took on the next patient.

-0-Ironhide

He walked through the airfield after spending time gauging the Triage Grounds and the collection of newbies from space. The prison was working out the reclamation of the now former Decepticons under the watchful optics of the Wreckers. He had heard only five of them had been detained for further questioning with the others going into the city goggle-opticed with wonderment. He understood it too. He and Prowler had spent the previous two orns going to the new gunneries/depots/armories under the new cities to sign off on them.

Phobos, Pax and Crystal City were topnotch and open for business already. It would take a while for the munitions experts to manufacture enough to fill the giant munitions stores that went down several stories below the main floors in each place. But they would do it. They were **AWESOME!** They were led by a **DOOM BRINGER!**

He grinned and looked down at the infant in his arm. He had stopped by RTR Tools and liberated Prowler. He was sleeping in a little box near his grandatar as that good bot turned blades putting an edge on them that could split infinitives. After good natured chat and arrangements for the little bots to be parted out among the family, he turned and walked out, his newest progeny parked in the place marked 'infant' … the crook of his arm.

The crowds were heavy as newbies walked about filled with awe. Some were actually going to places but the rest were sightseeing. Some of them stopped him to ask directions, others to comment on the infant. Some expressed their gratitude and others just needed to say something to an Autobot, any Autobot. He was gentle, thorough and glad for them in a way he couldn't express. It was just an **AWESOME** thing all around.

That he was filmed while he went about didn't register to him. The humans were part of the landscape for residents here. They belonged.

-0-At the prison

Will Lennox, Bobby Epps and Niall Graham leaned on their segways as they watched the former enemy become part of the great experiment. :Do you think this would be possible on Earth?: Lennox asked.

:No. We don't have that much trust for our enemies: Epps ventured.

Graham nodded. :Even after nine million years, Optimus Prime is merciful:

:That's why he's **SLAGGING OPTIMUS PRIME!:**

Graham and Epps looked at Lennox and grinned. :That's better but Ironhide's voice is deeper and lower:

:I can't go that low. My balls would have to speak for me: Lennox said with a grin.

:And what a tiny voice it would be: Epps said before he was punched.

-0-Out and about

:Ratchet:

:What?:

:How is it going?:

:Not bad now. You?:

:Hard at it. Just checking in:

:Okay. Come by if you can:

:Need anything?: -(slight concern)

:A hug and a frag: -(slight grin)

:Not in front of the younglings. Might give them a complex or something:

(grins)-2

:You are a truth speaker too: (grin)

(Grin) :I'll come by when I can, Ratchet. I'm up to my aft in slaargs right now:

:Okay. Ratchet out:

Ironhide looked at his son who was sitting on his arm with support. The infant gave him a face splitting grin as he noted his papa's attentions. Ironhide grinned and kissed his helm. "You can almost sit up a bit now by yourself. Don't tell your old ada. He'll beat me with my own leg." He looked at the table and picked up a tiny bit of the 'cake' he had nearly finished. Holding it for Prowler, the infant grinned and took a tiny bite. He chewed it, his little brow wrinkling slightly as he considered the flavor. Ironhide grinned. "You like that? We'll find out what else you like, you and me." He grinned and enjoyed himself as he sat in a chair at a table on the sidewalk of The Sidewalk Bistro which was across the street from Club Cybertron on Metroplex Highway 1.

He wouldn't tell Ratchet.

Neither would Prowler.

-0-TBC June 16, 2013

NOTE: My spell checker makes me laugh. The suggestion for apetit was ape tit. :D :D :D Yes, I am 12 years old. ;D (Emotionally. My real age? About five times that.) :D :D :D Magebreaker, you are so adorable. I hug you! Sweetie pie.

I am combing canon to match up with my musings. I am never ending amazed at the vastness and awesomeness of the Transformers and their universes. :D By the way, kissing is canon. :D :D :D


	336. Chapter 336

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 13 (336)

-0-Autobot City early the next morning

The wind down was coming along as the smooth transition of refugees without major injuries was beginning. They had crossed the threshold of 600,000 and had an approximate 17,994 individuals to go. The bridges operated smoothly including those on some of the ships in the mix. Those bridges were able to deposit patients and others directly on the steps of the hospitals. The technology was old and Autobot in origin. Its recovery by Sciences had been a stupendous help for use on ships designated as medical vessels.

Ratchet stood on the top of the Med Tower landing pad in Autobot City watching as two runabouts set down and four stretchers came through the ship bridge nearby. They were non-life threatening. All of them were ambulatory but elderly on the stretchers and all would be released to anxious family members who were with them. His scans were infallible as he stood directing placements, medics gamely carrying and assisting their patients. A feeling of love and appreciation suffused Ratchet as he watched everyone working so hard. His staff and team were amazing. They would hear about it too.

Turning, moving to a box nearby to sit biding time for the next group already lifting off from the field nearby, Ratchet waited quietly. He was hungry, tired and wondering where his little family was. As more runabouts touched down, he rose stiffly and walked over to assist. He would continue to do so for ten more joors before the great bridges overhead closed at last.

-0-Lying on a foam mattress

He lay flat staring at the ceiling. Light played across it from hallway night lights and machines recharging on the counter nearby. Next to him recharging like the good little bots they were, Miracle and Praxus slept on. They were spooned together, Miracle huddling with Praxus in his recharge. Other botlets their age were recharging on mats nearby as aides kept watch over them while teachers either worked getting ready for the next orn or recharged themselves. Orion sat up and looked around.

Miracle and Praxus, check.

Mimi and Olo, check.

Han ... hmmm ... okay.

He glanced around and found a lot of his peers, all of them either the infants of soldiers or medical personnel. Civilian infants were with their families at night as their genitors took their turns out of rotation assisting refugees. It thinned down the herds in the day care when sleeping time came.

"Pax." Orion looked at his brother, then frowned. Pax was asleep. Standing up, his blanket slipping off, he stepped out to find someone. Hero wasn't here. Sunspot and Spot weren't here. Ada and Atar weren't here. This place sucked. Moving forward, he 'stealth moded' himself to the doorway while the aides were comparing notes on his sister. He was gone in seconds.

-0-Nearby

She lay on her mat, her optics staring at the ceiling. Nothing was right. Nothing happening as it should. This was her second night in the company of strangers and she felt fear. What if her big old atar didn't come? What if this was her life? What, what, what? She sat up and looked around. Popi was sleeping beside her curled around her Pooh bear. Other sweeties were here and there too. Praxus, Sunspot and Orion weren't. Atar and Ada weren't. Other Ada and Other Ada, Other Atar and Other Atar ... where were they? They always came to get her and help her feel better. Even Spot was gone. It was frightening. She got up and walked to the door pausing to look out. Then she stepped outside and disappeared.

Her teachers were compiling data nearby and didn't notice.

-0-Ironhide, Blackjack and Alor in Chrystal City

They walked through the district noting that evening had brought a winnowing down of foot traffic on the road. A lot of the younger Decepticon youths had gone clubbing, seeing for themselves the greatness of their new home. Club Cybertron, Maccadam's and other social outlets, some of which were opening in the new cities were packed. The Day and Night Watch were out in force showing the flag and helping keep the order as the city grew by twenty-five percent in less than three orns. The three walked along heading for the school in Terra where Hero, Orion and Praxus were resting up. They had visited Sunspot at RTR Tools before they closed, having dinner with them from the takeout place in the mall. He and Spot went home with them and the three of them continued showing the flag themselves as they watched the city digest another load of refugees. They walked to the subway and disappeared to wait for an orange train to come by.

-0-In a hallway in a school in Terra

Orion stealthed along the wall heading for who knew where. He hugged it looking this way and that as he continued to practice with his underdeveloped sparkling sensors. They could tell him what was what three feet in all directions around him but beyond that, nothing. His optics could adjust for night vision but they were only good for ten feet. He had some growing to do yet. He heard footsteps so he snuck behind a chair, his tiny peds and legs showing in the clear space under it if you looked down but nothing else. Two teachers walked past laughing over a joke, then entered a room nearby. It was quiet a moment, then he peeked out.

Coast clear.

Stealthing along, he continued on his odyssey.

-0-Hero

She stood outside the doorway looking this way and that with her infant night vision optics. A good five feet was clear, then beyond that nothing was. Her sensors were good for about two to three feet before fuzzing up on her. She considered a few things ... a good weep ... a fast dash back to her bed ... calling for her genitors ... calling for Spot ... then she continued onward looking for someone who was hers to hug her.

Yes, she felt that badly.

-0-Ratchet

He stood listening to the doctors explain their process for removing the spark chamber from the damaged infant, placing it in a protoform that not only matched but also exceeded the specs and appearance of the old one. Terrified family listened, nodding. Then they began. Ratchet would supervise and watch. He had done a few in his orn but mostly on adults. He would assist if needed.

He wouldn't be.

-0-Orion

He lurched along ducking at the sound of anything, peeping out after it subsided. He saw a shape ahead and froze. Pressing against the wall as flat as he could, he watched as the blob began to take shape. It got closer and more defined, then he knew who it was. Roto and Terradive walked past talking quietly to themselves. If they had looked down they would have seen a tiny black sparkling, yellow banded and as flat against the wall as he could press himself, arms outspread against it as he held his position. They walked past entering a room, the light coming on as they did. Orion hugged the wall, nearly pitching forward he was so flattened, then he turned and hurried along.

In stealth mode.

For him.

-0-Ops Center

Prowl stood at the sensor station watching as the dwindling number of ships were being grouped to bring through. Optimus was in the city taking oaths, greeting refugees and watching things as they began to wind down. The ships in the new yards, the civilian yard and the plain beyond the Hu An Habitat were daunting in number and type. A plan for a ship yard fifteen miles away on a flat surface with lots of space for digging down to stockpile deconstructed ships and their parts would get his go ahead in jig time. Right now all their attention was in housing, building/remodeling/rehousing amenities and people.

Fabrication-Food Production was going to be doubled, the Guilds and stores demanding food increasing with the population. A boom in cooking at home was also on the rise and he wanted his people to have what they needed to create quality of life. Beyond in the darkness between streets in the tower complex that was Metroplex he could see the other cities, their lights twinkling in the night sky. Soon it would be day and things would become more bustling. It would take a good several orns before the newbies felt at home, decided upon work or school and settled. Until then, they would all be on their peds. He continued onward to the Triage Grounds to check in.

-0-Orion

He continued along the wall keeping as low a profile as a stealth sparkling could. His old pa would have tears in his optics watching his littlest Autobot slinking along, his optics looking this way and that, freezing and pressing against the wall at the least sign of trouble. He was a glory, his sparkling but Ironhide wasn't here to see his little mech 'on the prod' as his old cowboy stories often said. Little mech was going places. Where? He wasn't clear. But practicing his moves in a real world situation was good all the way around. Mech couldn't be a Chaos Bringer some day without practice.

A noise nearby gave him pause so he pressed against the wall, his little spark fluttering. Footfalls were coming and he was poised to fool them too. He watched as a dark shape came, then materialized before him. He looked at it, then smiled giantly. Reaching out, he grabbed an arm and pulled Hero into the darkness with him. She looked at him, then smiled throwing her arms around his neck. "Orion. You came."

"Ho-Ho, you me!" he said with excitement, then covered his mouth with his servos. They both looked around with fear and worry, then looked at each other. "Ho-Ho, where you go?"

"I want Ada and Atar," Hero said anxiously. "Do you know where they are?"

Orion considered that, then nodded. "I go them. You come me." He took her servo and turned stealthing down the hallway, his tiny peds only making a little bit of noise. Hero walked along normally with him. They disappeared into the darkness together.

-0-Prime

He stood on the airfield as a ship settled, the hatch opening slowly. A group came down, their tattoos signaling their factions and allegiances, a mixed group of old and young. Among them was the one he sought, the one called Heatout. He talked to his group a moment, then turned spotted Prime. Smiling, he walked toward Prime, his group in tow. Pausing, extending his servo, Heatout nodded in respect. "Sir, I am overwhelmed with pleasure to see you again."

"Heatout, welcome. I'm glad you came to see me before the rest of the migration passed through. I would like to know what you know about the situation out there," Prime said gripping the mech's servo. "Your group can go with this soldier," Prime said nodding to Whirlaway. "He can get them through processing and settled. They can state your needs as well and make sure they are met."

"Thank you, sir," Heatout said looking around the city spread out before him. "I had no hope of ever seeing a place like this again. Even the Temple has found you, Optimus. You are indeed Primus blessed." The others nodded too, their expressions reverent as they looked at Prime.

"Thank you, Heatout. This is a last stand and we need all our people. We are glad you were so helpful to the innocent and weary," Prime said.

"It is our pleasure. We know you were the leader of this miracle and we are here to serve the community to the best of our ability," Heatout said bowing his helm in serious appreciation. "I hear that the AllSpark is here."

Prime nodded. "The Matrix Flame, AllSpark and the Well are all here. They were restored during the Festival of Primus the past year. We are coming up on it again in three decaorns."

Heatout smiled. "Fortuitous timing, Prime. We are yours."

Optimus nodded. "I would like to talk to you if you are up to it."

"I am," he said as he turned to follow Prime. They would spend three joors in a conference room in the Fortress talking together.

-0-Sneaking down a hallway

Two tiny waifs crept down a darkened hallway heading for the big doors at the end of it. They held each others servos as they slunk along, Hero attempting to stealth like her big brother. He 'whispered' to her encouragement: "Ho-Ho, you go me. I go you. We go."

She nodded and followed him along. As they crept toward the door they didn't notice that they were on the sensors of two bots who were watching with constrained effort.

Effort not to laugh that is.

Terradive and Roto watched them stealth away for a moment, then Terradive turned to his bond. :I may have to teach sparklings one of these orns:

Roto grinning from audial to audial nodded. :You won't regret it: he said before they both pounced.

-0-TBC June 17, 2013 edited


	337. Chapter 337

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 14 (337) (NOTE: Had to go to Anchorage last night. Got in late. Pooped.) :D

-0-Mars

The glow of the city mass could be seen below from the Trigger as Esty sat doing his duty. He was a civilian who had been a bridge tech on Cybertron back in the distant past. Now he worked here in a state of stupefied exhilaration that such a possibility could exist again and that it could serve such a great purpose for all. He had come here with only his two servos and a lot of talents he had almost forgotten. Now he had a life and a job that saved people. They retrieved and sent out masses of individuals and he was the control officer of the graveyard shift. He was going to close the apertures in less than five minutes on the Terran Military clock and he was delighted.

The curve of Mars lay out below him with a glow in several places that indicated habitation. Satellites passed by him, their blinking lights signifying their endless vigilance. It was quiet, the vast room darkened to coax an atmosphere of peace and calm. He sat back in his seat watching the chronometer count down the minutes left. When it hit zero, he pressed a red button. Nearby the flaring lights of infinity winked out bringing to an end the agonizing saga of 617,994 homeless Cybertronians.

-0-In a room down below

They stood on a table before Roto who sat on a chair leaning forward, his arms on the table encircling the two 'culprits'. They looked at him, Hero with great anxiety and Orion with hopefulness. Orion looked at Terradive who pulled up a chair to sit himself and smiled at both with his most dazzling smile. He pointed at Terradive and looked at Roto. **"TOTO? WHO SHE?"**

Roto snorted and glanced at Terradive. "**She** is Terradive."

Orion looked at Roto, then Terradive, then Roto. "Doh-Doh?"

"Close enough," Roto said with a chuckle. "What are you two doing sneaking around? Sneaking out is against the rules. You're only supposed to do that when you're older." He grinned at Orion enjoying him thoroughly.

Orion grinned back. He glanced at Hero who wasn't grinning and patted her. "Ho-Ho want Atar. Ho-Ho want Ada. We go there."

"Where is there?" Roto asked with fascination.

"Home," Orion said. Then he smiled gigantically waiting for applause. He got it.

Roto snorted, then kissed the baby on his cheek. "New word."

"We want Atar," Hero said anxiously. "Ada too. Where are they? Can we go home?"

Terradive glanced at Roto. "I see what you mean. That is impressive for a sparkling her age."

Roto nodded. "It happens but I've never seen it until now. Orion is advanced too but note the difference."

Orion hearing his name patted Roto's face. He bent down to look up into Roto's optics, a wholly comical effect. **"TOTO! YOU GO ME AND HO-HO HOME? WE GO HOME?"**

Roto looked at Orion, then hugged him. "I wish you could, baby. But not yet."

"Why?" Hero asked as her expression crumbled into something teary. "I miss them. They miss me. We can go home?"

Roto took her and lay her on his shoulder patting her little bottom gently. "I wish you could. They miss you. But not yet, Hero. They will come soon. The work is almost completed. Then they will come and you can go home."

She began to cry and he rocked gently in his seat as he held her. Orion watched, then glanced around. "**TOTO.** This not fun. No fun here. We can go home?" he asked again.

A sound at the door paused the conversation, then Orion smiled brilliantly. **"ATAR!"**

Hero looked back and burst into tears. "Atar!" she cried out.

Ironhide pausing in the doorway with his genitors stepped inside walking to the table. He took Hero and hugged her, the infant clinging to him as she cried. "I missed you," she wailed before snuggling into his arms.

**"ATAR! WE GO HOME!"** Orion said as he stood on the table looking up at the adults.

Alor snagged him, cuddling him in his arms. "You were going home?"

"They both got up and stealthed their way toward the elevator before we caught them," Roto said with a big grin.

Ironhide looked at Roto sharply. Then he looked at Orion. "You were stealthing?"

"It was hilarious. He was actually showing some really good moves," Terradive said with a smile. "By the way, I am called 'Doh-Doh'."

Ironhide snorted. "Sparkling is a caution." Everyone nodded.

"When can they go? They're trying to make a break without a clue," Roto said leaning back in his chair.

"We have carry holds. We can take these two now," Alor said nodding to Blackjack who agreed. "We would need a blanket and their sleep dollies. Then you will have two less wild free range babies on your servos."

The two rose and led the way into the classroom converted to a sleeping space. Gathering the requisite stuff, the infants were put inside their Other Atar and Other Ada's holds. With snark and profuse thanks, they turned and walked out pausing on the streets outside. The sound of a tiny rap could be heard so Blackjack popped his hold. Orion leaned out and smiled brilliantly.** "ATAR! SEE ME!"**

Ironhide guffawed and gently pushed the infant back inside. The door slid shut and the three turned walking toward the Fortress as overhead the space bridges winked out of sight.

-0-Ulura, Australia, Earth

They sat together in their underground bunker watching the sensors, listening to the channels they were maintaining. A number of them were different human groups that belonged to the Autobot resistance along with some from various N.E.S.T groups and others affiliated with Prime outside of the military. They were part of a specialist group that instituted what were known in the Decepticons as the infiltration protocols. They were deep cover bots who would burrow in and wait, gathering intel to make possible the conquest of their particular planetary residence. They had arrived with Megatron ten thousand years before and had lain in waiting for the word to begin.

The awakening of The Fallen had activated them and they had begun listening in on the usual channels for intel with which to exploit. They had been aware of The Fallen's demise and the retreat of Megatron. There had been no new information from Cybertron or any other leader of stature so they began themselves to do what they were here to do. There were three cells on Earth. One of them was located in Europe and another in North America. They were linked on heavily encrypted lines and subterranean in locale to hide their signatures from detection. It had worked extremely well.

They would stay subterranean for a while.

-0-Gathering at the command center

Ratchet walked from the hospital tower heading for the Fortress. The night was giving way to the day, the horizon lightening in the distance. Traffic was light still but would pick up when the shifts changed in about three joors. Turning the corner at Fortress and Airport, he continued to the big command center of military life on Mars.

It was cold this morning as he crossed the courtyard, oddly empty feeling without the feisty energy of the elders who utilized the game tables there. Entering, he sassed through the rec room where a number of bots were lounging and entered the Ops Center. He walked to the center table and parked himself regarding Prime, Prowl and Smokescreen with a grin. "How's the jaw?" Ratchet asked.

"Good." Smokescreen smirked. "Nothing like a right cross to say 'I love ya, baby'," he said.

Ratchet snorted. "Funny, that. Ironhide says the same thing."

Prime chuckled. "How's the fix-it part coming along?"

"Really good. We haven't had a serious problem for joors," Ratchet replied.

"That's good," Prowl said nodding. "We closed the bridges. We're done."

"Now the hard part begins. Assimilating 20% more population without too much trouble happening," Ratchet replied with a nod. He glanced at the doorway and watched as Ironhide, Alor and Blackjack entered walking to the table to pull up chairs. "How was your orn?"

"Very productive," Alor said opening his carry hold. Reaching gently inside, he pulled Hero out. She had been sitting talking to her dollie as she fought recharge. "I found this sort of lurking around."

Ratchet grinned. "Lurking?"

A small tapping sound drew all their attention so Blackjack opened his hold. Orion who was standing at the door peered out spotting Optimus. **"OMUS! I SEE YOU!"**

Laughter greeted that as Blackjack stood the little bot on the tabletop. He looked at all of them basting himself with the attention. Looking at Ratchet, he smiled brilliantly. **"ADA! I COME YOU! ME AND SHE!"**

"They almost made a break for the wall," Alor said proudly. "Terradive and Roto caught them lurking down the hallway to the elevator."

"They decided to leave?" Ratchet asked dazzled by his infants. He watched as Alor stood Hero on the table too. "Did you try to run away?" he asked the slightly fussy little femme.

She looked at him and nodded. "I wanted to come home," she said as Prime and Prowl blinked. "Orion and I ran away."

Ratchet leaned in. "Mr. Roto caught you?"

She nodded, her little chin quivering. "Atar didn't come. I missed you," she said holding out her arms.

Ratchet picked her up hugging her. Glancing at Prowl and Prime, he grinned. "Apparently, sometimes they can do this."

Apparently," Prowl said, his optics focused like lazers on the tiny femme laying against Ratchet's shoulder. "Very nice."

"She talk," Orion said nodding as he walked over stuff to pause before Prowl. He smiled brilliantly. "We go home."

Prowl snorted, then leaned closer. "You are very cute. I like you."

Orion smiled. "Orion loves Owl."

They indulged themselves a moment with the infants, then stood. "I think we can turn in for a few. The Center will alert us if anything needs more than the usual attention," Prime said as he settled Orion on his arm. "Home beckons."

They turned and with amiable chatter walked out to the city and home beyond.

-0-Nearby

Bluestreak stepped inside and turned closing the door behind him. Sideswipe was stretched out on the couch waiting for him. Sunstreaker was out in the mix heading for home as the gates were commencing for wind down. Sideswipe had gotten the infants putting them to bed and crashed to wait for Bluestreak who had been working on data at City Hall. He looked in on the babies, then walked to Sideswipe. "Hey, sleepy. Get up and come to bed."

Sideswipe shifted glancing at him, then stretched. "Hey. You off?"

"I am. Things are being handled by the day shift," Bluestreak said nodding. "You hungry or do you want to come to bed?"

"Bed," he said rising stiffly. "I'm tired. Come on. What about Sunny?"

"He's coming. He has to help with the last of the refugees," Bluestreak said as they walked to their berthroom and disappeared inside.

-0-At the Bosom of Love

She stood on the table outlining her grievances and fears. Ironhide sat listening, nodding his helm from time-to-time as she stood babbling, her servos gesturing and her body language tense and sad. "Atar, I was a-scared."

He glanced at Ratchet who sat by the window rocking a sleepy Orion, himself babbling softly as he looked at his servo. It apparently was fascinating. "Little femme is upset, Ratchet."

"I see that," Ratchet said nodding. "I don't know what to do about it. We're soldiers, Ironhide. She will have to adjust."

"I don't like her being afraid," Ironhide said leaning in to kiss his daughter. "She shouldn't ever feel afraid."

"She will, Ironhide. You can't prevent that. I don't like it either but she is going to have a life where things happen," Ratchet replied as Orion went limp from recharge. "I would have loved to see them slinking along. Apparently, Orion was deep in deep cover."

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet with a proud expression. "I know. He's quite the stealther."

Ratchet snorted. "That's him alright. Stealth."

"Atar?"

Ironhide looked back at Hero who stood before him, her wings showing tension and her servos clasped. "Can I sleep with you and Ada?"

Ironhide glanced at Ratchet. "Do we?"

"It would be a bad precedent, Ironhide. Little femme has to learn to have confidence and stand up on her little peds. Why don't you put her in her bed, wrap her up and put her best toys with her. Rub her back. It will be better for us to help her through this than to enable her."

Ironhide looked at Ratchet, then Hero. "Come on, daughter. Let's go look at your little bed. I bet there are toys there that are missing you." He gently picked her up and walked to the berthroom removing her little hat and jacket. He kissed her helm and carried her to her little crib. It was a very feminine bed, as feminine as her room. Spreading her blankets, he set her down. "Lie down, Hero," he said gently pressing her back. She lay down looking at him, her tiny wings folded under. Taking her soft blankets, he tucked her in and put her favorite baby dollies around her. "There. We're right here. You recharge and we'll have breakfast soon enough."

She looked at him comforted by her bed and him. "Atar?"

"What?" he asked as he rubbed her temple gently.

"I love you, Atar. Orion helped me."

"I heard he did," Ironhide said with a proud smile. "He's pretty good, Orion. Takes care of you like a big brother."

"He did," she replied as recharge began to claim her. "He's my brother."

"He is," Ironhide said nodding. "He's a good brother. You go to recharge. We're right here."

Ratchet walked past heading for Orion's berthroom. Putting him into his berth, he paused until Orion settled. Walking to Hero's room he stood by her bed watching as she fell asleep. "Cute."

"She is," Ironhide said with a nod. "She's afraid when we're gone. I don't like that she is."

"I know," Ratchet said tugging on Ironhide's arm. "We'll figure it out."

Ironhide left reluctantly and headed for his own berthroom. Outside in the night, the last rescue vessel landed.

-0-TBC June 19, 2013 edited

PS Kissing in Transformers is canon. It really is. :D :D :D

aNony, I have no address so I answered you in the review section. Thank you. :D


	338. Chapter 338

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 15 (338)

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars towards morning

The lights indicated movement of questionable origin and they watched it with interest. The lights had left Europe and made their way to America over the North Pole. They had moved with great speed indicating a level of technology that should have been unknown among the humans who lived there. Bumblebee working his shift at Teletraan III turned and called out to Compass, a former Decepticon who was shift manager for graveyard. "Compass, come here and look at this."

The big 'Con walked to Teletraan and watched as the lights winked out over Alaska. "That's not good. They're going too fast."

"There aren't supposed to be any 'Cons here," Bee said with a shrug. "We better let Optimus know."

Compass nodded, then tapped a comm line toggle. "Compass to Prime."

A pause, then answer. "Prime here."

"Sir, we have bogies over the pole."

"On my way," Prime replied, then the line was cut.

-0-Around the city

Ironhide walked from his tower toward the Fortress meeting up with Drift and Springer who were on their way as well. They made their way to Ops Center and entered noting the number of bots gathered around Prowl and Prime. Pausing beside them, they listened. Prime looked at them and nodded. "We have Decepticon signals on Earth."

Ironhide blinked. "How?"

"We aren't sure. We found them originating in Europe around Naples, Italy and they disappear in the middle of Alaska in North America." Prime pointed at a roll up map that showed a line crossing the North Pole and disappearing into the wilderness of Interior Alaska. "We are unclear on how many as well as how they have masked their signal. It would appear that they live underground and use the Earth to hide their signatures. Or at the worst, they found a way to do so with technology."

"It makes you wonder how long they have been here," Ironhide said nodding.

"They might have come with Sentinel and they might have come with Megatron. It would be possible they traveled together," Prowl posed. "I will pose the question to Sentinel."

Optimus glanced at him. "Have Ratchet do it. I expect he can spar without the excess baggage you might encounter," he said glancing back at his team. "Whatever it is, we have to go after them," Optimus said grimly. He turned and looked at a monitor nearby. "General, we will be coming to Earth to begin a search on the ground. We will pick up the soldiers at Diego."

Morshower nodded equally grimly. "I will go to the Pentagon Command Center and link up with you there. I have already put the special ops on alert."

"Thank you, Glenn. We are on our way," Optimus said. He turned to the mechs gathered around and they all turned walking to the doorway and the airfield beyond. They would be in Diego Garcia in 45 minutes.

-0-At the air field

They gathered in front of two battle shuttles, the smaller ships less obvious on the satellite grids of humankind. Optimus stood with Prowl going over protocols for the mission as the twins skated up. They joined Kup, Springer, Drift, Ironhide, First Aide for medical and Devcon for technical expertise. He paused beside Kup and grinned. "Looks like you need a tracker."

"Couldn't hurt. Gotta hold to military protocol though," Kup said with a nod.

"Won't be hard," Devcon said as Prime turned toward the group.

"We have sign in the interior of Alaska of Decepticon presence. They appear to either have unknown shielding or they shield underground. Either way, we have to get them," he said. "Let's roll."

They divided and turned walking up the ramps to the shuttles which then retracted and disappeared as hatches closed. The shuttles were cleared and lifted off priority one disappearing into the darkness of space as the sun began to rise in the sky. Sitting at Teletraan III, Bumblebee kept up a quiet internal conversation with First Aid as they headed swiftly toward Earth.

-0-In a northern clime

They stood in the daylight of night time as the sun which never set in the spring and summer of Alaska lived up to its legend. The sunlight didn't diminish here until late in the summer when the fall began its inevitable march forward toward winter. One could read a book clearly at midnight as well as noon. It was as flat as the optic could see, broken here and there with caribou who summered in great numbers and the occasional bear or moose. In the far distance, the majestic peak of North America's largest mountain, McKinley or Denali as it was called by Alaskans could be see with its enormous white mass and cloud covered peak.

The Alaska Range formed its companions as to the southeast, the Wrangells could be seen. It was nearly 90 degrees and insects buzzed around them annoyingly. One of them swatted a swarm that settled on his arm. "Sickening insects. This whole planet is sickening."

"They're mosquitoes. They cannot harm you. Quite whining," another said as they looked around. "The Autobots will have seen us. We have to move," he said glancing at the others.

She nodded. "I know. Let's go," she said as she transformed. With a fury of movement, she began to dig and they watched as she disappeared into the cold hard earth.

"This soil is permanently frozen. It will be hard going," one of them said as he shook his helm doubtfully.

"We have to go. We need a presence in all of the major locations. We can follow her and we better do it swiftly. Even the humans will be able to detect our transit over their pole," another said as he stepped into the hole and fell from sight. The others followed one after the other as the area grew quiet again.

Nearby, a marmot hunting prey came to the hole and sniffed. It stared into the dark for a moment, then turned away. In seconds it too was gone.

-0-Diego

Lennox, Epps, Graham and five handpicked soldiers were standing on the tarmac gear in hand waiting for the ships from Autobot City. There were four newbies to the Striker team with them as a number of alpha team members were on leave. Rather than pick them up, they drew the best of the best of the newest members to blood them in the field. John Fulton stood with Lennox and his team telling them of the intell that was known as of yet.

"That is about it," he said summing it up. "We need intell and we need you back in one piece." He looked at the four newbies. "Remember, you are back up unless told otherwise. The big bots will let you know and you will follow their orders and that of your team leaders," he said nodding at the three senior members. "The troops coming are Prime, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Kup, Drift, Springer and a new bot, Devcon. Devcon is a bounty hunter and Autobot who can track bad guys across vapor. Follow procedures and don't be a hero. This is the real thing."

They nodded and everyone turned as the sound of big ships descending from the atmosphere caught their attention. Two heavily armed battle shuttles, deadly looking mechanisms brilliantly white bearing a huge Autobrand came down to settle on their gear. The door to one opened and Prime stepped out walking toward the group waiting. He met them and knelt. "Colonel, gentlemen," he said in his deep cultured voice. "Are you ready to go?"

"We are," Will said nodding. "Anything new?"

"They disappeared off the radar over the interior of Alaska. We don't know for sure how but we are headed there. Be aware that the sun doesn't set there this time of year so you will be visible targets and easy shots." Prime rose up to his full height.

The newbies looked up getting a taste of what it meant to be a human in the company of Cybertronians. It was daunting and it showed on their faces. Then they gathered themselves and picked up their kit and guns. Glancing at Lennox, he nodded and they began to walk to the shuttles, Epps and Figueroa giving them their assignments. Prime watched them go, then looked at Fulton who looked aggravated. "John?" Prime asked.

Fulton looked up at Optimus. "Why the hell now, Optimus, when we have a game in two days?"

Optimus Prime nodded with a grin. "Because they're Decepticons. They can't help themselves."

They chuckled and grinned as the remainder of the team followed Prime to his shuttle. Boarding, the hatches closed and they began to lift off. Rising up swiftly, they began to fall away into the darkness of the upper atmosphere.

-0-Miles away

They paused in a cavern resting from the ordeal of digging in the hard soil. The cavern wasn't big but it was adequate as she relaxed a moment. She could dig for days if necessary making tunnels all over the place, tunnels that served and others that deceived. This would take more effort and longer but she was doing what she liked to do ... making her pursuers earn it. "We should press on, boys," she said in her languid voice. "Prime will be coming shortly. Since you insisted on moving out, we can't dally now can we?"

They looked at her with a shrug and rose. "After you or as the humans say ... ladies first," one of them said with a smirk and cold optics.

"That's right," she replied. "Ladies first." She transformed and began to bore, disappeared almost immediately. They stood together letting her get a lead on them.

"I don't trust her," one of them said to the other.

"You can't," the other said in reply. "Just remember that." Then without a backward glance, he stepped into the tunnel and followed. The other did too and soon it was as silent as it was before they came through.

-0-On the way

They were cleared through NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command that not only covered this part of Earth for intruders but tracked Santa Claus for children at Christmas time. They had triangulated the progress of the bogies from Europe to Alaska when they left the skies of Scotland on their pole transiting journey from Italy. It was a fast furious run, then they set down and disappeared. All of the information went to the Pentagon and the Command Center where Glenn Morshower now waited.

The screens around him showed the progress of the principles, the 'Cons who were now gone and the two battle shuttles on their way. They were on the descent, heading for the last set of coordinates of the bogies in the middle of the vast wilderness of the Last Frontier, Alaska.

He himself had been there as a younger man taking part in the arctic training that was held to pit troops against the incredibly unforgiving features of an Alaskan winter. Temperatures ranged from -45 to -80 degrees Fahrenheit or -24 to -54 degrees Celsius when the wind blew and he thought he would never survive the training. That he had was a testament to his tenacity. Now it was unseasonably hot, pushing 90 degrees and the mosquitoes ... the 'Alaskan state bird ... would be out in unholy clouds of menace. Add that the 'Cons had to have gone to ground and you had the source of his heartburn. It would be a miracle to find them.

"Prime to Command Central."

"Morshower here."

"We are coming in for a landing. There appears to be a big hole in the ground near a creek bed that indicates they are tunneling." Prime's calm dignified voice came over the intercoms. Everyone in the room was used to hearing it as the alpha team was on duty when the call came.

"I would approach with extreme caution. Will you be going after them?" Morshower asked.

"It is not clear yet. I cannot go but others on our team are more capable of fitting the tunnel's size," Prime replied.

"We are on standby," Morshower answered.

"Understood," Prime's voice replied. It was then that the audio was opened up to the Command Center at the Pentagon, the Ops Center at Diego Garcia, both human and bot and the Ops Center on Mars. Only Mars would get the visual feed as per protocol.

-0-Prowl

He sat at the main table watching the visual feed from Optimus as he managed the influx of dozens of different data streams internally. He had half a dozen plans formulating and other ideas coming into focus as well. As data was determined, the constructs shifted. He would be online with Optimus and the others for the duration.

-0-Alaska

The ships settled and the ramps came down. Hatches popped and the teams began to come down. Clouds of mosquitoes so black they looked like undulating blobs descended and the griping began. The bots looked at them with disdain, then First Aid pulsed an electromagnetic charge. The insect clouds fell to the ground dead. He looked at them, then his expression turned to one of great distress. "I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted them to go."

The soldiers staring at the carpet of dead bugs looked up at him. "You are my new hero," Niall Graham said. "Those are disastrous to our well being, First Aid. Thank you."

He looked at Graham, then nodded tepidly. "Okay," he said with concern.

They grinned, then moved to gather around Prime. He was scanning the area as Devcon stepped out looking at the tracks that had tramped the delicate surface of the tundra. "We have a number of 'Cons, Optimus. The trail goes that way," he said nodding toward a creek bed that ran nearby. "I think that's where the hole begins."

Prime nodded. "Let's take a look."

Devcon nodded and turned, weapon in servo. The rest followed. When they got to the hole, they looked downward into a very dark pit. It looked forbidding. All of them looked toward Prime.

-0-TBC June 20, 2013 edited


	339. Chapter 339

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 16 (339) (Late added note: Hound looks like he's in TF4 and there is evidence that perhaps sunstreaker is joining Sideswipe.)

-0-Ops Center

Bluestreak walked in and paused beside Prowl who was sitting at the center table studying a flat map of the mission as data. Blue looked at it as he set the twins on the top. Kaon who was walking behind with his favorite dollie looked back and smiled. Dawg had been trudging along behind them, bouncing on his tiny legs as he ambled after his family. "How's it going?" he asked.

Prowl paused kissing his granddaughters a moment, glancing at the others on the floor. "They have the entrance for their underground disappearance and are organizing to go find them."

Bluestreak pulled up a chair and sat as the girls walked to him across all manner of important things with their arms out. He hugged them to himself, then looked at the map. "Which ones are the twins?"

"Red and yellow," Prowl said with a slight smirk. As he spoke, Ratchet walked in, Prowler in his arms. Pausing by the table, he grinned. "Nothing like the Decepticons to frag up the weekend. And I was just getting used to having them."

"You and me both," Prowl said nodding. "The game is in two orns and half the forward line of Kaon is on a mission."

"As if that mattered to you, 'officer of the muster'," Ratchet replied as he sat Prowler on the table. The little baby wobbled but gamely stayed up. Both smiled at him.

"If you think I did that on purpose, Ratchet, then I'm deeply disappointed in you," Prowl said primly meeting Ratchet's optics directly. They stared at each other a moment, then both snorted.

"I thought so," Ratchet said. He glanced at Blue who was looking at Prowl with a stern look of his own. "Don't frag them when they come back. They will need their strength."

"Count on it," Blue said shooting a withering optic at his atar. Prowl just smirked back.

"So ... why did you frag up my weekend by calling me here when I was doing all manner of house wipery?" Ratchet asked settling back to look at Prowl with a mixture of high regard and molten contempt.

Prowl grinned and looked at Ratchet with the usual mixture of 'heh-heh-heh' and 'loser' on his face. "You need to speak to Sentinel and ask him if these 'Cons are his and what he might know about this."

Ratchet nodded. "Alright," he said rising. He picked up Prowler and settled him in his arms.

Prowl frowned slightly. "You can leave him."

Ratchet grinned. "I know. Ha-ha, whiner."

Prowl snorted, then grinned. "Loser."

Ratchet chuckled all the way out the door.

With Prowler.

-0-At the Prison shortly afterward

He walked back out of the Control Center for the Autobot City Military Prison heading for the main gate and the barracks where Sentinel Prime and the rest of the high caste rabble resided. They paused as the Officer of the Orn keyed the frequency that had to be matched by the Officer Guard of the Orn. When they synced, the gate dropped and Ratchet stepped through, two armed mechs going with him. The gate went back up as the two officers waited to let him out again.

Ratchet paused a moment, then looked at the two mechs with him, Home Guard newbies doing their once every six decaorn duty. "I will be talking to the bad guys. You will be standing by the gate armed to the teeth as the humans say. What you need to do is stand there all handsome and try to look like you mean to shoot them if they bat their lashes at me the wrong way. If I look at you and say shoot, do it. Aim for the helm. At the settings you use here they will drop but they won't die. Remember that, they won't be harmed permanently. I will say 'shoot'. Okay?"

The two youngsters glanced at each other, then looked at Ratchet sternly. "We will, Doctor. Do you want us to hold your little boy?" They looked at him with a grin. "He looks like Subcommander Prowl."

"You noticed that too did you?" Ratchet asked with a grin. "I get that a lot. Right now, I want them to see him. Might mean something to them to see a sparkling up close. But I may bring him over to you at some point or I might not. Just take him and keep him. Call Ops Center and Blue will come if you don't know how to handle one of these."

"I have one of my own," the taller of the two said with great pride. "He's my whole world."

"They get to you don't they," Ratchet said with a grin.

The youngsters nodded then input the codes together that would drop the gate to Cell Block C. Ratchet stepped through when it fell and watched as it went back up. Nodding with a grin, he turned and walked across the courtyard to the chair that was sitting beside the bars on the far side of the enclosure. Sentinel Prime's throne he thought with a snicker. Sitting, he arranged Prowler and waited, his sensors scanning far and wide around him as he set up a grid internally that would locate anything and everything around him. It did that on automatic when he was on duty or in a dangerous situation and now was no different.

The sun was warm on his sensors as he sat staring at his son, the infant looking up at him and the lightly blue sky with interest. His little white hat and white sweater were cute and set off his color format brilliantly. Ratchet scanned the baby and noted that his internal temperature was optimal. All was good so far.

Then the door to the barracks opened.

-0-Alaska

The sun beat down overhead as Prime considered his options. The humans wearing heavy gear and armor roasted as the temperature seemed to climb higher by the second. Staring into the hole, he thought about the limitations that a subterranean pursuit engendered. He looked at Devcon. "I would like you to take point on this mission, Dev and lead Drift, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Kup to find them. I don't know how big the hole is. They are walking inside so I have hopes you will too."

"What about us, Optimus?" Lennox asked as he stood with his group at the edge of the hole.

"You won't be going down there. You will stay here along with Springer. I want you to transform and carry them to wherever the battle is met, Springer," Prime said to his head of security.

Springer nodded. "Alright."

"Ironhide and I are too big to go. Springer is almost too big himself. We want you to follow them and be careful. If you don't have to engage them, fine. I would like to take one alive. But I am leaving this to your discretion." He looked at Dev. "Find them and be careful. One of them can dig and deliberate cave-ins are possible. We will track you on your transponders but the Earth eats signals. Let us know as best you can where you are and if you are outnumbered, retreat. That's an order. Intell is more important than battle."

They nodded, then Devcon transformed parts of himself that he kept subbed. A big gun appeared on his arm, one with what seemed to have personal modifications and a laser canon mounted on his helm materialized out of thin air. Turning, gazing at the others, he nodded and turned walking to the lip of the hole. The others unsubbed themselves and moved closer, pausing as if listening. Then Dev nodded and stood up, stepping into the air above the hole to disappear below.

Kup jammed his stogie into his mouth, then looked at the others as he gripped his gun. "Let's go. Can't be late for the dance," he said as he stepped off into the air and disappeared. One by one, they left, the twins with wolfish grins and Drift with a telltale smirk at Springer. It was silent a moment, then Corporal 'Fig' Figeroa stepped closer and looked into the inky darkness below. "Fucking A. Semper fi down there." He turned and looked at the others. "That motherfucker had a gun on his head."

Springer snorted, then chuckled. "That isn't the only place Dev carries guns." He left them to wonder about what that meant themselves.

-0-Prison, Cell Block C-High Value/Political Prisoners

Ratchet saw the door open and Decimus step out pausing on the porch. He looked at Ratchet as if to gauge what new hellish mayhem was to befall them, then stepped off walking toward the medic with measured treads. "Ratchet ... what are you doing here? What do you want?" he asked. Then he looked at the white covered bundle in Ratchet's arms. "Is that a sparkling?"

"It is," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"He looks like Prowl." Glancing at Ratchet, knowing his sense of the absurd, he considered that. "I suppose this is some kind of inside joke."

Ratchet chuckled. "You aren't far off."

"Why are you here?" Decimus asked.

"Pull up a chair and we'll chat. Bring your friends why don't you," Ratchet said amiably.

"What friends? I'm stuck in a void with idiots," Decimus said as he looked around. Walking to the porch, he took hold of a chair. The door opened and others came out. "Ratchet is visiting. Grab a chair and we can see whose pound of solenoids he's here for." Then he turned and walked back planting the chair to sit. He did and looked at Ratchet with a level gaze as others began to join them. All of them did but for Sentinel who stood on the porch to watch. He could hear and see but he was loathe to join in the fun just yet.

"Now this isn't so bad is it?" Ratchet asked as he covered Prowler more with his blanket. The infant was drifting off in the warm sunshine, his inefficient immature solar collection systems lulling him to recharge.

"Why are you here, Ratchet? I doubt that its to chat about trivialities," Proteus asked.

Ratchet nodded, a slight smile on his face. "You have that right. I have something to ask you and it would help you a lot to come clean," he began.

-0-Underground

The lights that were used were from the middle of the pack, running lights to give enough illumination for night vision to work. They followed single file, only partially stooping for the size of the hole that seemed to stretch out forever. The sides of it were polished from the precision scouring given it by the mechanism that was doing most of the carving for their group.

Dev looked at the ground detecting with a precision no human eye would ever be able to do without major scientific assistance the presence of seven different ped configurations. He recognized three of them and considered that as he led the team. Pausing, kneeling to check out the tracks once more, he glanced up at the others who were halted as they listened to faint echos of sound far away. :I know three of the ones we're tracking: he said. :One of them is Arachnid. She's doing most of the tunneling but there is at least one other. I believe one of the others is Drill Bit. I don't see anything here to suggest the rest of his team is here. But Tantrum is:

:Oh great. Another Predacon: Drift said with a slight nod. :Rampage would rip him to shreds:

Dev nodded. :Let's continue. Helms up: He rose and continued onward, the rest of them following silently behind.

-0-In the sunshine

Ratchet looked at each of them, then considered his words carefully. "You do understand that this is the end of the line for you. If we fall, you will die too."

"Is that what you came to tell us?" Ratbat said as he lounged insolently in a chair. "You came to tell us doom is coming."

"It will. Megatron will come. He'll bring his pit spawn with him, Galvatron."

They all looked at him for a moment. "I had no idea he reproduced. What lucky mech or femme was the recipient of his benighted CNA?" Ratbat replied sarcastically.

"Why Shockwave of course," Ratchet replied with a grin. It hung in the air for a moment as Ratchet checked Prowler under the blanket. Looking at them again, he smiled. "Don't worry about Shockwave. We have him in the deep freeze. Even Megatron can't triangulate on his signal to find him. Not that he would have to. Megatron knows where we are."

"And the point of this? If there is a point ..." Decimus asked with no small amount of irritation.

"I am checking your processors to see how rooted in reality you are," Ratchet replied. "We have found more Decepticons inside our perimeter. They have been buried on the Earth waiting to institute the protocols and we wanted to know what you know."

It was silent a moment, then Ratbat regarded Ratchet levelly. "What's in it for us if we tell?"

"I will personally intervene when the mob comes to take you apart," Ratchet said giving him a level optic back.

"How comforting," Ratbat hissed.

"Tell me more about the 'Cons on Earth, Ratchet," Proteus asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Ratchet replied.

"We were in a ship escaping Cybertron during The Fall and the escapement of the AllSpark. We had our own goals to meet and they didn't include hiding Decepticons on the Earth," Proteus replied. "We never heard about Earth until we came to sentience here. It was always just the 'place we were going'. I didn't know its name."

Ratchet considered that, then nodded. "Tell me what those goals were, Proteus."

Proteus looked at him a moment, then sat back, a thoughtful expression on his handsome face.

-0-TBC June 21, 2013** HAPPY SUMMER (or WINTER!) EVERYONE! edited**

NOTES: Check out pictures of Mars on beautifulmars dot tumblr dot com :D

Also, we are at 1121 segments and 2,577,910 words.

Only conjoined twins in Transformers: Rack'n'Ruin. Joined at the shoulder to save them, they share four legs, two heads, two bodies and one arm each. They are a melee bot. They also in some universes had poor health. They were always a Wrecker except once when they were Decepticon twins that helped the Autobots.

"The original Wreckers team consisted of Impactor (as leader), Roadbuster, Whirl, Rack 'n' Ruin, Topspin and Twin Twist. This team was probably together in this form for thousands of years before we first see them in the comics. During Operation: Volcano (where they were to kill about 12 of the worst Decepticons before an invasion) the Autobot Triplechangers, Springer, Broadside and Sandstorm are added to the Wreckers' ranks, then Springer becomes the team leader. This then is the team's lineup (Springer, Broadside, Sandstorm, Roadbuster, Whirl, Rack 'n' Ruin, Topspin and Twin Twist) until their utter destruction in the Time Wars. (obscure TF page, UK comics)

Bots even hosted letter columns in comics sometimes. :D "Hence, this remark by Grimlock about a story: _The story that appears in this comic is an accurate representation of the actual events as they happened. So, just this once, you can't really blame the Stubbies (human artists, etc.) involved. That said in issue __#102__ they got it all wrong. Fancy showing Galvatron actually defeating me in battle! Ridiculous! -Grimlock, __answering letter" You can get more of this at tfwiki if you research letters to the editor and the like. :D  
_

:D I love tfwiki dot com :D


	340. Chapter 340

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 16 (340)

-0-The Prison, Autobot City, Mars

Proteus considered his situation and the bot before him. Ratchet was very wily but the white and red bot was convinced that the Autobot Cause was the only one to support and that the war and conflict would end with words, not guns. He, himself had had his share of arguments with the medic which most of the time ended with him pulling senatorial rank and walking away. His own positions often were overtaken by Ratchet's logic. "We love Cybertron. I wish I could tell you how much. The idea of it floating around without care makes me ill."

Ratbat looked at him. "Fine time for you to mention that. I do recall how much easier it would have been to capitulate to Megatron and soft land the inevitable rather than fight it out like you wanted with everything being destroyed."

"Don't tell me about fighting, Ratbat. You sold us all out, you and Halycon giving up Polyhex to try and divert Prime from the AllSpark," Proteus said coldly.

"I don't think that talking about this in front of him is a good idea," Decimus said nodding his helm toward Ratchet. That bot sat with a grin watching the show as he held his sleeping son. He had only a joor earlier been on his knee assemblies cleaning out the lowest cupboards in the kitchen. Finding half the toys of his kids stuffed into them was a hoot and he made his own conclusions about it to Prowler who smiled at him from the bouncy chair sitting by the window nearby. "You do understand that Prime will use it against you in a hearing."

"You seem to forget that I was a Senator and understand the law," Proteus said. He looked at Ratchet. "The times called for harsh measures on occasion but we understood what it meant to do this. We wanted to save Cybertron. Sometimes you do what you have to do even if you don't like it."

"How was empurata a good thing? How did it save Cybertron five minutes from its fate?" Ratchet asked. "What about shadowplay? You do understand that you created a monster when that happened to Shockwave. He was actually rather decent before you ordered that."

It was silent as they stared at him. Then Proteus shifted. "I am prepared to discuss a number of things but not others."

"I can see that," Ratchet said nodding, a tight grin on his face. "What are you prepared to discuss?"

"I am prepared to tell you that I loved … love Cybertron. I am prepared to fight for her and protect her even now from further destruction. I will fight against Megatron when he comes. I am one among us who knows how to do that," he said. "I am not the enemy of Prime."

"You are the enemy of our people until you prove beyond even the smallest doubt that you aren't. You after all," he said glancing around the circle, "are the reason we're having this discussion here and not on Cybertron."

"You underestimate the mendacity of Sentinel. You should ask him about Nominus. You should ask him about enforcing the Clampdown. If you want to know about empurata and shadowplay, ask him. He was after all the Chief of Security of Cybertron and eventually … conveniently, the next Prime after the near assassination of Nominus," Proteus said coldly. "You seem to forget that part of the story."

"Why don't you tell me about it. I'm all audials," Ratchet said.

Proteus considered that, then glanced at the others. As he did Sentinel stepped off the porch.

-0-Underground

The going was slow as they worked to keep their own noise level down. The walls of the tunnel were melting slightly as the permafrost gave way to the air. It was dank, smelling of dirt and peat moss. They moved forward into the abyss, their sensors linked together to see forward.

Ahead of them, there was the sound of digging.

-0-Above ground

Prime transformed and moved forward heading in the direction of the signal sent by Kup. It was faint and getting fainter as the team wend their way downward along the track carved by the 'Cons. Ironhide transformed, opening his door. Lennox and Epps climbed in and he shifted forward heading out with four wheel drive through the thick vegetation carpet of the flatlands all around them. Below, digging through muskeg and permafrost, the signal began to wane.

"This is going to be difficult," Lennox said as they drove along, Springer following. In the back of Ironhide's bed, three soldiers sat with gear while Springer carried the rest. "How's the signal?"

"It's fading," Ironhide said. They drove along through the swampy terrain motoring through the boggy vegetation mass that spread out in all direction. "This ground is problematic too. You all better hang on. We're going to have a bumpy ride."

The bounding trucks moved forward heading toward who knew where.

-0-Prison

"Ratchet."

"Sentinel. Pull up a chair. We're reminiscing about home," Ratchet said with a grin. "Nothing like a bunch of home boys talking about the old neighborhood. Call me Ratchet from the block."

They looked at him more than aware that his glib manner held a rapier-like processor and an optic for the surgically sharp reposte. Sentinel stretched, then looked around. Walking back, he retrieved a chair and moved to sit nearly beside Ratchet. "Your son?"

"Mine. One of six younglings that are mine," Ratchet said lifting the blanket a bit for Sentinel to see.

He looked at the infant, then Ratchet. "You have an intriguing sense of humor, Ratchet. I always appreciated that."

"Thank you. I try," Ratchet said covering his son with the blanket.

It was silent a moment, then Sentinel looked at Proteus. "Nice thing, Proteus. Your ability to shift blame for what you did seems to still be working."

"None of us get off without penalty, Sentinel. None of us," Proteus said. He looked at Ratchet. "The part about wanting the Matrix for ourselves was true. We were going to use it for our own purposes."

"The Matrix doesn't do anything that it doesn't want to do," Ratchet said. "As custodians of the relic, I was sure you understood that."

Proteus shrugged. "You do what you think is right. We were going to use the Matrix and the AllSpark to save Cybertron. It was all coming apart and the general consensus was that it wasn't going to end well."

"No. No one was going to put up with the Clampdown, the mechanization of the mines and all the rest. You threw mechs away. You discarded them like they were worthless. You didn't get it that they could think and draw conclusions about things just by looking at what was happening and doing the math. You underestimated everyone," Ratchet said nodding. "You were wrong at every turn and this happened."

It was silent a moment. "You see it from your point of view. We were tasked to take care of Cybertron and things were happening fast. We had to do the hard work of holding the planet together," Decimus said, his feelings ruffled with the remark about mechanizing the mines. He had thrown endless numbers of miners off their jobs including Megatron and caused wide scale suffering as a result.

"And you can see how successful that was, Decimus," Ratchet said. "I don't remember you giving up a single shanix to do the same thing."

"Decimus liked his privilege," Proteus said glancing at the sour being next to him.

"You never stepped back from things either, Proteus," Decimus blustered. "I don't remember you giving a single thought to the consequences of policy either."

"The actions you mentioned, Ratchet, were sanctioned by the entire senate with notable abstentions and applied liberally by Sentinel," Proteus said nodding at the big bot sitting across from him. "I have no self interest to gain from telling you that I might add. I do not spare myself."

"You're having a change of spark are you, Proteus?" Sentinel asked, his voice cold and angry.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'm just tired of keeping secrets," Proteus said enigmatically. "Why don't you tell him about trying to kill Nominus and stealing the Matrix for yourself."

It was silent, then Sentinel looked at Ratchet. "Nominus was nearly assassinated as you well know but you might not understand that the Matrix he bore was a fake."

"Fake?" Ratchet asked with surprise.

Sentinel nodded. "It was," he said with a softly vented sigh. "What a surprise that was. Nominus was either a fool and didn't know or he was smarter than most of us thought."

"He died shortly after that. I suppose you 'died' him. I do remember I wasn't allowed to examine him, not then and not after his passing," Ratchet mused.

"No, you weren't. Not his passing nor my own supposed one," Sentinel said stretching out to become more comfortable. "He was a big disappointment all around. It made things hard until we found the real one."

"Did you know about the bomb in the Primal Basilica? Fortunately, it was disarmed. Poor Nominus. Useless to the very end," Ratchet said.

"I had no idea of the bomb. That was Ratbat and Halycon's doing." Sentinel looked at the mini-con Senator who looked back at him with loathing.

"So. It wasn't like anything good would be lost," Ratbat sneered back at Sentinel.

"The Basilica? You hated that too?" Ratchet asked with umbrage.

"Its a building," Ratbat replied.

"You're what the humans call a 'fucking douchebag', Ratbat," Ratchet replied.

"Really. How about you step up, Ratchet and we'll see who is," the mini-con said.

"I would obliterate you, shortie" Ratchet said coldly. "Nine million years of fighting and fury would leave you particles floating in the air, Ratbat if you challenged me now. Besides, you would never fight someone face-to-face. You are more the stab in the back type."

Ratbat glowered at Ratchet. "I wouldn't expect a low caste to get it, Ratchet. You only have your post because we allowed it."

"You didn't **allow** anything, you little fragger. I am a doctor and was always going to be one," Ratchet retorted. "You will always be a pint sized traitor." He looked at Sentinel. "Tell me more about Nominus. That is one historic episode."

Sentinel snorted. "He lived as Prime because we needed him to. I was making my way upward with the Primeship the ultimate goal. It was only a matter of timing."

"Timing and ruthless ambition," Proteus interjected. "You would have done anything to anyone to get the Matrix. I will never forget the look on your face when we opened up Nominus and found a fake Matrix. I suppose you could say he had the last laugh."

"You could say that," Sentinel said nodding. He looked at Ratchet. "What is happening on Earth?"

"We have Decepticons," Ratchet said. "They have masked their signatures and are working to cause problems there among us and our allies."

Sentinel nodded. "Sounds like them. Infiltration protocols are going to be laid down. Sounds like they're at step one."

"They are," Ratchet said. "You don't know about that do you."

Sentinel considered that, the conversations with Megatron during the touchy negotiations and other harrowing moments of the past. "We made negotiations to come here because this was the planet he had in mind. Megatron was aware from drone Seekers that there was a lot of energon in this system. He was planning to take Cybertron here to rebuild her. The indigenous species was simple and pre-industrial he said and would not be a problem."

"Ten thousand years ago, yes. The humans were just starting civilizations. But this place was theirs to do that. Every law and treaty, every ideal we held and still hold was put on the line with that notion, Sentinel," Ratchet replied.

Sentinel nodded. "I know. But Cybertron needed rescue. Our planet was falling to a barbarian and I had to agree to rebuilding. Energon was so short that I knew there would be no discussion about coming here. I had to lay the trail so he could follow with Cybertron. Once she was restored, Megatron was going to be over. I had no idea that he had fallen into the custody of the humans after going into stasis over their pole. All that followed was a surprise. I was astonished by Prime and this place when I was returned to sentience."

"Prime is no one to underestimate. He's The One. The Chronicles foretold this, Sentinel," Ratchet said.

Proteus nodded. "I have noticed that myself," he said.

"I will hold my opinion," Sentinel said with the ghost of a smile. "I suppose Prime is after them?"

"He is," Ratchet replied. "He's going to take them down as he has every other threat we've faced. I was hoping you might have a clue about them being there."

"They must have come with Megatron when he was looking for the Matrix. I had no idea. I was still floating through space I can imagine. I was told I have only been around here for a short time." Sentinel looked at the others. "I was not told about these Decepticons."

Ratchet nodded. "Very well," he said.

"The new migration ... how many live here now?" Decimus asked.

"More than two and a half million," Ratchet replied.

It was silent a moment, then Proteus nodded. "That's good," he said. "There are many more I suppose."

"Millions," Ratchet replied. "Millions and millions."

-0-Out there

They paused listening ahead, then Dev continued forward slowly. The others watched as he stealthed ahead. Then he disappeared.

-0-TBC June 22, 2013

NOTE: Canon info: Empurata and shadowplay were terrible, terrible punishments/torture in (the IDW universe) pre-war Cybertron. One's face and hands were removed. A featureless face and finger-less hands were added making it clear that this was someone to shun. And they were.

Shadowplay is psychological torture that takes away your emotions and changes your personality. It is also IDW.

Shockwave in that universe is a victim of both. He was hiding 'outliers', bots who had different talents they weren't born with such as Trailbreaker having force field ability. Shockwave was an 'energetic and well meaning' senator before getting caught. Afterward he was a cold ruthless selfish scientist without a face. Intriguing, no? :D

Nominus Prime was laid out in the Primal Basilica where all the notables including Primes are buried in sarcofagii. A bomb was planted on his body where the fake Matrix was and Optimus Prime disarmed it before it blew up and desicrated the building. Decepticons were going to be blamed and a round up of them by the Senate and Security Chief, now Prime Sentinel would begin. It was foiled. That was the huge building Megatron went to when he stole an arm to handle relics. They opened a grave and stole one for transplant on Megatron.


	341. Chapter 341

The Diego Diaries: Newbies 17 (341)

-0-Out there, the Last Great Frontier, Earth

Dev fell for a short distance, then landed on his peds silently. He looked everywhere quickly, then stood slowly. It was intensely dark, the sense of space around him falling away in all directions. He turned up the intensity of his night vision and looked up. Something above him was evident but what it was he didn't know. He moved back and looked at the hole he had fallen down through. Up above him the team waited, their optical light and indistinct shapes surrounding the hole.

He considered his situation, then moved along the side of a wall that he felt behind him. It was not smooth but rugged, as if it had been there itself for a very long time. He could hear the sound of water running nearby as well as a steady drip from the unseen ceiling. :Kup:

:Kup here. Where the frag did you go?:

:I fell down a hole: Dev said. :I'm in a cavern I think. I hear water and I think there's something here besides me:

:Step aside. We're coming down: Kup said as he looked at the others. :One at a time. Be ready to fight but try for stealth. Optimus: He paused waiting for a response. He didn't get one. Looking at the others, he nodded. Then he stepped into the darkness and fell silently.

Sunstreaker watched him, then followed. Sideswipe and Drift were next. Then it was quiet again.

-0-Prison

"What does Prime need for him to trust us again?" Decimus asked.

Ratchet considered that in light of the improbable conversation they were having, then shrugged. "I can't speak for him. You will have to ask him yourself."

"They're trying to destabilize Earth. They will gather intel, then agitate everyone and everything that they can," Sentinel said.

"We know," Ratchet said. "We just have to keep catching them and hunting all of them out."

Sentinel nodded. "What does Soundwave have to say about this?"

"I'm not sure," Ratchet lied. "Prime has it in servo. Ask him."

"Like he'd tell us," Ratbat said. He leaned back in his chair. "Tell us about your infants."

Ratchet considered that, then glanced at the blanket covered form on his arm. "Why would I do that? How do I know they will ever be safe again?"

"Do I look like I can harm anyone?" Ratbat asked snidely.

"I never underestimate a loser," Ratchet said levelly. "But since you asked so nicely," he said as the others grinned. "This is the newest. My oldest are adults. Then the first sparkling born here is the next. We have another son and a daughter before this one."

"Who sparked? As if I have to ask," Ratbat said with a smirk.

"Ironhide."

They looked at him, then grinned. "I doubt that," Sentinel said.

"Why?"

"Because he can no more spark than Ratbat can tell the truth. It isn't in him," Sentinel said. The others nodded. "You appear to be the more flexible partner in your dance of doom."

Ratchet snorted, then laughed. "Dance of doom. I'll remember that."

"I understand that every youngster in the city has to go to school," Decimus said.

"Its the law. Caste is outlawed here. By the way, do you know a mech named Burris?" Ratchet asked.

"I know him. We had mutual business interests," Decimus said with a nod. "Why?"

"He's in jail," Ratchet said. "He decided to continue The System and brought slaves here who were abused and famished. A real prince, that one. He's in the jail for now but he's heading this way shortly. I think there was talk of having him bunk with you."

"Oh great," Proteus said. "I never liked Burris. He's a pompous windbag."

"He's** your** pompous windbag," Ratchet said with a smile. "He's a piece of work."

"He always was. He didn't mind throwing mechs off their jobs and mechanizing their replacements. Stop me if you've heard this before," Proteus said drily.

Decimus shot him a severe optic. "You never refused your cut."

It was silent a moment. "Tell us about the football game coming up. I hear it will choose the finalist in the championship," Proteus asked as he settled in his chair more comfortably.

"Kaon is playing Vos. Praxus is a shoe-in for the final. If Vos wins, Iacon plays. But I think Kaon will win. They have the itch to make a lot of crap right by winning," Ratchet said.

Sentinel nodded. "Kaon has little to recommend it otherwise."

"I don't know," Ratchet said with slight offense. "My two oldest younglings are from Kaon. I owe that city one."

"Who might they be? They sound like an adoption," Decimus replied.

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They are," Ratchet replied proudly.

"Ah, the ones bonded with Bluestreak," Decimus said with a slight grin. He looked at Sentinel with a smirk. "Sunstreaker."

Sentinel looked at him with a blase expression. He glanced back at Ratchet. "I am aware that they play football. I am also aware that there is a program for the infants. You really expect this colony to become a world. A permanent world for our people."

"We do," Ratchet said with a nod. "We were five when we came. Now we're a few more. All of our people are going to have the same opportunities as you had including our infants. No one gets left out."

"You mock traditions when those traditions made us great," Decimus said.

"No they didn't. They weren't even in keeping with the will of Primus. You do remember 'Until all are one' don't you? I do remember that the Pantheon and The One made that very clear. At least, that is what I heard," Ratchet said looking from one to the other.

"That is what was supposed to happen but it didn't. Things happen that are not accounted for in The Chronicles. We had to take care of them," Sentinel said. "I don't expect everyone to understand. They weren't there. They weren't charged with protecting and saving Cybertron."

"Maybe, but some of us think that our people are what makes Cybertron, Cybertron. But then, that might just be me," Ratchet said with a smirk.

No one said another word.

-0-Underground

They landed one after the other and moved out to make a line. It would appear they were in a cavern, the walls dripping as somewhere an underground source of water could be heard. It felt that there were beasts all around them, optics staring at them, danger suffusing all their personal space.

Sunstreaker glanced at his brother, then Devcon. :What now? Move out?:

:Give me a moment to reconn: Dev said as he stepped forward. The ground crunched under his ped and he paused kneeling to check out the footing. It was loose stuff, wet and brittle. Rising, he continued forward. That is, he did until something landed on him and the shouting began.

-0-At the gates of Cell Block C

Ratchet stood as the two guards worked out the code to let the gates fall. Behind him watching, the inmates sat occupying their seats. When Ratchet was gone, they looked at each other.

"What do you think you were doing, Proteus? You do know Prime will use what you said against you," Ratbat said angrily.

"I don't care. I am resigned to whatever comes. I don't see an advantage to keeping secrets anymore. When Megatron comes he will especially take his time killing us. You would do well to remember which side has the best opportunities of keeping us alive. They will abandon us here if he makes landfall. I hope they take those Decepticons on Earth apart before they cause trouble," Proteus said.

No one answered him. They all kept their counsel. They sat in the middling sunlight, their thoughts their own.

-0-Underground

Shouting and screaming filled the room along with the blast of shots as something or some things landed on them. It was brutal and swift, then the beast things were gone. Devcon stood pressed against a wall, his weapons trained outward. Kup was beside him and he stepped forward looking around to count the troops. :Sideswipe! Sunstreaker! Drift! Check in!: he said as he listened for their pings.

Sunstreaker sent his as he stood up, a slash across the front of his chassis leaking a trickle of energon. But no one else did. **:SIDESWIPE! DRIFT!:** Kup made the call, then Sunstreaker turned on the lights.

The room before them was a wide water carved cavern with a low ceiling. There was signs of habitation but no one was there now.

No one was there including Drift and Sideswipe.

-0-Above ground

They had come to a stop having lost the signal, then the rumbles of a battle could be felt coming nearby. Dumping out the soldiers, they transformed and hurried to the place where the tremors were sounding. Kneeling down, they put their servos on the ground and considered the situation as the humans gathered around, their faces reflecting their readiness and concern.

"That's a lot of noise, Prime. There are a lot of bots down there. Most cells on infiltration teams tend to be no more than five or six bots, maybe three teams all told," Ironhide said glancing at Prime. Springer stood beside Ironhide, a grim expression on his handsome face.

"I know," Prime said grimly. "Prime to Kup."

They all waited but no reply came, just the continuous rumble of peds, crashing bodies and shots. Then it became silent. All of the pounding stopped a moment, then a rush of tremors could be felt heading away. Seething with impotent rage, Optimus waited listening to the static on the comm line.

"Do we go underground, Optimus? Do we go and find out what happened?" Lennox asked.

"No," Prime said looking at his partner in arms. "Prime to Diego."

"Diego here, sir."

"Cliffjumper, who is on standby duty?"

"I am. So is Hound and Topspin."

"Triangulate on my transponder. Get here. Now!" Prime said as he rose staring down at the ground with fury.

"On our way," Cliff said as he cut off his transmission.

First Aid, his expression filled with fear and loathing looked at Prime. "I'm not too tall, Optimus. How about I go and see what happened?" Springer nodded.

"Not without backup," Prime said. He unsubbed his gun and looked at the others. "Stand back."

Everyone moved off as he aimed at the ground, his weapons revving up with coiled energy. They flashed and the ground divoted, large clods of earth, ice and muskeg exploding upward in reaction. The blasts continued and the hole grew larger. Flames singed the muskeg, then Prime disappeared as the roof caved and he fell inside.

Ironhide knelt and looked downward, the darkness filled with falling dirt and plant fibers. Springer stood over him, his weapons pointing down below as he strained to listen. **"PRIME!"**

A moment of scrambling, then Prime called back. "I'm alright. Kup! What happened?"

A shaft of light appeared as Kup stepped into view. All of the soldiers gathered around the hole staring downward as Prime stood kneeling in a cavern that stretched out into the blackness. "We were jumped. Dev is tracking them. Drift and Sideswipe were taken. We need to go now."

Prime looked around, then nodded. "Go. Keep me informed. Don't take them on. Follow and reconn. You're outnumbered and we don't need to agitate them further if they have those two."

Kup nodded and with an malicious appearing Sunstreaker in tow disappeared into the darkness ahead. Prime stood up and looked at the group around the hole. "Signal for the others. I'm going to come up in a moment," he said. Then he turned and knelt looking around the cavern, his lights filling it brightly.

There were signs of habitation, long time habitation and he examined the surrounding area for clues. A furious fight had happened, the crashing of metallic bodies against the walls of the cavern leaving tears, dents and rends in the frozen soil that held up the entire structure. Footfalls had laid out tracks, a great number heading off in the direction of the flowing water. Blast marks covered the walls and there were the odd bit and piece of metal that marked a hit. He picked them up and put them into his carry hold. Standing, he looked up.

Ironhide braced himself, Springer standing over him, then lent a servo. Gripping tightly, he pulled Optimus upward onto the surface. First Aid, his expression solemn looked at both. "What now, Optimus?" he asked. "They have two of us."

"We get them back," Optimus said with ominous conviction.

-0-Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Earth

Three other soldiers had taken the place of Hound, Topspin and Cliffjumper. They had grabbed their gear and beat the pavement to the tarmac where a runabout was waiting for them. Clambering inside, the door closed and the ship rose up disappearing right away.

In the N.E.S.T. HQ nearby, John Fulton and Glenn Morshower were having a three way discussion with Optimus as he let them know they were down two mechs. It was a grim group that worked in their particular Ops Center doing their part to get them back.

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl stood alert and still as Optimus filled him in. He glanced at Bluestreak who had delivered the infants to Miler, then returned to help and wait for the twins to come back with the team. He looked up as Ratchet entered walking across the floor to the table. Ratchet paused noting the demeanor of Prowl and from long experience with the taciturn winger came to the conclusion that something terrible had happened. :Prowl. What?: he asked silently.

Prowl glanced at him. :Wait a second: He continued to listen, then signed off. Walking to the table he sat and gestured Ratchet to join him. Bluestreak looked up and considered his atar's affect. "What?" he asked.

"There was a shoot out in the tunnel," Prowl said directly, ever practical even as his tanks churned. "Drift and Sideswipe are missing and presumed captured."

Blue froze, then frantically sought internally Sideswipe's presence. It was muted as if he were unconscious. "He's ... he's still there. He's alive." **:SUNSTREAKER!:** There was no answer but Blue could feel his energy as if he were sleeping or it was muted. "I feel Sunny. What's going to happen?" Blue asked with emotion.

"We let them do their job, Bluestreak," Ratchet said, his own expression filled with emotion.

-0-TBC June 22, 2013 edited


	342. Chapter 342

The Diego Diaries: Gone 1 (342)

-0-On the ground

They crept through the darkness following a trail of broken earth until they reached a junction. The trail bifurcated, a number of footprints leading away in two directions. Dev paused with the two and considered the problem. :Kup, I'll go left, you two go right. No engagement. We could get them killed. We just need to know where they go:

Kup nodded and both glanced at Sunstreaker who nodded although his expression indicated other thoughts on the matter. Dev nodded, then marked the wall for anyone to follow, turning to head off into the darkness swiftly. Kup watched him go, then looked at Sunstreaker. "Prime will be sending back up. We need to do intell. Understand, youngling?"

Sunstreaker nodded, his servo convulsively gripping his weapon. They turned and entered their side of the tunnel disappearing right away.

-0-Above ground

A runabout landed and three mechs jumped out heavily armed and ready to go. Prime corralled them and explained the situation. Then all of them turned to watch the three run to the hole and jump inside immediately. Tremors of their landing greeted them, then they disappeared.

It was quiet a moment as Prime stood staring at the hole in the ground, his expression somewhere between homicide and regret. Ironhide whose own expression probably matched Prime if his face was more expressive vented a hostile sigh. "Fraggers. Scum. I'll tear them apart if they harm either one."

"I see them as hostages, Ironhide," Springer said quietly. "I see them as more value being hostages."

"I do too," Prime said. "I will hunt them down and tear them apart myself if anything happens to either."

The humans stared into the hole, then looked at the three bots. One was a father, another a father-in-law and the last a spouse. They stood suffused with controlled rage and disquiet. At no point for Lennox did he ever love them more than now.

-0-Underground

They ran as a pack, two of them carrying the prisoners over their shoulders. They were battered and unconscious, both of them fighting off their attackers until overpowered. They hung limply over the shoulders of their enemy helpless in the clutches of the Decepticons. The trail that led outward didn't have to be dug out. It was already there and ran for hundreds of miles in all directions. They had been carved out by those who waited in their boredom and need. Energon was near the surface here and they mined it as they waited, gathered together for the word to do what they had come here for.

Most had waited in stasis. Some had waited in sentience digging around the area until they had created their favorite structure, a convoluted honeycomb maze of great size. All of them were ready to do what they were asked to do by the one who led them. They hurried onward to the place where they nested, prisoners in arms. They disappeared into the maze and were gone.

-0-Around the city

Word got out. No one knew how. The Grapevine was almost alive and it had audials everywhere.

"This is Blaster. What's on your processor?" he asked as he did the question-caller portion of their show. Jazz had been called in for duty so Revet sat in for him.

"I heard that two of our guys got taken prisoner on a mission to Earth just now. What do you know about it, Blaster?" the caller asked.

Blaster paused a moment, this the first time he had heard about it. "Nothing to tell you the truth."

Revet sat beside him shock registering on his face. He looked at Blaster. "I don't know either."

Blaster sat a moment with a grim expression, one that went out to the city over channel 9 and over the intercoms of the radio channels that were broadcast citywide. "This is the first I heard about it. Jazz isn't here. He has duty but I'll ask him and let you know what's up. Thanks for calling. This is Blaster. What's on your processor?" he asked even as he buzzed Jazz.

-0-Jazz

He walked in and caught the word, a grim expression overcoming his handsome face. "Frag."

"Yeah," Whirlaway said as he sat at the sensors working his station. Jazz joined him and they began to track deeper into the earth employing newer technology to do so, some of which was still being made in the fabrication shops of Plant #9 in the Industrial Park.

-0-Underground

Drift ...

He came slowly to sentience, the pounding of his helm on the back of his abductor pulling him from his peaceful reverie in the Pit. He didn't move or allow them to know he was aware. He merely hung limply and took in what he could. He was bound by energon cuffs and his weapons were missing. Even though his body was a weapon, he was aware of a mass of bodies moving with him so he knew he was outmatched instinctively. He hung and waited hoping that Sideswipe would come to the same conclusion as him.

Sideswipe …

His helm hurt from the blow he sustained and bouncing it off someone's aft didn't help. He hung limply, feigning unconsciousness as he took in his predicament with his senses. He was captured, a thing that always fragged his aft. He was semi injured, something that was sort of normal for him in combat. He was moving somewhere with someone he didn't know, a prospect that had possibilities both good and bad. He was either alone or not. He couldn't tell. So he hung limply. It was the best course of action at the moment.

-0-Above ground

Prime stood waiting, the human soldiers sitting here and there waiting as well. Springer looked like a statue, his affect stoic but stern. Ironhide paced around the hole staring down into it as if it would draw the bad guys out for a fight on his terms. He was pissed.

"What do you suppose will happen, Major?" a newbie striker asked.

Lennox glanced at him. "We'll get them back. There's going to be a big fight when we do. You will do every damned thing you're told. Understood?"

The young man nodded. "Yes, sir." He stared at the hole and wondered about the mass of unknowns below. It was true. They were really here. They weren't in space posing an abstract threat ready to leave if the Autobots left. They were actually on the ground posing a real threat to all who lived here. Without the big bots, they would have to go underground and get them out themselves. He wondered how terrible that would be and came to the logical conclusion.

It would be fucking terrifying.

For the first time since he dedicated himself to M.E.C.H. and the goals of the Resistance, Corporal Trevor Smith came to the conclusion that having the Autobots around was a good thing.

-0-Wheeljack and Perceptor

They stood on the Midway Array that was in an anchored orbit between Earth and Mars studying the combination of satellites, sensors and boosters that had made it so powerful. Now they had to calibrate it to become even more so. Designing the placement of new equipment that was getting expedited orders in Fabrication-Electronics in Plant #9 was the easy part. Making all of it work together was harder. It would take time. But when it was done, they would be able to penetrate the Earth's crust down as far as 100 miles and find the hidden treasures below.

One fifty square mile grid plat at a time.

-0-Arachnid

She hurried along having hit the underground tunnels that her minions had made over the course of their deep cover. She saw crystals of energon here and there when the glint of light reflected from them as they passed. It was easy to see why they had not gone into stasis to conserve their energy. They were busy while she and the others were gone elsewhere on this benighted mud ball.

No one knew that she could command them and she made sure that it remained so for now. She was less than happy with the Decepticons. They had no respect for mechanisms like her. She was a bot who had taken her format from an organic organism she admired from a planet that no longer existed.

Organisms like her … nontraditional and unusual … didn't get respect among the 'Cons. That she was a femme was bad enough. Femmes were not given respect or the access to the pathways to power. That was about the only thing she allowed herself to understand that she had in common with humans. Femmes were not taken seriously here either. Being a nontraditional format had sunk her ship and scotched her ambitions.

But she had made her own path to power anyway. The Insecticons who had also formatted on the same extinct planet had been found by Megatron to be useful so they were allowed to remain a part of the Cause and even flourish. They were about 15% of the Decepticon Army and used as shock troops. They swore their loyalty to Megatron because he was the strongest and they with their hive minds needed a strong single leader to give them cohesion and purpose.

They felt something around Arachnid but she made sure it was a mild feeling of belonging and not the mindless obedience that she knew she could have merely by asking for it. That would come later. For now, she would be a team player and bide her time.

When they reached the main chamber it opened up into a dimly lit cavern of immense size. It teamed with Insecticons, all of them sent in the past with the protocol team to take out the planet so that its resources could be used to restore Cybertron. The humans at the time were primitive and it was felt the number of Insecticons present would be able to clear the planet of opposition in a matter of days. The three teams of 'Cons who had come with them would lead the decimation.

Then Megatron didn't come. Sentinel and his ship were missing and they had to wait. They waited 10,000 years. Now it was show time and Arachnid would make sure there would only be one star at the end. Entering the cavern, they paused by a wall. The prisoners were held against it and Arachnid made sure they would stay there, her strands of web pinioning them tightly. They sagged, seemingly unconscious as the mass of attackers and their leaders turned and continued onward into the cavern.

-0-At a fortress in space

Cyclonus stood at the sensor station in his fortress watching the screen as lights moved across it here and there. One of them he knew indicated flights from Paragon's fortress as they patrolled the sector. Another was a flight of alien traders on their way home after going to Junk.

He wondered as he stood there if Wreck-Garr was still alive, the oddball transformer a thorn in his side on more than one occasion. Lights moving from the vicinity of Cybertron to a location not that far away indicated that Soundwave was making regular voyages to his own fortress. He considered the situation as it stood. He had an alliance with Paragon that would stand as long as Paragon needed it. He had no rapport with Soundwave and any alliances with him would be tenuous at best.

Prime was the enemy but he had ethics, understanding loyalty and obligation. He himself was loyal to Megatron and had served Galvatron as his adjutant for a long time. That youngling mech was half mad and completely unpredictable. If there was a battle, he would run into it. If there was killing to do, he would do it with joy and gusto regardless of who was being killed, young, old or infirm. It was disquieting to Cyclonus but he endured it. Megatron and the Cause were all that mattered. He would serve it will all he had.

Right now, he waited biding his time. Migrations would pass by unmolested. They were of no consequence. When they defeated Prime, the masses would be workers for the restoring of Cybertron. He would see to it. Until then, he would learn, wait and listen.

-0-In the cavern

She walked down into the masses who gathered around touching her, sending with their shrill screams their approval at her triumph. She took their tribute, exulting in it with the sure knowledge that when the time came her comrades along with the Autobots would rue the orn.

The others stood back watching, their lack of comfort in the spectacle clear on their faces. Moving to their usual perch on a rock ledge near the prisoners, they sat and watched as the mass of insect mechs paid tribute to the only femme of their kind among them.

"I think she's going to kill us when she has the chance," Runamuck said with a nod. "We have to keep our helms up."

Seizor nodded and glanced at his brothers. They were nearby getting energon. Seizor glanced back at Runamuck. "We'll bring this place down on them if they try anything. Its what we do."

"Give me helms up will you? I would like a chance to run," Runamuck said with a grin.

"Count on it," he said nodding as he watched Arachnid get the love of the masses.

-0-Australia

They sat in their cavern underground, raw opals visible in the walls around them as they listened to the communications of military units around the Earth. They had been noticed in North America. A cell had flown there from Italy and their original placement near what the humans called Naples, Italy. A concentration of troops, insecticons had been lying in wait in the frozen tundra of what was now Alaska. Arachnid had led her team there to regroup with them and when they did they had drawn the attention of the Autobots.

It was clear to the Oz 'Cons that something had happened and some of the Autobots had come up missing. They didn't envy them in the custody of Arachnid and her kind. Insects were not respected in the Decepticons. Anyone who had stooped so low as to affect an organic format was considered low class. No one bothered to tell the Predacons but that was the thinking.

They needed the Insecticons and used them for their own ends but they didn't respect them. They never would. That they didn't know that Arachnid understood that and planned around it was going to be too bad for them. But we get ahead of the story.

-0-TBC June 23, 2013


	343. Chapter 343

The Diego Diaries: Gone 2 (343) (Sorry about 'What Makes No Difference Is No Difference' taking a back seat. This story is a tsunami demanding to be written. I am working on the other one too but this one is being pushy. :*}

-0-Underground

Cliff led the way as the other two followed, then Hound paused them. :Let me track, Cliff. Things are getting muddled here:

Cliff paused, then nodded allowing the bigger bot to pass. Hound knelt and scanned the ground. :I don't see their peds now. I see Dev and the other two but not Sideswipe or Drift. I do see lots of Insecticons: He looked back at the other two. :Go back and tell Prime we have bugs:

Topspin nodded and turned running back the way he came. Hound sat a moment waiting, his sensors scanning deeply. :They have tunnels here, Cliff. We better prepare to be jumped:

Cliff nodded, his affect serious and attentive. :We'll get them back. Sideswipe has a game tomorrow. Fragger. He and Sunny better get back in one piece. I have shanix large on them:

Hound grinned knowing full well that betting was made in challenges or trades of obligation, not shanix. :What are you up for if you lose?:

:Traded shifts. Slag. I'm screwed: Cliff said covering his nervous agitation in mockery and humor. It was his nature. He was as hard wired to save the two as anyone else but his nature and stature had ensured that to those who didn't know him better that he was the biggest dick head in the room.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention as Topspin returned. :I told him. Let's go. He said retreat if the attack us anywhere along the way. It's not negotiable: he said staring pointedly at Cliff.

They turned and headed out.

-0-Moments before topside

A light appeared and everyone looked down watching as Topspin appeared. "Prime, we have Insecticons."

The expressions on the faces of the bots gave the newbie soldiers pause. They glanced at Epps, Graham and Lennox, then the bots again.

Prime nodded. "Track them. Find out what you can. If they attack, you are to withdraw. I don't want them to add to the hostage list. Make it clear to the others. You withdraw if attacked."

Topspin nodded then turned disappearing into the darkness. It was silent a moment, then Graham looked at Ironhide. "That's bad isn't it."

Ironhide nodded. "Very bad."

It was silent a moment, then Prime spoke. "Prime to Prowl."

A voice filtered out, Prowl's, as Prime allowed the others to listen in. "Prowl here."

"We have bugs."

For a moment it was silent, then Prowl spoke. "Frag."

Graham, Lennox, Epps and the others felt a frisson of ice cold fear shoot through them as they heard. Lennox turned to Springer who looked grim as he listened. He would ask that bot for clarification when Prime was finished.

"What is the status on the Midway Array update?" Prime asked.

"Wheeljack and Perceptor are there laying out the refit. The devices are still being fabricated but the individual parts are being airlifted as they become rendered. I will ask for speed, sir."

"Good. We need a scan of this entire area, a deep one. If there are Insecticons here, they will have burrowed all over the place to make room for their numbers and to seek energon. I am disquieted in the extreme at this turn of events, Prowl. Speed is of the utmost importance."

"Yes, sir," Prowl said. "I will personally attend to the matter. Com me if things change. Prowl out."

Prime stood a moment, then turned to the group who was watching him with concern. He looked at Lennox. "Insecticons are Cybertronians of a primitive type that took organic formats on a world where they were being produced to be mindless soldiers. They are one of Shockwave's experiments from way back. They were part of the infiltration protocol teams who dug in to wait for the moment when they were to rise up and decimate entire worlds.

"They are tough, have a group mentality and are fearless. This is not a good thing having them here. I am sure there will be many of them below."

"They would be smart enough to keep our guys as hostages, right?" Epps asked.

"Their leadership would," Springer said grimly. "They would understand that they were inside the circle looking out and that we are the ones holding the keys to the exit. The Insecticons are not so smart but their leadership should be."

Prime nodded. "That is what my experience tells me too. We need a deep scan ability. Prowl is arranging it for the Midway Array. Perceptor and Wheeljack are already there getting it ready."

"Then we can find these fuckers by scanning the earth?" Epps asked.

"We can. But in a limited way. The intensity limits the scope for now. We will be able to track them down deep in 50 square mile scans. It will take a while to scan this area to find the hive central."

"How big can this hive thing be, sir?" Corporal Smith asked with tension clear in his voice.

"They can tunnel for hundreds of miles, youngling," Ironhide said. "They can do that and go deep. Hundreds and hundreds of miles. I would say they came with Megatron and have been here at least 10,000 years. That gives them a lot of time to make their home the way they like it. Big and deep," he said grimly.

Smith looked at him for a moment, the color draining from his face. "They were never intending to leave here were they? They always intended to destroy us and take us over weren't they no matter what."

They all looked at the youngling, then Prime nodded. "You were never going to be free of them. You were always going to be overtaken. It was a miracle that the AllSpark landed here and brought us or you would have been destroyed because you have energon in your system and are on Megatron's list."

Smith looked at him, his expression one of grief and terror. "It was never going to be different. If you went or stayed, they were here already. They were already here to kill all of us. We never stood a chance if you were here or not."

Prime nodded. Then he glanced at Lennox. "William ..."

Lennox turned to Smith, concern on his face. "Trevor … what's going on here?"

He looked at Lennox, his expression a desolation. "They were always here! All this time! They were going to kill us anyway! All of it! The Earth First crap! It's bullshit! They are going to burn us all anyway! The Autobots are the only thing preventing that! **RIGHT**!?"

Lennox gripped the youngster's shoulders. "That's right," he said, his expression concerned. "Are you alright? You can't lose it now."

"I was lied to! It's all lies! They're here to stay and no one can prevent annihilation but them!" Smith said looking up at Springer.

That bot looked at Smith with concern. Then he knelt. "You're a spy aren't you, boy?" he asked in his calm voice. "You're a mole for M.E.C.H."

Smith looked at him, then the others pulling himself together with great effort. "Not now. Not any fucking more I'm not. I'm with you guys."

-0-Prowl

He listened to the supervisors and engineers as they explained the new technology they were just finishing up on the big tables nearby. It would be placed on the Midway Array, then turned onto the earth and moon to track deeply the lower layers of the Earth's crust. It was eighteen miles and sometimes more here and there as it covered the great land masses of that spinning blue marble. This would go down 100 miles which was usually the limit for Insecticons due to the increasing heat of the soil as one neared or entered the mantle. Only their 'eggs' could withstand heat of that consequence.

"We need it as soon as possible. We must do deep scans of the Earth as fast as we can," Prowl said nodding.

A youngling called out. "We're ready to go!" he shouted as the team lay down shiny metallic sheeting to cover the device before attaching outer panels for protection. It was three big square devices with slots for inserting into other devices and cables that needed attachment.

Prowl nodded. "Good work. Expedite it to the Array. I will alert Wheeljack and Prime."

The others nodded and turned to make it so as Prowl walked out comming everyone in the loop. Outside sitting on the landing strip nearby, Omega waited to take the payload to Wheeljack and Perceptor. They would have it a breem. It would be attached and debugged in a joor and then the power of the sensors would be searching the ground where Prime stood immediately.

-0-In a cavern

He felt the restraints go on, sticky bindings that held him fast. He knew immediately that Arachnid was there because she was the only Decepticon format that he knew of that could secrete webbing that tough and strong. He was pressed against the wall pinioned like a bug under glass and his rage began to build. The bond with his brother lit up as he did. Sunstreaker was still alive. He would be following. He had to let them know not to come. Thinking about what he saw before him, he formulated a thought picture and sent it over the link knowing that the Decepticons would not be able to sense or read it. The bond they shared like bonded pairs was off the radar of anyone but those who bore it. He sent it and waited.

-0-Sunstreaker

He paused gripping Kup. :Kup, Sideswipe is alive. He sent me a picture of what's going on:

:What do you see?: Kup asked glancing back at the youngling.

:Trouble. Huge, big trouble: he said grimly.

-0-Devcon

He continued on, his sensors enhanced as they were detecting what even trackers like Hound would miss. There were a lot of formats in the area but only one was close. It was coming his way down the tunnel to the left.

Dev stood slowly and waited. The shape of a huge format stepped into view and when it did a prod was pressed into its solar plexus. It didn't even have time to scream as it was hit with massive electrical shock. Falling into a heap, Dev reached into subspace and attached a strong processor suppressant, a totally illegal device used by all bounty hunters with the blind optic of authority registering bluster but no penalty.

He looked at the bot, a huge Insecticon, then shifted him onto his back. Turning, he walked back to the junction, then dumped him there. Turning again, he hurried back and took the tunnel the big mechanism had used disappearing once more into the darkness.

-0-Drift

He hung on the wall completely incapacitated. The webbing was disgusting, strong and unyielding. He had no options. Glancing to the side, he saw that Sideswipe was hanging trapped as well. He looked at the mass of Insecticons in the cavern before him gathered around Arachnid who sat on a rock as if a queen reviewing her subjects. She was taking tribute, something that told him who the real power was even as he looked over to see Seizor and his brothers along with Runamuck and Runabout watching them as well. The expressions on their faces were tense and concerned. That was good intell he thought as he returned to feigning unconsciousness. Good intell indeed.

-0-Topside

"What's up, Trevor," Lennox said coldly as the others gathered around them, their own faces grim.

Trevor Smith looked at them, his expression one of hopefulness and a deep need for their belief. "I was … my family is part of the Resistance. I thought I was too until now. They think that if the Autobots go, the 'Cons will but they won't. These were here for ten thousand years. They're here to destroy us, right?"

Lennox nodded. "That's always been true, Trevor."

"They lied! They told me that this was propaganda. I believed them. My family … they believed them and so did I. For them. I'm so sorry. I'm with you, Major. I'm with the Autobots. Let me prove it. Tell me anything and I'll do it." He turned and walked to the hole looking at Lennox for the word.

Lennox grabbed his arm and tugged him back. "You're a Striker. How the fuck did you get this far if you're M.E.C.H.?"

"They had us infiltrate. I know two others. I'll tell you their names. They can't win, Major. If they do the Earth will be destroyed. Let me prove myself. Let me stay and help."

Lennox stared at the youngster, his expression stunned. Prime moved closer and knelt. "How old are you, soldier?"

"Twenty-one, sir," he said as tears slid down his face. "Let me stay and prove myself. I'm sorry. I didn't know better. Forgive me and let me help you."

Prime looked at Lennox. Then he looked at the youngster. "Who are you parents?"

"William and Leigh Smith. My father is Speaker of the House for the Iowa State Legislature. They don't have a clue, sir. They haven't got a fucking clue. I renounce everything. I want to prove my loyalty. Just tell me what to do," he said with urgency and conviction.

"You know who the M.E.C.H. personnel are and others?" Prime asked.

Smith nodded.

"Give everything you know to Major Lennox, then stand down. Until we organize this around the possibilities, none of you will be a part of it. The Insecticons are ruthless, incredibly tough and have no mercy. That is why they are here. They would kill every human on this planet without the slightest regret."

Smith nodded. "I'm sorry, Prime. I hope you know."

Prime looked at him, at the youngster of privilege standing before him. "I do. Now prove your remorse is real and help us save this planet."

He nodded and turned with Lennox moving to the side to tell the tale of his indoctrination by his father and mother to the side of paranoia and nativism, his effort on their behalf and all the intell about the organization that he could remember.

It would be considerable.

-0-TBC June 23, 2013 edited

NOTE: Shanix is money many aliens use and the shanix for transformers were gold coins scaled to their size. :D I wonder if they were chocolate. ;)


	344. Chapter 344

The Diego Diaries: Gone 3 (344)

-0-On the ground: Interior Alaska

Another ship landed and more troops jumped out, Wreckers and close quarters experts. They walked to Prime and caught up on the latest news, taking places around the holes to listen. Nearby, walking along the tundra with a box in their servos, Wheeljack and Perceptor scanned the ground underneath, their machine scanning for tremors. They had rigged the array and debugged it, turning it onto this part of the Earth. It had begun to scan the area around them and was moving out in concentric circles. It would take a while to build a picture of the ground underneath them. Given the haphazard direction underground hives and their tunneling usually took, it could meander all over.

Corporal Trevor Smith sat on a hump of muskeg staring at the ground as he waited for whatever to happen. He had emptied his skull to the three officers of his striker team telling them everything he knew. There was a mole in the Pentagon, one in the U.S. House of Representatives, one on the General Staff of the Chief of the General Staff, Commanding of the United Kingdom's army and two who were staff to members of the British Parliament. There were others as well but he didn't know them. He had heard his parents talking about the ones he knew because they were important figures in the Iowa militia scene as well as The Resistance.

:What are you staring at, Springer?:

:A sad deluded kid: Springer replied.

Ironhide walked to stand next to him. :I can see that:

:I can't imagine my genitors leading me that astray: Springer said glancing at Ironhide. :Make me a promise:

:Alright: Ironhide replied glancing at the tall bot himself.

:When this is over … when Drift and Sideswipe are back safe and sound, adopt me:

Ironhide grinned a moment. :Are you serious?:

Springer glanced his way and nodded. :As a spark attack. I have to have something to look forward to through the dark joors ahead:

:Done deal:

:Ironhide?: Springer asked looking at Ironhide with serious optics. :Don't tell Ratchet. Let him find out the hard way:

Ironhide nodded, a slight smirk gracing his pugnacious face. :Easiest thing I can do:

Springer grinned, then turned back to the wan kid sitting by himself in the midst of gathering forces. He walked toward him and knelt. "Hey, kid. You alright?"

Blue eyes filled with devastation looked up at the big bot with great emotion. "You can ask me that after all this? I'm the enemy."

"No. You're a kid who listened to the wrong information," Springer replied.

"Drift is down there. Your bond," he said equally emotionally.

"I noticed that," he said with a faint grin. "Drift and Sides are tough and smart. We'll get them back. You had the stuff to get this far. Be tough and keep going. What's done is done. If you really mean it … if you are really on our side, hold your head up." He rose and looked at the kid. "Man up, kid."

He watched as Springer turned and walked to where Prime stood watching Wheeljack and Perceptor try to find the hive central. Watching him go as well were an equally impressed Graham, Epps and Lennox.

-0-Underground: Interior Alaska

Three Wrecker teams made their way through the darkness heading for whatever was going to come following the carvings on the walls left by Kup and Devcon. Ahead in the darkness were miles of tunnels, all of which at some point would lead back to the hive central. It would also lead to uncounted numbers of Insecticons as well. They walked carefully, their sensors networked as they crept along in the inky darkness.

-0-On their way: Somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

They flew through the water like birds in flight heading toward the target their queen had given them. She had been bored in Italy. Thus after arriving in Alaska and the middle of her own kind once more made the decision to make a strike of her own. Sending a large contingent away, they were halfway to their target by now. She could command because no one was in command. The 'boys' thought they were but she actually was. Their teams were three in number, the usual configuration with six members each. However, the Insecticons were as numerous as 'grains of sand on a beach' or so it seemed. She could destroy everyone by sending the mere thought to her 'minions' and they knew it.

So she led.

She would make the first salvo in the war against the humans and their allies, the Autobots. They would never see it coming and they would be unable to protect against it. It would be glorious. She sat on her rock, the hordes around her sitting, facing her, waiting for a command, waiting for anything. The other bots sat on their ledge watching with wary optics. The two Autobots hung from her own web on the wall. Everyone got it.

She was queen.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Ships began to arrive unloading teams of mechs who would take up residence at the Embassy to deploy at a moments notice to any hot spot that might erupt on the Earth. Wrecker teams, heavy and light armed shuttles, runabouts and more medical technicians arrived. Ships settled in their parking spots, their arms and special systems arrayed to be online immediately.

The humans watched them, many of the soldiers new to them but they were greeted warmly by the bots and returned the favor. The army femmes sat on a packing crate on the flight line trading quips and remarks with the bots, many of them friends. It was a very pleasant afternoon.

-0-On their way: Closing in

They were coming closer speeding with an unnatural swiftness toward their target. They flew under water in flocks like birds, spears of malice heading for the heart of the target that aided their enemies. It would only take two more joors to get there.

-0-The Hourly News: Breaking News, IntraComm, Autobot City, Mars

"This is Lim-Lee with the latest breaking news. A message issued from the Office of the Prime moments ago states that the playoff game scheduled for tomorrow is canceled indefinitely due to deployment of several players on military exercises. The game will be slotted for a future date when the soldiers involved return to participate. It was suggested that such interventions will happen from time to time and the Prime regrets any disruption in the plans of the people around this event. More information will be forthcoming later. In other news...

-0-Ratchet

He prepped the medical ship that would be going to Diego and gave the last set of orders to his hand chosen medics. They would be going ahead to set things up and he would follow once he made arrangements for the younglings with his genitors and Ironhide's. Flint was already in Alaska with the striker teams they had sent. Alor would be going to Diego with him to help with strategizing at that end while Blackjack would stay on Mars.

He watched as the shuttle took off, then turned, then hurried toward the city to part out the sparklings.

Again.

It was with a heavy tread that he made his way to his genitor's store disappearing into the noon time rush as he did.

-0-On their way: Within sight

They were one joor away from their target, the music of their queen filling their skulls as they hustled to please her. They were mindless when she spoke, her beauty overpowering, her sensual voice overtaking their will without effort. They swam onward, flying through the water below the sensor level of the human's paltry networks, aware that the Autobots would not be expecting them where they were going.

It was as she planned it.

-0-On their way: Heading toward Earth

Ratchet and Alor sat on their shuttle as it blitzed toward Earth. The infants were parted out, Neo and Laret taking Hero and Prowler. Ravel and Tie Down would get the rest and live in the big apartment until everyone came home. Ratchet had explained the situation to them about Drift and Sideswipe, both of whom were missing as of yet. He did so because he feared the grapevine would find them first. Ravel burst into tears and Tie Down looked gutted. "What will we do? How can we get our boy back, Ratchet?"

"We are working on it now. They only have real value as hostages, Ada. Don't cry. We'll get them back. If you help me with the babies, I can help too," Ratchet said as he gently rubbed his Ada's back.

Ravel looked at him with terrified optics. "You will be safe? You and Ironhide? What about Sunstreaker? He must be terrified."

"I can think he's a lot of things, Ada. Terrified is only about fifth on the list," Ratchet said. He hugged them both and stood. "I will stay in touch."

Ravel rose and gripped his servos. "Please do, Ratchet. Please let us know when you find them. Hug them for me."

Ratchet hugged them both and nodded. "I will." When he turned to leave, he felt like the Pit. But he put on his game face and left.

-0-On their way: Within fifty miles of target

They were getting close so they formed into teams dividing up among each other to make the most of their moment. They were fifteen minutes away from their target.

-0-On their way: Coming up on dog leg for landing

They were coming into the base, the tower giving them clearance. Sitting together commiserating their misery, they waited for touchdown. As they began their descent they felt an energy behind them, then the impact of fire on the tail of their ship. Jostled, they grabbed onto the structures around them as their shuttle came in for a crash landing.

-0-Underground: In the Hive Central

She sat on her rock feeling everything that they felt. Around her, the multitudes gathered sitting to enjoy her joy. She smirked at them, then the mechs sitting on their ledge near the two Autobots. It was a glorious moment for her, one she was prepared to savor slowly. It would come to the time where she would kill everyone not of her own kind, but that glory was for later. She was prepared to parcel out her happiness bit by bit.

For her, there was no rush.

-0-At Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They came in on the radar after rising from the sea. They gathered in their groups and flew with guns blazing to the base itself. Fire strafed the decks and things blew up as the Insecticons made their entrance. Mechs ran out of the Embassy and nearby hangars guns blazing. Insecticons swarmed, their guns shooting everything that moved. Some transformed and went hand-to-hand with mechs on the tarmac. Humans ran everywhere as buildings emptied. Soldiers firing their weapons, most of which were ineffective trying to protect civilians who were running for the shelters. Screams, blasts, fire and explosions rocked the place as buildings began to blow up and burn.

Jolt stood in front of the Embassy shooting upward as a big Insecticon flew straight at him. They crashed together rolling several times before stopping to grapple together. Another mech jumped on the Insecticon from behind and with an energon knife removed the bot's head from his shoulders. A flash of fire showed his demise as his head rolled away. Jolt jumped up and joined the mech running for a group of humans trapped behind cars.

They gathered them, handfuls of them and hurried to the Embassy. Before they made it there several Insecticons made well aimed shots and the roof blew up. Turning, speeding toward the Administration building, they carried their load of screaming humans toward a shelter nearby. Dropping them off, they hurried back to the battle.

Ratchet and Alor stepped out of their smoking shuttle and transformed their weapons. Moving together, they began to shoot everything that flew past. Landing good shots, they reached a big hangar where a number of Air Force mechanics and some of their femmes were crouched. Jessie had a rifle and was shooting at the Insecticons as they flew past, her bullets ineffectual even as her grit was sterling.

"**GET BACK IN THE HANGAR!"** Ratchet yelled as he and Alor stood before it shooting right and left. The Embassy was on fire, mechs standing in the damage shooting Insecticons everywhere they could. The administration building was burning as was the hangar where their conversations were held. Barracks were destroyed along with hangars and warehouses, workshops and public buildings. Ratchet looked around wildly searching for more humans and safety. There was no place left that could afford any. There were other humans though and they were in danger of dying. **"ALOR! I'M GOING FOR THOSE HUMANS! COVER ME!"** Ratchet yelled.

"**GO!"** Alor said standing to fire both of his weapons as behind him humans cowered behind a terrified but resolute Jessie Landon and her rifle.

Ratchet ran out shooting until he reached overturned vehicles, some of which were on fire. He grabbed the humans, then turned and ran back taking shots on his shoulder.** "FRAG! FRAGGERS! THAT FRAGGING HURT!"** he said as he set the humans down and patted at his shoulder where there were sparks from fire. **"FRAG!"**

"**ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"** Alor asked between shooting at this and that flapping past.

"**I'LL LIVE BUT I WON'T SLAGGING LIKE IT!"** Ratchet said as he began to fire again.

Nearby, several Autobots were grappling with Insecticons and getting the short end of the stick. A huge boom rang out and one of them exploded. A tank driven by humans came between two buildings and was firing. One more 'Con exploded and the other took off, freeing up the three Autobots who turned and began firing again.

It seemed to take forever. Then it was over. The Insecticons flew up and away disappearing into the horizon and the ocean expanse beyond. The silence was terrible for a moment, then reality slammed in. There was screaming, exploding ammunition, fire and imploding buildings. The scene was incredible and surrealistic.

Ratchet walked out and surveyed the scene for a moment. The home they had carved here, this first island of peace in a life of running and suffering was broken and burning. The anger rising inside of him was almost more than he could contain.

"**RATCHET!"**

The voice finally reached him. He looked down into the soot stained face of Jessie Landon. **"I WILL HELP YOU!"** she said around her tears.

The others came out behind her, some of them hurt or burned, all of them in shock. Ratchet cleared his processor and nodded. "We need you to sit down and rest a moment. There's unexploded munitions and you all are in shock."

Jessie nodded. "I'm so glad you're here, Ratchet. What would we have done without all of you?"

Ratchet put that out of his processor. He knelt down and looked at her. "We are one, Jessie. Remember that."

She nodded and swiped at her tears. "We will help you," she said firmly. The others nodded equally firmly.

"You already have," Ratchet said quietly. Then he stood and began to help the wounded and displaced, human and Autobot alike.

-0-TBC June 23, 2013 edited


	345. Chapter 345

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 1 (345)

-0-On the ground: Diego Garcia

There was mayhem every direction he looked. Turning slowly, his shoulder aching like fury, Ratchet took in the scene. There were only three buildings on base that were relatively untouched. Two were the hangars behind him and a small building filled with electronic substations between the Embassy and the start of administrative buildings for soldiers and civilians. Everywhere things were burning, black smoke flowing like eerie columns into the blue sky. Ordinance exploded here and there causing fright to those nearby. Humans were calling out, some were screaming and others lay on the ground, soldiers and harried medics assessing them.

Ratchet moved forward gathering people to bring them to the good hangar where they had defended so many. Alor was nearby doing the same thing**. "MARCUS! BRING THE WOUNDED HERE!"** Ratchet said calling out to a lieutenant who was standing dazed in the midst of humans he had saved. He turned and began to herd them there, some of them covered in blood and two glassy-eyed civilians with burns. Ratchet put his load down, then turned and hurried out gathering more.

Electrical lines were popping and snapping on the ground. Ratchet turned and called out. **"JOLT! TAKE DOWN THE GRID!"**

The youngling halting near the Embassy doors turned and hurried to a huge transformer station at the edge of the hangars where the Aerialbots had lived once upon a time. A sparkling silver line snaked out and fastened upon it, electrical arcs flashing immediately along to the youngling soldier. Another snaked out to the big one beside the Embassy fastening tightly on its mass of connected wires. A huge flash engulfed him blinding everyone for a moment, then it was over. The lines settled and the base was without power.

Ratchet turned and commed a number of bots who came to him. "Clear this tarmac all the way to the firing range. I want it free for traffic and defense. I want you to look through the rubble for humans. Find them. Get them out if you can, call for help if you can't. I want every human accounted for." Ten mechs nodded and turned hurrying off. Nearby, Inferno was suppressing fires and pulling combustibles out before they could burn. In another direction, several mechs were dragging B-1B, B-52 and B-1 bombers out of the line up to prevent them from exploding and burning others as they suffered from the strafing run that precipitated the base onslaught.

The behemoth ships stood in rows, their wings sagging in the typical manner of monster craft without air flow support. They were in various stages of destroyed, some of them burning while others leaked dangerous flammable combustibles. Ratchet watched, then started. :Ratchet to Prowl:

:Prowl here:

:Send an armada. Diego is destroyed:

-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Prowl stood like a pillar, electrical energy actually arcing on his chassis. Bluestreak glancing up stood, an expression of horror on his face. "Atar?"

"Diego has been attacked. Ratchet just told me it's destroyed."

The room froze, the temperature dropping to subarctic. Then Prowl whirled and began to give orders. Ships were called, soldiers dropped their tasks and ran for their guns and gear as Seekers gathered on the tarmac. Prowl turned and with Bluestreak in tow hurried out the door as the Subcommander-Standby came on duty. They ran for the airfield which was churning with activity, dodging traffic and pedestrians who pulled out of the way recognizing an emergency. When they reached the ships they all scrambled on and the liftoff rattled windows in Terra.

In seconds, they were gone.

-0-On the ground: Interior Alaska

He stood a moment listening, then he jolted as if shot. Ironhide turned and looked at him. "What?"

Prime paused a moment processing his shock, then looked at Ironhide. "The Insecticons attacked Diego Garcia. They destroyed it."

Everyone paused, the tableau almost surreal as they turned to look at Prime. He stood like a tower himself, then turned. "Flint, you are in charge. Keep the line open." With that, he ran to a runabout, Ironhide on his tail. They entered and it lifted off leaving behind a mass of stunned humans and bots.

-0-On the ground: Pentagon

Glenn Morshower listened on a secured line as Prime filled him in. He sat down slowly as he listened, then hung up the receiver. For a moment he was silent, then rising, he called for his aides to follow him. They disappeared down the hallway to the courtyard where they would board a runabout with an Autobrand that was being diverted from Alaska to collect him for transport. The runabout was on track to land when he reached the courtyard and would take ten minutes to bring him and his party to Diego.

-0-On the ground: Diego Garcia

They pulled transport crates together and stacked three making the requisite height for communications with big mechanisms. A shuttle that wasn't terribly damaged yielded decent monitors of Cybertronian dimensions. They were placed on top of the boxes while the shuttle was dragged over to provide communications support. They would run their entire capacity off of it.

Ratchet wove his way through the throngs heading for the hangar to check in and be checked out. The organization was getting better and he felt he could look around. As he did he spotted John Fulton and his aide, Lilith Bolger sitting on boxes directing the show even as their uniforms showed wounds. Pausing to kneel, he scanned them. "You need better bandaging than that. Both of you."

"We have work to do, Ratchet," John said raggedly.

"Later," Ratchet said as he gently picked up both. Turning, walking carefully, he wend his way back and paused by the medic hangar. "Two more." He set them down gently and watched as they were led inside where casualties lay on improvised beds, all manner of medicine being utilized to keep them alive and treat their hurts. Ratchet looked at them with emotional optics, these humans that he loved, then turned to go back. As he did, he paused. The sound of thunder in the blue sky drew him and everyone else.

Seekers transformed and slammed into the ground, their weapons systems evident along with their intense rage. Shuttles began to come down from the dazzling sunlit sky, their landing gear making gentle touchdowns. Ramps slid out, hatches popped as troops began to pour out. From one, Prowl and Bluestreak emerged heading with haste toward Ratchet and Alor who had joined him to watch. Bluestreak ran to Ratchet and hugged him tightly, then Alor. Prowl looked at Ratchet with emotional optics, then he scanned the base. "This is unspeakable."

Ratchet nodded, his optics tearing up slightly. "It is."

"You're wounded," Prowl said glancing sharply at Ratchet's shoulder.

"They're dead," Ratchet said nodding toward three shrouded forms nearby. They were human.

Prowl felt a punch to his gut, then he gathered himself. "I brought everything. I will organize the defensive perimeter. A shield defense is going up. Nothing gets out. Nothing gets in. You do what you need. Get your shoulder treated."

"I will," Ratchet lied. He turned and with Bluestreak in tow returned to the scene to render aid.

Prowl issued orders, the bots dispersing as he spoke. Seekers lifted off and began to do the shield part of the defense as the ground game organized. Nothing from the ocean and nothing from the sky could breach the base now. Technicians hurried with equipment to bring the systems online for emergency communications, refrigeration and light. Fire suppressant teams were hard at it quelling and corralling fires as munitions experts began to collect ordinance. Teams were going through the wreckage looking for survivors, unexploded ordinance and other dangers as they struggled to account for everyone. When Prowl had organized everyone, he turned and peered into the hangar. "John," he said, shock evident in his voice. "Lilly."

They both looked at him, one of their favorites and nodded. "Prowl. I'm glad to see you."

Prowl nodded. "I am sorry. I wish there were words. This is our home too."

John Fulton nodded. "I know. Until all are one."

Prowl felt unaccustomed emotion flow through him, emotion he never allowed himself to feel during the throes of an emergency. Later was something else, but now? Never until this moment. "That is how it must be. We will protect you. I will see to it myself."

"My people, Prowl. I need to know about them," John said with urgency and no small amount of pain.

"I am gathering them now. Please ... rest and allow us to help you," Prowl said as the humans relaxed a little. "Glenn and Optimus are on their way. We will meet this outrage I promise you."

Fulton nodded and lay back on his pallet, his head throbbing. "I will leave it to you," he said closing his eyes wearily. Lilly lay back and relaxed. Prowl watched them, then turned looking around at the mess and activity. Everything was in servo, then he saw the three shrouded humans nearby. Walking to them, kneeling, he touched the blankets gently. Unaware that a soldier took his picture, he mourned for them silently as he gathered himself for the tasks ahead. General Morshower and John Fulton would keep that picture framed in their homes forever.

Nearby, the airfield gained another vessel as a runabout landed and two mechs hurried off. Prime and Ironhide ran across the tarmac and paused in front of Prowl who rose to his peds slowly. Prime stared at the humans, at three individuals who had done nothing to deserve their fates and felt his age. The humans here were young as a species but they were good. They were brave and good. He looked at Prowl who looked at him with stark emotion for a moment before it was buried under his on-duty mask. "John Fulton is in the hangar. He was injured but will survive. Glenn Morshower is on his way. We are under a shield defense and have erected an alternative comm center in the other good hangar. It will go online when you command it. We are getting urgent messages from other places with planes due incoming. All of the aircraft are too far out to turn around."

Prime nodded. "We need a runway."

Ironhide nodded. "I will take care of it. Where's Ratchet?"

"At the medic station in the first hangar," Prowl said nodding to the teeming building nearby. Ironhide turned and walked toward it. Prowl looked at Prime. "This is going to be terrible."

Prime nodded. "I know," he said. "We will take it moment to moment. Did you get a bead on the Insecticons who did this?"

"They dove into the ocean too fast. They had to have come from Alaska. There must be multiple holes for them to emerge and return through. One must be at the mouth of a river or cliff side to an ocean. We did not pick them up on sensors at all."

Prime nodded. "Make their exits and entrances a priority, Prowl," he said as they turned and walked toward the devastation.

-0-Ten minutes later

Glenn Morshower walked from the ship with aides trailing, their faces showing the strain of the sight before them. Nothing appeared to have been spared but for a couple of hangars and a small electronics facility. He walked across scorch marks, skirted divots and paused next to a pile of Insecticon bodies, three of them. One of them was missing a head. They looked alien and weird with none of the grace of the Cybertronians he was used to. He marveled for a moment at the diversity of the universe, then turned wordlessly to continue. Fires were being put out but the air smelled of wet singed hair and metallic ozone.

Bits of burnt stuff drifted down from the up swept billows of smoke and ash that filled the sky falling like ugly snowflakes on the ground. The drip of water and fire suppressant could be heard as the ground was covered in patches of foam. The screams were gone but the loud shouts and other sounds were present. MP's worked to help the wounded and the distracted as they began to gather themselves together.

"General."

Glenn paused and looked behind him. Jolt and Hot Rod stood by the doors of the Embassy, the Autobrand scorched and ruined. "Jolt. Hot Rod," he said to two of his favorite bots. "You made it."

They nodded. "This is fragged. They struck out of nowhere. I am unclear how. Perhaps the water covered their signal," Jolt said.

"It did," Hot Rod replied. "I wish I had been here." His expression was hard and cold. Another bot came around the building and paused. He then walked to the small group to peer down at the general he remembered from The Hourly News. "Are you the American general that Optimus Prime gave citizenship?"

"I am. I don't know you," Glenn said looking at the youthful face of a bot that was older than some of the continents he had traveled to on Earth.

"This is Smokescreen, Smokey we call him. He's new," Hot Rod said. "He's Smokescreen's grandson. His grandada is tracking the 'Cons underground in Alaska. Devcon is a bad aft to get on you. He never quits."

Glenn nodded. "Nice to meet you, Smokey. I hope your grandada frags their asses."

"You and me both, sir," Smokey said.

"Do you need a lift, General?" Jolt asked.

"No. I'm almost there. Thank you," Glenn said as he looked around tiredly.

"This is going to be bad isn't it," Jolt asked, his youthful face gazing at Morshower worriedly.

"I think so too," he said with a nod. "But semper fi. Fuck them if they try to take advantage of this."

Jolt grinned. "Semper fi, General."

Glenn grinned for the first time since hearing the news, then nodded. They turned and continued onward to the communication hangar and Ratchet. Prime and Ironhide were also there with Alor. They stood looking at the humans as they walked up to them and paused. "General Morshower," Prime said with solemnity.

Morshower looked at Prime, one of the best souls he had the luck to know and felt anger. "Fuck the General stuff, Optimus. I was Glenn a few minutes ago and I'm Glenn now. Until all are one and the 'Cons who did this are ten feet under."

Prime looked at Glenn and nodded. "Until all are one, Glenn."

Glenn Morshower nodded. "Fucking A. Semper fi, Optimus Prime." He walked forward and stepped into Prime's servo as the big bot knelt. Rising up, he stepped off onto the containers and stared at the monitors. He turned and looked into Prime's face and that of Ratchet, Alor, Ironhide and Prowl. He loved them at that moment, these good allies. It resolved a lot of things to have backup like this. Nodding his helm, he glanced over at the technicians waiting nearby. "Let's light this candle shall we?" he said.

Prime nodded and techs began the countdown to reconnection with the Pentagon, the National Security Council, the United Nations Secretary-General, five heads of state, Interpol, the FBI director and the heads of N.E.S.T on four continents.

-0-TBC June 24, 2013 edited


	346. Chapter 346

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 2 (346)

-0-On the ground: Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth earlier

"Ratchet."

He paused and looked up. "Ironhide."

The big bot nodded, his emotions clear. "You've been shot."

"I'm getting it attended to," Ratchet lied. "This is fragged."

He nodded. "I know. We have to go to the comm hangar in a moment. They have a link up set. Prime and Morshower are going to face the music as they say."

"Not alone," Ratchet said. He looked around and saw all was in servo. "Let's go."

"What about your wound?" Ironhide said pausing Ratchet.

"Let them see it," Ratchet replied. They turned and walked out of the triage hangar.

-0-In the ground, Interior Alaska, Earth

Devcon followed the tracks until he came to a junction. The sound of footfalls gave him pause so he blended back into the shadows of a partially collapsed wall. Light could be seen growing before the bug showed up, his hulking menace extraordinary. A nearly perfect mechanism, he was huge, brutish in appearance and deceptively cunning. Though they worked from a collective point of view, networked mentally and emotionally, they were formidable as individuals and many was the Autobot as well as Decepticon that learned that the hard way. A heavy tread took him past Dev as he crouched, his long knife gripped to cut off the head of the beast. The bug didn't see him, perhaps internally connected in conversation to others making him less vigilant here in his comfort zone. He moved past and was gone.

Dev waited listening long and hard. Then he rose and continued onward toward the hive central.

-0-On the ground: Autobot City, Mars, out and about

"Did you hear a group lifted off this morning and headed out. I wonder what's happening?"

"It can't be good. They cancelled the game. Bots on Vos and Kaon are front liners for the most part. Can't be a good thing."

"I agree."

-0-On the ground: Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars

Jazz and Mirage worked together, their helms nearly touching. They were collating the information coming in from every possible place combing it for anything that would allow them to get a better handle on the menace massing in the Earth. The few taps they had on known targets now included the parents of Corporal Trevor Smith. The traffic among the known entities was growing. It was clear that the groups opposing out there had some idea that something bad had happened.

Around them, the professionalism flowed as everyone worked hard, some of them with beta and gamma shift members coming in to assist. The news had reached the city, anxiety and uncertainty suffusing the population. The down link of the field comm manager in Alaska was offset by the field comm manager at Diego Garcia. Neither had really good news to report.

-0-Nearby

**"OTHER ATAR?"**

"What, Orion?"

"Why you? Other Ada too?"

Tie Down considered that. "Because Ada and Atar are working."

Orion looked at Tie for a moment, then nodded. "Okay." He turned and walked to the toy box pulling out a car. Smiling, he turned and walked back to Tie showing it to him. They chatted about the car as all around them the rest of Group D worked out their free time on the toys and sandbox. Other Atar had come to see how everyone was. For a few moments everyone was great.

-0-At the Flight Command Center, Autobot City, Mars

He sat at the table surrounded by datapads and maps. A shield defense was now in place over Diego Garcia. Seekers were flying on fixed orbits, their sensors linked as they scanned for anything out of the order. Their vigilance would prove the key, Starscream thought. They would be able to cover the area and prevent the enemy from taking another bite of the apple. He considered the problem of Insecticons and remembered them as implacable and tight, their loyalty to each other a problem. The possibilities that Arachnid was leading them was a bad sign all around. That vermin was a nemesis thorn in Starscream's side. He might not remember much but he remembered her.

None of it was good.

-0-Luna about the same time

A shuttle landed at the station on Luna and powered down. Three mechs stepped off walking to the station rapping on the door. It opened and a surprised youngling stepped out. :What brings you here? No one is due for three orns:

:New orders, youngling. We're pulling off world in the system until deep scans can be made of all our outlying areas. We're here to bring you to the city and all your stuff too: the command officer said.

He nodded and turned looking at his quarters. It would be a lot of stuff. :Okay: Burnoff said as he stepped back from the door allowing entry. It would take a joor but when it was all packed up, the shuttle lifted off heading back to Mars.

-0-In a comm hangar on Diego Garcia

They listened as Prowl outlined what was known. Ratchet, his shoulder smarting watched them running their expressions and body language through a number of programs he kept to understand his opponents. The outcome of that effort wasn't looking good. Apparently, the humans thought they should have been both prescient and omnipotent. Prime looked stoic and hid the anguish that was suffusing his aura from the humans. When Prowl's summary was over, the questions began.

"I was under the expectation that the system was locked down, Optimus Prime," a Pentagon official said rather tartly. The image of Charlotte Mearing was nodding as well.

"We are not omnipotent," Prowl replied. "We **have** locked down the system. These mechanisms came with Megatron ten thousand years ago and landed here along with him going dormant as per the protocol when a mission is in repose. We are doing deep surface scans now and have located the hive central in the wilderness of interior Alaska. We are very experienced and good at this. You want perfect. We cannot supply it."

"You are machine mentalities," Charlotte Mearing interjected. "You operate at different levels than organics. We would have expected you to find all the Decepticons by now. You have failed twice."

Ironhide glared at her. "We have **found** the Decepticons twice. The Pretenders utilized cloaking technology to get here under the radar. These bots were here long before us. If you think you can do better have at it." His tone was pissed.

The conversation continued.

-0-On the ground: Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Jolt held up lines for technicians who were struggling to rewire the base allowing the generation plant to come back online. It would be sparing, the first few areas with electricity limited but they were working hard to make all of it liveable. Autobots worked with the humans digging out buildings, carting off debris and clearing the foundations for rebuilds. Things were salvaged where they could be and not where they weren't. Piles of electronics, broken buildings and burned debris began to rise against a horizon that once held buildings and towers.

The carcasses of burned out vehicles were dragged away and lined up side-by-side near the firing range. Piles of salvageable items including the personal affects of the base's residents were also salvaged. Whirlaway paused as he heard a shout, then hurried to a tumbled down building that was partly burned. He joined a group who were working to extract three trapped civilians and two soldiers. He reached out and gripped a beam that was holding down debris pinning the humans inside the fractured shell.

Medics called by the bots drove up in vehicles and moved to the site peering inside. It took several minutes to determine as best they could the injuries of those inside before they could lift the debris off. When it was moved, the rescue teams moved into the ash and shattered glass. They were hurt, two more so than the others because their building got a direct hit from Insecticon rocket fire. It took effort to remove and stabilize them on the grass outside but when they were ready Whirlaway and the other bots there carefully, gently picked up the stretchers and turned to carry them in their servos to the triage hangar. As they did, planes came in for their landings nearby.

-0-At the runway

A bot tuned into the wavelengths of the airplanes due in from elsewhere directed them to the ground. They were transports carrying supplies and personnel to the base from Europe. The landing lane had been repaired under Ironhide's direction, the divots and pot holes filled and smoothed over. Tarmac that had been destroyed had been piled on top of the dirt patches. When they were covered in broken bits of asphalt, the bots had fired on each spot with plasma melting them. They were pressed and smoothed making the surface more conducive to safe landings.

The big C-17 Globemaster III ships came in on their dog legs taking direction from a bot and not the local tower which had been blasted into dust. The human casualties had come from there. As the big planes touched down and taxied to the side, the crews were met with air force personnel who told them what had happened and how they were now quarantined to the base until further notice.

They climbed out, their expressions of deep shock matching those of the locals.

-0-In the hangar

Prime listened as questions were asked and answers given. Prowl fielded most of them, his role as left servo mech of the master well in hand. The faces on the monitors ranged from outrage to deep shock. A great deal of surprise was expressed and comments of solidarity exchanged at the end. The following plan was formulated to inform the world of the threat and what would be done about it.

First, the injured would be flown to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for treatment and an informational quarantine for the present. The base as well as the allied military forces themselves would be on Defcon Level 4, which meant that danger was in existence and that action would be coming **IMMEDIATELY** to address it. All of the treaty nations would be locked into position to assist and track on their local systems feeding information to Diego Garcia N.E.S.T. Command that would be operated out of Omega Supreme who was on his way to become the command center for the base for now.

Secondly, the situation in Alaska was off limits for public consumption. The raising of Defcon would allow the bases in Alaska to be useful without raising eyebrows anywhere else. The military structure in Alaska was comprehensive and veteran. They would do flyovers and support the effort on the tundra by keeping the skies clear and people away.

Thirdly, the situation at Diego Garcia would be addressed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in consultation with the big five of the Autobot-Terran Treaties, Russia, the UK, France, Germany and America. Condolences would be given to all affected and an assurance would be expressed worldwide that the base would be rebuilt in jig time by the Autobot Nation. Each of the nations affected would be then free to add their own statements as well for their specific constituent populations.

Fourthly, Prime would address the world through a broadcast statement of condolence and resolution about the situation. He would express the intentions of Autobot Nation to protect the world and explain that they were good, not infallible.

Fifthly, the Security Council of the United Nations would convene an emergency meeting to condemn the attack by the Decepticons, the resolution all felt in the face of mutual imminent danger and their solidarity with Autobot Nation.

All of the resources of the world would be prepared to stand with Prime to defeat this threat to everyone's mutual security and peace. A news blackout on much would be held with controlled images of the base's destruction broadcast with the aim of controlling the fear levels of the populations and insuring the most confidence of all involved that they were protected.

When the leaders of the world signed off, the rest paused a moment as Morshower clarified a point with Prime.

"Gentlemen."

Everyone turned to Mearing's screen. They waited, the mercurial woman no one to trifle with. "Ms Mearing..." Prime said.

"Now that the others are gone, how about telling me what is really happening out there? I would like you to know that I hold the overall brief for anything Autobot." she said coolly.

"Politically," Morshower said equally coldly. "I am in charge of the operation of this mission, all related structure and all things military."

"That can change, General," she said.

"Go ahead," Morshower said moving closer to the giant monitor. "If you think you got the ability to do this better than the rest of us I welcome you. I will be happy to hold your coat while you go shoot Decepticons."

She looked at him, then glanced at Prime. "What is the status of the Alaska operation?"

"It is a pursuit and intell operation at the moment," Prime replied, his voice calm and unemotional. "We are assessing the terrain underground to find the hive central, the place where they congregate."

"Tell me more about these bugs," she said sitting back in her chair, her gaze level and hard.

Ironhide shifted then paused as Ratchet gripped his arm. "Let me," Ratchet replied. Prime nodded.

"These mechanisms formatted on an organic world taking the form of an insect species. It was a project by Shockwave and it has been successful for the Decepticons because they are completely loyal to their leader whoever that may be. They will do anything their leader tells them to do. Their leader right now is a format called Arachnid. She's like them and for her, they will do anything. They live underground and as such must be smoked out. Its hard and dangerous. Right now, we are working out the extent of the problem. That has to be determined before we settle on a solution. It should be noted that they hold two of our own."

"How did they get caught?" she asked.

Ironhide's hackles rose. "Protecting this world," he said hotly. "How the frag do you think?"

She looked at Ironhide, then turned to Ratchet. "I hope you understand that sometimes you have to sacrifice the few to save the many. What prevents you from blowing them up in their holes?"

"A number of things, really," Ratchet said with more equanimity than he thought possible given events of the past few joors. "First, they tunnel at a speed a racing car would have trouble keeping up with. Secondly, they would dig out and come for you with a vengeance if you did that. If you don't kill them all at once, you will regret it. Lastly and not with the least importance, one of the captured is my son. Frag you if I will ever let you do something that stupid."

It was silent a moment, then Prime nodded. "I do not know what ethical considerations you have for yourself and your purposes, Ms Mearing, but it is outside the possibilities for us to ever abandon a comrade. We do not do that. That is what makes us different from them."

"Fuck yeah," Morshower said. "Until all are one." He turned to look at that monitor. "It is the first responsibility of a soldier to never leave another behind. Ever. That, Ms Mearing is what separates you from me as well. Now if you will excuse us ... we have work to do." He turned and nodded to the techs who cut the transmission. He stood a moment, then looked at Ratchet. "I am sorry that Sideswipe is missing but we will find him."

Ratchet nodded. "I believe that too," he said gripping Ironhide's arm tightly. "Semper fi."

Prime nodded. "Semper fi is appropriate."

-0-TBC June 25, 2013 edited


	347. Chapter 347

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 3 (347)

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

He came in from the sky, a giant figure with his Autobrand clear on his vast side. Behind him, another vessel of the same size could be seen on approach. He settled and rolled forward parking near the space where he would be staying as the temporary center of the base. He transformed and looked downward. Kneeling, he leaned in to speak with Prime who was waiting on the tarmac for him to arrive. Kappa set down too, moving forward dropping her ramp as her hatch rolled back. Medics stepped down hurrying to take the human casualties from here to Ramstein in Germany. Ratchet met them, then turned to walk to the hangar where everyone was being readied to go.

Glenn Morshower listened as Prime explained the need for Omega to be the HQ for the base and the combined operation. The big mechanism nodded, then stood and stepped back transforming immediately into his flight format. Moving forward, he rolled to the hangars and stopped, dropping his ramp so that mechs could begin to make things happen for the base plant as well as communications and sensors.

They turned and walked toward the hangars followed by Kappa as she moved closer to be readied for the flight to Ramstein. Facilities there had been put on alert to receive wounded including a fuming agitated John Fulton. **"I AM ONLY GOING IF I CAN COME BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY!"**

It took an intervention from Morshower to make it happen along with the promise of his return ASAP given a medical clearance. He was carried by a bot who held the stretcher upon which he lay in his servo. Reaching Kappa, he waited until the other cases were loaded before walking up the ramp with Fulton. Lilly came next held by Hot Rod. When they were loaded, they walked back out and Kappa gathered herself to fly to Germany with a battle shuttle for escort. The ground rumbled as she lifted off, her massive format throwing a shadow over the destroyed base before disappearing with her armored partner into the sky.

Prime turned with Morshower in servo and walked to Omega entering, moving toward the flight deck. Looking around, he nodded. "Prowl will take up residence here and assume command. The base interim commander can use the facilities as well. We have engineers here who will go through the base and formulate what is needed to replace the buildings. We have a partial list of the equipment needed to rewire and bring online the various offices and departments. If you can facilitate that, we can do things more quickly."

Morshower nodded. "I will text my office to let them know. A forensics team is headed this way as well as other investigators from the relevant related agencies. I will remain here, Optimus until things are ironed out and roles are clearly delineated. I am not comfortable with a bunch of outside agencies coming here and not having any experience with the bots. I don't want conflict between competing camps."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you, Glenn. We want this to be as smooth and productive as we can make it. Right now, the humans and bots who live here and were in this attack are my primary concern."

"Then we're on the same page," Morshower said as they turned and exited Omega. They walked toward the hangar where Ratchet was standing submitting to medical attention for his injury. First Aid who had come from Mars with the armada was putting a patch on a burn hole in Ratchet's shoulder. The two paused as Prime stopped beside them.

"How is the shoulder, Ratchet?" Morshower asked.

"It only hurts if Ironhide laughs," Ratchet said with a slight smirk.

Morshower chuckled. "Thanks for the laugh."

"It's what I do," Ratchet said nodding. "Are you going back to Alaska, Optimus?"

"Not yet," he replied. "I have to make my statement. Then I have to head back."

Morshower nodded. "Let's go to the hangar then and set this up."

They turned and walked on meeting Prowl at the door. They entered and were gone from view. Ratchet watched them, a nagging pain crowding his professionalism as he wondered what was happening with Sideswipe. When First Aid was finished, the looked in the hangar which was devoid of patients but for two bots. Around them was the still smoking wreckage of their home but at least here there was progress. He turned and walked out heading for the Embassy.

Ratchet paused next to Ironhide who was directing the salvaging of the heavily damaged facility. In the smoldering wreckage he could see the murals of Cybertron that Sunstreaker had painted for their 'shower' party for Orion. Sorrow suffused Ratchet as he considered all the fun and games they had in the confines of the hangar space. His medbay was damaged, Ops Center as well. The quarters had been miraculously spared but the stink was everywhere. "They ruined Sunny's paintings."

Ironhide nodded. "We'll have him paint more."

Ratchet nodded. "This is Orion's first home."

"They will pay for this, Ratchet. I promise."

Ratchet nodded. "I will help you."

They stood together watching as the younglings pulled things out and stacked them nearby. It was going to take a while.

-0-In the world

The news hit the wires as the Secretary-General of the United Nations released his statement about the attack on the base in Diego Garcia. He outlined the basic facts and explained that the search for the culprits was underway. The efforts of the world would be directed in unison toward the protection of everyone everywhere. The statement said all that it needed. Of course, it was not enough.

-0-In a small village somewhere in the world

They worked together making munitions that they were going to be planting for a timed demolition. It would occur at midnight and deliver a message to the world that all of the aliens had to go. It would detonate that night here. There would be detonations elsewhere all over the world. They would all go off together. They too would be sending the world a message. The Resistance wanted them all gone.

Now.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

The statement of the United Nations Secretary-General was carried live on InterComm and the shock of the attack on Diego Garcia was met with as much if not more upset here as there. An unease settled on the city as the idea of Decepticons being inside the security net wove its way into everyone's spark. When the broadcast was finished, they all paused again. The one who spoke next was Optimus Prime.

-0-A message recorded in a hangar at Diego Garcia

A screen appeared that held the Emblem of the Primes. Then the dignified figure of Optimus Prime could be seen. He was shown against a white background and could be seen from the top of his finials to mid chest. He looked solemn. "My name is Optimus Prime and I speak to you today with great sadness about the unprovoked attack on the military base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean of this planet. In the morning without warning, a Decepticon force struck the base and delivered a powerful blow to all who were there.

"They came from the ocean and attacked Diego Garcia causing wide spread damage before fleeing again. When we were informed of this situation, Autobot Nation came to assist and to protect. We pledge to rebuild Diego Garcia and restore the base to its proper status as a front line installation and the home of our Earth embassy. It too was destroyed.

"It was our first home here on Earth and with it went many memories. We are profoundly sad about the three human soldiers who lost their lives in this attack and we stand with their families as they grieve for we do as well. We are one with the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen and women of Diego Garcia. We are one with the civilians that work to help us protect the Earth from a terrible implacable enemy.

"We have secured this solar system. We prevent entrance from those who might come here to cause harm. The group that we are hunting now came with Megatron originally and have waited in a dormant state for his command. They hid in the earth where their energy signatures were shielded from our detection. But now we know where they are and we intend to remove them as a threat to the peace of this world and solar system. They will be hunted down with everything that we have.

"It would be in their favor if we did not hold together in solidarity against them. They have been here a long time waiting for their moment. They have taken it now but they are few and we will find them. N.E.S.T. Global Command and Autobot Nation will track them down and neutralize the threat they have posed by their presence. We are one with the Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen and women of Diego Garcia and the militaries of the world. We are resolved.

"It was suggested in meetings earlier in the day that we should have been aware of their presence. We should have done something about them. We are not omnipotent. There are tricks that can be accomplished to do what they did but we know them too. They hid their presence but they have announced it now and we shall hunt them down until we get everyone of them.

"I send the condolences of Autobot Nation and all of her citizens to the people of Earth and to the families of those harmed by the intruders. I have no words to express the sadness that I feel but I promise you that these individuals will be found and removed as a threat to the peace of this world. On that, you have my word." He paused a moment. "I wish you peace. Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you. Until all are one."

The image cut.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

The city listened and was subdued. Some were openly worried that the humans might be lost as an ally. Some worried that the Insecticons would harm more humans which was totally unacceptable to all concerned. Heatout listened to the radio and turned to his friends with a grim expression. "This isn't good," he said as they sat in a club that was frequented by Circle and Knight mechs and femmes, The Corner Club in Terra. "If they make too much trouble, the alliance will be severely strained. I don't envy Prime trying to placate people who might be terrified that the ground will open up and bugs fly out."

No one had much to say to that but everyone thought about it as well.

-0-The Hourly News-Latest Breaking News

Gen-O sat grimly in the news reader's chair as he lay down what the Office of the Prime and the Senior Officer, Communications had told them about the unfolding situation. "The Prime's statement just concluded and we have the terrible news that Diego Garcia, a military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean on Earth was attacked by a swarm of Insecticons who had laid dormant for a number of vorns as part of an Infiltration Protocol Shock Team. Major destruction of facilities included our embassy which was the original lodging of Prime and his first ground team several years ago when they first arrived on Earth and made alliances with the human population.

"Major widespread destruction was affected and three humans were killed during the attack. A number of Cybertronians on duty station there were also injured, none seriously enough to be returned to Autobot City. An armada lifted off this morning when the news was received led by Subcommander Prowl and included both Omega and Kappa Supreme. Omega will remain on Diego as temporary headquarters for the base until they are restored to normal efficiency. Kappa flew injured human soldiers and civilians to the army hospital base in Ramstein, Germany."

The screen behind Gen-O changed with each new addition to the story. At the moment, a view of Kappa waiting on the tarmac in Germany as humans were off loaded on stretchers filled the screen.

"Optimus Prime who was in pursuit of the enemy which were spotted earlier flew immediately to Diego to render assistance. His statement is an outcome of agreements reached by treaty signatories regarding the relationship and continued rapport and support among the nationals who make up the N.E.S.T. Global Command, the umbrella group under which Autobot soldiers and the Prime work in tandem with various humans to insure security for all within the solar system.

"Jacx talked earlier with Senior Intelligence and Communications officer and spokesmech for the Office of the Prime, Jazz. Here is what he had to say."

The scene cut to Ops Center where Jazz sat, his handsome face serious and attentive.

"Jazz, what can you tell us about the solidarity of the relationship between Earth and us now that this attack has happened and humans have been killed?"

"The relationship is solid, Jacx. General Glenn Morshower is overall global commander of the human forces and N.E.S.T. He works closely with Prime and they are personal friends. He flew from the Pentagon to Diego to meet with Prime and work out what has to be done."

"How did we miss these Decepticons?" Jacx asked (the $64,000 question).

"These 'Cons were dormant in the earth hidden away waiting for Megatron to activate them. They came with him ten thousand years ago when he crashed here. When he didn't call them, they did what Protocol Infiltration teams do. They went dormant and waited. Bein' shielded by the earth, we couldn't detect them. Comin' up and breaking things was a bad move. They showed they were here and we can hunt them."

"Could you tell viewers what a Infiltration Protocol team does?" Jacx asked.

Jazz nodded. "They come to a place that is targeted for extermination or conquerin' and burrow in. There are about six or seven steps. They stir up trouble among the locals, make small disputes into global wars and when things are bad enough, they come and out help destroy. The intention of all teams of this nature is to destroy the indigenous life and take over the planet. The last part of this strategy is to bring in the Phase Sixers, Megatron's Warrior Elite. They come and destroy every living thing on the planet that's still left and bring on the end of the world. Six Shot, Overlord and Dark Shadow are phase sixers. They can decimate a planet to lifelessness in a matter of days."

"The attackers were the first troops in this process?" Jacx asked.

Jazz nodded. "The first and the last. We're going to get them and bust their asses. You can count on that."

Jacx nodded. "Thank you, Jazz. Back to the studio, Gen-O."

-0-On Earth

A little family paused in their dinner to watch the news about the Prime and his declaration. They listened, then turned to each other. "Well, that's not good. This Six Shot sounds like a fragger."

"I couldn't have said it better," a daughter-in-law said to her sweet little mother-in-law.

Mama Annie grinned at her husband, Leonard. "Pass the potatoes please, Leonard. We have to hurry. My show is coming up."

"The new one? 'The Block'?" Pastor Bob asked with interest as he passed the bowl onward to his mother.

"That's the one. I just love it. I think the romance between the two young mechs is so sweet."

"I love them. They had such a hard time in the migration. Settling in to peace in the city is daunting. They did after all lose track of the ship with their parents and their young son." Pastor Bob's Wife said as she buttered her ear of corn.

"That's what I was thinking," Mama Annie said nodding. She glanced at her son, Pastor Bob who was nodding too. She smiled.

-0-TBC June 26, 2013 edited


	348. Chapter 348

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 4: Blow back/Push back

-0-Midnight around the Earth

Bombs went off shattering glass and the peace of mind of millions of people in all the corners of the Earth. Security forces swept into but the bombers were already gone, disappearing into the ether like smoke. No one was killed. No one was really hurt. The bombs weren't designed to kill. They were designed to send a message.

Earth for Earthers. Aliens, go. Now.

-0-Sam Witwicky

He sat in his office working through masses of messages sorting out those from producers who would have him on their talk shows the next morning and those who wanted interviews, comments and the like in a dozen other medias and media markets around the world. There were two human Autobot faces to the world that were not military related, Warren Roberts and Sam Witwicky. Mikaela Barnes was the other but given the low key posture she took relating to her public relations management of the Autobot brief, she was still a lesser known entity. That didn't meant that she and Sam didn't cross lanes constantly.

The phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello."

"Hi, Sam. Where are you?"

"Mikaela! Hi. I'm in the office," Sam said sitting up straighter.

"I'm in the lobby. Have you eaten?" Mikaela's voice asked.

"No. I'll be right down," Sam said hanging up his phone. Jumping up, grabbing his coat, phone and pager, he hurried out disappearing into the elevator at the end of the hallway.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

The light was beginning to decline with the sun in the distance as night began to step forward. The base was under deconstruction as bots worked long and hard to dismantle the wreckage and remove rubble. Several stood shining light on the work as teams of technicians scrambled to get the base electrical and communications systems back up again.

Prime and Ironhide had left earlier going back to Alaska. Ratchet and Prowl remained behind to manage the base reclamation and assist the Alaska mission. Ratchet watched as the foundations of several buildings were cleared of the last bit of debris. Non essential personnel had been flown out heading for air bases in the states where they would be held in an information quarantine until the humans still in transit to do forensic investigations were finished. For now, military personnel were the ones still on base in the limited primitive housing crafted together around the two hangars.

:Ratchet:

:What?:

:Just letting you know Ravel has the older sparklings. Neo and Laret took Hero and Prowler:

:Thanks. Those names seem familiar:

:I hear you: Prowl grinned. :No news from Alaska yet:

:Thanks:

Ratchet looked around and saw the brilliant sunset over the ocean nearby. It was the glory of Diego, the sun and ocean. Now it just seemed lonely, alien and a little sinister. The sun and ocean didn't care. Things happened and they were content to do what they did without emotional entanglements. He almost envied them he thought as he moved forward to help gather debris together.

-0-Interior Alaska

It was as bright at night as it was that morning. The summer solstice insured that night would not come for weeks. The scene was organized as ships parked nearby housed the humans who retreated from the mosquitoes that plagued the tundra in massive black clouds. The bots on the other hand other than being annoyed were otherwise unaffected. The problem was below ground, not above.

Trevor Smith sat dejectedly in a shuttle, other soldiers and a bot relaxing nearby. He was as sad a young man as could be imagined. Epps who entered to get a drink from the cooler noticed him. "Smith."

Trevor looked up sharply. "Sarge?"

"You're up."

Smith looked at him, then stood uncertainly. He reached for his rifle and turned heading out with Epps. He followed Epps down the ramp and paused at the bottom. "Sargent … what do you mean?"

Epps turned and considered the youngster. "Your turn to stand guard."

He looked at Epps for a moment. "I want to help. I worked so hard to get here and I'm so sorry."

Epps looked at him, then nodded. "We know. Show us. Go and be useful," Bobby said nodding to the group standing around the entrance of the tunnel.

He looked at Epps a moment, his emotions plain on his face, then turned and hurried to the site to take the place of another member of the team. He would stand there for hours. Happily.

-0-Down below

Sideswipe hung on the wall trapped fast in the sticky gunk that Arachnid sprayed to hold him there. Beside him pretending to be unconscious, Drift hung trapped as well. :Drift:

:What?:

:What's the plan?:

Drift wanted to laugh but he held himself together. :I think Arachnid eviscerates us and makes a throne out of our afts. That's what they usually do. Other than that, I don't have a slagging clue:

Sideswipe considered that quashing a smirk himself. :Okay. You go first. Age before beauty:

Drift glanced at Sideswipe. :Pearls before swine: he replied.

Sitting nearby, Seizor noted the exchange. Leaning forward to look at his ped, he whispered to Runabout and the others. :The Autobots are awake. They're pretending:

:Let them. If this frags up and it doesn't look good so far, we're going to need extra guns. Arachnid is going to kill us all: Runabout replied.

The others nodded, glancing furtively at the two bots plastered to the wall of the cave. Nearby holding court, Arachnid preoccupied with the worshipful attentiveness of the giant insectoidal mechanisms didn't notice.

For now.

-0-Below the ground

Dev moved along the tunnel marking them as he went. They twisted and turned, all of them going somewhere but their ultimate ends were still a mystery. Insecticons were someone he had a lot of experience with and their hives had been explored by him more than once. Sometimes given enough time in a locale, they dug for the hell of it going great distances only to dead end or worse, land a bot in a hatchery.

He listened, then moved onward heading toward the sound of footsteps in numbers. He felt that he was getting close to the hive central. What he would do if he reached it he had no idea. But then that seldom slowed him down when on the scent. He disappeared into the dark murky silence of the tunnel.

-0-Behind him somewhere

Kup and Sunstreaker crept along pausing at the sound of footsteps, moving forward when it was silent again. They were following Sunstreaker's bond with Sideswipe. They had been joined by two Wrecker teams that had been dispatched and the group hugged the walls on each side as Kup and Sunny walked point. Dev had long since disappeared on his own, his formidable nearly infallible skills enough to make that acceptable for now. For their own part, they were close. The smell of the Insecticons was growing. It wouldn't be long now. They moved forward silently, heading onward into the darkness.

-0-In New York at a cafe

"Well, this is a fine mess," Mikaela said. "You're going to be hitting the talk shows tomorrow and giving interviews, you and Warren?"

"I am," Sam said as he cut his pastrami sandwich in half. "We have to do damage control and do it fast."

"You're talking to the architect of their image, Sam," Mikaela said as she took a bite from her strawberry crepe. "I am after all in charge of their brief. Exclusive charge I might add."

"I know," Sam said as he stirred his coffee. "You're doing a good job."

"Well, I did graduate from college with the proper degrees. I know it wasn't ivy league but it has a good reputation," she replied with a slight tartness in her tone.

Sam considered that. "I'm sorry," he said. "For a lot."

"Old business. We're in the midst of new business now. We have to preserve the bots and their status here. We can't let the bad guys win or we all die. No time for the small stuff. Like you and Carly."

Sam sat back regarding her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Mikaela looked at him, then smirked. "Do I have to spell it out?" she asked. "First, you and me are … hooked up. Then you play with Carly while that's happening. I dump you. You move in with Carly. While that's going on, you strike up a relationship with Jessie Landon who I really like."

"How do you know that any of that is true?" Sam asked defensively.

"I live on Mars too," Mikaela replied. "I have two eyes and an infallible ability to spot bullshit when I see it. After all, you cheated on me with that stick woman and I dumped you. See?" she concluded with a beautiful smile.

He looked at her, then leaned forward. "I didn't cheat on you."

"You did, **Ladiesman**," Mikaela said with a smirk. "You did. You should man up and admit it."

He looked at her, then sat back. "Maybe I did. I didn't mean to do it. I loved you. I still do. Maybe I always will."

She looked at him, then gathered her briefcase and phone. Rising, she looked down at him. "That's a nice line. I imagine you use it a lot. I would be very careful about Jessie. The twins adore her and told her if anyone fucks with her, they would tear that idiot apart. I wouldn't fuck with her, Sam."

Sam looked at her as he absorbed that bit of news. Watching as she walked away, he considered the new complication in his already complicated love life. "Oh great," he thought as images of the twins came into his mind. "Thanks, Mikaela," he whispered to himself.

-0-In Vos Tower, Metroplex District, Autobot City, Mars

They stood by the window looking out into the night, their servos entwined. The lights were bright outside as ships came and went in the sky overhead. Their tower looked out toward the new highway leading out to Terra and the new cities beyond.

Fifi who was delighted to have company for overnight looked at Hero who stood beside her. Smiling brilliantly, she patted the window. "Pretty."

Hero smiled. "I like the lights, Fifi."

Laret standing nearby sorting through a number of things for a lesson the next day looked at Hero. "That little lady is such a good speaker, Neo."

Neo came out of Fifi's berth room after preparing room for Hero in Fifi's utterly feminine crib. "She is a wonderful speaker. She just started. Roto says it happens once in a while but no one, not even Herling and Nova have ever seen it until now."

Prowler who lay on a blanket on the floor played with his servos as he watched lights play on the ceiling. He was content but he also wondered like Hero where everyone was. Neo and Laret were familiar faces and very kind. But they weren't Atar and Ada. He wondered where they were as his sister and her friend stood nearby at the window chatting and watching the pretty lights.

He was not happy.

-0-On the 49th floor, in the 24/25th apartment, Mare Tranquilitatis

Sunspot helped Ravel clean up the apartment after a hard afternoon of play and general horsing around. Spot followed Tie Down around as he gathered toys, grinning at the older mech in his tongue-lolling manner. Sunspot gripped Praxus by the servo and turned tugging him along. "Do you want to wash them tonight or in the morning, Grandada?" he asked.

Ravel paused, then smiled. "I think we can wash them now don't you?"

Sunspot considered that, then grinned. "I think it will be fun."

It was.

-0-Earlier that day

He stepped off the shuttle at the commercial airport facility that had just opened. The Autobot City Tour Company occupied part of it using it as a staging area for their ventures. He stood in the beautiful facility and was stunned as outside through floor to ceiling transparent steel windows a greatly expanded city could be seen. As he stood watching, a young mech walked up to him. "Are you Burnoff?"

The youngster looked at the stranger. "I am," he said uncertainly.

"I'm Topper. I work in the Probation Office. I'm here to meet you and let you know what you have to do for the next few orns. The Lunar site is off limits for habitation until we determine if the area is free of Decepticon infiltration."

Burnoff blinked. "They're doing that? Inside the system?"

"Apparently," Topper said looking at the mound of baggage that had been placed on a hand cart. "Is this your stuff?" he asked.

"It is. I've been busy. I have a lot of research and designs and things here," Burnoff said turning to look over the pile of stuff that filled boxes and cases. "I'm hoping it can be taken to my genitor's apartment for safekeeping."

"We'll send it. We need to go to the Courthouse and speak to your caseworker. That way we can settle you in while you're here," Topper said turning to go. "Your stuff will be taken care of. Come on, Burnoff. Let's go."

Burnoff turned and walked with Topper out of the terminal taking a left turn to walk up Airport Highway to toward the Fortress and city beyond. They would go up Metroplex Highway at the junction taking a right turn. The walk to the courthouse was made through the masses of citizens who were going about their business. The city had grown a bit and he had followed the news. However, nothing prepared him to be in the midst of such growth. It was unnerving after months of solitude.

-0-On their way

Turquoise walked with Copperton to the Courthouse to meet with the review board that was handling the possibility of commuting or adapting the conditions of their son's incarceration. They had applied at the earliest possible time for consideration, getting approval for a short hearing to discuss the possibility.

Entering the courthouse, they took an elevator to the seventh floor, exiting to walk to the Office of Probation that took up the far end of the floor with its offices and conference rooms. Checking with the desk, they were directed to conference room 5 where they entered to sit by themselves.

Their attorney and their son's caseworker had already discussed the appeal with the magistrate. They would be meeting to tell them the outcome of the petition. Entering, smiling at the couple, Blackstone and Burnoff's case manager, Stepper greeted them. Then all sat.

They nearly shimmered with nervous energy as they sat quietly, uncharacteristically submissive in their manner. The months had changed them, their son's plight burning away the old mechs and replacing them with something new.

Something much better it would seem.

"Copperton, Turquoise, I have discussed the petition with Semi in a magistrate hearing of petition with Stepper present to present your son's progress as Burnoff's case manager. We put all the points forward, showed his psychological examinations and his educational attainments. We have asked the magistrate to allow for a Prime Review of the sentencing to request that Burnoff serve his sentence here under supervision as you requested. Semi has approved the petition for submission to the Office of the Prime."

Copperton and Turquoise looked ready to pass out. They held each others servo, then sat straighter. "That is so glorious. I wish I could express my abject gratitude for your efforts on behalf of our son," Copperton said as Turquoise nodded.

Blackstone grinned. "It is our pleasure. Your son has exceeded our expectations. He's remade himself."

"He has," Turquoise said nodding. "Burnoff is so remorseful. He's dedicated himself to making himself as useful to the city as he can. He's so creative. He has a lot of things in process. He wants to have an office and laboratory when he comes back so he can work and create whatever the city needs. He's doing so well."

"And you? Both of you?" Blackstone asked.

"I am on a construction crew. I review the designs but most of the time I work as a laborer. The mechs are helping me learn what I need to know but I find it intensely fulfilling."

"Copperton has helped build Phobos and Crystal City. His crew does the foundations and lays the first steel for the towers," Turquoise said proudly. "I am working on isolating the code glitch for the soldier-adas. I think I am getting close. I do hope so. Our soldiers need help."

Blackstone and Stepper nodded. "We have information to report as well about Burnoff. You have been following the news on Earth. Very bad tidings indeed." The two nodded. "We had to evacuate the moon until it can be scanned because the enemy is burrowing underground and we can't read their signatures to find them when they do that. So Burnoff has been returned here for his safety."

They looked at the pair shocked, then each other. Turquoise half raised, then sat. "Is he here? What do we do? Can we see him?"

Blackstone grinned. "Yes. We want to tell you first about the status of his residency while here. He will be wearing a tracking device but he can live at your apartment for now. He has to stay there and get permission to go out of the building."

That is as far as Blackstone got before the sheer joy of Copperton and Turquoise's happiness drowned out further conversation for a moment.

TBC June 26, 2013


	349. Chapter 349

NOTE: There are new cars for TF4. A Bugatti 2013 car tentatively called Drift and a 2014 Corvette concept called Slingshot. Hound is confirmed. :D Update: I took a snooze for a moment and its now 2 in the morning. TGIF. :D Oh and the episode of TFP last night? OMG. Its on you tube. Try TheJackie1768 for HD. Bless whoever that is and you didn't hear it here. :D

-0-And now that I'm conscious again, on with the show...

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 5: Blow Back/Push Back

-0-Under the ground

Hound paused looking at the ground again. They were getting close to high traffic habitation because the heavy divots in the ground were fresh. The edges were still sharp. He looked back at the team behind them, then felt tremors. Rising, he gestured them to pull back and they did falling into a defensive posture down the long tunnel.

Ahead of them, the tiny darkest place indicating the junction was inky for a moment, then lightened as the presence of someone coming was made clear. They waited expectantly, their weapons poised for the worst kind of fighting, tight intense combat in a tightly confined space.

Someone wasn't going to walk away from it and they were determined that it wouldn't be them.

-0-Earth at the same time

They met in small groups in the halls of congresses, unions, parliaments and assemblies all over the world to discuss the 42 bombs that had been exploded at the same time in 42 major cities of the world. They detonated at midnight Greenwich Mean Time and had sent a message.

They weren't big enough to do real damage. They were designed to send a message that it was time to take action and send the aliens away permanently. Now was the time to listen before real trouble came. The first volley in the war for the hearts, minds … and fear levels of the people of Earth had begun. Now was the time to know that not everyone followed the official line. Some were ready to fight for their version of freedom without fear or conscience interfering with their avowed goals.

No one died in the bombings. Things were damaged. Propaganda was left at the sites along with the now ubiquitous 'Earth for Earthers! All Aliens Leave! Now!' No one was hurt.

This time.

-0-At an apartment in Vos Tower

Neo stood holding an unhappy baby. He had been fussy all night long falling into recharge finally in the early morning. Prowler missed his family. His family was missing him but they were hip deep in hoo-hah.

"I think he wants Ada." Hero looked up with an anxious expression on her pretty little face.

Neo looked down and nodded. "I know, darling. But Ada is working. They will be home soon. Until then, you and Prowler will live with us. Fifi is so happy to have you both."

Fifi who was standing beside Hero turned and hugged her tightly. "Hero is good, Naneth."

"I think so too. In fact, I think you and Hero should have breakfast at your table. Like a picnic," Neo said with a smile. Laret who was fixing their meals nodded and turned. "Come, babies. Breakfast is served."

Both femmes looked at Laret and smiled. Fifi took Hero's servo and they followed entering Fifi's room walking to the tiny table and chairs by the window. Laret put their bowls down and pulled back the gauzy curtains that hung over the windows, their folds pooling on the floor like a shimmering white cloud. They sat and looked up smiling. "You begin. I will get your glasses," Laret said as she walked past an ecstatic Neo.

Prowler whimpered. He would continue to do so for some time.

-0-Early morning on Earth

Ratchet rose from his corner of the hangar and stretched getting the kinks out of his coils. Glancing around, scanning every living thing within two miles of himself, he felt satisfied that things were in servo. He stepped out and looked at the slowly lightening sky above. Streaks of brilliant red and orange began to form and the sea began to emerge from the darkness. Morning was coming to Diego Garcia. :Ironhide:

:Ratchet:

:What's up?:

:They're getting close. Not much more to say:

:Frag that:

:I hear ya:

They chatted a bit before the base began to re-emerge from its overnight torpor and the hard work of rebuild began again.

-0-In the Hive Central

They sat in some sort of enthrallment around Arachnid who lounged on her outcropping of rock like a queen. The vibe of the place had down turned, tension building layer by layer like frosting on a very bad cake. Each level increased the malevolence of the last. She had their complete obedience and attention. Nothing anywhere could break that connection and she knew it.

Nearby watching with growing levels of fear and loathing, several Decepticons considered their situation. Seizor glanced at Runabout and Runamuck, both of them looking as jaundiced about their situation as he did. :We are going to be fragged in a second:

Runabout nodded. :We better be ready to fight:

:They outnumber us a zillion to one: Runamuck said.

:We need the Autobots: Seizor said. He looked at the mass of softly buzzing Insecticons before him, then glanced at the two Autobots. :Hey. Autobots:

It was silent a moment, then pings were sent. :What?:

:She's going to frag us. You can be on our side or die here alone: Seizor considered all of the exits and possibilities as he scanned the local vicinity. There was exits down three tunnels and none down two others. Insecticons were coming down those, possibly because Arachnid called them. It would be brutal to try and escape that way. :Are you in or out?:

:In: Sideswipe replied. Drift pinged his agreement. :What about our weapons?:

:You still have them. We plastered you. No one expected you to last this long: Runamuck replied, his optics never leaving Arachnid.

:What's the plan?: Drift asked.

:When the roof caves in, be ready to run. Follow me and keep up: Seizor said.

They pinged their approval and waited. Beyond them, the masses grew and the rumble of their approval of their queen could be felt in the earth around them.

-0-On the air

The pundits were going to town on the violence that had happened overnight around the world. Much was made of the 'growing disapproval' of the presence of aliens in their midst and the attack that had been visited on the base in Diego. Even though preliminary polling still held public opinion strongly in favor of the Autobots staying to add a level of protection that most polled were inclined to agree humans didn't possess themselves, pundits still chirped as if the data was otherwise. The talk shows on radio and television were brutal with the friends of sanity making slow going against the forces of reaction and wishful thinking.

Around the office water coolers, the CB lines and work places of America and elsewhere, the need to have them stay was understood even as the mechanics of their being here met with this kind of response from dissenting humans. It would be a long day for everyone as a handful of mechs and their human partners tracked an intractable foe underground.

-0-Out there

They came in their big ships following the signal of the one known as enemy to their partners. They had been burned by Megatron and were looking for more information about the aliens that had so cavalierly used them in their plans of conquest. The Great Hierarch had decided to send an emissary to the one whom the Metallic God had wanted destroyed. They were going to see what the enemy had to say.

They didn't usually make this gesture but something about the Metallic God had been off. More needed known. The Others, the Killers had joined Megatron whole heartedly. They themselves didn't associate with the Killers. They hated and warred with them but the Metallics had been remarkable and enticing in their offer to allow them free range to hunt anyone on a conquered world they wanted once the enemy was dead.

The captain of the ship sat on his throne and considered their position. If the Hish aligned with the wrong side, then war would continue after the goal was achieved against a strengthened 'ally', one who had aligned with the Killers. That would throw the balance of power off and they would be hunting each other too in the end.

It would take a real measure of the other before they could be certain that the alliance they had made was worth the trouble of association. The Great Hierarch didn't think so. That was good enough for them. They continued onward into the inky darkness of space heading for the place where the enemy lived in a fortified solar system.

-0-In Iowa

They sat down to lunch with friends in a restaurant outside the capital. They were part of the local militia movement and belonged secretly to the Resistance. Their politics were well known and they acted on them as much as they could in their official elected capacities. Both of them were important in the legislature. She was an elected state delegate and he was state's attorney general.

Their friends were like minded and they were elated with the overnight news. The bombing campaign would shake the resolve of the world they believed, bringing down the polls regarding aliens among the populations. William Smith was feeling no pain as he ate his steak. His wife, Leigh was also in a good mood. "This is a great salad," she said with a smile. "This is a great day period."

The friends with them, militia all nodded. "Have you heard from your son yet?" a woman named Lana asked.

"Not yet. We know he deployed to Diego. He could very well be in the middle of the attack," she replied.

"What do you suppose that means?" another asked with the ghost of worry. "Have you heard whether he's injured or not?"

"The wounded were taken to Ramstein. He wasn't among them so we were notified not to worry. I think that it means the Autobots are frauds. They allowed Decepticons to be here even when they said the system was safe. It can't work out to their benefit in the long run," Brenda replied.

"Do you really believe that the Decepticons are here for them and will leave when they do?" she asked again.

"They will," William said firmly.

"Why don't they attack Mars if they want them? Why do they come here if they know where the Autobots are?" Lana asked.

Leigh glanced at her, a frown forming on her face. "They are seeking to divide us. When the Autobots leave, so will they. What do we have that they need?"

No one said anything, then the conversation changed.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

The planes landed and humans deplaned walking in groups toward the base. They were forensics experts coming to exam the damage and make the necessary reports to the necessary people. On Earth, the opposition in the United States Senate and House were already making demands for answers and appearances from bots to explain what happened and how it could be prevented in future. The same was true of treaty signatories in other places. The voices of reaction were reacting.

On the ground at ground zero, the effort continued to repair and replace that which was destroyed. The groups arrived at the hangars and paused as soldiers met them. Coming behind, her heels and skirts incongruous in the devastation, Charlotte Mearing homed in like a lazer guided missile, a purse burdened subordinate or two hurrying along behind.

Ratchet had been aware of her from the moment she popped out of the plane and being senior Autobot officer on the scene, it fell to him to maintain order and protect everyone including the troops. This would be their first clash, the two of them and he was determined to win. She came to the groups and looked up at him. "Ratchet, I want to talk to you."

"Get in line," Ratchet said calmly. "These men were here first."

The investigators stood watching the exchange. The woman had made it clear to them on the way to the base that she was in charge and all of their questions, findings and concerns would be addressed to her first. Their leader, a man named Bob Paxton disabused her otherwise. They were neutral in this operation only interested in the truth. They reported to others and she could call them.

She did.

"I would like a tour of this facility, Ratchet. I want to see the damage," she said.

Ratchet considered that, then made an internal call. A beautiful bot came forward from nearby and paused. "Jolt, the emissary here wants a 'tour'." Ratchet grinned.

The youngster clarifying the extent the tour should take internally grinned himself. "Sure," he said. Then he transformed. The entire group including Mearing looked at the youngster in car mode and blinked. A door opened.

"Get in. Jolt will give you a tour. You won't regret it," he said as she complied and he peeled out like a maniac. "Much," he added to the enjoyment of all there including her aides.

Jolt would drive madly all around the island for a half hour with Mearing screaming, swearing and pounding on his dash the entire time. When he finally pulled up in front of the hangar, she would be livid.

Ratchet on the other servo would be busy with more important things than placating her ego and sparring. He wouldn't care a bit.

-0-TBC June 29, 2013 *Fixed a name glitch for the Smiths. Brenda and Ralph were on the list one place before the correct names. They actually come in later in another part. :D Thank you, Guest for catching that. :D:D:D


	350. Chapter 350

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 7: Blow Back/Push Back (350) (Thank you, Guest honey. Ralph/Brenda come later. William/Leigh, the names below them on the list was who Trevor's parents were supposed to be. I fixed it. :D:D:D )

-0-Diego Garcia, on the ground

He came racing in and slammed on the brakes spinning in a 180 degree arc as he came to an abrupt stop. The door of the car opened and she half slid out, her hair all akimbo and her skirt half over her head. She pushed herself back into the seat and adjusted things before stepping out lit like a roman candle. Ratchet who had scanned her stood impassively, his optics filled with merriment and his internal conversation with Jolt equally joyful.

Jolt transformed when she was clear and stood staring down with amusement at the human who had been surprisingly strong. Parts of his anatomy would be sore for a while from the beating he had taken from her while in transit but it had been worthwhile.

:That was fun:

:You are a caution, youngling. You have exceeded expectations. But then, you are that far along the awesome scale: Ratchet said to the beaming youngling soldier who moved to stand next to him. A fatherly regard hit him as the youngling moved closer to Ratchet. He squeezed Jolt's shoulders, then turned his attention to the livid human femme standing before him adjusting her hair and jacket. He placed a pleasant look on his sweet face and waited.

"**YOU WILL REGRET THAT! YOU AND THAT FUCKING TOASTER STANDING NEXT TO YOU! I AM THE DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF THE ENTIRE AUTOBOT BRIEF! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO DO THIS TO A FULLY ACCREDITED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!?"**

Ratchet knelt. He regarded her. "I am the medic who helped dig out the dead. I am the medic who under fire got shot rescuing human soldiers and civilians from a terrible enemy. I am the officer in charge of the refit of this base having been granted that authority not only from **MY** government but from the base commander and the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs too. I am the individual who has a son in the custody of the enemy with little prospect that he will be rescued. I am the one who has to suffer fools that have no respect for where they are or what's going on. Three humans are dead here. Maybe that means nothing to you but to us," he said nodding toward Jolt, "that is unacceptable. Instead of being in Alaska helping to find my son, I'm here directing the recovery of this base and taking care of everyone here including traumatized human civilians and soldier colleagues. I am nine million years old. I am older than your species as a sentient entity. I am a bond, a parent, a grandparent, a doctor, a soldier and a diplomat representing a world, government and people that were ancient when your world still had dinosaurs. That is who and what I am, Ms Mearing. The question is … who are you to come here without respect and make things harder than they are?"

She looked at him without emotions, then glanced around. "Who is the senior human here and where can I find them?"

"The 'senior human' was wounded but ambulatory. Before I let you 'find' him I want to tell you I have the authority to brig your sorry aft if you decide to throw your weight around. We are at Defcon 4 and martial law is imposed on this island by your government with total base wide authority granted to me. I don't care if you feel your authority is real or perceived, Ms Mearing, but our base and everyone here is harmed. Do not and I repeat, do not add to it with poor or boorish behavior."

She stared at Ratchet and he stared back, the two seemingly in the midst of a personal duel. "You have my word."

Ratchet nodded. "I hope its worth something but given you are here in the grand tradition of Ted Galloway, you will have to earn respect. The officer in charge is Major Andrew Sewell. He's in the next hangar."

She nodded and with an angry glance at Jolt, she walked that way and disappeared inside.

"Ratchet?"

"What, youngling?" Ratchet asked regarding the young soldier next to him with great fondness.

"What are dinosaurs?"

"I don't know." Ratchet grinned. "Someone told me that they're like Grimlock."

"Oh joy," Jolt said with a grin. "They have them too?"

"Apparently," Ratchet said as he squeezed the youngling's shoulders. "I think they need power at the administration building, youngling."

"On it," he said as he turned with a smile and walked away.

Ratchet on the other servo jacked up his audials and listened into the conversation Mearing was having with Major Sewell. He was ready to swoop in and grapple with her once more if she showed the only side of her that Ratchet had seen so far but it wasn't necessary. She kept her word.

-0-In one of the big common rooms in 'The Hall' as the Guild Hall was known among city denizens

The room was huge and had tables and chairs arranged for meetings, parties and gatherings. A long line of tables stretched along a far wall and they were groaning with dishes, most of them traditional Cybertronian fare. Vin and Joon stood in the doorway with their own dish and two bottles of very good high grade from the much desired and worshiped Stanix regional recipe.

They glanced at each other, then straightened their shoulders walking in to put things down. Hundreds of individuals were there, all of them happily conversing together, some of them reuniting after long separation. They were greeted heartily, some of those meeting long time friends, co-workers and fellow administrators of high rank.

A banner on the wall proclaimed their association, the Iacon Order. They made their way to the table setting their things down and were picked off by their friends to socialize.

-0-Below ground in Interior Alaska

:Runamuck, you cut the first bot free. Runabout, you cut the other one down. When I fire at that big stalactite on the ceiling over Arachnid, you do that and run. Autobots, do you understand?:

Two pings greeted that question so Seizor stood and pretended to stretch. Aftershock, Techtonix and Fracture, the rest of the Tremorcon team sat passively as he did although their minds were going through the moves they needed to accomplish to make it to the door and beyond. The path chosen was one of the three clear of Insecticons, one that led down before it went up again. They would leave this space, run down the tunnel until they came to the first junction. Then the Tremorcons would do what they did best, cave in the structure behind them.

:Sideswipe, are you ready?: Drift asked.

:I was ready orns ago: Sideswipe replied.

The two raised their helms and looked at Arachnid who was still communing with her minions. The tension in the room was enormous, the next move hair trigger moments away from happening as the angst level of the bugs was rising. Then Seizor stood and subbed a big weapon pointing it at a small nearly imperceptible fracture line in a giant stalactite hanging over Arachnid.

When he did, he fired.

-0-At the Hall in Autobot City, Mars

The conversation continued as bots got their food and drink. Some sat at the tables to dine and chat, others stood in groups eating, laughing, joking, catching up. It could have been any informal gathering on Cybertron. He himself had held such dinner groups in Tyger Pax himself. He had done so ignoring the fact that the families of the low castes who served them probably didn't have good food, housing or health care. He didn't care then. He cared desperately now.

Joon glanced from where she stood with friends toward her bond, noting his tension and angst. He was good at masking it but she could see and feel how he felt. He was as loathsomely out of place here as was she. This ship had been burned to bits on the surface of Cybertron, what remained of their caste notions falling away in the desperate escape to nowhere that they could imagine could exist. They had fled in the Diaspora without any idea of where they were going to go.

The insecurity and fear that the majority of their people had lived everyday in the sacred space of Cybertron, they learned in the random uncertain terror of fleeing. Where do you go when there's nowhere that can be safe, secure, hopeful? They found out. It took a long time to find a neutral colony that had been left alone in the chaotic aftermath of The Fall.

They had landed, a ragtag collection of barely functional ships and the locals had taken them in. The colony was home for low, mid and high castes who had learned to live together under a simple unifying ideal.

Everyone mattered equally.

He had been changed and even though he had a way to go, he had become a fundamentally different mech than he was on Cybertron. The road had been laid out before him and he was a seeker trying to find redemption, hope and a better path.

The Circle of Light had a large impact in the population of the colony, their purpose to preserve the ancient culture of their species through learning and pacifism a major part of their lifestyle. He had met Dai Atlas and others who had listened to his halting apologies and accepted that he could transform himself through works of contrition. He had undertaken that with gusto, Joon by his side. By the time the colony had been forced to move he was a member of the Colonial Council, a Circle member granted much respect and someone who was noted for his generosity, kindness and respect for everyone.

He had been totally reborn.

The Circle tattoo on his shoulder, he wore with pride. He had an appointment to add the Autobrand along with Joon when Fenix had become a problem. Putting off doing so, he and Joon agreed to listen and see if the Order posed a threat to the colony. Fenix walked to where he stood and smiled. "I'm glad you and Joon came, Vin. We're very happy to see old friends."

"Thank you," Vin said nodding. "It's good to talk to bots we haven't seen in years." he said truthfully. "Thank you for including us."

"We are trying to rebuild our numbers and voice, Vin. We don't have any profile here. Prime won't allow it."

"The System is outlawed. What do you expect to do about it given that we are so few?" Vin asked curiously. Joon stared into her drink in the hope that her feelings about the topic wouldn't betray her. Fenix didn't notice so intent was he in convincing Vin that their cause wasn't dead even here.

"We want to build our own colony. We have chosen a site 100 miles away near adequate energon deposits. It would be built on a small mesa and would be accessible by shuttles and other flight modes."

"I assume Prime is opposed?" Vin asked.

Fenix frowned. "He is. He won't even entertain the idea. He said that there are security concerns and other considerations that preclude this from happening. We would be an asset, Vin. We would be able to demonstrate the virtues of the past by our own example."

"You have engineers, construction workers and the like among the high castes who will do the labor of building the city then?" Vin asked.

Fenix glanced at him with a slight smirk. "We have the designs and schematics already drawn up. What we would need are workers. We can get them from among the city here. After all, we are 2.5 million strong from the last migration. It will only get bigger with more bodies to do the construction of our colony."

"It would be a colony then. Subject to the Prime or independent?" Vin asked.

"Independent," Fenix said nodding. "We are done with Prime. He has no interest in our needs or ideas. We are excluded from positions of authority and power. At least two and maybe more high castes have been murdered in the city so far. We aren't ready to become victims, Vin. We are prepared to leave this metro area in order to not only save our culture but to protect each other from the capriciousness of the Prime and the revenge of the citizens here."

"I haven't detected anything but welcome so far, Fenix," Vin said as Joon nodded. "I am surprised at this."

"You need to open your optics, Vin," Fenix said. "When you're here longer you will see."

Vin considered that, then nodded. "I can imagine," he said soothingly. "I'm going to pay attention to things then."

Fenix looked relieved and nodded. "You will find the city is getting even with us for their perceptions."

Vin nodded. "What have you found to do now, Fenix?" Vin said changing the subject.

"I am the lawyer for the Patent office."

Vin nodded. "That sounds great. Tell me about it," he said as he steered the younger mech toward the high grade.

-0-Underground

The sound of fire slammed around the room ending the growing murmur of the Insecticons. Everyone froze and looked their way, the expression on Arachnid's face especially startled. Then the ceiling fell on her and her minions as dust filled the room and the light faltered in the vast chamber.

Fracture jumped at Drift and ripped the webbing away, falling back to run for the doorway. Drift spun and pulled Sideswipe free, the pair shooting into the melee nearby randomly. The others flashed past and they followed, night vision and Fracture's running lights allowing enough vision for them to find their way. It was a mad scramble, the dash to make distance between the mob who was still digging out and themselves making subtlety irrelevant.

-0-Above ground

"We have movement down deep," Wheeljack said turning to call out to Prime. The command team walked over to the station Wheeljack and Perceptor were running nearby out of a shuttle. A seismographic device sat on a table, long probes piercing the ground nearby feeding information directly to it. Prime and the others gathered around. "We're getting readings of substantial seismic intensity down deep, Prime," Wheeljack said. Pointing to the screen, he showed the data. "It would appear that structural failure happened here, perhaps induced by gunfire. It could be that Sideswipe and Drift got free and blew down the ceiling to slow the 'Cons down."

Prime nodded. "If there are other Decepticons among the group, they might have decided to cut their loses and end their association with Arachnid. It could be that bot is playing her own hand."

"They would have obeyed her. I had a run in with her and a group of them on Talus V. They obeyed her like they were mindless. They are of a type," Ironhide said nodding.

Prime nodded. "If they are on the run, we will have to rescue Decepticons with them too. The protocol teams never fully relied on one format without adding others too. Arachnid would consider them the enemy now as well. Do we have any kind of understanding over the position of our rescue teams?"

"We have movement all around, Prime. We would have trouble sorting out who is what. I would say that when the Insecticons get themselves unwound, we will be able to track them because of the force of their numbers."

Prime nodded, then turned to Ironhide. "I want Blurr here immediately."

Ironhide nodded and turned rushing off to the shuttle nearby as Prowl watched solemnly. He disappeared inside as Prime turned to Wheeljack and Perceptor. "Get the best picture of what's going on underground and get ready to give it to Blurr. I want him to catch up with our teams and fill them in. We need to make this happen now."

Wheeljack and Perceptor turned and began to work as Prime looked at the big hole. Down in the ground mechs were moving perhaps into real trouble. He had to give them the heads up.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Ratchet walked out of the comm hangar and looked around. **:BLURR! FRONT AND CENTER!:**

The sound of a powerful engine could be heard as a blue concept car rounded a pile of rubble. He raced to Ratchet and skidded to a stop. Transforming, he looked at Ratchet with intensity. "What?"

"We have a vital, vital mission for you and we need your speed and smarts. Get on that shuttle," Ratchet said pointing to where Cosmos was transforming, "and report to Prime. Be good and be fast. Be safe," Ratchet said.

Blurr nodded and turned hurrying to Cosmos. He entered the shuttle and they disappeared into the sky. Ratchet watched a moment considering his son and the fluid situation regarding him. Then he turned and walked back inside to continue to manage the base and the outside forces that would have his helm on a platter.

-0-TBC June 30, 2013 edited

Happy end of June. The Festival of Primus is coming up in a few. It is a July event in this story. It took place a year ago in July. An actual real year. :D

**NOTES:** Some of the awesomeness that is Jolt: "Jolt has a tendency towards mischief making. Like any prankster, he's pretty impulsive and if trouble rears its head you can bet Jolt is going to try to be in the middle of it. (Though he more often ends behind it, mostly out of focus as luck would turn out.- the movies) Luckily, he's got the fighting ability to make sure his head stays on his shoulders, utilizing electric whips in battle. He loves to act crazy in battle: it disorients and confuses the Decepticons, drawing them in close so he can whip 'em! When Jolt goes too long without expending his built-up electricity, he gains the ability to charge his body with static, shooting lightning everywhere." TFwiki source material.

Jolt was created in the TF universes as a Decepticon. He's always been a Decepticon but for Bayverse. He's also very young as well. He likes comic books. :D :D :D

Blaster has been a broadcaster and had a newscast on Cybertron, on the ABN, Autobot Broadcast news. :D Autobots tended to be militarized civilian patriots while the Decepticons got the fed up military and criminals. Ironhide actually defected from the army to the Autobots in at least one universe. :D

Interesting factoids about Dai Atlas (Dei Atlas – God Map). He was a pacifist who didn't trust Prime because Prime was dedicated to saving Cybertron through war when Atlas felt it was a better idea leaving and making a place elsewhere than continuing a battle where more innocents would die. He rekindled the Knights of Cybertron, founded New Crystal City and returned to battle when his friend, Wing was killed. (He's not a weenie. He's a patriot and will fight if the reason is good. -me) More from the wiki:

"Safe inside Crystal City, Dai Atlas wrestled with his decision as he watched his friends and comrades battle from afar. The death of Wing at the hands of the lead Slaver (who had attacked their colony. Wing transformed Drift from a real dickhead to a hero and Circle/Knight -me) was too much for him to bear and it rekindled his fighting spirit. Dai Atlas raised Crystal City from beneath the sands and led the full compliment of Cybertronians there into battle against their foes. The tide of battle turned quickly with these reinforcements and the citizens of Crystal City soon stood triumphant. Dai Atlas declared that the Circle of Light would no longer hide in secret and that the Knights would go forth (to) allow their message to be heard. He named Drift the latest of the Knights and passed on Wing's great sword to him. (Drift, issue 4)

"Dai Atlas's certain belief in the Knights of Cybertron was one of the reasons Drift used to try and convince others to join him and Rodimus on a quest to find them. Optimus Prime and Prowl remained unconvinced, with Optimus describing Dai Atlas and his Circle of Light as a cult."

Dai Atlas is a remarkable figure worshiped for his ideas and courage by millions.


	351. Chapter 351

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 8: Push Back/Blow Back

-0-Underground: Interior Alaska

They hurried as fast as they could bouncing off the tunnel walls as they went down into the earth heading away from the shrieking mayhem slowly fading behind them. They reached the junction and hurried up a tunnel that looked promising. As they did Aftershock and Fracture stopped and began to do what they do so well. They began to slam their hydraulic fists into the wall along fracture lines. Stone began to crumble and dirt fell filling the air with dust and debris.

Drift ran with Sideswipe who transformed into peds. The ground was spongy as the permafrost began to accommodate the inclusion of air and humidity from the tunneling. When they were far down the tunnel they all paused and listened. The Tremorcons were wired in and stood in conversation with each other. Tremblers underfoot indicated that the structure down the tunnel was beginning to fall in. After a moment in silence, Aftershock and Fracture appeared. **"GO!"** Fracture yelled. They all turned as one and did.

-0-Above ground

He ran to the hole and jumped in disappearing from sight. The others stood looking downward as the blue form of the fastest known living thing in the galaxy that had sentience disappeared immediately. Prime and Ironhide stood stoically alongside of Springer as the trio waited for news from Blurr.

Any news.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Glenn Morshower came from the hangar where he had been in lengthy conferences with a long list of individuals. Andrew Sewell who limped along with him from a minor but painful wound headed to where Ratchet knelt. He was talking to some civilians who needed to express things including the hope that they could call their families. Ratchet had no idea if they could be he listened sympathetically as they asked.

Glenn paused beside Ratchet and gave the group directions about how to manage a message. They walked off gratefully, heading to the communications hangar to call home. Ratchet held out his servos and the two climbed on riding upward as Ratchet stood up. "Thank you for handling Mearing for me just now, Ratchet. I have no patience for bullshit at the moment."

"Consider it a solid," Ratchet said with a grin. "How were the calls?"

"The usual yelling, the usual how come you didn't know? That sort of thing," Morshower said tiredly.

"The press are calling Warren's office and asking for information, perhaps visits. What about that?" Ratchet asked as they headed toward Omega and the temporary command center set up there.

"Not yet," Morshower replied. "We have the investigation teams to contend with and Mearing. Maybe when we get something up again we can allow it."

"I checked with Ops Center on Mars and they say that the buildings are coming along fast. They were moved up to first priority on the list," Ratchet said.

"You don't have to do that, Ratchet," Morshower said as he relaxed in Ratchet's servo.

"We know. We will do it anyway," Ratchet replied as he walked up the ramp, disappearing into Omega as he did.

-0-In the melee

She pushed rubble off her body, the dents and pains inflicted there driving her to a near mania. Then she calmed herself as her minions dug out with her. They were incensed, their shrill cries filling the darkened room with spine tingling tones. :Minions, hear me: she said as the room instantly stilled, the monsters turning toward their queen in absolute obedience. :They are getting away. We will let them. Right now, we are going to go away. Come with me and obey:

With that, she turned heading out through a tunnel in the far end of the huge cavern. Behind her, hordes of Insecticons followed. In a very short time, the chamber was empty of life.

-0-After an informal party

They stepped up from the underground, the bracing cold of a dying orn feeling refreshing after a party where they had discovered nothing in common with those attending. Walking along silently, Vin glanced down at Joon. "We need to talk to someone."

"Maybe someone in the Circle can tell us who to talk to, Vin. I don't know the structure here yet," Joon said nodding in agreement. "Let's go to the dojo in the Cultural Center. Someone told me that Circle mechs and femmes hang out there and they would tell us who to see."

"Good idea," Vin said as they turned toward the Mare Tranquilitatis. They merged with the crowd and were gone.

-0-Up high

Laret stood by the window holding Prowler who was crying. His crying was tiny and sad. She swayed gently, the infant lying in her arms wrapped in soft blankets. For a moment, she was lost in the beauty beyond as night came to the city. Then she felt rather than saw optics upon her. She looked down and smiled. "Hero."

"He cries."

"I know. He misses his home and routine," Laret replied. "How are you, my darling?"

Her chin quivered. "I miss my atar and ada."

"They miss you too, darling. But you are brave. You can manage this and be a good example for your brother, right?"

Hero looked at Laret, a femme that she adored. Her brother was crying, his sound wan from the near joor that he had wept. Then she nodded, her chin quivering and her optics misting. "I will try," she said equally sad.

Fifi looked at Hero, then her nana. "Nana? Hero cry?"

"I hope not, my baby," Laret said with a grin.

The night would creep forward slowly.

-0-Underground

They ran through the underground for what seemed like forever turning this way and that as they made their way to an exit that had been part of the vast honeycomb of tunnels that was home for so long. They had lain dormant, Arachnid included waiting for the signal from Megatron. Then some of the mechs had come out of stasis wandering around exploring. The tunneling that they had done was incredible. Ten thousand years of nothing to do but dig had resulted in thousands of miles of tunnels that ran from Alaska southward to the continental United States as well as Canada.

When they reached the exit they sought, Arachnid paused and looked at the masses that were coming along behind. "I want you to go to the rendezvous place. Fly under the waves. They can't trace you yet. The rest of you will go south through the tunnels to the meeting place. Burrow in and await my signal. No one is to wander or let them know that you are there until I tell you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, my queen," vast voices said in unison. Then they moved past her falling from the cliff side into the sea. They disappeared almost immediately flying through the water as they made their way to the place where they would await her command. The others turned and continued onward running through the darkness on the way to a great series of caverns where they would not be exposed or hunted. When they at last were gone, Arachnid smiled. "Round one to us," she said as she on lined her guns. She fired into the holes and collapsed them. Listening for the enemy, she heard nothing.

"Time to go," she said as she transformed into a Cybertronian ship. Erecting a false signature of a commercial private jet, she flew off into the sky heading for the place of concealment. She was gone in moments.

-0-Underground

Blurr raced with haste moving through the darkness with his headlights on. There was no point in keeping stealth going now. His objective was to find the teams and inform them of the data so far collected. He raced into the darkness and disappeared.

-0-Devcon

He knelt and listened to the sound of thousands of footfalls, or so it seemed. A mass was heading his way and he had to move. Turning, he ran fast up the tunnel he had come through heading for a broken tunnel that had been abandoned long ago. He climbed over rubble and pressed back into a small space dialing down his systems so they would barely register on sensors.

Just as he did, a mass began to race past, a mass of Insecticons on their way to somewhere. Some crawled on the ceiling, others ran in a long continuous line before his hiding place. They appeared to be doing someone's bidding he thought as he watched their nearly mindless exodus.

It seemed forever before they were all past and he stayed put waiting until he was sure. When the silence began to stretch into the third breem, he clambered out and turned heading back the way they had come. He disappeared into the dark.

-0-Nearby

Kup led his portion of the rescue team down his side of the tunnel heading toward the increasing presence of Insecticons. As he did, the sound of someone coming up behind them was noted. They froze and turned, their weapons focused on bounding lights coming their way in a huge hurry. The lights bounced off the walls, the sound of a powerful engine filling the space with its menace as the unknown came closer.

When the intruder turned the corner he came to a screeching halt in the face of more than a dozen guns. "It's me. Blurr."

Everyone relaxed, then Kup looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"The place is rumbling. Prime thinks Drift and Sideswipe broke free and collapsed the tunnels. He doesn't want you caught in the fall out without intell." Blurr stood a moment waiting for them to discuss their plan, then nodded as Kup told him to fall in. They turned and with heightened sensors continued onward with a new hope that the quarry had suffered a setback.

-0-At a dojo

They walked into the room pausing. Nearby sitting in the lounge part of the dojo a number of mechs chatted. Vin walked across the room, Joon in tow and paused by them. "Good evening. I'm looking for someone from the Circle who can help me with a problem. I need some information."

The mechs glanced at each other, then the pair. "What do you need to know?" one of them asked.

They moved to sit and explained.

-0-Moments later in Ops Center

Lon stood with Splice as he explained the situation to Jazz who was running intell for Prime on the sensor station of Ops Center. He listened and nodded, then glanced at the door. "Send them in, Splice," Jazz said glancing at Mirage nearby. "Mirage."

The big mech glanced up and rose walking to Jazz who turned to face an elder and his femme bond. The introductions were made, then Vin began. "I am Vin. I was once governor of Tyger Pax. When The Fall came my bond, Joon and I fled and rounded the galaxy it seemed trying to find shelter. We landed at a Neutral colony and found the Circle of Light. It changed us in every way imaginable. We came here as part of the last migration. We were driven out by the Decepticons like all the rest.

"We came here with the same intentions we had when we lived on our colony world. We are part of the Circle, we give our loyalty to Prime and this place. We want to be a blessing the way we should have been on Cybertron. Others can attest to our sincerity," he said.

Jazz nodded. "I see. What can I do for you then?"

"Fenix was someone we knew from Cybertron. We knew his genitors and had friends in common. He invited us to join the Iacon Order. We want nothing to do with that but we also don't want something going wrong without the Prime being aware. We don't know if they are a fraternal organization or not but I am hearing from them that they want to break away."

"They do," Jazz said quietly. "What exactly do you hear?" he asked.

"They want a colony of their own independent of Prime's rule and they have everything ready including plans for construction. They want workers from here to do it. They have no respect for Prime, his charter and rule, I fear. We want to know what we should do if anything. I had planned to find a position somewhere in the social work field. I was a family guidance counselor and worked with the elderly in our old colony. Joon has perfected a number of skills involving weaving and would like to participate in a Circle co-op if one is here. If not, she and I would like to get one going. There is a lot to do to help others and we want to continue. We want an Autobrand but have decided to wait to see if there is anything we can do about Fenix before doing so. He has the impression that we are amenable to his plans. We aren't."

Jazz nodded glancing at Mirage. "Interestin'." He looked at Vin and Joon. "You could do a lot for us by attending these meetings and informing us of anything that you hear when you talk to him especially privately. We want to be ahead of his curve."

Vin nodded, his expression relieved. "We shall do that. For now, we have an appointment in the Employment Office tomorrow at City Hall about work related to our fields. I hope you know you can call upon us for assistance in this matter. I find it distressing in the extreme that some have not learned from this experience."

"You and me both," Jazz said. Mirage nodded grimly behind him.

-0-Underground: Earth

They ran onward, the sounds of footfalls fading away as the last Insecticon left the area. Right now, the small group of Autobots and Tremorcons ran swiftly aware that pursuit didn't seem to be following. The plan, if there was one seemed to be to run like mad until they could re-emerge into the light above and duke it out there. The 'Con's force had been hijacked by Arachnid and their plan was now bust. What came next had to be considered and Sideswipe was considering it.

:Drift:

:What?:

:We need to figure out what to do when we get to the end of the road here:

:I know: Drift slowed looking back at three of the 'Cons behind him. "Stop a moment."

The group slowed, then stopped, the two in front coming back to look down the tunnel. "What are you doing? We have to go," Fracture said with irritation.

"Where?" Sideswipe asked. "Where are you going? Its been a while but let me fill you in."

They looked at him warily. "I don't give a frag."

"You better. There's no place to go up there that doesn't include a slagging," Drift said. "The system is locked down by Prime. He has a colony on the next world over and it has about two and a half million of our people there. This planet is technologically advanced now, way more capable of fragging you than when you came here. They have space capability."

The Tremorcons looked at the two Autobots, then each other. "So … what are you suggesting?" Seizor, their leader asked.

"I'm suggesting that you come with us, surrender to Prime and go off world before the locals get you and tear you apart. They don't like Decepticons," Sideswipe said.

"Those insects? Frag them," Runabout said with disdain.

"Those 'insects' fragged Megatron twice, defeating him in battle. They killed The Fallen and captured Shockwave," Drift said exaggerating. The humans were on the teams that did so he was technically correct.

The Decepticons looked at the two of them, then each other. Runabout smirked. "You lie."

"Frag that," Sideswipe said glancing at Drift. "Let the humans have them. They took Megatron apart and held him in captivity for nearly a vorn. I can only imagine what they can do with you five," he said glancing at them with a grin of pure malevolence on his face.

They stared at him, then Seizor stepped closer to Sideswipe. "Show us."

Sideswipe smirked at him, then sorted the data. Turning to the side, he projected images onto the wall of the tunnel. They showed battles, Decepticons falling before the Autobots and humans, the city on Mars, the masses of armaments and the Prime with his senior officers. He knew they would recognize them and they did. They watched those images as well as the body of The Fallen being boxed to be taken away to Mars where it was interned into the cold rust colored ground in what looked like a Cybertronian style cemetery mausoleum.

They stood a moment talking together off line, then Seizor looked at the two. "What happens if we surrender?"

"You will be taken to Mars. The humans let us keep the bots we catch. If we don't take you, they take you apart. You would go to our lockup and stay there until you showed you could live in the colony. From there its up to you. You have to give your personal and professional oaths to the Matrix and Prime. You know what that means if you break it," Drift said quietly.

They looked at him, a couple nodding without comment. Then Seizor looked at the others. Glancing at Drift, he considered things. "You would tell them that we saved you from Arachnid?"

Sideswipe and Drift nodded. "We will. You would tell Prime about your mission and where the Insecticons are. Arachnid too?" Drift asked.

They nodded.

"Then let's go," Sideswipe said. He looked around. "How the frag do we get out of here?"

Fracture snorted. "Amateur. Follow us," he said as he turned and began to race down the tunnel that was beginning to go upward. The others followed including the Autobots.

-0-TBC July 1, 2013


	352. Chapter 352

The Diego Diaries: Catastrophe 9: Push Back/Blow Back

-0-In an electronics workshop at Plant #11, Autobot City, Mars

They sat across from each other working on tiny electronic parts that would replace destroyed infrastructure on Earth as the base in Diego Garcia. The destruction was known to the city and all of the residents felt the pain of allies harmed and the embassy where it all began being destroyed. The actual culprits beyond identification as Decepticon Insecticons were not known though the rumor of Arachnid had somehow made the rounds.

"What do you think is really going on over there?" he asked as he reached for more intricate parts of an air conditioning command module that would provide the base with cooling supplied by enhanced solar technology.

"I don't know. I hate that the base was hit. The humans that are our best allies live there and our embassy … did you see the program on last night … channel 9 that showed the history of it?" his partner asked as he painted a tiny piece of machinery that would host the main controls of the electrical system for the whole base.

"I did. What a shame. Its historical, you know, for us. That's where the push back began by us from oblivion. I can't even think anymore about what life would be like if they hadn't made the humans allies and set down there. We had to start somewhere."

His partner nodded. "I hear ya," he said as he put his piece in the box that would be carried to Earth and the base by the installation team. It was a quiet night in Specialty Fabrication-Electronics in the Industrial Park, Plant #11.

-0-Underground: Earth

They ran for miles sometimes going up, sometimes going down. Drift and Sideswipe followed the Tremorcons as they rewound the ball of string the maze represented to them in their dark confusion. Finally, they began to go upward in a long winding spiral. The footing was slipperier and the atmosphere danker as the tunnels let in more air from the upper levels. They ran onward silently as Sideswipe sent mental images to the trine.

-0-In a tunnel of their own

"Kup."

The team paused looking back at Sunstreaker. He stood as if listening to a conversation only he could hear. He was reacting to images of his brother running loose. He looked at the others. "They're free. Sideswipe sent me an impression that he's free and heading for the surface somewhere. No one is chasing them."

Kup considered that. "It could be that they're moving onward. We need to find Dev, then check out the main living space. Maybe it will give us an idea where they are and where they're going."

The others nodded, then turned and moved forward. It would seem that they were chasing shadows now but they moved onward prepared to fight.

-0-Nearby

Dev stood in the entrance of the cavern that had held the main body of Insecticons. Most of it was destroyed, the cavern's roof fallen in what appeared to be a fire fight. There was no way to cross the room to check it out so filled with rubble and dirt that it was. It was vast and there were evidences of stasis chambers, all empty that had been occupied over a long period of time.

He clambered up and looked around, his spot lights illuminating among the debris a couple of dead Insecticons. He crawled over a pile of dirt and inspected one. It was a genuine Cybertronian pest of the most dangerous variety. It was a hive minded being who was fearless in battle, ruthless about following their leader and had no mercy for anyone. It was tough, nearly perfect in make up and a total menace.

He knelt looking around then paused. Turning, listening silently, he heard footsteps coming his way. He rose and pushed back into the darkness and rubble considering his options.

He didn't have any.

With a unspoken curse at having been penned inside a no win position, he moved back and made himself as small as possible on the sensor grids of whoever was coming. Then he waited.

-0-Topside in Diego Garcia

Bluestreak who was sweeping the concrete footprint of a hangar paused for a moment as if listening to something spoken that only he could hear. Then he turned and hurried toward Omega. Reaching that bot, he burst inside. "Ratchet! Prowl!"

The two paused, then looked at Bluestreak.

"I have an impression from Sideswipe. They're free!" Blue said with an impossible amount of joy. "He sent the message. He's coming out."

Ratchet felt as if the world had exploded in his spark. He glanced at Prowl who felt it too. "Thank you, Bluestreak," he said turning to the comm station. "Prowl to Prime."

"Prime here."

"Bluestreak just told me that Sideswipe sent an impression. It would seem they have escaped," he said with no small amount of relief in his voice.

There was a pause, then Prime spoke. "Thank you, Prowl. We're on it. Prime out."

Prowl turned to Bluestreak who had sat down on a bench. He looked sick with relief. Ratchet walked over and sat next to Bluestreak. "I'm too slagging old for this," he said with a grin.

-0-Underground

They ran and ran turning this and that corner. As they did, they finally saw that the darkness was getting lighter. When they rounded the last corner, the light was coming in though it was dimmed because it was past midnight in the world outside. The arctic never really became dark in the summer and that was fortunate because never was light greeted with more joy than in the sparks of the mechs fleeing from underground. When they reached the opening, they paused peering out. The tundra stretched out into the distance where tall white mountains rose up abruptly. The sky overhead was blue, cloudless and enormous. They stepped out and looked around.

"Frag. We made it," Aftershock said as he flipped out his weapon to point it at Sideswipe and Drift. "Now call the Prime."

Sideswipe and Drift glanced at each other, then shook their helms. "Fragger, we would anyway. Put that gun away."

"When we hear what Prime has to say," Aftershock said.

"And if you don't like it? What? Are you going to have a shoot out?" Drift asked.

Aftershock stared at him a moment, then subbed his gun once more. "Call Prime."

Drift looked around, then complied. :Drift to Prime:

For a moment, there was nothing. Then the deep tones of the Prime filtered through to Drift as if from far away. :Prime here. Where are you?:

:Above ground somewhere. Triangulate on us. The Tremorcons need to talk to you about surrender. They saved us from Arachnid:

:On our way. Prime out:

Drift looked at the six 'Cons and grinned. "He's coming. Disarm now and surprise him."

They looked at Drift, then each other. Then they disarmed.

-0-A breem later

The shuttle set down on the ground, the hatch opening, the ramp coming down. Prime and Ironhide stepped out walking down the incline to where the group stood waiting. Ironhide gripped Sideswipe's servo, a big grin on his face. Prime nodded to Drift and Sideswipe with great relief, then turned to the six pensive bots standing together staring at the big dreaded mechanism who was going to hold their sparks in his servos. "You are here to surrender?"

Seizor glanced at the others, then nodded. "We saved these two getting away from Arachnid. She got control of the bugs and we were going to be killed. We freed these two and fled. We collapsed the tunnel so they couldn't follow easily but they never did. Follow, that is." He paused and looked at Prime nervously. "What now?"

"You have to surrender. You have to give your oath to me and the Matrix. Then you have to earn your way into our colony. You understand what it means to break an oath to the Matrix?"

"You die. Badly," Fracture said nodding. The others nodded too.

"Then give it if you are willing, empty your subspace and be ready to start from the prison. If you acquit yourselves well, if you get work and keep yourselves out of trouble you will get to live like everyone else. There are thousands of Decepticons in the city who will be watching you. They tend to police their own ranks. They don't want anyone to make them look badly. I hope you understand that the burden is upon you."

They nodded. "You don't think we can do it?" Runamok asked defiantly.

"No." -Drift, Ironhide, Sideswipe

The six blinked and looked at each other. Then they gave it up. They had no other choice.

-0-Underground

They moved slower and paused by the partially collapsed entrance to the main chamber of the Insecticon infiltration. It was filled with rubble and the debris left behind by long time habitation. There were a couple of bodies killed by the collapse and nothing more. Lowering their weapons they stood looking at the mess, their lights swinging here and there as they tried to find an exit point. When they flashed past Dev everyone jumped back yelling.

Dev stood up and grinned. "What took you slaggers so long?"

Kup looked at the tall mechanism with a powerful gun mounted on his helm. "You slagger. Don't do that again. I am supposing our bots aren't under this slag?"

"You would be right. I think they got away," Dev said climbing down from the heap of dirt and rubble. "We could try and follow the tracks that lead away from here but they're heavily overlain by Insecticon ped marks. I'm thinking they made their way out of here. I'm also thinking they weren't alone. Look over here," he said flashing a light on a set of prints near a wall where the remnants of webbing of the type Arachnid used to subdue and bind others could be seen lying here and there in tatters. "Those peds aren't bugs. They are regular format ped prints. I would assume from this mess that a breakdown in communication happened and two groups parted ways, one of them taking our guys with them. I would imagine they are allied together making their way out."

"Sounds reasonable. This is such a maze we would be fools to try and find them," Kup said.

"The tracks are going to be really hard to read," Hound agreed. "I can track just about anything but this would be hard as the Pit, Dev."

Dev nodded. "I hear ya. I say we back track and try to ground probe for them." He glanced at Blurr. "Can you find your way back?"

Blurr nodded. "I followed your marks and left my own."

"Go ahead and let Prime know," Dev said. "We'll follow and if they have an idea for us, you can come back to let us know. Following them down here would be beyond difficult."

Kup nodded. "Go, youngling. See what Prime says. We're going to back track."

Blurr nodded and turned disappearing almost immediately. The others watched him, then Kup looked at Dev. "Any sign of the slaggers?"

"Not this way. I think they had a back way out through the chamber. The roof falling took it out or they collapsed it themselves. They're heading out for a fall back position. I would bet that they have tunnels that run for hundreds of miles. I've been on planets where they dug for tens of thousands of miles," Dev said.

Kup nodded. "I know. I hate going after them underground. I don't mind fighting the slaggers on the surface but underground? I don't like the odds." They nodded then turned with Kup following him back into the tunnel. "Let's go, younglings. This is a lost cause." He looked at them before turning to go. "Those fraggers are going to be a real problem, mark my words." Then he turned and they followed, their guns ready, their optics keenly watching their rear.

-0-Above ground

They stood waiting for Prime to return when Blurr reappeared in the hole. "Hey!" he called up.

Wheeljack and Perceptor looked down along with Flint. "You're back," Wheeljack said.

"We found the chamber. The cavern is collapsed and no one is there. Sideswipe and Drift appear to have left with other Decepticons because Arachnid was getting ready to punch their ticket," Blurr said.

Flint leaned down and nodded. "They did. We have them and the 'Cons with them. Prime's bringing them back."

Blurr nodded with great relief. "I'll let them know. They're heading back. The Insecticons appear to have gone to ground. I saw no sign of them on the way back."

Flint nodded. "Alright. Go get the teams. Bring them back."

Blurr nodded and left swiftly. Flint stood back watching as a shuttle began to descend from the sky. "What a relief."

Perceptor nodded. "We haven't lost a mech in a long time. It would be good to keep it that way."

No one disagreed with that assessment.

-0-TBC July 2, 2013 edited

**NOTES:** This is what wikipedia says that Diego Garcia is: The United States Navy operates Naval Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia, a large naval ship and submarine support base, military air base, communications and space-tracking facility, and an anchorage for pre-positioned military supplies for regional operations aboard Military Sealift Command ships in the lagoon.

**Runamuck:** "Four million years later, **Runamuck** was part of the Decepticon insurgent cell that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy." He's a real piece of work and a hooligan who will even vandalize things for fun. Sadee? I have the perfect boyfriend for you. :D

**"Runabout:** "Runabout is not the brains of the Battlechargers (they're both pretty much dim-bulbs), but he is much calmer and certainly more articulate] than Runamuck and his presence helps keep the latter's cross-wired mind on task. That said, Runabout usually joins in with whatever mad ideas Runamuck comes up with just to keep from being bored. Runabout is very susceptible to boredom.

"Besides, Runabout loves a good wreck just as well as his crazy comrade, but it's not because he craves to create wreckage—he simply wishes to destroy and enjoys the spectacle of chaos and big fiery explosions. To help create these he has a particle beam rifle that shoots a stream of heavy and energetic neutrons. Unfortunately, he craves destruction so much that it continually distracts him from his assigned duties.

"Runabout is a little faster than Runamuck with a 185 MPH top speed, but can only go about 550 miles. He is equally able to transform quickly, taking about .4 seconds to do so. Also like his partner, he is not averse to breaking windows or draping cylinder-wiping paper over the enemy base or other puerile acts of vandalism. But he uses bigger words when doing so.'

The **Tremorcons** are infiltration specialists. All of this comes from TFWiki. :D


	353. Chapter 353

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 1 (353)

-0-On the ground in Alaska

They watched as the ramp came down and the bots stepped off. Cheers went up at the sight of Sideswipe and Drift. Walking toward the hole, they paused looking down into the muddy darkness. "I vaguely remember that hole," Sideswipe said to general snorting and a lot of genial punches.

Drift looked at Springer who was standing with his usual bemused expression. "Hey."

"Hey. You're getting slow," Springer said as they bumped fists.

"Yeah, well … I'll work on it," Drift replied with a slight grin.

For a moment it was silent, everyone made awkward by what wasn't said. Then Optimus and Ironhide joined them. "Where are the teams?"

"We sent Blurr to get them," Flint replied.

"When they get here blow the hole shut. Is it cataloged?" Prime asked.

Flint nodded. "We need to check the bots when they get back. We have built an image with the surface scans from Wheeljack and Perceptor. I think we can add to it by downloading the bots' internal data collections too."

"Good. We need to track where they go and the extent of their tunneling. This isn't good at all," Prime said.

"Optimus," a small voice called out. They all stared down at a concerned William Lennox. "Does this mean that the Insecticons have tunnels beyond this local area?"

Prime nodded. "I am afraid so. There are worlds we know of where they tunneled for thousands of miles. We have to find out their hive structure to see what we can do to find and remove the threat they impose."

Lennox looked at Prime with concern. "They've been here a long time, right? They were here to help do the invasion back in the day?"

Prime nodded again. "They were. Even if we had left, they were here as part of the invasion protocol process. You would have been overrun and destroyed no matter what we did about staying or going. It was always going to happen."

It was a sober group that began to gather up their gear as the sappers among the Autobots began to prepare the demolition of the opening once their teams were pulled out.

-0-On the ground: Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth at about the same time

The shuttles touched down settling near a stretch of runway with destroyed and damaged B-1 class bombers massed in groups. Ramps slid down as hatches opened, bots emerging carrying boxes and the like. Ratchet stood watching, Glenn Morshower in his servo. The bots in front of the lines emerging walked toward them and paused. "Hello, General Morshower. Ratchet," Hoist said. Grapple nodded behind him. "We came to do some construction with your permission."

"You have it. That and our thanks, Hoist," Morshower said. "What do you need us to do for you?"

"Just stand back. We will have shelters and services going in about a couple of joors," Grapple replied. They moved around Ratchet and walked onward carrying their boxes. Pausing to reconnoiter, Grapple put down his box and moved to check the concrete footprints of the demolished buildings. After a moment of conversation between them, Hoist and Grapple took out drills and began to sink holes around the edges of the platforms to hold the steel beams all of the buildings would be slotted into. A concrete mixture that would harden upon contact was squirted into the holes, then pre-measured steel beams were slid down into them.

Ratchet set Morshower down near a small pile of boxes. He sat down on one to watch along with other gathering humans as the Autobots began to reassemble the base. "They took all the information from the measurement of foundations and the images of the base for guides, Glenn. Then they rebuilt them from sturdier materials with improvements. The plant that will run the base will be solar and you will have storage capacities for electrical and water that surpass anything you could do on your own. Waste treatment and debris management will be completely self contained. No more pollution, trash or waste water problems. We have ironed out all the shortcomings you have for the base so they are eliminated."

"Thank you, Ratchet. You didn't have to," Morshower said glancing up at the tall medic who had knelt down beside him.

"Of course we did," Ratchet said glancing down at him. "Until all are one."

Morshower nodded. "Until all are one." Something inside of him wanted to cry but he sat stoically watching as giant sentient beings began to recreate the base as if using toy models.

Behind them walking in teams, the buildings began to emerge from the shuttles carried by soldiers and civilian Cybertronians. They were of one piece minus the roof that would cover each of them. They were coated in solar paint, a formula that would take the place of solar panels. Solar paint was a very simple technique for solar collection among the bots that had been applied to every surface of every replacement building. It would endure in good stead long after the buildings fell down.

Walking past Ratchet and the humans, several bots carried the Administration building. Pausing for directions, they moved to put it in place, then lowered it into its slots gently. They disappeared inside the corresponding slots of the building. Standing back, they all watched as Grapple and Hoist welded the building to the concrete pad that would hold it. Stepping back, looking inside, they nodded to each other. Coming up behind them, bots carried the roof. They put it on the building, did the welds and stood back.

The windows were bigger and entirely energy efficient. The slots for devices were clear on the sides of one end. Hoist reached into a box and took out a number of tiny metallic devices. He turned and slotted them into the places on the building where they would be housed. They were electrical, electronic and general in function. Every need the building had would be met by them. A moment to hook up the waste system occupied them, then they stood back. "There. One down."

Morshower looked at Ratchet, then stood. He went to the two story building trailed by other humans and peered in through a window. It was as beautiful inside as it was out. The workmanship was inhumanly well done and over all a great improvement from the previous building. He looked up at Hoist and Grapple. "Gentlemen, this is a remarkable building. It is as beautiful as it is functional. I wish I had the words to thank you," he said.

Hoist and Grapple beamed. "You don't have to, Glenn. I wish you could know how much Hoist and I like to make models. We have more to do. I expect that we will have half the base replaced before night fall. We have several more buildings to settle in now. Then we have to go get more."

Morshower grinned. "Thank you, Grapple and Hoist. Tell everyone on Mars how much we appreciate this. Tell them that their effort is beautiful too."

"Oh we shall," Hoist said with a smile. "It is a labor of love for you and your people, I assure you," he said turning to his partner. "We have more to do, Grapple."

They turned with their assistants and walked toward the shuttle to get more replacement buildings. Ratchet and Morshower watched them as did the civilians and soldiers of the base. One by one, they brought out buildings, setting them into place, hooking them up. When this first run was accomplished, they would have replaced the Administration building, three barracks, the base hospital and seven of the workshops and mechanical buildings that had been destroyed. When they took off, the base occupants were already beginning to explore the new accommodations, most moving from the cramped crowded hangars to the barracks. What was doubly surprising inside was that the furniture had been replaced as well. Even bedding was stacked nearby for the residents to use pending base resupply.

A note on a box of pillows was opened and Major Sewell read it to those gathered around him. "To whom it may concern: We have made these for you. We know you need some comforts now. It was our great honor to help you and among our artisans, the idea of making miniature items such as this delightful. We stand with you. Until all are one. The Guilds and Unions of Autobot City, Mars."

They stood a moment considering the message, then began to unpack the boxes. There was bedding, dishes for the kitchen with the Emblem of the Primes on the plates and cups, shower curtains and rugs to make their quarters homely. They put it together and the base personnel moved in occupying all the barracks, taking their rooms again. It was tremendously, incredibly morale boosting to do so.

The message would be framed in the common room where it would have pride of place forever.

-0-On the way

Drift and Springer sat side-by-side in the shuttle on the way to Diego Garcia. They had been restrained in greeting each other but that was for the public side of things. They would make up for it later in private. :Arachnid would have eviscerated you:

:I know. She has complete control over the bugs. They will do whatever she wants: Drift replied.

Springer nodded, then grinned. :I did something stupid while you were gone. A really, really stupid thing:

Drift glanced at him with a smirk. :Oh yeah? Spill:

Springer glanced at Drift, inordinately happy to have his partner back. The moment of revelation that he had been taken still reverberated through his skull. :I asked Ironhide to adopt me so I would have something to look forward to morale-wise ... through my darkest hour here:

Drift snorted, then chuckled, the others glancing at him curiously. He looked at Springer. :What did he say?:

:Yes:

They sat together with small grins on their handsome faces. Drift nodded. :That sounds promising. You still going to have him do it?:

Springer shrugged. :Sounds like fun. Those two practically raised me and Hot Rod. We were hot helmed punks when we signed up and they kept us both out of prison:

:And you aren't now?: Drift asked.

:What, me? I'm fragging mature: Springer replied with a grin.

:I can see that: Drift replied amiably as the angst of the part few joors slowly leeched away. :What about Ratchet?:

:I told him not to tell Ratchet. I want that old mech to figure it out himself: Springer replied.

Drift snorted, then gathered himself. :I'm in:

:Good: Springer said glancing with a big grin at his partner.

The shuttle began its dog leg into Diego as the bots inside braced themselves for the destruction and harm they had been briefed to expect in this, ground zero of their redemption. The humans sat pensively, the prisoners silently, the senior leadership stoically. The shuttle smoothed out, leveling a moment, then touched down rolling to a stop where it was directed to park by a bot. They sat a moment, then Prime rose. Looking at the prisoners he spoke. "You will go to Autobot City and be interned. It is up to you what happens next," he said, then turned and walked to the hatch. Everyone on board followed him,

Runamuck looked at the slowly re-closing hatch, then his brother. "This is going to be hard," he said.

Runabout nodded. "I hear you, brother."

The shuttle lifted off again and disappeared into the sky beyond.

-0-Outside

The warm weather was welcomed, the humidity in great contrast to the dry air of Alaska. They walked toward the base and Omega. They were nearly to the big Guardian when Bluestreak raced down the ramp and jumped on Sideswipe. They twirled, then Blue looked at him with anxiety. "Are you alright?"

"I'm great." Sideswipe looked in the distance as Sunstreaker rolled down from his shuttle. The others followed congregating in front of Omega. "What the frag happened?" Kup asked as he stared at the Autobot embassy, or what was left of it.

"The Insecticons came out of the sea and attacked the place," Ratchet said. "They leveled it just as we landed."

"You got shot, Ada," Sunstreaker said with no small amount of anger.

"Three humans got dead," Ratchet replied.

It was silent a moment, then Sideswipe shifted. "That isn't going to go over very well is it?"

"No," Ironhide said with equal anger.

Prime walked down the ramp of Omega and rejoined the group, Prowl by his side. "Here is what we do," he said as he began to give orders. Morshower sat on Ratchet's servo nodding in agreement.

"I want the moon scanned down 100 miles. When its clear we build a base there with a complete Ops Center. We station a major force there along with Seeker flights. Our response time from Mars is too great. We deploy in seconds, not minutes. I want satellites in orbit around Earth to facilitate deep scanning. If there is any strange subterranean movement I want to know. Map the underground water systems, the caverns that are naturally occurring and other features that are normal. Then routinely scan everything on a regular basis. If there are any changes, we will know where they are. I want this base to be pristine. I don't want anything left that tells that anything terrible happened here. I want the humans to come here and feel safe and comforted. Anything less than that is unacceptable."

"Thank you, Optimus," Morshower said with a nod. "The work is already underway."

Prime nodded. "I am more sorry about this and the three lost souls than I can express, Glenn," Optimus replied with a tone of great weariness.

"We know," Glenn said nodding. "I know."

"Prowl will coordinate the Luna base and Flint, you manage the base rebuild," Prowl said as the big black Autobot nodded. "I will, Prime," he said.

"We will treat Luna Base as a full fledged outpost with complete personnel complements and flight status optimal for Seekers. I want it to happen yesterday," Prime said grimly.

They nodded and turned to make it work.

-0-At the Temple Restored, Autobot City, Mars

They walked down the corridor heading for the reliquary chamber. Their footfalls sounded enormous in the utter silence surrounding them. Chevron opened the door and they entered, the four acolytes who would become priests during the Festival of Primus following. Lights instantly came on and the expansive chamber was lit up in the areas where relics rested. The rest of the room was dark casting a sense of holiness and mystery to all of them. They paused a moment, then continued. Pausing before the first one, Chevron began to measure it and speak the statistics to Templar. He took them carefully down on the datapad he held as they began to make the final arrangements for the artifacts to be displayed in the Temple Annex nearby.

The Temple had been granted an increase in space, quadrupling the large enclosure they already had due to the removal of the shipyards and underground factories to other spaces. A large open annex had been built west of the Temple with cobblestone paths leading to it from the Temple and its environs. It was a huge pavilion open to the air with lighting designed to focus on the exhibits that would begin to be shown there in rotating collections. The collection that was being prepared now was of the most sacred of objects, including among others the newly returned Star Saber of Prima and the Forge of Solus Prime.

Lost among the many legendary artifacts of the ancients was the Chimera Stone and the Requiem Blaster. The latter was a weapon that drew its energy from quasars, black holes or supernova's heat registers, had its own gravity and could destroy planets. Its mass was so great even Optimus could not wield it and it was clearly in their living memory the most dangerous weapon ever created. No Cybertronian ever struck by it lived through the experience. The Chimera Stone was so ancient that its image and function were lost to history. The closest one could find to what it might be was the idea of two in one, female and male encapsulated into one format. Beyond this incomplete speculation, nothing more was known.

The Omni Blade was the property of Nexus Prime, one of many blades he was known to carry. This blade was black and reflected no light. It too was gone into the ether. Joining it was another of his swords, the Chaos Edge. Sitting on a shelf nearby, a nondescript appearing artifact attracted Gravitas. "The Apex Armor seems so insignificant but it can defeat anything."

Chevron glanced at it and nodded. "Some of them are glorious like this sword or those," he said nodding toward other implements. "Some are less ostentatious like this one," he said nodding to the polarity gauntlet sitting on a shelf nearby. "Others are not well known. The Infinite Combinatoric for instance. We only know its name. Then there's the Magnificence."

"I have heard of that," Vraz said nodding. "It is said that it has a complete database of the known universe and every usable resource imaginable located upon it. It can give perfect answers to questions asked." He turned looking at Chevron for a moment. "I was led to understand long ago that Alpha and Metroplex were guarding it. At least Metroplex anyway."

Chevron looked at Vraz, a slight grin on his face. "That sounds about right." Then he turned back to the relic making the final measurement. "Let's look at the Forge shall we?" He turned walking to the magnificent golden Forge of Solus Prime.

"Master, will the Chronicles and the Quill be on display as well?" Eronus asked.

"Alpha has agreed," Chevron said with a nod.

"Then its going to be glorious," Gravitas said with a smile.

"Yes," Chevron said nodding with his own smile. "It will."

-0-TBC July 3-4, 2013

**HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY IF YOU CELEBRATE IT! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY IF YOU DON'T! :D:D:D;D;D;D;D**

I sat down last night to write this and woke up in the chair at 3:30 in the morning. :O :O :O HUGS!


	354. Chapter 354

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 2 (354)

-0-At the base on Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

She stood staring at the big new administration building. Beyond at the airfield Air Force planes were landing off loading emergency supplies and replacement equipment. That they didn't have to build from the ground up was a blessing. She was a clerk who worked for a company that subcontracted people for clerical and other support services for military bases world wide. She loved being at Diego Garcia. What once was a so-so assignment in the middle of nowhere was now a plum posting. The bots had changed things forever and her too by their proximity. Beyond the blue skies of her own world lay unimaginable things. She knew the universe was amazing and expansive. There were wonders untold out there. This was living proof. She had even ridden in Jolt, the youngling prankster a good companion to the younger set on base.

She looked toward the end of the building where the patio was. A barbecue was going. It was the Fourth of July in America, Independence Day. She had called her family and allayed their fears. She had spoken of being in combat, of running for her life and how grateful she was to be alive. Three of their companions weren't. They had been flown to Ramstein earlier that morning on an Autobot shuttle. She considered the solemnity of that moment …

They came to stand along the path to the shuttle, all of the many Autobots on base, some of which she didn't know. They were solemn, none of the usual good humor or smartaleck joie de vivre that she had come to love about them visible. It was only the sorrow one felt for losing a comrade, a partner in arms that informed them today. At the head of the line the senior Autobots stood, their energy solemn, even sad.

She saw Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide and Ratchet. There were others she didn't know but would come to understand were Flint, Blackjack and Alor who had arrived earlier and a priest, the head priest of their Temple with an acolyte to assist him in some gesture they had asked to make for the deceased. All of the Autobots formed two lines on either side of the path the stretchers would take to the shuttle. All of the base was there too as well as the N.E.S.T. soldiers who formed an honor guard along the path in front of the bots, their rifles slung backwards, the muzzles pointing to the ground in honor of the moment. Morshower and a newly returned Colonel Fulton stood with Optimus as the stretchers began to leave the hangar. She moved closer stopping by the bot she had heard was called Smokey. Looking up, she saw his solemn face, a handsome but alien face that was showing sorrow for the dead along with youthful determination to get paybacks. Experience among the bots taught her to know that expression when she saw it. She felt comfort from it, the solidarity of their caring matching her own.

It pulsed through her mind, the idea of differences between them struck down by loss. Three comrades of her own were gone forever. The bots felt it too. Deeply. She moved closer to Smokey and leaned wearily against his ped. He looked down and their eyes met. He nodded, a small wan grin acknowledging her. She nodded back, then hugged his ped with her arms widespread. She pressed her face against the smooth cool surface of his body.

Smokey looked at her, this grief-stricken human, then leaned down gently picking her up. He held her in his servo as the stretchers came to their honor guard. Coming to attention with the others, he saluted the stretchers as they passed him. Holding the sorrowing human, he watched as they continued onward toward Prime and the others. The atmosphere was leaden and silent.

-0-On the MCA (Earth feed) and IntraComm (Autobot City environs, the outlying bases and Fort Apache)

The city paused to watch as the dead of Diego Garcia were honored as they left base for the final time. The slow march through the lines of humans and Autobots was caught in all its sad glory. When the stretchers reached the shuttle, their bearers paused. The base chaplains, Rabbi Leon and Father Tom stepped forward. Their words of comfort were alien to the citizens watching but understood by all present to mean as much comfort to the humans as the AllSpark meant to them. All around Autobot City, Fort Apache and the outlying forward bases in the solar system bots paused to watch the seeing off of their comrades and allies for the last time.

Even in the Youngling Intermediate School, the youngsters sat in an assembly in the common room to watch on the big screen monitor. It was that important of a moment.

-0-Diego Garcia

The prayers were given, then Lauren, Senior Priest of the Temple Restored stepped forward. He leaned down and placed a digit on the bodies of two of the deceased. He whispered softly a blessing for their sparks, that they would merge safely with the Matrix and that their loved ones would know peace in the perfect love of The One. He did so for the other, then rose and took a tiny white cloth from another priest acolyte, Gravitas, who was attending. Gravitas helped Lauren, his own expression one of great sadness. With infinite care, Lauren placed it over the stretcher, then did so with the other two. Standing, he prayed a soft prayer audibly for their safe journey into paradise. Then he stepped back bowing slightly in honor of the dead.

Prime stood stoically, his distress as visible as it was for the others. Then he knelt and bowed his helm, the others following. Carefully, the other Autobots did the same in the throng of grieving humans. Some of the humans bowed or knelt too, others coming closer to the Autobots for comfort. It was deeply silent, then someone began to play Taps, the simple music played for the military dead that dated from the American Civil War.

The piercing silver tones of the coronet suffused the solemn scene, piercing sparks and hearts alike with its terrible purity. The sound rolled over the stilled base, then finally ended, fading away at last.

For a moment, no one moved, then Optimus arose, nodding his helm in respect. Everyone else did too, the Autobots following Prime's example. The stretchers were then turned and carried onto the shuttle one by one. As they did, the Autobots began to chant, a warrior chant for the honored dead. It rose in pitch, a terrible beautiful sound of outrage and outrageous love. Then it became shrill as the doors to the shuttle began to close. Engines sounded half buried by the torrent of the warrior send off the three dead were being given. When it lifted off and disappeared upward, the chant stopped suddenly. They stood watching as it left, then the crowd slowly began to disperse. The last shots were Optimus and his senior staff along with General Morshower, Colonel Fulton and the NEST soldiers watching the sky as the shuttle disappeared completely.

Then the feed was cut...

She stood quietly watching as bots and humans worked together to rebuild things. She had been hurt in a minor way, a scratch on her arm from flying wooden shrapnel. She had worked hard to dig out and now was waiting for a call to do more. An arm went around her shoulders and she glanced to the side, startled. Jessie Landon smiled. "You look hungry. Happy 4th of July, Bonnie."

"You too, Jessie," she said to the woman who had grabbed her arm dragging her and two others into the hangar from the open shelter-less tarmac where they had all stood paralyzed with surprise. She had stood unable to function from the racket descending upon them from the sky and all around, watching as Jessie pulled a rifle from a locker nearby, dropping more bullets than loading in the initial fright of attack. She watched as Jessie ran to the door and began firing, an act of futility considering the enemy. She had been brave defending all of them and Bonnie loved her more than before, this most accessible and goodhearted of the soldiers on base. "I don't know if I'm ever going to eat again."

"You will. If you don't, they win," Jessie said with a nod. "Come on. I'll join you." The two walked to the patio to eat. They held hands on the way.

-0-On panels all over the Earth following the send off earlier

For a moment, no one spoke. Then the panel moderator cleared their throat, their emotions obvious to viewers. "That was remarkable."

"It was," a panelist remarked. "What were the coverings that were placed on the deceased? Do we know?"

The moderator checked their digital screen. "It is reported that they are small flags which bear the Emblem of the Primes on them. Apparently, when someone dies they get a send off like this if they fell in battle and a shroud of the Primal Emblem to cover them. Its later presented to the family as a token of respect and solidarity."

"The humans on base seemed to take a lot of comfort from the bots," another said.

"Apparently, the Autobots, N.E.S.T. and the civilians on base are an extremely tight unit," a military panelist remarked. "I have friends who are stationed there that say the bots love the soldiers like family and vice versa. This is a very real, very sad event for the bots too."

The conversation continued.

-0-At the Youngling Intermediate Day School Common room

They sat discussing what they had seen and how they felt about it. Many of the students were uncomfortably reminded of their own checkered path. All of them wanted to do something for the humans. They discussed a number of things to propose to the Prime and Herling pledged himself to be their spokesmech as soon as was possible to meet with him. He chose three students to accompany him when he did.

-0-At the Energon Basket

Rampage watched the scene with his employees and students, the solemnity of it almost unbearable. In the past he was aware that such a feeling would never occur to him nor be met with much approval as well. Now he felt terrible. He felt somehow responsible even though he knew he wasn't. He was experiencing 'Decepticon Guilt By Association', the name the former 'Cons of the city applied to moments like this when they happened. It was illogical but they felt it anyway.

The moment ended and all went to their tasks with a slightly dampened sense of purpose. As he turned to walk to the store part of his business he paused. Standing in the doorway was the love of his life, Bon. He nodded. "You look like I feel."

Rampage shrugged. "It bothers me now. It didn't before."

"You aren't that bot, Rampage." Bon embraced him back when Rampage scooped him into his arms. He was the son of the proprietors of the Autobot City Hardware and Bolt Store which was across from The Energon Basket. He was studying to be an electrician so that he, his two brothers and genitors could begin an independent contracting business of their own. It was their dream. During the course of their living here, working in proximity a bantering friendship had blossomed into an intense pre-bond.

"Keep saying that, Bon," Rampage said quietly.

-0-On the moon

Wheeljack and Perceptor led the scan starting from the satellite and communications station where Burnoff had lived during his sentencing. Going outward in a grid pattern, they would have the entire planetary moon scanned and signed off on by the end of the next morning. It was free of infestation. When that was relayed to Prowl at Diego, the refit of the station would begin. It would become the home of 400 bots and Seekers who would rotate in like any out flung base. It would be three times bigger than the outlying posts in the solar system. Its Ops Center would be a mirror of Autobot City.

On the Earth, ships were landing with technicians and construction designers who were setting about rebuilding the Embassy even as more ships arrived with buildings to be placed on the base. The future expansion of Diego had been taken into consideration as others built foundations for the added constructions. They would be placed as well. When the base rebuild was finished, it would include not only what was there before but the ideas for expansions on plans dated for consideration into 2020.

Prowl paused as three barracks and a hangar were carried past him. When they were by, he continued to the Embassy which had been stripped down to the foundations. The underground portion could be seen. The ceiling construction of the subterranean portions had been removed allowing for retrieval of salvageable things, personal items, historical effects including the damaged murals and sensitive equipment and documents. It looked forlorn in the extreme, this first home of his bond. His three mechs had made this their first home too. Orion had been a baby here. They had parties both ceremonial and pity here and it was a deeply sad emotional thing to see it like this now.

The doors had been salvaged to be taken to Autobot City for the museum as an important artifact for their historical record. The murals would go that way also. Some of the furnishings and much of the Ops Center would be restored and placed in dioramas for the Museum to show the humble beginnings of their great resurgence.

He stepped onto the concrete and remembered saving Spirit from the gaze of the Mole. He remembered running from here numerous times gun in servo to save Ratchet, the babies, stop fights and challenge Daniels. He remembered the first time he entered the doors that day when he splashed down into the ocean …

It was clear on his telemetry that he would land spot on into the beach of an alien world where the sound of their Prime's voice issued. He had been on the endless search for the AllSpark all alone in the vast darkness of space. He had dialed down his emotional subroutines keeping his paralyzing loneliness and slowly growing sense of futility under control. He searched all by himself seeking others as he did, finding none. It was as if Cybertron had never existed and he was in the Pit roving forever alone, forever looking for the elusive tone that had always been beloved to him.

Then it was clear that the wisp he had been hearing was actually emanating from a real location. He had reformed the transitional format and headed out, hoping against hope that it was real and not the echo of his own longing. It grew as he came closer, a small blue planet with an insignificant nondescript moon circling it. Louder and more clear, the sound of the voice he missed most of all grew until at last he felt the heat of the atmosphere burning his outer accretions away in the friction of entry.

He fell at a rate that was terrifying to the humans watching, then slammed into the ground with a powerful blast of sound. He bounced, then stopped, his frame absorbing the shock and funneling it outward into the atmosphere around him. He lay for a moment checking his systems finding them optimal. Then he began to unwind, his component parts changing with each movement until at last he could stand. His body continued his transformation, then he was complete. He stared at the scene before him and noted simple constructions that would become to him hangars, the Administration building along with rows of big black archaic appearing flight vessels. The bombers of Diego would take some getting used to by a bot who was at least three million years ahead of the locals in engineering know-how and make up.

He turned and paused, the tableau before him as remarkable and beloved to his processor now as it was then. Optimus Prime stood before him in a stunning display that almost did justice to his magnificence. He had adopted a local format, that was clear. It was red, white and blue. His optics were as bright as they ever were and they looked at him with gratitude, hope, friendship and emotional regard. He was sure he returned the stare himself.

Ratchet had stepped forward scanning him. Then he smiled. **"WELCOME THE FRAG HERE, PROWLER!"** he said in their language. The others laughed, the tension of the moment broken.

He grinned and nodded. "Hello, Ratchet."

Ratchet then plugged in and downloaded all the information, format types and data that he would require to begin in their new incarnation and home world circumstances. He nodded and gripped Ratchet's servo tightly unaware that he had sealed the beginning of one of the greatest friendships of his life, a life that had been slack in that department. Ironhide gripped his servo along with Jazz and Bumblebee who loved Prowl to the point of almost considering him a genitor. He loved Bee back just as much. Then he gripped Prime's servo.

It was a moment he would never forget. He gripped Prime's servo, the power and warmth of that moment etching itself on him forever. He would never forget how at that moment he was set on a path that was so alien to his thinking at that time he would have considered himself in default glitch mode to even consider it. In a few months, he would bond with the only mech he had ever loved in his entire long eventful life. In a few more, he would be a genitor again with three orphaned mechs stealing his spark with the first frightened sad opticed glance in his direction. A short time later, he would accomplish one of the goals of his life. He would become the ada of a son, his Miracle.

He stood on the platform immersed in memory and felt a sorrow growing. Coming here was a good thing. He always enjoyed it. It was like walking into a house knowing your parents were there. There was a warmth and life here that few other places had ever had for him. This place was home. Now it was shattered and they had to rebuild. It wouldn't be the same. The murals might be replaced but they weren't the original. Ops Center with its new table wouldn't be like the old one. That one had an ink stain in one corner and scratches on the surface. It was destroyed. Maybe the Museum Restoration Department could salvage it. He hoped so. He knew it was a slightly irrational hope but he felt it. The new embassy would be different. It would be designed more to their style with lots of windows and acknowledgments to their size. He mourned the old even as he resigned himself to the new.

"You hate this too?" a voice asked behind him.

He turned spotting Ratchet. Nodding, he turned back staring at the bare foundation and the roadways that led underground. "I do. You?"

"With the fury of a thousand suns. This was Orion's first home," Ratchet replied as he stood next to Prime. "It will never be the same."

"Nothing ever is. I thought you would have learned that great lesson of the war," Prowl replied with sarcastic amusement.

"True that," Ratchet said. "But I had hopes. I had hopes that this place would be exempt."

"It's only going to be exempt if we make it so," Prowl said with firm cold resolve.

"You read my processor, Prowler," Ratchet replied with equal resolve.

-0-TBC July 4, 2013


	355. Chapter 355

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 3 (355 )

-0-Out there

They came into the scope of the sensor system that protected the Autobot colony and its Cybertronian refugee population. They wanted to test the resolve of the colony and the distance to which they would come to defend themselves. Sent from the base that Cyclonus had built, they ranged out to probe the strength and resolve of the enemy. Across the vast expanse of what they came to understand was a migration trail, Paragon's base occupied a large planetary fragment in a dense debris field.

Flying through the darkness, they probed the system ahead of them measuring the extent of their sensor capabilities. They were enormous. Both bases fell into the sensor's reach. They wouldn't be able to stage sneak attacks. The sensor net of the Autobot colony reached outward in all directions, their capacity to detect movement precluding anything stealth that they could muster.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

The message came through Omega to Prowl who was working at the center table coordinating dozens of things at the same time. He listened, then gave orders. Pausing a moment to consider the news, he put it on the list of 'things to go over when a moment was free to do so'' and returned to the task at servo.

-0-Air Field, Autobot City, Mars

They lifted off, two heavily armed shuttles and forty Seekers of the heavy gunner class. They disappeared into space heading out of the system through the small space bridge to give an enemy scouting team the surprise of their life.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They stood watching with humans as one of the last buildings was slotted into the ground. All around them, the base had risen back up from the ashes. In space beyond the original base footprint, other buildings had been placed. They were the future developments of the base added while the rebuild was underway. Debris had been removed to Mars for environmentally controlled disposal. The inspection and forensics teams had finished, then left so the last bit of clean up was now go.

Fulton who now had his own house courtesy of the bots stood on the porch watching as things unfolded. He was poorly but recovering. After a severe tongue-lashing from Ratchet, he had taken the advice and delegated. He sat on his porch receiving and sending information to the teams working on the base. The sun was warm overhead, the clouds billowing and pillowing in the deeply blue sky. At least it wasn't raining he thought. Good thing. Adding insult to injury was bad enough. Behind him in the house, a television was playing as the media began to tear into the attack.

He had a list of interviews waiting for him but he begged off now. He wasn't up to sparing with news people. He wanted to be here with the base and everyone on it. He wanted to be here alone for a while. The madness would come later. Major Andrew Sewell limped up and stood beside him. Holding out a clipboard filled with finished tasks, John Fulton signed off on them.

"Thank you, Colonel," Andy said. "We're almost completely rebuilt. The bots are putting in the last few buildings."

"Its a blessing," John said. "I would hate to see how awful this would have been without them."

"You and me both, sir," Andy said with feeling.

-0-Out there

They stood together on the deck of their ship listening to the surprisingly unguarded message traffic between the Cybertronians. Their alliance with Megatron had given them access to the codes and frequencies that ships used on that side of the battle. They listened in hearing ship captains chatting about the solar system beyond.

They floated through space cloaked, their vessels invisible to the Decepticons that were exploring along the edge of the nondescript solar system that Optimus Prime had turned into a fortress and refuge for their people. They had shadowed migrations watching where they were going. All of them were drawn through space following the call of their leader, the Autobot known as Optimus Prime. Megatron had told them that he was trouble. Megatron had said they were sworn enemies with Prime being the one responsible for their cataclysmic condition.

They had no opinion about that, merely filing the information away as good intel albeit prejudicial. Now that they had some experience with Megatron, experience that was detrimental to their own well being and objectives, they wanted to explore the other side. They wanted to know about Prime. The Great Hierarch had sent them here to scout out who they were being asked to destroy. He had been angered by Megatron, the metallic god-being who had given them less than adequate intelligence about their mutual foe.

They tracked the Decepticons as they flew toward the system. As they did, a swarm of ships began to come out of an energy burst nearby.

-0-On Mars

Kestrel walked to the school to do the community time that all genitors had to accomplish who had children inside. He was doing it for Optimus who was still on Earth. He and Tagg took care of the infants while he and Prowl were gone. Their health situation was on the upswing, their protoform wasting easing, their long term hurts healing well. Entering the building, he walked to an elevator to go upward to the seventh floor where Spirit and T-Bar attended. Rambler was now in a first year class in the Intermediate Day School as an advanced placement student. Kestrel would go visit him following two hours with his siblings in Terradive's class. He couldn't wait. The idea of his grandchildren having to attend school contrasting with the ordeal of getting Orion educated was taking time to assimilate. Sitting in the class, going where they went, helping with projects and watching them helped in a major way for his transition from totalitarian dictatorship to the idea being important and valued too.

It was glorious.

He walked out of the elevator and headed toward the room with transparent walls and doors. He could see the students inside working hard on their assignments. Opening the door as quietly as he could, he entered and paused. The room was beautiful, quiet as students worked diligently here and there around it. Sunlight came through the big windows filling the room with a warmth that only accented that which was already there. A big dog lay with three others by the window, Spot relaxing with three other canine service animals of other students besides Sunspot. They looked at him, wagged their tails, then relaxed again in a doggy pile of great contentment.

Spirit looked up and smiled. Rising, he walked to Kestrel and hugged his leg. Kestrel knelt down and hugged Spirit back. "You came!"

"I will always come, sparkling," Kestrel said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm working on language. Right now, we're learning grammar in Standard." He looked at Kestrel with a smile. "You can help me!" he said with great excitement.

Kestrel nodded walking to the table where Spirit was sitting working out the speech patterns of Cybertronian Standard, the major lingua franca of a citizenry that could speak over fifteen Cybertronian and local system languages including Cybertronix, 48Z-point F27, sub-dialect L486Q, ancient Cyberglyphics and nearly 87 different subdialects. He pulled up a chair to sit and assist when asked. He would be asked often.

-0-Elsewhere around the city

Sky Warp stood over the crib looking at his baby. The others were in school but this one was still 'too young, Starscream... because I said so'. He looked at the infant with more love than he could have felt possible. He thought he had hit the peak with the other three infants. They were the greatest accomplishment of his life. But this one had been his little spark and was special to him. They had been together from the beginning. The baby was recharging in the crib. He had his own bed in his own room. He was smaller than the other three and therefore more likely to be harmed even accidentally. He slept with his big soft dollies to make up for a lack of siblings. His baby would have all the advantages too.

He smiled, then turned walking out. Entering the big living space, he walked to the window. Seekers had taken off with a couple of battle shuttles. Apparently, the bad mechs were doing an intel run to see how far they could push their luck. He considered that a moment. There would be no inch given to the intruders. He thought about his children, his four little infants and resolved all over again.

They would not step into their space one centimeter. Turning, he walked back into the berth rooms to police their space. Of the three, he was the most fanatically neat. When he was finished, he walked back out and paused by the monitor. A red light was beeping so he touched the screen. A message flashed from Starscream. He answered it, then walked to the couch sitting comfortably. No one would be home for dinner. He would have to get the sparklings. It would be their choice for dinner tonight. It was always their choice when Thundercracker and Starscream worked late. He grinned. He didn't mind 'ice cream' and cookies. Sometimes you had to let it all go.

With a grin, he switched on the television in time to watch his favorite Cybertronian program, a soap opera called "The Bridge" in reruns from the night before. Life was good he considered as he settled back for the show.

-0-IntraComm

They sat at the table to do a read through for the next installment of 'The Bridge', one of the locally produced programs for IntraComm. The actors were doing the read through, comments and suggestions taken by the producer, director and writers. Outside in the huge facility beyond were seven sound stages. Two of them were taken up with this project. Two other programs occupied three others. The rise in Cybertronian programs had coincided with the arrival of professional actors and production mechs as well as the graduation of the first Fine Arts classes from the University.

The original IntraComm facility had been several floors of the Cultural Center but that had been outgrown almost immediately. They had rebuilt IntraComm, both the production facilities, broadcast spaces and administrative support in a giant sound stage facility with acres to grow. Most of the programming on IntraComm was human with more added from Cybertron with the arrival of refugees. Then the bug to make their own took hold and grew. 'The Bridge' was the most popular show on the air at the moment among five programs currently in production and once a week a new installment was broadcast.

The show was built around the lives of three mechs, Dart, Hooligan and Theirry. They were refugees who had landed on Mars finding their way in the big world of possibility. Dart was a criminal from the fringe of the Empire. Hooligan had come from the criminal element of Kaon. Theirry was a former Elite Guards mech who had lost his belief that things could be good again after a particularly hard run for safety.

They were thrown together in the mills, working at the steel facility in the Industrial Park. Theirry had a family that was separated from him in the run from their colony. His life was explored by flashbacks. Dart was untrustworthy and hard core. He had a relationship going on the side that was still not made clear to the audience. The relationship would be a shock when revealed. Hooligan was borderline prison material making his off work headquarters Club Hoyle. He was a gambler, a former Gladiator and someone who had no other idea for his life but crime.

They read through the script, then rose joking together. They would go with their production team to the steel mills to shoot those scenes before coming back to the city to film at Club Hoyle. The city was thrilled to see the production out and about with crowds forming to watch the filming. The actors were followed in The Autobot Daily News and on the entertainment news section of The Hourly News. It was the beginning of programming and media creation for bots by bots at Autobot City.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Mars

Ratchet walked to Omega and entered walking up the ramp to the forward control center in the great Autobot. Prime was sitting in discussion with Ironhide and Prowl. They were tracking the last few traces of the Insecticons and fielding information with the human agencies about the bombings that had precipitated this latest crisis. Sitting, he listened as the head of Interpol gave them the final report of findings on the bombs.

They were homemade but not designed to inflict damage. They were a message to the world and the aliens.

Go or it will get worse.

Ratchet considered that. "You know, Optimus … it might be coincidence that the bombs went off when the Insecticons decided to rampage, but it might not be."

"We have considered that, Ratchet. We have no facts to state the situation one way or the other. It is not in Arachnid's previous behavior to side with the indigenous life forms of wherever she lands. But it cannot be ruled out," Prime replied.

"They would be inviting their doom if they joined with her. However, she is part of an infiltration protocol team so we can't totally rule it out," Prowl said. "That is their modus, the incite regional and global conflict until it tears everyone apart."

"Have we dared to inform the humans of this process and perhaps her support of it or are we going to let them continue to live in their fool's paradise?" Ratchet asked as he leaned back to stretch a bit.

"We have informed N.E.S.T. I think until we have more firm intell we need to keep some things to ourselves," Prime said.

Ratchet nodded. "All right."

"How is the base coming along?" Ironhide asked.

"Its been rebuilt but for the small touches. The last bit of debris has been taken to Ceres for incineration in the ship yard. The inspectors had finished inspecting it and all that could be salvaged has been. It was just a hulking eyesore. The new buildings including future expansion items are installed and the base personnel have moved in. We are now hauling what the humans want to send on our own shuttles from air bases in the United States to expedite the refit. That way we can have the base up to specifications in orns rather than months," Ratchet said. "As for the medical side of things … all of the injured are at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and the personnel here are merely traumatized rather than bleeding and physically injured. I would keep an optic on Fulton and Sewell however. They are pushing themselves."

Prime nodded. "Thank you, Ratchet. How is the command structure coming along among the humans?"

"Its functioning. Glenn Morshower is out and about inspecting things and taking video. He wants to be able to manage the fall out when they get the full picture of what happened here. John is still not up to par and I ordered him to bed. That was a nice touch giving him a house to live in. He can recover faster there. As for the rest, there is a relief to have homes to go to as an Irish N.E.S.T. soldier told me," Ratchet replied with a slight grin.

Prime nodded. "I think you can head for home then. We're going to stay here to manage the situation for a couple of more orns. We want rapid response for whatever threat they may decide to pose. When the lunar base is finished, we should be able to fall back to the colony. Until then, I need to be here to manage it first hand."

Ratchet nodded glancing at Prowl and Ironhide. "I suppose you two will stay?"

"We have to rebuild the Embassy," Prowl said. "They have the first stages coming in the morning. It will be rebuilt in about four orns. Teletraan II has to be completely rebuilt too. A power surge overrode the safeties. Then the download has to be made. We're putting Teletraan IV into the lunar base so that there are fall back data devices and services available should one system go down. The back up on Mars at the data center will be re-fed to the replacement system. We want redundancies on our redundancies."

Ratchet nodded. "All right," he said rising tiredly. "Anything you want sent over?" he asked of all of them.

"Miracle and the little mechs. The twins. Kaon too."

"The sparklings. Especially Prowler."

"A pizza from that place in Metroplex."

Ratchet grinned. "Okay." With that, he turned and walked outside.

They watched him go, then glanced at each other. "You don't think he'll really do it do you?"

Ironhide just grinned.

-0-On the way home

Ratchet leaned against the hull of the freighter that had been slated to leave earlier but was held back by the number of flights from America and Europe that had flown in from abroad. He watched as groups of humans walked down, some familiar, others not. He considered the possibilities of them begin useful rather than just critical, then put it out of his processor. He was only a short hop away. He could come back and do battle at the drop of a hat. He leaned back and relaxed drifting into a light recharge.

-0-Autobot City Air Field-Military, Autobot City, Mars

He felt the freighter touch down and jolted awake. Sitting up straighter, he peered out a window. It was mid afternoon on Mars, the now exclusively military air field alive with activity. Southeast of his position was the commercial airport which supported all entrepreneurial and commercial ventures. The tourism that had been so smoothly functioning had been halted until further notice.

He rose and walked off stepping into the bright sunlight. It was lightly cold rather than bitter as the late spring rolled along. He walked toward the city chatting and waving at bots here and there. Walking into the flow of pedestrian traffic on the road leading to Metroplex Highway 1 and home, he relaxed a tiny bit in the surroundings of home.

-0-Moments later

He walked into the apartment glancing around. His genitors had left it in immaculate condition, their usual response to their personal space. He walked to the monitor and checked the long list of messages. None of them were too important so he walked to the berth rooms and saw that they were impeccable too. Grinning, he turned to the door and left heading for the Day Care Center on the first floor of the Hospital Tower. He would find Prowler there.

-0-Moments later

He peered into the Day Care Center and smiled. Prowler was sitting propped up with pillows on the couch near the window. He was staring out the window, a dollie in his grip. He walked to the baby and knelt catching his attention right away. He looked at Ratchet, then burst into tears. His wails for a tiny bot were rather loud. The internal distress that Ratchet felt if he had voiced it would be rather loud too.

-0-TBC July 6. 2013


	356. Chapter 356

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 4 (356)

-0-Home, Autobot City, Mars

He stood by the window swaying gently as the infant in his arms fussed and cried. He had picked Prowler up from the pillows on the couch and he hadn't stopped since that moment. The aide had told him that he was fussy for Laret and Neo even though Hero had been with him. The baby missed his genitors. Hearing that made Ratchet fill up with both joy and despair. Given their life as professional soldiers, there would be times that they would be apart. Those were desolation times for the big medic. He knew that Ironhide felt it too. But it also made him soar among the clouds that his infant needed him that much. They had gone home together to wait for the time to get the others.

"Why are you crying now, baby?" Ratchet asked as he pulsed soothing energy to the infant. "I'm right here. You are with me."

The infant looked at him, sniffling, then continued, his arms waving in frustration and angst. Ratchet put him on his shoulder and walked to the monitor. "I think that we need to have a nice dinner when the infants come home. Let's see what the take out pages tell us. We need comfort food." He considered the lists of his favorite places, then made an order. Putting the delivery times in, he turned and walked to the living room. Considering what was what, he walked to the closet nearby and began to work out The Plan for the Sparklings.

-0-Some time later

He walked to the school tower to get his son. He had checked in with the genitors, both of them spectacularly glad to see him. They sang the praises of Sunny and the sparklings complimenting Spot a great deal as well. They chatted, then Ratchet left to get the infants. Entering the lobby of the Day School, he waited. Sunspot along with Spot was up to the task of coming down to the lobby himself now. He had even 'run the sims' with Ironhide … that is, he had practiced on numerous occasions walking home by himself. Now that he had a dog, it was 'safer' for the youngling to step out and be more independent.

That Ironhide was following both of them on each occasion didn't retract from the glory of his growing opportunities to be on his own.

Ratchet waited as the elevators opened, families exiting along with the odd youngling heading for home alone. When Spot bounded out followed by Sunspot, he grinned. Sunspot paused, then smiled brilliantly. **"ADA!"** he said as he launched himself onto Ratchet. Ratchet hugged him, then set him down patting Spot who was dancing around him. "Time to go, youngling. We have others to get."

They turned and walked out, Sunspot updating him on the past few with the grandgenitors. Apparently, it was awesome.

-0-RTR Tools

"It is always good when Ratchet comes home. The infants need to be together again," Ravel said as he packaged a spectacular set of knives into a special box. They were ceremonial war knives that were going to be placed in the museum. Again, the beauty and workmanship of Ravel and Tie Down was being acknowledged. The knives were the first set of implements that they would supply to the museum for display. They would not be the last.

"It will do the babies good to have a genitor here. They were so good," Tie Down said. "The only thing better would be if Ironhide and his genitors were here too. They do like their family around them."

Ravel nodded as he closed the case shut. "We all like them around."

They worked on into the afternoon making the display pieces for the Museum.

-0-At the Sparkling Day School, Terra, Autobot City, Mars

They walked into the lobby and took an elevator upward. They were a bit early which would help them make their way out without too much trouble given that they were probably going to be upset. Stepping out of the elevator, they walked to the door of the classroom where the infants most likely were. "Wait here, Sunny Bunny. I'll get the sparklings," Ratchet said.

Sunspot paused and nodded. "I'll wait here with Spot," he said with a huge smile. He leaned against Spot, his arm around the big dog.

Ratchet walked in and looked around at the floor which was littered with infants getting their stuff put up in anticipation of going home. Neo walked to him and smiled. "Hi. Good to see you back."

"Thank you, Neo, for taking care of Hero and Prowler. I can't tell you how it relieves our processor," Ratchet said. "I know Prowler was a bit of a baby." He grinned. "Thank Laret for me too."

Neo chuckled, then nodded. "I'll help you get the sparklings," she said. She turned and walked into another room to get Orion and Praxus. After a moment, she came out with little bags and two cackling infants on leashes. They both paused when they saw Ratchet, then began to babble at the top of their lungs, their arms raised to be picked up.

**"ADA! YOU COME! I GO YOU? WE GO YOU?! WE COME YOU. WE GO HOME?!**" Orion asked in his usual loud tone.

Praxus stood smiling, his arms extended. **"ADA! YOU ME GO!?"**

Ratchet knelt, then hugged both tightly. "We go. You go me." Ratchet chuckled, then rose as Hero walked out in her harness carrying her own bag. She paused, then burst into tears, wailing loudly. Ratchet picked her up and looked at Neo. "I am so sorry, Neo. You aren't telling me the whole truth are you?"

"It doesn't matter. Hero was so helpful but they miss you both," Neo said as Laret came out holding Olo. "They were great, Ratchet," Laret said with a smile. Olo smiled too.

"Thank you, Laret," Ratchet replied as he put Hero down. He took her bag and leash, then looked at the femmes. "Thank you both. I'll take them off your servos now."

They nodded and watched as Ratchet got them going heading for the door and the elevator beyond. They wandered out chatting and crying, pausing to hug Sunspot and get licked by Spot. By the time they made the elevator, the school siren was sounding throughout the cities to let genitors know it was time to get them.

They continued onward downward and ambled out going against the tide coming in. It was a long meandering wander to the tower and elevator that took them to the apartment. When they got to the door there was a stack of food cartons and boxes stacked up waiting for them. The infants tried to open them but were cut short by Ratchet. "Not yet, hoodlums. Let's go inside."

The door opened and the infants entered pausing as they did. **"ADA! WHAT SHE?!"** Orion asked pointing at the far end of the living room. Praxus nodded looking upward at his ada.

Sunspot entered and paused smiling brilliantly. **"ADA! A TENT! YOU MADE A TENT IN THE HOUSE!"**

Ratchet snorted, then grinned broadly. "We're going to eat dinner in there. Consider it camping."

Enormous squeals met that as they struggled to get out of their harnesses. Orion tried to run to the tent with his on but fell backwards when he hit the end of his rope. Clambering up, he looked at his belly with a frown. **"ADA! ME THIS! OFF ME! I GO SHE!"** he said pointing at the tent.

Ratchet laughed, then pulled off the harnesses watching as four of his five infants ran for the tent. They disappeared inside. Then Hero came back out looking up at him. "Ada. Where is Prowler?" she asked with a slightly worried expression.

"Right here," Ratchet said pulling the baby from his carry hold. Prowler had stopped crying until he saw Ratchet again. Then he burst into tears. Ratchet turned and propped him on the couch. Hero ran to him and leaned on the cushions, staring at him with a sad of her own. "Ada, he's crying."

"He'll be better. You watch him a moment. I'm going to get dinner," he said as he turned to the door. Pulling in the boxes, he put them on the table and counter. Reaching in, he pulled out dishes that his kids loved the most. There was 'pizza', a Cybertronian drink that fizzed, little cups of a dish a lot like pudding that Cybertronian infants loved historically including his own as well as 'chocolate cake' and 'ice cream'.

"What did you get, Ada? Where is Atar?" Hero asked as she stood by Prowler holding up a dollie for him to play with. He was looking at it but he wasn't mollified. She smiled up at him. "I missed you, Ada."

"I missed you too," he said as he began to fill plates and bowls. "How about going to the tent and taking food to the babies?" Ratchet asked.

She walked over and held up her tiny servos. Ratchet gave her a bowl. "That is for Praxus." She turned and walked to the tent where the others were laughing and running around inside. "Praxus. This is for you," she said as she want under the tent and out of view.

Ratchet watched, then grinned as she came back out. She took food to Sunspot and Orion, then her own bowl. Pausing at the entrance, she looked up at Ratchet. "Ada? Are you coming too?"

"I am," he said taking sippie cups, his own plate and Prowler into servo. He walked to the tent and knelt down. Angling under, he looked at the infants inside who were sitting by the window with their food and little cups.

"**ADA! COME YOU!?"** Orion asked with a giant grin. **"I LIKE HERE!"**

Ratchet snorted. "More words, spud. I like it here too."

They ate dinner together happily. They would play in the tent until bedtime. They would flip their lids in the morning when it was back in the linen closet. Such were the vagaries of life.

-0-On the Earth

Ironhide sat beside the sensor unit as they traced the possibilities all of which turned up goose eggs. The Insecticons had gone to Earth and would likely bide their time. It was incumbent upon their side to monitor the known communication lines they had found of the bad guys. It would be ugly if they had actually linked with Arachnid but the more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Until they could discount it, they couldn't relegate it to the side.

Glenn Morshower walked into the command deck and paused beside Prowl. That bot picked him up and found a chair for him in a box all of the giants carried inside their subspace for just such occasions. He sat back wearily. "The base is back up. Thank you all for helping us rebuild. I would hate to think what it would be like here without that."

"It's the least we can do, Glenn," Optimus said with a nod. "We will be rebuilding the Embassy starting tomorrow. It will take at about four days we have calculated."

"It bothers me a great deal to look over there and not see it. It was comforting to see the Autobrand," he said nodding. "What is the outlook for finding these bastards?"

"Not so good," Prowl said honestly. "They went to ground."

Morshower nodded. "They can come up anywhere can't they."

Prowl nodded. "What concerns us is the idea that they have linked up with M.E.C.H. and the others."

"That came to me as well. It might just be speculation on our parts. I don't know what sort of bot this Arachnid is but maybe she did. If she did, they will act again. When they do, we can nail them. Hopefully."

Prime nodded. "We can hope."

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They filmed a night sequence, their portable lighting system throwing enough illumination for the shot. It was a fight scene and the location was off the Industrial Park Highway leading to the Industrial Park. The scene was between Hooligan's character and Dart's. They were arguing over who would lead in developing a crime group in the city based on the old Cybertronian style road crews that used to terrorize city-states on their home world. It would include a brutal fight which had been carefully choreographed and staged to be filmed. Traffic coming and going from the Industrial Park slowed to watch as the director put his actors through their paces. It took four takes and several angled shots to get the take that he wanted. Then they broke the set to go back to the city and a few bits to be added on the sound stage at IntraComm.

It was just another orn for the cast and crew of 'The Bridge'.

-0-At the homestead in Sunspot's wash rack

Ratchet looked at Prowler who lay in his silver bathtub. He had scrubbed the baby, then let him lay in the warm water for comfort. "You look like a new penny."

Prowler smiled, the first one since Day Care. Ratchet smiled back, then pulled him out, taking the towel that Hero held up. Wiping him off, wrapping him tightly, Ratchet walked out, Hero in tow. They walked to the couch and sat, Ratchet putting Hero up beside him. She stood against him leaning on Ratchet's shoulder. "He's so cute."

"He is."

Prowler grinned.

"Even he thinks he is," Hero said with a smile.

"He's that end of the awesome scale," Ratchet said nodding.

"When will Grandatar Blackjack and Grandada Alor come back, Ada?" she asked looking up at him with her sweet optics and smile.

"Soon," Ratchet replied. "They miss you too."

"They do?" she asked with a smile.

"They do," Ratchet replied. "How was it staying with Fifi?"

"She's my friend," Hero said with a smile. "I love her. Her nanas are nice."

"They are. They took both of you because they love you," Ratchet said nodding.

"Okay," she said with a smile. She looked at Prowler. Then she touched his chevron. "He's so cute."

"He is," Ratchet said.

"He looks like Uncle Prowl."

"You noticed that? I am amazed too," Ratchet said with a grin. "You are one observant little femme."

She smiled. At that point, Orion ran out and looked at them with a giant smile. **"ADA! FUN! GO YOU!?' **he asked pointing to the tent. Sunspot, Praxus and Spot peeped out.

"Okay," Ratchet said rising. He helped Hero down onto the floor. He walked to the tent and knelt. Then he crawled under it. He would stay there until bed time listening to the stories, complaints and all around hoo-hah of their orns.

Ironhide would enjoy it vicariously. Ratchet would send him the tape when the infants at long last were in bed.

-0-TBC July 6, 2013


	357. Chapter 357

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 6 (357)

-0-Earth

They stood in the ship command center watching the feed of the three funerals of human airmen killed during the attack on the base. They were given full military honors and dozens of politicians were in attendance at the grave sites. There was a national memorial service in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. with everyone possible in attendance including the President and Vice President as well as the United Nations Secretary-General and most of the diplomatic corps of the capital. Warren Roberts attended as the Prime's personal representative, a fact much commented upon by the media.

It was a grim morning as the drama unfolded, the media commenting depending on their political point of view about the **HORRIBLE UNNECESSARY SLAUGHTER!** or as others put it, the **TRAGEDY THAT TAKES US ALL ABACK AND UNDERSCORES THE PROBLEM AND NECESSITY OF ALLIANCES FOR NOW!** It didn't seem to Prime that there was a middle ground in the polarity that seemed to be expressed on the television. He turned and vented a sigh. "We have to soldier on," he said as the others nodded. "When do you have to go back, Glenn?"

Morshower who was sitting on a lazy boy in the middle of the table thought a moment. "I think I'm supposed to brief the President tomorrow. That means I will be hip deep in congressional committee subpoenas right away."

"Ratchet can testify by closed circuit television. We don't want you to have to field questions that you can't answer nor do we want you to face this alone," Prime replied gravely.

"I will make sure that happens," Glenn said nodding. "I will have to go back tonight to make it there for tomorrow."

"We will take you home when you decide to go. There is no reason for you to spend twelve hours on one of your transports," Prime replied.

"Thank you, Optimus. I wasn't looking forward to it," he said rising. "I think I'm going to gather my gear. If I get home early, I can get some sleep."

Optimus gently placed the human on the ground and he turned walking out of Omega. They watched him go, then Optimus turned. "I would like a comm set up outside. If they question Ratchet and they will want a representative of my government to grill, I want them to see the base as it is now."

Prowl nodded. "I will make it happen."

They both turned to study the intell which was completely silent on Arachnid and her army.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

He sat in the Patent Office going through documents that needed legal opinions. They were surprisingly complex and dealt with business matters which wasn't his expertise. He had to consult Teletraan III whose databases were invaluable. Sitting back, he considered the plan that was being formulated to present to the Prime. They were going to build their city one way or the other. They would be putting forward a call for workers. He had no idea how it would go. But it would be the first salvo in the war for independence that they were attempting to initiate.

"Fenix?"

He looked up at Caro who was standing in the doorway. "Yes?"

"We have a staff meeting in a few moments. We have to work out the final plan for the new contracts," he said with a grin. "Conference room in three minutes if you can." He turned and walked out heading for his office down the hallway, the biggest office in the Patent and Business Office which he commanded cheerfully and well.

Fenix gathered his things and shut off his computer. Walking out of his own smaller but more than adequate office, he headed to the conference room for the meeting.

-0-At 'Full Circle', Main Street, Terra, Autobot City, Mars

She sat at a loom making the initial hook ups for the weave that she was contemplating. It would be a Diaspora pattern showing their journey from Cybertron to the colony and all the convoluted routes it had taken. She and Vin had been directed here, the ground zero of the Circle community. The mechs and femmes who ran the co-op had established a place for their products to be placed in the currency-free economy of the colony. That it was currency-free was in keeping with the philosophy of the Circle. Until all are one was more than just a slogan. It was a way of life. Share and be shared, give and be given.

Joon glanced at the door as a couple of big mechs walked in. They were obviously warrior class. She smiled and they smiled back, nodding. "Are you looking for Heatout?" she asked.

They nodded. "We are."

"He's in the back room. Go on through," she said happily.

They nodded and continued onward through the magnificent things that surrounded them. Entering the back room, they walked to Heatout and sat on a couch near to the table where he sat working on a collection of Circle views and positions. It would be published as a commentary. He looked up and nodded. "Hi."

"Hi," Splice said. "How is it going for you?"

"Splendidly," he replied putting his etching tool down. The wafer thin steel sheets of 'paper' were being engraved with Standard glyphs by hand. They would be reproduced mechanically for the masses. "Its incredibly wonderful to have time to do things I have wanted to do since forever."

Splice nodded. "I know. What do you think about Arachnid and the mess she's made with the Insecticons?"

"I fear for Earth and her people. I hope sincerely that Prime gets them before they harm too many," Heatout said with a frown.

"What do you want to do about Fenix?" he asked. The other bot with him, a big rangy Knight named Salt nodded.

"Nothing so far. I think surveillance is good for now. I am sure that Prime has him on his radar. We have to live within the framework of the system. I don't want Knights or Circle members to not be trusted to live here within the rules," Heatout said.

They both nodded. "We don't have the caste to fit in. But we can keep an optic on them," Splice said. "We're on the Night Watch. That lets us roam about and we can watch for trouble."

Heatout nodded. "That would be good. When you see it, report it. We have to show the Prime that we aren't just a cult."

Splice nodded with a grin. "Done deal."

They sat together discussing his upcoming book containing the history, philosophy and hopes of the Circle of Light Movement and the Knights of Cybertron as re-envisioned by Dai Atlas. More would come and go in this, the 'club house' of the Circle Movement of Cybertron and Mars.

-0-In the Bosom of Love

They ran amok hiding under the table, crabbing about the tent being missing and generally laughing it up. Ratchet put the dishes away and looked at them, a tiny femme with a tiny teddy bear in servos chasing two little mechs who were laughing and babbling about her not 'getting' them. Prowler sat on the couch watching with a big smile, his sad finally receding into the past. He was fussy in his crib but fell into recharge at last, sleeping through the night. Breakfast was a fussy affair but he finally settled eating each spoonful of baby energon food with gusto.

A mech was hungry from all that crying.

Ironhide had been in touch from the moment Ratchet on-lined asking to know about this and that moment in their usual raucous run up to going to school.

:What are you doing now?:

:Feeding the little slaggers:

Pause.

:What are you doing now?:

:Still feeding the little slaggers: (grin)

Pause.

:Now?:

:Wiping up a spill. This is fragged without two doing it: (grin)

:I know: Pause. :What's happening now?:

(grin)

And so it went.

-0-Moments later

"**ADA?"**

"What, Orion?" (Works to fasten harness and leash to random sparklings within grasping reach of his servos)

"**WHY WE GO? I HERE? WHY?:**

"It's school. You have to go to school."

"**OH."** Pause. **"WHERE ATAR?!"**

"Earth. He's working."

"**URKING?!"**

Ratchet looked at Orion and considered his new attempted word. "Yes. He's urking. He's the best urker ever I think." Ratchet snagged Praxus who danced past him stuffing him in his harness. He glanced up in time to see Spot walking toward him carrying Hero gently in his mouth. He sat holding her as she chuckled, then Ratchet took her. Setting her on the floor, Ratchet grinned. "You were fetched, Missy."

Hero laughed, then turned and hugged Spot. "Spot carried me to you."

"He did.. He's that side of the awesome scale," Ratchet said putting her harness on. Rising, he stuffed book bags into his hold, then turned to look at the other end of the house. "Sunspot. We're going now."

Sunny ran out with his book bag. Slipping it over his shoulders, he grinned up at Ratchet. "I'm ready to go."

"You always are, Sunny Bunny," Ratchet said as he picked up Prowler and sliding him into his carry hold. Taking the leashes, he grinned. "Giddy up little doggies," he said mimicking the cowboy shows Ironhide and Sunny loved. The little Seeker laughed and ran to the door, Spot following. They headed out and meandered to the elevator reaching the lobby, then the street in jig time. It would be a mellow chatty trip to Sunspot's school, then a less organized trip to the underground station nearby for the train ride to Terra.

Ironhide would be checking in every step of the way.

-0-At the Office of the Attorney General, Mars

They sat together going over the testimony of the victims of the charges against Burris. That mech had been transferred to the Prison placed with Sentinel's group in Cell Block C that morning. He had been rancorous the entire trip pausing at the gate of his cell block with anger and scorn as the bars went up again. The guards had ignored him. They were veteran Day Watch mechs who had taken more abuse from drunk adas and the odd smart mouthed youngling than he could ever muster.

He had stood at the bars fuming, then turned to look around. Decimus who was a friend walked to him. "Welcome to the Pit," he said as Burris shook his servo. "Come on in. Let me introduce you to the others. Expect slag." Decimus walked back toward the barracks, an uncertain Burris following. He would be astonished to see who was inside.

Colonus sat back and considered the testimony gathered from the reluctant mechs and two femmes who had been found in Burris's hold in mournful condition. "This will be a problem. If we try to impeach their testimony, it will look like abuse. If we don't, Burris will be hanged by the thumbs in the town square."

Default, his partner in the case nodded. "We have a problem here, Coli. I think the biggest problem is our client is guilty as hell."

Colonus snorted, then laughed. "I think you're right, Dee. We have to figure this out."

They sat together devising and discarding possibilities for joors.

-0-Luna Base, Moon

They had broken ground for the foundations and sub floors of the installation. It would require at least five sub floors for Teletraan IV and the armories. The ground level buildings would be two stories, the first occupied by Ops Center, the Flight Briefing Center and medbay. The living quarters would be nearby underground, separate from the rest of the installation as protection against attack. Hangars both hardened and otherwise would be built to house ships and Seekers alike. Their accommodations would be below ground to protect them too. A large science facility was going to be built as well, partly to allow humans to work here and to allow Sciences to do work on the sensor net for the system without the interference of communications that existed on Mars. A major telescope would be built there that would do deep space scans beyond that which existed now. Humans would be allowed to access it and the data it collected. They were also putting in ground based space bridges to facilitate travel between Mars and Earth.

Big ships landed and off loaded, then left for more. Workers worked relentlessly. The facility needed to be on line and checked off as fast as possible. When it was finished, they would release that information to the humans. Then they would take on scientists to live there and work on their projects as well. Given the human propensity to scream loudly and to micromanage everything past the point of sanity, they went ahead with the project before informing anyone beyond the five world leaders that they talked to regularly, NEST and the military leadership related to them. The rest? They pledged to take the heat themselves when the media was informed.

Everyone heartily agreed.

-0-On the way

Sunspot waved and ran for the door of his school, Spot loping along behind him. When he was safely inside, Ratchet giddy upped the littler specimens and headed for the underground. He picked them up after stowing Prowler in the hold along with Hero to keep him company. Carrying a sparkling in each servo, he walked downstairs and waited on the platform. Praxus talked to him earnestly about everything: **"ADA! I LIKE GO! YOU LIKE GO!? ORION IS MY. WE GO US!"**

Ratchet nodded with a grin, pleased with the sentences he could make. "I agree. We go us."

Orion who fielded a ginormous grin was holding his dollies out for anyone close enough to be in the range of kissing them. He was in his own zone. When the train finally came, they entered and rode to the school stop speedily. Getting off, Ratchet carried them to the elevator and the short ride upward. Setting them down topside, he walked with them to their door. Entering, he unstrapped their little afts and they ran for the toys and their friends nearby. He grinned, then popped the hold withdrawing Hero. She sat on his servo with an anxious expression. "Ada? Can I go with you?"

He looked at her, then the others. Then he turned and hurried for the elevator. The ride down was especially happy as Hero smiled at him the entire time. Walking out, waiting on the platform, Ratchet shook his helm. "This can't happen again. Your teachers will hunt me down."

She smiled brilliantly. "I want to go with you, Ada. We can play."

Ratchet chuckled. "Is that what we'll do?" he asked.

She nodded. "You and me and Prowler."

Ironhide who was listening in would be inconsolable.

-0-TBC July 8, 2013


	358. Chapter 358

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 7 (358)

-0-Back home

Glenn Morshower walked through the crowd of photographers that stood in front of his home ignoring them as they tried to get a comment about the base. Barbara was in the window staring out, watching as he came to the door. She opened it and he entered, relaxing the moment the door closed. He hugged his wife, then walked to the kitchen where she began to put together a plate of food. They sat and talked together for hours.

-0-Back home

The dogs were on edge as she stood by the window staring outside at the cars parked here and there along the road. They were news crews that were seeking information on the events about Diego. They were here to get comments, talk to Will if he were home and get pictures. She couldn't and wouldn't tell them a thing. Will had kept the details minimal because of his position and their oath. She had nothing to tell them. A phone rang and she answered it. "Hi, Lonnie."

They chatted a while before Sarah hung up, plans in place to go to the Epps house for the weekend firmed up. Annabelle who was playing a video game looked up. "What do we do now, Mama?"

Sarah Lennox grinned. "We bug out," she said with a chuckle.

And they would.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They stood on the communication tower, the only place where they could speak eye-to-optic with the big mechs. Optimus Prime and Ironhide stood side-by-side answering questions of the forensic investigation teams as they were asked. The questions ranged from the enemy type … only the most general information was given … their tactics and style of combat as well as future possibilities for attack. They also asked for predictions for other bases to undergo the same destruction.

They gave what they could, information that had been agreed upon before the discussion with Morshower, Fulton and the N.E.S.T Global Command which Morshower commanded. Right now, there was no advantage to telling everything that the Insecticons represented nor their nominal commander, Arachnid. It was a long painful interview but eventually it ended. Prime and Ironhide turned to leave walking out to the tarmac beyond. Pausing, they watched as the basic platform was being laid for the new Embassy. The underground segments were debrided of their broken damaged portions to make way for new.

They watched as bots laid the perimeter structures that would allow slotting of the walls as they were laid down in segments. Curtain walls would form the basic structure, then transparent steel windows would be attached to them allowing the Embassy to have enormous sunlight inside. The walls at twelve feet high would be tall enough to disallow anyone from staring at the goings on. The glass like structures would form the ceiling of the building as well. Only satellites would have a chance to look inside including low flying planes but sensor disruptors would take care of that problem for them. The only images anyone would get from their snooping would be slashes of color and distortion.

The sensitive equipment inside as well as the rebuild of Teletraan II would be accomplished when the walls were firmly in place. That would happen the next orn. They watched a while, then turned walking back to Omega. They were quiet and pensive, aware that the forces of rage and revenge were gathering out in the world. The requests from Congress and other panels worldwide were piling up. Ratchet would be swamped, Prime thought as they walked up the ramp toward the command center. He glanced at Ironhide. "Ratchet is going to be busy," he said.

Ironhide nodded. "Old mech will do the job."

They disappeared into the vessel.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet sat at a table in a sidewalk cafe watching as Hero ate her mid morning snack. It was a favorite among children on Cybertron, something he only got in the most sparing amounts, on the most special of occasions. He had no idea as a child that when his genitors got the small soft candies for him it usually meant that they were not going to be eating very well for a while. When it became obvious to him that they did this, he told them he was not as fond of them anymore. He was actually but he could see on their faces the relief that they felt about providing them for him. They always provided for him no matter the cost to themselves. That was why they were so fragging awesome. "You like those, Hero?" he asked as he watched her, Prowler dozing quietly in his arms.

"I like them, Ada," she said as she sat on the table, a candy in her tiny servos as two more lay on the table between her legs. "Do you want one?" she asked holding one out to Ratchet.

Ratchet pretended to bite it, then sat back with a grin. Pretending to chew, he looked at his daughter who sat in her little fawn sweater and hat on the table before him. "Your old atar sure misses you."

"I miss him," she said pausing a moment from gnawing on the candie. "When will he come home, Ada?" she asked.

"Soon, I think," Ratchet said although he had no idea. It seemed like a good idea to make a guess. For infants, time was nothing.

"I will play with him then," she said gnawing on the candy once again.

Ratchet grinned.

:Ratchet:

:What?:

:What are you doing?:

:Eating candy with Hero at a sidewalk cafe:

:She's supposed to be in school:

:**SINCE WHEN?** I** am** talking to Ironhide, right?:

"Ha-ha, Ratchet. I want to play too:

:You know and I do that the next few orns are going to be awful. I will be working my aft off being diplomatic and slag. You would begrudge me having a moment with your little princess?:

:Yes:

Ratchet chuckled out loud. :Okay:

They bantered, then signed off. Ratchet sat with contentment as his daughter gnawed on sweeties, his son dozed lightly and the city around him went about the business of getting ready for the Festival of Primus that was coming up on the schedule. Given anything less than the complete invasion of the solar system, they would have their festival.

-0-At the Habitat

The scientists sat together at lunch, a rather subdued affair. They had been asked to do countless interviews and they declined. Since the attack, they had been uncertain how to approach the growing concerns on Earth. The news had been terrible and there were stacks of emails and calls piling up for them to speak their own point of view about it from their vantage point.

Michio Yamaha sighed. "I think it might be a good idea to have an idea what we think about this that is reasonably similar. I don't want anyone on Earth taking this and using us to make a point that is harmful to the already harmed situation."

The others agreed. It would be a strange and somber next few days. Michio and Antonio Lopez were elected to do the honors.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

He sat in the newly remade administration office of N.E.S.T. He felt as forlorn as anyone could and his anxiety about his fate was heavy on his shoulders. He had been part of MECH, one of the active duty moles who had been recruited to be the eyes and ears of the enemy within the military. That he made it through striker training and had access to Diego Garcia made him phenomenally important to the underground movement. He was the one who would tell them what was happening and perhaps at some point plant a bomb on the base or some other blow.

Inside the office, Lennox, Epps and Graham sat with Fulton to discuss what to do about Trevor Smith. He had been forthcoming and his angst seemed to be real. They debated what to do as out in the universe a fleet of Seekers and two battle shuttles were just returning through a space bridge from their encounter with ships bound to the command of the Decepticon, Cyclonus.

-0-Earlier

They flashed out of the gate and formed up to find the enemy. The 'Cons were inside the sensor net of the system, something everyone was sure they were trying to gauge by provoking. Forty heavy class Seekers formed up on the shuttles as they headed toward the coordinates where the Proxima Centauri Deep Space Array told them the enemy could be found. Flint sat in the command deck of The City of Kaon and plotted his strategy as he watched the lights that indicated the enemy moving parallel to the system. They disappeared into the darkness almost immediately.

-0-The Trine

Sideswipe stood beside Bluestreak as they watched the Embassy begin to re-emerge slowly. It was a strange thing to think about. Kaon had been separated here. It was his first home. It was their first home as a trine and the place of many good times. "I hate this," Bluestreak said.

Sideswipe nodded. "I know," Sideswipe said as Sunstreaker rolled to a stop beside them. Sideswipe glanced at him. "They pulled the murals. The Museum wants them. You better tell them that you want to make new ones."

Sunstreaker nodded. "I will. This is fragged."

"Good thing that we have a lot of pictures and videos. What are you going to paint, Sunny?" Bluestreak asked.

"I don't know. I want Cybertron here again. The murals showed it. I think I'll look at the image files at the City Hall. They have a lot of good images from Cybertron including new stuff from the last few migrations," Sunstreaker said.

They moved back as boxes of parts for the rebuild of Teletraan II were carried inside the slowly rising structure, heading down one of the inside roads to the stairs that led downward to the sub floors where the huge computer was kept. They had to get it back online. It would be part of the sensor boost that would allow them to do deep scans underground and analyze the information that they received.

The three stood silently watching as the sun began to wane in the distance and night crept forward over the glistening ocean nearby.

-0-Administration HQ, NEST, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Trevor Smith walked to his barracks, his relief enormous. They were letting him stay. They would curtail his access to outside phone lines until they were clear on a number of things. He pledged that he would help them in every way possible. They were going to take a chance. He would do his best to live up to the confidence.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They stood in the Autobot City Museum staring at a number of relics from the Museum of Iacon that were being displayed. They were ancient implements of office that were held by the Governor-General as a sign of their authority. They were covered with glyphs from the Primal language that had according to legend been handed down from Primus himself.

Hero sat on Ratchet's servo staring at the letters. She looked at Ratchet. "Ada? What does it say?"

"It tells about the pantheon," Ratchet said. "Primus and the others."

She nodded. "Oh."

They continued onward looking and chatting as Prowler lay in Ratchet's hold babbling to himself as he rested in the warm darkness, the energy of his ada soothing his rattled little spark. As they turned the corner, they paused. In a group surrounding Terradive, Sunspot's class was gathered. They were listening to him explain a number of exhibits that had been placed there, exhibits that were artifacts from several city-states. He listened a moment, then slunk back heading for the door.

Hero who sat with a smile looked at Ratchet. "I saw Sunspot."

"I did too. He was in school, little Missy. You aren't. We better hide," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Hero laughed, a small tinkling sound. "Run, Ada," she said as Ratchet nearly fell over with laughter.

They did.

-0-Omega Supreme, Temporary Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

"You look like you need a lap to sit on."

"Ha-ha, Prowl." Ironhide looked at Prowl with a slight frown.

"What's up your vents?" Prowl asked already knowing the answer.

"Ratchet and Hero are playing hookey," Ironhide said. He sat down and slumped in his chair. "Ratchet has Hero and Prowler and they're running around the city. They just finished going to the Museum and they're going to have lunch."

"Where?" Prowl asked with a slight grin. Ironhide was especially amusing when he was pouting.

"The Pit Stop," Ironhide said mentioning the popular diner next to the Military Airfield. They took the infants there on the weekend to have their favorite dinner, the Cybertronian version of hot dogs. "Old mech is having too much fun. He needs to stop."

"Until you get there?" Prowl asked as he sat back in his chair to listening to the bitching.

"Least he can do, the slagger." He began to bitch and whine, something that tickled Prowl in the parts of himself that allowed it. Ironhide when he was like this was hilarious.

Ironhide didn't disappoint him.

-0-TBC July 8, 2013


	359. Chapter 359

The Diego Diaries: Retraction 8 (359)

-0-At the base

They had held a service for those injured and dead, coming together just themselves to grieve and memorialize those lost in the battle for the base. The chaplains had done the service, the bots, civilians and soldiers taking what comfort they could from the moment.

Walking back from the airfield, they considered their luck that the buildings destroyed had been replaced and that they had a good home to come to. Walking into the mess hall, they stood in lines waiting for hot food and beer. There were other drinks available but no one in the command structure was concerned. It was hot. They were weary. Ice cold beer seemed medicinal.

For today.

Sitting together, they chatted, their voices hushed, their affect low. The moment would take a while to put into perspective and they would bounce back.

But not today.

-0-Omega Supreme Temporary HQ

They worked together, then Smokescreen glanced at Prowl. "They're up, Prowl."

Prowl nodded, then walked to the hatch making his way to the command center of the base. It had been rewired first, the bots helping with the infrastructure even as their shuttles flew in replacement equipment from all over the world for the link up to work and the downloads from abroad to begin. They had completed the last run through so he walked to the command center to conclude a mutual sign off.

The sun was warm on his body as he paused by the big building that held all of the central command features and personnel. Peering in the window, he waited as Major Sewell limped over. "Major Sewell, I am here to inspect the sign off. What do you require to make things optimal?"

"We are at optimal, Commander," Sewell replied. "The downloads to the mainframe are being expedited through the Midway Array. Thank you for that. Having the data go there, then come through Omega to the mainframe makes it possible to cut the transmission time from three days to four hours. That is an amazing time saver. Thank you."

"We are honored to help. Teletraan II will be online by tomorrow afternoon. We will make the link up when the go is given. Until then, Omega will remain to be our computer nexus and deep data relay center."

Sewell nodded. "When will you have the Embassy up and running?"

"It is now," Prowl replied. "We have the sensor system online. Teletraan still needs a partial rebuild but the techs assure me that they will be finished by tomorrow. Until then, we have the sensor system linked with the Midway Array so we can begin to track the Insecticons on the Earth."

"Good," Sewell said with relief. "We should all be optimal by tomorrow then."

Prowl nodded. "Then Omega can leave and we can put together the peripherals such as the flight center for the base."

Sewell nodded. "That will be good. We almost have the tarmac repaired to specs. Thank you for your help there too."

"Until all are one, Andrew," Prowl said quietly. Sewell nodded in agreement.

-0-On the flight line

Payload carried loads of gravel to the landing strip which had been dug out and the asphalt removed. It was being remelted along with additives of glass and rubber to make the strip flexible and durable. He dumped his load and turned to drive back for more. Big bots from the Laborer's Union who had volunteered spread the piles out as another one rolled over it compressing the fill into a smooth pad. The specs for runways were highly demanding so they leaned into it to make sure that they would be right.

Bulkhead stood nearby directing traffic for his mostly former Decepticon crew. The entire landing strip array would be online by the next orn. The curing process for the asphalt would take a bit of time but would be faster than if the humans had done it themselves. The bots knew how to make a landing strip. All over the universe there were examples on occupied and abandoned worlds of this particular talent. Here would be no exception.

Flight into Diego Garcia had been postponed until the next afternoon for this reason, the only exception being any from Mars or loads from other places carried by Autobot craft. The ability of the big flying mechanisms to land without taxiing was the difference. Clouds gathered in the sky as the threat of a light rain hung over them. When it finally did, clouds of steam rose off the new tarmac as the cool rain hit the hot asphalt. It smelled like spring to the soldiers who were sitting nearby watching. Spring in the city.

-0-On the moon

Ironhide and Prime stood on the rudimentary landing strip watching as the walls of the fortress were being raised. They would use their own steel constructions, leaving the stone of the lunar body unmolested. It would be swifter and stronger in the end. Inside the big fortress, the construction of levels could be seen. Standing in the middle looking down in the area that would be occupied by Ops Center, the start of Teletraan IV could be seen. Beyond it were the corridors that led to the outer subterranean areas that would be housing, storage and the armory.

It was going at the speed Prime was accustomed to see from the experts of his army. They had always constructed what they needed wherever they were and now was no exception. He pondered who would command this installation now that he had decided Flint would command Fort Apache. Glancing at Ironhide, he grinned slightly at the bot's slight out of sorts. :You look peeved still. I was under the impression that you understood the life of a soldier:

Ironhide looked at Prime a moment, then shrugged. :I do. But I don't have to always like it: He grinned then in spite of himself.

:Who do you recommend to command this installation? I'm putting Flint in overall command of Fort Apache:

Ironhide considered that, then nodded. :Good choice for the Fort. As for this? How about a Seeker? What about Cloud Burst? He's first class:

Prime considered that, then nodded. :He would be good here. Make Wren his second and we have a win:

Ironhide nodded. :I agree:

They stood watching as the first level walls were finally welded together and the transparent steel ceiling could commence to be attached. It was a rapid progress all around.

-0-At the Mall of Metroplex, The Sparkling Center, Autobot City, Mars

She stood in front of a rack of little sweaters. Staring at them, she considered their softness and colors touching them gently with her tiny servos. Glancing up at Ratchet who was nearby checking out some new children's books from the Writer's Guild, she smiled. "Ada?"

Ratchet glanced back and smiled. "What?"

"Can you come see?" she said pointing at the rack.

Ratchet walked over and knelt. "So … you're a clothes nut are you?" He looked at her little face. "You do know that we don't wear clothes. At least, not when we grow up."

She looked at him, then the rack. "I like these."

Ratchet looked at the tiny sweaters of all colors, some with images on them and the little hats that matched them on a shelf overhead. "You do? Which ones?"

She looked at him, then touched the sweaters. Looking at them, checking them out 'just so', she settled on two. One was pink with darker pink roses all over it. The hat actually had a crocheted rose on it. The other was a red jacket with a little dog on it. The hat for it was white with loppy dog ears. "These are pretty, Ada. Atar would like them too."

Ratchet snorted, then laughed. "Playing us one against the other already are you?" Ratchet rose and took both sets along with a book that he knew Ironhide would love to read to the sparklings. It was called 'The Hobbit'. Ratchet had no idea what a hobbit was but he figured since it said 'classic human literature' on it and it was in the children's section, it had to be fine and dandy.

They wandered to check out and with their bags in servo, Ratchet led the way out with Hero following behind holding a tiny bag with a single hat because she wanted 'to help, Ada'.

She did. In every way.

-0-In a cavern deep in the Earth

They gathered together in a cavern made by water erosion over millions of vorns. It was immensely large, had exposed veins of energon and other useful materials and was somewhere that the bots could not detect them. The iron content of the Earth worked in their favor. It blocked their signals with its dense solidity. That was fine with her. She was happy to have a fall back spot.

She would wait a while biding her time, then strike again. When they got comfortable, she would raise their discomfort. It was the least she could do for the Cause.

The cause meant nothing to her but it gave her license to rampage. After all, she was part of an infiltration protocol team. She grinned. They would all feel the burn in time. She knew how to be patient. She turned to her minions who were gathered in vast numbers making themelves comfortable in the caverns. Soon it would feel like home.

If home were the seventh circle of the Pit.

-0-Washington, D.C., National Press Club

They stood at the podium, all of the leadership of the civilian opposition to the Autobots presence on Earth. They had a couple of Senators and a handful of Representatives with them, poised on the platform ready to deliver their resounding condemnation of Prime and his people. Their leader was a man named Henry Jones. He was a wealthy man with his own viewpoint of the world and the where with all to put it into the public. He stepped forward. The roomful of reporters settled to listen.

"Good afternoon. Welcome. My name is Henry Jones and I am here with my friends and colleagues to speak about the situation as it relates to the presence of alien lifeforms in our solar system and the price our people have paid because of it. The destruction of Diego Garcia was inevitable. It was inevitable because the aliens among us have brought their civil war to our home world. What we have to do is speak out and act to ensure that our world and her people are safe from further harm.

"We have been building a political coalition both here in the United States and abroad to gather like minds together to defend our sovereignty and future against domination by machines. One may scoff at the ideas presented in films like the Terminator but look around and see that the insidious advancement of machines into our world and its structures has already begun.

"We were free before they came. They came here looking for some artifact that they refuse to tell us about, fighting over it to the detriment of our safety. Now a new peril is added to that one. If our military bases are not safe, how can any other location on this planet be safe? If they can't defend us against this new threat, then what good are they?" he asked.

-0-Diego Garcia, new Command Center, N.E.S.T. HQ

"Yeah," an airman said sarcastically. "What good are they? Try facing this shit alone, fat man and see how long you last."

Everyone sitting around him nodded, their faces grim with anger.

-0-National Press Club

"What we want to see is all of them gone. Cooperation with the Autobots has only benefited them. They have not been able to stop these incursions. They have co-opted our armed forces. General Morshower acts like he's practically one of them. They have taken over Mars and moons out in the system as they help millions of their people settle inside our solar system. That cannot be allowed to continue."

-0-Omega Supreme HQ

"He's on our side because he's smart and he's one of us. Kiss my aft, fragger," Ironhide muttered as they stood watching the presentation on a big overhead monitor.

Prowl and Prime both grinned slighty, the moment leavening.

-0-National Press Club

"We are therefore seeking through legislation in Congress to end the Autobot treaties, force them off Earth and if possible, out of the system. They can take their war elsewhere. We intend to facilitate this through educating the public to the real threat they pose as well as acts of law in the Congress. If we have to sever ties with the United Nations, then that is a course we are prepared to take."

-0-N.E.S.T. HQ

"What a nut sack," Epps said shaking his head. "What a fucking nut sack."

Lennox nodded. "Another delusional rich bitch."

"Maybe he can punch Arachnid with a bag of nickels," Graham said with a chuckle. "Its just as bad in England. They are going to have a press conference to join in with their 'brethren in the colonies' to … how did they put it? Foment another revolution, this time as allies, not enemies."

"Fucking delusional thinking. It will be the end of us," Epps said glancing at the others. They nodded in agreement.

-0-The Pit Stop

Hero sat on the table top holding a 'fry' in her servos. She paused a moment, swallowing. "I love fries, Ada. Do you love fries?"

Ratchet who was having his usual 'reuben and slaw' grinned. "I love fries. What about you, Prowler?"

They both glanced at the baby who was dozing on a pile of blankets on the table next to Hero. She smiled and held out her fry to him. "Do you want to have a fry, Prowler?" she asked sweetly. He dozed on. She looked at Ratchet. "Maybe we can save a fry for him. He might like them," she said with a sweet smile on her little Ironhide face.

Ratchet grinned. "We could do that," he said mesmerized by his daughter's genuine sweetness. "You are a good sister. Little mech is going to need one."

"He's cute," she said gnawing on the fry. "I like him so much. He's sad for atar. He likes it when we all can be home."

Ratchet nodded. "We all do, princess. Trust me. We all do."

:Ratchet?:

:What?:

:Where are you and what are you doing now?:

:We're still at The Pit Stop but don't worry:

:Why?:

:We're going to save a fry for you:

:Oh, ha ha, Ratchet!:

:Ha ha, Ironhide. When are you coming home?:

:Not soon enough. The lunar base is ahead of schedule. That's where I was earlier. Looks like Seekers are going to get the command there. Now we're at Diego. Some slaggers are on the tv from Earth talking about kicking us out of the system and other slag:

:Let them try. The first time they got hit without us they will come crawling: Ratchet sipped his 'coke'. :There's always troublemakers:

:Yourself included: (grin)

:Ah, Ironhide. Are you having a sad?: (grin)

:Damned right I am. Things are getting on their feet. We might come home soon:

:Good. I got it on good authority from a random princess that the sparklings miss you:

It was silent a moment, then Ironhide replied. :I miss them too:

Ratchet paused his sandwich, then glanced at Hero was was patting Prowler. :Hurry up home, old mech:

:I will. Ironhide out:

Ratchet ate his sandwich, chatted with his daughter and the odd friend who came or went. Time would pass in the city as everyone held their breath for the future.

-0-TBC July 9, 2013

NOTE: CANON FROM HASBRO: Prime NEVER speaks in contractions. He will never say 'he'll', only he will. Can not, not can't. Etc. :D :D :D


	360. Chapter 360

The Diego Diaries: Retraction (360) (For OptimusPrime101) :D

-0-On the streets of Autobot City, Mars

They rolled along heading back from IntraComm where they had given an interview about the troubles on Earth. Pausing by the intersection of Metroplex Highway 1 and Cultural Center Road, they watched as public works mechs were working on a project on the plaza in front of the Administration Building of City Hall in Metroplex. Crossing at the lights, they rolled up and paused. There had been work going on outside since the day before but they had been busy watching and worrying about the situation on Earth to concern themselves here.

Parking nearby, Leonora Huttle stepped down from her segway and walked to where two were working on a big round hole in front of a row of what looked like more than a dozen enormously tall flagpoles. She tapped on a ped and they both paused looking down at her with a grin. :Hello, Leonora Huttle. What can I do for you?: the first asked, knowing full well the 'nice femme who liked us on the movie crew' was asking.

She grinned. :What are you working on?: she asked as a big flatbed non-sentient crane arm truck pulled up next to them.

:We're remodeling the plaza for the Festival: he replied. :You might want to step back, Leonora Huttle. You don't want to get hurt:

She moved to the steps nearby and climbed up watching from a safe distance as the two mechs turned to help the driver and crane operator leash up the copper device on the truck bed. The copper cylinder rose up and they turned it carefully, slowly toward the hole. Lowering it, they seated it on the platform. Welding followed hooking the form to the fuel source under it. When they stepped back, the shining metallic device intriguing to see. It was a cylinder that rose straight up about twelve feet. It was probably as big around as it was tall. At the end of the first twelve feet, the cylinder rose to a peak another twelve feet ending in a pointed tip. All around the part that formed the peak were tiny holes. From them a flame would emit.

:What is this going to be?: Leonora asked as she stared upward.

:A memorial flame: the mech said. :This whole area will be dedicated as part of the Festival of Primus: he said. :I don't know more than that: he said glancing at the area.

:Thank you: she said with a smile. She turned and ran to the segway jumping on board. With the others, she sped off for the Science Habitat for dinner with the rest of the human population of Mars.

-0-At the big hangars nearby

Kappa walked into the big hangar that was home with Swoop on her servo. If she had been a pirate, Swoop would have been her parrot. She loved him madly and he loved her equally. Even though she was 'going with' the Wrecker 'bad boy' Xantium since forever, she shared her spark for the tiny dinobot with the simple mind and good attitude. Pausing at the door, she grinned down at Silverbolt. "You look down. Missing Omega?"

Silverbolt nodded. "I am," he said to his sister-in-law. "He's supposed to be wrapping up the mission on Diego maybe tomorrow. I hope so."

"You and me both. The Festival is coming soon. They're decorating the city and beyond."

Silverbolt nodded. "I hope they can play the game eventually. I want to see if Kaon can take out Praxus."

"That will be fun," she said sitting down on the special platform built for them inside the building. "I heard that they have a new holographic program they want to try at the game. They set up the equipment at either end of the field and project the game through it. Its so clear that it looks like the game is being played in front of you. Its life sized with great clarity. They have one for the children's stadium and the airport. I don't think that we can accommodate everyone but a lot of them will see it. The rest will have to catch the broadcast on the IntraComm. There's word that a rotating lottery will be used to allow more equitable viewing for the public for the next season. There is also word that more teams will be made up too."

"I hope so. We need something happy to lighten the mood. The humans getting killed has really rocked the colony. Its a terrible thing, Kappa. I like the humans a lot." Silverbolt glanced up as Xantium came in walking toward them with a big grin.

"Don't you two look happy," he said dropping a kiss on Kappa. He looked at Swoop, then picked him off Kappa's servo. "Hi, Swoop. You hanging with my femme?"

He grinned. "I am," he said simply.

They both chuckled.

-0-London, England, Earth

They walked from the venue after spending about an hour answering questions about the alliance between them and the Americans who were forming a political campaign to end the treaties between their countries and Autobot Nation. It had been raucous as the reporters cut straight to the point. They had stated the same goals, the end of the treaties, the end of aliens on the Earth and hopefully, the solar system. They had the same funding and determination. They would not be the last group to state their desires. France, Germany and Italy also had civilians making their announcements.

By the time the day was over, groups in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Canada, Australia and Russia would state the exact same goals. That they were the first ten countries to sign the treaty with the Autobots was not lost on anyone.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

Kestrel sat at the window looking out at the city. He felt an unspecific anxiety in his spark but had no really specific reason for it. He was living in his son's home, nearly up to par physically and safe for the first time since The Fall. Tagg was with him and they had the family to surround them. They were a tremendous comfort too. Infants were unexpected. That their only son had a bond that was so fulfilling was also unexpected. They were used to Orion being self sacrificing and last in line for the good things. He was a good mech, one of the best ones they had ever met. That he was their son was a tremendous delight. He had built this city from the debris of everyone's life and made them come to him.

Kestrel had never expected to ever see Orion again. He was so utterly defeated on Cybertron that he was merely holding on for Tagg. He was on his last bit of strength when they were rescued. The Circle had found them with Their Boys and helped a lot to protect them and coax their failing health return to some stability. Prolonged deprivation and starvation had made his processor fuzzy. Only now was he putting together things so that they made sense. He remembered a conversation with his son just the day before...

"Son, we want to know what we have to do to make our way. We need to find a home of our own and jobs. If you can tell us what to do, we can do it," Kestrel said as he sat down next to Orion in his study. He had waited until the family was in other rooms before broaching the subject. He felt emotion suffuse him as he asked. He still had the idea that asking for something was a punishment offense.

Old habits die hard.

Orion had looked at him for a moment before responding. "Do you **want** an apartment, Ada?" he asked gently.

Kestrel had fidgeted even though he hadn't wanted to show his son anything that might spark his worry. Orion had enough of those. He wanted to be calm and reasonable in his request but his nerves were firing on all cylinders. "Don't you think we should, son? What about your family? Don't you want to have your bond and family without us in the way?"

Orion had looked at his ada, then took his servo, one that had been worn from unrelenting work in a lifetime that had been long and arduous. "You do not understand what it means to me that you are both here. I have had a hole in my spark for so long. I worried where you were. I worried that you were hurt or hungry … maybe lost and separated. I tried not to think about you because it was an agony. When the world fell and we could not come back for you I wanted to die. But I could not let down when I wanted to. I had to go on because that is what you would expect me to do. I tried to be worthy of you and Atar. I tried to be half the mech you both are. You are my heroes. Do you understand that?" he asked gently.

Kestrel looked at him a moment, then nodded slightly. "Maybe. I will try." He reached out and touched his son's face. "I cannot begin to explain to you how much we have longed to see you. You are our best collaboration. You have learned everything we tried to teach you and made yourself into the best mech I have ever known."

"What do you want to do, Ada? You can live here forever and we, all of us will be grateful for every moment. If you want a home of your own I will make it happen. I would build it with my bare servos if necessary. I would do whatever you want because you are mine and I am yours. If you want work, I will help you find some that will give you dignity and respect the contribution you have already made for our people without wearing you down. You do not have to work at all you know. No one has to when they are not up to it and I do not know that you are yet. You feel you have to do it to earn your way. Do you not know you already have?" he asked quietly. "Just being here makes me want to do better, do more, do all of it. Just having you here is a miracle. You cannot know how much I am gladdened."

Kestrel looked at his son, his wonderful mech and nodded. "Your atar and I feel the same way. I wish I could explain how much I feel the need to help."

"You already do, Ada. Just being here," Orion said nodding. "Think about it. If you need a space of your own, I will make it so. I will keep you close to me. I do not want you to go too far. Sometimes I think when I turn around you will not be there, that it will be a hole where you should be. I have dreamed when I dared for you to come to me and I have always been disappointed until now. Now, I can face any demand because I am working for you too. Think about it and tell me. I will do whatever you want but understand … you are not required to work unless you want to. No one is compelled to do more than they can. We cherish our elders here."

Kestrel sat holding his son's servo, then nodded. "I am so glad to be here. Maybe the time will come when I actually believe it isn't a dream."

"You and me both, Ada," Optimus said with a nod...

The door opened and Tagg walked in pausing beside the chair where Kestrel sat. "Are you alright, Kes?" he asked.

Kestrel nodded. "I think so, Tagg. I just … I have a hard time believing that our boy will be here when I close my optics. I am almost afraid to recharge."

Tagg walked to the chair and sat down on the ottoman in front of Kestrel. "He will be, Kessy. I think you need to talk to the doctors again. Your anxiety is worrisome."

Kestrel looked at the airfield beyond, then his bond. "If you think so, Tagg. I will do what you want."

Tagg squeezed Kestrel's servo. "You will feel better. There are moments when I do. I was looking at the jobs listings at the Employment Office. I think I can get work at the Temple. I can be part of the cleaning crew."

"That would be nice, Tagg. Are you up to it?" Kes asked with anxious optics.

"I think so," Tagg said nodding. "I can see."

Optimus Prime pausing on the way to the airfield put in a call to Jarro. He would kiss and hug his genitors, then leave meeting Jarro on the way out of the lobby of the building. After a moment's chat, Jarro would continue onward upward and spend the afternoon listening to the fears and anxieties of two mechs who hid for the lifetimes of some small stars in plain sight, fearing every second that their discovery would lead to the death of their son. It would be a long painful conversation.

-0-On the road to Mandalay. Sort of.

Ratchet ambled along, a baby laying wrapped in blankets on one arm, a small femme-let on the other in her fawn gear. She wore the red dog hat with floppy ears, her finials poking out of the holes for them.

"Ada?"

"What, Hero?" Ratchet asked earlier as he gathered their lunch dishes together in a stack for the waiter. The Pit Stop was beginning to fill up so they were going to go on their way.

"Can I wear my new hat? I like the ears," she said, a huge smile on her face.

Ratchet grinned and removed her little fawn beanie. Putting the red little hat on her helm, adjusting for her delicate little finials, he tied a big bow with the strings underneath her chin. Taking a picture, he sent it to Ironhide. "You look adorable," Ratchet said stowing the little bags and her fawn hat in his hold. He began to swaddle Prowler for the chilly ride to the next stop when Ironhide checked in.

**:RATCHET! WHAT THE FRAG!?:**

:What, ba-bee?:

**:SHE HAS A NEW HAT!:**

:You should see the sweater. She picked it out herself. Little femme has incredible taste:

:I wasn't there:

:Oh. **I wasn't aware of THAT! HOW DOES IT FEEL, IRONHIDE!?:**

(Pause) :You are a slagger:

:Really? You weren't here so I sent a snap. You get your big aft in a twist over me doing you a solid. I could have not sent pictures. I could not have sent video all day, you big pantie waist. What the frag more can I do?:

:Wait for me:

:You're working. Remember? We're slagging regular army:

(Pause) :You are a slagger:

:You knew that going in:

:True, that. Did the Requisition Office call? I have stuff coming in:

:No. I'll check: (Pause) :They said you have packages:

:Can you get them? **DON'T OPEN THEM!:**

(grin) :I can do that:

:Good: (Pause) :What are you two doing now? How's Prowler? Does he miss me?:

:He cried the entire time we were gone, Ironhide. He only stopped when I came home and got him:

(Pause ) :I better spend some quality time with him, Ratchet. All of them:

:You're going to play hookey then?:

:You can't complain. You are:

:Little femme asked me. **YOU TRY AND SAY NO TO HER LITTLE SELF!:**

:Mech up, Ratchet:

**:OH REALLY!? THIS IS THE SLAGGER THAT WEPT LIKE A TARG WHEN YOU HAD TO HAND HERO OVER!:**

:I did. A mech loves his sparklings. What can I say?:

:You can give me a ball park about when you're coming home:

:I don't know yet, Ratchet. You better get your 'A' game going. They are announcing groups that want to post hole us all over the signatory countries. Looks like you're going to have to razzle dazzle them but good:

:I'll try, Ironhide. A mech only has so much razzle in their dazzler you know: (grin)

:You'll do it: (grin) :Tell little femme that her old atar loves her. Tell the others too:

:I will. Come home, Ironhide:

:Soon. I'm out for now. Prime is going to the communications hangar. Morshower wants a chat:

:Tell him hi for me:

:I will. Ironhide out:

The soft energy that indicated Ironhide soothed Ratchet as he gathered up his children. They turned and walked out heading for RTR Tools and the happy energy of his genitors. It would be a very peaceful afternoon.

-0-TBC July 9, 2013


	361. Chapter 361

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 1 (361)

(Drove truck 500 miles yesterday. Crawled home on the hands and knees.)

**ON WITH THE SHOW!**

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

The night fell upon the slowly resurrected base as its night lights began to play counterpoint to the star filled sky. It was sultry and warm, the few clouds in the sky enough to blot out patches of the constellations overhead. Lennox finished his call home, then left the office to walk outside to the patio where everyone sat relaxing after a trying day. The pile of interview requests was enormous but they weren't ready to say anything yet. Families abroad were getting the same treatment but were mum as was the code of special ops everywhere.

What special ops?

Like that.

He took a beer from the cooler and sat popping the top. A deep pull on the bottle hit the spot as the ice cold liquid pooled in his stomach. A barbecue had helped unwind the tension that informed the base now. It once was calm and peaceful, reasonably homey and always interesting here. The younger crowd of Autobots including a few of the Home Guard were being filtered through the rotations to help them get experience with humans. They were hilarious. Many was the wild ride around the island in their company. Even the Home Guardians were coming out of their proper military mentalities to race the regular army bots around the sandy beaches and sparing roads of the island.

It was awesome.

Then.

Now there was a grimness here that hung over them like a fog.

It sucked.

They sat talking together, the group of N.E.S.T. soldiers that had been through everything since that first encounter in Egypt. This was just the latest chapter in their long saga. In the distance, they could see sparks flying upward into the sky. The bots were having a beer fest of their own on the beach. They would join them soon but not now. They were finally comfortable.

-0-Omega Supreme HQ nearby

They sat together eating a dinner brought from Autobot City for the crews on the ground. It was tasty and homey, something that nagged at all of them. It had been a while since they had been there, in the bosom of their families and in their own berths. The intell from Arachnid and the Insecticons had dried up so they had settled in to wait. The apparatus of detection was being reconstructed and linked up both on the ground and overhead in space. The lunar base was coming along swiftly. Until both were ready to function at optimal, they were here to stay.

Unfortunately.

Ironhide who was checking the news glanced at Prime. "Someone in congress in America wants the lunar landing spot to become a national park. They want to protect the artifacts and the area from anyone coming after them."

"It seems a good idea," Prime said nodding.

Prowl shrugged. "We do that already," he said putting his clutter back into the box. "Maybe we can bring some things back for their museums."

"That might fly or sink. They're getting hard to predict now," Ironhide said.

Prime nodded. "They are. We however must be steadfast. They cannot in their fury be allowed to harm themselves. Arachnid and the Insecticons are powerful enough to destroy this world without us here to be counterpoint to her actions. They will find out that being alone is less preferable than putting up with a detested ally."

"What's to detest? We get slagged with them. They aren't watching us sit on our afts. We go into the holes after them, the slaggers," Ironhide said with no small amount of offense.

"From your lips to Primus's audials," Prowl said quietly.

-0-Phobos City Square, Autobot City, Mars

They stood filming establishing shots in the new cities that had been brought online with the last migration. Phobos had been designed to be different from Terra which was built around a large common area with the streets and habitations radiating out like spires on a star. This city of over 500,000 bots was build more like a hexagon with the common area in the middle. Tower habitations were the norm here too with the business areas in their own separate towers or in the lowest ground levels of the habitations. Some residents only had to come downstairs to get the things and services they needed and wanted. Most of those towers were home to elders or those with physical limitations.

Aaron Belcher turned to glance at the subway station off Metroplex Highway 3 which was the main thoroughfare through town. The highway linked Phobos to Terra which in turn was linked to Crystal City and Luna, the city a child had named after Earth's moon. Earth now was represented in the city and lives of their people with Terra and so was its satellite. :Leonora, where are they going and what are they doing? Go ask will ya?:

Leonora Huttle nodded and turned her segway heading toward the group that was walking out of the subway carrying bundles. Rolling to a stop, she looked upward. :Hi. What's up?:

They paused and looked down with a grin. :We're putting up the banners for the Festival:

She nodded. :The Festival of Primus?:

They nodded.

:What can you tell me about it?: Leonora asked hopefully.

They glanced at each other, then her. :Nothing: One of them grinned. :Ask Prime. Then go see the priests. They will tell you what's allowed:

She nodded and watched as they continued onward walking toward a light pillar that had a cherry picker, a small non-sentient vehicle driven by a bot who would hang the banners as the public works mechs handed them to him. He had driven up when she was talking to them. They gathered around the vehicle looking upward as he raised himself, banner in servo. He affixed it, then drove to the next one, the mechs following. It hung a moment, then began to ruffle in the light breeze. It was the Emblem of the Primes followed by glyphs underneath that they had begun to understand were the names of Optimus Prime and the slogan, "Until all are one". She nodded her head. :Until all are one indeed: she whispered to herself. Then she turned around and sped back to the film crew.

-0-Elsewhere in the city-state

Motormaster paced as he considered the situation as it stood. He was stuck behind bars with his brother while another was going about the city having a high old time. Breakdown hadn't come to see them even once since their incarceration. Dead End who was sitting on a chair nearby watching the other end of their cell block where Barricade and that ilk were housed glanced at his 'leader'. "Stop pacing. You're driving me crazy."

"You're already crazy," Motormaster said glancing at his brother. "Frag you."

"Frag yourself," Dead End said morosely. "You were the idiot who got us caught. All you had to do was lie about why and how we were here but no. You had to shoot your mouth off."

Motormaster turned glaring at his brother. "Frag you."

With that, it was on.

-0-On a planetary fragment out there

Wild Rider stood feeling the discord as his brothers clashed far away. It was boring where he was. He wasn't in any big hurry to meet up with Motormaster but the others were passable. He had been a long time apart from them. He was aware that Drag Strip was with Cyclonus, the two coming as close together in this situation than they had been in ages. He considered going to the colony to see if he could pass himself off as a reformed Decepticon. He could say that he was following the signal of his brother, Breakdown and just wanted to find a place that wasn't a colossal clusterfuck. Most of the universe at the moment was.

Pausing, he turned and walked toward the door to the entrance of the Fortress where Paragon and Arrow were sitting together working out something that he didn't give a frag about. Several more battle groups were due in. He wasn't interested in finding out who they were. He wanted to do something **NOW** and if going to Autobot City to see if he could live there gave him that opportunity, he was going to take it.

-0-In the city

Ratchet opened the door and paused to allow Hero to walk inside, her tiny bag in servo. She walked in with a smile glancing up at Ratchet as she did. "Thank you, Ada."

Ratchet grinned. "You're one well brought up little femme, Hero. I wonder who your genitors are?" he asked.

She chuckled. "You're funny," she said with amusement in eerie imitation of her older brother, Sunspot. She walked to the hallway and disappeared inside her room. For a moment she was gone, then she reappeared without hat, sweater or tiny bag. She walked to the couch where things were put tugging sweaters and a little hat out of the bags where Ratchet had put them. Turning heavy laden, she walked to her room and disappeared.

Ratchet grinned, then put the new book on the coffee table for Ironhide to see. It was his job apparently to **'SLAGGING READ TO THE INFANTS AT NIGHT TIME, SLAG IT, RATCHET'. **Turning, he walked into the berth room to watch as Hero laboriously put her newer and older clothing away. The hangars were three level, one over the others with a hat rack on the bottom one. It was designed for her by Ironhide so she could 'get her own gear, Ratchet. Little femme is a lady," he had said as he tinkered and rebuilt her closet. "Little femme is growing up." He had paused as if struck for the first time with that notion, then turned and continued to labor as Hero held a nail or two 'to help you, Atar'.

It was one of his favorite stored images. Here was a malevolent warrior, big, unintimidated and ruthless in battle working on his knee structures to make his daughter's little closet more accessible with the waif 'helping' him. The two chatting was priceless.

"What are you doing, Hero?" Ratchet asked.

She turned and looked up smiling broadly. "I'm putting my stuff away, Ada. Atar said I have to make my room clean every day. We built this," she said patting the shelf with her little hats sitting in a neat row.

"You sure did," Ratchet said with a nod. "Very nice and neat, sparkling. You could be in the army with this much neatness."

"I am," she said nodding to her ada. "You and Atar are soldiers. So are we."

He considered that, then nodded. "I guess you are, honey." He pulled Prowler out of his hold, then turned to go out.

"Ada? Can Prowler play with me?" she asked sweetly.

He turned and looked down, then at the happy little doppelganger of his BFF laying on his servo. "Sure. Teach him how to sit up by himself." Ratchet grinned and put Prowler on the floor. He turned and went to the office next door to check the status of all things medical in the city and beyond. By the time he checked in again, Prowler was sitting up by himself. He would also be wearing half of Hero's growing wardrobe.

-0-On a ridge by the prison taking panoramic views of that part of the city for background and stock footage

They had made their way to the no mech's land that separated the city from the prison proper. Filming the vista shots, they paused as a squad of Day Watch mechs tore toward them along Fortress Road. When they reached the turn off to the prison, they sped forward and transformed when they reached it. Turning their cameras toward the sight, Aaron Belcher and Jack Mellar filmed the resulting hoo-haw for posterity.

Whether it would see the light of day on the MCA or IntraComm remained to be seen.

The mechs at the prison transformed and turned to the guards at the inside gate. "We can take it from here, Pat," the first one said to the Officer of the Orn. Pat, a mech with serious prison experience on Cybertron nodded, pressing the sequence that dropped the bars. The Watch officers as one entered and pounced, the two fighting turning as one to meet the threat. It was brutal and swift, the two Stunticons finally laying out flat on the ground. The Watch mechs rubbing their hurts grinned at Pat. "We'll put them in irons if you want us to do that. Tell us what you want."

Pat-23A considered that. Then grinned. "Put them in the stocks."

The mechs chuckled and with a nod grabbed an arm or a leg. Dragging the two miscreants, they walked to the gate and beyond carrying and/or dragging the slowly reviving bots to the 'stocks'.

On the hill nearby, they stood together watching. It was one thing to film the bots telling about their skills and adventures. It was more so to have the footage they could get from the few filmed incursions they were allowed to film during migrations. This had been something entirely different. It was incredible. It had been brutal, uncompromisingly brutal and short. They had filmed the entire thing that would remain if not in the broadcast, then in their personal 'holy shit' reel. It would be doubtful if they could ever show this material but it jerked up their already high opinion of the warrior society in which they lived and worked that such beings existed and that the tales they told were most assuredly accurate.

"That was fucking awesome," Jack Mellar said as they all stared at the prison.

No one spoke. They just nodded together.

-0-At the 'stocks'

They had entered the little room and stood up the miscreants. Fastening them into the energon cuffs, they stood and waited as the pair cleared their processors. Motormaster came to clarity first. He stood straighter and tugged on his wrists but the glowing bars held him fast. **"FRAGGERS! LET ME OUT OF HERE AND I'LL FRAG YOUR AFTS!"**

"You already were out of them a moment ago and got your helm handed to you, you dumb fragger," Pat-23A replied drolly. "You are going to stay here for a few joors, then we'll start all over."

The youngling Home Guards mechs who were watching with them glanced at each other. The massive bot was nearly but not quite the size and mass of Prime. He would have wiped the floor up with all three of them, that much was clear. He was big, massive and brutal. Motormaster and his brothers were feared. Everyone of them were big. Only Breakdown was liked. The others were feared or hated.

Even among Decepticons.

"**YOU FRAGGER! LET ME LOOSE! I'LL MURDER YA!"** Motormaster said as Dead End seethed silently beside him.

The guards went out, some of them chuckling as the door closed behind them. It was silent a moment, then Dead End looked at his brother. "You are one hopeless stupid fragger, you are."

It was on again.

This time, it didn't matter. Neither one could get at the other but the comedy coming out of their screaming was music to the prison guards' audials. Including the three youngling civilian guardsmechs doing their civic duty.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They sat around the fire pit, the bots and the soldiers. Half of the base civilians had joined them, all of them drawing comfort from the presence of the others. Sunstreaker who was sitting on a stone talking to Jolt paused as if listening. Then he began to laugh. Loudly.

The conversations around him stopped as everyone turned toward him. "What is it, Sunny?" Bluestreak asked from his perch on Sideswipe's lap. "What's so funny?"

Sunstreaker looked at him, then grinned. "Motormaster and Dead End got into a brawl at the prison. It took six Day Watch to beat them into the ground. They're in the stocks."

Everyone grinned. "All the good stuff happens when we're not there," Sideswipe said with a chuckle. "Is there film?"

Sunstreaker paused to listen, then nodded as if answering someone on the phone. "I have it." He touched the side of his helm and a scene unfolded near the group. It was as solid as if it were happening right there and was obviously someone's view point in the melee. Motormaster and Dead End were going at it with half a dozen Watchmen. They were able to put them down, then the scene shifted to the two being hauled off followed by three wide opticed, slightly intimidated Home Guardsmen doing their quarterly civic duty at the prison.

A stockade room appeared and all of them entered plastering the two to the wall in energon cuffs. They revived and Motormaster did what he was famed all over the galaxy for … being a loudmouthed dumb aft: **"FRAGGERS! LET ME OUT OF HERE AND I'LL FRAG YOUR AFTS!"** followed by **"YOU FRAGGER! LET ME LOOSE! I'LL MURDER YA!"**

The laughter was therapeutic from the group as they howled at the expense of the two Stunticons. Sunstreaker smirked. "Motormaster has been watching cartoons. 'I'll murderate ya, you palooka.'," he said with a snicker.

"Sounds like you have too," Bluestreak said nudging Sunny with his ped.

"Those little guards with them looked freaked out," Jessie Landon said chuckling. "They can come sit by me."

"Home Guard civilians getting real world experience," Sideswipe said. "Now you know why they will never have front line active duty. I don't think those three will mind. Some of actually them do. We should have them do duty with the hard afts. Might cure them of that notion."

"What about these two 'Cons? Who are they and what's their story?" a civilian asked as he relaxed against Track's ped.

"Those two are Motormaster and Dead End," Kup began and for once no one cared. They sat back to be 'edumacated' as the old master soldier liked to put it. "They are part of a team called Stunticons and you can't find dumber fraggers on this or any other planet."

"Isn't Breakdown a Stunticon?" 'Fig' Figueroa asked to be ornery.

"He is. He must have gotten the better end of the deal when they screwed him together. He and his brothers hate each other to the point of murder," Kup continued.

"I have been fighting the Stunticons longer than anyone here," Sideswipe said as everyone present nodded. "They are a poor iteration of bot that doesn't mesh together in good times because they weren't carefully formatted in their beginning. When the 'Cons began to make combiners, they experimented on bots, mostly siblings sometimes without their agreement. Jhiaxus thought siblings could combine easier together because they were related. The first few combiners were a fragged up mess. They included the Stunticons. That combination was code named Menasor. They don't combine well and they don't mesh at all. None of them. They all hate Motormaster with all they got. It's extreme even for Decepticons not getting along and you can attest to that, right?" he asked glancing at Revo who was sitting next to Tracks.

The big ex-'Con grinned and nodded. "There isn't much esprit de corps in the 'Cons. Take my word for it. Even less so for most of the combiners. Maybe the Constructicons are the exception but not many others."

Sideswipe nodded. "These guys are brothers but you wouldn't know it from being around them. They all hate each other but they're united in an undying hatred of Motormaster."

"He's huge," Jessie said. "He looks as big as Optimus. Can Optimus take him?" she asked worriedly.

"He can. I remember when he and Motormaster had a head on collision," Sideswipe said nodding. "He was in a ground format and so was Motormaster. The Stunticons are among the very few 'Cons who have an exclusive grounder format. They were in combat and I stopped to watch, it was so epic. Motormaster decided to ram Prime and he was going about 250 from a standing stop. Optimus transformed and headed for him. The sound of that collision was amazing."

"I wish I had seen it," Kup said nodding.

Sideswipe paused as if thinking, then grinned. "You want to?"

Everyone yelled their planetary version of **'HELL THE FRAG YES!'** at the top of their lungs in unison.

-0-TBC July 11, 2013

NOTES: Apparently Kelsey Grammer is going to play a counterintelligence guy in the TF4 movie.

There's a rat trap freightliner type truck tractor that speculation runs from whomever to Motormaster. :D There is also speculation that it could be Galvatron. Considering idiot boy has killed everyone else, he looks to be obliterating Galvatron too. Consider the next movie to have an incoherent bad guy on the 'Con side. (Sort of describes Bay) :D :D :D

"We believe in a world where humans and androids can coexist." -seen on a t-shirt made by common sense. :D :D: :D


	362. Chapter 362

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 2 (362)

-0-On the beach, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Everyone yelled their planetary version of **'HELL THE FRAG YES!'** at the top of their lungs in unison.

As they said that, Optimus, John Fulton, Andrew Sewell, Ironhide, Prowl and the rest of the N.E.S.T. soldiers joined them. Everyone paused, then stared at Prime. He sat down on a sand bank, then glanced at everyone. "What?" he asked.

"Prime … do you remember that head on collision with Motormaster?" Kup asked with a grin.

Optimus glanced at Prowl, then nodded. "I think I can still feel it in my processor."

"Sideswipe has the film. We want to see it," Jessie asked with a smile. "You don't mind do you?"

Optimus glanced at Sideswipe who sat grinning, a smiling Bluestreak in his usual place, his lap. "You were there. I vaguely remember it. You have the film?"

"I do and I also have the epic slagging you got from Ratchet afterward on the ship." Sideswipe smirked. "I was about to play it."

"Oh," Prowl said, his voice dripping with irritation and smugness, "do."

Sideswipe glanced from a sheepish Prime to a smirking Prowl and Ironhide. "I will," he said. "Oh … and just in case you missed it, I have Prowl's epic rant too."

Prime blinked but girded his massive loins as everyone turned toward the ocean and the image that pipped into life before them. It was clear, intensely vibrant and epic.

Two massive vehicles of Cybertronian design were at either end of a long dried riverbed. The planet was desert and dry, the space where they faced off massive. Sunlight filled the slightly orange sky giving the impression of some atmosphere. They were trading shots, both of them armed and firing even in vehicle mode. Then one of them stomped on the gas driving as fast as they could in the space they had toward the other.

Motormaster was flying, probably well over 250 miles per hour when Prime slammed forward meeting and exceeding Motormaster's speed in less time than the other. The image focused into a narrower closer spectrum as Sideswipe fully turned to watch. The sound was intense as they closed the gap, neither of them intending to swerve first. When they came together, the impact was colossal, the two bots slamming into each other like freight trains. They bounced back, then lay still, Motormaster steaming, his format lying on its side. Prime was still on his wheels, silent and shuddering.

The image bounced as Sideswipe ran down the hillside transforming to skate, pausing beside the behemoth figure of Prime. The conversation started in Cybertronian but shifted to English for the viewers. "Prime. What the frag? **ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR PROCESSOR!? CAN YOU MOVE!?"**

Optimus didn't move for a moment, then he did. He transformed and sat on his haunches. Glancing at the smoldering wreckage that was Motormaster, he shook his helm. "Remind me never to do that again," he said as Sideswipe laughed. Then bots came out of the woodwork. The scene cut to a ship where Prime was sitting quietly on a med berth with his officers around including a smirking Ironhide and Sideswipe. Ratchet was ballistic.

"**ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FRAGGING MIND?! THAT KNUCKLEHEAD COULD HAVE KILLED YOU! WHAT THE FRAG! MAYBE WITH MEGATRON, I CAN SEE THAT BONEHELMED STUNT BUT A SLAGGER LIKE MOTORMASTER!? HE'S A STUNTICON! A FRAGGING STUNTICON! YOU WOULD WASTE YOURSELF ON A STUNTICON!? I AM NOT GOING TO SAY THIS TWICE, OPTIMUS PRIME! IF YOU EVER DO THIS AGAIN, I WILL DEACTIVATE YOU MYSELF! YOU ARE THE SLAGGING PRIME OF CYBERTRON! IF YOU EVER DECIDE THAT THIS IS NECESSARY AGAIN, GET SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"**

"I think they can hear you in the Benzuli Expansion, old mech," Ironhide ventured before regretting it.

"**YOU! YOU THERE, BODY GUARD! PERSONALLY SELECTED BODY GUARD OF THE MATRIX BEARER! WHERE THE FRAG WERE YOU? HOW DID IT COME THAT THE LEADER OF OUR FACTION NEARLY OFF LINED HIMSELF GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH A FRAGGING *STUNTICON*! WHERE THE FRAG WERE YOU, *IRONHIDE*! TELL ME WHY I DON'T SLAG YOU TO THE PIT! WHERE THE *FRAG***** IS MY BIG WRENCH!?"**

Ironhide could be seen easing toward the doorway.

Everyone in the crowd chuckled. Then the scene shifted to Prowl who was standing nearby in a fit of fuming. Even for him, buttoned down fragger that he was in those orns, it was almost completely obvious. He walked toward Prime and stared at him fixedly. "That was a dumb move. You risked your spark over a derelict. That cannot happen again."

Prime looked at him meekly as Sideswipe could be heard snickering. Prime nodded. Then Prowl walked back to where he stood and crossed his arms again.

Jessie looked up at Sunstreaker. "That was Prowl's epic rant?"

"It was. Look at Prime," he said as everyone did. Prime sat on the med berth without a word as Ratchet continued to put him back together. "The only thing missing is 'yes, dear'."

Laughter was raucous around the circle as they sat watching Ratchet bitch and repair, Prowl stare daggers at Prime and Ironhide look nervous. Then the images ended. Everyone chuckled, then looked at Prime and Prowl. "You weren't together then?" Jessie asked.

Prowl smirked slightly, then shook his helm. "Nope."

"But they were hot for each other," Sunstreaker said to be perverse.

Scorn and hoots met that as the group let Sunny know what they thought. It was like hearing that your parents were still having sex to hear it. He grinned and sat smugly. "That was epic, Sides. What else you got?"

They all looked at Sideswipe. He looked back with a grin.

-0-At the prison 'stockade' at Autobot City, Mars

"You done being dumb?" Dead End asked. "Prime is going to take us down for this. The few privileges we got, he's going to take. Thanks for nothing."

"Well, **boo-hoo,**" Motormaster sneered. "**So sorry**. **What** fragging privileges?"

"We're never going to be let out to walk around like those fraggers," Dead End nodding in the general direction of Barricade's enclosure. "This is fragged."

"Call Breakdown. Maybe he can put a bandage on it, slagger," Motormaster said with a loud laugh.

"Maybe I will, fragger," Dead End replied.

Then it began again.

Pat-23A stood at the command pill box and listened to the insults, swearing and general bitching going on inside. It was incredibly entertaining. He had been in charge of huge prisons on Cybertron in the run up to The Fall. He had been getting masses of mechs and the odd femme caught up in the Clampdown. Lots of Decepticons were being added as well when the sham of enrollment requested by the Senate was discovered to be a ploy rather than a boon for their cause. The officials had asked ten thousand members of the Decepticon Cause to sign up to show that they were a genuine movement, thus deserving of official status by the Cybertronian government. What Sentinel and the Senate actually did was take that list as a guide to arrest them along with their associates and families to put them through the reprogramming process that had led to Shockwave's disfigurement and personality re-assignment for hiding dissident scientists among others.

When it was clear to Pat that the bulk of his prisoners were ordinary fed up citizens, he resigned and joined the Autobots.

The sounds continued as they would for some time. When it was clear they had settled down, he got an energon prod and half a dozen Day Watch mechs for the entertaining returning of the prisoners to their enclosure once again. The three youngling Home Guard mechs would watch with admiration and not a small bit of fear.

-0-On his way

Wild Rider walked out of the Fortress after a disappointing chat with Paragon and Arrow. They had not been keen on him leaving even if it was to be the 'optics and audials' of their group in the city. He was aware that Breakdown was there having seen him in the scouting of migrations working as a medic of all things and had offered his services to be their spy. That they were turned down fragged his aft.

Wild Rider, who Ratchet after careful study and observation would likely classify as 'psychotic with impaired insight, delusions, and violence, shared psychosis with his half witted brothers and defiant non compliance with heaping helpings of anti-social disorder, narcissistic and borderline personality disorders, was ready to move. If it was stupid, wrong, illogical or nuts, he didn't care. He was certifiable

What he needed was a complete derez of his processor and all new spare parts.

He walked to the airfield and without even a glance back entered a small ship, sat down, powered it up and flew away. When Paragon was told he shook his helm.

"Do we go get him or what, Pari?" Arrow asked with a slight smile.

"No. Let the Autobots part him out. I'm sure there's a very good swivel chair in there somewhere," Paragon had said.

Arrow laughed a long time.

Paragon didn't.

-0-Somewhere out there

He had gotten the message and did the same thing with Cyclonus. Being chased a bit of the way, the Seekers sent to bring him back peeled off and joining others coming out of nowhere who had left at the same time began the journey to Prime and freedom. Drag Strip was immediately pissed. The Seekers were flying to the Prime. He hated the Autobots. It made his day to best them. He had bragging rights and made sure that the entire slagging universe knew that he, Drag Strip was **KING OF THE SLAGGING WORLD!** He poured on the juice and slowed finally at a place he had predetermined with his brother. Another shuttle appeared, a small one and in the window he saw Wild Rider. Waving, he turned and put metal to the pedal zipping off into the darkness after the Seekers. Wild Rider was hot on it behind him.

-0-At a fortress Ops Center nearby

"All of our Seekers are veering off, sir. They seem to be followed by others."

Cyclonus looked at his telemetry mech and glanced at another nearby. "Go. See if all of them have gone."

He would go.

They would be gone.

Cyclonus would be pissed.

-0-On the beach, Earth

"The only thing more epic than that last clip, Optimus, is if you and the bots surfed on a tsunami to prevent Megatron from blowing up a dam," Andrew Sewell said with a chuckle as they watched Prime slug it out with Megatron on a beach on a world long forgotten. Nearby was an earthen dam built by the rather simple natives and Prime was protecting it.

"I don't think they make surf boards that big," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "Those are some fine punches you are throwing at bucket head, Optimus."

"He never knows when to quit," Optimus said.

"We can do that with the proper placement of a grenade," Sunstreaker said grimly.

Prowl paused to take an internal message, then glanced at Optimus. "You might want to know that the miscreants are back in the slammer. They have been warned that its deactivation if they continue. I won't repeat what the two of them said to that but it had the expected effect of turning them from warring enemies to united partners. There is also evidence that a large number of Seekers defected from Cyclonus and are heading this way. Two shuttles are as well and they are manned by one mech each. Apparently the mechs are Wild Rider and Drag Strip."

It was silent a moment, then Jessie asked the question. "Who are they?"

"They make up the rest of the Stunticons, the drag racing psychos that Megatron had created to have a wrecking team on the ground," Kup replied. "Drag Strip is a psycho braggart and Wild Rider is just a psycho. They combine. They were among the first to do that and that's probably why they were made. They weren't made very well and frankly, you don't want them around each other to do that. They become a raging monster with no other thought than to kill. Motormaster makes the head and runs the show but the other four hate him so much that it glitches them. They become a homicidal raging maniac. They don't need directions or plans. He's used for murder."

It was silent a moment. Then Jessie looked up at him. "There's Motormaster, the big one who is leader, Wild Rider the nutcase, Drag Race the big nutty ego and Dead End, the psycho whiner. Who is the other one if there's five?"

It was quiet a moment, then Ironhide looked at her. "Breakdown is the other one."

No one spoke a moment, then John Fulton looked at Prime. "He's been to this base. He's a medic, I think. What's his story?"

Prime looked at him a moment. "He defected with his partner, a medic named Knockout. Both of them weren't on my list as possible candidates for rehabilitation. Ratchet thought otherwise."

"Old Mech has a screw loose," Ironhide said. "What I worry about is Ratchet adopting his aft. I don't mind Breakdown so much. He's actually changed and he gave his word to the Matrix. He knows the penalty if he breaks it and he's normal if he isn't around them. Some kind of weird glitch happens when they're close to each other I guess. Ratchet thought he would be fine, took him under his wing. Has that bot going to medical school."

Everyone nodded, looks of amazement on their faces. Jessie noted that, then grinned. "Ratchet would bean him good if he goofs up. What will it mean with these two coming when you already have three of them now?"

Prowl nodded. "Nothing good I'm sure," he said quietly.

-0-Ops Center, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth (Omega Supreme)

Smokescreen paused in his conversation with Devcon and looked at the sensors. "We have two fraggers and a bunch of Seekers coming into the system." He checked a number of things, then relaxed. "They're on Autobot City's telemetry. What were you saying?" he asked his bond with a grin.

"I was saying … I think it would be a good thing for Smokey to go to college. I need you to help me press that point home," the handsome mech said leaning in closer to his bond.

His bond didn't mind at all.

-0-TBC July 11, 2013

NOTES: Motormaster and Prime had the header in the G1 series. The lists of Decepticons and the ploy by the Senate and Sentinel is canon in the graphic novels. No one can do any TF product, movie or novel without clearing it with Hasbro. That makes Bey's indifference to their ferociously guarded universes all the more galling.

Also, Prime did surf a tsunami to prevent Megatron from blowing up a dam. :D :D :D

An interesting factoid about Menasor: "An alternate animation character sheet from the original cartoon exists for Menasor. It features all of the limbs in different orientations (the arms upside-down, the legs reversed) from the final model _and_ the chest sports an Autobot symbol (!), suggesting perhaps that the Stunticon and Aerialbot toy factions may have originally been the other way around. This model was used for the toy commercial which appeared to introduce the Stunticons and Aerialbots, though with the faction symbol corrected. (TFWIKI)


	363. Chapter 363

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 3 (363)

-0-On Mars at the same time

They stood on a site at the top of a flat mesa. It was a land formation in the middle of a long stretch of broken ground with the odd feature here and there. It would be accessible by air until a road could be built that would take it to the ground floor of the area. It was 100 miles from Autobot City and afforded magnificent views of the surrounding region, the arc of Olympus Mons disappearing over the curve of the planet. Water could be found deep and there were endless materials for building. The surveyors were working even as Fenix and his team watched.

"This is going to be hard work," Vin suggested as he stood beside Mirage watching the surveyor, a mech named Throttle who had headed a firm on Cybertron that did all manner of land management. He had inherited it from his father. The sight of vehicles bearing the logo of his company was usually the first sign that a slum was being moved to make way for industry. It was as hated a logo as any on Cybertron short of the Imperial Guard and the Senate.

"We are going to have all of the groundwork laid so that the only thing next to do is raise the buildings. All of it from the electronic to the mundane has been planned to prevent any delays or snafus. Any reservations about our ability to do this have been attended to," Fenix said nodding.

"He won't allow it," Vin said. "Prime will be very angry about this. He has the authority to lock you up."

"He might consider it a blessing to let those of us who chafe under his rule to go our own way," Fenix said.

"He wants cohesion in defense," Mirage offered as he stood listening. "If there are too many targets, he will have to constrict what he can defend to the actually defensible under attack. I doubt this city will be on the list."

"Perhaps," Fenix said. He frowned. "It isn't like he defends us now. First, Kudon. Then Retro. Both murdered by low castes. Apparently, he has no problem with us dying."

No one spoke, Mirage chafed and unbeknownst to him so did Vin.

"I remember Kudon very well. We all encouraged him to fix his spark chamber defect. We told him that a mere fall could be fatal but he just laughed it off. He actually thought he was invincible. Anything could have killed him, Fenix," Vin said quietly.

"But a low caste actually did. Some day when things are different, we shall revisit that episode," Fenix said coldly.

No one replied. The wind blew lightly as a big mech with an exquisite paint scheme methodically and perfectly laid out the survey lines for the city downloaded into his devices.

-0-A while later

Mirage walked into Ops Center and pulled up a chair to sit next to Jazz. He admired Jazz's finials and his smartness. He had that 'something' that you either were born with or you didn't have. Jazz had it all. He was beautiful, cool, sleek, amazing, smart, cunning, funny, intensely interesting, dope … yes, he was dope.

He was also low caste.

Mirage had been as high caste as you could get, rich beyond measure with estates that paid him great dividends. He had inherited wealth, lived it, benefited from it and loved it. He missed a lot of the perks of his old life but that was now long past. Maybe someday if he ever got to Cybertron again he would be able to find his apartment and property and show Jazz a time. As it was, he watched the love of his life finish up his data analysis, then turn toward him, the mirth of his spark hovering around him like a mist. "What's up? Did you enjoy your field trip?"

"You weren't there. How would that be possible?" Mirage truthfully asked the only mech he had ever met that made him think about something beyond his own immediate needs. He had been selfish but determined to do what he needed to assuage the outrage he felt against the Decepticons. He had become an Autobot but was often misunderstood or suspected. He was rich. He was high caste. He was part of the problem, right? He had proved and proved himself over and over until he thought he would come undone. Then he met and befriended Jazz who was coolness himself. Being around Jazz had showed him the effect that the system had on those less fortunate and he found himself coming around to the rightness of his choice. That he still felt pissy sometimes was his own fault. He was after all the child of privilege and regime-enforced entitlement.

Jazz smiled, a wholly beautiful thing and Mirage relaxed. In the company of this, the lowest of the low castes of Cybertron, a orphaned criminal from the streets of Kaon ... only here did he feel his best. "You mean you haven't staked out your penthouse? How can we get it on if you don't have a suitable pad?"

Mirage snorted. "Anywhere is good with you, my dear Jazz. A broom closet … behind the Business Plaza … Prowl's desk."

Jazz laughed out loud, leaning in closer. "Meet you there after shift."

Mirage leaned in. "Done deal." Then he told Jazz what he had learned and informed him that a mech named Vin appeared to be a dubious recruit to the cause.

Jazz grinned, then informed Mirage.

He was their guy already.

-0-On the beach, Earth

The sight of them boarding a ship played as Sideswipe went through his 'highlight' reel. Prime was stupendous, even more so than the humans had ever seen. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe showed together why they were so feared. Ironhide took blows as did Ratchet moving forward tenaciously as they were fired upon. Now and again, they would see Bluestreak, his mettle tested under fire as the reluctant soldier took out sniper after sniper from his perches high on buildings or hillsides.

Then the temper changed. It was downtime. A boozy conversation was playing...

Sideswipe sat tipping back a bottle of homemade hootch as he sat leaning against a wall. Ratchet was working on his leg. "Does it hurt?" Ratchet asked looking upward at the youngling warrior who was beginning to feel no pain. Ratchet himself bore the evidence of hits but as per his usual manner, he was putting those repairs off for last.

"Only when I move," Sideswipe said with a silly drunky laugh. "This is the good stuff. I stole it from Wheeljack. I found where he hides his stash."

Ratchet grabbed the bottle and took a deep drag. Handing it back, he grinned. "It is. Its a fine vintage. Must be three orns old."

Sideswipe snorted. "That makes it classic." He grinned at Ratchet who was wiping energon off the mended segment of Sideswipe's upper thigh. "You know, Ratchet … you're one good looking mech."

"All my mechs say so. When they've had a few," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "You're a piece of work, you and your brother."

"We are aren't we?" Sideswipe replied with a grin.

Sunstreaker appeared sitting down next to his brother and taking the bottle, half emptied it. "You got into Wheeljack's stuff?" he asked.

Sideswipe nodded. "The good stuff. Whatever you say about 'Jack..."

They both looked at Sideswipe who sat back grinning as he fondled the bottle. They waited for the rest about good old 'Jack but it didn't come. Sideswipe grinned and tipped the bottle up polishing it off. Ratchet glanced at Sunstreaker and snorted. "He's cute when he's wasted."

"He is. However, I will always be cuter," Sunstreaker said to Ratchet's everlasting scorn as well as the hoots and hollering of everyone on the beach watching the clip.

Springer and Kup entered the scene sitting. Tipping the bottle, Kup frowned. "What the frag? Which one of you younglings needs a cuff on the back of your helm? Don't you know you're supposed to honor your elders?"

"We did. We gave Ratchet a chug. Right?" Sideswipe asked with a silly grin.

"They did. He also propositioned me, didn't you," Ratchet said smirking at Sideswipe as he finished up his repair, then sat back leaning on a wall himself.

"I did. You look mighty fine to me, Ratchet. *Mighty* … *fine*," Sideswipe said. He waggled his optical ridges at Ratchet.

As he did, Ironhide entered the picture and looked at the bottle. "What the frag?"

"Sideswipe and Sunny chugged it," Springer said 'helpfully', an evil grin on his handsome face. "They did while Sideswipe put the moves on your mech, 'Hide."

Ironhide looked at Springer, then a smirking Ratchet who nodded while waggling his own optical ridges, then Sideswipe. With narrowing optical ridges of his own, he looked. Then he leaned over and landed a single blow on the top of Sideswipe's helm. Sideswipe dropped like a rock. It was silent a moment, then Ironhide looked at Ratchet with a fierce expression. "Slagger deserved it making time with my mech. **No one** does that but me."

Ratchet snorted, then grinned. "Why, Ironhide … I'll set my watch just for you."

The derision that got for both of them was well earned including that from the group around the fire. Prime who was smiling looked at Sideswipe. "That explains what's wrong with you then?"

Sideswipe who was laughing nodded. "I think it might," he said with a wolfish grin. The highlight reels continued.

-0-In an apartment way up there

Ratchet sat holding Sunspot as the good feeling of Ironhide rolled over their link. They were gathered at the beach having fun, watching film from old encounters including the 'good stuff'. There was among the unfolding video the time he, Ratchet had spun out in a mud hole that seemed to go down for miles. He had stood up covered from ped to cranial tip gasping with rage. At that moment, he had pulled his guns and clambered out to take on the sweeps single-handedly. He managed to down two of them before the cavalry arrived. There was the time that Ironhide caught his servo in a steel container where Ratchet had hid rust sticks for infants in the Ark back when. He had been caught and had put his big servo behind him, the one stuck in the steel canister. It had been a dance macabre between himself and the big behemoth as he managed to turn every time Ratchet did. Jazz coming in behind him had him caught three ways to Sunday.

"What's funny, Ada?" Sunspot had asked glancing up from his snuggle against Ratchet's chassis.

"Atar is having a good time on Earth," Ratchet replied squeezing Sunspot, resettling him on his arm.

It was quiet a moment. "Why doesn't he come home? Isn't the base rebuilt? I don't like him there with the humans. They don't like us."

Ratchet glanced down at him. "Not all humans are like that. The soldiers love us and we love them. The femmes are wonderful. The General and Colonel … their families. The humans here who are film makers and scientists … I could go on for a long time listing the humans that like us."

It was silent some more. Then he shifted. "They tried to kill me."

Ratchet felt his spark squeeze. "How, Sunny Bunny? Weren't you transformed into a little plane? How would they know?"

"I was ..." He paused tensing up. "I was hungry. So I transformed near a gas station and tried to get fuel. It tastes awful, their fuel. I had some, then someone came there. No one was supposed to be there. It was night and no one was supposed to come. But they did."

Ratchet's spark squeezed again. "What happened, Sunny?" he asked as he petted the little bot's helm and wings.

"They came in their cars, the lights bouncing. I remembered that. The road was dirt and it was filled with holes. I saw them get out. I was hiding around the back of the gas station. Then they came with lights and guns. They shot at me. I turned and ran really fast but there was no place to hide. It was flat around there. The plants in the fields weren't tall enough to hide in. I had to run away far enough to transform. I was so scared I forgot how so I had to run some more. They got their cars to chase me. It took forever to change. They almost got me. I felt their bullets go past me. I could feel them fly by."

Ratchet hugged him tightly. "I love you, Sunny. Don't worry, baby. You know your old pa will level mountains for you. Everyone in this city including the humans here and on the base on Earth will protect you with their lives."

Sunny sat quietly, then vented a soft sigh. "I suppose so," he ventured uncertainly.

Ratchet arose and walked to the rocking chair nearby. Sitting, he began to rock and soothe his son. In the other rooms playing sweetly, their dreams filled with good thoughts, not bad, four other infants had a time with a big vigilant but happy-go-lucky dog.

-0-On the way to Mars

The Seekers flew together forming up as they fled toward the voice of their leaders. Clan Elders were there and they had heard the Great Elder's call. They could no longer cast their allegiance with the Decepticons. He had forbade it. Now they had to come if they wanted to hold their self-respect, their clan memberships and the love and respect of their families. When the Great Elder issued an edict, only those with the most self loathing ignored it. The shunning and disgust directed to those who failed to heed an edict was usually enough to get compliance. That was why that bot was so important. His or her goodwill was often enough to get the Seekers on your side.

They flashed through the night of space becoming aware of sensors reading them. They pulsed a message to Mars, one that had been passed to them through the secret Seeker relay network. Holding their formation, they waited tensely, fearfully.

They didn't have to wait long.

-0-At the home front

Ratchet watched Sunspot snuggle into his berth. He tucked the infant in and patted Spot. "Good thing you are here, Spot. Poor Sunny. He needs you."

Spot wagged his tail and pawed at Ratchet gently. He rubbed Spot's paw gently, then tucked it under the blanket. Grinning at the glowing optics of the big animal, he turned and walked out. He paused in Praxus's room. The baby was recharging already. Stepping back out, he peeked in on Hero who was talking to her Ironhide dollie, telling it about her orn. He listened a moment, turned. Prowler was already asleep in his crib, his favorite Little Blue Dog sleeping dollie in his servos. Glancing next door at Orion who was sitting in his bed looking around, Ratchet walked in and sat down beside him. "Hey, spud. Go to recharge."

"Ada. Where Atar?"

"He's on Earth. He'll be home soon enough," Ratchet said. He pressed the infant back and tucked him in. "Go to recharge, bub. School tomorrow."

He grinned brilliantly. "I go. You come?"

"We'll see," Ratchet said leaning down to kiss him. "You've been a great little mech, Orion. Your old Atar would be very proud of you."

Orion smiled brilliantly. "Orion love Atar."

Ratchet looked at him, caressing his cheek gently. "Well, I think its safe to say that Atar loves Orion." Ratchet arose and turned walking to the hallway. All of them were settled so he walked to the living room and sat in his chair. It seemed darker outside, colder without Ironhide home.

:Ratchet:

:What?:

:You seem down:

:Its been a long orn. You need to come home and pull your own weight:

A grin drifted over the link. Ratchet felt the warmth of it and missed it like fury somehow this night. :I will:

:Good, Ironhide. Tell me. What are you doing and where are you?:

And Ironhide did.

-0-TBC July 12, 2013

NOTES: Interesting factoids about The original 13 Transformers:

_Transformers: The Ultimate Guide_ asserts that all of the Thirteen were destroyed in the early battle between Primus and Unicron, but the statement was disprovenby the book itself, since it recounted how The Fallen was not destroyed but exiled to a trans-dimensional prison from which he later escaped. Fun Publications comics would later depict Vector Prime as the sole surviving member of the Thirteen, then go on to introduce Nexus Prime as a co-survivor alongside him.

_The Ultimate Guide_ made mention of a rumor on Cybertron that Maccadam—proprietor of Maccadam's Old Oil House — was supposedly one of the 13 and that his bar existed outside the normal flow of space-time. The prose story "Prime Spark" confirms the latter half of that rumor, depicting the bar as a multiversal nexus of sorts, but it makes no revelations about Maccadam himself. Aaron Archer declared that when the full identities of the Thirteen would be revealed, Maccadam would not be among them. Moral of the story: rumors are dumb.

In Hasbro Q&A on October, 2009 from _The Allspark Forum_, The Thirteen are referred to as "the Original Epic Warriors of Cybertron" by Hasbro.

The notion of the Primes being originally huge is similar to early _Revenge of the Fallen_ concepts where the Fallen dwarfed Optimus and was almost the size of a pyramid as evident from _Defiance_ #4 and the novelization.

In "Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations", James Roberts came up with a completely different creation story for IDW Publishing's Transformers just because he _can_. There is still an original group of Transformers and a war caused by treachery, but in that version the traitor is another god named Mortilus. (TFWIKI)

Yes, I am a nerd. :D :D :D


	364. Chapter 364

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 4 (364) NOTE: Jay, there is stuff about Diego Garcia at the end. :D :D

-0-On the ground in Diego

Ironhide walked from Omega heading for the base for an optics on inspection. The work continued through the night and was well in servo. Right now, the finished project needed tweaked, the linkages worked out and the nerves of all to settle. The white coral roads that led from the base to the hinterlands beyond were repaired and looked the same as ever. Lots of trees, the smaller type palm trees and other vegetation that was suited to a climate on the equator was missing but would be replaced by the Autobots. Work with numerous greenhouses and firms around the world was underway with experts looking for replacements. Those that had survived were being cared for. Luckily, most of the marshes and habitats of the birds and other animals that lived here had not been targeted.

Ironhide was glad for that. He hated gratuitous violence against the innocent. That mean less gratuitous violence for him. He nodded to this and that human as he walked toward the end of the long installation where the firing range was located. He looked toward the lagoon where the anchorages of ships were located. Fortunately, most of them were out to sea when the attack came. The damage would have been colossal if they hadn't been. Ships off showing the flag elsewhere was a welcome thing to him. They were due back in shortly but that would be okay. The Navy seldom crossed his path. The sailors would be out taking the air and watching them like everyone else. He was used to humans watching him.

Handsome slagger that he was.

He grinned.

Nearing the field, he looked at the barracks that had been Daniels' home base and now housed Charlotte Mearing. They had thought only a hangar and an electronics shack had survived alone out of the entirety of the base. They were wrong. The barracks had survived buried under debris from other buildings. It was Autobot made and secured. It had survived.

Like them. Take a lickin', keep on tickin'.

He grinned again.

"What do you suppose Ironhide's grinning about?" a Seabee* asked as he sat on his dozer.

"I don't know. Could be gas," another said with a grin.

"Do they get gas?" the first replied.

"I hope so," the other said with a chuckle.

Ironhide who heard them smirked slightly as he continued to the firing range. The ground was pockmarked from combat. They had been over the base checking for unexploded ordinance before anyone could begin to move around freely. It was clear as was the entire atoll and the sea around it. The dents and dings in the firing range were being smoothed by bots who had finished the roads and strips around the island. He watched them a moment, then turned to walk back. As he did, Charlotte Mearing came out of her quarters followed by her harried aides, two women heavily laden with this and that bag and briefcase.  
He kept going. So did she.

-0-In the bosom of love

"**ADA! WHAT SHE!?"**

Ratchet looked at Praxus as he harnessed Orion. That little bot was smiling at him brilliantly, holding up his Wheeljack dollie for the honors. Ratchet looked at him, then grinned. Kissing his dollie, he turned back to Praxus. "What, Praxus?"

"**WHY SHE!?"** He stood looking at Ratchet, his tiny Ratchet paint scheme even more cute than ever. His little gray chevron glowed, his little crosses, red servos and aft were shiny as could be. He was as cute as a button, whatever that meant.

"Who's 'she'?" Ratchet asked clipping Orion's leash onto the loop. He reached for Praxus and parked him in front of where he knelt. Taking the harness, he began to bridle the little bit.

"**SHE!"** He looked at Ratchet with a giant smile. **"PAX LOVE ADA!"**

Ratchet paused, then leaned down to kiss his helm. "Ada loves Pax."

Praxus nodded grinning all around himself. He pointed at Ratchet. "Ada loves Praxus."

It was as clear as a bell. Ratchet nearly keeled over.

-0-On Diego

"You there."

Ironhide continued onward ignoring the query. He was aware that she had little direct experience with them but that didn't excuse her duty to know them, the senior staff by sight. The sound of footsteps hustling faster came to him but he continued.

"**AUTOBOT! I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU!"**

Ironhide paused, then turned to look down at her. She stared at him unafraid. "What?"

"I wish information about the creatures that attacked the base." Charlotte Mearing looked up at him with a sense of diminutive insignificance she had never felt before. She wasn't the tallest person around but she had never felt this small before. These creatures were gigantic. He stopped, then turned to her gazing down from literally miles up. He considered her, this incredulously impossible being, then looked around with an air of indifference for a moment. Looking at her again, he spoke. "Are you talking to me?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Oh, I get it. Robert DeNiro, Taxi Driver."

Ironhide hid a smirk. She was right. But he would never let her know that. "You make no sense."

"Alright. I want to know about these new Decepticons. I would also like to know why you weren't aware of them being here?"

Ironhide considered that. "The Earth has a lot of iron in its overall make up. It shields signals if you go deep enough. They did. As for knowing they were here … why didn't you?"

"That's absurd. How do you expect us to know about them?" she asked.

"The same way you expect us to. What the frag makes you think we're omnipotent? We're incredibly good, not omnipotent," Ironhide said. "There's a slagging difference."

"But these creatures are yours not ours," she replied.

Ironhide looked at her. "And what does that mean?"

"You brought them. You get rid of them," she said crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Just like that." He considered her. "We're working on that day and night. We do better when desk jockeys like you stay home." He turned and continued onward.

She hurried after him. "You didn't tell me about the Decepticons!" she called out.

"I won't either," Ironhide said as he walked over the invisible line of their sovereign territory into the now fully walled Embassy. She followed right along behind him.

-0-In the bosom of love

Spot sat beside Orion wagging his tail. Orion leaned on him fully harnessed. He grinned as Praxus got hooked up. **"PAX GOOD!"**

"He is," Ratchet said staring at Praxus with a wary optic. "How do you feel, Praxus?" Ratchet asked as a test question.

He looked at his ada, the one whom he resembled down to his little Ironhide face and smiled brilliantly.

"I am fine, Ada."

Ratchet glanced at Orion, then Spot, then Sunspot who looked at Praxus with surprise too. He leaned down and patted Praxus on the shoulder. "Pax? You talk really good."

He smiled at Sunspot. **"POT!"**

Ratchet snorted, then shook his helm. "I don't know anything, its clear," Ratchet said as he turned toward Hero. She was standing staring at everyone with a brilliant smile. "Ada, Praxus talks nice."

Ratchet nodded. "You infants surprise me every orn." He looked at his daughter. She was wearing her rose colored and patterned sweater, her rose colored cap with a crocheted rose attached in her tiny servos. "I see you're wearing the new outfit." He took her little cap and put it on her helm adjusting for the flower and her finials. She looked chic to the superstructure.

For a tot.

She smiled. "I love it," she said glancing down at her little rose garbed chassis. She looked at Ratchet with an almost shy expression. "Do I look okay?"

"You look very pretty," Ratchet said as he slipped her harness onto her. When she was linked up, he turned to pick up Prowler who was in his Seeker bag. Sliding him into his hold, he turned and gathered up reins. Everyone garbed and ready to go smiled up at him. Praxus pointed his digit at Ratchet. **"ADA! WHERE IS ATAR!?"**

Ratchet blinked. "Working, boo-boo."

"Okay," Praxus said smiling. "We go to school now?"

Ratchet paused, then nodded. "Yes."

"Okay," Praxus said as he turned and walked to the door. Waiting, he smiled. Then Ratchet grinned. "Giddy up, little doggies," Ratchet said.

They did.

-0-Autobot Embassy

Ironhide walked to the big double aperture in front where the huge doors would eventually be hung and paused. He looked back at the tiny human female chasing him along with two others. She stopped and looked up at him. She didn't say a word. "You are trespassing on the sovereign territory of the Primes and Cybertron."

"I want information," she persisted.

"You are on sovereign territory uninvited. Go to the administration building and ask unless you want me to report a diplomatic incident. If you stay here, I will put you in the brig." Ironhide glared down at her levelly meeting her rather fearless gaze. She stared at him, then nodded. "Alright. I will get information."

"But not here," Ironhide said. "Leave."

She looked at him, then turned to walk briskly out stepping over cables and other bits and pieces of the rebuild. He watched her go with a slow burn, then turned and looked around. The walls were up and no one human sized could see inside. He was standing in the rec room where most of the building machinery was set up. The medbay was nearby still unfinished but filled with equipment and supplies that would be installed as they rewound the clock backwards to pre-attack.

Turning, he walked into the Ops Center noting that it was nearly up to speed. A few cosmetic tweaks were in order but the consoles were up and running. It was going to be beautiful. The ceiling going up now was going up to shelter the entire facility much more quickly than planned which would be good. Rain was a given this time of year and they didn't relish the prospects of deluges.

:Ironhide:

:What? Where are you and what are you doing?:

:I just dropped the whelps off at school. I think Praxus is taking after Hero:

Ironhide considered that, then blinked. :He's talking?:

:He is. Most of the time:

:Did you tell the school?:

:I did. They're going to assess him. They told me that having a good talker among the sparklings will sometimes help the others to speak better:

Ironhide considered that. :What about Spud?:

:He's still talking like a baby:

**:I WANT TO BE THERE!:**

:Hurry up and come home. By the way, I'm coming over this afternoon to supervise a bunch of stuff in the medbay:

:Good. That Mearing femme followed me into the embassy:

Pause. :That's fragged. Report it to the State Department. Return fire, Ironhide:

:I may. I'm going to complain to Prime. When you coming?:

:In a couple of joors:

:Alright. Ironhide out:

:See ya. Wouldn't want to be ya:

He could feel Ratchet's grin and returned it as he turned to walk back out. He headed across the tarmac to the airfield where Omega sat, a gigantic gleaming force of nature. The sun was warm and he felt better. His little mech was talking better. Life seldom felt better. His little mech was excelling.

Ironhide was feeling no pain. Finally.

-0-At the school

"Dog."

"Dog." (GIANT SMILE)

'Cat."

"Cat." (GIANT SMILE)

"Targ"

**TARG!" **(GINORMOUS SMILE AND FAT CHUCKLE)

Roto looked at the little Ratchet-wrapped Ironhide-faced little wonder bunny named Praxus and smiled his own big one. "You are cute. Did you know that?"

"To-to … I love you, To-to."

"I love you too, baby." Roto sat back and grinned. "You speak really well. Did you tell your ada?"

"I telled Ada. I telled Orion." Praxus said nodding seriously. "I telled them I say this."

"I see," Roto said.

"I see you," Praxus said. "Atar is not here."

"Where is he, baby?" Roto asked.

"He go Urp. He go help. I say why?" Praxus replied seriously.

"You did? What did they tell you?" Roto asked.

"Atar urk. Go him to that place," Praxus said. "He help."

"Your atar is helping?" Roto asked.

"Yes," he said nodding seriously. "I cry."

"You cry?" Roto asked.

"I cry," he said with a quivering chin. "Atar come home. He come home here. I cried."

Roto took Praxus into his arms and hugged him. "I'm sorry, baby. He'll be home soon."

Praxus lay against Roto and nodded. "We play then."

Roto grinned. "I know you will."

They sat together chatting while Roto comforted the little baby.

-0-On the Military Air Field, Autobot City, Mars

Ratchet walked to Cosmos and boarded, sitting on a seat along the wall. He had a lot of diagnostic tools in his subspace that he would use for the refit of medbay. He settled in as Cosmos lifted off heading into the night time of space. As he did a flight of Seekers were landing at Charon in orbit around Pluto to speak with Silverclaw and Thunderbolt about surrender.

Behind them flying swiftly, Wild Rider and Drag Strip were following.

TBC July 13, 2013

*SeaBees: Naval engineers, **C**onstruction **B**attalion, who build things. :D

**NOTES**: Some information about Diego Garcia for **Jay**: (SPELLINGS WERE LEFT IN THE UK STYLE IN HONOR OF THE BRITISH OWNERSHIP OF THE ISLANDS) It was taken over by the British and the inhabitants were expelled. That is a very sad story. The name Diego Garcia was probably a misreading of Dio Gratia by early map makers. The French used it as a leper colony and as a coconut plantation manned by slaves. The British won it in the Treaty of Paris after the Napoleonic Wars. The British bought out the entire region so that the Americans could build a base there in exchange for discounts on submarines. They have it until 2-14 with options past that time. Plantations were closed on the footprint shaped atoll. Because of changing world events, the naval station there was enlarged and the air base was built.

**THERE ARE FACILITIES THERE FOR NAVY AND AIR:** The military facilities on Diego Garcia after 1980 consist of two parallel 12,000-foot-long (3,700 m) runways, expansive parking aprons for heavy bombers, 20 new anchorages in the lagoon, a deep water pier, port facilities for the largest naval vessels in the American or British fleet, aircraft hangars, maintenance buildings and an air terminal, a 1,340,000 barrels (213,000 m3) fuel storage area, with billeting and messing facilities for thousands of sailors and support personnel from the ships that are stationed there as well as the facility itself.

**THE BRITS OWN IT:** UK represents the Territory internationally. A local government does not exist. The administration is represented in the Territory by the Officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia, the 'Brit Rep'. Laws and regulations are designed by the Commissioner and enforced by the Brit Rep.

Of major concern to the Brit Rep and his government is the relationship with the United States military forces resident on Diego Garcia. An annual meeting called "The Pol-Mil Talks" (for Political-Military) of all concerned is held at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to resolve any issues. These resolutions are formalized by an "Exchange of Notes", or, since 2001, an "Exchange of Letters".

**ITS HORSE SHOE SHAPPED:** Diego Garcia is the largest land mass in the Chagos Archipelago. It is a coral atoll about 174 square kilometres (67 sq mi) in size of which 27.19 square kilometres (10 sq mi) is dry land. The atoll rim stretches 40 miles (64 km) from one end to the other enclosing a lagoon 13 miles (21 km) long and up to 7 miles (11 km) wide with a 4-mile (6 km) pass opening at the north. There are three small islands located in the pass. The island consists of the largest continuous atolls in the world.

**IT IS NARROW:** The dry land rim varies in width from a few hundred metres to 2.4 km. Typical of coral atolls, it has a maximum elevation on some dunes on the ocean side of the rim of nine metres (30ft) above low water. The rim nearly encloses a lagoon about 19 kilometres (12 mi) long and up to 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide. The atoll forms a nearly complete rim of land around a lagoon, enclosing 90 percent of its perimeter with an opening only in the north. Besides the main island, there are three small islets at the mouth of the lagoon.

**ITS SMALL WITH DEEP WATER:** It is small with deep water located for big ships. There are coral heads sticking up that make it hazardous to navigate and the reef offers no ocean-side anchorage. They anchor inside. The channel and ship anchorages must be dredged.

**ITS MARSHY IN THE SOUTH:** Significant salt-water wetlands called barachois exist in the southern half of the lagoon. These are small lagoons off of the main lagoon filled with seawater at high tide and dry at low tide. Scientific expeditions in 1996 and 2006 described the lagoon and surrounding waters of Diego Garcia along with the rest of the Chagos Archipelago as "exceptionally unpolluted" and "pristine".

**ALL ANIMAL/PLANT LIFE CAME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE:** There are no endemic species of plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, crustaceans, or mammals on Diego Garcia or in the surrounding waters. There are several endemic fish and aquatic invertebrates. All plants, wildlife, and aquatic species are protected to one degree or another. In addition, much of the lagoon waters are protected wetlands and large parts of the island are nature preserves.

**IT JIGGLES**: Diego Garcia is frequently subject to earthquakes caused by tectonic plate movement along the Carlsberg Ridge located just to the west of the island. One was recorded in 1812; one measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale hit on November 30, 1983. (Contrast that to the one in Alaska that was 9.6 on the Richter Scale and lasted nearly 6 **MINUTES** in 1964. Some even raise that quake to a 10.4)

**ITS WARM BECAUSE OF THE OCEAN:** Diego Garcia has a monsoonal season associated with the Asian Monsoonal wind regime. Sea surface temperatures are in the range of 80-84 °F/26-28 °C year-round.

THEY HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THEIR WATER SUPPLY EVEN THOUGH IT RAINS LIKE CRAZY THERE: Rainfall average is in excess of 102.5 inches/260 cm per year on average. It perks down and floats on the subterranean salt water so they can use it. :D On Diego Garcia today, the military base uses over 100 shallow "horizontal" wells to produce over 560,000 liters per day - sufficient water for western style usage for a population of 3,500. (4000 is the estimated population of the island according to Wikipedia) They have to be careful about how much their wells draw because salt can form upward if there is too much taken and it can be polluted easily. Once polluted, it takes forever to flush out and reform. Excavations for the base created man-made lakes which help. They capture rain fall in cisterns.

**IT RAINS LIKE CRAZY THERE:** All precipitation falls as rain. May to December is wettest. February is the driest, August is the wettest month averaging 298 mm of rain.

**ITS ALWAYS SUMMER THERE: **The surrounding sea surface temperature ensures temperatures with an average maximum of 30 °C (86 °F) by day during March and April, and 29 °C (84 °F) in July through September. 87 degrees is normal at night. Humidity is high throughout the year. The almost constant breeze keeps conditions reasonably comfortable.

**IT RAINS IN LATER AND LATEST PARTS OF THE DAY:** Activity is generally noticed during the afternoon and evenings during the summer months (December through March).

**TYPHOONS (HURRICANES) AREN'T A BIG DEAL:** Diego Garcia is at minimum risk from tropical cyclones due to its proximity to the equator.

The airfields are parallel and 12,000 feet long. They do deep space surveillance on the island. :D

**IT ALL GOES IN, IT ALL GOES OUT:** All consumables including food is brought in and all waste shipped out. All animal, bird and fish life is protected. The terrain ranges from mossy lush forests with 12 different kinds of trees to marshy land with cattails and open spaces with scrubby brush.

**GOING FOR A SPIN:** All roads are white with crushed corral as the basis for them. The buildings are rather beautiful looking in their settings. Think of the Hawaiian Naval Station or Bermuda. :D

There. You are now experts. :D :D :D Thank you, Wikipedia. :D :D :D


	365. Chapter 365

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 5 (365)

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

He stepped down from the shuttle feeling the warmth of the sun and the freshness of the breeze hit his dermal sensor net. It felt glorious after the frosty chill of Mars. He stood for a moment, then stepped out heading for Omega. As he did, he noted another group who had deplaned from a Globemaster. They looked new and were staring at him with the usual look that was a mixture of awe and a slight fear as he came closer to where they stood. They paused and stared upward drawn by this, their first actual real world view of a Cybertronian. Ratchet paused and looked down. "Hi. You're new here, right?"

"Does it show that much?" an older man asked with a grin.

"Gawking is the giveaway," Ratchet said with a smile. He knelt. "I am Ratchet, CMO of the Autobots and all around fix-it mech."

The older man held out his hand automatically, then looked at it with a smile. "I'm Carl Wright. I'm the new liaison for the Autobot brief."

"Ah, the new Daniels," Ratchet said with a chuckle. He held out his servo and Wright patted it. "You are the fifth one since Daniels. Apparently, Mearing eats them for breakfast."

An expression akin to cold determination appeared on Wright's face. "I won't go down easy then. I am here because of that. The State Department wants some coherence in the relationship. I have support in lots of necessary places. I want our relationship to be good and smooth, Ambassador. I don't want a repeat of the crap that happened with the others and Mearing doesn't scare me one bit."

"Ah," Ratchet said with a smile. "You may come with me. I'll let you repeat that to the relevant Autobots." He put his servo down and waited.

Wright stared at it, then got it. He smiled and walked to the servo sitting down facing out to his team. "Go settle in. I'll find you later." He smiled and laughed as Ratchet stood. Staring down, he nodded as Ratchet turned and began to walk to the behemoth that was settled nearby.

Wright's team watched, then looked at each other. "I think this assignment is going to be fucking awesome," Thomas Garvey, his chief-of-staff said with a smile.

"I think so too," Annette Faber said nodding. "I hear we get to share quarters with Mearing."

Jonathan Miller laughed. "This is going to be fun."

They gathered their things and began to walk to a smirking airman nearby leaning against an incredible concept car. They paused staring at the car, then the airman. "Hi. I'm Jon Miller. This is Annette Faber and Tom Garvey."

"I know. I'm supposed to meet you. Throw your crap in the trunk and hop in." The trunk popped and they stared at it. Taking their load and putting it inside, they climbed inside along with the airman as the trunk closed by iteself. Settling into the awesome seats, they blinked when the seat belts buckled themselves. The airman, Sargent Ralph Matthews grinned back at them. Then he looked at the dashboard next to the steering wheel. "Hit it, Hot Rod."

And he did.

-0-Ratchet

He ambled along carrying Carl Wright, the human sitting comfortably as he looked around. "I appreciate the ride, Ambassador. I know you haven't been treated well in the past but I want to begin a relationship that is mutually respectful and productive. I am a friend of Warren Roberts. He suggested that I be placed here to salvage the relationship and protect it."

"Warren is a brother," Ratchet said looking at the human as he approached the open hatch of Omega. "I trust him completely."

"This is an Autobot?" Carl said as they began to go up the ramp. "This is Omega Supreme, right?"

"Correct. He is one of the largest sentient beings you may ever know. But he is not the largest. He's just among the most wonderful," Ratchet said.

A soft chuckle greeted them as they reached the top. "Greetings," a deep voice said.

"Good morning, Omega. This is Carl Wright. He's the new liaison," Ratchet replied.

"Liaison; improbable. Outcome: disreputable," Omega said in his usual cryptic manner around strangers and unknowns. The heaviness of his spark had been lifted by his return to the fold and healed by his bond with Silverbolt. His old habit of clipped speech only seemed to show up around strangers.

"Omega?" Carl ventured staring around himself for a moment. "It is an honor to meet you. I hope that the relationship I will try to make here includes your good will."

It was silent a moment. Then Omega replied. "That is mutual." He offered no more.

Ratchet grinned. "Omega is just this side of perfection. His whole family is gifted." He continued onward passing bots at stations as he reached the command deck by the flight module. Prime was sitting relaxing along with Prowl who was sipping his morning 'tea'. Ironhide was sitting on a chair hunched over a data pad oblivious to his presence. "I can see you can't wait for me to come."

They grinned and straightened, Ironhide looking up at last. "Who's that, old mech? Did you find a stray for the collection?" Ironhide asked with his intimidating face. The humor was there but sometimes humans couldn't see it. This human could.

"I hope you have a hamster wheel for me to run on if you do," Carl replied with a grin. "At my age, its all maintenance now."

Ratchet chuckled and set the human on the table that was filled with the implements of command. "Carl Wright, let me introduce you. This is Optimus Prime, bearer of the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and Prime of the world of Cybertron."

Carl turned to him and bowed. "Optimus Prime, I am honored to meet you. My friend, Warren Roberts was correct that meeting you would be an experience of a lifetime." He held out his hand. Prime moved his servo forward and they touched.

"I am glad to meet you, Mr. Wright. Warren Roberts is a brother and friend of the Cybertronian people. We welcome you to your new position." Carl bowed again.

"This is Prowl, the Second-In-Command of the Autobot Armed Forces and bond of the Prime."

Carl bowed and touched Prowl's servo. Prowl stared at him with an expression of approval. He was obviously giving the proper respect. Maybe this one wouldn't be an asshole he considered.

To himself.

"This last mech is Ironhide, Master of the Autobot Armed Forces, personal bodyguard to the Prime and my old mech. Last but not least, he is father of many infants but this one in particular," Ratchet said opening his carry hold and extracting Prowler. The infant was in his Seeker bag, his little face the only visible part of his body. He looked with curiosity all around until he saw his father who took him gently, staring at him with emotional optics. It was then that Prowler burst into tears. His weeps were tiny but continuous. Ironhide sniffed him, then put him on his shoulder patting his little aft. "He's crying."

"He has been for a while," Ratchet said. "It took a whole day with me to get him calmed back down. Little mech missed us."

They looked at the infant who Ironhide placed on the table. His little face was scrunched up and he dripped a tear or two. Then he paused and looked at Ironhide. As he did, a huge smile appeared on his little face. Ironhide nearly slid under the table. "He feels better."

"I noticed," Ratchet said with a grin.

"I think so too," Prowl said magically slipping the infant into his own servos.

Ironhide sat looking at the empty table where a baby had just been, then looked up at Prowl with a big frown. "You are a grabby aft."

"You are a slow poke," Prowl said with a grin.

Ratchet snorted, then looked at Carl. "Welcome to life with the Autobots."

Carl was too busy grinning to reply.

-0-At the barracks

They eventually arrived skidding to a halt. The ride around the island didn't take long but it was memorable. The high speed parts were only broken in terror by the many airborne moments. They had been hurrahed into the mix at last arriving where they needed to go. The doors popped open, the seat belts withdrew and everyone sat a moment catching their breath. Climbing out, standing with weak knees and wind blown hair, they stared at Sargent Matthews with varying expressions of joy and loathing.

"Grab your gear," Matthews said. He watched as they complied moving toward him to go into the building. As they did, their car transformed until an incredibly beautiful bot with wings that stood before them, a smirk on his amazingly handsome face. "Thanks, Hot Rod. I'm glad you could do us a solid."

"It was **my** pleasure I assure you," Hot Rod said. He was a rangy lanky bot, like a well built athletic human male who stood completely comfortably in his own skin. He had coiled power and lots of smarts. He was handsome no matter what species he was and a kick in the pants. His youth was evident and war had not dampened his personality nor his willingness to play and play hard. The slightest trace of arrogant self regard hovered over him but it was a shadow against the humor he had in abundance.

"See ya after shift," Matthews said as he gestured for the humans to proceed.

Hot Rod nodded, then transformed. He peeled out and raced off, the humans pausing to watch. Annette turned to Matthews and grinned. "You like doing that don't you," she said rather than asked.

"You have no idea," he said turning to lead the way. They entered the barracks, the door closing behind them.

-0-Fulton

John Fulton walked from the Administration Building heading for Omega. The new liaison had arrived, someone vouched for by Warren Roberts. He was anxious to meet Wright, to formulate an agreement of intention against Mearing who was the new Daniels to him. She was formidable in her goal to gather all the reins of power regarding the N.E.S.T. program and every other Autobot-related agreement and project going. She had support higher up because she produced results and wasn't afraid to get optic-to -eyeball with anyone. She was a compartmentalized bureaucrat with connections.

As he walked toward Omega, he saw Mearing standing by the Embassy, albeit on the base side of the line talking on a satellite phone. He ignored her as he passed even as he heard her call and continued onward with Major Sewell, or Major Andrew as he was called by the bots to the ramp of Omega Supreme. He heard her running to catch up but he ignored her, continuing up the ramp to go inside.

Mearing paused at the foot, considering entering no man's land, then braced herself to continue. She too disappeared inside, her aides soldiering on behind her. The breeze was soft and the sun was warm as the base continued on behind her. No one was there to see Jolt speed by followed by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Bluestreak was home again and the three of them would be leaving that evening. For now, they were 'patrolling'. That they had half a dozen femmes and mechs including three sailors who were just in port who were friends and family of the 'regulars' on board didn't hurt. They were happy to drag around and give them the experience of not only riding inside a sentient vehicle but of letting them know the luxury and pleasure of riding in such spectacular concepts as their formats were.

It was awesome.

It also was returning things to normal.

They didn't care.

For them, it was just fun.

-0-Inside Omega

John Fulton and Andrew Sewell were picked up by Ratchet and placed on the table. They were also scanned as was Wright, the tingling sensation drawing his attention to the big medic. Ratchet grinned.  
"Get used to it. I always scan everyone. Force of habit. I can see you are healing well, Andrew and John." He looked at Wright. "Your hernia operation is healed quite well."

John Fulton chuckled, then looked at Wright. "Get used to it. He will say anything."

"That's part of my charm," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

"What about me?" a voice said much lower to the ground. Mearing and two breathless heavily laden aides stared up at them.

Ratchet scanned them. "Optimal."

"Thank you," Mearing said with a slight grin. She looked at the table. "I am assuming you are Carl Wright."

"You are correct," Wright said. "You are Charlotte Mearing and Company?"

"Correct." She looked at him appraisingly.

"Well, now that introductions have been made," Ratchet said in the heavy pause, "I think we should all dance."

Chuckles all around broke the moment, then Mearing came closer. "If you would do the honors, doctor," she said.

"You're a little small for me. I might step on more than just your feet, Ms Mearing," Ratchet replied with a smirk.

"You're very funny," Mearing said with a smirk of her own.

Ratchet reached down and sat her on the table. He placed her assistants as well. Mearing stared around pausing to look up at Prowl. Prowler was resting in the crook of the big bot's arm. "Is that a baby?"

"He is," Prowl said coolly.

"How small he is," she replied entranced for a moment. The she turned to Wright. "We need to talk."

"I am presenting my credentials to the Prime," Wright said. "There will be time to talk later."

"I will hold you to it," she said nodding. "What is the status of the incursion?" she asked looking at Optimus.

He sat without speaking as Prowl smoothly deflected the question toward himself. "The status is calm. There is no activity. They have gone to ground."

"Really." She stared at him for a moment. "What does that mean?"

"They're a infiltration protocol team that came to Earth ten thousand years ago with Megatron. They were brought here to level this world and put it into the Decepticon category," Ratchet explained. "They were dormant this whole time waiting for instructions. Some of them were busy digging and tunneling, which is what Insecticons do when they're bored. They are a hive mind and will follow their leader without question. She is dormant now waiting for an opportunity. Arachnid is incredibly dangerous but she is also something most Decepticon leaders aren't. She's smart and strategic. She will wait as long as it takes for either word from Megatron or an opportunity. She won't waste her position for easy gets that might inflict set backs. She's too smart and veteran for that."

"Then this could take years?" Mearing asked.

They all nodded. It was silent a moment. "I would like to be briefed on this group and their leader. I would like to have all of the intell directed to me and I'm not asking. I have the authority to demand it. I would like you all to understand that I am assuming control of this operation and I have the backing of my government to do so."

"You do not have the backing of mine," Prime said quietly. "You are not a soldier nor do you have experience at war and fighting an enemy this ruthless. Without our support, you would have had to face this enemy alone. You are not equipped to do that. Therefore, you will receive from this government that which is beneficial for you to know. It will be for me to decide what and how extensive that information will be."

"You would withhold information from us?" Mearing said with outrage.

"You withheld information about us with a lie. Your government said that we were told all that you knew," Prime said leaning in closer. She didn't back down. "You were not forthcoming on your end. You withheld the lunar crash site and all of the information you took from it. Now a mole is lose and humans are getting access to things that do not belong to them. All of our demands for that information and material to be returned to us have been ignored. Your outrage is misplaced, Ms Mearing. You would do well to remember that." He sat back regarding her levelly.

She met his gaze as well. "We can work together. Our goals are the same," she replied tersely.

"But our methods aren't," Prowl replied. "You lie. We don't. Big difference."

She looked at Prowl, then stared at the ground. "Ambassador, if you would be so good?" She turned and glanced at Wright. "We need to talk." Then she and her aides took the ride down. It was a moment before they exited Omega.

Ironhide glanced at Prime. "I don't like her one bit."

Wright sighed, then glanced at Ironhide with a grin. "I hear ya. I have to share barracks with her."

"Oh slag," Ironhide said with heartfelt sympathy. It was met with agreement by everyone present.

Prowler on the other servo was dozing.

In Prowl's arms.

Much to Ironhide's everlasting angst.

And Ratchet's great amusement.

-0-TBC July 14, 2013 (Happy Birthday, Daddy and Josh. My nephew was born on my dad's birthday fifty years apart. Happy Bastille Day, France! **VIVA LA FRANCE!**)

**NOTES:** Envy, I am hugging you across time and space. Horus... That cat must have been that end of the awesome scale. I am honored to help you when you are down. The readers of this story are my heroes. I have readers who are in hospitals, have lost parents, pets and have tough things happen. Some are in school feeling the pressure to excel and get things done. I even have an entire equestrian school reading. There are soldiers from all over the world, people in far flung places who read this and some for whom English is a second language. I am so honored to be a part of my reader's life and help them find a world that they can come to and find relaxation, entertainment and peace. You did the best thing you could do for your baby. I have lost both parents and five dogs (eighteen year old dachshunds) over the course of the last seven years and I can tell you truthfully 'after the rain, the birds sing'. You will find time is your friend and you will be happy again even if it feels completely impossible now. Be good to yourself. I am so pleased you are here. **{{{HUGS!}}}**, envy and **{{{HUGS!}}}** to all who need it out there in the great big world. I love you all. -Old What's Her Face ;)

-0-

**MORE NOTES:** Insecticons: There was concept art of six combining into a six legged monster to be called the Hive. The tiny fly-sized robot in Revenge of The Fallen was an insecticon. Sam pulled him apart. The games pose them as pests who are only dangerous and effective when they come together to form the Hive which is what they are in Transformers: Prime when they are together either in repose or in flight/fight.

Denizens of the under levels of Cybertron, the **Insecticons** live in destructive swarms. Ravenous and aggressive, Insecticons can digest 95% of known matter, reshaping their findings into enormous subterrannean hives. Existing as a near hive mind, they represent a deadly and invaluable resource for those willing to find a way to tame them.

Insecticons have the unique ability to clone themselves, but each successive clone is inferior to its progenitor, leading to increasingly bestial creatures. Three members of the species stand out as being fully sentient individuals, with the ability to assume bipedal robot modes. Far more difficult to manipulate, they require coercion rather than control, and may represent the original members of their race.

These four have been named: Hardshell, Sharpshot, Kickback, Bombshell. Sharpshot is the leader but another, Venom is given overall command of the bugs in most universes. -Thank you, TFWIKI. :D :D


	366. Chapter 366

The Diego Diaries: Regrouping 7 (366)

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

They chatted a moment, then Ratchet placed Carl Wright on the ground. A bot appeared in the doorway and grinned. "You called?" Sunstreaker asked. Outside, the high octane, high powered sound of concept engines could be heard as several other bots waited noisily for Sunny.

"I need you to give Carl the tour," Ratchet said with a grin. He glanced at the human. "You don't have a heart condition do you?"

Carl grinned. "Not yet."

"Good. This is my oldest son, Sunstreaker. Have you ever ridden in a Lamborghini?"

"No. I had dreams though," he answered with a grin.

"Well, this is your lucky day," Ratchet said with a chuckle.

Carl Wright grinned back and walked to the door. He passed Sunstreaker who watched him go. Then the big Lambo looked at Ratchet with thumbs up, then down and a questioning look on his handsome face. Ratchet gave him the thumbs up, so Sunstreaker grinned and turned walking out. He would give him the mellower of the two possible rides he could have gotten since he had good potential and possibilities apparently.

"I hope he survives the welcome. This man seems to have possibilities," Prowl said glancing at Prowler who was smiling up at him. He grinned down. "You are so cute."

Ironhide cast Prowl a gimlet optic, then looked at Ratchet. "What is this about Praxus talking better?"

"He was babbling this morning, then asked after you. He started talking in complete sentences." Ratchet grinned. "The school is going to be looking him over and have data for us at conferences."

"When are they?" Prime asked as he sat lounging in the best chair on Omega.

"After the Festival," Prowl replied glancing at his bond. "We're going to have to reschedule the game too. After the Festival maybe."

Prime nodded. "That would be good if things hold. Right now, we have to really hunt these creatures. The Hive has to be found."

Everyone nodded. "What is the status of Omega? What is the status of everyone camping out?" Ratchet asked, ever getting to the point.

"Tell me about medbay. Prowl is about to sign off on Ops Center. We actually have upgraded that place a great deal. Until these two features are signed off, we can not go home," Optimus said.

Ratchet nodded and glanced at Ironhide. Nudging him with his ped, he grinned. "Pick up your lower lip and come with me. Make me laugh and I'll let you play with my critical energy port tonight."

The moans and groans from the staff around the room nearly buried the loud retching sound from Prowl and the uproarious laughter from Prime. They walked out bantering to each other as the rest of them watched. Prowl glanced at Prime. "That mech is incorrigible."

"Ratchet takes the 'morale officer' part of his job description to spark," Optimus replied with a big grin.

"Thank goodness."

Prowl grinned and nodded. "Yes." He looked down at Prowler who was dozing slightly. He sat and placed him on the table. Sliding him toward Optimus, Prowl smirked. "This is one incredibly cute sparkling."

Optimus leaned over and took Prowler's tiny servo into his own. Considering the doppelganger of his bond lying on a Pooh bear blanket, he nodded. "I won't argue one bit."

-0-On the way

They ambled over to the Embassy, Ironhide bitching all the way, Ratchet mocking him back mercilessly. When they reached the doors Ratchet paused. "This is going to be sleeker and less rustic. It looks more 'us' than 'them and us', you know what I mean?"

Ironhide nodded. "I do. I miss it too."

"Orion was separated here. This is his ground zero," Ratchet said as they walked through the rec room and its stacks of stuff yet to be placed, used, hammered, nailed, blue gunned, stapled or put away. Entering medbay, he looked around. Its impressive rebuild was getting there. He walked to the office that now existed where one really didn't before. They had made an office out of a nook space but it was only that. A lot had happened in that old space. He wondered about his new one. Would it feel like home? Peering in, he decided it wouldn't. It wasn't home made and 'normal' enough. He couldn't explain it better but he knew what he was thinking about it. This was changed. All of it.

"What are you going to do, mech?" Ironhide asked as he walked to sit on a brand new medberth.

"I'm going to input the command codes, start the diagnostics and check a few things here and there. Most of this will be finished on Mars. We can run it from there."

"Why are we here?" Ironhide asked looking around for the rust stick canister.

"Because its the way we do it," Ratchet said glancing at his none-too-subtle bond looking for candy. "Its in the cupboard over the synthesizer," Ratchet said nodding to the wall across from him.

"What?" Ironhide asked with his own none-too-subtle way.

"Ha-ha, Ironhide," Ratchet said sitting down before the master computer control which was on the wall next to the cupboard. He reached up, plucked a big canister out and tossed it to Ironhide. Ironhide caught it and opened the lid. Smiling, he began to help himself.

"Big girl," Ratchet said with a grin.

"You can't make me feel badly, Ratchet," Ironhide said between bites. "Prowl took care of that already."

"I know, you reprobate," Ratchet said with a chuckle. They would banter for a while before all the fine tuning possible at this end was finished. All that would remain in the walk through of the facility and the supply checklist. It would take four joors before it was complete enough to warrant signing off. Then it was.

-0-Nearby

He slid to a stop and sat a moment, the man inside laughing insanely. They had a tremendous ride around the island driving just about everything passing Striker teams working out, sailors hanging around the beaches and civilians going about their business. Hot Rod, Jolt, Sideswipe and Bumblebee had joined them, Sideswipe staying in root format as they sped around like maniacs.

Carl finally stepped out when the door hatch popped and as he leaned against the yellow Lambo he finally gathered himself. "Thank you, Sunstreaker. That was the greatest road trip I ever had."

"No problem," a mirth-filled voice said with a healthy dollop of triumph contained within.

Sideswipe slid to a stop and stood over them staring at the human with a smirk. "You got off easy. You should see the ride we gave to Mearing."

Carl laughed at that comment, then grinned. "Glad to hear it." He nodded and walked rather wobbly-legged inside the barracks leaving the others behind.

Sunstreaker transformed, turning to glance at the base. "Things are looking good. We're going home in about a joor or so. What about you guys?" he asked the others.

Bee shrugged. "I have to stay three more orns. What about you, Roddy?"

Hot Rod nodded. "Me too."

"I have three orns too. I think you two are getting off lightly. How come you can be here for a couple of orns and get to go home? What the frag?" Jolt asked with a grin. Electricity snapped across his frame as he began to gather the static electricity he had accumulated racing for a discharge into the base's battery storage.

"Waaaa," Sunstreaker said before Jolt zapped him. The youngling transformed and tore out. Sunstreaker followed on skates racing for payback. The others looked at each other, then turned and it was on. The humans in the barracks and those around the base watched with intense interest. It was all great.

-0-On a planetary fragment in the system

Silverclaw and Thundercracker stood quietly watching as the lights grew closer. It was evident what they were and they were heading in on their signal. Silverclaw was there for the Great Elder, a personage who would send emissaries rather than go himself. Silverclaw, the second most senior elder would be his personal representative.

The figures became larger and more defined, their path straighter. Then they began to transform into the air landing heavily in a thundering storm silently playing out before the pair. In space, there was no sound. The screaming sounds of processes playing themselves out everywhere around them couldn't be heard by the audial due to vacuum. Sensors and other equipment would be necessary to hear the sound of quasars and black holes, collisions, bursts and hisses. The new crew landed silently.

They stared at Thundercracker and Silverclaw, then their leader stepped forward. He nodded his helm to Silverclaw in the manner of someone of lower status, then looked at Thundercracker. :Commander, Elder, we are here. What happens now?:

The others watched, their nervousness evident.

:You come home with us: Silverclaw said as Thundercracker nodded. :Follow us:

They looked at each other, then all of them nodded. Silverclaw transformed, then jetted upward. :Go. Follow. We'll help you when we get there. You will give your oaths, then we will show you how to live the way you should have long ago:

The mechs glanced at each other, then began to transform. When the last one was up and away, only then did Thundercracker join them in space.

-0-At the Sparkling Day School

Praxus stood on the table staring at the ring of experts checking him over. He had been plucked from his swimming class, dried off and carried to the speech therapy center on the fourth floor. Students, specialist techs and Mr. Roto sat around the table smiling at the infant. Laret stood in the doorway watching, a sleeping hatchling in her arms. Praxus looked at her and smiled. "Lo-Lo! I see you!"

Laret chuckled. "I see you too, baby. Aren't you a clever little mech."

Praxus smiled brilliantly. Then he looked at Roto. Walking across the table top to his swimming teacher he paused. "To-to? What you do here? Me here to talking?"

Roto grinned. "We want to hear you talk, baby. You talk so nicely."

"I try," he said patting his servos together, the smile on his face brilliant and wide.

"How did you learn how to do this so well, baby?" Roto asked.

Praxus thought a moment, then grinned. "I talking good to Hero."

"Ah," everyone said when the light bulb came on. "It helps to have a role model and mentor."

"I talking to Hero. I talking to Orion. I talking to Ada. Ada likes talking to me." He smiled. "Other Ada talking to me first. I make ..." He paused a moment trying to figure out the words he wanted. Then he showed a hammering motion. "I do this. Other Ada talking to me. I like to talking to Other Ada. You know Other Ada?" he asked sweetly.

Roto hugged him and nodded. "I do. Both of them."

They looked at him a moment. "Who is Other Ada?" one of them asked.

"His grandada, Ravel," Laret said. She looked at Praxus. "Did Other Ada help you talk better?"

He looked at her, then smiled. **"OTHER ADA HELP ME! OTHER ADA LOVE ME! I LOVE OTHER ADA!" **he said with great happiness.

They all chuckled which was fine and dandy with Praxus. It was fun to be the center of attention. He looked at Roto and waited. Roto pulled out a lot of picture cards, then grinned at Praxus. "Show them how much you know, baby. Tell me who and what these are." He held up a card.

Praxus looked at it, then grinned. "**DOG!**"

And so it went.

-0-Out there

They paused on a planetary fragment before entering the boiling, roiling energy of the solar system well. It was typical of the leading edges of solar systems. The ride would be bumpy but swift in the ships they flew. Stepping out, they bumped fists. :Good to see you. Its been a long time. Someone told me that Motormaster and Dead End are being held by Prime. They tried to come for sanctuary and blew it:

:What else is new? Those two are too dumb to do it right: Drag Strip said.

:We're going for surrender and a chance to fit in. We tell them we left with the Seekers because we're tired of slag and want another life. Got that?: Wild Rider said.

Drag Strip nodded. "They should be glad to be getting us: he said with a smirk.

:Me, maybe," Wild Rider said with a smirk of his own. :Come on. Let's catch up. They'll have us on their sensors. If they come out in force, don't do anything to get us shot up. I just finished the shine on my armor at the camp. I don't want it fragged up:

Drag Strip didn't offer a rebuttal, but turned and walked back to the shuttle he had stolen. They both took off and headed for the colony that lay at the end of a deep space beacon at the center of a security system that rivaled anything they had ever seen before including Cybertron during the Clampdown.

-0-Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean, Earth

Ratchet stood at the shuttle hatch talking to Ironhide. He had just stowed Prowler in his hold, Ironhide finally prying it out of Prowl's servos. Ironhide had carried the baby around for a while, standing shimmering with pride as those who viewed the baby exclaimed his beauty. When he had to give Prowler back to Ratchet to take home, he was having a sad. "You'll be home either tonight or tomorrow unless Arachnid drills up under our peds right now."

"Fragging slagger. I dare her to," Ironhide said as he watched his youngest sparkling disappear into the hold of his ada. "Tell the younglings I'm coming."

"I will. Maybe we can Skype tonight," Ratchet said turning to walk up the ramp. He disappeared into the shuttle followed by a sassing Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and three other mechs leaving from the original Alaskan striker team. The hatch closed, then the ship flew away. Ironhide was stuck behind. He watched, then turned and headed for the firing range to see how the rebuild was coming along.

-0-On the deck back home

The shuttle landed and all stepped off heading for Fortress Road to the city. Ratchet bantered with the twins who were happy to be home. Halfway to the road, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker picked Ratchet up and peeled out carrying the medic between them screaming all the way into town.

-0-Moments later in the CMO's office

Ratchet sat with his peds on the desk, a can of candy in his lap. The twins sat on the couches, their peds up, other canisters from Ratchet's extensive and rather impressive private stash in their laps. "You two are a menace to society."

"We're the best thing that ever happened to you," Sunstreaker said popping the Cybertronian equivalent of M & M's into his mouth.

Ratchet snorted. "What are you two going to do now?"

"Well, I don't know about Sunny but I'm going home to frag Bluestreak," Sideswipe said.

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe a moment, then rose swiftly. Sideswipe rose behind them and they sped out heading for the elevator beyond. Two canisters of candy fell to the floor landing oddly enough on their bottoms without spilling a thing. Ratchet looked at the door, then shook his helm. :Bluestreak:

:What, Ratchet?: Blue's cheerful voice replied.

"Two overheated maniacs are headed your way:

:I'm counting on it, Ratchet:

Ratchet snorted, then grinned. :I want film:

:You got it: There was a pause. Then Bluestreak was back. :They just got here. See ya:

Ratchet sat popping sweets as he relaxed on his chair. :Ironhide:

:What? Where are you and what are you doing? How's Prowler?:

Ratchet glanced at the box bed where Prowler was laying playing with a dollie as he talked to himself sweetly. :He's missing his old pa. I'm sitting in the office eating candy:

(Pause) :You slagger:

Ratchet grinned. :I have it on good authority that Bluestreak is going to be having a high old time shortly:

:Those two reprobates:

:I told Blue I wanted film: (grin)

:You're hopeless: (grin)

:You knew that going in, Ironhide: (grin)

(grin) "I did. What are you doing now?:

:I think I'm sort of being sexy, Ironhide. You know … sexy and hot:

(pause) :Is this some of that phone sex?: (grin)

:Oh yes, Ironhide. I am all hot and bothered for you: (grin)

(pause) :Who's bothering you, Ratchet?:

Ratchet snorted. :You are the best, Ironhide. Come home soon:

:I will. Gotta motor. Prime is doing a walk around of the Ops Center. Might need me:

:Guard his body, okay?: (grin)

:Count on it: (grin)

Ratchet sat eating candy and kibitzing between calls until it was time to get the kids from school.

-0-TBC July 14, 2013

NOTES: Oz leads the way. The Perth Mint in Australia actually made an Optimus Prime silver coin. Its epic. Here's the website addie. Just close the holes. :D:D:D

www. Perthmint. Com. Au / catalogue / transformers – optimus – prime – 1 oz – silver – proof – coin . Aspx

They apparently are all sold out. :( However, Prime looks epic. :D


End file.
